News

30 Years On, Educators Still Divided On Scathing Schools Report

5:32pm April 26, 2013

by Claudio Sanchez

On April 26, 1983, a panel appointed by President Ronald Reagan released an ominous report that painted a dire picture of the U.S. education system. Thirty years later, many educators point to the report as the catalyst for divides that still split education reformers.

Queue Listen Now

Last week, FBI investigators and a Watertown, Mass., police officer investigate the scene near the boat where bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was hiding. Democrats have argued that the way the government responded to the Boston attacks makes a case for

Politics & Government

Democrats Invoke Boston, West To Defend Government's Role

5:23pm April 26, 2013

by Ari Shapiro

Democrats are using the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas and the Boston Marathon bombings to argue that the government has an important role to play in keeping Americans safe. People who want smaller government say liberals are reaching the wrong conclusions.

Queue Listen Now

President Obama meets with the emir of Qatar, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, in the Oval Office on Tuesday. The emir is among a series of visiting Middle East leaders urging the U.S. to take a greater role in the Syrian conflict.

World News

U.S. Wary As Qatar Ramps Up Support Of Syrian Rebels

4:47pm April 26, 2013

by Michele Kelemen

The tiny Gulf nation of Qatar has been "punching above its weight" diplomatically in the region in recent years. Now, it's taking a prominent role in Syria, arming rebels there. The U.S. wants to see such aid go to moderates. Qatar has its own approach.

Queue Listen Now

Health & Safety

Philadelphia Case Exposes Deep Rift In Abortion Debate

12:15pm April 26, 2013

by Julie Rovner

Abortion opponents say the case of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, who is charged with five counts of murder, shows the need for more and stricter regulation of abortion clinics. But abortion rights backers say more restrictions give women few choices besides substandard facilities.

Queue Listen Now

Lady Gaga Writing A New Song Is Like A Factory Investing In A New Machine

2:46am April 26, 2013

by David Kestenbaum

The government is about to change the way it accounts for the economic value of music and movies.

Queue Listen Now

Flooding from Superstorm Sandy damaged Gordon Fishell's basement lab at NYU in Manhattan. Almost all of his research mice died.

A Tale Of Mice And Medical Research, Wiped Out By A Superstorm

2:46am April 26, 2013

by Jon Hamilton

When Superstorm Sandy flooded lower Manhattan last year, thousands of lab animals drowned and many scientists lost months or even years of work. The specialty animals can be very difficult to replace, but researchers say the loss of animal life is emotionally devastating and difficult to get over.

Queue Listen Now

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. (left), leads a news conference about the Marketplace Fairness Act on Tuesday. The legislation would provide states with the authority to require out-of-state retailers to collect and remit taxes on purchases shipped into the

Politics & Government

Shifting Retail Landscape Tilts Support For Online Sales Tax

2:46am April 26, 2013

by Yuki Noguchi

The U.S. Senate seems ready to let states collect sales tax from more online retailers. Support for the measure has increased as businesses have converged their online and offline sales. "We're looking for consistency" in how taxes are collected, says the owner of a St. Louis pet store chain.

Queue Listen Now

Some housing experts say New York's zoning code has discouraged the building of affordable housing by requiring that all apartments be at least 400 square feet. The city is interested in finding ways to rewrite the rules.

Making Room: Can Smaller Apartments Help New York City Grow?

8:16pm April 25, 2013

by Jim Zarroli

Some housing experts say the city's zoning code has discouraged the building of affordable housing by requiring that all apartments be at least 400 square feet. The city is interested in finding ways to rewrite the rules. An exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York looks at ways to fix the city's housing shortage.

Queue Listen Now

Economy

Regulators Warn Banks On Direct-Deposit Loans

8:16pm April 25, 2013

by John Ydstie

Regulators are warning some of the nation's largest banks to stop offering loans that are hard to distinguish from those given out by storefront payday lenders. The banks have been offering high-interest-rate, short-term loans to customers with direct deposit as an advance on their paychecks.

Queue Listen Now

President Obama makes a statement in the White House briefing room just a few hours after the bombings at the Boston Marathon on April 15.

How Obama's Response To Terrorism Has Shifted

4:57pm April 25, 2013

by Ari Shapiro

While President Obama's time in office has not been defined by terrorist attacks, incidents like the one in Boston have been a regular, painful through line of his presidency. And the Obama administration has been on a steady learning curve when it comes to how to handle its public response.

Queue Listen Now