Around the Nation

A jet comes in for landing at Los Angeles International Airport

Going The Distance: Mileage Running On Marathon Flights

8:58am December 16, 2013

by Daniel Hajek

Imagine flying around the world in a span of days for the sole purpose of earning frequent flyer miles. That's the idea behind mileage runs. By spending hours in an airplane, travelers gain status on an airline.

Queue Listen Now

Boulevard Brewing's lineup includes seven year-round beers, five seasonal beers and 13 beers in its Smokestack series.

When Craft Beer Goes Global: A Kansas City Brewery's Tale

8:07am December 16, 2013

by Frank Morris

Boulevard Brewing has become a Kansas City staple since its founding in the 1980s. It has many loyal local fans — and soon, a new international owner, Duvel. The deal says a lot about how the world now values a product made with a firm sense of place.

Queue Listen Now

Ian and Nicole Hockley are parents of Dylan Hockley, one of 20 first-graders killed at Sandy Hook Elementary last year. Nicole helps lead Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit seeking to prevent the causes of gun violence.

National

In Newtown, Making Promises To Transform A Tragedy

7:18pm December 14, 2013

by Craig LeMoult

After the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, a group of victim families and others in the community joined together to try to prevent gun violence, and they asked the rest of the world to promise to help. A year after the tragedy, members of Sandy Hook Promise say their efforts to change society are just beginning.

Queue Listen Now

National

Student Opens Fire At Colo. High School, Wounds 2, Kills Self

7:28pm December 13, 2013

by Megan Verlee

A student armed with a shotgun opened fire at a Colorado high school, Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said Friday. Police said the shooter injured two fellow students at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colo., before killing himself.

Trevor Watson, 14, says he hears gunshots in his Oakland neighborhood so often that "it doesn't even affect me anymore."

For Many Urban Schools, Gun Violence Remains A Daily Reality

6:56pm December 13, 2013

by Denise Tejada

One year after the shootings in Newtown, Conn., the issue of gun violence continues to resonate around the country. In some communities, like the Castlemont neighborhood in Oakland, Calif., some young people try to cope with the threat of daily violence by simply trying to tune it out.

Queue Listen Now

Early December brought a foot of fresh powder to the resorts of Vail, Colo., but some residents are still steaming.

High Insurance Rates Anger Some Ski-Country Coloradans

2:36pm December 13, 2013

by Eric Whitney

Gas, groceries and rents are all pricier in Summit and Eagle counties than in Denver, just a hundred miles away. Health insurance costs a lot more in these mountain communities, too, and some folks are crying foul. Their congressman — a Democrat — is asking the feds for relief.

Queue Listen Now

A crime scene photo provided by the Connecticut State Police shows a rifle in the master bedroom in Adam Lanza's house.

National

One Year After Newtown, Still No Answer To 'Why'

7:52am December 13, 2013

by Jeff Cohen

A year after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., gunman Adam Lanza's motives are still unclear. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy says people may just have to be satisfied with what they've known from the beginning — that on Dec. 14, 2012, a horrible thing happened.

Queue Listen Now

Oranges ripen in a Plant City, Fla., grove on Wednesday. Growers in Florida, Texas and California are worried about citrus greening, a disease that makes the fruit bitter and unmarketable.

USDA Steps Up The Fight To Save Florida's Oranges

7:52am December 13, 2013

by Greg Allen

The agency is launching a new coordinated research effort to stop citrus greening, a disease imported from Asia that turns fruit bitter and unmarketable. It first turned up in Florida eight years. Now, it threatens to destroy the nation's citrus industry.

Queue Listen Now

Sediment samples from the seafloor near Long Island.

Long Island Wins Ultimate Faceoff Against Hurricane Sandy

8:50pm December 12, 2013

by Christopher Joyce

The storm's damage and disruption to homes, cities and families is undisputed. But researchers studying the underwater coastline say Long Island fared relatively well. The face of the shore retained much of its shape because underwater ridges of sand just offshore may have cushioned the blow.

Queue Listen Now

Kenneth Johnson wears a shirt with an image of his son Kendrick, 17, in November. Johnson and other family members have maintained a presence near the Lowndes County judicial complex in Valdosta, Ga., since last January after Kendrick's body was discovere

National

Family Of Ga. Teen Found Dead In A Gym Mat Pushes For Answers

7:16pm December 12, 2013

by Kathy Lohr

Activists from across the country are asking Georgia's governor to support an investigation into the death of Kendrick Johnson, 17, who was discovered dead in a high school gymnasium almost a year ago. State investigators ruled out foul play, but Johnson's parents don't believe it.

Queue Listen Now