National

A makeshift shrine honors the victims of a elementary school shooting that happened Friday in Newtown, Conn.

National

'We Have To Act' On Gun Violence. But How?

7:07pm December 16, 2012

by NPR Staff

The mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school has revived calls for stricter gun laws. The debate is not unfamiliar, but the nature of the event may provide new impetus for action. Exactly what kind of action might make a difference is another story.

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Tragedy And Children: What To Discuss

6:38pm December 16, 2012

The shooting in Newtown, Conn., is likely to have an impact on many children, even those nowhere near the state. Host Guy Raz is joined by NPR's Jon Hamilton to talk about how parents, teachers and others who spend time with kids should prepare to discuss the event.

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What Obama Could Do, As Chief Consoler

6:38pm December 16, 2012

Host Guy Raz speaks with NPR's Scott Horsley about President Obama's role as the nations consoler-in-chief and what meaningful action the president can take on the issue of gun control.

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National

Small Town Tries To Cope With Unimaginable Tragedy

1:43pm December 16, 2012

by Jim Zarroli

Newtown, Conn., is the kind of place where the biggest thing that happens is the Labor Day parade. Now, that peace has been shattered and residents are trying to make sense of what happened after a gunman opened fire in an elementary school, killing at least 20 children and six adults.

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The Lathrop Homes, pictured here in 2006, are part of the latest revamp effort by the Chicago Housing Authority.

National

A Vision For Chicago Public Housing, Stymied And Contested

1:43pm December 16, 2012

by Cheryl Corley

The city's Plan for Transformation aims to diversify public-housing units, adding a mix of market-rate and subsidized residences. But the project, one of the country's most closely watched public housing experiments, has been hampered by the flailing economy and faces protests from people living in the units.

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After Trauma, Maintaining Normalcy For Children

7:04pm December 15, 2012

LeVar Burton, host of the children's television show, Reading Rainbow, wrote a blog post Friday about how parents should speak to their kids in the aftermath of the latest school shooting. He joins host Guy Raz to discuss the importance of talking to kids and maintaining a normal routine.

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National

Profiling Mass Shooters And Assessing Threats

7:04pm December 15, 2012

Saturday, police who are investigating gunman Adam Lanza in a deadly shooting in a Connecticut school announced they expected to piece together a picture the gunman's actions as well as his motives. Host Guy Raz speaks with NPR's Shankar Vedantam about how Lanza fits the profile of the mass shooter, and whether the recent tragedy can tell us how to avoid the next one.

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National

Newtown Father Gives Tearful Tribute To His Daughter

7:04pm December 15, 2012

Robbie Parker's 6-year-old daughter, Emilie Parker, was killed in Friday's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. He spoke to the media Saturday in Newtown. Here is an excerpt of his tribute to his daughter.

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What North Korea's Rocket Launch Tells Us About Iran's Role

9:03am December 14, 2012

by Tom Gjelten

U.S. officials wonder whether North Korea's successful rocket launch this week helped Iran — another country whose nuclear program concerns the U.S. The two countries have worked together in missile design, but it's unclear who's helping whom.

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Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., speaks Tuesday at a news conference calling for no reduction in the Medicare and Medicaid budgets, as part of the year-end budget talks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Waxman said he does not support means testing for Medicare.

Making The Rich Pay More For Medicare

5:33am December 14, 2012

by Julie Rovner

Means testing Medicare is one of the few areas where Democrats have shown a willingness to even consider the subject of spending less on the program. But not everyone supports that idea.

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