NPR Topics: News
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Ex-Official Takes Blame For Arlington Graves Mix-Up
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:07:00 -0400 - The man who ran the famous military cemetery for 19 years before being forced out over the scandal tells a Senate panel that he accepts "full responsibility." Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill said at the hearing that as many as 6,600 graves could be unmarked or mislabeled because managers didn't do their job properly.  Click for more...

Atul Gawande: Make The End Of Life More Humane
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:30:00 -0400 - Technology can prolong the lives of the terminally ill -- but at what cost? Surgeon and New Yorker writer Atul Gawande examines the difficulties for medical professionals and families who must decide when to stop medical intervention and focus on improving a patient's last days.  Click for more...

Commanders Have Ignored Major Mental Health Issues, Army Report Concludes
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:50:00 -0400 - Defense officials say commanders on the ground don't have the training to make suicide prevention a priority — or to recognize the signs of a soldier on the brink.  Click for more...

Mortgage Rates Hit Another Low: 4.54 Percent
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:22:00 -0400 - Mortgage rates dropped to the lowest level on record for the fifth time in six weeks, making homebuying and refinancing the most attractive in decades for those who can get loans. Freddie Mac says the average rate for 30-year fixed loans this week was 4.54 percent, down from 4.56 last week. That's the lowest since Freddie Mac began tracking rates in 1971.  Click for more...

Rangel Case Poised To Go To Ethics Panel
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:22:00 -0400 - Barring a last-minute deal, an eight-member House panel will hear the details of the ethics charges filed against the powerful New York Democrat and former head of the House Ways And Means Committee.  Click for more...

New Weekly Jobless Claims Decline To 457,000
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:31:00 -0400 - Initial claims for unemployment benefits fell last week for the third time in four weeks but remain elevated. The Labor Department says first-time claims for unemployment insurance dropped by 11,000 to a seasonally adjusted 457,000. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected a smaller drop.  Click for more...

Four Airmen Killed In Plane Crash At Alaska Base
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:30:00 -0400 - The military cargo plane went down during a training run at Elmendorf Air Force Base near downtown Anchorage, officials said. Witnesses said the crash sent a fireball rising hundreds of feet over the base.  Click for more...

Well-Heeled Newcomers Take Leads In Florida
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:08:00 -0400 - In Senate and gubernatorial races, wealthy contenders have edges in latest poll. The primaries are Aug. 24.  Click for more...

2nd Missing Sailor's Body Found In Afghanistan
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:39:00 -0400 - A senior U.S. military official and Afghan officials say the body of Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Jarod Newlove was found by villagers Wednesday. His colleague, Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin McNeley, was found Sunday. The two went missing in a dangerous part of eastern Afghanistan on Friday.  Click for more...

What To Do With The Electoral College?
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:02:00 -0400 - The Massachusetts state legislature has passed a bill that would change the way presidents are elected.  It would leave the current Electoral College system and award its votes to the winner of the national popular vote.  Click for more...

Amazon Launches Sleeker Kindle
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:52:00 -0400 - A vice president at Amazon says the new e-reader, which will become available at the end of August, fits in a coat pocket or a relatively small purse.  Click for more...

Secret Jails Used To Enforce China's 'Hidden Rules'
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:01:00 -0400 - On the surface, they appear to be simply farmyards, hotels or guesthouses run by provincial governments. In fact, they are part of a network of extrajudicial detention centers known as "black jails," where local governments hold people who come to Beijing to complain about abuses.  Click for more...

Arizona Girds For Long Legal Fight Over Immigration
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:35:00 -0400 - Gov. Jan Brewer says her state will ask the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday to let all of its controversial immigration law take effect, a day after a federal judge in Phoenix blocked key parts of the measure.  Click for more...

Feds Peel Back Chrome On Motorcycle Gangs
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:31:00 -0400 - Federal investigators are working to infiltrate the closed societies of biker gangs and bring criminal cases against their leaders. Last month, agents arrested more than two dozen members of the Outlaws motorcycle club, charging them with weapons and racketeering offenses.  Click for more...

Outlook Dims For Popular Energy-Efficiency Loans
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:01:00 -0400 - A White House-backed program to allow property owners to pay for energy-efficiency improvements through property tax assessments may be shut down. The federal agency that oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac says the program poses a risk to mortgage lenders.  Click for more...