Around the Nation

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's PulseNet service monitors clusters of sickness linked to potentially dangerous strains of foodborne pathogens such as E.coli or salmonella.

CDC: Shutdown Strains Foodborne Illness Tracking

11:38am October 04, 2013

by Allison Aubrey

A team of eight people overseeing the critical foodborne illness tracking database PulseNet has been reduced to three. And a CDC division chief says that a multistate outbreak would push the remaining staff beyond their capacity.

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Trade Dispute With Mexico Over 'Dolphin-Safe' Tuna Heats Up

11:38am October 04, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

The fight over Mexican tuna, and whether it is truly fished using dolphin safe practices, rages on. Mexico recently won a two decade long fight to get its tuna labeled dolphin safe. The WTO this month ruled in its favor. But the U.S. still refuses to allow Mexican tuna with a dolphin safe label on store shelves. Mexico says it's had enough and is preparing to retaliate with trade sanctions on U.S. imports. Ensenada, Baja California, was once the thriving heart of the Mexican tuna industry.

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World News

Skydive And Build A Website At The Same Time

10:36am October 04, 2013

Designers Chris Hirst and Leo Zhao are the first to do both at the same time — skydive and develop a website. The stunt was promoting their product Designbymobile. The message: we've made web designing so easy, you can do it anywhere.

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Squirrel Steals The Show At Golf Tournament

10:36am October 04, 2013

Golfer Davis Love scooped up the lost baby squirrel at the President's Cup tournament on Thursday, worried he'd get struck. By the end of the day, Sammy's cute face had stolen the spotlight and he was named the unofficial mascot of team USA.

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Cellist Matt Haimovitz made it big in the classical music scene as a little kid.

Studying The Science Behind Child Prodigies

12:53pm October 03, 2013

by NPR Staff

Matt Haimovitz is 42 and a world-renowned cellist. His mother took him to many concerts as a kid, but nothing in his family history explains where he got his extraordinary talent. And that's typical, says Ellen Winner, a psychology professor at Boston College who has spent much of her career studying prodigies.

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Bill Averill, 62, has retired from the City of Milwaukee assessor's office and is collecting his pension. Milwaukee's fund is consistently rated as one of the best-performing in the country.

While Others Underfunded Pensions, Milwaukee Held Firm

12:53pm October 03, 2013

by Erin Toner

Nationwide, many cash-strapped cities have raided funds intended for retirees or have chronically underfunded their pension systems. But despite a budget crunch, Milwaukee's fund has consistently ranked among the nation's top pension programs. Even so, some changes lie ahead for city workers.

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The road to Lee's Ferry, Ariz., is blocked by barricades and national park rangers. Lee's Ferry is the launching point for river trips down the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park.

National Parks Close As Other Public Lands Stay Open

12:53pm October 03, 2013

by Howard Berkes

From Acadia in Maine to Zion in Utah to the North Cascades in Washington, America's 401 national park areas have gates blocking entrance roads. National forest and Bureau of Land Management lands would nearly be impossible to close because there are so many access points.

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House Speaker John Boehner speaks to the media after a meeting with President Obama at the White House on Wednesday.

Why A Handful Of Hard-Liners Has A Hold On Boehner

12:53pm October 03, 2013

by Tamara Keith

To understand House Speaker John Boehner's role in the government shutdown, you have to understand the 30 or so House Republican hard-liners and his relationship with them. Because Republicans have a relatively slim majority in the House, the 30 have more power than their numbers would make it seem.

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Family Dog Eats Couple's Vacation Money

12:53pm October 03, 2013

A Montana couple was on vacation when they stopped at a restaurant and left the dog in the car. When they came back, the dog had eaten 5 $100 bills. Pieces of the money was collected post digestion, and the couple has been reimbursed by the U.S. Treasury.

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National

Calif. Bans Jilted Lovers From Posting 'Revenge Porn' Online

12:08pm October 03, 2013

by Laura Sydell

After a breakup, some have taken to posting intimate pictures of their ex on the Internet. California's new law punishes those who do, but some critics say the law isn't specific enough and could inhibit free speech.

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