Story of the Day

President Barack Obama talks about the government shutdown during a media availability following Obama's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Monday.

Obama On The GOP: 'I Shouldn't Have To Offer Anything'

10:09pm September 30, 2013

by Eyder Peralta

In an interview with NPR, President Obama said Republicans can still avert a government shutdown, but when asked if the House has come up with a bill he would approve of, he answered flatly, "No."

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Is Living With Extreme Wildfires The New Normal?

5:02pm September 30, 2013

by NPR Staff

The Yarnell Hill fire in Arizona was deadly in part because of how close a highly flammable forest was to a community. The U.S. once faced a crisis with structural fires, but managed to change regulations to turn the trend around. Experts say it will take a renewed effort to take on this newer fire threat.

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Enroll America outreach worker Rosy Mota (right) talks about the federal health care law with a CVS customer.

Houston Gears Up For Obamacare, Despite GOP Opposition

8:26am September 30, 2013

by Carrie Feibel

Leading Texas politicians have resisted the federal health care law. But in Houston, community groups and public health agencies are trying to educate the city's 800,000 uninsured residents about new coverage options.

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U.N. Ambassador: U.S. Got What It Sought With Syria Resolution

8:31pm September 27, 2013

by Eyder Peralta

Samantha Power said the resolution imposes a "pretty distinct form of accountability," in that it strips Syria of its chemical weapons. In the case of non-compliance, she said, the U.S. would have the "the force of global opinion on our side."

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National

Dear Lawyers: Order In The &*%# Court!

1:33pm September 27, 2013

by Tanya Ballard Brown

Some attorneys have gotten nasty and others want it to stop. In New York, a group has decided to tackle the decrease in civility through song.

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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during the annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York City on Wednesday.

Every Move She Makes, Pundits Are Watching Hillary Clinton

11:09pm September 25, 2013

by Mara Liasson

Everything former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says gets a tremendous amount of attention, even if she says virtually nothing, says strategist Geoff Garin. And that's not likely to change as the 2016 presidential race gets closer.

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The Common Core Standards establish academic expectations across states in math and English language arts.

In Push For 'Common' Standards, Many Parents Left Uneducated

2:51pm September 23, 2013

by Claudio Sanchez

The Common Core initiative would standardize academic goals nationwide. Forty-five states have signed on, but lawmakers in some states are rethinking their support. While both sides are stepping up their messaging, a poll out this month shows 62 percent of Americans have never heard of Common Core.

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Nature writer Jackson Landers kept a black widow alive in a jar on his desk for months.

Black Widow Spider Fan Gets Dangerously Close To His Subject

8:07pm September 21, 2013

by NPR Staff

The first time nature writer Jackson Landers spotted a black widow spider on his front porch, he was transfixed. He grew curious about the spiders and kept one for months as a pet. One day, he got bit.

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EPA Wants To Limit Greenhouse Gases From New Coal Power Plants

8:11pm September 20, 2013

by Elizabeth Shogren

Under the proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency, new plants that run on coal would be permitted to emit only about half as much carbon dioxide as the average coal plant puts into the air today. Emissions from the electricity industry are already declining as utilities turn to natural gas and wind farms.

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House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, talks about the deadline to fund the government Thursday on Capitol Hill.

House Nears Vote To Fund Government, Defund Obamacare

11:18am September 20, 2013

by Tamara Keith

The Republican-controlled House is set to vote Friday on a stopgap spending bill to keep the government open for business through the middle of December. And the White House has already said if it makes it to the president's desk, he'll veto it. That's because the bill also would defund the Affordable Care Act.

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