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California still has the nation’s highest poverty rate when you take into account the state’s high cost of living. But the number of people living in poverty here has dropped since the beginning of the decade.

After the terrible tragedy in Las Vegas, President Trump ordered flags to be flown at half-staff. With mourning and vigils just beginning, flags flown at half-staff are just one of many ways we pay homage to victims of gun violence. Sadly, we need a very, very long flagpole to account for the all-too-frequent mass shootings … Continue reading Half Staffs →

Two of the five major record labels say they will change the accounting methods they use to calculate artist royalty payments. Label executives hope the reforms will convince more artists to join the battle against free music on the Internet. NPR's Rick Karr reports.

Host Bob Edwards speaks with Ted Benna, who created the 401(K) savings plan 20 years ago. Benna says the Internet makes it much easier for people to track their retirement savings accounts. But he advises people to ignore investment fads and day-to-day ups and downs in the market and to concentrate instead on long-term growth.

Early in his first term, President Bush made a commitment to spend $5 billion a year in helping the poorest nations of the world out of poverty. His Millennium Challenge Account, though, has not spent a penny yet. And the president's latest budget proposal calls for $3 billion, not the $5 billion he promised.

A proposal that offers a long-term fix for Social Security involves reducing the annual cost-of-living adjustments that compensate retirees for inflation. The plan raises the cap on income subject to Social Security payroll taxes, and adds private accounts as ways to fill the funding gaps in the Social Security program.

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Judith Yaphe, senior research fellow at National Defense University about the demographic make-up of Iraq, and how that will affect Iraq's future. She says Sunni Arabs account for only about 17 percent of the population. Shia Arabs 60 percent; Kurds -- mostly Sunni -- about 20 percent; and Turkmen only about three percent, though they claim much higher numbers.

Questions about President Bush's time in the Texas National Guard resurface, as the Associated Press reports it has been unable to find military documents to explain gaps in his service. Records released by the Pentagon add new details but don't account for the missing months. Hear NPR's Eric Niiler.

Political leaders in New Mexico call for accountability after a convicted felon and failed GOP legislative candidate was arrested for conspiring to shoot up homes and offices of elected Democrats.

Gov. Phil Murphy sent a letter to nearly 60 businesses suggesting they could expand into New Jersey because the state protects abortion rights.