U.S. News and National Top Stories : NPR

U.S. OKs First Deep-Water Well In Gulf Since Spill

February 28, 2011 • The approval is the first for a deep-water well since the BP oil spill last April. The new permit will give Noble Energy the go-ahead to finish drilling a new oil well about 70 miles southeast of Venice, La.

Massey Security Chief Indicted In Mine Probe

February 28, 2011 • Federal agents arrested Hughie Elbert Stover, a Massey security official, on charges of obstruction of justice and making false statements.

Massey Security Chief Indicted In Mine Probe

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Drinking Soda May Increase Your Blood Pressure

February 28, 2011 • People who drink more than one soda or other sugar-sweetened beverage a day have higher blood pressure, a new study finds. But diet soda may not be a guilt-free answer: Study participants who drank it had higher BMIs than their sugared-up counterparts.

Obama Ribs GOP Governors With White House Ambitions

February 28, 2011 • At a White House lunch, Obama toyed with GOP governors past and present thought to want his job. He told them to make themselves at home though not literally. He also reminded everyone that a possible opponent for his job, Mitt Romney, had enacted health care legislation.

High-Tech Rearview Mirror Curbs Blind Spots

Gentex Corp.'s rearview mirror camera display enables drivers to see objects and people behind the vehicle using a tiny camera mounted to the back of the car. Courtesy of Gentex Corp. hide caption

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Courtesy of Gentex Corp.

All Tech Considered

High-Tech Rearview Mirror Curbs Blind Spots

Michigan Public

February 28, 2011 • Nearly 300 people die each year when hit by vehicles that are backing up. A Michigan company has designed a rearview mirror with an embedded video display.

High-Tech Rearview Mirror Curbs Blind Spots

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Expats Returning To Somalia Hope To Aid Change

A Somali girl in Mogadishu. The city was once a beautiful, seaside tourist town, but two decades of civil war has left it in ruins. Frank Langfitt/NPR hide caption

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Frank Langfitt/NPR

Africa

Expats Returning To Somalia Hope To Aid Change

February 28, 2011 • Somalia's government was not elected but created by a peace process, and its mandate ends in August. Some Somalians are returning to their homeland from decades abroad, taking up the overwhelming task of trying to route out corruption and get the government on track.

Expats Returning To Somalia Hope To Aid Change

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Business

NY Magazine Editor Talks About His Piece On Madoff

February 28, 2011 • In the latest New York Magazine, contributing editor Steve Fishman has a lengthy article based on several interviews Bernard Madoff conducted from prison. Madoff, who is serving 150 years behind bars for a Ponzi scheme, told Fishman that he had been mischaracterized. Melissa Block speaks with Steve Fishman about his chats with Madoff.

NY Magazine Editor Talks About His Piece On Madoff

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Opinion

The Two-Way

'Consumer Reports' Sees Ford Gaining On Toyota

February 28, 2011 • In its ratings for 2011 just released today, the magazine chose Nissan's Altima as its top family sedan, praising its comfort, handling and fuel economy. And while Ford is making gains, Toyota has been in a slide, according to the non-profit testing group.

Opinion

It's All Politics

State Budget Fights - Feb. 28 Edition

February 28, 2011 • It was a new week but with the same old standoffs in Wisconsin and beyond as Republicans still pushed bills to limit union rights. In Wisconsin, state officials began to try to regain control of the state capitol which had been crowded with pro-union protesters foro days.

Opinion

Op-Ed: Rage Simmering Among American Teachers

February 28, 2011 • Education historian Diane Ravitch says the teachers on the front lines of labor rallies in Wisconsin reflect growing anger among educators nationwide. Teachers are sick and tired, she says, of being blamed for the ills of America's public schools.

Op-Ed: Rage Simmering Among American Teachers

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The Two-Way

Obama Floats Earlier Health Care Option To Governors

February 28, 2011 • States unhappy with the new federal health care law may be able to create their own version of the overahaul in 2014 — not 2017, as the law currently states. President Barack Obama told a gathering of the nation's governors Monday that he's open to amending the law.

'3-Weed Note' Artwork by Patterson Clark - alienweeds.com Courtesy of Patterson Clark hide caption

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Courtesy of Patterson Clark

Opinion

Culture

The Art Of War On Invasive Species

February 28, 2011 • Some people fight invasive plants with chemicals and scorched-earth tactics. In Washington, D.C., graphic designer Patterson Clark turns them into art.

Patt Clark on Asiatic Bittersweet

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A Few Thoughts On Oscar Night Fashions And Other Foolishness

Actress Hailee Steinfeld helped design her frothy Marchesa gown. Matt Sayles/AP hide caption

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Matt Sayles/AP

February 28, 2011 • A Missouri school district says it may be time to do without textbooks. The Central School District in Park Hills approved a program it calls "Kindles for Kids." Electronic readers would replace books. The project will only happen if electronics stores agree to donate e-readers, or money to buy them.

Missouri School Hopes 'Kindles For Kids' Catches On

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Last U.S. Veteran Of World War I Dies At Age 110

Frank Buckles during a 2008 ceremony honoring him on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images

Obituaries

Last U.S. Veteran Of World War I Dies At Age 110

February 28, 2011 • When Frank Buckles enlisted in 1917, he was only 16. But he fudged his age and served in both world wars, surviving three years as a POW in the Philippines. He died of natural causes at his home in Charles Town, W. Va. at age 110.

Last U.S. Veteran Of World War I Dies At Age 110

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Monday February 28, 2011

Massey Security Chief Indicted In Mine Probe

Michigan Public

High-Tech Rearview Mirror Curbs Blind Spots

Expats Returning To Somalia Hope To Aid Change

NY Magazine Editor Talks About His Piece On Madoff

Op-Ed: Rage Simmering Among American Teachers

Patt Clark on Asiatic Bittersweet

Missouri School Hopes 'Kindles For Kids' Catches On

Last U.S. Veteran Of World War I Dies At Age 110