U.S.

National

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Makes Court Appearance In Pretrial Hearing

6:32pm December 18, 2014

by Tovia Smith

Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev appeared in court on Thursday, marking his first time before the public in 17 months. The pretrial hearing comes ahead of a Jan. 5 trial.

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National

Justice Department Sues Over Conditions At Rikers Island Jail

6:32pm December 18, 2014

by Joel Rose

The Department of Justice is following through on its threat to sue the New York City over conditions at the notorious Rikers Island jail. The lawsuit announced today comes months after a scathing DOJ report that found a "culture of violence" against adolescent inmates at Rikers.

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Most Pages In New U.S.-Cuba Chapter Still Have To Be Written

6:32pm December 18, 2014

by Scott Horsley

President Obama is re-opening diplomatic ties to Cuba, and easing restrictions on travel and commerce. A day after that historic announcement, we look at what it actually means for would be travelers and exporters.

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President Obama announces changes to U.S. policy on Cuba, including relaxing restrictions on U.S. banking in the country, in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.

Opportunity, Caution Seen For U.S. Banks As Cuba Rules Ease

6:32pm December 18, 2014

by Jim Zarroli

President Obama eased restrictions on Cuba this week, including a relaxation of rules barring U.S. banks from doing business there. But banks are awaiting details and are likely to proceed cautiously.

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Too much partying at the office holiday bash can lead to lawsuits, firings or just plain awkwardness.

Mischief Under The Mistletoe: Office Partygoers Behaving Badly

6:14pm December 18, 2014

by Yuki Noguchi

Partying with co-workers can lead to awkwardness and worse. And, HR experts say, alcohol is often to blame. "If people used common sense, I wouldn't have a job," says employment attorney Jon Hyman.

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Teachers in Nashville, Tenn., are knocking on doors to recruit students for public school.

Teachers Go Door-Knocking In Nashville

6:04pm December 18, 2014

by Blake Farmer

In Nashville, Tenn., several public schools are struggling to compete with nearby charters. To recruit more students, teachers are tearing a page from the charter playbook: going door to door.

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An inside view of this fossil Pseudodon shell shows that the hole made by Homo erectus is exactly at the spot where the muscle attached to the shell. Poking at that spot would force the shell open.

Earliest Human Engraving Or Trash From An Ancient Lunch?

5:52pm December 18, 2014

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Carved zigzag marks on a shell found more than a century ago have drawn new interest from archaeologists. The half-million-year-old lines aren't from an animal, and might be art from Homo erectus.

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The updated avian tree shows how many different kinds of birds evolved quickly after a mass extinction 66 million years ago.

Birds Of A Feather Aren't Necessarily Related

5:25pm December 18, 2014

by Geoff Brumfiel

Geneticists have revised the evolutionary tree of birds, revealing some unlikely relationships.

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Obama Announces Diplomatic Thaw With Cuba

5:22pm December 18, 2014

In re-opening ties with Cuba, the president follows through on strategy he outlined during his first White House campaign. He believes engagement with Cuba is a more powerful tool than isolation.

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Sarah Koenig and producer Dana Chivvis in the studio.

The Many Rabbit Holes (Or Should We Say Labyrinths) Of Serial

5:01pm December 18, 2014

by Kat Chow

No matter how you view the podcast, there's an endless supply of avenues you can explore and different conversations you can have.