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Revised SAT Debuts Sat, 12 Mar 2005 18:46:04 EST
For the first time in a decade, the SAT college entrance exam has been revised. The verbal analogy section was dropped, an essay segment was added and the math portion was changed to more closely parallel what's being taught in high schools. Two college admissions officers -- North Carolina's Dr. Jerry Lucido and Carleton College's Paul Thiboutot -- talk about how they'll use test results. |
Fugitive Held in Atlanta Courthouse Shootings Sat, 12 Mar 2005 23:06:39 EST
Georgia police arrest Brian Nichols, the man they say killed a judge, a court reporter and a deputy Friday at an Atlanta courthouse. Nichols was taken into custody at a suburban Atlanta apartment complex. He's also implicated in the death of a U.S. Customs agent whose body was found Saturday. |
NASA Scramjet Breaks Aviation Speed Record Wed, 17 Nov 2004 09:40:44 EST
The scramjet is a new plane that can fly at nearly 10 times the speed of sound. NASA conducted a successful test-flight Tuesday. The technology could lead to ultra-fast missiles, or cheaper transportation to orbit. Hear NPR's David Kestenbaum. |
New Holsters, Smarter Guns May Protect Police Sat, 12 Mar 2005 18:46:04 EST
How can police officers keep from having their guns turned against them? New holster designs may help, and so may "smarter" guns. But many police officers are wary of new technology, and cite better training as the best safeguard. |
Bush Pushes Social Security Plan in Shreveport Sat, 12 Mar 2005 15:41:00 EST
President Bush stopped in Shreveport, La., Friday as part of his campaign to promote an overhaul of the Social Security system. His visit to Centenary College was aimed in part at Rep. Jim McCrery (R-LA), chairman of a House subcomittee that will review the proposed legislation. |
Prison Gangs Keep Tight Rein on Members Sat, 12 Mar 2005 15:41:00 EST
Though they are held in stark isolation, gang members remain active at a California prison. And once a prisoner is in a gang, it's tough to get out. Hear the second part of an American RadioWorks report on the gangs of Pelican Bay State Prison. |
A New Motto for New Mexico? Sat, 12 Mar 2005 15:41:00 EST
New Mexico state Sen. Joseph Carraro wants to change his state's motto. It's now "Crescit Eundo" (It Grows as It Goes). He prefers "Antiqua Suspice, Crastina Accipe" (Cherish the Past, Embrace the Future). Why? Carraro tells Scott Simon that no one knows what "It Grows as It Goes" means. |
Mississippi Faces Medicaid Crisis Sat, 12 Mar 2005 19:11:30 EST
In Mississippi, hundreds of thousands of Medicaid recipients are unsure whether they will receive checks this month as the state grapples with a deficit of $268 million. |
Kansas Medicaid Strategy Would Raise Tobacco Taxes Sat, 12 Mar 2005 19:11:30 EST
Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius proposes to raise tobacco taxes in Kansas to fund expansion of Medicaid and other health care programs. |
Art Registry Helps Track Stolen Works Thu, 02 Dec 2004 11:45:50 EST
The Art Loss Registry, a small for-profit company in New York helps track stolen art works. It's had some prominent success stories. Hear NPR's Jim Zarroli. |
The New SAT Sat, 12 Mar 2005 17:41:33 EST
The College Board has introduced a new version of the SAT that is longer and harder than previous versions and, for the first time, includes a mandatory writing component. That's causing more anxiety than ever -- for students, teachers and college admissions officers. |
Genital Mutilation Can Be Grounds for Asylum Status, Court Rules Sat, 12 Mar 2005 19:11:30 EST
An appeals court ruling in favor of a young Somali woman says that a history of genital mutilation makes a woman automatically eligible for asylum in the U.S. |
High Rents Force Out Veteran Clubs in New York City Sat, 12 Mar 2005 19:11:30 EST
New York's East Village and Lower East Side have long been havens for artists and incubators of new music. But, as has happened in so many cities, the artists make it hip to live there; the rents go up; and the artists are forced out. What does it mean to the cultural fabric of a city? |
