U.S.

Vice President Biden swears in Ashton Carter, as the new Secretary of Defense's wife, Stephanie, holds the Bible for a ceremony in the White House Tuesday.

Ashton Carter Is Sworn In As Obama's 4th Defense Secretary

12:26pm February 17, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The cold and snow that walloped Washington didn't stop Ashton Carter from reporting for work at the Pentagon Tuesday. Carter was sworn in as the 25th U.S. Secretary of Defense on Tuesday.

Solar Sunflowers, an art installation, greets visitors to Mueller's commercial and retail hub off of Interstate 35. The panels power a nightly light display and return power to the grid. When the development is complete, five miles of granite trails will

With Porches And Parks, A Texas Community Aims For Urban Utopia

12:25pm February 17, 2015

by John Burnett

Austin's Mueller neighborhood is a new-urbanist dream, designed to be convivial, walkable and energy-efficient. Every house has a porch or stoop, and all the cars are hidden away.

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In Boston, residents are bracing for another round of severe winter weather.

National

Another Blizzard Curls In From The Northeast

12:13pm February 17, 2015

by Scott Neuman

From New York to Maine, the upper Atlantic coast is bracing for yet another major winter storm.

Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder of the cybersecurity startup CrowdStrike, says his company is building stockpiles of intelligence about potential hacking groups.

National

Hygiene, Honey Pots, Espionage: 3 Approaches To Defying Hackers

7:42am February 17, 2015

by Aarti Shahani

The hack of insurer Anthem is one in a string of costly cyberattacks worldwide. In Silicon Valley and beyond, startups are taking very different approaches to helping companies outsmart the attackers.

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National

Quiz Time! Take A Guess At These Presidential Tech Firsts

7:35pm February 16, 2015

by Kelly McEvers

On Presidents Day, we consider some presidential firsts when it comes to new technologies. Play along: Who was the first president to have a telephone? How about the first to ride on a steamboat?

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One Playwright's 'Obligation' To Confront Race And Identity In The U.S.

7:35pm February 16, 2015

by Jeff Lunden

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins has written a trilogy of provocative and fantastical explorations of race. His latest, based on a 1859 melodrama, pokes fun at conventions while raising difficult questions.

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Presidents Day Deal: Pass Our Quiz, Win Nothing

5:25pm February 16, 2015

by Laurel Dalrymple

They've all helped create our nation, but do you know who they are?

Danielle Boshers, Anna Garcia and Chris Reynolds say the University of Michigan could do a better job welcoming first-generation students to campus.

Fitting In On Campus: Challenges For First-Generation Students

2:26pm February 16, 2015

by Jennifer Guerra

When students are the first in their family to go to college, they often feel out of place. Many say they need more help from their schools.

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A woman walks through blowing snow in East Boston. New England remained bitterly cold Monday after the region's fourth winter storm in a month blew through.

National

Winter Storm Brings Rain, Ice, Snow Across Country's Midsection

1:42pm February 16, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

After the storm rakes its way across the South and Mid-Atlantic, it will likely take aim at New England, which has already experienced a record-setting winter.

Can A Computer Change The Essence Of Who You Are?

12:46pm February 16, 2015

by Lulu Miller

The latest episode of NPR's Invisibilia takes us online. Some people think interacting with these machines is changing us all — for better and worse.

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