National Security
1:40 am
Thu March 22, 2012

Cybersecurity Bill: Vital Need Or Just More Rules?

Credit Mark J. Terrill / AP
The Homeland Security Department's Control System Security Program facilities in Idaho Falls, Idaho, are intended to protect the nation's power grid, water and communications systems. U.S. security officials and members of Congress are convinced a new law may be needed to promote improved cyberdefenses at critical facilities.

Originally published on Fri March 23, 2012 4:03 am

Consider what Hurricane Katrina did to New Orleans, and you get an idea of the consequences of a cyberattack on critical U.S. infrastructure: No electricity. No water. No transportation. Terrorists or enemy adversaries with computer skills could conceivably take down a power grid, a nuclear station, a water treatment center or a chemical manufacturing plant.

Read more
Business
1:01 am
Thu March 22, 2012

Airlines, Fliers Seek To Fit More In Overhead

U.S.
1:00 am
Thu March 22, 2012

Army Health Care In Spotlight After Afghan Shooting

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And I'm David Greene. Good morning.

The lawyer for the soldier suspected of killing unarmed Afghan civilians last week says his client may have suffered from diminished capacity, or in other words a mental breakdown. That possibility has focused attention on the Army's ability to detect and treat psychological problems among soldiers. NPR's Martin Kaste reports on how the Army's system works in theory and in practice.

Read more
Politics
1:00 am
Thu March 22, 2012

Obama Showcases His Energy Policy On 2-Day Tour

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning. I'm David Greene.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And I'm Steve Inskeep.

President Obama visits Oklahoma today, talking of speeding construction for a major oil pipeline. Yesterday, he visited a solar panel farm in Nevada. Those were just two of the stops on a presidential effort to defend his energy policies. He's under pressure from Republicans because of rising gas prices.

And we start our coverage with NPR's Scott Horsley.

Read more
Sports
1:00 am
Thu March 22, 2012

NFL Shake-Ups: 'Bounty' Suspension, Tebow Trade

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

March Madness is supposed to be all about basketball. But it was the NFL that produced a dizzying day of news yesterday. The NFL came down like a ton of bricks on the New Orleans Saints. The league suspended head coach Sean Payton for the entire 2012 season. That was punishment for the team's bounty system, which paid players for injuring opponents.

Read more
U.S.
1:00 am
Thu March 22, 2012

Crowds Join Slain Youth's Parents In 'Hoodie March'

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Today, Justice Department officials meet with family of Trayvon Martin. The unarmed African-American teen was shot in Florida by a neighborhood watch volunteer. Last night, Martin's parents joined a rally in New York's Union Square, and NPR's Margot Adler attended.

MARGOT ADLER, BYLINE: There was rage, sadness and also the feeling of a prayerful community gathering. When the parents of Trayvon Martin spoke, the crowds pushed closer to get a look and shouted words of encouragement. Tracy Martin, the teenager's father, spoke first.

Read more
Author Interviews
12:52 am
Thu March 22, 2012

'Wonder' What It's Like To Have Kids Stare At You?

Raquel Jaramillo's debut novel, Wonder, written under the pen name R.J. Palacio, was born out of a rather embarrassing incident. The author was out with her two sons, sitting in front of an ice cream store. Her oldest had just finished fifth grade, and her youngest was still in a stroller. They spotted a girl whose face had been deformed by a medical condition.

Read more
Hanford
6:22 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

Hanford Waste Plant’s Vessels May Have To Be Redesigned Says Top-Level U.S. Energy Official

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Parts of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation’s massive waste treatment plant may have to be redesigned. That’s according to testimony Wednesday in Washington, D.C. by a top level manager for the U.S. Department of Energy.

Read more
Nat'l Gaurd Discrimination
5:39 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

Oregon Alleges City Of Salem Discriminated Against Guard Members

Credit Photo Credit: M.O. Stevens / Wikimedia commons
Salem Oregon settles in National Gaurd discrimination suit.

SALEM, Ore. – The state of Oregon says one of its largest cities discriminated against fire fighters because they were National Guard members. The Oregon Department of Justice announced a settlement Wednesday with the City of Salem that puts the city under close federal scrutiny for the next three years.

Read more
PTSD
5:01 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

Army Secretary: Nationwide Inquiry Underway After Madigan PTSD Scandal

Credit US Senate
US Senator Patty Murray

A scandal over PTSD diagnoses at Madigan Army Hospital has triggered an Army-wide Inspector General investigation. That’s according to the Secretary of the Army, John McHugh.

Read more

Pages