U.S. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1003&ft=1&f=1003 NPR coverage of national news, U.S. politics, elections, business, arts, culture, health and science, and technology. Subscribe to the NPR Nation RSS feed. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:51:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif U.S. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1003&ft=1&f=1003 Snowden Reportedly In 'Informal' Asylum Talks With Iceland After initial reports that an asylum-seeker would have to be in Iceland for their application to be considered, the AP says Edward Snowden is in "informal talks" with Iceland about applying for asylum. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:51:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/06/19/193579541/snowden-reportedly-in-informal-asylum-talks-with-iceland?ft=1&f=1003 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/06/19/193579541/snowden-reportedly-in-informal-asylum-talks-with-iceland?ft=1&f=1003 After initial reports that an asylum-seeker would have to be in Iceland for their application to be considered, the AP says Edward Snowden is in "informal talks" with Iceland about applying for asylum.

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]]> Infections From Contaminated Injections Can Lurk Undetected Some people exposed to tainted steroid injections in last year's meningitis outbreak had slow-moving spinal infections that escaped detection until they had MRI scans. Many of the people didn't have symptoms, or thought the pain was due to their longstanding back problems. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:36:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/19/193520044/infections-from-contaminated-injections-can-lurk-undetected?ft=1&f=1003 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/19/193520044/infections-from-contaminated-injections-can-lurk-undetected?ft=1&f=1003 Some people exposed to tainted steroid injections in last year's meningitis outbreak had slow-moving spinal infections that escaped detection until they had MRI scans. Many of the people didn't have symptoms, or thought the pain was due to their longstanding back problems.

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]]> Nina Totenberg Answers Your Supreme Court Questions Want to know how the justices decide who writes the big opinions? Or when they decide to release them to the public? What about whether the justices hang out after work? Get your answers here. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:50:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/06/19/193099259/nina-totenberg-answers-your-supreme-court-questions?ft=1&f=1003 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/06/19/193099259/nina-totenberg-answers-your-supreme-court-questions?ft=1&f=1003 Want to know how the justices decide who writes the big opinions? Or when they decide to release them to the public? What about whether the justices hang out after work? Get your answers here.

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]]> A Dry Reservation Clashes With Its Liquor Store Neighbors A conflict over alcohol is escalating in the tiny town of Whiteclay, Neb., which sells millions of cans of beer annually to residents of the nearby Pine Ridge Reservation. While protesters are trying to block beer deliveries to the town, some tribal leaders are considering legalizing alcohol at Pine Ridge. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:44:47 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/190365290/a-dry-reservation-clashes-with-its-liquor-store-neighbors?ft=1&f=1003 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/190365290/a-dry-reservation-clashes-with-its-liquor-store-neighbors?ft=1&f=1003 A conflict over alcohol is escalating in the tiny town of Whiteclay, Neb., which sells millions of cans of beer annually to residents of the nearby Pine Ridge Reservation. While protesters are trying to block beer deliveries to the town, some tribal leaders are considering legalizing alcohol at Pine Ridge.

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]]> To Rebuild NYC's Beaches, A Native Plant Savings And Loan Last fall, Heather Liljengren was collecting the seeds of New York's native dune grasses. Within days, Hurricane Sandy wiped out the Rockaways' dunes and all their flora. Now, those seeds are growing plants likely to be used to restore the dunes and other natural environments around New York City. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:33:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/192800039/to-rebuild-nycs-beaches-a-native-plant-savings-and-loan?ft=1&f=1003 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/192800039/to-rebuild-nycs-beaches-a-native-plant-savings-and-loan?ft=1&f=1003 Last fall, Heather Liljengren was collecting the seeds of New York's native dune grasses. Within days, Hurricane Sandy wiped out the Rockaways' dunes and all their flora. Now, those seeds are growing plants likely to be used to restore the dunes and other natural environments around New York City.

