National

Peter Obetz (left) and Jeff Jarrett met in 1998 and are still close friends. Peter was diagnosed with stage IV esophageal cancer in 2004. He was declared cancer-free in 2009. They visited StoryCorps in Kansas City, Mo.

National

Cherishing The Gift Of Friendship Through A Cancer Bout

8:34am May 31, 2013

by NPR Staff

In 2004, Peter Obetz was in the middle of a divorce when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He says the news was not only a wake-up call for him to change his life, but it also brought him closer to his friend Jeff Jarrett. He's been cancer-free since 2009.

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Elysha O'Brien and her husband, Michael, with their sons. Elysha never learned Spanish but is determined that her children will.

National

Living In Two Worlds, But With Just One Language

12:24am May 31, 2013

by Michele Norris

Elysha O'Brien calls herself a "Mexican white girl." Not just because of her ethnically ambiguous appearance, she says, but also because she can't speak Spanish. Fearing their children would experience discrimination if they spoke Spanish, her parents chose not to teach them their native tongue.

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Activists rally in support of gay marriage on March 25 in Chicago. The Illinois Senate has approved legislation that will legalize same-sex marriage, but it has stalled in the state House.

Will Ill. Legalize Gay Marriage Before Legislature Adjourns?

7:04pm May 30, 2013

by David Schaper

The clock is ticking for those who hope Illinois becomes the 13th state to legalize same-sex marriage. After passing the Illinois Senate in February, a bill to legalize gay marriage has stalled in the House. Backers are trying to get it through before the Legislature adjourns Friday night.

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The gray line in the upper left comes from an aerial view of Afghanistan's crucial Highway 1, the main route between Kabul and Kandahar, the two biggest cities. U.S. forces are still working to secure the route which runs through lush farm valleys and the

As The Clock Ticks, U.S. Forces Scale Back Afghan Goals

6:15pm May 30, 2013

by Tom Bowman

The 12-year U.S. military effort in Afghanistan has sought to drive out extremists and help Afghans rebuild their country. As the American forces prepare to withdraw, the focus is on practical security measures and those ambitious nation-building goals seem to be fading away.

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The University of Tennessee became one of 10 state university systems teaming up with Coursera, a for-profit tech company.

Online College Courses Get A Big Boost, But Doubts Persist

6:01pm May 30, 2013

by Claudio Sanchez

Degree-granting institutions are responding to austere budgets by catapulting themselves into the world of online education. But some professors point to low online completion rates as evidence that these "massive open online courses" do a disservice to students.

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Herman Boudreau served in the U.S. Army in World War II, then rose to the rank of command sergeant major in the Maine Army National Guard.

Public Servant Herman Boudreau, Heroic Under Enemy Fire

5:51pm May 30, 2013

by NPR Staff

While serving in the Army in World War II, Herman Boudreau fought the Japanese resistance during more than two years in the South Pacific. He went on to serve in the Maine National Guard and the Maine State Police, as chief of police in Freeport and as an auxiliary police officer in Brunswick.

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How OxyContin's Pain Relief Built 'A World Of Hurt'

12:40pm May 30, 2013

New York Times reporter Barry Meier's new e-book explores opiate painkillers and the consequences that come with long-term use. He focuses in particular on OxyContin, how it came to be prescribed for chronic pain, what the consequences have been, and how it became a street drug.

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Former Deputy Attorney General James B. Comey waits to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington on May 15, 2007. NPR has learned that Comey is in line to become President Obama's choice as the next FBI director.

Former Justice Official In Line To Be Named FBI Chief

6:25am May 30, 2013

by Carrie Johnson

Two sources familiar with the search for a new director of the agency tell NPR that James B. Comey is in line to succeed outgoing chief Robert Mueller. Comey was the No. 2 official at the Justice Department in the George W. Bush administration.

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By leasing land for drilling, city leaders in Youngstown, Ohio, hope to generate funds to demolish vacant buildings.

What's Under Youngstown May Help What's On Top

7:18pm May 29, 2013

City leaders in Youngstown, Ohio, are hoping that by leasing land to drilling companies, they might generate funds to demolish vacant homes and buildings. Some refer to this as "frackmolishing," and opponents worry the drilling will cause environmental damage.

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Cooking With Cicadas: No Weirder Than Eating Cheese?

7:18pm May 29, 2013

by Maria Godoy

We know, eating bugs sounds strange, but 2 billion people already do it — and the U.N. has made the case for insects as a key protein source. For U.S. East Coasters, the coming of the 17-year cicadas provides an opportunity to cook with bugs. If you want to try your hand at it, there's a cookbook to guide your way.

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