A Major Risk Factor for Birds: Building Collisions Sat, 12 Mar 2005 19:11:30 EST
Organizers of the Birds and Buildings Conference in Chicago Friday, say that 1 billion birds a year are killed in the U.S. from collisions with windows. Melissa Block talks with Ellen Grimes, a speaker at the conference. |
DNA Evidence Links Suspect to Lefkow Murders Fri, 11 Mar 2005 15:40:47 EST
Chicago police say they have conclusive evidence connecting a man who committed suicide in Wisconsin on Wednesday to last week's murders of the husband and mother of Illinois federal judge Joan Lefkow. Bart Ross, 57, killed himself during a traffic stop in suburban Milwaukee. Ross left a suicide note in which he admitted carrying out the murders. |
EPA Unveils Plan to Cut Smog and Soot Fri, 11 Mar 2005 18:05:01 EST
The Environmental Protection Agency announces a plan the Bush administration says will create the biggest reduction in air pollution since the 1990 Clean Air Act. The new rule will require coal-fired power plants in 28 states to reduce some emissions by 60 percent over the next 10 years. |
Caring for the Wounded: The Story of Two Marines Thu, 10 Mar 2005 10:11:08 EST
A three-part report follows the recovery of two Marines wounded in Fallujah. 1st Sgt. Brad Kasal and Lance Cpl. Alex Nicoll were seriously injured in one of the fiercest battles of the Iraq war. |
Missouri University Gets New Name Fri, 11 Mar 2005 15:40:47 EST
Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield will change its name to Missouri State University under a compromise reached in the Missouri legislature. For years, the University of Missouri in Columbia had adamantly opposed the name change -- and it's not happy now. |
Texas Man Could Face Death Penalty in Human Smuggling Case Thu, 10 Mar 2005 20:48:12 EST
Melissa Block talks to Ralph Blumenthal of the New York Times about the immigrant-smuggling trial of Tyrone Williams in Houston. Dramatic footage played in court showed people staggering out of a truck in which 17 people had died. |
Baseball Stars Called to Testify on Steroids Thu, 10 Mar 2005 16:00:23 EST
The Senate subpoenas some of the biggest names in Major League Baseball to testify before Congress about alleged steroid use. However, current and former stars including Sammy Sosa, Jason Giambi and Mark McGuire are reluctant, and the league is challenging the invitations. |
Budget Shortfalls Force Tough Cuts in Buffalo, N.Y. Thu, 10 Mar 2005 16:00:23 EST
More than 2,000 government workers around Buffalo, N.Y., are losing their jobs. Erie County legislators have approved sweeping cuts in everything from police to parks to avoid raising the county sales tax. |
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Ga. Suspect Could Appear in Court Monday (AP) Sun, 13 Mar 2005 13:09:16 GMT
AP - A suspect in the deadly courthouse shootings of a judge and two other people surrendered without a struggle as law enforcement officials surrounded him, just hours after he led authorities on a massive manhunt in the Atlanta area. |
Man Kills 7, Self at Wis. Church Meeting (AP) Sun, 13 Mar 2005 13:13:59 GMT
AP - A man armed with a handgun opened fire during an evangelical church service at a suburban Milwaukee hotel, killing seven people before taking his own life, police said. Two teenagers and a 72-year-old man were among the victims. |
Poll Shows Concern About Gov't Secrecy (AP) Sun, 13 Mar 2005 13:29:52 GMT
AP - Americans feel strongly that good government depends on openness with the public, with seven out of 10 people concerned about government secrecy, a new poll says. |
Group: Afghan Prison Abuse Began in 2002 (AP) Sun, 13 Mar 2005 06:05:59 GMT
AP - Unreleased U.S. Army reports detailing the deaths of two Afghan men who were beaten to death by American soldiers show that military prison abuses began in Afghanistan in 2002, and were part of a systematic pattern of mistreatment, a human rights representative said Saturday. |
Bright Streaking Light Seen in Western Sky (AP) Sun, 13 Mar 2005 08:11:21 GMT
