Around the Nation

30 Years On, Educators Still Divided On Scathing Schools Report

5:32pm April 26, 2013

by Claudio Sanchez

On April 26, 1983, a panel appointed by President Ronald Reagan released an ominous report that painted a dire picture of the U.S. education system. Thirty years later, many educators point to the report as the catalyst for divides that still split education reformers.

Queue Listen Now

National

Carjacking Victim Of Boston Suspects Recalls Harrowing Night

4:47pm April 26, 2013

Robert Siegel talks to Boston Globe metro reporter Eric Moskowitz about the man who was carjacked by the Tsarnaev brothers last week. The carjack victim's escape was pivotal to tracking the suspects down, and may have stopped them from launching another attack in New York City.

Queue Listen Now

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. (left), leads a news conference about the Marketplace Fairness Act on Tuesday. The legislation would provide states with the authority to require out-of-state retailers to collect and remit taxes on purchases shipped into the

Politics & Government

Shifting Retail Landscape Tilts Support For Online Sales Tax

2:46am April 26, 2013

by Yuki Noguchi

The U.S. Senate seems ready to let states collect sales tax from more online retailers. Support for the measure has increased as businesses have converged their online and offline sales. "We're looking for consistency" in how taxes are collected, says the owner of a St. Louis pet store chain.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

Presidential Libraries Inspire Design Of George W. Bush Center

2:46am April 26, 2013

On Thursday, the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is dedicated on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. David Greene talks to former first lady Laura Bush about the library and life after the White House.

Queue Listen Now

Economy

NTSB Wraps Up Hearings On Boeing's 787 Battery Issues

2:46am April 26, 2013

by Wendy Kauman

The National Transportation Safety Board has completed two days of hearings on the problems affecting Boeing's fleet of 787 Dreamliners. Those jets will have newly designed batteries housed in a fire proof containment box. There are other safety enhancements too.

Queue Listen Now

Forget Maple Syrup. Put Some Beer In The Mail

2:46am April 26, 2013

Vermont lawmakers are considering a bill to let brewers ship their beer directly to consumers. The proposal faces the concern that underage drinkers might order beer, but wineries already do this.

Queue Listen Now

Lady Bugs Protect Mall Of America's Greenery

2:46am April 26, 2013

Third graders released some 72,000 lady bugs inside the Minnesota mall this week. They are an alternative to pesticides. The lady bugs protect the greenery by eating aphids.

Queue Listen Now

Jeffrey Bronfman, UDV church national vice president; Solar Law, UDV church national president; and Tai Bixby, head pastor of the Santa Fe congregation. Churchgoers participate in a ceremony where hallucinogenic huasca tea is consumed, and some neighbors

Religion

Controversy Brews Over Church's Hallucinogenic Tea Ritual

8:17pm April 25, 2013

by John Burnett

A U.S. transplant of a Brazilian sect drinks huasca tea and then finds spiritual exploration in the visions it induces. The Supreme Court has granted the group full rights as a church to sip all the tea it wants, but some neighbors in Santa Fe, N.M., are trying to block construction of a house of worship.

Queue Listen Now

Illinois River Crests To All-Time High Near Peoria

8:16pm April 25, 2013

by Tanya Koonce

Peoria has a front row seat to the great Illinois River flood of 2013. A temporary flood wall is in place and pumps are keeping the water at the lowest points from coming up through the sewers and into the store fronts. Whether their property is underwater or not, the resolve of people living and working along the Illinois River isn't wavering.

Queue Listen Now

Some housing experts say New York's zoning code has discouraged the building of affordable housing by requiring that all apartments be at least 400 square feet. The city is interested in finding ways to rewrite the rules.

Making Room: Can Smaller Apartments Help New York City Grow?

8:16pm April 25, 2013

by Jim Zarroli

Some housing experts say the city's zoning code has discouraged the building of affordable housing by requiring that all apartments be at least 400 square feet. The city is interested in finding ways to rewrite the rules. An exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York looks at ways to fix the city's housing shortage.

Queue Listen Now