U.S.

In The Minority, But Sticking To Party Lines

6:37pm December 22, 2012

House Speaker John Boehner sent his colleagues home for the holidays after failing to pass a proposed solution to the year-end tax hikes that he called "Plan B." Host Guy Raz speaks with James Fallows of The Atlantic about Boehner's status as a leader within the GOP. They also discuss the defiant tone of the NRA press conference Friday.

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U.S. Sen. John Kerry (left), who was nominated Friday to be secretary of state, is shown shaking hands with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani during a trip to Pakistan last year.

National

John Kerry Already A Familiar Face To World Leaders

9:21pm December 21, 2012

by Michele Kelemen

The Massachusetts senator has already carried out sensitive diplomatic efforts on behalf of President Obama, with a strong focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan in recent years.

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A person's DNA can say a lot about a person, but not why someone has committed a horrific crime like mass murder.

Killer's DNA Won't Explain His Crime

9:21pm December 21, 2012

by Jon Hamilton

Sandy Hook and other mass killings have left people wondering how someone could engage in such behavior. Scientists say that genes can indeed predispose a person to mental illness or violence. But genetic variants alone can't explain why someone commits mass murder.

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Each FEMA-registered family with kids can pick out toys at the volunteer-run Staten Island store.

National

Free Toy Shop Brings Cheer To Sandy's Displaced Families

9:21pm December 21, 2012

by Margot Adler

Many Staten Island residents are still not back in their homes since Sandy washed ashore. Local volunteers have opened a toy store where FEMA-registered families with children can pick up donated toys, holiday decorations and stocking stuffers. Thus far, the shop has given away more than 2,000 toys.

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Plug Pulled On 'Plan B,' House Breaks For Christmas

11:16am December 21, 2012

by Tamara Keith

House Speaker John Boehner was dealt a major defeat Thursday night. After spending most of the week trying to round up votes for his "Plan B" to extend tax cuts for virtually everyone, he pulled the measure without a vote. The clock keeps ticking toward the end of the year, when automatic tax increases and spending cuts are set to hit.

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National

A Moment Of Silence To Remember Newtown Victims

11:16am December 21, 2012

Connecticut officials and residents and others across the nation on Friday observed a moment of silence and the ringing of bells to remember the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown.

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Sen. Kerry Gets Obama's Nod For Secretary Of State

11:16am December 21, 2012

President Obama is expected Friday to nominate Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., as his next secretary of state. Kerry would replace Hillary Clinton, who's planning to leave the post after four years as the president's globetrotting emissary.

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In this photo illustration, a Rock River Arms AR-15 rifle is seen with ammunition.

Financial Ties Bind NRA, Gun Industry

10:51am December 21, 2012

by Peter Overby

NRA leaders say that when they break their silence on the Sandy Hook shootings Friday, they will be speaking for the group's 4 million members. But they will also be speaking for the gun industry, which has close financial links to the association.

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A Sig Sauer handgun on sale at a shop in Tucker, Ga.

National

Gun Control: 'Only Modest Change' In Opinion Since Newtown Shootings

9:25am December 21, 2012

by Mark Memmott

The latest Pew poll shows a slight upward shift in the percentage of Americans who say it's more important to control gun ownership than it is to protect the right to own guns. But deeply felt feelings appear to be limiting the change.

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Food companies have begun quietly reducing salt in regular foods because low-salt items like these don't sell as well.

Big Food And The Big, Silent Salt Experiment

10:18pm December 20, 2012

by Dan Charles

Food manufacturers have been quietly reducing sodium by tiny amounts in popular foods like crackers for years now. That's because if products are marked "low sodium," consumers won't buy them. But companies are also working on ways to deliver more salt taste with less sodium.

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