Story of the Day

Supreme Court justices will hear arguments Tuesday on California's Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage. On Wednesday they'll hear arguments on the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman.

They All Voted For DOMA, But Now These Senators Are Split

12:53pm March 23, 2013

by David Welna

When the Defense of Marriage Act passed in 1996, it had strong bipartisan support. All of the 15 sitting Democrats who voted for it are now against it. But so far, Sen. Rob Portman is the only current Republican Senator to change his mind.

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Meet The 83-Year-Old Taking On The U.S. Over Same-Sex Marriage

8:34pm March 21, 2013

by Nina Totenberg

Edith Windsor's challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act will be heard by the Supreme Court next week. When her wife died, Windsor had to pay $363,000 in estate taxes because the federal government did not recognize their marriage. "If Thea was Theo," she says, "I would not have had to pay."

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Gustave Whitehead and the No. 21. Connecticut claims that Whitehead's half-mile flight in 1901 was the first flight, not the well-known Wright brothers' flight that occurred two years later.

Historian Propels Connecticut To Claim 'First In Flight'

8:35pm March 19, 2013

by Neena Satija

Gustave Whitehead, a German immigrant who lived in Bridgeport, Conn., was the first to fly a plane, according to one expert who examined a photo recently unearthed in a Bavarian museum. This claim has reignited a debate among researchers, and a fight with the Smithsonian.

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Led by the Rev. Willie Phillips (center), protesters march in February against violence in and around Club Majestic.

National

Among Thousands Of Gun Deaths, Only One Charles Foster Jr.

9:45pm March 18, 2013

by Melissa Block

Charles Foster Jr., 24, died on New Year's Day in Columbus, Ga., just one of tens of thousands of Americans who will be killed by a firearm this year. While mass shootings like the one in Newtown, Conn., attract a frenzy of media coverage, most gun homicides, like Foster's, garner little news attention.

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The Iraq War: 10 Years Later, Where Do We Stand?

10:32am March 17, 2013

by NPR Staff

The war has cost thousands of lives and trillions of dollars, and there are many who will live with its legacy forever. Now, as it tries to stabilize without U.S. combat troops, the conflict in neighboring Syria could threaten its security.

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Richard Piña, 69, with customer Augustin Bustos at Rich's Den barbershop in Calumet City, Ill. Piña, who retired from the Chicago police force 12 years ago, works at his shop four or five hours a day.

Health & Safety

A Retired Chicago Cop's Second Act Is At A Barbershop

8:43pm March 14, 2013

by Ina Jaffe

After nearly 30 years on the Chicago police force, Richard Piña, 69, now owns Rich's Den in Calumet City, Ill. He had other businesses during his police career — hair salons, a taco stand, a rooming house. "I don't want to say I was an entrepreneur, but I was a hustler," he says.

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Tony Lithgow, 49, and Andrea Mayer (right), 51, live together on the streets of Baltimore. They are part of a growing number of the nation's homeless who are reaching "premature old age."

Health Problems Compound For Aging Homeless

8:27pm March 13, 2013

by Pam Fessler

Tony Lithgow and Andrea Mayer live under a highway overpass in Baltimore. They're among a growing number of the nation's homeless who are reaching what's called "premature old age." They're in their late 40s and 50s, but suffer from ailments more common for those in their 70s.

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Samantha Grimaldo was born with a rare disorder, Perisylvian syndrome, and has never been able to speak.

New Voices For The Voiceless: Synthetic Speech Gets An Upgrade

1:23pm March 13, 2013

by Alix Spiegel

For those who rely on technology to speak, there are a limited number of voices. "Perfect Paul" sounds robotic, and "Heather" can seem too old for some. Now, a researcher is using sound samples from people who have never been able to speak to create new, personalized voices for them.

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Researchers wanted to know if Japanese quail were aware of the colors and patterns on their eggs.

Science

Quick Brown Fox Can't Find Camouflaged Quail Eggs

1:57am March 13, 2013

by Véronique LaCapra

The tiny, speckled eggs of Japanese quail should be easy targets for hungry predators. But these quail have a survival advantage — each goes out of her way, research suggests, to choose a nesting location that best matches the particular color pattern of her eggs.

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Kirk Bloodsworth was the first person in the U.S. to be exonerated by DNA evidence after receiving the death sentence. Convicted in 1985 of the rape and murder of a young girl, he was released in 1993.

National

Once On Death Row, He Now Fights To Defeat The Death Penalty

7:35pm March 10, 2013

by Margot Adler

Kirk Bloodsworth was the first person in the U.S. to be exonerated by DNA evidence after receiving the death sentence. Convicted in Maryland, Bloodsworth is now one of the strongest advocates of abolishing the death penalty in the state.

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