Temperatures Dip From Sea To Icy Sea
Frigid weather and freezing rain have beset large swaths of the country. Those below-average temperatures are expected to stay well into the week.
National
White House Invites All To 'Gather Around' A Holiday Tradition
Every year, on the day after Thanksgiving, almost 100 volunteer decorators show up at the White House. They spend the next five days stringing garlands and hanging ornaments, making the White House sparkle for the holidays. NPR has a related tradition, and it's about to end.
Fishery Closure Puts New England's Shrimp Season On Ice
After several years of declining shrimp stocks, regulators have imposed a moratorium on shrimping in New England waters. The closure could hurt commercial fisherman and future demand for the Gulf of Maine shrimp, but scientists say the move may be the only way to prevent the population from collapsing.
LA's Filipinos Grieve For Loved Ones Abroad By Taking Action
In Southern California, the largest Filipino community in the U.S. has mobilized relief efforts to aid the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. They are praying in solidarity, donating money and supplies, and volunteering their services while they wait for news of family and friends.
These Days, School Lunch Hours Are More Like 15 Minutes
In a new poll, parents complain that their children are not getting nearly enough time for a basic school ritual: eating lunch. And that's worrying parents and administrators, given that about one-third of American kids are overweight or obese.
Bob Dylan's Electric Guitar Sells For $965,000
The auction house Christie's sold a Sunburst Fender Stratocaster guitar Friday for a whopping $965,000. It's the guitar behind what some consider a watershed moment in music history — the moment that Bob Dylan picked up an electric guitar on July 25, 1965 at the Newport Folk Festival.
Nosy Driver In The Next SUV? It May Be A Cop Watching You Text
Forty-one states and the District of Columbia have banned texting while driving, and six others forbid it for new drivers — but that doesn't stop people from doing it. So New York State Police are using unmarked SUVs to try to spot drivers in the act.
China's Military Buildup Reignites Worries In Asia, Beyond
China's leaders hope to be able to fight and win two regional conflicts by 2020, according to the Pentagon in a report that highlights the East China Sea, site of recent tensions with the U.S. and Japan. The showdown over air space is the latest example of what the Pentagon sees as a resurgent Chinese military.
Wash. Judge Rules Towns Failed Poor Defendents
A big ruling on whether poor criminal defendants have the right to a lawyer came this week. A judge in Washington state finds two cities have systematically violated the rights of indigent defendants by providing them with lawyers who spent less than one hour on their cases.
Obama: World Lost A Profoundly Good Man In Nelson Mandela's Death
President Obama addressed the nation Thursday after news that former South African president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela died, saying the world lost an influential, courageous and "profoundly good" man.