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NPR Topics: Nation
NPR coverage of national news, U.S. politics, elections, business, arts, culture, health and science, and technology. Subscribe to the NPR Nation RSS feed.
- Portland, Ore., Rides Bikes Around High Gas Prices
Americans want alternatives to traffic jams and high gas prices. Portland, Oregon, thinks it has found one: convincing residents to commute by bike. Cycling has doubled since 2001. And the city hopes this is just the beginning.
- For Homeowners, There's No Place Like Home
Homeowners seeking help to re-underwrite or restructure their mortgages talks about what their home means to them. They were waiting to be counseled by members of the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, which held free counseling sessions.
- Housing Bill Would Aid Struggling Homeowners
The housing bill that has passed the House would help struggling homeowners with new, more affordable mortgages. The measure would keep them from losing their homes through foreclosures and would require the cooperation of their current lenders.
- House Passes Housing Bill
The House passed the mammoth housing bill and has sent it to the Senate. The bill aims to restore confidence in the housing market by shoring up mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and offering qualified homeowners a chance to refinance their mortgages.
- Obama Reiterates Commitment to Israel
Barack Obama has met with top Israeli and Palestinian officials. His basic message has been that he is a friend of Israel who is committed to the special relationship between the two countries. He also said he would use "big sticks and big carrots" with Iran.
- McCain Talks Domestic Issues On 'JV' Press Tour
Republican John McCain held a town hall meeting in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and had a news conference scheduled for later in the day. Even so, he finds himself struggling to keep up with the attention paid to Barack Obama's foreign travel.
- Bill Bolsters Tribal Power To Prosecute Rape Cases
Native American women are far more likely to be raped than other women — and tribal officials say many incidents on reservations across the country go unreported and uninvestigated. Senate legislation introduced Wednesday would make it easier to prosecute those who commit sexual assaults on tribal land.
- Minimum-Wage Hike A Lift For Seniors, Too
The federal minimum wage increases by 70 cents on Thursday to $6.55 an hour. About one quarter of the people who work for a minimum wage are teenagers, but most are adults like 63-year-old Shirley Golliday.
- Americans Cutting Back On Medical Care, Poll Finds
Many middle-class Americans with jobs and health insurance have trouble paying their medical bills, according to a new survey. For one couple in Florida, that means putting off dental work. And a woman in Ohio shelved her doctor's request for more medical tests.
- Britain Weighs Social Cost Of 'Wonder' Drugs
Tarceva has been shown to extend life in some lung cancer patients by an average of eight weeks. But Great Britain's government health service has decided not to provide the drug. Cancer patient Donald Sutherland and his doctor, Fergus Macbeth, explain how they live with that decision.
- Minimum-Wage Workers Getting Bump In Pay
The federal minimum wage goes up 70 cents an hour on Thursday, to $6.55. Although only 2 percent of hourly earners are paid the federal minimum, it does indirectly affect many more workers.
- Understanding The Housing Bill
Congress is expected to vote this week on legislation to address the home foreclosure crisis, and shore up mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Here, a look at what the bill would do.
- Soldier In Iconic Photo Succumbs To His Demons
Army medic Joseph Dwyer was famously photographed risking his life to rescue an Iraqi child in 2003. But he spent years battling the psychological scars of war. Dwyer died June 28 in North Carolina.
- Massachusetts Steps Forward On Health Coverage
In the most closely watched health care experiment in the United States, Massachusetts is requiring nearly all of its citizens to have insurance. Support remains strong for the program, and the number of uninsured has dropped by half.
- Bush Drops Opposition To Housing Rescue Bill
President Bush reversed his stance on a congressional plan to help Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac weather the mortgage crisis and to provide struggling homeowners with more affordable loans. White House press secretary Dana Perino said the president had decided it was not the time for a veto fight.
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