National

In rural North Dakota, where Melanie Hoffert grew up on her family farm, discussing subjects like homosexuality and same-sex marriage is often considered taboo.

National

A North Dakota Family Breaks The Silence On Gay Marriage

12:17pm April 18, 2015

by David Greene

Author Melanie Hoffert grew up gay in rural America, where coming out was difficult. But that hasn't stopped her family from having a frank and challenging conversation about same-sex marriage.

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How Almonds Became A Scapegoat For California's Drought

12:17pm April 18, 2015

by Richard Gonzales

The relentless drought has turned almonds into a target for water conservationists who bemoan that it takes one gallon of water to grow one almond. Growers say the bad rap is unfair and misleading.

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Voters in Los Angeles County, Calif., cast their ballots in 2012.

Vulnerable Voting Machine Raises Questions About Election Security

12:17pm April 18, 2015

by Pam Fessler

Virginia found 1-in-5 of its touchscreen machines vulnerable to attack with passwords as easy as "abcde." As voting equipment ages, new concerns are being raised.

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A bio-filtration basin, pictured during installation in 2007, captures water runoff from the Pelican Hill golf club's maintenance facility. The water is filtered through grass, gravel, sand, soil and filter fabric into an underground drainage system.

In Record Drought, California Golf Course Ethically Keeps Greens Green

12:17pm April 18, 2015

by Sonari Glinton

Golf courses are water hogs, and that thirst is especially notable as California's drought grows in severity. At Pelican Hill, a top golf course near Los Angeles, water conservation is an obsession.

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National

20 Years Later, Oklahoma City Bombing Victims Fight Stigmas

10:59am April 18, 2015

by Kate Carlton Greer

Twenty years after the Oklahoma City bombing, nearly one in four survivors has markers for PTSD. Counselors are still opening up new cases for first responders as a result of the bombing.

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Why Water Markets Might Work In California

10:59am April 18, 2015

When Australia suffered a drought in the 2000s, it set up markets to trade water rights. NPR's Linda Wertheimer asks McKenzie Funk whether water markets could help California.

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"We need to fix our dysfunctional political system and get unaccounted money out of it, once and for all, even if that takes a constitutional amendment," Hillary Clinton said at Kirkwood Community College in Iowa Tuesday.

Hillary Clinton Supports Amendment To Get Hidden Money Out Of Politics

12:27am April 18, 2015

by Peter Overby

Clinton called campaign finance reform one of the "four big fights" of her campaign. But does this idea of a constitutional amendment to restrict or eliminate big money stand a chance?

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Lawmakers Approve Bill To Help Finalize Asia-Pacific Trade Deal

10:05pm April 17, 2015

by Scott Horsley

Senate negotiators move forward on legislation that would give President Obama the authority to negotiate a sweeping trade accord. That deal, however, will align Obama with Republicans and pit him against Democrats.

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NBA Players Union Head Michele Roberts Says No Lockout Expected

10:05pm April 17, 2015

NPR's Audie Cornish interviews Michele Roberts who is the first woman to head a major North American professional sports union — the National Basketball Players Association.

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Dr. Raj Mangrulkar and medical student Jesse Burk-Rafel at the University of Michigan Medical School. Good communication skills, teamwork and adaptability will help doctors thrive through swift changes in medical science, Mangrulkar says.

Medical Schools Reboot For 21st Century

8:27pm April 17, 2015

by Julie Rovner

Medicine has changed a lot in the past 100 years. But medical training has stayed much the same. Many schools are now retooling — focusing on teamwork — to train a different kind of doctor.

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