News

When Dawn Gioia first received a request to lease mineral rights under her home, in a downtown neighborhood in Brighton, Colo., she thought it was a scam.

Residents Worry Urban Drilling Will Turn Downtowns Into Oil Towns

3:18pm September 04, 2014

by Lesley McClurg

Drilling for oil and gas in rural and suburban areas isn't new. But energy extraction companies are now moving into more densely populated areas, raising a new set of concerns for city residents.

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An aid worker takes a break on a big pile of food, which was brought to the small eastern Ukrainian city of Starobilsk by a humanitarian convoy.

World News

Aid Is On The Way For Eastern Ukraine, If Only It Can Pass The Checkpoints

8:38am September 04, 2014

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

Both Ukraine and Russia say they're trying to send supplies to residents in eastern Ukraine. But with tensions on both sides running high, that aid may take a while to arrive.

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A still from the surveillance camera footage shows the fainting man (top left and bottom right) lying alone in a subway car, as the few remaining occupants hurry away.

World News

Why Did Crowd Flee Shanghai Subway After Foreigner Fainted?

1:14am September 04, 2014

by Frank Langfitt

A widely watched video shows a foreigner fainting on a subway car and everyone around him fleeing. No one helps. It's rekindled a national debate about trust, fear and the Chinese national character.

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World News

Hong Kong's Drive For Open Elections Runs Low On Steam

7:04pm September 03, 2014

by Frank Langfitt

Earlier this week, China insisted that the people of Hong Kong would not be allowed to nominate candidates for the territory's next leader. Occupy Central, a local democracy movement, is threatening to shut down the city's financial district in protest — but organizers acknowledge that only 3,000 people have signed pledges to participate.

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North Carolina District Breaks Ties With Teach For America

7:04pm September 03, 2014

by Reema Khrais

The school board in Durham, N.C., voted 6-1 to end its relationship with Teach For America, after the current crop of teachers finish out their stints. Board members cited the lack of experience and the limited commitment of these young teachers in the district's "high-needs" schools. Education reporter Reema Khrais of WUNC explains the situation.

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Federal Regulators Impose Tough New Rules For Banks

7:04pm September 03, 2014

by Jim Zarroli

Federal banking regulators vote Wednesday on new rules that will require banks to increase their holdings of highly liquid assets. The new rules stem directly from problems experienced during the financial crisis, when banks found they couldn't quickly convert assets into cash.

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Health & Safety

CVS Quits Cigarettes, Adjusting To New Health Care Landscape

7:04pm September 03, 2014

CVS has changed its corporate name from CVS Caremark to CVS Health. On the very same day, the company has also fulfilled a promise it made earlier this year: No more cigarettes on its store shelves.

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Page County, Va., Sheriff John Thomas received an MRAP for his department in May. "Is it overkill? Yeah, it is. I mean, for our use, it's more armor than we need. But it's free," he says.

Should Local Police Get The Military's Extra Armored Trucks?

6:17pm September 03, 2014

by David Welna

The Pentagon has been transferring mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles to local police. Built to protect U.S. forces from roadside bomb blasts at war, these huge vehicles aren't always welcome.

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A male passenger pigeon, illustrated in a book of natural history printed in 1754.

Science

Lone Passenger Pigeon Escapes Pie Pan, Lands In Smithsonian

4:26pm September 03, 2014

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Passenger pigeons used to be the most abundant bird in North America. But hunters drove them to extinction, and by 1914, only one was left. A century later, that pigeon, named Martha, is on exhibit.

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Spires from the Mormon temple in downtown Salt Lake City reach to the sky.

Podcaster Risks Excommunication For Defending Gay Mormons

4:26pm September 03, 2014

by Terry Gildea

Earlier this week, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints excommunicated an advocate for female priesthood. This weekend, a Utah man who questioned church doctrine might face a similar fate.

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