News

Mentally ill inmates who are able to shower, eat, sit quietly and otherwise care for themselves live in the jail's Division 2. A psychologist is stationed right outside the room, and officers are specially trained to deal with psychotic episodes.

National

Mentally Ill Are Often Locked Up In Jails That Can't Help

9:55am January 21, 2014

by Laura Sullivan

Over the past decade, thousands of mentally ill people have been funneling in and out of the nation's jails, landing in places that are ill-equipped to treat them. Illinois' Cook County Jail has some of the most innovative programs in the country, but staff say it's a far cry from actual treatment.

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World News

Nuclear Inspectors Enter Iran, With Eyes Peeled For Cheating

7:58pm January 20, 2014

by Geoff Brumfiel

This week in Iran, international inspectors are stepping up surveillance of the country's nuclear program. The inspections are at the heart of a landmark deal that freezes Iran's uranium enrichment in exchange for billions of dollars in relief from sanctions, but they are just a first step.

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Henry Ford Hospital treats Detroit residents. About 1 in 3 residents of that city is uninsured, and the hospital CEO hopes Medicaid expansion will increase the number of people with health insurance.

In Michigan, Businessmen And Politicians Agree On Medicaid

1:45pm January 20, 2014

by Eric Whitney

Michigan is one of only a handful of Republican-led states that is expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. It did it by forging a plan that worked for Republicans, Democrats and business interests, as well as doctors and hospitals.

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President Obama has alluded to his pen and his phone as two tools that help him act without waiting for congressional approval.

Wielding A Pen And A Phone, Obama Goes It Alone

8:04am January 20, 2014

by Tamara Keith

President Obama has a couple tools at his disposal that let him bypass congressional approval — and he's using them to advance his economic agenda. The administration says the president is still willing to work with Congress, but some on Capitol Hill are taking issue with the executive tactic.

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Tracks from NASA's Opportunity rover disappear toward the horizon on the Meridiani Plains of Mars. The rover has been on the planet since 2004.

Science

Mars Or Bust: Putting Humans On The Red Planet

6:42pm January 19, 2014

by NPR Staff

Some of the earliest science fiction imagined voyages to Mars. We now have the space-faring technology to make reaching the Red Planet possible. It would involve massive resources and many potential dangers, but some believe the rewards would be massive.

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World News

Under Government Pressure, Mexican Vigilantes Vow To Fight On

7:20pm January 18, 2014

by Carrie Kahn

Federal forces are backing away from a plan to disarm the civilian militias that are defending their communities from ruthless drug traffickers. In the western state of Michoacan, it's unclear how long the fragile peace will last.

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Donors Pitch In To Protect Detroit's Art And Pensions

11:35am January 18, 2014

Under a deal mediated by a federal bankruptcy judge, a group of local and national foundations this week pledged more than $330 million to help Detroit's pension fund and protect the city's valuable art collection. Bio-chemical entrepreneur Paul Schaap is one of the donors; he speaks with NPR's Lynn Neary about the effort.

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Politics & Government

5 Takeaways From The President's NSA Speech

7:21pm January 17, 2014

by Carrie Johnson

The president's speech Friday offered a revealing look into the nation's phone data collection program and the direction of the surveillance policy debate. But some of biggest controversies have been put off or pushed to Congress.

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In The Long Wait For Aid From Washington, Job Hunters Despair

6:20pm January 17, 2014

by Tovia Smith

After failing to agree upon an extension for federal jobless benefits to the long-term unemployed, Congress is vowing to keep trying. The help can't come soon enough for many of the 1.4 million unemployed who saw their checks suddenly cut off last month.

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World News

A Newsprint Shortage Hobbles Venezuelan Media

6:20pm January 17, 2014

by John Otis

Venezuela is running out of newsprint and newspapers are shutting down. Media outlets say that it's another form of harassment by a government that often doesn't like what independent media reports.

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