News

Archbisop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan (left) attends the Opening Mass of the Synod of Bishops celebrated by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica on Sunday in Vatican City. The two-week conference will discuss family issues, including controversial

Vatican Synod Tests The Pope's Vision Of A More Merciful Church

1:51pm October 05, 2014

by Sylvia Poggioli

Bishops are meeting with Pope Francis these next two weeks for an extraordinary conference to debate family matters – including hot-button issues like artificial contraception and gay civil unions.

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An electron micrograph photo of the Ebola virus, provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Hope For Ebola Treatment Found In Survivors

12:32pm October 05, 2014

by Lauren Hodges

Health officials are looking to those who have recovered from Ebola to treat new cases. The World Health Organization hopes to find antibodies in the blood of people who have fought off the virus.

Claire Danes, right, plays CIA station chief Carrie Mathison with Alex Lanipekun on Showtime's Homeland.

Arts

Showtime's 'Homeland' Now Depends On Carrie Mathison As Flawed Hero

5:52am October 05, 2014

by Eric Deggans

As Showtime's Emmy-winning terrorism drama starts its fourth season Sunday, NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans says the show struggles to continue without a key character.

Professor Laurence Steinberg, of Temple University, says adolescence should be conceived of as lasting from puberty to the early 20s.

Q&A: Plumbing The Mysteries Of The Teenage Brain

9:46pm October 04, 2014

by Anya Kamenetz

In Age of Opportunity, psychologist Larry Steinberg applies neuroscience to risk-taking, peer influence, the boredom of high school and other adolescent conundrums.

A striking image of autumn trees lining a drive in Vermont.

National

Photo Break: America Puts On Its Fall Colors

9:03pm October 04, 2014

by Bill Chappell

October brings the peak of the autumn foliage season in many U.S. states. Thanks to the NPR community, we've collected some photos that are worth taking a break from the news to stare at.

National

How Can The Secret Service Recover Its Reputation?

6:42pm October 04, 2014

NPR's Arun Rath speaks with W. Ralph Basham, former director of the U.S. Secret Service, about the agency's recent lapses in security and how it can work to improve.

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World News

Pro-Democracy Unrest Continues In Hong Kong

6:42pm October 04, 2014

It's been two weeks since pro-democracy protestors took to the streets in Hong Kong. NPR's Arun Rath speaks with Lily Kuo of the website Quartz for an update and whether negotiations with the government will resume.

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Former Haitian president Jean-Claude Duvalier "Baby Doc" has died at age 63. He returned from exile in 2011.

World News

Haiti's 'Baby Doc' Duvalier Dies At 63

2:46pm October 04, 2014

by Bill Chappell

Jean-Claude Duvalier, the former Haitian dictator nicknamed "Baby Doc" after he succeeded his father in ruling the country, has died. After a brutal regime, Duvalier was sent into exile in 1986.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, right, escorts people who were at the apartment unit where Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian citizen diagnosed with the Ebola virus, had been staying. Jenkins used his car to drive the people to a new place to stay in Dallas

Dallas Ebola Case: Experts Say 9 People At Highest Risk Of Contact

2:37pm October 04, 2014

by Bill Chappell

Health experts are "fairly certain" that nine people had enough direct contact with an Ebola patient that they could potentially have been infected. None of them have shown symptoms, the CDC says.

People watch as pro-democracy demonstrators gather for a Saturday night rally in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has been plunged into its most serious political crisis since its 1997 handover.

World News

Hong Kong Police Can 'Take All Actions Necessary,' City Leader Says

2:25pm October 04, 2014

by Bill Chappell

Discussions between the protesters and the government broke down after the violence. With thousands of protesters still in the streets, some are fearing that a crackdown might be imminent.