AP - Dozens of residents in the Pacific Northwest reported seeing a bright streak of light as it flashed across the sky, startling witnesses from southern Oregon to the Seattle area, according to officials. |
CIA Agent's Dad Probes Deadly Afghan Riot (AP) Sun, 13 Mar 2005 11:26:12 GMT
AP - A grieving father is trying to gather the facts behind an uprising on Nov. 25, 2001, at the makeshift prison in Afghanistan where CIA officer Johnny Micheal "Mike" Spann became the first American casualty of the Afghan war. |
Ill. Judge Mourns Slain Mother at Funeral (AP) Sun, 13 Mar 2005 11:24:07 GMT
AP - Donna Humphrey, the slain mother of a federal judge, was remembered at a funeral service Saturday as a bright and inquisitive woman who was active in her church and gave her time to charity. |
Law Enforcers Puzzle Over 'Mafia Cops' (AP) Sat, 12 Mar 2005 21:04:01 GMT
AP - One was fat, flashy and liked by fellow cops, a rough-and-tumble detective with a storied career despite having relatives in the Mob. The other was skinnier and quieter, and had spent years in the nerve center of Mafia murder investigations. |
U.S. Veterans Mark Iwo Jima Anniversary (AP) Sun, 13 Mar 2005 02:50:44 GMT
AP - Aging American combat veterans and a handful of former Japanese soldiers gathered on a hillside over the landing beaches of the Battle of Iwo Jima on Saturday to mark the 60th anniversary of one of the bloodiest and most symbolic battles of World War II. |
Hundreds Re-Enact Selma Civil Rights March (AP) Sun, 13 Mar 2005 00:34:52 GMT
AP - Black politicians must urge Congress to extend the Voting Rights Act, civil rights leaders said Saturday at the finale of the re-enactment of the Selma-to-Montgomery march that helped lead to passage of the law. |
Americans Back Troops Via Bumper Magnets (AP) Sun, 13 Mar 2005 03:19:40 GMT
AP - Sandra Wetmore, lover of country and supporter of troops, wanted a simple way to show her allegiances. So, like many other Americans, she put them on her bumper, sticking on a yellow, ribbon-shaped magnet that pleads "Support Our Troops" and others promising "United We Stand" and "God Answers Prayers." These magnetic ribbons have become fixtures on highways across the country, a symbol of people looking for ways to show support of the men and women overseas, or of issues such as breast cancer research and autism awareness. |
L.A. Mayoral Hopefuls Vie for Key Groups (AP) Sat, 12 Mar 2005 19:17:49 GMT
AP - Mayor James Hahn is limping toward a May runoff with no clear path to a second term, mostly deserted by his fragile political coalition in one of the nation's most diverse cities. |
Across U.S., Citizens Fight for Records (AP) Sun, 13 Mar 2005 03:13:36 GMT
AP - Ed Lambert, Al Lima and Mike Miozza never thought of themselves as activists, just regular guys. Then an energy company announced plans to build a liquefied natural gas terminal in this small community on the Taunton River. The men — the mayor, a city planner and an engineer — had nightmare visions of gas igniting into a huge fireball on the river, and asked for government-held reports that studied the threat to the town if the plant or a tanker were attacked. |
Communities Adjust to Medical Privacy Laws (AP) Sun, 13 Mar 2005 02:59:26 GMT
AP - Practices which helped neighbors stay connected in this community of 1,200 and others like it across the country are largely gone — partly because of the nation's new medical privacy laws under the Health Insurance and Portability and Accountability Act. |
Bush Attacks Social Security 'Scare Ads' (AP) Sun, 13 Mar 2005 11:30:22 GMT
AP - President Bush and Democrats took their differences over Social Security to the airwaves on Saturday, with Bush complaining about "scare ads" against his plan and Democrats denouncing his proposal as a "risky privatization scheme." |
Phoenix Inmate to Defend Self at Trial (AP) Sat, 12 Mar 2005 20:27:40 GMT
AP - An inmate charged with taking a prison guard hostage for 15 days plans to defend himself in his trial beginning Monday — and says he will have the woman he is accused of raping "in shreds" when he questions her on the stand. |
