U.S. News and National Top Stories : NPR

Planet Money

Turf Wars And Details Bog Down A Banking Overhaul

July 31, 2009 • Lawmakers are months behind the original goal of making sweeping changes to the nation's financial regulations. Leaders agree that changes are needed, but they just don't see eye to eye on what those changes might be.

Turf Wars And Details Bog Down A Banking Overhaul

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Law

Money-Laundering In Jersey? Fuhgeddaboudit!

July 31, 2009 • Federal investigators are still trying to unravel an alleged money-laundering scheme involving rabbis in New Jersey. A former federal agent explains how these schemes work.

Money-Laundering In Jersey? Fuhgeddaboudit!

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Michael Jackson Autopsy Report Delayed

July 31, 2009 • Toxicology screens from Michael Jackson's autopsy have been delayed indefinitely. But leaks in the case make it clear that authorities are looking at the anesthetic agent propofol as the likely cause of death.

Michael Jackson Autopsy Report Delayed

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Education

At School, Lower Expectations Of Dominican Kids

July 31, 2009 • Parents and teachers often expect less of students who are the children of Dominican immigrants. This causes their grades and ambitions to suffer.

At School, Lower Expectations Of Dominican Kids

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Children's Health

Will Swine Flu Follow Campers To School?

July 31, 2009 • Scores of children have been sent home from summer camps across the nation this summer with flulike symptoms. The outbreaks have raised concerns about what schools may face this fall.

Will Swine Flu Follow Campers To School?

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Architecture

When A Man's Home Really Is His Castle

July 31, 2009 • From whimsical to threatening, mock medieval castles are scattered throughout the U.S. They are monuments to wealth, theatricality, eccentricity and the Gothic revival in architecture. But what inspires people to build them?

When A Man's Home Really Is His Castle

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Architecture

Bull Run Castle: Medieval Madness In Suburban Virginia

July 31, 2009 • John Roswell Miller decided he wanted a castle in 1979, so he built Bull Run in Loudoun County, Va. The eccentric estate has drawn "vampires" and people offering to pay to be trapped in its dungeon. Miller, who sold the castle three years ago, takes NPR on a virtual tour.

Politics

House Panel Close To Health Care Bill Agreement

July 31, 2009 • A key House committee appears close to a vote on a plan that would cover almost all uninsured Americans and limit annual increases on insurance premiums.

Faith Matters

The Promise Keepers Open Its Doors To Women

July 31, 2009 • The Promise Keepers, a men's evangelical group, celebrates 20 years of ministry with their "A Time to Honor" conference. This year, for the first time, program coordinators have created special sessions aimed at both men and women. Promise Keepers President Raleigh Washington talks about his organization's mission and how the men see themselves as protectors of the women in their lives.

The Promise Keepers Open Its Doors To Women

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A Modern-Day 'Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?'

July 31, 2009 • President Obama, Vice President Biden, Professor Henry Gates and Sgt. James Crowley met in the Rose Garden yesterday for a beer and a reconciliatory chat about racial divisions. But was it successful?

A Modern-Day 'Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?'

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Economy

Economic Recovery Looks Likely, But In What Form?

July 31, 2009 • Most economists now say the recession is bottoming out and a turnaround is expected in the second half of 2009. But what shape it might take is still a matter of debate. The latest GDP numbers could point to a pronounced "V-shaped" type of rebound, rather than the less desirable and drawn-out "U."

Politics

House Approves Fresh 'Cash For Clunkers' Money

July 31, 2009 • The government program, which offers owners of old cars and trucks up to $4,500 if they trade in their old vehicle for a new, more fuel-efficient one, has burned through its initial funding.

Auto Industry In Turmoil

'Cash For Clunkers' Lacks Cash For Clunkers

July 31, 2009 • The White House says it's reviewing options for keeping the "cash for clunkers" program going. Auto dealers already may have surpassed the 250,000 vehicle sales funded by the $950 million program. The White House says any valid deals already made will be honored.

'Cash For Clunkers' Lacks Cash For Clunkers

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Tracking The Overhaul

Congress Armed For Health Care Battle During Recess

July 31, 2009 • Congress won't be in session, but that doesn't mean politics stops for the summer. In fact, August is when political battles can heat up. And both sides will be bringing the fight home to their constituents.

Congress Armed For Health Care Battle During Recess

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Deportation Dilemmas Deepen For U.S. Hospitals

Luis Jimenez in 2003, after being deported from Florida's Martin Memorial Medical Center to Guatemala City, Guatemala. Rodrigo Abd/AP hide caption

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Rodrigo Abd/AP

Deportation Dilemmas Deepen For U.S. Hospitals

July 31, 2009 • A Florida jury recently decided that a hospital acted "reasonably" when it deported a patient who was an illegal immigrant to Guatemala. Some experts think the case could make hospitals warier in the future about treating undocumented patients.

Deportation Dilemmas Deepen For U.S. Hospitals

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