News

House Passes 'Clean' Debt Limit Bill

8:00pm February 11, 2014

by David Welna

Republican House Speaker John Boehner has said for months that he would not let the United States default on its debt, and he made good on that promise: The House voted Tuesday evening for an increase of the debt limit with no strings attached, just as President Obama had wanted.

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Devin Logan practices during a ski slopestyle training session in Sochi on Friday. She says she doesn't stress about competing, even on a course that some have called dangerous. "What we do is scary in general," she says. "But we know how to do it."

Slopestyle Skier Devin Logan Keeps It Cool, But She's 'All In'

7:01pm February 11, 2014

by Sam Sanders

Much of the attention on the Olympic slopestyle events has focused on snowboarders, but the downhill event is also done on skis. Devin Logan enters Tuesday's competition as the world's top-ranked female freestyle skier. And at 20, she'll compete before she can legally celebrate with a beer.

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Still waiting for job-linked health insurance? Check the size of your company.

Health & Safety

Health Law's Employer Mandate Hits Another Speed Bump

3:55pm February 11, 2014

by Julie Rovner

The Obama administration is again delaying a part of the Affordable Care Act that requires most companies to provide employees with health insurance. This time, smallish firms — those with fewer than 100 workers but more than 49 — get a reprieve until 2016.

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Ole Einar Bjoerndalen of Norway practices in Sochi on Monday.

The Norwegian Athlete Who's One Medal Away From History

3:55pm February 11, 2014

by Robert Smith

Ole Einar Bjoerndalen is a biathlete competing for a record 13th medal — which would make him the most decorated athlete ever at the Winter Games. No one has ever been so good for so long in his sport. "He's 40 years old, and he's motivated like an 18-year-old," says one expert.

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Propane cylinders sit on the grounds of Blue Rhino, a propane gas company, in Tavares, Fla. In the Midwest, farmers needed more propane for crops that came in later than normal.

As Temps Drop, Gas Prices Rise, Along With Demand For Fuel

4:18pm February 10, 2014

by Jeff Brady

The country is producing more natural gas than it can burn, but frigid weather has made it harder for companies to deliver that gas to those who need it, especially in densely populated areas in the Northeast. As a result, prices have skyrocketed.

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Men walk along a railway line in Beijing on Jan. 12, as air pollution reached hazardous levels.

China's Air Pollution Linked To Millions Of Early Deaths

2:25pm February 10, 2014

by Rob Stein

About 1.2 million people die prematurely every year in China from exposure to outdoor air pollution. Smog has dogged the country as it grows at an explosive rate and burns huge quantities of fossil fuels. But there are signs that the government is beginning to take the issue more seriously.

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Kansas Mayor Says Sustainability Is About Community, Not Politics

1:36pm February 10, 2014

by NPR Staff

Today's political polarization makes it seem harder than ever to tackle climate change. Republican Bob Dixson says the goals of going green aren't only for liberals. His town of Greensburg was hit by an unusually strong tornado, and now he's working on a White House task force to prepare communities like his.

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detail from cover of Code Name: Johnny Walker

Books
Arts

With Fearlessness And A 'Code Name,' Iraqi Helped Navy SEALs

6:33pm February 09, 2014

by NPR Staff

Interpreter "Johnny Walker" accompanied the U.S. military on countless missions in his war-torn home country of Iraq. His memoir, Code Name: Johnny Walker, details his experiences with the SEALs and his family's long path to U.S. citizenship.

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Sochi An Olympic Spectacle Even Without The Games

12:05pm February 08, 2014

What a week in Sochi, Russia! NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Olympics correspondent Tamara Keith about the ill-fated opening ceremony, stray dogs and bad hotel rooms, as well as who won the first gold medal.

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World News

Muslims Flee CAR Capital, Chased By Christian Jeers

9:04pm February 07, 2014

A convoy of nearly 500 vehicles full of Muslim families filed out of the capital of Central African Republic on Friday, watched closely by crowds of cheering Christians. Two months of sectarian violence preceded the exodus, which Associated Press photographer Jerome Delay witnessed firsthand. Melissa Block speaks to Delay about the situation.

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