National

National

Blockbuster Plans To Close 1 Store In Alaska, Taking Total Number Down To 5

5:03pm March 21, 2018

A Blockbuster store in North Pole, Alaska is set to close in April. Alaska is home to most of the Blockbuster stores in the U.S. due to slow internet speeds, but foot traffic has been on the decline.

Queue Listen Now

Senate Intelligence Committee Recommends More Security For Midterms, Not How To Fund It

5:03pm March 21, 2018

by Ryan Lucas

The Senate intelligence committee met Wednesday to review its recommendations about improving election security ahead of the 2018 midterms. Senators recommend more funding and IT support, but there is no consensus about how much or how to pay for it.

Queue Listen Now

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell testifies during a Senate banking committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on March 1. This week, Powell presided over a Fed policy meeting for the first time since becoming chairman.

Fed Raises Interest Rates Again As New Chairman Steps Into Spotlight

5:03pm March 21, 2018

by John Ydstie

The central bank raised its key interest rate for the first time under Jerome Powell, announcing a quarter-percentage-point hike. Economists wonder if faster growth will mean more aggressive hikes.

Queue Listen Now

National

More Details Emerge About Austin Bomber

4:43pm March 21, 2018

by Courtney Collins

Details are beginning to emerge about the Austin bombing suspect. Reporter Courtney Collins from member station KERA speaks with Jeremiah Jensen, one of Mark Anthony Conditt's hometown friends.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg Responds To Cambridge Analytica Scandal

4:43pm March 21, 2018

by Aarti Shahani

There are signs of division within Facebook about how to respond to what's possibly the most significant crisis in the company's history. Mark Zuckerberg released a statement Wednesday, the first since the scandal over Cambridge Analytica erupted.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal Weighs In On How Congress Could Regulate Facebook

4:43pm March 21, 2018

Congressional staffers are slated to meet with Facebook officials this week. NPR's Ailsa Chang talks to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and a member of the Commerce and Judiciary committees, about what action Congress could take to regulate how Facebook uses user data.

Snow falls outside the White House during a spring storm on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. The nor'easter impacted much of the East Coast, canceling flights, schools and work for many residents.

National

March A Fairweather Friend As Serious Storms Hit East And West Coasts

4:35pm March 21, 2018

by Amy Held

It's a rough start to spring for residents on both sides of the country. Southern Californians braced for rain and potential mudslides while residents of the Northeast dealt with heavy snow Wednesday.

National

Texas Authorities Continuing To Gather Information About Austin Bomber

4:30pm March 21, 2018

by John Burnett

Authorities in Texas are piecing together what they know about the man they say built a series of bombs. The 23-year-old killed himself Wednesday as authorities moved in to capture him.

Queue Listen Now

Law enforcement search the home of suspected Austin bomber Mark Anthony Conditt Wednesday in Pflugerville, Texas.

National

'He's Not A Psychopath,' Says Friend Of Austin Bombings Suspect

4:14pm March 21, 2018

A friend of the suspect, Jeremiah Jensen, describes Conditt as shy, smart and thoughtful. "He was an intense person and could be hard to love but he was a person," he says.

Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., listens as Vice President Pence administers the Senate oath of office during a mock swearing in ceremony in January.

'Seize This Moment': Doug Jones Tackles Gun Control In First Senate Speech

3:47pm March 21, 2018

by Jessica Taylor

The Alabama Democrat said recent student protests remind him of the civil rights movement. He called for tighter control of gun purchases and expressed respect for the Second Amendment.