National

The Common Core Standards establish academic expectations across states in math and English language arts.

In Push For 'Common' Standards, Many Parents Left Uneducated

2:51pm September 23, 2013

by Claudio Sanchez

The Common Core initiative would standardize academic goals nationwide. Forty-five states have signed on, but lawmakers in some states are rethinking their support. While both sides are stepping up their messaging, a poll out this month shows 62 percent of Americans have never heard of Common Core.

Queue Listen Now

National

Medea Benjamin's Anti-War Activism: Wearing Pink, Seeing Red

11:49am September 23, 2013

by Tamara Keith

The possibility of U.S. strikes in Syria brought Code Pink protesters to Capitol Hill, holding signs and disrupting the proceedings. Leading them is Medea Benjamin, an anti-war activist who, as it turns out, didn't even like the color pink when she started the group.

Queue Listen Now

Pakistan, Iraq See Uptick In Suicide Bombings

10:35am September 23, 2013

To try to understand what's behind the rise in gruesome attacks, Steve Inskeep talks to Vali Nasr, who is the dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He has served as a senior adviser to the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Queue Listen Now

A Boston police officer wheels an injured boy down Boylston Street as medical workers carry an injured runner after the Boston Marathon bombing in April.

Boston Hospitals Share Lessons From Marathon Bombing

10:10am September 23, 2013

by Tovia Smith

Every victim who arrived at a hospital alive survived the attack. But hospitals say the experience also revealed room for improvement, and they're about to share the lessons they learned at a national conference in Washington, D.C.

Queue Listen Now

EPA Wants To Limit Greenhouse Gases From New Coal Power Plants

8:11pm September 20, 2013

by Elizabeth Shogren

Under the proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency, new plants that run on coal would be permitted to emit only about half as much carbon dioxide as the average coal plant puts into the air today. Emissions from the electricity industry are already declining as utilities turn to natural gas and wind farms.

Queue Listen Now

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, who faces genocide charges, has applied for a visa to come to the U.S. for the annual United Nations General Assembly next week. The U.S. has not yet said whether he'll be allowed in the country.

Will The U.S. Grant A Visa To Sudan's Indicted Leader?

8:09pm September 20, 2013

by Michele Kelemen

The U.S. is supposed to allow everyone to come to the annual United Nations General Assembly, which opens next week. But Washington has yet to rule on the visa application by Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese president who's been indicted on genocide charges by the International Criminal Court.

Queue Listen Now

Obama's Latest Challenges Go Beyond The GOP

5:54pm September 20, 2013

by Scott Horsley

Congressional Republicans are trying to use budget deadlines to extract concessions from the president on his signature health care law. And they aren't alone in choosing this time to test the president's mettle — liberal Democrats have been pressuring Obama, too.

Queue Listen Now

Edward Snowden's leaks about the NSA's secret surveillance program have pushed the agency to expedite planned reforms ahead of schedule, according to NSA officials.

The Effects Of The Snowden Leaks Aren't What He Intended

5:24pm September 20, 2013

by Tom Gjelten

Critics of the NSA's secret surveillance hoped the debate that followed Edward Snowden's leaks would prompt the NSA to rethink the operation. Instead, one of the most noticeable effects so far has been a diversion of resources away from intelligence missions toward assessing damage from the leaks.

Queue Listen Now

A close view of the packaging of Grand Theft Auto V at the midnight opening at the HMV music store in London on Tuesday. It made history with a record $800 million in sales on its first day. This version continues to generate controversy over its glorific

Female Fans Love New Grand Theft Auto Despite Demeaning Content

2:02pm September 20, 2013

by Laura Sydell

Grand Theft Auto V took in more than $800 million in sales on its first day in stores. The edgy and violent adventure game series isn't just a hit with young men: A significant number of women play, though some of them are disappointed the new release doesn't feature prominent female characters.

Queue Listen Now

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, talks about the deadline to fund the government Thursday on Capitol Hill.

House Nears Vote To Fund Government, Defund Obamacare

11:18am September 20, 2013

by Tamara Keith

The Republican-controlled House is set to vote Friday on a stopgap spending bill to keep the government open for business through the middle of December. And the White House has already said if it makes it to the president's desk, he'll veto it. That's because the bill also would defund the Affordable Care Act.

Queue Listen Now