U.S.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter (center left) is greeted with a military honor guard as he arrives to meet Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday.

Defense Secretary Carter Hints At Slowing U.S. Exit From Afghanistan

3:51pm February 23, 2015

by Scott Neuman

Ashton Carter, on a surprise visit to Afghanistan, said he was there to assess the situation on the ground and indicated that a "rethinking" of the U.S. troop withdrawal timetable was possible.

National

Obama Wants Rules That Force Brokers To Put Clients' Interests First

3:03pm February 23, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

The Obama administration says the current system promotes conflicts of interest, leads to high fees and erodes returns on investment.

For his study Professor Benjamin Schmidt culled roughly 14 million reviews from the website Rate My Professor. Blue dots represent male professors, red dots female. The farther right the dot, the more often that the word on the left was used to describe t

How We Talk About Our Teachers

2:57pm February 23, 2015

by William Huntsberry

The words college students use to describe their professors say a lot about how men and women are judged differently.

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President Obama speaks about immigration at Del Sol High School in Las Vegas in November, after taking a series of executive actions.

National

Justice Department Appeals Ruling Blocking Obama's Immigration Plan

2:23pm February 23, 2015

by Jackie Northam

The Department of Justice filing says a federal judge lacked authority to issue an injunction on President Obama's executive action on immigration.

A woman pushes a cart at a Costco store in Hackensack, N.J., in 2013. Big-box stores are effective delivery devices for fattening foods, economists argue in a new study.

Have Big-Box Superstores Helped To Make Us Fat?

2:21pm February 23, 2015

by Alan Greenblatt

A study argues that the density of restaurants and large-scale food retailers in parts of the U.S. has been a major factor in the rise of obesity. But some see it as a "chicken and egg" problem.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautions that unpasteurized milk can cause serious illness, because it's a fertile breeding ground for harmful germs like salmonella and E. coli. But such warnings haven't deterred raw milk enthusiasts.

Why Some States Want To Legalize Raw Milk Sales

2:20pm February 23, 2015

by Abby Wendle

Selling unpasteurized milk across state lines is illegal because it poses a threat to public health. But raw milk sales are growing nonetheless. Legalization would let states regulate a risky market.

University of Connecticut defensive back Byron Jones takes off for the broad jump at the NFL combine Monday. Jones recorded an NFL record of 12 feet 3 inches.

12 Feet: A Soaring New Broad Jump Record Is Set At NFL Combine

2:10pm February 23, 2015

by Bill Chappell

If you're ever standing near Byron Jones when he jumps, you might want to stay well back. On Monday, the cornerback flew more than 12 feet from a standing start.

Scent Bar, in central Los Angeles, is home to over 700 niche fragrances — several of which are neatly arranged here.

The Scents And Sensibility Of LA's Nosy New Perfume Enthusiasts

1:54pm February 23, 2015

by Chloe Prasinos

Our sense of smell isn't simply a powerful trigger. It's a draw to scientists — and to a flourishing subculture in Los Angeles, where amateur perfumers collect fragrances like others collect stamps.

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People in Miami protest the Texas district judge who on Tuesday temporarily blocked the implementation of President Obama's executive actions on immigration.

National

Immigration Courts 'Operating In Crisis Mode,' Judges Say

1:54pm February 23, 2015

by Richard Gonzales

The nation's immigration courts are jammed with the asylum cases of some 60,000 unaccompanied minors who crossed the southern border last summer. There are 429,000 cases pending and only 223 judges.

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Out Of The Shadows, TV Star Shines A Light On Immigration

1:52pm February 23, 2015

by Michel Martin

Actress Diane Guerrero now stars on shows Jane the Virgin and Orange Is the New Black. But when she was a teenager, her parents were deported. She tells NPR's Michel Martin how it shaped her life.

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