National

Wildfires Will Worsen, And Further Strain The Forest Service

11:13pm July 18, 2013

by Christopher Joyce

Over the past decade, fires in the American West have grown in intensity and size. "We're on a growth trajectory that is very scary," says one fire tracker. "And if we think it's expensive and dangerous now, we're just now seeing the very beginnings of how big this problem is going to be very soon."

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National

Where Are All Of Wyomings Escalators?

6:51pm July 18, 2013

There is a reported paucity of moving staircases in the Cowboy State. And that shortcoming has been posited as a argument for Wyoming to have fewer than its allotted pair of Senators. Audie Cornish and Melissa Block turn to the self-proclaimed escalator editor of the Casper Star-Tribune, Jeremy Fugleberg.

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Stephen Rakes as he arrived at the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Boston on June 12 for the first day of the "Whitey" Bulger's trial.

National

Man Who Hoped To Testify Against Whitey Bulger Is Found Dead

6:31pm July 18, 2013

by Mark Memmott

Stephen Rakes said the gangster forced him — at gunpoint — to sell a liquor store. The cause of Rakes' death isn't yet known. Authorities say there were "no obvious signs of trauma." Rakes, who said he could speak for those who fear Bulger, was told this week he would not be called to the stand.

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National

Carbon Tax Gaining Popularity, But Not With Lawmakers

6:31pm July 18, 2013

by Jennifer Ludden

The idea of taxing carbon emissions to curb climate change has been gaining surprisingly diverse and bipartisan support over the past year. Everywhere, that is, except Congress.

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National

Furloughs Cut Into Classtime At U.S. Military Bases

6:31pm July 18, 2013

by Ben Bradford

Civilian furloughs have begun at U.S. military installations worldwide. The mandatory days off without pay, prompted by the current round of budget cuts known as sequestration, are looming over Defense Department-run schools that serve the children of military families. For teachers at the nation's most populous Army base, Fort Bragg, cuts mean no new textbooks and a loss of school days.

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Lonnie Newburn says if he had to stress about extortion, he definitely wouldn't be opening a distillery in Southie.

National

South Boston Transformed In Whitey Bulger's Absence

6:31pm July 18, 2013

by Curt Nickisch

The neighborhood that reputed mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger is accused of terrorizing with murders and extortion is now a destination.

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National

A Trial Made For Prime Time

5:26pm July 18, 2013

The trial of George Zimmerman has not only made news; it has also made for must-see TV. These days, cameras inside the courtroom routinely make stars out judges, lawyers and witnesses. But is that a good thing? Host Jacki Lyden talks to the lead prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson trial, Marcia Clark, about cameras in the courtroom.

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National

Ex-FISA Court Judge Reflects: After 9/11, 'Bloodcurdling' Briefings

4:52pm July 18, 2013

by Carrie Johnson

Royce Lamberth, the retiring judge who led the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court from 1995 to 2002, says he has no regrets when he talks about that court's business. In his view, another attack, in some form or other, is inevitable.

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A watchtower rises above the maximum security complex at Pelican Bay State Prison near Crescent City, Calif.

National

Inmates Across California Join Hunger Strike Over Conditions

4:52pm July 18, 2013

by Doreen McCallister

Thousands of prisoners across the state are expressing solidarity with inmates being held in solitary confinement at Pelican Bay State Prison in Northern California.

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Stephen Balaban has re-engineered his Google Glass to allow for facial recognition.

National

Clever Hacks Give Google Glass Many Unintended Powers

8:55pm July 17, 2013

by Steve Henn

Whether it's facial recognition or snapping photos with a wink of an eye, hackers are proving it's possible to re-engineer Google Glass in a number of creative ways.

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