Around the Nation

National

The Long Wait On Safety Rules For The 'Soda Can' Of Rail Cars

5:29pm April 15, 2014

by David Schaper

Nine months after the deadly crash of a runaway oil train just over the U.S. border in Canada, U.S. regulators still haven't enacted new safety standards for tank cars known for their thin shells.

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Astronauts Will Soon Be Able To Eat Fresh Veggies In Space

12:05pm April 15, 2014

A plant growth chamber is headed to the International Space Station. It's called Veggie and it sort of looks like a pillow that you can see through, all lit up in pink, with lettuce inside.

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Florida's Freshwater Springs Attract Vacationers

7:20am April 15, 2014

by Greg Allen

Florida is most popular for its beaches and theme parks but it has hundreds of freshwater springs too. In central Florida, no springs may be more prized than those at Ichetucknee Springs State Park.

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'Captain Underpants' 2013's Most Vilified Book

7:20am April 15, 2014

The top spot on the American Library Association's annual list of most challenged books goes to The Adventures of Captain Underpants — for the second year in a row.

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National

Nevada Ranch Dispute Ends As Feds Back Down — For Now

6:42pm April 14, 2014

by Ted Robbins

A Wild West-style dispute between a Nevada rancher and the Bureau of Land Management has subsided — at least for the moment. Saying Cliven Bundy owed substantial back fees for allowing cattle to graze on federal land, the BLM had begun rounding up his cattle. But following protests from Bundy and hundreds of others, some armed, the BLM backed down, for now.

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A Philadelphia Gas Works employee replaces old steel and cast-iron pipes with new plastic pipes that are less likely to leak.

National

After Deaths, Renewed Focus On Leaky Gas Pipelines

6:42pm April 14, 2014

by Jeff Brady

The effort to replace thousands of miles of aging, corroded pipes — which could take decades and cost billions — is receiving fresh attention after an explosion last month in New York killed eight.

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West has been actively restoring and rebuilding homes and buildings in the past year. "We started with the explosion, and diligently we've fixed the problems," says Mayor Tommy Muska.

A 'Roller Coaster' Year For Texas Town Rocked By Blast

6:42pm April 14, 2014

by Wade Goodwyn

Some lawmakers say a deadly fertilizer plant explosion in West last year could be the state's best opportunity to pass needed safety measures. But it's going to be an uphill battle.

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Waste Treatment Plant Boasts It's Pefect For Weddings

7:51am April 14, 2014

The plant in King County, Wash., is billed as offering beautiful landscape, a dance floor, catering, and space for guests. All at a fifth of the price of competing venues. It promises zero odor.

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Keep It Brief, Commencement Speakers! No One Will Remember Anyway

7:03pm April 13, 2014

by NPR Staff

Former college President Hal Wilde has endured dozens of graduation ceremonies. He says procuring the speaker was one of his most annoying tasks. And for what? Students rarely remember the message.

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School Lunch: Any Chicken In Those 'Food-Like Nubbins'?

1:26pm April 12, 2014

It took a Freedom of Information Act to get the Chicago Public Schools to disclose what's in the chicken nuggets they serve in their cafeterias. NPR's Scott Simon reveals the chemical contents.

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