National

U.S. Ranks Below 16 Other Rich Countries In Health Report

6:46pm January 09, 2013

by Richard Knox

Americans are sicker and die sooner than their counterparts in comparable nations. No single cause can account for the difference, but improving medical care will only help so much, as disparities can be traced to dietary choices, drugs and alcohol, guns, and even cars.

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National

Colorado Shooting Hearing Ends With Chilling Photos, No Defense Witnesses

6:31pm January 09, 2013

by Mark Memmott

In the weeks before the attack, James Holmes took photos of the Colorado movie theater where 12 people were killed and dozens more wounded in last summer's mass shooting, prosecutors revealed Wednesday at a court hearing in Colorado.

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Unsolicited donations of used clothing, bottled water, canned food and personal grooming products piled up following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The piles had to be moved aside to make room to stage and deliver critical relief supplies.

Thanks, But No Thanks: When Post-Disaster Donations Overwhelm

6:31pm January 09, 2013

by Pam Fessler

It happens after every disaster. People want to help, but their donations often turn out to be a burden. Newtown, Conn., for example, was so inundated with gifts, it asked people to stop sending them. Instead, disaster aid groups are trying to figure out a better way to channel good intentions.

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A photographic screen hangs in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, which is undergoing renovations. On Wednesday, the justices will hear arguments in a case that asks whether police without a warrant can administer a blood test to a suspected drunken driver.

National

Can Police Force Drunken Driving Suspects To Take Blood Tests?

1:32pm January 09, 2013

by Nina Totenberg

The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday in a case testing whether police must get a warrant before forcing a driver to have his blood drawn. Missouri, backed by the Obama administration, argues that time is of the essence when alcohol is dissipating in a person's bloodstream.

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National

NRA Vows To Stop Tucson From Destroying Guns

1:14pm January 09, 2013

The Arizona city's gun buyback program is being challenged by the National Rifle Association. The gun rights group says it is illegal under the state's law to destroy the guns, and warned the city it will sue. Tucson officials say they are not violating the law.

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Top schools like Harvard, seen here in 2000, often offer scholarships and other financial incentives, but they are finding it hard to increase the socioeconomic diversity on campus.

Elite Colleges Struggle To Recruit Smart, Low-Income Kids

6:26am January 09, 2013

by Shankar Vedantam

Top schools often offer scholarships that not only include free tuition, but also free room and board for top students from poor families. Each year, however, colleges are confronted with a paradox: No matter how many incentives they provide, enrollment of highly talented, low-income student barely seems to budge.

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The nation's largest provider of nonmedical home care for seniors is now offering training to help family caregivers deal with the challenges of caring for an Alzheimer's patient.

Workshops Help Families Grappling With Alzheimer's Home Care

9:24pm January 08, 2013

by Ina Jaffe

With most of the more than 5 million people with Alzheimer's cared for at home, the nation's largest provider of nonmedical senior home care now offers free training workshops for family caregivers. Caregivers are taught how to make use of long-term memories and to recognize what triggers anxiety.

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The Nekoosa Paper Mill was established in 1883. Its mill in Nekoosa, Wis., sits on the banks of the Wisconsin River, and is now owned by a Canadian paper company.

iPads, China: Twin Threats To Wisconsin's Paper Industry

8:11pm January 08, 2013

by NPR Staff

The paper industry once employed thousands of people across the state. Now, mills are closing. John Schmid of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on the state of the industry in Wisconsin as well as in China. He explains how the state is losing a publishing-grade paper mill each year.

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After The 'Fiscal Cliff,' Businesses Say Some Uncertainty Remains

7:23pm January 08, 2013

by John Ydstie

Even after Congress' action to avert part of the "fiscal cliff," business owners remain cautious about hiring and expanding. Those that are growing cite the underlying economy, but others say uncertainty about government spending is keeping them wary.

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Gun enthusiasts flock to the New Eastcoast Arms Collectors Associates Arms Fair in March 2012 in Saratoga, N.Y. Some local residents would like the next show to be canceled, in light of the Newtown, Conn., school shootings.

National

New York Town Up In Arms As Gun Show Approaches

6:37pm January 08, 2013

by Dale Willman

Saratoga Springs, N.Y., has been host to a popular gun fair for almost 30 years. But in the aftermath of the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., the town has been sharply divided over whether the next show, opening Friday, should continue as planned.

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