News

People who are socially isolated may be at a greater risk of dying sooner, a British study suggests. But do Facebook friends count? How about texting?

Maybe Isolation, Not Loneliness, Shortens Life

11:54am March 27, 2013

by Jon Hamilton

Loneliness and isolation often go hand in hand, so teasing out which factor is harder on health isn't easy. But a British study now suggests that, while loneliness may make you unhappy, it's social isolation that could take years off of your life. Discuss (with a friend).

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Sports

What's The Score On Spirited Sports Banter At Bars?

9:30am March 27, 2013

by Frank Deford

Sports commentator Frank Deford wants to know: When did we stop arguing about sports in the time-honored bar-stool fashion?

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Some insurers prefer to pay for manual breast pumps, but some working moms prefer more expensive, electric models.

Law Says Insurers Should Pay For Breast Pumps, But Which Ones?

9:30am March 27, 2013

by Kristian Foden-Vencil

Health insurers are obligated to cover pumps to help moms breast-feed. But there is a variety of equipment. Some nursing mothers prefer faster, electric models that cost more. Insurers may say a less expensive manual pump would do just fine.

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Stockton Unified School District Police Officer Myra Franco and Chief Jim West patrol 50 schools in California's Central Valley region. One of the campuses was the site of a 1989 shooting massacre.

How To Be The Good Guy With A Gun At School

9:30am March 27, 2013

by Richard Gonzales

In the aftermath of the Newtown school shooting, there's a raging public debate over placing armed guards in schools. Some say it's impractical, but about a third of American schools already have some kind of armed security. One school police officer in Stockton, Calif., finds the job is part protector, part mentor.

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Good Luck With That 'Perfect' March Madness Bracket. You'll Need It

9:30am March 27, 2013

by Adam Cole

Millions of basketball fans will fill out NCAA tournament brackets this week and try to correctly predict the outcomes of every game. The chances of succeeding are about 1 in 150 quintillion. A group of computer scientists are trying to beat those odds by writing programs that learn to pick winners.

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In Long Beach, Wash., Chinook Observer editor and publisher Matt Winters has overseen his paper's transition to the Internet and, more recently, to a pay wall.

Looking For 'Oxygen,' Small Papers Erect Digital Pay Walls

8:38am March 27, 2013

by Ashley Gross

The Washington Post and the San Francisco Chronicle are the latest big newspapers embracing a pay model for Web content that had been free. But around the country, more small papers, like the Chinook Observer in Washington state, have also started charging for their digital content in a bid for economic survival.

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For most Americans, the math for a comfortable retirement may never add up.

Economy

Planning For Retirement When Savings Fall Short

8:04am March 27, 2013

by NPR Staff

For most Americans, the math for a comfortable retirement may never add up. According to recent census figures, Americans ages 55 to 65 had about $45,000 in savings and assets, not including their homes. Morning Edition's Renee Montagne talks to three experts about retiring with little savings.

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The Solar Impulse, a solar-powered plane, flies over Switzerland. The makers will be journeying across the U.S. this spring, hoping the flight helps challenge assumptions about what solar technology can do.

Solar-Powered Plane Uses Its Lightness To Fly In The Dark

7:54am March 27, 2013

by Steve Henn

Creators of a solar-powered aircraft hope to fly it day and night across the U.S. with no fuel, and eventually around the world. It's a quixotic — some might call it nutty — undertaking. But the creators hope the flight helps challenge assumptions about what solar technology can do.

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Sports

It's Been An Ugly Year For College Basketball

4:40am March 27, 2013

by Frank Deford

Frank Deford isn't impressed with the style of play — or the style of uniforms — in this year's March Madness.

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Snow covers flowers in front of the Supreme Court building on Monday in Washington, D.C. On Tuesday, the justices hear oral arguments on the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage.

In First Of 2 Gay-Marriage Cases, Court Turns To Proposition 8

9:57am March 26, 2013

by Nina Totenberg

The justices on Tuesday hear a case that stems from a constitutional challenge to the California ban on same-sex marriage that was enacted by voter initiative in 2008. And on Wednesday, the court hears a challenge to the federal law that bars the U.S. government from recognizing gay marriages.

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