Story of the Day

A guard looks over an empty inmate cell at the Northern Correctional Institution in Somers, Conn., in 2001.

Advocates Push To Bring Solitary Confinement Out Of The Shadows

9:53am June 11, 2015

by Carrie Johnson

Some big states have been moving to limit the numbers of people they send to solitary, but officials say it's necessary to maintain control and, in some cases, protect the prisoners themselves.

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More than half of the top 10 box-office hits this year have centered on female characters, says NPR film critic Bob Mondello. But only a few — like Pitch Perfect 2 — were written or directed by women.

Arts

This Year, Women (And Girls) Rule The Big Screen

8:35am June 10, 2015

by Bob Mondello

NPR film critic Bob Mondello notes that this year's most popular movies are surprisingly womancentric. That's more than at any other time in at least three decades.

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Capt. Tajdeep Rattan (from left), Maj. Kamaljeet Kalsi and Lamba are the only three observant Sikh men currently serving in the U.S. military. Sikhs are hoping that a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling might lead the Pentagon to lift its ban on facial hair

National

Why Are Only Three Observant Sikh Men Serving In The U.S. Military?

7:49pm June 08, 2015

by Tom Gjelten

The Pentagon's ban on facial hair and religious headgear has long been an obstacle for Sikh men, who wear turbans and don't cut their hair. Sikhs are hoping a court ruling might lead to a rule change.

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Ruby Corado, second from right, and Selena Cruz whip their hair around playfully while joking with Lazema Mills, left, and Giselle Gartzog, right, at Casa Ruby, a drop-in and service center for transgender people in Washington, D.C. Through the center, Co

National

Trans In Transition: Finding Friends And Community In D.C.

12:42am June 07, 2015

by Pam Fessler

While doing a profile of a transgender activist in Washington, D.C., NPR's Pam Fessler heard some touching personal stories from trans women trying to adapt to their new lives.

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National

What Is The Role Of Jails In Treating The Mentally Ill?

1:00pm June 05, 2015

by NPR Staff

The United States incarcerates hundreds of thousands of inmates with mental health needs. Prisons and jails are trying to provide support, but incarceration is far from therapeutic.

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Rudy Mussi's family has farmed in the Sacramento Delta region for nearly a century. Mussi worries that more water transfers will deplete the fragile Delta ecosystem and wipe out family farms like his.

California's War Over Water Has Farmer Fighting Farmer

8:50pm June 04, 2015

by Kirk Siegler

Drought-stricken Central Valley farmers are pointing fingers at the Sacramento Delta, where water still flows reliably. There's more pressure than ever to change a long-standing water rights system.

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Gen. Martin Dempsey On Iraq: A Fight That Will Take 'Multiple Years'

12:42am June 04, 2015

by NPR Staff

The Joint Chiefs chairman has been deeply involved in Iraq for more than a decade. In an NPR interview, he says he's not surprised by the slow going against ISIS, calling it a "long campaign."

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The Polar Star completes ice drills in the Arctic in July 2013. Built in the 1970s and only meant to last 30 years, the vessel is the U.S. Coast Guard's only heavy icebreaker.

As The Arctic Opens Up, The U.S. Is Down To A Single Icebreaker

10:46pm June 01, 2015

by Jackie Northam

Melting ice means more of the Arctic is accessible to exploration and shipping, and countries are racing to establish a presence. But they still need heavy icebreakers, and the U.S. is falling behind.

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Examining Gang Enhanced Sentences In California's Legal System

12:56am June 01, 2015

NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates talks to Daniel Alarcon about his reporting on gang enhanced charges and sentencing. California law gives the prosecution the chance to increase the penalty in gang cases.

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The fate of the Patriot Act hinges on what the Senate does next.

National

All Eyes On Senate As Patriot Act Provisions Set To Expire

8:39pm May 31, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

Three key provisions of the act sunset on June 1. The Senate has scheduled a rare Sunday session to try to pass a House measure that modifies some of the provisions.