Accessibility links
U.S. News and National Top Stories NPR coverage of national news, U.S. politics, elections, business, arts, culture, health and science, and technology. Subscribe to the NPR Nation RSS feed.

National

Sunday

The Sounds of American Culture

NYC Mayor LaGuardia's Legendary Radio Readings

The year is 1945. The world is at war, and New York City's newspaper delivery men are on strike. Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia solves the problem. Independent producer Ben Manilla shares the story behind LaGuardia's legendary radio readings of comic strips like Little Orphan Annie.

NYC Mayor LaGuardia's Legendary Radio Readings

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97621982/97621965" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Health Care

Mass. Health Care Reform Reveals Doctor Shortage

Health care reform in Massachusetts has led to a dramatic increase in the number of people with health insurance. But there's an unintended consequence. A sudden demand for primary care doctors has outpaced the supply.

Mass. Health Care Reform Reveals Doctor Shortage

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97620520/97621963" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Hurricane Ike's Scars Remain

Two months ago, Galveston resident Merri Edwards was weathering the storm at a Fairfield Inn outside Houston, Texas, after evacuating her home. She moved from Houston to Austin, then back again to Galveston to assess the damage in the place she has called home for 20 years.

Hurricane Ike's Scars Remain

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97616636/97616615" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Saturday

World

Pakistan Denies Role In Mumbai Attacks

The bloody 60-hour seige ended when commandos stormed the Taj Mahal Hotel and killed the remaining gunmen. The sole surviving gunman, now in custody, is from Pakistan, adding to suspicions that India's neighbor was involved in the attacks.

Philip Reeves Reports On 'Weekend All Things Considered'

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97607760/97608422" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Reporter Stars In His Own Story

Journalists are supposed to make sure they don't interfere with the news they are covering. But sometimes, no matter what you do, your mere presence brings everything to a screeching halt.

Reporter Stars In His Own Story

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97602349/97602322" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Economy

Lean Times For Food Banks

Food banks across the country are especially stressed this holiday season, with demands for services up and donations down. At the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C., they're struggling to keep up with the calls.

Lean Times For Food Banks

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97602369/97602329" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Politics

End In Sight For Ga., Minn. Elections

For those who thought this week's holiday was to give thanks to the fact that the elections are over, think again. Minnesota's still counting votes, and Georgia's headed back to the polls.

End In Sight For Ga., Minn. Elections

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97602343/97602320" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Economy

Charities Struggle Just When Needed Most

The downturn in the economy is hitting some charities — which rely on donors — hard. A charity for battered women and homeless families, based in Arlington, Va., counted among its donors the who's who of the Wall Street meltdown.

Charities Struggle Just When Needed Most

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97602364/97602328" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Writing On The Walls Of The Nation's Library

The Library of Congress is a cathedral to the written word. The white marble building may hold the nation's collection of books, but those aren't the only words in the building worth reading.

Writing On The Walls Of The Nation's Library

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96049292/97608429" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Hearing Voices

The Crossdressing Family Man Down The Block

For a time, the Nadeau family had secret: the husband had a tendency to wear women's clothes. Then Doug Nadeau got sick — and after surgery, he became less inhibited, and became more public in his crossdressing. We learn how his wife came to understand his habits.

The Crossdressing Family Man Down The Block

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97591676/97591654" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Vigil For American Rabbi Killed In Mumbai

Among the Americans killed in the Mumbai terrorist attacks was an ultra-orthodox rabbi and his Israeli wife. Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg was found dead after Indian commandos stormed a Jewish community center in the city. The center was one of 10 targets attacked on Wednesday.

David Folkenflik: Vigil For Rabbi, Wife

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97591664/97591651" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Your Money

New York's Abercrombie Bucks The Retail Blues

America may be in a recession — but you wouldn't know it from the lines of customers — often more than 200 people deep — around the Abercrombie & Fitch store on New York's Fifth Avenue. People line up every morning before the store open. Who are these people? Why are they there? What are they buying and why?

New York's Abercrombie Bucks The Retail Blues

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97591694/97591659" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Economy

A Push To Get In The Black On Black Friday

The Friday after Thanksgiving is the traditional start of the holiday season, with retailers offering sale items to lure shoppers into stores. This year the economic downturn has retailers very worried and they are going all out to get people to open their pocketbooks.

A Push To Get In The Black On Black Friday

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97591661/97591650" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Environment

Beating Washers Into Wind Turbines In Iowa

Many people know Iowa for its corn. But for decades it was a major source of household appliances, as industry giants like Amana, Maytag and others supplied much of Americans' demand. Most of the factories are closed now, and the losses hit the state hard. But Iowa has since taken the lead in the emerging field of wind energy.

Beating Washers Into Wind Turbines In Iowa

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97591683/97591656" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Your Money

For Store Clerks, Black Friday Is A Source Of Tales

Jeff shares some of his memorable Black Friday retail stories with Michele and talks about his new book, The Customer is Always Wrong: The Retail Chronicles. He joins us from KWGS in Tulsa, Okla.

For Store Clerks, Black Friday Is A Source Of Tales

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97591689/97591658" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript