U.S.

Portland, Ore., Soccer Fans Gear Up For Women's World Cup Final

6:31pm July 03, 2015

by Tom Goldman

It's the U.S. and Japan in Sunday's Women's World Cup final in Vancouver, Canada — a rematch of the 2011 championship. Soccer-crazed fans in Portland, Ore., who watched Japan's fortuitous win over England this week, provide plenty of insight about what it will take for the U.S. team to avenge it's loss four years ago.

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St. Laurentius, a polish Catholic church in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood, was closed in March amid fears that it would collapse. Since then, the community has pushed back to save the historic building.

In Philadelphia's Fishtown, A Fierce Debate Over The Fate Of A Polish Church

6:31pm July 03, 2015

by Bobby Allyn

The Philadelphia Archdiocese has plans to demolish the city's oldest Polish church, but it's facing strong resistance: Longtime parishioners and neighborhood newcomers have joined forces in protest.

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Donald Trump Controversy Highlights Influence Of Hispanics In U.S.

6:31pm July 03, 2015

NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with Felix Sanchez, chairman and co-founder of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, about Republican presidential candidate Trump's remarks on Mexican immigrants.

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Chicago To Replace Famed Ferris Wheel With Taller One

6:31pm July 03, 2015

NPR's Rachel Martin talks with Alexander Eisenschmidt, an assistant professor of architecture at University of Illinois at Chicago, about the new Chicago Ferris Wheel.

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#NPRreads: The 'Grexit,' Video Games And Fleeing The Rwandan Genocide

5:58pm July 03, 2015

by Steve Mullis

Also this week, misconceptions about slavery. And, the struggle for gay Christians trying to keep the faith.

Health insurance giant Aetna has announced a $37 billion plan to acquire rival Humana.

Aetna Announces $37 Billion Merger With Health Insurance Rival Humana

12:01pm July 03, 2015

by Scott Neuman

If the deal passes antitrust scrutiny, it would be the largest such acquisition in the insurance industry. It's the latest sign of consolidation in health insurance in the wake of Obamacare.

A Russian Progress spacecraft blasts off from the launch pad at the Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on Friday.

Russia Finally Launches Supplies To ISS After Earlier Failures

10:08am July 03, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The liftoff of the Soyuz Progress 60P was a relief to astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station after two previous resupply missions — one Russian and one American — failed.

This is a photo taken in the town of Smell No Taste, where a teenager died of Ebola this past week. The home where he passed away is now under quarantine.

Yes, There Really Is A Town In Liberia Called 'Smell No Taste'

8:19am July 03, 2015

by Marc Silver

It's the place where a teenager died of Ebola this week. And, like all unusual geographic names, there's a story behind it.

Mammoths had a distinctive version of a gene known to play a role in sensing outside temperature, moderating the biology of fat and regulating hair growth. That bit of DNA likely helped mammoths thrive in cold weather, scientists say.

Checking DNA Against Elephants Hints At How Mammoths Got Woolly

7:55am July 03, 2015

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

A clump of a mammoth's fur bought on eBay led scientists to a long list of ways the extinct species was special. One specific gene likely played a role in helping mammoths thrive in icy weather.

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Raymond Smith of Charleston, S.C., kneels in prayer in front of the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston before a worship service on June 21.

Coping While Black: A Season Of Traumatic News Takes A Psychological Toll

8:12pm July 02, 2015

by Cheryl Corley

Research on the psychological effects of racism, especially on people of color, is still in the early stages. But psychologists warn that events like the Charleston shooting can cause serious stress.

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