National

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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Will it rain or not? How you interpret the forecast could mean the difference between getting soaked or staying safe.

Pop Quiz: 20 Percent Chance Of Rain. Do You Need An Umbrella?

5:04pm July 23, 2014

by NPR Staff

What does a 20 percent chance of rain or snow actually mean? Interpreting probabilities in forecasts can be hard even for mathematicians and meteorologists — never mind the average person.

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The oil tanker HS Electra unloads oil from the North Sea at the Portland Pipe Line facility in South Portland, Maine, in 2013.

Maine City Council Votes To Keep Tar Sands Out Of Its Port

12:06pm July 23, 2014

by Susan Sharon

South Portland, Maine, has blocked crude oil from being loaded onto ships at its port. Environmentalists are cheering, but the Portland Montreal Pipeline Corp. says the ban won't hold up in court.

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Every Wednesday for a decade, Tim Bomba has been helping people in Santa Monica, Calif., get over their fears of the ocean.

Learning To Love The Ocean After A Lifetime Of Fearing It

11:14am July 23, 2014

by NPR Staff

Triathlete Tim Bomba has spent a decade helping people feel comfortable swimming in the ocean. But before he could do that, he had to overcome his own fear of the water at the age of 52.

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U.S. Intelligence Tracking What Happened To Flight MH17

9:15am July 23, 2014

by Tom Bowman

Senior U.S. intelligence officials say they have proof that a surface-to-air missile was launched when the airliner went down and have ID'd people in a recorded conversation implicating the culprits.

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