Around the Nation

Al Jones of the West Virginia Department of General Services tests water as he flushes faucets and opens a rest room at the State Capitol in Charleston, W. Va., on Jan. 13, four days after a chemical spill into the Elk River. It wasn't until Jan. 21 that

Drinking Water Not Tested For Tens Of Thousands Of Chemicals

8:48pm January 24, 2014

by Elizabeth Shogren

The fact that a second contaminant in West Virginia's drinking water eluded detection for nearly two weeks — despite intense testing of the water — reveals an important truth about how companies test drinking water: In most cases, they only find the contaminants they're looking for.

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An Unconventional Contender Emerges As GOP Ponders 2016 Convention

7:29pm January 24, 2014

by Don Gonyea

Las Vegas may seem to be an unlikely place for Republicans to gather to nominate their next presidential candidate. That's exactly why city leaders are getting such a head start on their pitch to do just that.

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National

String Of Oil Train Crashes Prompts Push For Safety Rules

7:29pm January 24, 2014

by David Schaper

The National Transportation Safety Board is calling for the swift enactment of tough new standards on trains carrying crude oil. With the huge increase in oil shipped by rail across North America, safety officials warn another major disaster could be looming.

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The study did reveal widespread disparity in upward mobility based on geography. For those hoping to climb the economic ladder, San Francisco is one of the best places to live, the study found.

Study: Upward Mobility No Tougher In U.S. Than Two Decades Ago

5:32pm January 24, 2014

by Jim Zarroli

Contrary to widespread belief, it's no harder to climb the economic ladder now than a generation ago. But the study did find that moving up that ladder is still a lot harder in the United States than in other developed countries.

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Malaysian shooting athlete Nur Suryani Taibi was eight months pregnant in 2012 as she prepared for the Summer Olympics in London.

A Baby Didn't Bump These Moms Out Of Competition

5:32pm January 24, 2014

by Neda Ulaby

Not that long ago, female elite athletes thought they had to retire if they wanted to have kids. Now, they're competing throughout pregnancies and getting right back to training once they deliver. In some cases, they're even making the most out of sponsorship deals they might have once lost.

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Politics & Government

Boehner Picks Cathy McMorris Rodgers For GOP Rebuttal

10:16am January 24, 2014

by Mara Liasson

Tuesday night is the State of the Union Address — the biggest opportunity President Obama gets all year to speak to the American people about his priorities. There's also another speech that night — the GOP response. On Thursday, House Speaker John Boehner announced Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers from Washington State would deliver the official rebuttal.

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Small Museum Shows Off Weird Objects

7:29am January 24, 2014

by Margot Adler

In this encore report, we hear about a small museum in an elevator shaft in lower Manhattan. It's only six feet square, and only about three or four people can enter it at a time. The exhibits document the weird and wonderful of modern life, including prison contraband made from bread. (This piece originally aired on Jan. 2, 2014 on All Things Considered).

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World News

Mexican National Executed For Texas Cop's Murder

8:20am January 23, 2014

by Carrie Kahn

Texas has executed a Mexican national for killing a Houston police officer in 1994. Mexico opposes the death penalty and the execution revived a long-running diplomatic row between the United States and Mexico.

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Auto show worker Jorge Martinez details a 2014 Buick Regal in preparation for display Jan. 11. The Regal is equipped with technology that senses a potential accident and slows the car automatically.

National

Putting The Brake On Who Can See Your Car's Data Trail

8:01pm January 22, 2014

by Brian Naylor

Many cars can now track where we are, how fast we go and lots of other nuggets of information that can be accessed and mined. Some lawmakers and at least one car company say it's time to set some rules on driver privacy.

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National

Should Farmers Give John Deere And Monsanto Their Data?

8:01pm January 22, 2014

by Dan Charles

Farmers can now deliver data from their fields, minute by minute, to big agribusiness companies like Monsanto or John Deere. Those companies promise to use the data to help farmers make money. But some farmers worry that it could threaten their privacy and give the big companies too much power.

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