National

Americans Say Their Final Goodbye To President George H.W. Bush

5:35pm December 06, 2018

by Andrew Schneider

The last of the state funeral of former President George H.W. Bush took place Thursday in Texas. People had one final chance to say goodbye before he was laid to rest at his presidential library.

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Lawmakers Say A New Election Might Be Necessary For N.C. Congressional Race

5:35pm December 06, 2018

by Miles Parks

House Democrats are getting more vocal that they may not seat a North Carolina Republican whose election has been marred by suspected ballot fraud. A top GOP operative in the state says a new election may be necessary.

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Workers at an Amazon fulfillment center in Robbinsville, N.J., were sickened on Wednesday after an automated machine punctured a can of bear repellent. The warehouse is seen here in June.

Robot Punctures Can Of Bear Repellent At Amazon Warehouse, Sickening Workers

5:17pm December 06, 2018

by Laurel Wamsley

The can contained capsaicin – the chemical that makes chili peppers fiery. The incident comes amid scrutiny of conditions at the sprawling warehouses used to deliver goods at ever-faster speeds.

The Trump administration is revising conservation plans for the greater sage grouse, an imperiled Western bird, in seven U.S. states.

Trump Administration Aims to Boost Energy Production, Cut Protections for Sage Grouse

5:15pm December 06, 2018

by Nathan Rott

The Interior Department is moving forward on revisions to Obama-era conservation plans for the greater sage grouse. The changes would ease restrictions on energy development.

The Trump administration wants to ease an Obama-era rule that required coal plants to use expensive technology to control carbon emissions.

Trump's EPA Plans To Ease Carbon Emissions Rule For New Coal Plants

4:54pm December 06, 2018

by Jeff Brady

The Trump administration wants to reverse a rule that would have required new coal plants to have expensive technology to capture their carbon dioxide emissions.

Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly, is a mainstay of genetics and biology labs.

When And Where Fruit Flies First Bugged Humans

4:53pm December 06, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Drosophila melanogaster is a mainstay of genetics labs, but its wild origins have been mysterious. Scientists have now traced the pesky fly to a particular fruit — a human favorite 10,000 years ago.

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Satellite images reveal tunneling and other construction activity at two sites believed to house long-range missiles.

North Korea Seen Expanding Missile Base

4:53pm December 06, 2018

by Geoff Brumfiel

Satellite images reveal tunneling and other construction activity at two sites near the Chinese border that are believed to house long-range missiles that could in theory reach the United States.

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Then-Vice President George H.W. Bush meets with members of a commission set up in 1986 to probe the operations of the National Security Council staff in the wake of the Iran-Contra scandal. Pictured are former Secretary of State Edmund Muskie (from left),

National

George H.W. Bush's Mixed Legacy In A Reagan-Era Scandal

4:40pm December 06, 2018

by David Welna

As vice president, Bush was deeply knowledgeable about the Iran-Contra scandal, yet insisted he played "no operational role." As president, he pardoned some involved.

Informal Adviser To Trump On What The U.S. Hopes To Get From Trade Talks With China

4:24pm December 06, 2018

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Michael Pillsbury, director for Chinese strategy at the Hudson Institute and an informal adviser to President Trump, about the telecom giant Huawei and U.S.-China trade.

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Kathy Kraninger listens during a Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., in July. On Thursday, she won Senate confirmation to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Senate Confirms Kathy Kraninger As CFPB Director

3:32pm December 06, 2018

by Emily Sullivan

The White House official has been confirmed as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new chief over objections by critics who highlighted her lack of experience in consumer protection.