U.S.

'Stand Your Ground' Linked To Increase In Homicides

10:54am January 03, 2013

A controversial self-defense statute appears to produce more killings, according to a new study. Advocates for the law say it's working as designed. But researchers have different explanations about what might be happening.

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The day after their neighborhood was flooded, the Hardys returned to their house to start bagging up the garbage. The contents of the fridge were spread all over the kitchen floor and even outside. There were sausages in the street. The kitchen floor was

National

Superstorm Sandy Brings One Family Closer

8:26am January 03, 2013

by Marianne McCune

The Hardy family goes back generations in a tiny neighborhood called Gerritsen Beach in Brooklyn. For them, Superstorm Sandy has created an extended family reunion. Not only is their small, barely livable home bursting with family members — the storm brought an emotional change, as well.

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Pete Sampras returns a forehand against Russia's Marat Safin during an exhibition tennis match at the L.A. Tennis Open tournament in 2009. The tournament, which has been around for decades, is now relocating to Colombia as America's dominance in the sport

Game, Set And Match: U.S. Tennis Tournaments Move Abroad

7:16am January 03, 2013

by Ben Bergman

At its height, American tennis consistently fielded the world's top male players. Now that American dominance is gone, so too are many of the top U.S. men's tournaments. They're moving overseas, snapped up by groups offering more lucrative payouts in a sport enjoying huge global appeal.

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Visitors look at a Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet at the Singapore Airshow in 2010. The cost of the plane keeps on rising and is now $130 million or more per plane, depending on the model.

National

At $130 Million A Plane, Critics Question The Cost Of The F-35

7:51pm January 02, 2013

by Larry Abramson

The aircraft is intended to serve the Air Force, the Navy and the Marines for decades to come. But delays and cost overruns keep pushing up the price. Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer, says the cost will come down as production ramps up.

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The U.S. Navy version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter conducts a test flight on Feb. 11, 2011, over the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. The F-35 is the fighter jet of the future for the U.S. military, but its high cost and many delays have raised questions.

National

How Good Is The World's Most Expensive Fighter Jet?

3:34pm January 02, 2013

by Larry Abramson

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the newest fighter plane set to enter the U.S. arsenal. The versatile, high-tech jet is supposed to help three military branches modernize their aging fleet of aircraft. It's in the skies now, but is still dogged with technical problems and questions about its high price tag.

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Pete Stark, Health Policy Warrior, Leaves A Long Legacy

11:25am January 02, 2013

by Julie Rovner

The California congressman lost his seat this fall. Stark has been part of almost every piece of health legislation enacted while he was in office. The 113th Congress will be the first one in 40 years to convene without him as a member.

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A makeshift shrine to the victims of the school shooting in Newtown, Conn. Slate and a citizen journalist are trying to track gun deaths across the nation since that Dec. 14 mass shooting.

National

Tracking Gun-Related Deaths, One Tweet At A Time

8:36am January 02, 2013

by Mark Memmott

Slate and a citizen journalist are trying to report every gun-related death in the nation on a daily basis. There is no central clearinghouse for such information. The goal of the project, Slate says, is to provide key data for the post-Newtown debate over gun laws.

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The Rose Parade's Evolution Into A Cultural Event

2:35pm January 01, 2013

The Tournament of Roses Parade is an annual tradition for Pasadena, Calif., and television viewers around the country. But it's more than a pretty spectacle of floats bedecked in blooms, says Los Angeles Times columnist and special correspondent for KPCC Patt Morrison. In her latest column, she writes, "its huge cultural shadow has been as much about what you didn't see on display as what you did."

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Could Post-Superstorm Sandy Rebuilding Energize The Economy?

7:55pm December 31, 2012

by Joel Rose

Some economists predict that the reconstruction from the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy will produce a stimulus effect for the U.S. economy in 2013 — especially in construction and related industries. Others say the losses associated with a storm will outweigh any positive effects from the rebuilding.

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Europe Fails To Stimulate Growth In 2012

12:52pm December 31, 2012

by Jim Zarroli

Europe spent much of this year trying to hold its common currency pact together. Greece, Spain, Italy and other countries flirted with disaster as interest rates spiked, forcing the debtor nations to accept austerity programs. The turmoil was bad enough to push much of the eurozone into recession.

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