Around the Nation

VA Secretary Apologizes For 'Indefensible' Treatment Delays

12:36pm May 30, 2014

by Quil Lawrence

Addressing a homeless veterans group Friday, Veterans Affairs Sec. Eric Shinseki says he will support a bill that would strengthen his office's ability to hire and fire staff within the VA system.

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Embattled Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki Resigns

12:36pm May 30, 2014

by Quil Lawrence

VA Sec. Eric Shinseki resigned Friday after meeting with President Obama. Obama praised Shinseki, but said the retired general feels that new leadership is needed to address the department's problems.

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A woman and her daughter shop at a Greenmarket in New York City using Electronic Benefits Transfer, or food stamps. Government data show that fewer people were receiving the benefits in February 2014 than at the peak in December 2012.

Economic Upswing Has Fewer Americans Receiving Food Stamps

7:11pm May 29, 2014

by Pam Fessler

Last year, about 1 in 7 people in the U.S. were getting food stamps, or SNAP benefits. But the numbers have started to drop as more people find work and better-paying jobs, analysts say.

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National

NPR Reporter Witnesses One Of Chicago's Latest Shootings

2:33pm May 29, 2014

by David Schaper

Gun violence in Chicago is so common in some neighborhoods that the daily reports of shootings can seem like little more than numbers. Our reporter saw the dangers of Chicago's South Side firsthand.

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Dallas Man Orders World's Most Expensive Starbucks Drink

7:33am May 29, 2014

The Sexagintuple Vanilla Bean Mocha Frappuccino is valued at $54.75. It has 60 shots of espresso.

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50 Cent's Pitch: Just A Bit Outside

7:33am May 29, 2014

Rapper 50 Cent's first pitch at a Met's game Tuesday night joins other ceremonial pitches that could be considered an embarrassment. Video shows his pitch going far left of the catcher.

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Charlton Memorial Hospital closed in 2013, but it may now be able to offer some ER services thanks to a limited license Georgia is now offering to struggling rural hospitals.

Georgia Looks To Reopen Some Closed Hospitals As ERs

8:10pm May 28, 2014

by Susanna Capelouto

Financial problems have led many hospitals to shut down completely. Georgia is issuing licenses to rural hospitals that would allow them to become nothing more than free-standing emergency rooms.

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Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo addresses a crowd during a Democratic Party convention last year. DeLeo unveiled a comprehensive gun bill Tuesday.

Already Tough On Gun Control, Massachusetts Aims To Get Tougher

8:10pm May 28, 2014

by Tovia Smith

Massachusetts is considering a bill that would require background checks on all private gun sales, including at gun shows and online, and would give police more discretion to deny gun licenses.

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Obama To Use West Point Speech To Lay Out Foreign Policy Doctrine

12:57pm May 28, 2014

by Scott Horsley

President Obama delivers the commencement address at West Point on Wednesday. Aides say he'll use the opportunity to spell out his broad vision of foreign policy and America's role in the world.

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Economy

Reverse Food Truck Caters To Hunger Relief Programs

12:57pm May 28, 2014

by Jessica Mador

This summer in Minnesota's Twin Cities, a new kind of food truck is on the streets. Instead of selling food, this truck is collecting it and giving it to people who need it.

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