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National

Profiling Mass Shooters And Assessing Threats

7:04pm December 15, 2012

Saturday, police who are investigating gunman Adam Lanza in a deadly shooting in a Connecticut school announced they expected to piece together a picture the gunman's actions as well as his motives. Host Guy Raz speaks with NPR's Shankar Vedantam about how Lanza fits the profile of the mass shooter, and whether the recent tragedy can tell us how to avoid the next one.

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National

Newtown Father Gives Tearful Tribute To His Daughter

7:04pm December 15, 2012

Robbie Parker's 6-year-old daughter, Emilie Parker, was killed in Friday's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. He spoke to the media Saturday in Newtown. Here is an excerpt of his tribute to his daughter.

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Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., speaks Tuesday at a news conference calling for no reduction in the Medicare and Medicaid budgets, as part of the year-end budget talks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Waxman said he does not support means testing for Medicare.

Making The Rich Pay More For Medicare

5:33am December 14, 2012

by Julie Rovner

Means testing Medicare is one of the few areas where Democrats have shown a willingness to even consider the subject of spending less on the program. But not everyone supports that idea.

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President Obama, with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) behind him, delivering his State of the Union address last January.

On 'Fiscal Cliff,' Majority Of Public Sides With Democrats, Pew Poll Says

8:01pm December 13, 2012

by Mark Memmott

Fifty-five percent of those surveyed said President Obama is making a "serious effort" to work with Republicans. Just 32 percent said Republicans are making a serious effort to work with the Democratic president.

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HSBC has agreed to pay $1.92 billion to settle a multiyear U.S. criminal probe into money-laundering lapses at the British lender, the largest penalty ever paid by a bank.

National

HSBC Critic: Too Big To Indict May Mean Too Big To Exist

8:01pm December 13, 2012

by Ailsa Chang

The accusations against HSBC were harsh — that the bank laundered money for Mexican drug cartels and conducted transactions on behalf of Iran and other states tied to terrorism. So, why did federal authorities fine HSBC rather than pursue criminal charges?

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The Statue of Liberty survived Sandy unscathed, but Liberty Island remains closed indefinitely as workers remove mud and debris.

National

Lady Liberty's Sea-Washed Gates Closed Indefinitely

8:01pm December 13, 2012

by Joel Rose

Hurricane Sandy delivered a powerful punch to New York's Ellis and Liberty islands. While Lady Liberty sustained no damage, flooding destroyed much of Ellis Island's infrastructure, and the Statue of Liberty National Monument is closed indefinitely.

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National

Will A $1.9 Billion Settlement Change Banks' Behavior?

11:55am December 13, 2012

by Robert Smith

For punishments to work, they need to be both swift and meaningful. The HSBC settlement may be neither.

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Eden Full took time off from her studies at Princeton University to work on her startup full time, after being selected for the inaugural class of the 20 Under 20 Thiel Fellowship.

Who Needs College? Young Entrepreneuer Bets On Bright Idea For Solar Energy

10:44am December 13, 2012

by Steve Henn

Eden Full dropped out of Princeton to found a startup company that brings the solar panel technology she invented to developing countries as part of a fellowship. The unusual program, funded by tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel, gives young people $100,000 to skip college and focus on their work and research instead.

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High school sophomore Jessica Miller watches her chemistry teacher's lectures on an iPad. Class time is used for working through problems and quizzes, rather than lecturing.

More Teachers 'Flipping' The School Day Upside Down

9:12am December 13, 2012

by Grace Hood

With "classroom flipping," teachers record their classroom lectures online for students to watch at home. Classroom time is then used for problem solving and homework.

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., have opposing views about a report detailing CIA detention and interrogation practices.

Report On CIA Interrogation Tactics Revives Torture Debate

9:03am December 13, 2012

by Carrie Johnson

In a closed-door meeting Thursday, lawmakers will consider whether to approve the report, which human rights groups are pushing to be made public. It's part of an ongoing fight over whether harsh interrogation methods, which critics compared to torture, were effective.

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