U.S.

National

Unemployment Falls To Lowest Rate In Four Years

11:50pm December 07, 2012

by Jim Zarroli

The stock market moved higher Friday on a jobs report that came in stronger than expected. Employers added 146,000 jobs to payrolls in November and the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent.

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Supreme Court Takes Up Same-Sex-Marriage Cases

11:50pm December 07, 2012

by Nina Totenberg

The U.S. Supreme Court announced Friday that for the first time it will tackle the issue of same-sex marriage. Defying most expectations, the justices said they will examine two cases, presenting the possibility that the court could decide all the basic issues surrounding gay marriage in one fell swoop.

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'Escape Fire' Exposes Flaws Of American Healthcare

1:03pm December 07, 2012

In Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare", director Matthew Heineman exposes what he sees as flaws in the U.S. healthcare system, such as a doctor who can spend just minutes with her patients to a soldier addicted to painkillers. Colonel Chester 'Trip' Buckenmaier III, of the U.S. Army Medical Corps, describes the military's efforts to swap pain pills for alternative therapies, like acupuncture and yoga.

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Tea Party May Be Losing Steam, But Issues Still Boil

9:56am December 07, 2012

by Don Gonyea

While the movement loses popularity nationwide, it's still a force in the GOP. When it comes to fiscal cliff negotiations, however, Tea Party members in Congress seem resigned to the fact that any eventual deal will be one they won't like. That doesn't mean the Tea Party spirit can't be recharged.

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Camden City Police Chief Scott Thomson says he has shooting investigations "backlogging like burglary cases." Half of his force was laid off last year, and the city says expensive benefits in the police union contract are preventing them from hiring more

Crime-Ridden Camden To Dump City Police Force

7:54pm December 06, 2012

by Ailsa Chang

Already this year, the New Jersey city has surpassed its previous record for murders. But despite the high crime rate, the city is laying off its police force. City officials, who say the unionized police force has too many perks, are now turning to the county to provide a larger and cheaper force. Critics say the move is a strategy to bust the union.

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Spelman College has dropped NCAA athletics in favor of a comprehensive fitness program. The school now offers classes like Zumba to help encourage all students to exercise more.

To Trim Down, Spelman Trades Sports For Fitness

6:40pm December 06, 2012

by Kathy Lohr

Officials at Spelman College, a historically black women's college in Atlanta, have decided to scrap the school's NCAA program. With few students participating in organized sports, the college has decided to devote those funds to a fitness program designed to reach the entire student body.

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House Speaker John Boehner appears at a news conference after a House Republican conference meeting Wednesday on Capitol Hill.

Boehner Faces Conservative Backlash Over 'Fiscal Cliff' Talks

6:40pm December 06, 2012

by Tamara Keith

As House Speaker John Boehner tries to work with President Obama to prevent automatic tax increases and spending cuts, he is taking heat from members of his own party. Some conservatives think he gave up too much, too soon in his opening offer.

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National

Mich. Approves 'Right To Work' Bill As Dems Walk Out

6:40pm December 06, 2012

Michigan's state house has voted to approve a "right-to-work" bill that would weaken the power of labor unions. Democrats walked out in protest. Audie Cornish talks to Rick Pluta of Michigan Public Radio.

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Atlantic City's boardwalk, with its shops, restaurants, casinos and hotels, was mostly protected during Hurricane Sandy by a dune restoration project. But TV images of one small section that was damaged gave the impression that the whole thing was destroy

National

Post-Sandy: Atlantic City Wants Its Tourists Back

4:24pm December 06, 2012

by David Schaper

A month after Hurricane Sandy pounded the New Jersey Shore, Atlantic City is back in business. Even though most of the casinos, restaurants and the famous boardwalk sustained very little damage in the storm, they're now suffering from a lack of visitors.

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French President Francois Hollande (left) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel take part in a bilateral meeting at the EU headquarters in Brussels on Nov. 22 as part of a European budget summit.

What Should The U.S. Learn From Europe's Woes?

4:21pm December 06, 2012

by Tom Gjelten

As President Obama and lawmakers try to find a formula for spending cuts and tax increases, they might look across the Atlantic for insights from those who have been wrestling with budget problems. The first lesson from Europe's "fiscal consolidation" experiences: It will hurt.

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