National

At East Bay School for Boys, sometimes the sparks of inspiration result in, well, actual sparks.

Lessons In Manhood: A Boys' School Turns Work Into Wonders

7:22pm July 27, 2014

by Eric Westervelt

At the East Bay School for Boys, teachers try to channel students' frenetic energy into resilience and creativity. They call shop class "work," and emphasize softer skills like empathy.

Queue Listen Now

National

Bel Kaufman Took Us 'Up The Down Staircase'

1:32pm July 26, 2014

by Scott Simon

Bel Kaufman was a public school teacher who revealed what the New York public schools were really like. She died Friday, in Manhattan, at the age of 103. NPR's Scott Simon has this remembrance.

Queue Listen Now

Conservative Rep. DesJarlais Faces Primary Challenge In Tennessee

11:40am July 26, 2014

by Blake Farmer

One of the most conservative members of Congress, U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, is defending his seat against state Sen. Jim Tracy, who is making the most of the incumbent's personal scandals.

Queue Listen Now

At Yume Wo Katare, eating ramen is treated as a path to personal fulfillment.

Can Finishing A Big Bowl Of Ramen Make Dreams Come True?

10:48am July 26, 2014

by Andrea Shea

At his ramen shop in Cambridge, Mass., chef Tsuyoshi Nishioka wants customers to follow their dreams. His philosophy? If you can finish a bowl of his ramen, you can accomplish anything in life.

Queue Listen Now

National

Oregon Proposes Ban On Smoking Along Its Coastline

8:14am July 25, 2014

Authorities want to cut down on cigarette butts in the sand, so they're moving to ban smoking on all 362 miles of the state's Pacific Coast. Repeat offenders could face a $110 fine.

Queue Listen Now

National

Death Penalty Expert On Why Lethal Injection Is So Problematic

8:14am July 25, 2014

In the wake of Arizona's botched execution, Steve Inskeep talks with Amherst professor Austin Sarat, author of the recent book Gruesome Spectacles: Botched Executions and America's Death Penalty.

Queue Listen Now

Volunteers such as this woman — who's with a group that calls itself "Las Patronas" — throw bags of food and water to migrants in Veracruz, Mexico, who are headed toward the U.S.-Mexico border.

Who Are The Kids Of The Migrant Crisis?

6:23pm July 24, 2014

by NPR staff

Many kids and teenagers leave Central America to avoid climbing levels of gang violence, extortion and drug trafficking. Sometimes, it's to find their families.

Queue Listen Now

Montana Senator Comes Under Fire For Plagiarism Allegations

6:22pm July 24, 2014

by Audie Cornish

Sen. John Walsh of Montana was appointed to his seat, and he's preparing to face voters for the first time. The Democrat's bid will be complicated by plagiarism allegations.

Queue Listen Now

A Strange Political Dustup Clouds Kansas Governor's Future

11:40am July 24, 2014

by Jim McLean

An open revolt among moderate Kansas Republicans has clouded Gov. Sam Brownback's re-election hopes and focused national attention on the tax-cutting experiment at the heart of his "red-state model."

Queue Listen Now

National

Ariz. Governor Orders Review After Execution Lasts 2 Hours

10:36pm July 23, 2014

Death row inmate Joseph Wood took nearly two hours to die by lethal injection. Robert Siegel speaks with reporter Tucson News Now reporter Mauricio Marin about the execution and related legal battles.

Queue Listen Now