Search results for

The first time nature writer Jackson Landers spotted a black widow spider on his front porch, he was transfixed. He grew curious about the spiders and kept one for months as a pet. One day, he got bit.

West Hollywood's Sunset Strip used to be the home of the city's hottest music venues — places that launched the careers of everyone from The Doors to Jane's Addiction — but has lost a lot of its influence over the years. NPR's Arun Rath visits the Strip with L.A. Times writer August Brown.

The Common Core initiative would standardize academic goals nationwide. Forty-five states have signed on, but lawmakers in some states are rethinking their support. While both sides are stepping up their messaging, a poll out this month shows 62 percent of Americans have never heard of Common Core.

It used to be that neuroscientists thought smart people were all alike. But now they think that some very smart people retain the ability to learn rapidly, like a child, well into adolescence.

The farm bill which Congress is bitterly divided over is set to expire at the end of this month. Included in it is the $5 billion a year subsidy called Direct and Counter-cyclical Payment Program. It shells out money to farmers and land owners regardless of need or loss.

Stephanie Rubin and Ingrid Calvo are two New York-based moms who think American school lunches leave a lot to be desired. So they started a delivery business in Manhattan called Inboxyourmeal com. For $10, they'll deliver healthy, chef-prepared meals to students in their delivery area.

Breaking Bad, AMC's soon-to-end tale of Walter White's descent into depravity, won the Emmy Award for best drama. Also, ABC's madcap Modern Family won its fourth Emmy Award in a row as best comedy series.

To try to understand what's behind the rise in gruesome attacks, Steve Inskeep talks to Vali Nasr, who is the dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He has served as a senior adviser to the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Thousands of scallywags in costume turned up at The Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Va. They wanted to break the Guinness record for largest pirate gathering. They fell short and may try again next year.

State officials have set up designated text stops along the New York State Thruway and other highways, where motorists can pull over to use their phones. Blue highway signs read: It can wait, text stop 5 miles.