One Lunch Lady's Cafeteria Conversion
"If it's not me, who's it going to be?" asks Colorado school cafeteria manager Kathy Del Tonto. After serving processed foods in her cafeterias for years, she realized that reducing childhood obesity can begin with her. She now has the lunch ladies making 95 percent of meals from scratch.
Congress Extends FISA Wiretapping Act To 2017; Awaits Obama's Signature
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has been approved for another five years, as the Senate voted to renew the law that grants the government wide surveillance authority. President Obama has said he intends to sign the measure, which senators approved by a 73-23 margin Friday morning.
Victim Of Brutal Rape In India Dies In Singapore Hospital
A woman who survived a brutal gang-rape on a bus in India has died, according to reports. Earlier Friday, hospital officials in Singapore, where the 23-year-old student was being treated, had warned that her condition was worsening.
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Virtually Anyone Can See The Dead Sea Scrolls Now
This past week, Google and the Israel Antiquities Authority posted thousands of high-resolution images of the Dead Sea Scrolls online. Now, anyone can get up-close and personal with the ancient biblical texts — rewrites and all.
Suicide Hotline Fights To Keep Vets And Troops Alive
For the first time in a decade of war, more active-duty troops took their own lives this year than died fighting in Afghanistan. The national suicide hotline is one way the Department of Veterans Affairs is trying to help troops and vets.
Obama And McConnell Say They Are 'Optimistic' On Fiscal Cliff Deal
Seeking to avert automatic spending cuts and tax increases that are set to take effect on Jan. 1, President Obama and the four senior leaders of Congress huddled at the White House today.
Tracking Gun-Related Deaths, One Tweet At A Time
Slate and a citizen journalist are trying to report every gun-related death in the nation on a daily basis. There is no central clearinghouse for such information. The goal of the project, Slate says, is to provide key data for the post-Newtown debate over gun laws.
Out Of Desperation, North Korean Women Become Breadwinners
In North Korea, profound social change is happening beyond the view of the outside world. The pressure of national ideology has forced women to become the primary breadwinners in many households — dramatically redrawing gender roles in the process.
Port Strike Averted As Dock Workers, Terminal Operators Agree To Extension
A federal mediator says the International Longshoremen's Association and port operators have agreed in principle on key issues and will extend their negotiations by 30 days.
Is 'Django Unchained' The 'Blackest Film Ever?'
Quentin Tarantino's new film Django Unchained has sparked controversy about his portrayal of slavery. Also, a dispute continues over whether gun owners names and addresses should be made public. And, what are the most underreported stories of 2012? The Barbershop guys weigh in with host Michel Martin for the last time this year.
The Year In Tweets
President Obama might have had the top tweet this year, but a lot of other notable things were said and discussed on Twitter in 2012. Host Michel Martin gets a breakdown of the year's top tweets from Keli Goff of The Root and blogger Viviana Hurtado of The Wise Latina Club.
Is Kwanzaa Still A Thing?
Wednesday marked the start of Kwanzaa, the seven day festival celebrating African-American culture. In the 1980s and '90s, many considered Kwanzaa a mainstream holiday like Christmas and Hanukkah. But now there seems to be less fanfare. Host Michel Martin speaks with Duke University's Mark Anthony Neal about whether Kwanzaa is still a thing.
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Reading The Economic Tea Leaves For 2013
Mark Zandi of Moody's Analytics predicts a last-minute deal on the "fiscal cliff" might be an early drag on next year's economy, but by year's end, the economy will be gaining momentum. If there's no deal? "I don't even want to think about it," he says.
Storm Refugees Struggle To Rebound In Times Square
This New Year's Eve, victims of Superstorm Sandy will likely be in Times Square to watch the ball drop. But they may not be there by choice. Their homes were ruined by the storm in October, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has placed thousands in hotels in the area.
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Election Study: Black Turnout May Have Surpassed That Of Whites
Blacks also voted at a higher rate than other minorities in what could turn out to be a historic election, according to the Pew Research Center.
Italians Outraged By Priest's Claim That Women Bring Violence On Themselves
In Italy, a Catholic priest has stirred widespread outrage after he blamed incidents of domestic violence on the way women dress. Father Piero Corsi's remarks were in a Christmas message he put on a church bulletin board; photos of the note soon went viral.
After Apparent Abduction, Miniature Pony Returns To Circus
Sighs of relief were breathed in Austria today, after a missing pony made it back to his circus after an apparent horse-napping. While it might seem difficult to steal, and then conceal, a horse, consider that the animal, named Fridolin, is only about two feet tall.
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Ski Resort Makes Snow With Treated Wastewater, After A Long Dispute
An Arizona ski resort is making snow for the first time this year, ending more than seven years' worth of legal battles over its snowmaking system, which relies entirely upon treated wastewater to coat its slopes when the snowfall has been uneven.
Shootings Leave Sandy Hook Survivors Rethinking The Odds
The probability that an individual will experience a school shooting may be low. But when the improbable happens to you, where do you find comfort?
An Abundance Of Extreme Weather Has Many On Edge
It was the warmest year on record and brought a series of extreme weather events, from wildfires and floods to drought and a devastating derecho. Polls show a big jump this year in the number of people connecting such disasters with climate change.