U.S.

"We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations," President Obama said Monday during his second inaugural address.

In Second Inaugural, Obama Makes Climate A Priority

8:48pm January 22, 2013

by Elizabeth Shogren

President Obama pulled out a surprise in his inaugural address. After barely mentioning climate change in his campaign, he put it on his short list of priorities for his second term. Experts believe he'll use the EPA to ramp up efforts to reduce greenhouse gases from power plants.

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The U.S. Capitol at sunrise on Monday, before President Obama's second inauguration. While the president raised big issues in his inaugural address — climate change, gay rights, immigration, the shooting of schoolchildren — none of them appear to top

President's New Term Doesn't Mean New Day In Congress

8:48pm January 22, 2013

by David Welna

While President Obama raised big issues in his inaugural address — climate change, gay rights, immigration, the shooting of schoolchildren — Congress eased back into session Tuesday with other priorities, fighting many of the battles left over from last year.

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States Become Battlegrounds For Nation's Deep Abortion Divide

8:48pm January 22, 2013

by Kathy Lohr

Forty years after the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion, a growing number of states are passing laws that restrict the procedure. The regulations, while not banning abortions outright, can make it difficult for a woman to obtain one.

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Carolyn Cline is the president and CEO of Involved for Life.

Involved For Life: Pregnancy Centers In Texas

4:12pm January 22, 2013

Carolyn Cline, the executive director and CEO of Involved for Life (IFL), a ministry partner of First Baptist Dallas, helps run a pregnancy center that discourages women from getting abortions and offers help during unplanned pregnancies.

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Menu for Lincoln's 2nd inaugural ball, March 6, 1865

An Inaugural Memory: President Lincoln's Food Fight

12:27pm January 22, 2013

by NPR Staff

The Smithsonian recently uncovered the menu from Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural ball, and it provides an interesting look at how different the celebrations were just 148 years ago.

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A group of volunteers is helping biologists see whether there are any martens left in the Olympic National Forest in Washington state.

To Catch A Marten: Seeking Clues In Olympic National Forest

9:01am January 22, 2013

by Ashley Ahearn

Scientists are worried about the elusive members of the weasel family that live in parts of Olympic National Forest in Washington state. To see whether martens are endangered, volunteers are installing remote camera traps to take photos of the animals.

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The Big Sandy Power Plant, 4 miles north of Louisa, is the biggest industry in Lawrence County. Local residents blame President Obama's environmental policies for the company's plans to close the plant in 2015.

National

In Kentucky's Coal Country, A Resentment For Obama

8:22pm January 21, 2013

by Noah Adams

If the voters in Louisa, Ky., had their wish, Mitt Romney would have taken the oath of office Monday. The local coal-fired power plant is due to close amid a push for cleaner-burning plants. Local residents blame Obama for the pending job losses.

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National

Inaugural Balls Downsized The Second Time Around

7:19pm January 21, 2013

The tradition of inaugural balls goes back to George Washington. In recent times, presidents have had multiple balls. Four years ago, President Obama attended ten. But in these days of austerity, there were only two balls. Allison Aubrey talks to Melissa Block.

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National

Gun Background Checks Need Fixes, Experts Say

5:13pm January 21, 2013

by Steve Henn

One of President Obama's gun control proposals appears to have widespread support — universal background checks for gun purchases. Some experts on mental health and gun violence find problems with the current laws, and they say the system doesn't do a very good job of predicting and preventing gun crime.

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A Look At Memorable Moments From Past Inaugurations

11:46am January 21, 2013

Stories of complications and quotations abound, from Nixon's second inauguration till today.

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