National

Sales of traditional hybrids, plug-ins and all-electric cars are down about 5 percent in 2014 — while truck and SUV sales have jumped.

National

As Gas Prices Drop, Hybrid Sales Shift Into Low Gear

2:32pm October 20, 2014

by Sonari Glinton

Gas prices are falling — and so are hybrid car sales. Analysts say better gas mileage for traditional vehicles, combined with low gas prices, is giving hybrids a run for their money.

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National

ISIS Threat Is 'Extremely Worrying' Says Counter-Insurgency Expert

11:44am October 20, 2014

A decade after the U.S. took control of Fallujah, America is at war again. NPR's Rachel Martin talks with former Lt. Col. John Nagl, whose counter-insurgency manual helped shape U.S. strategy in Iraq.

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National

California Farmers: We Are Getting 'Much Less Water'

11:43am October 20, 2014

Farmers say they aren't using up groundwater supplies, nor are they solely to blame for the water crisis. Almond grower Dan Errotabere talks with NPR's Rachel Martin about the situation on his farm.

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DOD: Climate Change Is A Volatile Factor In International Security

11:43am October 20, 2014

The Department of Defense says climate change is an "immediate risk" to the nation. Adm. David Titley talks with NPR's Rachel Martin about how the military must respond.

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Many rural California residents rely on private wells for tap water — wells that are starting to dry up.

National

As Their Wells Run Dry, California Residents Blame Thirsty Farms

11:43am October 20, 2014

by Sasha Khokha

Many rural residents rely on private wells for tap water. As the severe drought continues, many are wondering why farms seem to be getting water ahead of families.

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This serving of Texas barbecue brisket, sausage and beans was a mere snack on our epic movable feast.

Bike Like A Pro Athlete, Eat Like A Pig

10:59am October 20, 2014

by John Burnett

When a friend and I rode bicycles 738 miles up the spine of Texas, we were burning up to 5,500 calories a day. So we got to eat the way a calorie-counting cubicle dweller can only dream of.

McDonald's still won't reveal the recipe for its secret sauce, but it will show you how that Big Mac patty gets made.

National

What's Really In A Big Mac? McDonald's Says It's Ready To Tell All

10:59am October 20, 2014

by Maria Godoy

Pink slime? Eyeballs? Rumors about what goes into McD's food have dogged it for years. As U.S. sales falter, the firm's new ad campaign aims to tackle those concerns by inviting consumers' questions.

Pro-democracy protesters gather during a rally of the ongoing Occupy Central movement in the Admiralty District of Hong Kong on Monday. The territory's leader has accused foreign elements of helping stoke unrest.

Hong Kong Leader Blames 'External Forces' For Joining Protests

10:46am October 20, 2014

by Scott Neuman

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, who student activists have demanded step down, says "different countries in different parts of the world" are helping stoke unrest in the Chinese territory.

The Boston Herald published this cartoon earlier this month.

The Boston Herald's Missed 'Cartoongate' Lessons

10:38am October 20, 2014

by Eric Deggans

The newspaper's heartfelt column about a political cartoon that was widely criticized as racist raises a question: Did editors learn the right lessons from the uproar?

A man walks past the former site of a clinic that offered abortions in El Paso, Texas.

Despite Legal Reprieve On Abortion, Some Texas Clinics Remain Closed

8:24am October 20, 2014

by Carrie Feibel

Texas clinics that provide abortion services were surprised by a ruling from the high court this week that allows them to reopen. But the bruising legal battle may have already changed the landscape.

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