Around the Nation

Compost bins at the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket in Brooklyn, N.Y. are part of a pilot program to get New Yorkers to recycle their food waste.

National

Composting On The Way Up In New York City High-Rises

10:45am June 28, 2013

by Joel Rose

This summer, New York City is expanding food waste recycling into more neighborhoods, with an eye toward eventually making the program mandatory. Officials are hoping the changes will help improve on the city's dismal recycling rate, which remains stuck at 15 percent.

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Reactions To Gay-Marriage Rulings Run The Gamut

10:43am June 28, 2013

by Richard Gonzales

In two rulings on Wednesday, the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act and cleared the way for same-sex marriages to begin again in California. There were celebrations after the rulings were announced, but others did not welcome the news.

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Amanda Cowley repaints her bathroom during renovations made to her new three-bedroom, two-bathroom townhouse.

National

Moving Out And Buying In: Single Ladies Emerge As Homeowners

10:38am June 28, 2013

by Jennifer Ludden

Even though it's tough to purchase your own home in this economy, single women are making it work. After married couples, they're the largest demographic group of homebuyers. In fact, their share of the market is twice that of single men.

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After Samuel Taylor came out to his mother, Connie Casey, the pair had several very difficult years. But in time, Connie realized she had to re-examine her feelings about homosexuality.

National

For A Mom, Learning To Accept A Gay Son Was 'Nonnegotiable'

7:13am June 28, 2013

by NPR Staff

When Connie Casey learned her adolescent son was gay, she blamed herself and sent him to conversion therapy for several years. But when Samuel, now 22, went away to college, Connie says, she realized that "it was time to take a look at everything that I'd ever been taught to believe."

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Feds Sue Jon Corzine Over MF Global Collapse

7:13am June 28, 2013

by Jim Zarroli

Federal regulators have filed civil charges against former New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine in connection with the failure of his commodities firm, MF Global. The government says Corzine failed to stop the firm from dipping into customer funds during a financial crisis in October 2011.

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Agencies Continue To Identify Fallout From Sequestration

7:13am June 28, 2013

The last of the mandated federal budget cuts begin in July. Federal agencies have had to work around furloughs and other issues. For more on the effects of sequestration, David Greene talks to NPR's Brian Naylor, Tamara Keith, Pam Fessler and Larry Abramson.

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Designers To Put Homer Simpson's Car To The Test

7:13am June 28, 2013

Fans of The Simpsons may remember an episode where Homer designs a car. It's a puke green monstrosity, with tail fins, extra large drink holders and a bubble dome to keep kids separated. Some automotive designers built a real car based on Homer's epic design, and they'll try it out in California on Saturday.

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National

Texas Gov. Calls Special Session, Reigniting Abortion Debate

5:44pm June 27, 2013

by John Burnett

The fight over abortion rights has heated up in Texas. A dramatic late night filibuster session derailed the passage of new abortion restrictions on Tuesday night. The next day, Gov. Rick Perry, an abortion rights opponent, called for a special legislative session to start July, 1, to reintroduce the legislation.

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Customers check out at the new flagship Walgreens in Washington, D.C.'s Chinatown.

Economy

Walgreens Cashes In On Department Stores' Pain

1:21pm June 27, 2013

by Brenda Salinas

At the turn of the 20th century, visiting a drug store meant going to a soda counter with a pharmacist. If you wanted to go shopping, you would go to a department store. Now that trend is reversing: drug stores are battling to keep consumers in the store for longer.

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Caryn Lantz and her husband Chuck were surprised to learn that costs associated with adopting black children were much lower than for white or mixed race children. They ultimately went with an adoption in which the fee was based on their income, not skin

National

Six Words: 'Black Babies Cost Less To Adopt'

9:46am June 27, 2013

by NPR Staff

In the U.S., more prospective parents seek to adopt white and mixed race children than black children. As a result, many agencies levy lower fees to make it easier for parents to adopt from among the large numbers of black children waiting for placement.

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