National News

Estonia now has the world's first nationwide electric car charger network. What would the U.S. have to do to make a similar leap?

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

To those who closely follow the voter ID wars, Hans von Spakovsky is a household name, one of the nation's leading and controversial crusaders against voter fraud. So it was news that the Republican lawyer failed to get a second term on the electoral board of Virginia's largest county.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

As the Directors and Producers Guild Awards go, so does the Academy. At least most of the time.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

One of the most important events in the national gun violence debate takes place Tuesday far from Newtown, Conn., and Washington, D.C. And if the candidate backed by Michael Bloomberg wins, look for congressional candidates nationwide to start eyeing the New York City mayor and his superPAC

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

It argues that a portion of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. Specifically, the administration points to a section that denies married same-sex couples access to federal benefits enjoyed by heterosexual couples.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

The Syrian National Coalition says it won't attend meetings in Moscow, D.C., and Rome in protest of the continued violence. The announcement comes as fighting in Aleppo intensifies.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

The Center for Media and Democracy says Fix the Debt — a key unit in philanthropist Pete Peterson's corps of organizations to battle the national debt — is a well-funded, pro-business enterprise. A Fix the Debt spokesman scoffs at the claim.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

The South Carolina Republican has been outspoken in his criticism of President Obama's administration lately, particularly his opposition to Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense. But this may have to do more with a possible primary challenge than the nomination itself.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

From the Danish modern furniture of the 1950s to the omnipresence of Ikea, Americans have long been attracted to the austere design of Nordic countries. Now a massive festival in Washington, D.C., showcases artists and designers from the very top sliver of the globe.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

The last time the Supreme Court heard a challenge to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, only one state asked that its key provision be struck down. But just four years later, seven states say the most effective civil rights statute in the nation's history has outlived its usefulness.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

U.S. counterterrorism efforts include choking off the flow of cash to extremists and urging friendly countries to help. But in places like the Nairobi neighborhood of Eastleigh, where Somali refugees have flocked, it's hard to distinguish between tainted money and honest cash.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

The art of sabrage, or knocking open a bottle of Champagne with a sword, probably started during the time of Napoleon. A sword is handy but not necessary; a kitchen knife can also work, according to a Champagne expert.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

The exhibit at Emory University in Atlanta lays out the history of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a group first presided over by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The group tackled issues of health care, poverty and gun violence — issues still seen as relevant today.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

The state's governor called the news "disturbing" but said there is no health threat at the moment. Hanford has been in existence since the 1940s, when the site was used to prepare plutonium for bombs.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

They've been everywhere this week: dire warnings about threats posed by across-the-board federal spending cuts. But what's the real story? Here are the answers to four burning questions about the cuts known as "the sequester."

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Superstorm Sandy was a wake-up call for the Eastern Seaboard — especially Boston, where flooding rivers can meet a surging ocean, all in Boston Harbor. So what's a city to do? Retreat from the water or better shield buildings from flooding.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Unmanned aerial vehicles are starting to show up in American police departments, courtesy of grants from the Department of Homeland Security. But that's caused something of a backlash, and now some state legislatures are considering legal limits on drones to address opponents' privacy concerns.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

The meteor that caused at least 1,000 injuries in Russia after a startling and powerful daytime explosion one week ago has been identified as a chondrite, the most common type of meteor that falls on Earth. But that hasn't stopped a black-market economy from developing around the fragments.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Myanmar's contacts with the world are now expanding rapidly. President Obama's visit last November was a sign of that shift. And China is building major oil and gas pipelines that link the two countries.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

If across-the-board federal spending cuts go into effect March 1, the F-16s will be taking fewer flights from Shaw Air Force Base. And nearby, the Head Start program would have to cut 50 kids. But some residents are wondering if the whole thing is just hype.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us