Facebook Files For IPO, Hopes To Raise $5 Billion

Wed, Feb01, 2012

Facebook made a much-anticipated status update Wednesday: The Internet social network is going public. If its initial public offering makes enough friends on Wall Street, Facebook will probably make its stock-market debut in three or four months as one of the world's most valuable companies.

Obama Hits Romney, GOP Congress On Housing (Without Naming Them)

Wed, Feb01, 2012

Obama's remarks came just days before the Nevada caucuses in which Republican voters will state their preference for GOP presidential nominee. Nevada, of course, is a swing state. It also has among the highest foreclosure rates in the nation so the timing of Obama's announcement certainly could be interpreted as sending voters a message about where their self-interest lies.

Massage Eases Inflammation In Worn-Out Muscles

Wed, Feb01, 2012

Massage make muscles feel better after exercise by fighting inflammation, say researchers who tested the effects of massage at the cellular level.

Super Split: Bowl Has Connecticut At War With Itself

Wed, Feb01, 2012

The state is part of New England, but many of its football fans pick the N.Y. Giants over the Pats. "Way back when, they were the only game in town," one fan says of the days before the Patriots came to the area in 1960. But feelings run deep on both sides — and nothing reveals that like a Super Bowl.

If Power Lines Fall, Why Don't They Go Underground?

Wed, Feb01, 2012

Weather and tree branches cause 40 percent of U.S. power outages, which get people talking about installing underground lines — but they balk at the price. But analysts say no one's paying attention to how much it really costs to keep repairing aboveground lines, and that should matter.

After Primary, Scorched Earth Remains In Fla.

Wed, Feb01, 2012

There wasn't a Democratic primary contest running in parallel with the Republican race in Florida this year. The scorched-earth battle that ensued between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich may have an effect when the general election comes to Florida later this year. Did anyone benefit from the hard-fought primary contest — other than Florida's TV stations, which aired millions of dollars in ads?

New Housing Proposal May Help Millions Refinance

Wed, Feb01, 2012

President Obama released a housing proposal Wednesday that aims to help more homeowners refinance their mortgages. The plan is the latest effort by the administration to help homeowners. It would allow those who are current on their mortgages to refinance at lower rates, even if they owe more than their home is worth. The administration says the effort could save millions of homeowners an average of $3,000. But past housing efforts have not lived up to billing, and this one faces its first obstacle on Capitol Hill.

Doctor At Bin Laden Compound Connected To CIA

Wed, Feb01, 2012

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has confirmed publicly for the first time that a doctor imprisoned in Pakistan was working with the CIA in the months leading up to the raid on Osama Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad in May. The doctor may be charged with treason for helping to collect DNA samples from those living in the compound, under the guise of a vaccination program. Audie Cornish speaks with journalist Saeed Shah in Islamabad for more on the doctor's status, and how the confirmation of his work with the CIA is being received in Pakistan.

House GOP Still Furious Over Recess Appointments

Wed, Feb01, 2012

Republicans signaled at a House Oversight Committee hearing Wednesday that they're still furious about President Obama's "unprecedented recess appointments" to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the National Labor Relations Board. A look at the broader controversy surrounding recess appointments — and what it might mean for nominees for the rest of the president's term.

Abortion Debate Likely To Heat Up In 2012

Fri, Jan27, 2012

Dozens of abortion restrictions passed in the states during 2011 — nearly a record since the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. This year, anti-abortion groups say they'll focus on bills that would ban abortions at 20 weeks, limit insurance coverage and grant constitutional rights to embryos.

What Heals The World? Soup, Made By Moms

Wed, Feb01, 2012

The food we cook to nurture the sick is remarkably similar across cultures. When the sniffles hit, we crave gentle foods like chicken soup and gruel.

Report Suggests 'End Of The Segregated Century'

Wed, Feb01, 2012

The Manhattan Institute reports that U.S. metropolitan areas are now more integrated than any time since 1910. The migration of African Americans to the South, gentrification and immigration have all contributed to the shift. Yet some argue the decline of segregation does not mean racial inequality is obsolete.

A Look Ahead To The Maine And Nevada Caucuses

Wed, Feb01, 2012

Mitt Romney bounced back from his second place South Carolina finish and won the Florida GOP primary Tuesday. NPR's Ken Rudin discusses those results. Maine Public Broadcasting's Jay Field and the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Steve Sebelius preview the caucuses that begin Saturday in those states.