Ore. Seeks Burial Site for Unclaimed Ashes (AP) Sat, 12 Mar 2005 18:21:49 GMT
AP - Gustav Metzgus died in 1938 at the state psychiatric hospital where he was being treated for dementia, and his cremated remains were stored in a nameless metal canister alongside hundreds of others in a dank room. |
Bush: Much 'Educating' to Do on Soc. Sec. (AP) Sat, 12 Mar 2005 14:07:26 GMT
AP - In state after state along President Bush's Social Security road campaign, hand-picked audiences cheer him, leaving the impression that the nation wholeheartedly backs his ideas for reform. The reality is different. |
Family: Suspected Killer Is 'Good Person' (AP) Sat, 12 Mar 2005 23:08:18 GMT
AP - Two pictures have emerged of the man police say went on a bloody rampage through Atlanta — allegedly killing a judge and as many as three others before his arrest Saturday at a suburban apartment complex. |
Chicago Killer Spent Last Days in Rage (AP) Sat, 12 Mar 2005 18:32:13 GMT
AP - It was one of those rulings that judges hand down all the time, dismissing a medical malpractice lawsuit. But U.S. District Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow's ruling and an appellate court's decision to uphold it may have been the last straw for Bart Ross, a lonely man already gripped by rage and perhaps paranoia, putting him on a collision course with the judge he saw as a symbol for a government that wouldn't protect him. |
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Atlanta Shooting Suspect Caught Sun, 13 Mar 2005 10:23:17 GMT
A woman called 911 Saturday morning and said Nichols was in her apartment after having held her captive there for several hours. |
7 Slain, 4 Wounded at Wis. Church Service Sun, 13 Mar 2005 10:23:17 GMT
A Wisconsin man opened fire at a church service at a busy hotel, killing seven people and wounding four others before killing himself. |
Harlem's New Rush: Booming Real Estate Sun, 13 Mar 2005 10:23:17 GMT
The transformation of the historic capital of Black America has taken an amphetamined step or three beyond a Starbucks, a Body Shop and former president Bill Clinton taking an office on 125th Street. |
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Report: Terrorism Suspects Got OK to Buy Guns Tue, 08 Mar 2005 12:02:10 GMT
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A congressional investigation found dozens of terrorism suspects on federal watch lists got approval to buy guns legally in the United States last year, The New York Times reported on Tuesday. |
Lockheed Workers Strike at Georgia Plant Tue, 08 Mar 2005 12:38:29 GMT
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Top U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. on Tuesday said 3,000 workers went on strike at its Marietta, Georgia, plant, where it builds the F/A-22 fighter jet. |
Martha Stewart Goes Back to Work After Prison Tue, 08 Mar 2005 04:44:37 GMT
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart returned to work on Monday and told her cheering staff she would use lessons from her five months in prison to improve her company's products and reach a broader audience. |
Senate Votes Down Wage Hike in Bankruptcy Bill Tue, 08 Mar 2005 04:42:30 GMT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Monday voted down both Republican and Democratic efforts to tack a minimum wage hike onto bankruptcy legislation, as Republicans kept up their push to keep the bill free of most amendments. |
Judge Refuses to Dismiss Abu Ghraib Guard Charges Tue, 08 Mar 2005 04:45:53 GMT
FORT HOOD, Texas (Reuters) - A military judge on Monday rejected a motion to dismiss charges against U.S. Army Spc. Sabrina Harman and said she would go to trial in May for allegedly abusing Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib. |
Colorado University President Resigns After Scandals Tue, 08 Mar 2005 02:43:55 GMT
BOULDER, Colo. (Reuters) - The president of the University of Colorado resigned on Monday after a year of turmoil over a sex and football scandal and a professor who compared victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks to a Nazi war criminal. |
