Around the Nation

National

A Grieving Newtown Mother's Motto: 'Love Wins'

12:31am December 18, 2013

by Tovia Smith

As a therapist, Nelba Márquez-Greene has spent a career counseling mentally ill and troubled young people. But she'll never understand what drove a young man to take the life of her 6-year-old daughter and 25 others. A year later, she is trying to prevent violence and promote healing.

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Protesters in San Francisco block a Google bus, which shuttles employees from the city to its location in Silicon Valley.

Economy

In A Divided San Francisco, Private Tech Buses Drive Tension

12:31am December 18, 2013

by Casey Miner

Some of the most heated protests in San Francisco have been over big, sleek buses — private shuttles that Silicon Valley tech companies like Google and Facebook use to get their city-living employees to work. They've become a symbol of the city's changing socioeconomic landscape.

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An auto worker tightens bolts on a Focus at a Ford plant in Michigan in October. Labor unions predicted in 1993 that NAFTA would send many U.S. manufacturing jobs to Mexico, and they continue to argue that the pact prompted a race to the bottom for worker

What Has NAFTA Meant For Workers? That Debate's Still Raging

12:31am December 18, 2013

by Don Gonyea

Two decades ago, labor unions warned that the North American Free Trade Agreement would drive away U.S. jobs and push wages down. Today, unions feel as strongly as ever that NAFTA was a mistake for U.S. workers, but quantifying the factors behind the decline in the middle class is no simple matter.

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Attendees of a job fair in California in October fill out paperwork.

Economists, Unemployed Fret Over Long-Term Jobless Aid Lapse

12:30am December 18, 2013

by Yuki Noguchi

Democrats in Congress are promising to try to retroactively extend emergency unemployment benefits after the new year. The expiration of the benefits may satisfy some fiscal conservatives, but it has some economists and many desperate job-seekers concerned.

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National

FAA To Soon Pick Sites For Commercial Drone Testing

12:30am December 18, 2013

by Will Stone

Before the end of the year, the federal government will select six states where drone makers can test how to safely integrate the technology into commercial airspace. Nevada is vying for one of the spots. The FAA stamp of approval could lure big industry to high-end test sites. But smaller drone developers, who're focused on non-military applications, also see enormous opportunities.

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William Wong (standing) poses with his parents and nephew in an old family photo. Wong's mother immigrated to the U.S. from China as his father's "sister" to bypass the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

Chinese-American Descendants Uncover Forged Family Histories

12:30am December 18, 2013

by Hansi Lo Wang

The Chinese Exclusion Act, designed to prevent Chinese laborers from entering the country, prompted tens of thousands of people to use forged papers to enter the U.S. The law was repealed 70 years ago, but many Chinese-Americans are still piecing together their ancestors' true identities.

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Some Steinway company representatives and employees — like Wally Boot, pictured here — have been working for the company for decades. Boot is the last person to touch every piano that leaves the factory in Queens, N.Y.

Music & Culture

New Owner Promises Handmade Steinways For Years To Come

12:30am December 18, 2013

by Jeff Lunden

When billionaire John Paulson first bought Steinway & Sons, it struck fear in the hearts of musicians. Would Steinway's famously handcrafted pianos be changed, for the sake of efficiency?

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Seahawks Beat Giants And Surpise Chevy Dealer

12:30am December 18, 2013

The Seahawks 23-0 victory over the New York Giants is great news for Seattle. Except for the folks at Jet Chevrolet. The Seattle-area dealership pledged to give 12 people $35,000 apiece if the Seahawks shut out the Giants. The car guys never expected to pay up — but just in case, they insured the bet.

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Mass. Brothers Not Too Old To Pose With Santa

12:30am December 18, 2013

For the 29th straight year, Michael Gray, 34, and his younger brother Martin, 29, posed together with Santa. They say it makes their mom happy. She keeps a book of the photos at home.

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The Pere Marquette 1225 rolls into view in Owosso, Mich. It's been a local favorite for decades and especially gained popularity after inspiring the look and sounds of the train in a 2004 film.

National

All Aboard! Real-Life Polar Express Chugs Through Michigan

6:12pm December 17, 2013

by Tracy Samilton

Every brake screech, whistle and rattle from the movie The Polar Express came from recordings of a historic locomotive, the Pere Marquette 1225. After four years of costly repairs, passengers can once again jump onboard and travel to see Santa Claus at the North Pole (imagination required).

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