National

Gun enthusiast Paul Gwaltney at Blue Ridge Arsenal, in Chantilly, Va. Gwaltney, an NPR listener, agreed to host a discussion about guns with friends and colleagues.

National

On Gun Ownership And Policy, 'A Country Of Chasms'

7:55pm March 21, 2013

by Melissa Block

Paul Gwaltney and other gun owners don't understand why many Americans are so anti-gun. So Gwaltney assembled a group of friends and colleagues with divergent views on guns and gun control for a frank conversation at his home in Chantilly, Va.

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Customers shop for guns at Freddie Bear Sports sporting goods store in Tinley Park, Ill., in January. One of the gun provisions in the spending bill prevents the Justice Department from requiring gun dealers to conduct an inventory to see if guns are lost

NRA-Driven Gun Provisions Pass Along With Spending Bill

6:32pm March 21, 2013

by Tamara Keith

The first gun-related provisions to pass Congress since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting were riders included without debate. These same provisions — which limit how federal agencies deal with guns — have been regularly included in spending bills for years.

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David Wilson (left) and Rob Compton embrace after being married by a Unitarian minister at the Arlington Street Church in Boston on May 17, 2004. They were one of the first couples in Massachusetts to be legally wed.

As Gay Marriage Heads To Court, A Look Back At The Bumpy Ride

4:28pm March 21, 2013

by Ari Shapiro

The Supreme Court hears two gay marriage cases next week. These will be the next major steps on a path the country has traveled for decades. Those who have been affected by the gay marriage battle reflect on the changes so far.

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Vice President Biden at a December 2012 meeting of police chiefs on gun control, held in Washington, D.C.

Administration Still Fighting For Assault Weapons Ban, Biden Says

12:00pm March 21, 2013

by Frank James

The vice president's comments in an interview with NPR come despite signs that such a ban doesn't have enough support, even from members of his own party, to make it through the Democratic-controlled Senate.

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National

Pentagon May Take Over CIA's Drone Program

9:23am March 21, 2013

The Obama administration is taking steps to put the CIA's drone program under Pentagon control. The CIA has been covertly using drones to target and kill suspected terrorists. Putting the program under Pentagon control would make it more transparent and legally restricted.

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Detective Dave Wells plugs his laptop into a car's event data recorder. A large portion of new cars are equipped with the device, and the government is considering making them mandatory in all vehicles. But some say there should be an "off" option.

National

Yes, Your New Car Has A 'Black Box.' Where's The Off Switch?

6:43pm March 20, 2013

by Martin Kaste

Most newer cars have recorders that collect data at the moment of a crash and preserve key information. The data is meant to improve safety, but it's also useful in court. The federal government now wants to make the recorders mandatory on all new cars, but privacy advocates say people should have the option of turning their cars' recorders off.

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The New York Post is notorious for topping its stories of scandal and gossip with brazen and pun-laden headlines.

National

With Headline Bus Tour, 'New York Post' Takes Manhattan

12:06pm March 20, 2013

by David Folkenflik

The New York Post, with its brazen and sometimes hilarious, sometimes cruel and punishing headlines, is now promoting itself with a bus tour of Manhattan. It drives by spots where reporters covered the scandals, murders and sensations that make New York City such a competitive tabloid town.

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Ali Hamdani was a doctor in Iraq before becoming a translator for NPR. He now lives in North Carolina.

'We Survived Iraq': An Iraqi Makes A New Home In North Carolina

7:51pm March 19, 2013

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

Ali Hamdani worked for NPR in Iraq and narrowly survived a 2008 car bomb attack. He's among a relatively small number of Iraqis who have been allowed to resettle in the U.S., and he considers himself lucky.

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People stand in line outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday.

National

Supreme Court OKs Discounted Resale Of 'Gray Market' Goods

7:51pm March 19, 2013

by Nina Totenberg

The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that U.S. companies that make and sell products abroad cannot prevent those items from being resold in the U.S., even at steep discounts. The decision could have repercussions that extend from U.S. trade policy to local yard sales.

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Is your family budget really like the federal budget?

How The Federal Budget Is Just Like Your Family Budget (Or Not)

7:51pm March 19, 2013

by Tamara Keith

Amid the budget debate, there's one comparison you hear a lot. As House Speaker John Boehner has put it: "Every family in America has to balance their budget. Washington should, too." But just how accurate is that analogy?

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