U.S.

National

Obama Wraps Up A 'Breakthrough' 2014

11:33am December 20, 2014

by Tamara Keith

President Obama held his year-end press conference Friday, insisting 2014 has been a "breakthrough year for America." He also addressed the Sony hack attack and his recent executive action on Cuba.

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Obama: Sony Should Have Talked To Him Before Pulling 'The Interview'

11:28am December 20, 2014

The FBI has concluded North Korea was responsible for the cyber attack on Sony Pictures. NPR's Scott Simon talks with White House correspondent Scott Horsley about what happens now.

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The Fate Of The Administration's College Ratings

2:21am December 20, 2014

by Anya Kamenetz

Some say a vaunted attempt to improve the quality of colleges is dead on arrival. Let's find out why.

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The number of catalogs mailed in the U.S. peaked in 2007, according to the Direct Marketing Association. It's come down since then, but last year it reached 11.9 billion.

Here's Why Retailers Keep Sending You Catalogs

7:51pm December 19, 2014

by Uri Berliner

While other things made with paper have become obsolete, Americans received nearly 12 billion catalogs in the mail last year — and they love them, says one business consultant.

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Thousands gathered on the National Mall last week to protest the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown. Some law students say their involvement in the protests means their exams should be postponed.

Troubled By Grand Jury Verdicts, Students Request More Time For Exams

7:50pm December 19, 2014

by Eleanor Klibanoff

Students at several law schools say events in Ferguson and New York have left them too upset to study. Others are more concerned about how the extra study time will affect the grading curve.

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Restoring Diplomatic Relations With Cuba Is A Complicated Process

7:37pm December 19, 2014

Melissa Block talks to Roberta Jacobson, assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, about the first steps toward restoring diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

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Exchange Of Spies Was Critical To U.S.-Cuba Deal

7:18pm December 19, 2014

by Dina Temple-Raston

Part of the deal for the return of American Alan Gross from Cuba involved the release of a Cuban man who had served as a spy for the U.S. He's said to have provided info about Cuban spies in the U.S.

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Obama's Wide-Ranging, Year-End News Conference

7:07pm December 19, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The president discussed issues ranging from normalization of relations with Cuba to Sony Pictures' decision to cancel release of the film 'The Interview' after a North Korean hack attack.

Obama Says Sony Should Not Have Pulled Film Over Threats

7:04pm December 19, 2014

by Eyder Peralta

"That's not what America's about," the president said in a news conference, calling the cancellation of The Interview's release a "mistake." The FBI has accused North Korea of being behind the attack.

New Federal College Ratings Will Consider Aid, Total Cost, Employment

5:12pm December 19, 2014

by Anya Kamenetz

A framework for measuring opportunity — and outcomes.