Around the Nation

A person's DNA can say a lot about a person, but not why someone has committed a horrific crime like mass murder.

Killer's DNA Won't Explain His Crime

9:21pm December 21, 2012

by Jon Hamilton

Sandy Hook and other mass killings have left people wondering how someone could engage in such behavior. Scientists say that genes can indeed predispose a person to mental illness or violence. But genetic variants alone can't explain why someone commits mass murder.

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Each FEMA-registered family with kids can pick out toys at the volunteer-run Staten Island store.

National

Free Toy Shop Brings Cheer To Sandy's Displaced Families

9:21pm December 21, 2012

by Margot Adler

Many Staten Island residents are still not back in their homes since Sandy washed ashore. Local volunteers have opened a toy store where FEMA-registered families with children can pick up donated toys, holiday decorations and stocking stuffers. Thus far, the shop has given away more than 2,000 toys.

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Health & Safety

When The Doctor Works For The Insurance Company

11:16am December 21, 2012

by Tracey Samuelson

Big insurance companies are opening their own doctors' offices and clinics — a strategy that has previously met with mixed results.

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Holiday Lights Flip Neighbors 'The Bird'

11:16am December 21, 2012

Authorities in Denham Springs, La., threatened Sarah Childs with arrest because her holiday lights were arranged in a particular shape. A judge sided with her, issuing a temporary order allowing her to light up the night with the shape of an extended middle finger.

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Seattle House Is Too Small For Christmas Tree

11:16am December 21, 2012

Look at Patrick Kruger's house and you see the bottom of his tree through a window, and the top pushing through a damaged roof. Kruger was actually having a little fun. He broke his 14-foot tree in two and used building materials to create the illusion.

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A Sig Sauer handgun on sale at a shop in Tucker, Ga.

National

Gun Control: 'Only Modest Change' In Opinion Since Newtown Shootings

9:25am December 21, 2012

by Mark Memmott

The latest Pew poll shows a slight upward shift in the percentage of Americans who say it's more important to control gun ownership than it is to protect the right to own guns. But deeply felt feelings appear to be limiting the change.

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Charlotte Douglas International Airport has deployed an army of 1.9 million worms to eat through its organic waste. The airport has reduced the trash it sends to the landfill by 70 percent.

National

One Airport's Trash Is 2 Million Worms' Treasure

3:16pm December 20, 2012

by Julie Rose

Many airports send their discarded french fries, burgers and Cinnabons to the landfill. But Charlotte Douglas International plans to transform that garbage into fertilizer for flower beds. All it needed was a couple of million red wiggler worms.

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National

Mich. Governor Vetoes Bill Allowing Concealed Weapons In Schools

3:16pm December 20, 2012

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed a bill on Tuesday that would have allowed people with concealed pistol permits to carry guns in schools. He was under widespread pressure to veto it after the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., last week. Robert Siegel talks to Rick Pluta of Michigan Public Radio.

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The Secrets Of Making Time Fly While You Wait

2:19pm December 20, 2012

What do you do to keep calm and content while waiting out delays? One bus stop in Milan, Italy provides sheets of bubble wrap for travelers to pop. NPR science correspondent and blogger Robert Krulwich shares several clever ways to fill time.

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Preparing For The World Of 2030

2:10pm December 20, 2012

A report by the National Intelligence Council projects that in 2030 the U.S. influence in global affairs will decrease, China will continue to rise as a global power, and a global middle class will grow significantly.

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