National

For Justice Sotomayor, Books Unlocked Imagination

7:13am January 19, 2013

by Nina Totenberg

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor's autobiography, My Beloved World, debuted this week, and NPR's Nina Totenberg sat down with her to talk about her youth and schooling and career. Sotomayor discusses the role that books played in her life, from Nancy Drew to Shakespeare.

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Is A Fresh Start In Washington Possible?

7:13am January 19, 2013

Host Scott Simon talks with NPR's Mara Liasson about whether the Obama administration and Congressional Republicans can find some common ground and overcome the political gridlock that characterized much of the president's first term.

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Stink Bug's Resurfacing May Squash Farmers' Hopes For A Strong 2013

5:14pm January 18, 2013

by Sabri Ben-Anchour

Last year, farmers caught a break from the stink bug, an invasive pest that can cause significant crop damage. The population dropped sharply in 2011, but experts say the insect could come back bigger than ever this year.

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National

N.Y. Governor Flexes Political Muscle To Pass Tough Gun Law

5:09pm January 18, 2013

by Karen DeWitt

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a new gun control bill into law Tuesday, just days after delivering an impassioned speech on the need to pass the legislation. The popular governor has managed to translate his high approval ratings into a number of political victories. But some say Cuomo is just padding his resume for a future presidential bid.

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For editorial cartoonists, Obama's ears are his signature. In some depictions, they've grown throughout the years, but Matt Wuerker says cartoonists have gotten lazy. "We did the same thing to George W. Bush. By the end of his administration he was just D

For Cartoonists Who Cover Obama: Four More Ears

5:09pm January 18, 2013

by Alison MacAdam

Four years ago, when the nation's first African-American president was inaugurated, even conservative editorial cartoonists marked the moment with reverence. Now, not so much. Political cartoonists Scott Stantis of the Chicago Tribune and Matt Wuerker of Politico weigh in on the evolution of a president's image.

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Bernard Holyfield (right) shares a childhood story with his friend Charles Barlow, about growing up in a racially charged Alabama during the early 1960s.

National

The Moment Race Mattered: A Haunting Childhood Memory

9:11am January 18, 2013

by NPR Staff

Bernard Holyfield was 5 years old when he learned that skin color made a big difference. He recalls an incident in the early 1960s in Alabama in which a drunken white man approached him and his brother while they were playing on their front lawn.

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As Social Issues Drive Young From Church, Leaders Try To Keep Them

9:11am January 18, 2013

by Heidi Glenn

Morning Edition wraps up its weeklong look at the growing number of people who say they do not identify with a religion. In the final conversation, two religious leaders describe what they do to attract young people to the church.

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Dear Mr. President: Tell Obama Your Priority For His Second Term

7:16am January 18, 2013

by Becky Lettenberger

In anticipation of Inauguration Day, NPR photographer Becky Lettenberger and producer Justine Kenin visited 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to ask Americans: "What do you want President Obama to remember in his second term?"

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Lucas Codognolla, 22, receives his license after qualifying for it under President Obama's federal immigration policy, which allows some young immigrants who are in the country illegally to stay in the U.S. for at least two years.

Some States Put Brakes On Driver's Licenses For Illegal Immigrants

7:16am January 18, 2013

by Craig LeMoult

Many young illegal immigrants can now drive without the fear of being pulled over. Under President Obama's deferred action program, many have begun receiving their driver's licenses. But not every state is on board with allowing these young people behind the wheel.

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Vegetation like the kind growing here at Michigan State University's Kellogg Biological Station could one day be used to feed small biofuel refineries spread throughout the Midwest.

Could Some Midwest Land Support New Biofuel Refineries?

7:16am January 18, 2013

by Richard Harris

Land that isn't in good enough condition to grow crops could be used to produce substantial amounts of liquid biofuels, a new study claims. But there are many concerns about the study, and about the future of advanced biofuels in the U.S. and abroad.

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