National

Each January, anti-abortion protesters mark the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling with the March for Life in Washington, D.C. Attendance often reaches into the thousands, such as during the 25th anniversary march pictured here. The 40th March for Life

'Roe V. Wade' Turns 40, But Abortion Debate Is Even Older

3:57pm January 23, 2013

by Julie Rovner

Abortion foes say the U.S. Supreme Court's aggressive decision set the issue on the path toward becoming intractable. Others say factors besides the landmark case — including doctors, lawyers, President Nixon and the Catholic Church — more strongly influenced the state of today's debate.

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'We Have No Choice': A Story Of The Texas Sonogram Law

9:19am January 23, 2013

Journalist Carolyn Jones wrote about her experience with the law for The Texas Observer after having an abortion last year. The state requires that a woman seeking an abortion receive a sonogram at least 24 hours before the procedure.

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Obama's Promise To Close Guantanamo Prison Falls Short

8:13am January 23, 2013

by Jackie Northam

In January 2009, the president signed an executive order to close the U.S. prison camp. But four years later, the prison remains open, and critics say the president miscalculated how difficult it would be to close the facility that houses terrorism suspects.

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National

Gen. John Allen Cleared In Email Probe

8:13am January 23, 2013

A Pentagon investigation has cleared General John Allen, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. The Pentagon had been looking into whether the general's email correspondence with a Florida socialite was inappropriate and violated military rules. Allen's nomination to become the top commander of NATO is still on hold, however.

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Patient William Wishart, age 4 months, looks on as Dr. Melanie Walker uses a portable computer to enter information from his exam into an electronic medical records system, in North Raleigh, N.C., in November.

Growing Pains As Doctors' Offices Adopt Electronic Records

8:48pm January 22, 2013

by Eric Whitney

Millions of dollars have been spent to digitize medical records. But doctors are only slowly adopting the the new systems, and many systems won't talk to each other. Some now wonder when the promised benefits in care and cost savings will arrive.

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"We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations," President Obama said Monday during his second inaugural address.

In Second Inaugural, Obama Makes Climate A Priority

8:48pm January 22, 2013

by Elizabeth Shogren

President Obama pulled out a surprise in his inaugural address. After barely mentioning climate change in his campaign, he put it on his short list of priorities for his second term. Experts believe he'll use the EPA to ramp up efforts to reduce greenhouse gases from power plants.

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The U.S. Capitol at sunrise on Monday, before President Obama's second inauguration. While the president raised big issues in his inaugural address — climate change, gay rights, immigration, the shooting of schoolchildren — none of them appear to top

President's New Term Doesn't Mean New Day In Congress

8:48pm January 22, 2013

by David Welna

While President Obama raised big issues in his inaugural address — climate change, gay rights, immigration, the shooting of schoolchildren — Congress eased back into session Tuesday with other priorities, fighting many of the battles left over from last year.

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States Become Battlegrounds For Nation's Deep Abortion Divide

8:48pm January 22, 2013

by Kathy Lohr

Forty years after the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion, a growing number of states are passing laws that restrict the procedure. The regulations, while not banning abortions outright, can make it difficult for a woman to obtain one.

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Carolyn Cline is the president and CEO of Involved for Life.

Involved For Life: Pregnancy Centers In Texas

4:12pm January 22, 2013

Carolyn Cline, the executive director and CEO of Involved for Life (IFL), a ministry partner of First Baptist Dallas, helps run a pregnancy center that discourages women from getting abortions and offers help during unplanned pregnancies.

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Menu for Lincoln's 2nd inaugural ball, March 6, 1865

An Inaugural Memory: President Lincoln's Food Fight

12:27pm January 22, 2013

by NPR Staff

The Smithsonian recently uncovered the menu from Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural ball, and it provides an interesting look at how different the celebrations were just 148 years ago.

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