Around the Nation

Chris Viehland helps her daughter Jenna try on shoes for the new school year at a Famous Footwear store in Fenton, Mo., Aug. 9, 2012.

As Back-To-School Shopping Begins, Consumers May Turn Frugal

6:01pm August 02, 2013

Most economists say this year's back-to-school sales will be slower than last summer's because consumers have been coping with more expensive gasoline and higher payroll taxes. Still, several states are offering tax-free shopping to encourage purchases.

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A new fund trading on the New York Stock Exchange will allow investors to put money in companies that all call Nashville home. The manager's of the fund hope to expand the project to other cities.

Economy

Firm Hopes 'Owning Nashville' Will Pay Off For Investors

6:01pm August 02, 2013

by Blake Farmer

A new fund on the New York Stock Exchange is a collection of stocks in publicly traded companies that have one thing in common: the city they call home. The fund managers say it will be an opportunity for locals to invest in companies they know. If it succeeds, other cities could be next.

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The Martha's Vineyard beach where Heidi Feldman collects saltwater to make sea salt.

National

Massachusetts Revives The Lost Art Of Making Sea Salt

11:08am August 02, 2013

by Katherine Perry

Farmers are mining the sea for salt on the same shore where the salt industry boomed 170 years ago. Fans of local food are buying up the favorite condiment collected close to home.

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Liza Long's son, 13, struggles with rage and violent outbursts. After the school shootings in Newtown, Conn., Long wrote a blog post advocating for better care for mentally ill youth.

A Mother And Son Live, And Cope, With Mental Illness

11:08am August 02, 2013

by NPR Staff

When she learned about last year's Newtown school shootings, Liza Long immediately thought of her own son. He has been diagnosed with multiple disorders and struggles with violent outbursts. The pair hope their story will help others better understand the needs of mentally ill young people.

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Colorado Restaurant Has A Furry New Regular

11:08am August 02, 2013

Security video taken early Wednesday at the Edelweiss Restaurant in Colorado Springs shows a 6-foot-tall bear standing on its hind legs, pulling a dumpster out of view. The bear dragged it 50 feet into the parking lot, turned it over and went to town on German leftovers. It must have been good because the next day, the bear came back for more.

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D.C. Subway Baby Born At 'The Child' Station

11:08am August 02, 2013

Shavonnte Taylor was riding the subway in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, headed to a prenatal doctor's appointment — a few weeks before her due date. She was changing trains when contractions started. Fellow riders — including an EMT — sprang into action. And in a few minutes, right there on the platform, a healthy boy was born, appropriately at a station called L'Enfant (French for "The Child") Plaza.

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A homeless man collects cans on Waikiki Beach in 2010 in Honolulu. Under a new pilot program, some homeless people will get help from the state to reunite with relatives on the mainland.

National

Hawaii Homeless Initiative Would Send Some Back To Mainland

7:07pm August 01, 2013

by Dana Farrington

The state is implementing a controversial pilot program that offers some homeless people a way to leave Hawaii and reunite with family members in other states. A noteworthy critic of the plan is the department in charge of implementing it, which foresees a costly administrative burden.

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Skiers Jessie Diggins (from left), Kikkan Randall and Sadie Bjornsen finish practice. During the summer, they ski on Eagle Glacier to prepare for competition. It's one of the few places where skiers can train on snow during the summer.

Glacier Helps U.S. Ski Team Drift Ahead Of Competition

6:09pm August 01, 2013

by Annie Feidt

The U.S. cross-country ski team is in the best position to win an Olympic medal in more than a quarter century. Its secret weapon? A pristine glacier — only accessible by helicopter — in the mountains high above Anchorage. It allows the skiers to train on snow throughout the summer.

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Worshippers at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek. The Aug. 5, 2012, shooting tragedy has brought some Sikhs closer to their faith.

Sikhs Remember Tragedy By Embracing Faith

5:48pm August 01, 2013

by Erin Toner

Last August, a Sikh community in Wisconsin lost six of its members in a mass shooting before Sunday services. Some local Sikhs say they've become more devoted in the year since the tragedy, and have begun wearing turbans and long beards in an effort to raise awareness and understanding of the faith.

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People gathered outside a Wendy's restaurant in New York City on Monday as part of a one-day strike calling for higher wages for fast-food workers.

Fast-Food Strikers Demand A 'Living Wage'

8:22am August 01, 2013

by Joel Rose

Picketers in seven cities say McDonald's, Wendy's and other fast-food chains should pay employees $15 an hour. But the restaurant industry says that would force those companies to cut jobs.

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