National

The B Reactor is the world's first full-scale nuclear reactor located at the Hanford site in Richland, Wash. The three-story-high block of graphite contains about 2,000 "process tubes" arranged in a grid. These tubes contained uranium, and when enough ura

National

A Peek Inside A Once Top Secret Spot In Atomic Age History

11:40am July 19, 2013

by Martin Kaste

Want to take a tour of the world's first full-scale nuclear reactor? It's in Richland, Wash., and if you're lucky, your guide will be one of the people who worked here when the place was still new. Physicist Paul Vinther signed on at the plant in June 1950, and he now gives tours.

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A Harrisburg Wild West artifact sits inside of a warehouse building owned by the city, seen here in 2011.

Pa. City Tries Wild West Auction To Rope In Cash

6:43am July 19, 2013

by Craig Layne

Harrisburg is auctioning off thousands of items that were supposed to be included in a failed museum — including artifacts said to have ties to Wyatt Earp, Jesse James and Buffalo Bill. City leaders hope the auction will put a dent in Harrisburg's $370 million in debt.

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Leonard Carpenter in Kentucky, where he grew up, in the early 1940s.

National

Grandpa's Story: A Comb, Penknife And Handkerchief

6:00am July 19, 2013

by NPR Staff

A mother talks to her son about the grandfather he never knew.

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National

Detroit Files For Bankruptcy

4:32am July 19, 2013

by Scott Neuman

The city is seeking Chapter 9 protection against creditors and unions for an estimated $18.5 billion in debt and liabilities.

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Wildfires Will Worsen, And Further Strain The Forest Service

11:13pm July 18, 2013

by Christopher Joyce

Over the past decade, fires in the American West have grown in intensity and size. "We're on a growth trajectory that is very scary," says one fire tracker. "And if we think it's expensive and dangerous now, we're just now seeing the very beginnings of how big this problem is going to be very soon."

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National

Where Are All Of Wyomings Escalators?

6:51pm July 18, 2013

There is a reported paucity of moving staircases in the Cowboy State. And that shortcoming has been posited as a argument for Wyoming to have fewer than its allotted pair of Senators. Audie Cornish and Melissa Block turn to the self-proclaimed escalator editor of the Casper Star-Tribune, Jeremy Fugleberg.

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Stephen Rakes as he arrived at the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Boston on June 12 for the first day of the "Whitey" Bulger's trial.

National

Man Who Hoped To Testify Against Whitey Bulger Is Found Dead

6:31pm July 18, 2013

by Mark Memmott

Stephen Rakes said the gangster forced him — at gunpoint — to sell a liquor store. The cause of Rakes' death isn't yet known. Authorities say there were "no obvious signs of trauma." Rakes, who said he could speak for those who fear Bulger, was told this week he would not be called to the stand.

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National

Carbon Tax Gaining Popularity, But Not With Lawmakers

6:31pm July 18, 2013

by Jennifer Ludden

The idea of taxing carbon emissions to curb climate change has been gaining surprisingly diverse and bipartisan support over the past year. Everywhere, that is, except Congress.

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National

Furloughs Cut Into Classtime At U.S. Military Bases

6:31pm July 18, 2013

by Ben Bradford

Civilian furloughs have begun at U.S. military installations worldwide. The mandatory days off without pay, prompted by the current round of budget cuts known as sequestration, are looming over Defense Department-run schools that serve the children of military families. For teachers at the nation's most populous Army base, Fort Bragg, cuts mean no new textbooks and a loss of school days.

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Lonnie Newburn says if he had to stress about extortion, he definitely wouldn't be opening a distillery in Southie.

National

South Boston Transformed In Whitey Bulger's Absence

6:31pm July 18, 2013

by Curt Nickisch

The neighborhood that reputed mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger is accused of terrorizing with murders and extortion is now a destination.

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