Just a few years ago, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra was weathering a financial crisis and a bitter labor dispute. The orchestra has since made an impressive recovery.

One of the cities bidding to host the 2016 Republican National Convention is Las Vegas. But Nevada's laws allowing prostitution could present a roadblock for such an effort.

Many young people feel they can't afford health insurance. A professor in Houston is trying to educate students about subsidies that could help — and the penalties if they don't sign up now.

Wednesday, the College Board announced it will make the essay portion of the SAT exam optional. But what is lost when the importance of essays is diminished?

Finland, a country the size of Minnesota, beats the U.S. in math, reading and science. The country's top education official says investing in preschool and day care is key.

Hourly wage gains of 2.2 percent are exceeding the annual inflation rate, raising hopes that Americans will soon be able to spend more at retailers, car dealers and other businesses.

Same-sex marriage and the National Security Agency's data gathering are two issues that show the wide divide between conservatives and libertarians.

An independent panel had recommended the restrictions, but the agency refused saying it would put Border Patrols in danger. The chief of the agency said the new policy aims to make agents safer.

After more than five hours, a marathon spelling bee had to be suspended because the organizers ran out of words. Maria Carter of KCUR profiles the two competitors as they prepare to finish the bee.

In part two of a joint investigation by NPR and ProPublica, we look at the agency charged with bringing home and identifying the 83,000 American war dead. It's stymied by an extreme aversion to risk.

The U.S. Border Patrol announced changes to its policies regarding use of deadly force on Friday. It added new guidance for agents when dealing with moving vehicles and people throwing rocks.

Audie Cornish speaks with political commentators, E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and Brookings Institution and Reihan Salam of National Review and Reuters. They discuss the U.S. role in Ukraine's ongoing crisis and the latest news from the Conservative Political Action Conference.

The February jobs report was better than expected, as employers added 175,000 jobs. The unemployment rate ticked up to 6.7 percent, though, as people who'd given up on finding work were drawn back.