After 5 Weeks Of Haggling, Congress Inks Bipartisan VA Bill
Congress has reached a bipartisan deal to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs, after nearly two months of tense negotiations.
U.S.
In Colo., An Effort To Ease Court Confusion Over Same-Sex Marriage
The Colorado attorney general has asked the state's Supreme Court to stop same-sex marriages.
The Week In Politics: Progress On Upgrading VA Health System
Congress has a number of big pieces of legislation to deal with before leaving on its annual summer recess. The Highway Trust Fund, border security and the VA are all on the to-do list.
Calif. Gets A Lesson In Succession: 4 Governors In 4 Days
The assembly speaker takes over for the senate president pro tem, who takes over for the lieutenant governor, because they all have other obligations during Gov. Jerry Brown's trade trip to Mexico.
Lessons In Manhood: A Boys' School Turns Work Into Wonders
At the East Bay School for Boys, teachers try to channel students' frenetic energy into resilience and creativity. They call shop class "work," and emphasize softer skills like empathy.
Bel Kaufman Took Us 'Up The Down Staircase'
Bel Kaufman was a public school teacher who revealed what the New York public schools were really like. She died Friday, in Manhattan, at the age of 103. NPR's Scott Simon has this remembrance.
Conservative Rep. DesJarlais Faces Primary Challenge In Tennessee
One of the most conservative members of Congress, U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, is defending his seat against state Sen. Jim Tracy, who is making the most of the incumbent's personal scandals.
Can Finishing A Big Bowl Of Ramen Make Dreams Come True?
At his ramen shop in Cambridge, Mass., chef Tsuyoshi Nishioka wants customers to follow their dreams. His philosophy? If you can finish a bowl of his ramen, you can accomplish anything in life.
Oregon Proposes Ban On Smoking Along Its Coastline
Authorities want to cut down on cigarette butts in the sand, so they're moving to ban smoking on all 362 miles of the state's Pacific Coast. Repeat offenders could face a $110 fine.
Death Penalty Expert On Why Lethal Injection Is So Problematic
In the wake of Arizona's botched execution, Steve Inskeep talks with Amherst professor Austin Sarat, author of the recent book Gruesome Spectacles: Botched Executions and America's Death Penalty.