NPR Headline News
Amid Debt Crisis, A Trail Of Broken 'Promises'
Financial writer Philip Coggan traces the current global financial crisis to the 1970s when the U.S. went off the gold standard. In his book Paper Promises, Coggan says governments will have to choose whether to keep their promises to their creditors or to their citizens.
China's Heir Apparent Rekindles Early Ties To Iowa
China's Vice President Xi Jinping is coming to America. Next week, he'll meet with President Obama at the White House. He'll lead a trade delegation to California. And he'll also make a stop in Muscatine, Iowa. Xi visited the town (population 22,886) in the 1980s, as part of an agricultural mission.
Drought Ravages Farms Across Wide Swath Of Mexico
Mexico is facing one of its worst droughts in decades. Government officials say more than half of Mexico's 31 states are affected, and in some areas farmers haven't been able to harvest crops for two years in a row. Mexico's federal government is pledging more than $2 billion to help.
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Staff To Be Removed During Probe At LA School
The entire staff at an elementary school where two teachers were arrested on suspicion of lewd conduct will be removed while the school district investigates, the Los Angeles school superintendent said Monday night.
Romney Brings Up Religion Trying To Attract Social Conservatives
At a rally in the gym at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colo., Monday night, GOP presidential front-runner Mitt Romney rolled out some new material: The rights given to people by God.
UC Students Propose Alternative To Tuition Increases
Tired of tuition increases within the cash-strapped University of California system, a group of students has suggested eliminating tuition entirely. Instead, they propose graduates pay the system a percentage of their income over the subsequent 20 years.
Alabama's Immigration Law May Get A Second Look
When the Alabama Legislature begins its regular session Tuesday, lawmakers will consider changing the state's immigration law — considered the nation's toughest crackdown on illegal immigrants. Initially, the law got very little attention from the business community, but some now say the law could cost the state $11 billion.
Jews With Ties To Iran And Israel Feel Conflicted
There are some 250,000 people of Persian descent living in Israel, and they maintain strong ties with their homeland. These Iranian Jews are conflicted as tensions between the two counties escalate.
United Opposition A Challenge To Venezuela's Chavez
Opposition leaders have coalesced into a united and focused movement that is preparing to choose one candidate to run against the president, posing the strongest electoral challenge to Hugo Chavez's populist rule. Chavez still leads his nearest rival, but the gap is nothing like in years past.
Obama Fundraisers Urged To Back SuperPAC
President Obama's campaign is asking top fundraisers to support a Democratic-leaning outside group that is backing the president's re-election bid. That reverses Obama's opposition to "super" political action committees, which can spend unlimited amounts of cash to influence elections.
With Syria Embassy Shut, What's Next For The U.S.?
The defeat of a peace plan at the U.N. and the closure of the American Embassy in Damascus represent the latest blows to attempts to use diplomacy to end the violence in Syria.
Congress Passes FAA Bill That Speeds Switch To GPS
A bill to speed the nation's switch from radar to an air traffic control system based on GPS technology, and to open U.S. skies to unmanned drone flights within four years, received final congressional approval Monday.
Remembering Roger Boisjoly: He Tried To Stop Shuttle Challenger Launch
Boisjoly was the engineer who boisterously warned about problems with the Challenger's elastic seals. That he couldn't do anything about the launch haunted him and turned him into a crusader for ethics in engineering. Boisjoly died at age 73.
Heartbreak And Victory: Kyle Stanley's Week On The PGA Tour
Stanley became a poster boy for tough loses, only to come back roaring a week later.
Greece Delays Decision On Terms Of Bailout
German chancellor Angela Merkel sounded exasperated saying she couldn't understand how additional delays would help.
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In Battleground Colorado, Independents On The Rise
A centrist think tank finds that in several key states, both parties are losing voters relative to the number of newly declared independents. In Colorado, which holds its Republican caucuses Tuesday, declared independents are now about even with registered Republicans or registered Democrats.
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Fight For GOP Soul, SuperPACs Spur Negative Political Ad Explosion
While the barrage of negative ads is likely to be bad during the general election, the Republican primaries have seen a confluence of factors that have made for particularly fertile ground for negative ads: the introduction of superPACs collided with a war for control of the GOP between conservatives and hard conservatives.
'Boxing Is The Love Of My Life': A Woman Fights For A Shot At Gold
You could say Tyrieshia Douglas' boxing career began at 16, when she was arrested for street fighting. Now, at 23, Douglas is one of 24 fighters competing for three spots on the first ever U.S. Olympic women's boxing team.
U.S. Aid At Risk As Egypt Targets Democracy Groups
Egypt plans to prosecute 43 people, including 19 Americans, who have been promoting democracy in Egypt. The case has caused a furious reaction in Washington — with lawmakers threatening to hold up U.S. financial assistance to Egypt.
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Where Eye Care Is A Luxury, Technology Offers Access
Entrepreneurs and researchers are looking for ways to bring the cost of eye care down in the developing world. One group is working on technology that turns a smartphone into an eye exam machine, while another has developed glasses with liquid lenses that change prescriptions with the help of a pump.
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