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Obama On Government: Results Bigger Than Size
President Obama wants to shift the political debate away from big versus small government and toward a discussion of whether or not the government works. Proving effectiveness requires more transparency, and the administration has used online tools to do that, but many Americans still await results.
Chicago Mayor Daley Won't Run For Re-Election
The 68-year-old Democrat has been mayor since 1989. He announced the decision Tuesday, saying it was "a personal decision, no more, no less."
Scientists: Bacteria Consuming BP Oil
Government scientists say they are seeing a zone in the Gulf of Mexico that has below-normal levels of oxygen. That indicates bacteria in the area are consuming some of the oil that spewed from BP's well.
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Pastor To Proceed With Koran Burning
A pastor in Gainesville, Fla., says he will not back off plans to burn Korans on Saturday to commemorate the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, says the church's plans could put the lives of Americans at risk and hurt the war effort.
Chicago Mayor Daley Won't Seek Re-Election
After more than 20 years in office, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley says he's not running for re-election. If Daley finishes his current term, he will have held the post longer than even his father, Richard J. Daley, who died in office after serving 21 years.
Thousands Flee Colorado Wildfire
More than 3,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the foothills west of Boulder, Colo., where a wildfire is burning out of control. The blaze started Monday and has burned thousands of acres as well as a number of homes and structures.
New York Tribal Cigarette Sales Under Fire
New York has the highest cigarette tax in the nation, but about a third of the cigarettes sold in the state aren't taxed because they're purchased online or at smoke shops run by American Indians. The state now hopes to collect sales tax on cigarettes sold to nonnatives on tribal lands.
ABC News Chief Quits
ABC News President David Westin is stepping down after 13 years on the job. In that time, he confronted a tough environment in which network news struggled for profits and viewers. Earlier this year, he laid off about a quarter of the ABC News staff.
Marine Scientists Seek Standards For Spill Research
Much of the scientific effort that has followed the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has focused on how much oil escaped and where it's gone. But many biologists say they're puzzled by the lack of an organized research effort to measure the damage.
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Hating On The President: A Great American Pastime
Is there anything a president can do to escape widespread criticism? Get another job, perhaps. Historians say it's in Americans' DNA to turn on whoever is in the White House. We've been doing it since the beginning.
Renew The Tax Cuts: Good Politics, Bad Economics?
There's a way to dramatically cut the deficit -- by simply letting the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts expire. But President Obama has vowed not to raise taxes on most Americans, a pledge that would add billions to the deficit every year. And, fiscal watchdogs note, the "Bush tax cuts" would then become Obama's.
Voters To The Parties: It’s A Date, Not A Marriage
Every time power shifts between the major parties in Washington, pundits and prognosticators say there's been a sea change. But in truth, voters can and often do change their minds quickly about who should be in charge.
Turks Hope For Lasting Cease-Fire With Kurds
The summer has been marked by violent attacks and reprisals between Kurdish separatist rebels and security forces. But a Ramadan cease-fire has some Turks hoping that the two sides can return the long-running conflict to a nonviolent path.
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Oracle Names Ex-HP CEO Mark Hurd Co-President
Oracle Corp. has announced that former Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO Mark Hurd is joining the database software maker as co-president. Oracle said in a statement Monday that Hurd will also serve as a member of the board of directors. He will report to CEO Larry Ellison.
Tropical Storm Hermine Crosses Into Texas
Tropical Storm Hermine rolled into south Texas early Tuesday, bringing heavy rains and strong winds to an area battered by Hurricane Alex earlier this summer. Hermine made landfall in northeastern Mexico late Monday and crossed into Texas within hours, bringing with it winds of up to 65 mph.
Soros Donates $100 Million To Human Rights Watch
Billionaire George Soros announces a new initiative Tuesday. The founder and chairman of the Open Society Foundations will be making a gift of $100 million over 10 years to the nonprofit group Human Rights Watch. Steve Inskeep speaks to philanthropist George Soros about his initiative.
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Fishermen Break Tradition To Keep Jobs
New England's fish stocks are severely depleted. A lack of fish, plus the high cost of going to sea, has put a lot of fishermen out of business. A group of fishermen in Port Clyde, Maine, are changing the marketing and processing of their catch in hopes of making more money on fewer fish.
Obama Proposes $50 Billion For Infrastructure
Labor Day is the traditional campaign kick off, and President Obama traveled to Milwaukee, Wisc., to mark the moment Monday. But with the economy still sagging and Democrats looking at dismal poll numbers, it's tough place to start.
True Or Not, Political Ads Kick Into High Gear
To help make sense of the impending avalanche of campaign ads, NPR has partnered with PolitiFact to present the Message Machine Fall TV Preview. Bill Adair, editor of PolitiFact.com, talks to Steve Inskeep about what to expect from the fall campaign season. PolitiFact is a project of the St. Petersburg Times.
Rite Of Passage: Moving Into A College Dorm
It's an annual ritual in Boston, as well as other areas across the country, parents help their kids move in at college dormitories. In Boston, move-in day is pretty chaotic and ties up traffic.