National

National

Bookless Library In Texas Aims To 'Break Down The Barriers To Reading'

7:40am October 19, 2013

San Antonio's newest library doesn't look very bookish. In fact, the BiblioTech is completely digital. Host Scott Simon speaks with Judge Nelson Wolff of Bexar County, who spearheaded the initiative, about the modern take on the traditional library.

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National

Do-It-Yourself Library Brings Neighborhood Together

7:40am October 19, 2013

Dina Moreno of Seattle describes how her family built a "Little Free Library," one of thousands of miniature lending spots popping up around the country. The library, the size of a doll house, has helped bring the neighborhood together.

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Pastor Jamie Coots holds a snake at Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name Church of Middlesboro, Ky.

National

Serpent Experts Try To Demystify Pentecostal Snake Handling

10:09pm October 18, 2013

by John Burnett

Earlier this month, NPR reported on a small group of Pentecostal Christians who handle snakes to prove their faith in God. We wondered why the handlers are bitten so rarely, and why so few of those snakebites are lethal. Herpetologists who have studied the snake-handling phenomenon have some theories.

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The Olmsted Locks and Dam project is under construction on the Ohio River between Illinois and Kentucky.

Money For Dam Project In Shutdown Deal Riles Conservatives

10:09pm October 18, 2013

by Peter Overby

When Congress voted to end the shutdown, the measure also included $2 billion for a troubled lock and dam project on the Ohio River. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, a supporter of the project, has been attacked by hard-line conservatives who call it pork-barrel spending, but he says he didn't put it in the bill.

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Daisy Coleman, now 16, looks at trophies and other awards she's won for beauty pageants, dancing and sports. She has attempted suicide at least twice since waking up in freezing temperatures on her doorstep.

National

Nearly Two Years Later, A Controversial Rape Case Is Reviewed

5:35pm October 18, 2013

by Peggy Lowe

In March 2012, two Missouri high school athletes were charged in a sexual assault case — and the charges were dropped three months later. Now, a county prosecutor will ask a judge to look at accusations. The firestorm surrounding the case was fueled in part by "hacktivist" crusaders Anonymous.

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Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, in New York City.

Wilted Reputations Left By Shutdown And Default Threat

5:35pm October 18, 2013

by John Ydstie

There was a sense of relief Thursday as the U.S. government went back to work and once again skipped past default. But around the world, many investors wonder whether the U.S. is going to be in fiscal crisis mode for some time to come, and how the country's currency and creditworthiness will be viewed by others.

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Declining Gas Prices Pump Up A Shaky Economy

12:34pm October 18, 2013

by Marilyn Geewax

The federal shutdown had economists worried, but consumers have had something to smile about. Gasoline prices are the lowest in three years — under $3 a gallon in some places. Analysts credit greater supplies, lower demand, the easing of Middle East tensions and even a slow hurricane season.

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The Schei family in 2010 (from left): Anneka, Gordon, Erik, Deven and Christine.

National

With Veteran's Life In Peril, His Parents Take Up The Fight

12:28pm October 18, 2013

by NPR Staff

Doctors said Erik Schei would be a "vegetable" for the rest of his life — and he was only 21. He had been shot in the head on his second tour in Iraq. But his parents choose to bring him home and give him another chance at life. Now, they say he's smiling every day and grateful to be alive.

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Alan Greenspan served as chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1987 to 2006, the second-longest tenure as chairman in the Fed's history.

Greenspan: 'I Probably Could Have Caught' Economic Crises

12:23pm October 18, 2013

by NPR Staff

Alan Greenspan was often celebrated during his long chairmanship of the Federal Reserve. But Greenspan's policies have been blamed by some for the Great Recession. In an interview with NPR about his new book, The Map and the Territory: Risk, Human Nature, and the Future of Forecasting, Greenspan discusses difficulties in predicting economic calamity.

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National

Tesla Slips From Pedestal That May Have Been Too High

9:52am October 18, 2013

by Sonari Glinton

The electric car company saw its stock fall this week after a video of its Model S ablaze went viral. But car analysts say the new car on the block should expect to get extra scrutiny. Consumers are watching closely to see if Tesla really is the wave of the future.

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