News

Alexis Martinez (left) worried that coming out to daughter Lesley as transgender would mean giving up any relationship with her grandchildren. But she needn't have worried.

After Years Of Hiding, 'Walking In Love' As Transgender

12:37pm May 03, 2013

by NPR Staff

For decades, Alexis Martinez, born Arthur, had to mask her transgender identity by "being as macho as I could be." But in a visit to StoryCorps, she tells her daughter how, with her family's acceptance, she's finally been able to live as a woman full-time.

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The lobbying industry in Washington is becoming more secretive.

Politics & Government

Why Lobbying Is Now Increasingly In The Shadows

12:14pm May 03, 2013

by Peter Overby

Reversing a trend that dates back to the 1990s, the lobbying industry is becoming more secretive. And campaign money now looms ever larger as a critical element in the persuasion business.

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Syrian refugees shop at a makeshift grocery store at the Zaatari camp in March.

World News

Sea Of Syrian Refugees Threatens To Overload Jordan

9:23pm May 02, 2013

More than half a million refugees have crossed into Jordan, and the number is expected to rise rapidly. Jordanian officials say the influx is threatening the stability of the kingdom.

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Construction workers move a framed wall into place at a new housing development in San Mateo, Calif.

Housing Recovery Lifts Other Sectors, Too

6:00pm May 02, 2013

by John Ydstie

Healthy increases in construction and home sales are boosting things like sales of pickups and landscaping, which, in turn, lead to more hiring. But federal budget cuts may undermine that momentum, economists say.

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These robotic flies, which were built in a Harvard lab, can flap their wings independently of each other and fly around while tethered to a power and control wire.

Science

Of Flybots And Bug Eyes: Insects Inspire Inventors

5:49pm May 02, 2013

by Geoff Brumfiel

Miniaturizing technology is really hard — gears, rotors, belts and pistons that work perfectly at human size just don't work very well at the small scale. So researchers are turning to insects for ideas about how to make tiny flying robots and cameras — and driving a new generation of gadgets.

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World News

With Robocalls, Eritrean Exiles Organize Passive Resistance

5:27pm May 02, 2013

by Gregory Warner

Dissent is not tolerated in Eritrea, so exiles from the African nation had to get creative when it came to organizing opposition. They are now relying on robocalls that tell Eritreans to stay home Friday evening, the night traditionally devoted to going out.

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Employers using the E-Verify program are required to post an E-Verify Participation Poster, shown here in a handout photo. A Senate bill would make participation in the system, used to check employees' immigration status, mandatory for all employers.

National

Bill Would Put Immigration Verification System To The Test

5:27pm May 02, 2013

by Ted Robbins

The Senate's immigration bill would require all U.S. employers to use E-Verify, a federal database that checks a worker's immigration status instantly. While businesses have had difficulty using the system in the past, officials say its results are now accurate 98 percent of the time.

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Soon after President Obama spoke at Planned Parenthood's national conference in Washington, D.C., last Friday, the administration alienated some women's health groups.

Health & Safety

Women's Health Groups Angered By Morning-After Pill Moves

5:27pm May 02, 2013

by Julie Rovner

Days after President Obama became the first sitting president to speak before Planned Parenthood's national conference, the administration alienated some women's health groups with a controversial decision about access to emergency contraception.

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Casual clothing detail fashion background made in the USA

Ethical Fashion: Is The Tragedy In Bangladesh A Final Straw?

4:05pm May 02, 2013

Since a garment factory collapsed last month in Dhaka, killing more than 400 people, ethical fashion has been in the spotlight. Elizabeth Cline, author of Overdressed: The Shockingly High Price of Cheap Fashion, explains the economy that created this tragedy and what we can do to fix it.

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Bates experienced migraines as a child. She made this painting to depict how they felt to her.

A Sleep Gene Has A Surprising Role In Migraines

10:33am May 02, 2013

by Jon Hamilton

Disruptions of sleep are well known as migraine triggers, but now researchers have found a genetic link between the two. In studying families with lots of migraines, they also found a mutation on a gene that helps control circadian rhythms.

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