Supreme Court Notes: Bugs, Pumps And Stolen Credit Card Numbers
NPR's Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg ties up a few loose ends from a momentous week in the Supreme Court.
In Light Of High Court Arguments, What Does Gay Marriage Tells Us About Polygamy?
A lawyer representing "Sister Wives" said the march of the law is toward the "right to be left alone." He said polygamy is now where gay marriage was a decade ago.
Syrian Opposition Leader Not Leaving Post
Mouaz al-Khatib said last Sunday he was reigning the presidency of the Syrian National Coalition. He criticized the international community for not doing enough to end the civil war in Syria.
Many Water Heaters Set Too High, Upping Burn Risk
Manufacturers of water heaters agreed in 1988 to set all heaters at 120 degrees Fahrenheit to help reduce tap water burns. But burn rates haven't declined much, so a scientist wanted to find out why.
Reluctant Justices May Be Forced To Make History
A look back at landmark cases makes clear that the Supreme Court never really knows exactly how its decisions will play out — especially not in the long run. That uncertainty must loom over the justices now as they contemplate the issue of gay marriage.
French President Tries Again For Tax On Rich
In a TV interview, Francois Hollande said companies that pay workers more than 1 million euros will see the tax on those salaries increase to 75 percent. The announcement comes as the Socialist leader battles plummeting approval ratings.
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Farm Bill's Sugar Subsidy More Taxing Than Sweet, Critics Say
A government sugar subsidy program is often criticized for keeping sugar prices too high. But now prices are falling and the government may buy 400,000 tons of sugar to help struggling sugar processors. Critics say the government's involvement in the sugar business should end.
Algae Bloom Kills Record Number Of Florida Manatees
More than 200 manatees have died in Florida's waterways this year from an algae bloom called red tide. The deaths come as wildlife officials try to remove the marine mammal — whose biggest killer is usually boat propellers — from the endangered species list.
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1,569: S&P 500 Closes At All Time High, Rising Above Oct. 2007 Mark
The S&P joins the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which broke its 2007 record earlier this month. Both indices have now recovered all the losses they suffered during the Great Recession.
From The Stone Age To The Digital Age In One Big Leap
Deep in the Amazon, an isolated Brazilian tribe almost vanished when it first had contact with the modern world. Now the Surui tribe is working with Google to do things like report on illegal logging in the forest.
Obama Forms Presidential Commission To Study Voting Problems
President Obama commented on the long lines for some voters during his re-election acceptance speech last November. And at his State of the Union address, he promised to seek solutions. The new commission he's forming will make recommendations to states, but it will not have the power to enforce any changes.
In Ritual, Pope Francis Washes The Feet Of Young Inmates, Women
The act was a break from tradition, because all popes in recent memory have washed the feet of fellow priests. Francis travelled to a youth prison where he washed the feet of inmates and women, two things a pope had never done.
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Pennsylvania Tightens Abortion Rules Following Clinic Deaths
A Philadelphia doctor who performed abortions is accused of murder in the deaths of a patient and seven babies who the prosecutor says were born alive. Abortion opponents cited the case as a reason to push for stricter regulations on clinics.
In Congo, Lure Of Quick Cash Turns Farmers Into Miners
'Subsistence mining' is now believed to be the single largest sector for employment. But the work is arduous, windfalls are rare, and miners complain that Chinese companies exploit them.
Chocolatiers Lindt Loses Final Appeal To Trademark Golden Easter Bunnies
For 12 years Lindt had fought this in courts; most small chocolatiers gave in, but Confiserie Riegelein challenged Lindt and won the right to keep making its own chocolate bunnies.
Thieves Target Political Ad Consultants On New FCC Site
The online government database was supposed to bring some transparency to the multimillion-dollar market in political TV ads, letting the public more easily see how much politicians and advocacy groups spend in major markets. But it also has inadvertently opened up some of those involved to fraud.
'Love Your Butt' Ads Try To Conquer Colonoscopy Fears
A new campaign is aimed at helping people overcome the stigma of colon cancer screening. Public health advocates have been laboring for years to get people over age 50 in for colonoscopies, but so far just 60 percent have been screened.
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'Shame On Us If We've Forgotten' Newtown Victims, Obama Says
The president said that the promises for action that were made after the Newtown school shooting can't be "just a bunch of platitudes." He urged Americans to press Congress to pass legislation that toughens background checks for gun buyers.
Mapping The Microbes That Flourish On Fruits And Veggies
Salad is not just a food; it's home to a flourishing community of mostly benign microbes. A new inventory finds surprising differences in the bacteria growing on popular fruits and vegetables.
Bishop: 'I See Marriage As A Sacred Institution'
Hundreds rallied outside the Supreme Court this week as the justices heard arguments in two gay marriage cases. Host Michel Martin speaks to Bishop Harry Jackson, who opposes same-sex marriage and spoke at the Marriage March, a rally held in Washington, D.C.