Around the Nation

Research Explains Why Rudolph Guided Santa's Sleigh

3:34pm December 23, 2015

A Dartmouth researcher says reindeer can see UV or blue light which helps them see at night. But fog easily obscures the blue light. Red light travels through fog, and the rest is history.

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Sports

Shtick On The Sidelines: College Basketball's Most Famous Bench

2:04pm December 23, 2015

by Kevin Leahy

The men's basketball team at Monmouth University has been scoring upset victories. But it's the team's bench players who have been making the highlight reels with their choreographed celebrations.

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Inmates walk past correctional officers at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton, Wash., in 2011. Gov. Jay Inslee said on Tuesday that more than 3,000 prisoners in Washington have been mistakenly released early since 2002 because of an error by the

National

Computer Glitch Allows 3,000 Inmates Early Release In Washington State

1:13pm December 23, 2015

by Doreen McCallister

Since 2002, a computer error by the state's Department of Corrections permitted as many as 3,200 prisoners to be freed early. The department knew about the problem but a coding fix was never made.

National

Va. Will No Longer Recognize Concealed Carry Handgun Permits From 25 States

12:57pm December 23, 2015

by Merrit Kennedy

Starting in February, visitors from states with less stringent gun-safety laws will need to get a nonresident permit to carry a concealed weapon in Virginia.

A critic says filing for FDA approval to exclusively sell a drug that's been available for years is "akin to trying to patent a ladder." It also may push the price of the drug beyond the reach of many patients.

FDA Approval Could Turn A Free Drug For A Rare Disease Pricey

10:26am December 23, 2015

by Alison Kodjak

Jacobus Pharmaceutical freely gives its experimental drug to patients with a rare disease. Now a rival wants FDA approval to sell its own version — and expects to charge at least $37,500 per year.

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Homeless veterans face an uphill climb — and not simply because of the tight housing markets in cities. Even if they've found open properties, and have the rental checks to pay for them, some landlords are still reluctant to accept them.

Homeless Veterans Face Challenges Beyond The Rental Check

9:50am December 23, 2015

by Pam Fessler

Thousands of homeless military vets have government vouchers for rent. But landlords aren't always willing to accept them, partly because of tight housing markets and stereotypes about the tenants.

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It's illegal to sell or distribute pet turtles with shells less than 4 inches long because they spread salmonella.

Illegal Trade In Tiny Pet Turtles Keeps Spreading Salmonella

9:32am December 23, 2015

by Katherine Hobson

Selling little turtles as pets has been illegal for decades because they harbor salmonella and make children sick. But a resurgence of cases shows that the reptiles are still on the market.

A school bus drop off students in Nashville, Tenn., where the city's school district has experienced one of the worst shortages of drivers in the country.

Amid Economic Recovery, School Districts Desperate For Bus Drivers

8:51am December 23, 2015

by Blake Farmer

When unemployment is high, school districts have very little trouble finding drivers. But low unemployment spawns an exodus. In Nashville, Tenn., the needs are especially pressing.

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Sandra Bland's Family Reacts To Grand Jury's Decision

7:14am December 23, 2015

David Greene talks to Sharon Cooper, sister of Sandra Bland, about the Texas Grand Jury's decision not to seek indictments against anyone in the death of her sister.

Texas Grand Jury: No Indictments In Sandra Bland's Death

7:07am December 23, 2015

by Syeda Hasan

A grand jury in Texas has failed to indict anyone in connection with the arrest and subsequent death of Sandra Bland, a black woman who was pulled over and arrested by a white police officer in July.