National

A man walks past the former site of a clinic that offered abortions in El Paso, Texas.

Despite Legal Reprieve On Abortion, Some Texas Clinics Remain Closed

8:24am October 20, 2014

by Carrie Feibel

Texas clinics that provide abortion services were surprised by a ruling from the high court this week that allows them to reopen. But the bruising legal battle may have already changed the landscape.

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When people see charts like this, they think the drug is more effective than if they just read about the data, a study finds.

Just Seeing Charts And Graphs Makes Drug Claims More Credible

8:24am October 20, 2014

by Katherine Hobson

Graphs look so impressive. Even graphs that include no new information made people more likely to think that a drug is effective, a study finds. Can you inoculate yourself against that bias?

Members of the California Nurses Association rallied in Sacramento, Calif., in May, in anticipation of contract negotiations with Kaiser Permanente that began this fall.

California Nurses' Union Pulls Ebola Into Contract Talks

8:23am October 20, 2014

by April Dembosky

Ebola training, staffing and protective gear are bargaining chips as nurses in California hammer out a new contract with Kaiser Permanente. Their requests mirror the concerns of nurses nationwide.

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Kurdish fighters move into position in Kobani, Syria on the border with Turkey Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014.

U.S. Airdrops Weapons, Ammo, Medical Supplies To Kurds In Kobani

2:38am October 20, 2014

by Lauren Hodges

In an effort assist Kurdish forces in the Syrian border town, the U.S. military said Sunday the dropped supplies were meant to help resistance to Islamic State efforts to control Kobani.

An artist's rendering of the flyby with Mars orbiters taking cover. Note that the image says "spacecraft not to scale."

Mars Probes Give Scientists Box Seats For Rare Comet Flyby

12:41am October 20, 2014

by Scott Neuman

A "mountain-sized" comet known as Siding Spring will pass very close to the red planet, where orbiters from the U.S., Europe and India, hope to get close — but not too close — to the action.

Free Syrian Army fighters sit in a house on the outskirts of Aleppo, Syria, in June 2012. The U.S. is planning to train and arm the rebels, who have been outgunned on the battlefield.

Syria's 'Moderate Rebels' Say They Are Willing, But Need Weapons

10:26pm October 19, 2014

by Peter Kenyon

The Free Syrian Army has been outgunned in the country's multi-sided civil war. But they say they have fighting experience, and if the U.S. provides arms and training they could play a key role.

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European Slowdown Drives Roller-Coaster Week In Markets

7:33pm October 19, 2014

Concerns in Europe over a slowdown in economic growth have been rattling global financial markets. NPR's Scott Simon talks with correspondent John Ydstie about the volatile week on Wall Street.

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The proposed overpass would allow mountain lions to cross this section of freeway. One mountain lion was hit near here after apparently failing to make it over this wall.

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Why Did The Mountain Lion Cross The Freeway? To Breed

7:09pm October 19, 2014

by NPR Staff

The 101 Freeway slices right through the wilderness in and around Los Angeles, separating local mountain lion populations. To mate and avoid inbreeding, the animals must risk the dangerous crossing.

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Thomas Eric Duncan, the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the U.S., at a wedding in Ghana. Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, where Duncan was being treated for the disease, on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2014 said Duncan has died.

Liberians Wonder If Duncan's Death Was A Result Of Racism

7:03am October 19, 2014

by Rebecca Hersher

Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian national, died of Ebola in an American hospital. But white American patients have survived. Some Liberians believe racism is the reason for Duncan's demise.

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Lawyers Band Together To Fight Gun Violence

6:24pm October 18, 2014

A new group called Prosecutors Against Gun Violence has formed to find solutions to gun violence in the U.S. NPR's Arun Rath speaks with attorneys and co-chairs Cyrus Vance Jr. and Mike Feuer.

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