Around the Nation

Auction House To Take Bids On Neil Armstrong's EKG

7:13am May 06, 2013

Being the first person to set foot on the moon would make anyone's heart skip a beat, but not apparently Neil Armstrong. The printout of the Apollo 11 astronaut's heart rate as he first stepped onto the surface of the moon in 1969 shows some fairly steady beats.

Queue Listen Now

Harper Lee Sues Over 'Mockingbird' Copyright

6:30am May 06, 2013

Reclusive author Harper Lee has filed a lawsuit against the son-in-law of her former literary agent, claiming he tricked her into signing away her copyright to her classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

Queue Listen Now

Schools On Military Bases Also Fall Victim To Sequester Cuts

5:28pm May 04, 2013

Weekends on All Things Considered guest host Kelly McEvers talks to Jack Boogaard, the assistant superintendent of schools in Leemore, Calif., about how schools near military bases rely on federal money, much of which has been lost because of the budget cuts known as sequestration.

Queue Listen Now

Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch looks over at former Republican Gov. Mark Sanford during a debate Monday in Charleston, S.C., in the 1st Congressional District race.

Politics & Government

Democrats Have High Hopes Of Defeating Sanford In S.C.

8:28pm May 03, 2013

by Kathy Lohr

South Carolina's 1st Congressional District hasn't elected a Democrat since 1978. But in a race against scandal-ridden former Gov. Mark Sanford, Democrats think their candidate, Elizabeth Colbert Busch, has a chance to pull it off in Tuesday's special election.

Queue Listen Now

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, center, exits the Fort Lyon Correctional Facility in Las Animas, Colo., on Wednesday after touring the facility. Hickenlooper has proposed closing the facility due to budget concerns.

Colorado Weighs Reopening Psychiatric Hospital For Homeless

4:22pm May 03, 2013

by Eric Whitney

Colorado's Democratic governor wants to move mentally ill homeless people to Fort Lyon, a former psychiatric hospital and prison in the southeast corner of the state. Critics say it would make more sense to rent apartments for the people in the neighborhoods where they are now.

Queue Listen Now

Alexis Martinez (left) worried that coming out to daughter Lesley as transgender would mean giving up any relationship with her grandchildren. But she needn't have worried.

After Years Of Hiding, 'Walking In Love' As Transgender

12:37pm May 03, 2013

by NPR Staff

For decades, Alexis Martinez, born Arthur, had to mask her transgender identity by "being as macho as I could be." But in a visit to StoryCorps, she tells her daughter how, with her family's acceptance, she's finally been able to live as a woman full-time.

Queue Listen Now

The lobbying industry in Washington is becoming more secretive.

Politics & Government

Why Lobbying Is Now Increasingly In The Shadows

12:14pm May 03, 2013

by Peter Overby

Reversing a trend that dates back to the 1990s, the lobbying industry is becoming more secretive. And campaign money now looms ever larger as a critical element in the persuasion business.

Queue Listen Now

Politics & Government

Gun Background Vote Causes Heat At Home For N.H. Sen. Ayotte

12:14pm May 03, 2013

by David Welna

Ever since her vote against legislation to mandate background checks for all gun sales, New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte has seen her poll numbers slip. This week, the Republican met protesters as she made her way around the state.

Queue Listen Now

School Closes For The Day Due To 'Great Weather'

12:14pm May 03, 2013

Principal Bob Sampson at Bellingham Christian School in Washington state canceled school on Friday to celebrate an exceptionally nice day. The forecast there: 68 and sunny.

Queue Listen Now

Casual clothing detail fashion background made in the USA

Ethical Fashion: Is The Tragedy In Bangladesh A Final Straw?

4:05pm May 02, 2013

Since a garment factory collapsed last month in Dhaka, killing more than 400 people, ethical fashion has been in the spotlight. Elizabeth Cline, author of Overdressed: The Shockingly High Price of Cheap Fashion, explains the economy that created this tragedy and what we can do to fix it.

Queue Listen Now