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Algeria Attack A 'Wake-Up Call' For Energy Companies

1:19pm January 24, 2013

by Tom Gjelten

Investors didn't panic after last week's attack, and oil and gas prices held steady. But if the attack on the gas complex signals the beginning of a new phase of terrorism in North Africa, energy companies and governments will need to make new assessments of the risks and benefits of investments.

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NFL Pressures Indiana Man To Give Up On Trademark

1:19pm January 24, 2013

The coaches in next month's Super Bowl are brothers. Jim Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers face John Harbaugh's Baltimore Ravens. Roy Fox tried to trademark the phrases: Harbowl and Harbaugh Bowl. The NFL threatened to sue him.

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National Transportation Safety Board investigators inspect a Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Japan's Takamatsu Airport. A Federal Aviation Administration investigation into the plane's troubles has widened into a review of the agency's certification process for

National

Dreamliner Woes Expose FAA's Potential Weak Spots

8:53pm January 23, 2013

by Wendy Kaufman

The investigation into the Boeing 787 has widened to include not just its batteries and electronics, but also the Federal Aviation Administration's certification process. Chronically understaffed, the agency often relies on manufacturers themselves to assist in the testing of new planes.

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Some states can bill skiers for search-and-rescue efforts. Often, those who need rescuing wandered into out-of-bounds areas and couldn't find their way back.

Economy

Schussing Down Slopes Can Snowball Into A Search-And-Rescue Bill

9:02am January 23, 2013

by Nina Keck

A fresh fall of snow can mean more skiers and riders getting lost in the woods. Who should pay to rescue them can become a tricky issue, but some states can bill riders who have gone astray.

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Nebraska Approves Keystone XL Pipeline's Tweaked Route

8:13am January 23, 2013

Nebraska's governor has approved a new plan to route the pipeline through the state. In 2011, the governor opposed the pipeline for its potential environmental impact. But on Tuesday, he wrote a letter to President Obama saying the new route avoids the more environmentally fragile parts of Nebraska.

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AeroVironment's Raven drone is used for military surveillance and can be launched by hand.

This Defense Contractor Has A Green Side

10:06am January 22, 2013

by Amy Walters

AeroVironment has an unusual combination of products — military drones and electric vehicle chargers. The company's president acknowledges that some workers are uncomfortable with the company's dual interests, but he doesn't see a conflict.

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National

Gun Background Checks Need Fixes, Experts Say

5:13pm January 21, 2013

by Steve Henn

One of President Obama's gun control proposals appears to have widespread support — universal background checks for gun purchases. Some experts on mental health and gun violence find problems with the current laws, and they say the system doesn't do a very good job of predicting and preventing gun crime.

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Harvest wheat from a field near Wright, Kan. May 10, 2004.

Former Anti-GMO Activist Says Science Changed His Mind

5:29pm January 20, 2013

by NPR Staff

For years, British environmental activist Mark Lynas vandalized genetically modified food crops. Then, he had a change of heart. He went in front of the world to reverse his position, telling the anti-GMO lobby to "get out of the way and let the rest of us get on with feeding the world sustainably."

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In The Org, Tim Sullivan and Ray Fisman share case studies of organizations including McDonald's and Procter and Gamble.

The 'Underlying Logic' Behind The Madness Of The Office

3:58pm January 18, 2013

by NPR Staff

Those of us who work in an office know that there is at least some part of the organization that is utterly frustrating. In The Org, authors Tim Sullivan and Ray Fisman argue that the back-to-back meetings and unending bureaucracy serve an important purpose.

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Slides containing DNA sit in a bay waiting to be analyzed by a genome sequencing machine.

It's Legal For Some Insurers To Discriminate Based On Genes

10:48am January 18, 2013

by David Schultz

A 2008 federal law is supposed to protect people from having their genes used against them. But it only applies to health insurance — not, for example, long-term-care insurance. That's exactly the type of insurance people might seek after learning they're genetically predisposed to some medical problem down the road.

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