National

Wal-Mart is one of several large retailers that say an increase in the payroll tax may hurt U.S. sales in the months ahead.

Too Soon To Blame Payroll Tax For Stagnant Retail Sales?

7:23pm February 25, 2013

by Dan Bobkoff

Several big retailers say the return of the full payroll tax is causing consumers to curtail spending, but so far the evidence is mostly anecdotal. Some analysts argue a variety of factors, and not any specific policy, contributed to slower growth in consumer spending in January.

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The Media Frenzy Surrounding Oscar Pistorius

2:52pm February 25, 2013

South African Olympian Oscar Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in their Pretoria home. The trial has set off a media frenzy and the coverage varies widely around the globe and in sports publications.

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This map shows data reported by users of the mPING app during Friday's blizzard in the Northeast.

This App Uses The Power Of You To Report The Weather

1:19pm February 25, 2013

by NPR Staff

A new smartphone app allows users to document falling precipitation in their location. The mPING app aims to help weather officials program radar to determine exactly what's falling near you. For example, is it hail or mixed rain?

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National

Fugitive Ex-LAPD Officer Apparently Barracaded In Cabin

1:19pm February 25, 2013

Kirk Siegler talks to Melissa Block for an update on the search for former Los Angeles Police Department officer Christopher Dorner. A man that authorities identified as Dorner was holed up in a cabin near Big Bear Lake, Calif., on Tuesday evening. Hundreds of officers surrounded the home. Dorner is wanted for questioning in three murders and one attempted murder.

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A drawing from a child sent to Newtown. Illustrator Ross MacDonald, who wants to archive and preserve art like this sent to the town after the elementary school shootings, calls it "both profoundly moving and just a beautiful piece of folk art."

National

What Will Happen To All The Letters People Sent to Newtown?

9:11am February 25, 2013

by Diane Orson

In the weeks following the killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, more than a quarter-million cards, letters and gifts have arrived in Newtown, Conn. The town is trying to decide what to do with a collection that quickly outgrew its storage at the municipal building and now fills a warehouse.

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National

Oakland To Issue IDs That Double As Debit Cards

9:11am February 25, 2013

by Richard Gonzales

Oakland, Calif., is issuing municipal ID cards to anyone who can prove residency. It doubles as a debit card. Supporters say it will help residents who are poor, without a bank or undocumented. Immigration control advocates say the city is abetting illegal immigration.

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The Nordic design exhibit includes a lava rock, which Jukka Savolainen, director of the Design Museum in Helsinki, says reminds him of a gnome. The collection showcases the region's design roots, which include references to Bauhaus and 20th century modern

'Nordic Cool' Illuminates D.C.'s Kennedy Center

1:18am February 25, 2013

by Amy Walters

From the Danish modern furniture of the 1950s to the omnipresence of Ikea, Americans have long been attracted to the austere design of Nordic countries. Now a massive festival in Washington, D.C., showcases artists and designers from the very top sliver of the globe.

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A Ford Focus electric concept car with a home charging unit on display at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Mich., in January.

Flipping The Switch: What It Takes To Prioritize Electric Cars

10:48am February 24, 2013

by Dana Farrington

Estonia now has the world's first nationwide electric car charger network. What would the U.S. have to do to make a similar leap?

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People walk down a market street in Eastleigh, a predominantly Muslim Somali neighborhood in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2009. The neighborhood has come under scrutiny as the U.S. cracks down on terrorism financing.

Fighting Stream Of Terrorist Capital, Kenya Cracks Down On Somali Businesses

10:26pm February 23, 2013

by Gregory Warner

U.S. counterterrorism efforts include choking off the flow of cash to extremists and urging friendly countries to help. But in places like the Nairobi neighborhood of Eastleigh, where Somali refugees have flocked, it's hard to distinguish between tainted money and honest cash.

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Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina voices his opposition to President Obama's choice of former Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska as secretary of defense, on Capitol Hill last week.

Senate Decisions Could Put Lindsey Graham's Seat At Risk

11:55am February 23, 2013

by Tamara Keith

The South Carolina Republican has been outspoken in his criticism of President Obama's administration lately, particularly his opposition to Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense. But this may have to do more with a possible primary challenge than the nomination itself.

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