Around the Nation

Eeek, Snake! Your Brain Has A Special Corner Just For Them

5:17pm October 30, 2013

by Jon Hamilton

Humans and other primates have really good vision. One scientist thinks that ability evolved in part to help monkeys and humans quickly recognize venomous snakes. When monkeys see photos of snakes, neurons in a specific part of the brain light up. The neurons respond to photos of the reptiles more than to monkey faces.

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Reverse commuters, include Kathy LeVeque (in the foreground), wait for an approaching outbound Metra commuter train at the Mayfair neighborhood stop on Chicago's northwest side.

National

Reverse Commutes Now Often A Daily Slog, Too

7:49am October 30, 2013

by David Schaper

In many places, the reverse commute from city homes to suburban jobs is as congested as or worse than traffic going into the city. "It's just exhausting," says one reverse commuter, whose 35-mile drive to Chicago's southwest suburbs can take up to two hours depending on traffic. In cities where reverse commutes are common, transit agencies are trying to help.

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Hosts Call Police After Their Own Party Rages Out Of Control

7:49am October 30, 2013

Homeowners in Eugene, Ore., called the police on their own party after more than 200 guests got out of hand. Even their private security couldn't handle it.

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National

Maine Town To Vote On Key Tar Sands Ordinance

7:57pm October 29, 2013

by Susan Sharon

Lots of New England towns have taken non-binding votes against tar sands oil, but residents of South Portland, Maine, are about to take a vote that could matter. They are considering an ordinance designed to prevent their port from being used to export tar sands to world markets via an existing pipeline that connects Maine to Montreal.

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A Web-based adoption can hold great appeal for all sides.

National

Illinois Files Suit Against Online Adoption Agency

7:57pm October 29, 2013

by Jennifer Ludden

The state says the for-profit agency is not licensed to operate in the state. The agency has said that because its online ads don't originate in Illinois, it is not bound by the state's law. Still, the move could test the Internet's expanding reach in this sensitive area.

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Marilyn Tavenner was the first Obama administration official to testify before Congress about the troubled launch of HealthCare.gov.

Insurance Cancellations Elbow Out Website Woes At Health Hearing

7:57pm October 29, 2013

by Julie Rovner

For Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee, the big question was not why isn't the HealthCare.gov website working. It was why are people being told their insurance is being cancelled when President Obama said they can keep it, no matter what. Administration officials said the new coverage will be better.

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Gone is the smiling young woman who used to grace HealthCare.gov. Now it's time to get down to work.

More Technical Issues For Obamacare, But Good News For Medicare

5:02pm October 29, 2013

by Julie Rovner

After yet more problems over the weekend, HealthCare.gov, the federal site for people to buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act, seems to be making incremental improvements. Probably the best news on the health care front is that premiums for Medicare will not increase next year.

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A house damaged by Superstorm Sandy, in Tuckerton, N.J.

National

Taking Stock Of What Was Lost And Found Post-Sandy

12:15pm October 29, 2013

by Tracey Samuelson

In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, many people created lists to try to recover some of what was swept away. A year later, Jersey shore residents are still reflecting on what they lost during the storm — and what they might have gained.

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Charles Pace, the leader of a new group of Branch Davidians, stands next to a memorial for members of the sect killed during the ATF raid at Mount Carmel.

National

Two Decades Later, Some Branch Davidians Still Believe

5:15pm October 28, 2013

by John Burnett

Twenty years ago, federal agents clashed with David Koresh's Branch Davidian community near Waco, Texas. The standoff ended with a raid and fire in which some 80 children, women and men perished. It's remembered as one of the darkest chapters in American law enforcement.

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Ashley Hentze (left) gets help signing up for the Affordable Care Act from a volunteer in Florida. The government says that 40 percent of the expected enrollees for 2014 must be young and healthy for health insurance premiums to remain affordable.

For Obamacare To Work, It's Not Just About The Numbers

3:38pm October 28, 2013

by John Ydstie

Relatively few people have enrolled in new health insurance plans since the Affordable Care Act exchanges launched this month. But some health care experts say it's early days yet — and that getting the right proportion of healthy, young new enrollees is just as important as how quickly people sign up.

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