Search results for

Gov. Chris Christie is defending local tax increases and major federal investments, despite his tough talk on spending. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is courting the spotlight as he calls for billions of dollars from Washington to rebuild. The Republican and Democrat will have to find consensus on the plan for rebuilding — together and with a divided Congress.

Electoral math dictates the party change its position on immigration. For Republicans, the old debate was amnesty vs. deportation. But that debate died on election night. The new debate has a new dividing line: legalization vs. citizenship.

Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera was killed in a plane crash over the weekend. She's remembered as a legendary vocalist, selling over 15 million albums, and earning three Latin Grammy nominations. Host Michel Martin pays tribute to Rivera with Jasmine Garsd, co-host of NPR's online music program, Alt.Latino.

With the election over, attention in Washington has turned to the nation's debt and deficit challenges — most immediately $600 billion worth of expiring tax breaks and automatic spending cuts. Both the president and congressional leaders are signaling a willingness to work together to avoid a fiscal disaster.

Members of Congress say they'll investigate why the FBI and Justice Department didn't tell them earlier about an investigation involving former CIA Director David Petraeus. But the legal authority for reporting such sensitive information to lawmakers is murky.

President Francois Hollande says the extra work penalizes students with difficult home situations, proposing doing away with homework in elementary and junior high schools. But others argue the individual work is exactly what those students need to succeed.

Hay prices are up sharply because of the drought across much of the nation. So hay bales sitting in fields have become hot properties. So much so, in fact, that a sheriff in Oklahoma put a GPS tracker in one bale. It helped him track down the suspects.

Last month's ballot initiative that legalized marijuana contained a deal-sweetener for hesitant voters — a new DUI standard that may make life riskier for regular pot users. Regular users of medical marijuana say they'll be stuck on the wrong side of the law.

Republicans in the Senate on Tuesday blocked ratification of a U.N. treaty that would have helped countries protect the rights of disabled people. It was inspired by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Opponents argued, among other things, it would threaten the ability of parents in this country to home school their children.

Zakale Creations is a jewelry-designing operation that employs 30 young people — former thieves and prostitutes. The Nairobi-based operation is the brainchild of John Mucheru, himself a former mugger.