Story of the Day

Have you heard of Bass Reeves? Richard Potter? Spottswood Rice? "Box" Brown? If not, illustrator-historian Joel Christian Gill says, you're missing out on some of the best stories in American history.

Single people represent the fastest growing category of households in the U.S. That's made small dwellings — from micro-apartments to stand-alone tiny houses, a niche force in the real estate market.

"I'm not ever going to forget what I've done," says a woman once convicted of prostitution. "But, at the same time, I don't want it thrown in my face every time I'm trying to seek employment."

Babies who ate the equivalent of about 4 heaping teaspoons of peanut butter weekly were about 80 percent less likely to develop a peanut allergy by their fifth birthday. So finds a landmark new study.

The FCC votes Thursday on rules that would make Internet providers treat all traffic equally. Big wireless companies say that will make it harder to keep their networks from getting too congested.

Nursing employees suffer 35,000 back and other injuries nearly every year. But many career-ending injuries could be prevented if hospitals brought in new technology and taught "safe patient handling."

What exactly is happening to nurses' backs when they move and lift patients? NPR's Daniel Zwerdling teamed with scientists for a high-tech look inside his own back as he tried the same maneuvers.

When Terry Cawthorn severely injured her back on the job, Mission Hospital refused to take responsibility — an attitude toward nurses that NPR found in hospitals across the U.S.

Prince Turki al-Faisal, the ex-Saudi intelligence chief, says the "pinprick" attacks against the Islamic State are not proving effective. He also says the campaign needs to be better coordinated.

American Sniper, based on the life of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, has been a surprise hit at the box office. But as NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports, some say the movie misrepresents Kyle and glorifies war.