National

George Porter, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, at his home in Sacramento, Calif., in 2007. Porter joined the armed forces in 1942 and served as a crew chief, squadron inspector and flight engineer with the Army Air Forces and the Air Force.

National

For Tuskegee Airman George Porter, Failure Was Not An Option

7:18pm May 29, 2013

by NPR Staff

George Porter was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first black fighter pilots, and those who supported them, in American history. A mechanic during the war, Porter found ways with his colleagues to keep their planes airborne even as they were denied the tools needed to do their jobs.

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President Obama speaks at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., on May 23.

Why Obama Wants To Change The Key Law In The Terrorism Fight

7:18pm May 29, 2013

by Ari Shapiro

Almost all of the federal government's actions against terrorism — from drone strikes to the prison at Guantanamo Bay — are authorized by a single law: the Authorization for the Use of Military Force. But President Obama says that with the Afghan war ending and al-Qaida weakened, it's time to limit the law's scope and ultimately have it repealed.

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National

Soldier Accused Of Killing Afghan Civilians To Plead Guilty

7:18pm May 29, 2013

The U.S. soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians last year has agreed to a deal that will spare him the death penalty.

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National

Sing-Spelling At The National Bee

7:18pm May 29, 2013

Melissa Block has more about Katie Danis, a 7th grader from Gastonia, N.C., who wanted to sing her word at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

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Casi Callaway of Mobile Baykeeper points out new marsh grass on the western shore of Mobile, Ala. Volunteers created an oyster reef just off the shoreline at this Mobile park, one of the first coastal restoration projects in the aftermath of the 2010 BP o

Gulf Coast States Get Creative With BP Oil Spill Money

11:29am May 29, 2013

by Debbie Elliott

Oil giant BP has agreed to pay $1 billion for coastal restoration along the Gulf of Mexico because of the 2010 oil spill. But the nature of some of the projects, including boat ramps and a beachfront hotel, has some environmental groups raising questions about what counts as coastal restoration.

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Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, has proposed cutting three seats from a key D.C. appeals court.

Senators Tussle Over Proposal To 'Unpack' Key D.C. Court

10:47am May 29, 2013

by Carrie Johnson

GOP Sen. Charles Grassley has floated legislation that would cut three seats from the important D.C. Circuit appeals court — just as President Obama prepares to announce his nominees for those jobs. The court is now evenly balanced with four appointees each from Republican and Democratic presidents.

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A bill proposed by the Senate's Gang of Eight (from left, Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.; Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.; John McCain, R-Ariz.; Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Bob Menendez, D-N.J.; Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; and Michael Bennet, D-Colo.) has passed o

Immigration Measure Faces Test In Senate, Rival Bill In House

10:47am May 29, 2013

by David Welna

The immigration overhaul proposed by a bipartisan group of senators has been passed out of committee and will soon be brought before the Democratic-led Senate. Less clear, though, is where the issue is headed in the GOP-controlled House, where another bipartisan group is at work on its own bill.

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Frankie Kuzuguk, 82, gets a hug from his daughter Marilyn Kuzuguk at Quyanna Care Center in Nome, Alaska, after receiving an official honorable discharge and a distinguished service coin from visiting Veterans Affairs officials. The VA is still tracking d

National

Forgotten For Decades, WWII Alaskans Finally Get Their Due

8:43am May 29, 2013

by Quil Lawrence

More than 6,000 Alaska Natives served without pay in the Alaska Territorial Guard, a response to Japan's 1942 foray into the Aleutian Islands. Members were finally granted veterans status in 2000. Now, the Department of Veterans Affairs is trying to ensure that the elderly survivors get their rightful benefits.

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After serving in World War II, Tad Nagaki returned to Nebraska to farm corn, beans and sugar beets.

After Long Wait For Combat, Tad Nagaki Became POW Liberator

8:43am May 29, 2013

by NPR Staff

A U.S. parachute team dropped into a POW camp in China to liberate the captives after Japan surrendered in 1945. Tad Nagaki was with that team. Prior to the assignment, Nagaki had spent two years requesting combat duty, only to be denied repeatedly because of his Japanese-American ethnicity.

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Damage on the Royal Caribbean ship Grandeur of the Seas is visible as the ship docks in Freeport, the Bahamas, on Monday.

National

Cruise Industry Adopts Passenger 'Rights' As Incidents Mount

8:43am May 29, 2013

by Jim Zarroli

About 2,200 passengers were being flown back to Baltimore after their cruise ship caught fire on its way to the Bahamas. It was the latest black eye for the cruise industry, which is now trying to reassure passengers it's OK for them to sail. An industry group said it has adopted a passenger "bill of rights."

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