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]]> After A Marine's Suicide, A Family Recalls Missed Red Flags When Nicholas Rodriguez returned from Afghanistan in 2010, his mother and stepfather had never heard of post-traumatic stress disorder. It was only after Nick killed himself that they learned the warning signs and realized he needed help dealing with his combat experience. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:46:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/191599800/after-a-marines-suicide-a-family-recalls-missed-red-flags?ft=1&f=1003 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/191599800/after-a-marines-suicide-a-family-recalls-missed-red-flags?ft=1&f=1003 When Nicholas Rodriguez returned from Afghanistan in 2010, his mother and stepfather had never heard of post-traumatic stress disorder. It was only after Nick killed himself that they learned the warning signs and realized he needed help dealing with his combat experience.

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]]> Vaccine Against HPV Has Cut Infections In Teenage Girls A vaccine against a virus that causes cervical cancer has cut infections among teenage girls by over half in the first four years of use, scientists report. Only about one-third of girls in that age group have received the recommended shots. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:10:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/19/193478716/vaccine-against-hpv-has-cut-infections-in-teenage-girls?ft=1&f=1003 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/19/193478716/vaccine-against-hpv-has-cut-infections-in-teenage-girls?ft=1&f=1003 A vaccine against a virus that causes cervical cancer has cut infections among teenage girls by over half in the first four years of use, scientists report. Only about one-third of girls in that age group have received the recommended shots.

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]]> Obama Evokes Cold War In Speech At Berlin's Brandenburg Gate Against a backdrop that evoked the Cold War, President Obama renewed his push to reduce the world's nuclear stockpiles on Wednesday. Obama delivered an address outside the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. He also meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=193576460&ft=1&f=1003 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=193576460&ft=1&f=1003 Against a backdrop that evoked the Cold War, President Obama renewed his push to reduce the world's nuclear stockpiles on Wednesday. Obama delivered an address outside the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. He also meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

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]]> Democratic Bill Would Limit Government's Digital Surveillance Robert Siegel talks to Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) about the legislation he is co-sponsoring with Sen. Ron Wyden, to limit the federal government's ability to collect data on Americans without links to terrorism or espionage. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/193576462/democratic-bill-would-limit-governments-digital-surveillance?ft=1&f=1003 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/193576462/democratic-bill-would-limit-governments-digital-surveillance?ft=1&f=1003 Robert Siegel talks to Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) about the legislation he is co-sponsoring with Sen. Ron Wyden, to limit the federal government's ability to collect data on Americans without links to terrorism or espionage.

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]]> Federal Reserve To Continue Bond-Buying Program Federal Reserve policymakers say the economy is doing slightly better than it was last fall, but the Fed's $85 billion per month stimulus program will continue for the time being. Speaking at news conference in Washington, D.C., Chairman Ben Bernanke indicated the Fed might begin tapering the stimulus program later this year. The Fed repeated earlier statements that it would hold short-term interest rates near zero until the jobless rate reaches 6.5 percent as long as inflation remains in check. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=193576466&ft=1&f=1003 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=193576466&ft=1&f=1003 Federal Reserve policymakers say the economy is doing slightly better than it was last fall, but the Fed's $85 billion per month stimulus program will continue for the time being. Speaking at news conference in Washington, D.C., Chairman Ben Bernanke indicated the Fed might begin tapering the stimulus program later this year. The Fed repeated earlier statements that it would hold short-term interest rates near zero until the jobless rate reaches 6.5 percent as long as inflation remains in check.

