Around the Nation

National

Ill. Considers Licenses For Undocumented Immigrants

7:09pm December 09, 2012

by Allison Keyes

Bipartisan support in the Illinois Senate helped pass legislation that would allow undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses. But critics say granting driving rights to people in the country illegally is putting the cart before the horse.

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Abandoned and flooded cars sit in the Rockaway neighborhood of Queens, N.Y., on Nov. 2. It's estimated that it could cost auto insurers $800 million to deal with all the claims from the storm.

National

Next Post-Sandy Challenge: The Sea Of Damaged Cars

9:40pm December 08, 2012

by Ilya Marritz

Hurricane Sandy wrecked hundreds of thousands of cars along the New York and New Jersey shorelines, and could cost auto insurers around $800 million. That's not the companies' only problem, though; disposing of these water-damaged vehicles isn't so simple.

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Called a boyo or bulema, this Turkish-style pastry was traditionally made for the Jewish Shabbat. Today, boyos are mostly reserved for holidays like Hanukkah.

National

At Hanukkah, Pastry Reminds Portland Jews Of Their Mediterranean Roots

7:29pm December 08, 2012

by Deena Prichep

The cheese-and-spinach-filled food called a boyo was once served on the Shabbat tables of Jews who lived in the Ottoman Empire. Today, the Turkish-style pastries are mostly reserved for the holidays.

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Detroit Driving Toward Its Own Debt Cliff

7:38am December 08, 2012

Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon talks to Michigan Rep. Hansen Clarke about the city of Detroit's financial situation. The city is facing the possibility of municipal bankruptcy as its debt becomes insurmountable.

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Unemployment Rate Drops, But Picture Not All Rosy

7:37am December 08, 2012

by John Ydstie

Superstorm Sandy didn't do as much damage as was expected to the nation's employment situation, at least that's what the government's monthly data on the jobs market told us yesterday when it showed the nation's unemployment rate drop to 7.7 percent. Analysts and businesses, however, are already looking past that report to the dangers to jobs from the fiscal cliff.

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National

Unemployment Falls To Lowest Rate In Four Years

11:50pm December 07, 2012

by Jim Zarroli

The stock market moved higher Friday on a jobs report that came in stronger than expected. Employers added 146,000 jobs to payrolls in November and the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent.

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Economy

Jobless Rate Drops In First Post-Election Report

11:51am December 07, 2012

The Labor Department reported Friday that the nation's unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent in November as employers added 146,000 jobs. In October, the jobless rate was 7.9 percent. Analysts had predicted weaker numbers for November, partly because of the storm's aftermath.

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Tea Party May Be Losing Steam, But Issues Still Boil

9:56am December 07, 2012

by Don Gonyea

While the movement loses popularity nationwide, it's still a force in the GOP. When it comes to fiscal cliff negotiations, however, Tea Party members in Congress seem resigned to the fact that any eventual deal will be one they won't like. That doesn't mean the Tea Party spirit can't be recharged.

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At StoryCorps in the Tri-Cities area of Washington state, Anand Hernandez and his mom, Sarah Avant, discussed his parents' 2009 divorce.

3 Years After Parents' Divorce, Son Looks Back

9:52am December 07, 2012

by NPR Staff

In a visit to StoryCorps, Sarah Avant and her 12-year-old son discuss how his life was changed by his parents' divorce in 2009. Anand Hernandez admits that the stress was hard on him. But lately, things have been looking up, he says.

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Politics & Government

Michigan Likely To Become A Right-To-Work State

5:42am December 07, 2012

by Rick Pluta

The Michigan House and Senate have passed the legislation in different versions, and may take final action on the bills next week. Michigan could become the 24th state to say workers cannot be forced to pay union dues even if they work for a business or government employer with union representation.

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