Distillers Council Opens Ad Review Process Tue, 08 Mar 2005 05:14:10 GMT
NEW YORK (Reuters) - For the first time in its 70-year history, a trade group for distilled spirits makers is publishing its decisions on advertising complaints amid growing concern over the effect of liquor ads on underage drinkers. |
Boy Tells Jury Michael Jackson Groped Brother Tue, 08 Mar 2005 02:24:59 GMT
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (Reuters) - A 14-year-old boy told jurors in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial on Monday that he twice saw the pop star masturbating himself and groping his sleeping brother, the first testimony in the case that directly implicates Jackson of sex abuse. |
Indian Casinos Need More Oversight -Sen. McCain Tue, 08 Mar 2005 01:02:57 GMT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government needs to step up its oversight of the booming Indian casino industry to prevent the kind of Mafia-style corruption that once plagued Las Vegas, U.S. Sen. John McCain said on Monday. |
Boeing CEO's Firing Puts Office Romances on Notice Mon, 07 Mar 2005 23:50:47 GMT
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The ousting on Monday of Boeing's chief executive, Harry Stonecipher, shows that office romance is not what it used to be. |
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Ga. slay suspect may face charges Monday Sun, 13 Mar 2005 13:01:07 GMT
A 911 call from a woman who had been held hostage for hours in her own apartment ended a daylong manhunt for a rape suspect accused ... |
Fireball sighted over Pacific Northwest Sun, 13 Mar 2005 07:34:53 GMT
A fireball streaked through the night sky across the western half of the Pacific Northwest on Saturday, startling people all ... |
High levels of mercury found in Vt. birds Sun, 13 Mar 2005 07:19:19 GMT
Scientists have found high levels of mercury in songbirds on Vermont mountaintops. Researchers at the Vermont Institute of Natural ... |
Poll: 7 in 10 worried about gov't secrecy Sun, 13 Mar 2005 06:58:20 GMT
Americans feel strongly that good government depends on openness with the public, with seven out of 10 people concerned about ... |
Pacific center sued over tsunami warning Sun, 13 Mar 2005 06:39:46 GMT
Tsunami survivors and relatives of victims have sued the federal agency that operates the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, alleging ... |
Gunman guns down seven at hotel church service, then kills self Sun, 13 Mar 2005 03:38:02 GMT
A gunman opened fire Saturday at a church service being held at a hotel, killing seven people before taking his own life, authorities ... |
Accused rapist to defend self, question alleged victim Sat, 12 Mar 2005 20:37:21 GMT
An inmate charged with taking a prison guard hostage for 15 days plans to defend himself in his trial beginning Monday and ... |
AT&T execs would get $31M as part of SBC sale Sat, 12 Mar 2005 18:14:23 GMT
Top executives of AT&T Corp. would receive $31 million in severance pay if the long-distance company's deal to be acquired by ... |
Memorial held for judge's slain mother Sat, 12 Mar 2005 21:19:02 GMT
Donna Humphrey, the slain mother of a federal judge, was remembered at a funeral service Saturday as a bright and inquisitive ... |
Cops trace last steps of man accused of Chicago slayings Sat, 12 Mar 2005 16:26:21 GMT
Police in Illinois and Wisconsin have been tracing the steps of Bart Ross the man police say killed U.S. District Judge Joan ... |
Schiavo turns down $1M offer Fri, 11 Mar 2005 20:59:47 GMT
A man fighting to have a feeding tube removed from his brain-damaged wife on Friday rejected a California businessman's offer ... |
Golden Gate officials want suicide barrier Sat, 12 Mar 2005 02:56:41 GMT
Golden Gate Bridge officials ordered studies for a suicide barrier Friday, leaving engineers with the difficult task of designing ... |
Man accused of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart kicked out of hearing Fri, 11 Mar 2005 19:49:53 GMT
The man charged with kidnapping teenager Elizabeth Smart was kicked out of his mental competency trial Friday after he began ... |
