Around the Nation

Mackinac Island Worries About Preserving Its Past

6:47am January 03, 2013

by Peter Payette

Michigan's Mackinac Island was fought over by France, England and the United States. The 200-year-old city in northern Lake Huron is a popular tourist destination. But the demolition of old buildings has raised a fierce debate about how to hold onto the past while profiting from it.

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Then-candidate Eric Swalwell speaks as Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., walks offstage during an endorsement meeting at the Alameda County Democratic Lawyers Club in Oakland, Calif., in September.

Politics & Government

After Upset Win, House Freshman Looks To Make A Name For Himself

6:27am January 03, 2013

by Aarti Shahani

California Democrat Eric Swalwell, one of the youngest new members of Congress, defeated a 40-year incumbent for his seat. But his first challenge in Washington might be getting people to pronounce his name correctly.

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Closing The Circle: Memorable Stories Of 2012

2:34pm January 02, 2013

Talk of the Nation kicks off the new year by taking time to follow up on some stories from 2012. NPR's Neal Conan talks with some of the memorable guests and callers from 2012, including a farmer devastated by drought and a new mom evacuated from a hospital during Superstorm Sandy.

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Pete Stark, Health Policy Warrior, Leaves A Long Legacy

11:25am January 02, 2013

by Julie Rovner

The California congressman lost his seat this fall. Stark has been part of almost every piece of health legislation enacted while he was in office. The 113th Congress will be the first one in 40 years to convene without him as a member.

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Roll of dollars on a blackboard with football strategy planning.

Sports

New Jersey Tries To Horn In On Nevada's Gambling Turf

11:16am January 02, 2013

by Frank Deford

Sports betting happens every day. But betting on the outcome of a professional game is legal only in Nevada because of a 1992 federal law. Morning Edition's commentator says that's not just unconstitutional — it also defies the reality of illegal betting on sports.

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Sports

Brian Dixon, Tom Hall Want To Attend Every Bowl Game

11:16am January 02, 2013

Since 1984, Brian Dixon and Tom Hall have been on a mission to attend every college bowl game in the country. But their quest has been extended as more bowl games have been added through the years. Every year they go to one or two bowl games.

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Staten Island To Get Largest Ferris Wheel

11:16am January 02, 2013

It's part of a larger development, which is going ahead even though critics note it's partly in a flood zone. Flooding from Hurricane Sandy prompted the developer to make only minor adjustments.

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A makeshift shrine to the victims of the school shooting in Newtown, Conn. Slate and a citizen journalist are trying to track gun deaths across the nation since that Dec. 14 mass shooting.

National

Tracking Gun-Related Deaths, One Tweet At A Time

8:36am January 02, 2013

by Mark Memmott

Slate and a citizen journalist are trying to report every gun-related death in the nation on a daily basis. There is no central clearinghouse for such information. The goal of the project, Slate says, is to provide key data for the post-Newtown debate over gun laws.

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The Rose Parade's Evolution Into A Cultural Event

2:35pm January 01, 2013

The Tournament of Roses Parade is an annual tradition for Pasadena, Calif., and television viewers around the country. But it's more than a pretty spectacle of floats bedecked in blooms, says Los Angeles Times columnist and special correspondent for KPCC Patt Morrison. In her latest column, she writes, "its huge cultural shadow has been as much about what you didn't see on display as what you did."

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What Does Senate Budget Deal Mean For You?

9:44am January 01, 2013

The Senate passed a measure early into the New Year, and now it's up to the house to vote on the deal, which will most likely happen by Wednesday. The measure cleared the Senate on an 89-8 vote, hours after V.P. Joe Biden and Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell sealed a deal.

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