National

A Preview Of Brennan's Confirmation Hearings

3:12pm February 07, 2013

John Brennan, the CIA director nominee, faces questions about the use of drone strikes and torture during his confirmation hearings. In particular, questions will focus on how the U.S. justifies targeted killings in countries where we're not engaged in warfare.

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Obama's Pick For CIA Chief To Face Senate Scrutiny

3:07pm February 07, 2013

by Tom Gjelten

As Obama's chief counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan has been associated with some controversial policies, including the use of armed drones. It's unlikely his appointment as CIA director is in trouble, but he's likely to face questions on drones as well as the agency's interrogation policies.

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A worker makes a cut in the side of a sandstone block at the Cleveland Quarries facility in Vermilion, Ohio, earlier this month. The legal limit on the amount of silica that workers can inhale was set decades ago.

Silica Rule Changes Delayed While Workers Face Health Risks

3:07pm February 07, 2013

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Regulations to restrict the amount of silica dust that workers can inhale were set decades ago, and workplace safety experts say that limit needs to be cut in half. A proposal for new rules was sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget for a 90-day review, but almost two years later, it's still under review.

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Supporters of gun control laws await President Obama's appearance Monday outside the Minneapolis Police Department's Special Operations Center.

Even In Blue Minnesota, Gun Control Seems A Tough Sell

8:36pm February 06, 2013

by David Welna

Minnesota has a Democratic governor, two Democratic senators, and Democrats control both houses of its Legislature. President Obama went there to rally support for his proposals to reduce gun violence. But even in Minnesota, there's considerable resistance to placing further restrictions on guns.

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Harlan County Lake, the Republican River's main reservoir in Nebraska, dropped 10 feet during the summer drought and hasn't recovered.

As Drought Intensifies, 2 States Dig In Over Water War

7:28pm February 06, 2013

by Grant Gerlock

The Republican River is crucial to the agricultural economy of several states in the West and Great Plains. But as a drought drags on, Kansas says Nebraska farmers have been taking more than their fair share of the river — and have asked the Supreme Court to weigh in.

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The Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve after the land was stripped by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Several advocates, including elected leaders, are protesting the move.

Wildlife Advocates Fume Over Army Corps' Razing Of Reserve

7:23pm February 06, 2013

by Gloria Hillard

A 48-acre area in California that housed more than 200 species of birds was stripped bare by the Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the land. The Corps says the clearing was necessary to improve flood control and discourage homeless camps and drug dealing, but some are questioning whether the agency violated rules that protect wetlands and waterfowl.

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REI CEO Sally Jewell delivers remarks Wednesday after being nominated by President Obama to be the next secretary of the interior.

From Oil Fields To REI, Interior Nominee Has Outdoorsy Cred

7:19pm February 06, 2013

by Martin Kaste

Usually, the job of heading the Interior Department goes to a Western politician versed in the struggles over natural resources. So the president's nomination of Sally Jewell, a relatively obscure CEO, has left some of the key players unsure of how to react.

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Chris Kyle, a retired Navy SEAL and best-selling author of American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History, was killed at a gun range near Glen Rose, Texas, on Feb. 2.

National

Shooting Of 'American Sniper' Raises Questions About PTSD Treatment

6:12pm February 06, 2013

by Quil Lawrence

The man who allegedly killed former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield at a Texas firing range was also an Iraq War veteran, and the crime has raised questions about the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder — including whether a firing range is a safe place for a disturbed veteran.

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More than 400 guns, including these three, were turned in during a Dallas gun buyback program in January. But determining the effectiveness of such programs is difficult due to limits on gun-related research.

Debate Rages On Even As Research Ban On Gun Violence Ends

6:12pm February 06, 2013

by Julie Rovner

President Obama has ordered an end to a 16-year-old ban on federal funding of research on guns and health. But the political controversy that led to the ban in the first place is far from over.

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National

Judge May Not Cut Amish Hair-Shearing Culprits A Break

6:12pm February 06, 2013

by David Barnett

Prosecutors are calling for lengthy sentences, describing the group's hair shearing of fellow Amish as terrorist acts. The defense is asking for leniency, saying no serious physical harm was done. But legal experts predict it won't be a soft sentencing.

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