National

National

How A County Clerk Ignited The Gay Marriage Debate In N.M.

12:51pm October 23, 2013

by Richard Gonzales

In August, Lynn Ellins, the clerk of Dona Ana County and a long-time supporter of same-sex marriage, decided to "put the ball in play" by issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. More than 900 marriage licenses have been issued to gay couples across the state.

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National

Most Attractive Accent? The Southern Drawl, Y'All

6:47am October 23, 2013

The dating site Cupid.com has released a survey rating regional accents. The most attractive accent in North America is the Southern drawl. The New York accent came in second. Rounding out the top 5: the New Jersey, Boston and Western accents.

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Times Square near 42nd Street in New York City, in the 1920s.

National

The Sounds Of New York City, Circa 1920

7:59pm October 22, 2013

by Theo Balcomb

A team led by Emily Thompson, a history professor at Princeton, has matched noise complaints from New York City in the Roaring '20s with the actual street sounds of the day.

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National

Funeral Contest Rewards Those Who Think Outside The Pine Box

7:13pm October 22, 2013

Melissa Block talks with Christine Pepper, CEO of the National Funeral Directors Association and judge for the Design for Death contest, about the competition and the winning entries.

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Women's moods can change based on the phases of their menstrual cycle. But does that mean they have a psychiatric disorder?

Should Severe Premenstrual Symptoms Be A Mental Disorder?

3:37pm October 22, 2013

by Amy Standen

Earlier this year premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, became a recognized mental disorder. But not everyone is convinced that's a good idea. Some researchers worry that medicalizing this unrelenting form of PMS could be used against women, even though only a small percentage of women meet the criteria.

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The changing landscape of of agriculture is leaving many sheep farms in the dust. Farms are larger and technology makes crops more economically attractive and sheep herds less.

National

Ranchers Wonder If U.S. Sheep Industry Has Bottomed Out

3:37pm October 22, 2013

by Luke Runyon

Over the last 20 years, the number of sheep in the U.S. has been cut in half. Today, the domestic sheep herd is one-tenth the size it was during World War II. Consumers are eating less lamb and wearing less wool these days. Those trends have left ranchers to wonder: When are we going to hit bottom?

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Obama Says He's 'Frustrated' About Health Care Site Issues

3:37pm October 22, 2013

At the White House on Monday, President Obama acknowledged widespread problems with his health care law's website while still defending the Affordable Care Act. NPR White House Correspondent Scott Horsley talks with Steve Inskeep about the president's remarks.

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The long arms of pivot irrigation rigs deliver water from the Ogallala Aquifer to circular fields of corn in northwestern Kansas.

Kansas Farmers Commit To Taking Less Water From The Ground

12:38pm October 22, 2013

by Dan Charles

Water from the Ogallala Aquifer is withdrawn about six times faster than rain or rivers can recharge it. Now, a group of farmers in one part of northwestern Kansas has agreed to pump 20 percent less water out of the aquifer over the next five years.

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West Point Women: A Natural Pattern Or A Camouflage Ceiling?

11:53am October 22, 2013

by Larry Abramson

Since 1980, the percentage of women at the U.S. Military Academy has stayed largely the same, leading some to conclude that the school has set an artificial cap on the number of female cadets it accepts. Now, West Point has been told it must raise those numbers to meet the demand for more female leaders.

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National

Gay Couples Tie Knot In New Jersey As Christie Backs Down

10:10am October 22, 2013

by Joel Rose

New Jersey became the 14th state to allow same-sex marriage Monday when gay couples began marrying just after midnight. A state judge forced the state to recognize same-sex marriages. Initially, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie appealed that ruling. But he dropped that appeal Monday, saying the New Jersey Supreme Court had already made clear how it would rule.

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