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]]> Detroit Labor Groups Butt Heads With Bondholders Over City's Debt Detroit's state-appointed emergency manager says the city is bankrupt and the fight over who will get what is heating up. In the next month, Kevyn Orr will try to wring concessions out of the city's creditors before he decides whether to take the whole mess to bankruptcy court. Orr's plan proposes "shared sacrifice among all creditor groups." But in reality, that pits the city's retirees against its bondholders — and bondholders against each other. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=193576468&ft=1&f=1003 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=193576468&ft=1&f=1003 Detroit's state-appointed emergency manager says the city is bankrupt and the fight over who will get what is heating up. In the next month, Kevyn Orr will try to wring concessions out of the city's creditors before he decides whether to take the whole mess to bankruptcy court. Orr's plan proposes "shared sacrifice among all creditor groups." But in reality, that pits the city's retirees against its bondholders — and bondholders against each other.

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]]> Russia And China Dinged In U.S. Human Trafficking Report The State Department issued its annual report on Human Trafficking on Wednesday and some key countries, including Russia and China, are getting downgraded. The report says that more countries were downgraded than upgraded this year and that's because of corruption and the lack of political will to confront entrenched forced labor interests, including shrimping in Thailand, palm oil in Malaysia and construction in Russia, which will be hosting the Olympics in 2014. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=193576474&ft=1&f=1003 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=193576474&ft=1&f=1003 The State Department issued its annual report on Human Trafficking on Wednesday and some key countries, including Russia and China, are getting downgraded. The report says that more countries were downgraded than upgraded this year and that's because of corruption and the lack of political will to confront entrenched forced labor interests, including shrimping in Thailand, palm oil in Malaysia and construction in Russia, which will be hosting the Olympics in 2014.

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]]> Amid Violence, Chicagoan Fights For Right To Bear Arms He's a hero to the National Rifle Association for fighting to overturn Chicago's ban on handguns and now he wants to be among the first in Chicago to carry a concealed weapons. 79-year-old Chicagoan Otis McDonald took on city hall and won, big time, in his own personal fight for his right to bear arms — his way of trying to reduce the gun violence that plagues his and other neighborhoods in Chicago, even though many of his neighbors aren't thrilled about McDonald's Second Amendment activism. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/193576476/amid-violence-chicagoan-fights-for-right-to-bear-arms?ft=1&f=1003 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/193576476/amid-violence-chicagoan-fights-for-right-to-bear-arms?ft=1&f=1003 He's a hero to the National Rifle Association for fighting to overturn Chicago's ban on handguns and now he wants to be among the first in Chicago to carry a concealed weapons. 79-year-old Chicagoan Otis McDonald took on city hall and won, big time, in his own personal fight for his right to bear arms — his way of trying to reduce the gun violence that plagues his and other neighborhoods in Chicago, even though many of his neighbors aren't thrilled about McDonald's Second Amendment activism.

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]]> Wanna Be A Rock Star? NASA Needs Help Tracking Asteroids The White House and NASA want the public's help in hunting for asteroids that could potentially smash into Earth. They're also looking for a perfect space rock to capture so that astronauts could go there and study it. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:58:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/06/19/193263299/wanna-be-a-rock-star-nasa-needs-help-tracking-asteroids?ft=1&f=1003 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/06/19/193263299/wanna-be-a-rock-star-nasa-needs-help-tracking-asteroids?ft=1&f=1003 The White House and NASA want the public's help in hunting for asteroids that could potentially smash into Earth. They're also looking for a perfect space rock to capture so that astronauts could go there and study it.

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]]> Fed Leaves Interest Rates And Bond Purchase Plan Untouched The Federal Reserve will continue its program of purchasing $85 billion in securities and will leave the target interest rate for federal funds untouched to support the U.S. economy, the U.S. central bank said in a policy update issued Wednesday afternoon. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:29:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/06/19/193536940/fed-leaves-interest-rates-and-bond-purchase-plan-untouched?ft=1&f=1003 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/06/19/193536940/fed-leaves-interest-rates-and-bond-purchase-plan-untouched?ft=1&f=1003 The Federal Reserve will continue its program of purchasing $85 billion in securities and will leave the target interest rate for federal funds untouched to support the U.S. economy, the U.S. central bank said in a policy update issued Wednesday afternoon.

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