National

As Flu Season Strains Hospitals, Doctor Offers Advice For How To Stay Healthy

5:12pm January 16, 2018

An unusually severe flu season has strained hospitals around the country with overflowing emergency rooms. In California alone, at least 42 people have died from the flu. NPR's Kelly McEvers speaks with Dr. Adrian Cotton, chief of medical operations at Loma Linda University Health System, about the influx of patients and what people can do to protect themselves.

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Riverside County Sheriff's Department Capt. Greg Fellows speaks with reporters during a news conference in Perris, Calif. on Tuesday. A 17-year-old girl called police after escaping from her family's home where she and her brothers and sisters were locked

National

'I Would Call That Torture': Couple Arrested After Kids Found 'Shackled' At Home

5:06pm January 16, 2018

by Scott Neuman

Authorities say a daughter who managed to escape and call 911 alerted them to a house of horrors in a Los Angeles suburb: 12 of her siblings, some restrained, in "dark and foul-smelling surroundings."

Russell M. Nelson, speaking at a funeral last October, has been named leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Mormon Church Names Russell M. Nelson As New Leader

4:49pm January 16, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

"My brethren of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles laid hands upon my hands, ordained me, set me apart as president of the church. It was a sacred and humbling experience," Nelson said Tuesday.

National

BlackRock CEO Says Companies Need To Do More Than Deliver Profits

4:35pm January 16, 2018

by John Ydstie

Laurence Fink, CEO of the investment firm BlackRock, is telling other CEOs they need to do more than just deliver profits. In a letter published by The New York Times, Fink says companies must show how they are making positive contributions to society.

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Ballou High School, in Washington, D.C.'s Southeast quadrant, is located in one of the city's poorest neighborhoods and has struggled academically for years. An investigation by WAMU and NPR has found that the school's administration graduated dozens of s

Students Across D.C. Graduated Despite Chronic Absences, An Investigation Finds

4:33pm January 16, 2018

by Kate McGee

An official investigation into Ballou High School and other high schools in the District of Columbia found that students received diplomas despite missing more than 30 days in at least one class.

After Charleston chef Ben Murray committed suicide, Mickey Bakst (left) and Steve Palmer (right) started a support group for those in the restaurant business struggling with addiction.

In An Industry Rife With Substance Abuse, Restaurant Workers Help Their Own

3:47pm January 16, 2018

by Tove Danovich

Food service is fueled by high stress and late hours; it's easy to see how people in the industry can be susceptible to alcohol and drug abuse. Some who've been there are now offering help to others.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio takes questions from reporters about the relief effort in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria on Sept. 26, 2017 at the U.S. Capitol. Rubio and Maryland Democrat Chris Van Hollen propose a new Senate bill that would require the i

Did A Foreign Power Interfere In The Election? New Bill Would Mandate An Answer

3:27pm January 16, 2018

by Tim Mak

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio and Democrat Sen. Chris Van Hollen are offering legislation that would require U.S. spy agencies to report about foreign interference in American elections.

A judge said she is puzzled by some of the legal positions taken by former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and doesn't know when she might schedule his trial.

Manafort Case Drags As Judge Puzzles Over Legal Positions

1:37pm January 16, 2018

by Carrie Johnson

President Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort may not face trial until fall. The judge in his case says she's befuddled about some of his arguments in the case.

Lyons-Boswick goes through old case files.

National

How Prosecutors Changed The Odds To Start Winning Some Of The Toughest Rape Cases

1:26pm January 16, 2018

by Joseph Shapiro

A rape case 25 years ago revolutionized justice for people with intellectual disabilities. They were "unwinnable" rape cases, until prosecutors figured out the secret.

Gospel Star Edwin Hawkins, Known For 'Oh Happy Day,' Dies At 74

12:40pm January 16, 2018

by Doreen McCallister

In 1970, the Edwin Hawkins singers won a Grammy for best soul gospel performance for "Oh Happy Day." It became an unexpected hit when a San Francisco disc jockey began playing the song.