by Preston R. Michelson | Feb 9, 2015 | Education
Five years ago, Chrystal Olson was on drugs. She was tired of dragging her children along in that lifestyle in Tacoma, Washington. Today, Olson, 36, is in the PTA at McCarver Elementary School in Tacoma. She has a job, working as a cashier at Kmart. She completed her...
by Astrid Goh & Tara Longardner | Feb 9, 2015 | Health & Science, Politics
By Astrid Goh and Tara Longardner WASHINGTON — Six months after taking over as Secretary of Veteran Affairs, Robert A. McDonald has proven himself capable in the eyes of many of leading the scandal-ridden agency. But experts agree that the Department of Veterans...
by Adam Mintzer | Feb 9, 2015 | Environment
By Adam Mintzer WASHINGTON- To fight the rapid decline in the population of monarch butterflies, a new $3.2 million public-private partnership announced Monday aims to tackle the troubling environmental issue. Monarch butterflies, known for their...
by Haley Hinkle | Feb 9, 2015 | Energy
By Haley Hinkle WASHINGTON– A Texas firm is seeking to open the country’s first facility for disposing of nuclear waste from commercial energy use, but opponents are concerned that the company is creating serious risks of radioactive exposure. The new facility...
by Daniel Hersh | Feb 9, 2015 | National Security
By Daniel Hersh WASHINGTON – With militant Islamist group Boko Haram continuing its aggressive hostilities, Nigeria’s election, which has been postponed from Saturday until March 28, may be marred by violence, especially violence toward women, experts said Monday....
by Tara Longardner | Feb 9, 2015 | Living, Politics
WASHINGTON – Residents of the nation’s capital voted overwhelmingly in November to legalize marijuana, but the fate of the initiative is now in the hands of a Republican-controlled Congress. Without congressional authorization, the legalization issue would be...
by Bailey Williams | Feb 9, 2015 | Business, Politics
By Bailey Williams WASHINGTON—Sen. Bernie Sanders, a leading voice in raising awareness about income inequality, said Monday he is seriously considering running for president in 2016. If he gets in the race, Sanders said he would “run to win.” The Vermont...
by Preston R. Michelson | Feb 9, 2015 | Education
WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers called on Monday for legislation to ensure that quality of education is not a byproduct of where somebody lives. “The single most important thing we did … was to let the dollars follow the child instead of making the child follow the...
by Tyler Pager | Feb 9, 2015 | National Security
By Tyler Pager WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed the importance of continuing diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation in Ukraine, but Obama said he would consider sending lethal arms if diplomacy fails. At a joint...
by Tal Axelrod | Feb 5, 2015 | National Security
By Tal Axelrod Diane Foley, whose son Jim was killed in Syria, and Debra Tice, whose son is still held hostage, speak about their sons’ experiences and the dangers of conflict journalism.
by Olivia Marcus | Feb 4, 2015 | National Security
WASHINGTON – A team ordered by the president to review U.S. hostage policy is interviewing hostages’ families for input, a spokeswoman for the government’s Hostage Policy Review Team said Wednesday. U.S. hostage policy came under scrutiny last year after the...
