National

Restoring Diplomatic Relations With Cuba Is A Complicated Process

7:37pm December 19, 2014

Melissa Block talks to Roberta Jacobson, assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, about the first steps toward restoring diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

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Exchange Of Spies Was Critical To U.S.-Cuba Deal

7:18pm December 19, 2014

by Dina Temple-Raston

Part of the deal for the return of American Alan Gross from Cuba involved the release of a Cuban man who had served as a spy for the U.S. He's said to have provided info about Cuban spies in the U.S.

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Obama's Wide-Ranging, Year-End News Conference

7:07pm December 19, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The president discussed issues ranging from normalization of relations with Cuba to Sony Pictures' decision to cancel release of the film 'The Interview' after a North Korean hack attack.

Obama Says Sony Should Not Have Pulled Film Over Threats

7:04pm December 19, 2014

by Eyder Peralta

"That's not what America's about," the president said in a news conference, calling the cancellation of The Interview's release a "mistake." The FBI has accused North Korea of being behind the attack.

New Federal College Ratings Will Consider Aid, Total Cost, Employment

5:12pm December 19, 2014

by Anya Kamenetz

A framework for measuring opportunity — and outcomes.

"I didn't want to fire things up," St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch says of his silence since announcing the grand jury's decision not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown.

National

St. Louis Grand Jury Heard Witnesses Who Lied, Prosecutor Says

4:40pm December 19, 2014

by Bill Chappell

Weeks after he announced a grand jury's decision not to indict a Ferguson, Mo., police officer in Michael Brown's death, prosecutor Robert McCulloch explains some of his own decisions in the case.

Graphic: How Prepared Is Your State For The Next Outbreak?

Is Your State Ready For The Next Infectious Outbreak? Probably Not

4:12pm December 19, 2014

by Nancy Shute

Public health has a way of slipping off the radar when people aren't scared about Ebola or anthrax. But that doesn't mean the threats go away. And most states aren't prepared for the next one.

Michael Phelps Pleads Guilty To DUI

3:02pm December 19, 2014

by Laura Sullivan

The Olympic gold medal winner gets no jail time for second conviction for drunk driving. He'll be able to train for Rio with his 18-month supervised probation.

NPR's series looks at the human toll of mandatory minimum prison sentences. The White House and the Justice Department have taken the unprecedented step of asking for candidates who might win early release from prison through presidential pardons or commu

From Judges To Inmates, Finding The Human Casualties Of Mandatory Sentencing

2:34pm December 19, 2014

by Carrie Johnson

Amid the backdrop of debate inside Washington and across the country, an NPR series will focus on the human toll of the tough mandatory minimum prison terms for drug crimes.

3 Business Best-Sellers Show Inequality Is Now The Hot Topic

2:30pm December 19, 2014

by Marilyn Geewax

Many business books try to help you get rich quick. But three of 2014's biggest sellers focused on unfairness and inequality. Economists say expect more: Books on inequality are riding a huge wave.