U.S.

National

The First President To Travel Abroad

7:35pm June 30, 2013

President Obama is in Africa this week on a three-country tour. But who was the first president to go abroad? Biographer Edmund Morris tells us about President Teddy Roosevelt's historic trip to Panama in 1906.

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Anthony Nicodemo is head basketball coach at Saunders High School in Yonkers, N.Y.

'I Am A Gay High School Basketball Coach'

5:03pm June 30, 2013

by NPR Staff

When Anthony Nicodemo finally worked up the courage to tell his players he was gay, he was prepared for the worst. He didn't expect what happened next.

National

Judge Who Struck Down Proposition 8 Knew Case Would Go Far

9:25pm June 29, 2013

by Nina Totenberg

Retired federal Judge Vaughn Walker set the California gay marriage ban on its way to the Supreme Court with his ruling in 2010. On Wednesday, the high court kept his decision intact. Walker shares his insight into the justices' strategy and the controversy he's waded through as a gay judge.

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Back On The Ground, Nik Wallenda Dreams Up His Next Walk

7:07pm June 29, 2013

by NPR Staff

Wallenda put his circus family back on the map with his high-wire trip across Niagara Falls in 2012. Last week, it was a walk across a 1,500-foot gorge near the Grand Canyon. Of course he gets butterflies, he says, but there's no fear.

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Field director Charles White of the NAACP speaks at a podium outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. The court ruled that a key part of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional.

National

Legalese Aside, How Do We Talk About Race Nowadays?

7:07pm June 29, 2013

by NPR Staff

The news this week has put race on America's brain. There were the Supreme Court decisions, the trial of George Zimmerman and the downfall of celebrity chef Paula Deen. But the country is still fumbling through persistent inequality, even in the absence of overt prejudice.

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The Greenes say they take it a day at a time and relish the many long-term memories they've shared for nearly 60 years.

Despite Alzheimer's, Couple Holds Tight To Old Memories

3:44pm June 29, 2013

by Ina Jaffe

Pansy Greene, 73, is still in the early stages of Alzheimer's. She and her husband, Winston, describe their "journey," a term they use to refer to much more than Pansy's struggle with the disease.

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Gay Marriage Now A State-By-State Battle

3:44pm June 29, 2013

by Jeff Brady

After this week's Supreme Court rulings on gay marriage, supporters and opponents are turning their attention to individual states, where several legislatures are expected to take up the issue.

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National

Puerto Rico Rolling Out The Welcome Mat For Millionaires

9:22pm June 28, 2013

by Dan Bobkoff

The recession hit Puerto Rico's already struggling economy hard. So the island, a U.S. territory that can make its own tax laws, is pitching an attractive offer to the wealthy: Move to this warm, tropical isle and live virtually tax-free.

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Therapy dogs Barney (rear) and Hazel are on the job comforting weary travelers at LAX.

Coming To An Airport Near You: Fluffy Stress Relief

9:22pm June 28, 2013

by Gloria Hillard

Los Angeles International Airport has 30 comfort dogs assigned to assist weary and stressed-out travelers. The airports in San Jose and Miami are using dogs, too. Many passengers say it's helpful to see a smiling dog at the end of the security check-in.

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Miami Public Service Aide Tatayana Harris enters information into her laptop after clearing an accident in Miami's Little Havana community. Harris has been a Miami Police PSA for five years and hopes to become a police officer.

National

Police Take Different Approaches To 'The Tyranny Of 911'

9:22pm June 28, 2013

by NPR Staff

Most people know to phone 911 in an emergency, but police departments are often overwhelmed by the sheer volume of calls. Some cities use 311 lines to help divert non-emergency requests, while Miami dispatches a group of unarmed public servants to tackle many non-urgent situations.

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