DNA connects suicide victim to killing of judge's family Fri, 11 Mar 2005 19:03:15 GMT
A DNA match from a cigarette butt convinced police that a Chicago electrician was the killer of a federal judge's husband and ... |
Five Florida children allege abuse at hands of parents Fri, 11 Mar 2005 17:01:22 GMT
Five children who say they were abused by their adoptive parents told investigators they were denied food for up to three days ... |
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Schiavo spouse rejects offer to bow out Sat, 12 Mar 2005 07:22:47 GMT
The husband of Terry Schiavo on Friday rejected a businessman’s offer to pay him $1 million to give up his right to decide her medical treatment, saying the decision is not about money. |
Is it over yet? Snow again over Northeast Fri, 11 Mar 2005 14:29:22 GMT
Another major storm is expected this weekend over the Northeast, with some parts of northern New England expecting up to two feet of snow. |
U.S. students rescue Haitians adrift at sea Fri, 11 Mar 2005 01:21:11 GMT
For 22 college students on a voyage in the Caribbean, the six-week trip would have been an adventure to remember in any case, but their encounter with a boat full of Haitians adrift at sea made it a life-changing event. By Kari Huus |
West, South brace for fierce fire season Fri, 11 Mar 2005 17:33:51 GMT
Controlled fires are burning in Texas and other parts of the south, and will soon occur in the mountains and vast forests of the West in preparation for what is expected to be an "active wildfire season." NBC News Al Henkel reports from a controlled fire in Wise County, Texas. |
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Why reform is tough
US Congress begins formal debate on the retirement system, but a 1983-style deal looks hard to reach. |
The man who Democrats hope can take that Hill
The edgy and brash Rahm Emanuel is becoming a leading voice for the party on policy. |
Teens ready to prove text-messaging skills can score SAT points
Many experts insist that the proliferation of writing, in all its harried, hasty forms, has actually created a generation more adept with the written word. |
A smuggling trial that raises racial issues, too
Of 14 indicted in immigrant deaths, why does only Tyrone Williams face capital punishment? |
Fiscal crunch time in San Diego
Investigations of a pension-fund scandal and a slim mandate for the mayor put pressure on city government. |
In Montana this winter, the golfing has been superb
While torrential rains and mud slides tormented the Southwest, parts of the Northwest missed their snow. |
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Police Capture Atlanta Suspect in Court Killings Sun, 13 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EDT
The man surrendered peacefully after a SWAT team cornered him in the apartment of a woman he had taken hostage. |
Gunman Kills 7 in Wisconsin Church Group Sun, 13 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EDT
A man opened fire at an evangelical church meeting being held at a hotel in suburban Milwaukee, then took his own life. |
Smuggling Trial in Texas Focuses on Trucker's Role Sun, 13 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EDT
The suffocating journey killed 19 illegal immigrants from Mexico, Central and South America, in the nation's deadliest human smuggling disaster. |
Nuclear Sub Missed Warning Signs Before Crash, Navy Says Sun, 13 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EDT
Crew members on the submarine did not look at some navigational charts of the South Pacific that might have prompted more caution, Navy officials said. |
Under Bush, a New Age of Prepackaged Television News Sun, 13 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EDT
Government-made news segments have been broadcast on local television stations without acknowledgement of their origin. |
Fliers Find That Mileage Points Go Only So Far Sun, 13 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EDT
Travelers are facing the prospect that like free meals and pillows, the golden age for frequent fliers is going away. |
