U.S.

A national project found that hundreds of former Michigan students had enough credits for an associate degree — but they'd never claimed them. Thousands more were close. Those credentials could make ex-students more employable or eligible for better-paying jobs.

A New Jersey fire department has hired 43 military veterans on to the force this year. The fire chief says their background makes them well-suited to the job, and the recruits say firefighting gives them the sense of camaraderie and responsibility they've missed.

The U.S. share of international shipping has been shrinking ever since World War II. The latest threat comes from a proposed change that would allow the U.S. to buy a large percentage of its food aid in local markets, instead of from the U.S. That would mean less shipping from the U.S., and possibly fewer jobs.

A federal judge has ruled that New York City didn't do enough to protect residents with disabilities when Superstorm Sandy hit last year. The city is widely considered a leader in disaster response, so the ruling is likely to prompt cities around the country to re-evaluate their own plans.

The weather and demand from China are driving prices up. But how do you say the word pecan? NPR's Melissa Block gets answers from a pecan farmer and a linguistics expert.

A cast of lawyers and a federal judge in New York City perform dramatic re-enactments of historic trials involving Asian-Americans. Their latest production, 22 Lewd Chinese Women, focuses on a 19th-century Supreme Court case with parallels to present-day immigration debates.

Dish Network announced this week that it will shutter the 300 or so remaining Blockbuster stores it owns across the country. But in some places, dozens of the video stores will have an unlikely afterlife.

The Secret Service made some immediate changes after the president's death 50 years ago this month: Open limousines were out. And it began taking a more aggressive approach to its advance work. Over the years, the service has established counter-sniper units, assault teams and surveillance units.

A hairdresser in Alaska is one of the first people to get health insurance through HealthCare.gov. The 37-year-old woman has a chronic thyroid problem, so she's thrilled to find affordable coverage. Insurers are bracing for sick people like her to be among the first entering the market.

Nathan Bedford Forrest High School in Jacksonville, Fla., was named decades ago for a Confederate hero — who was also the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. More than 160,000 people have signed a petition urging a name change, but the current name has also drawn passionate support.