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D.C. Agrees To Make Homeless Shelters More Accessible

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The Justice Department has reached a settlement with the D.C. government that requires the city to make homeless shelters more accessible to people with disabilities.

Under the agreement reached Friday, D.C. must improve oversight of contractors who manage shelters and develop a plan to ensure that homeless people with disabilities can access shelters, among other requirements.

District officials estimate the overall plan would cost be between $4 and $5 million. A 2008 survey by a contractor found that 23 percent of the city's homeless are physically disabled, 19 percent have a mental illness and 2 percent are living with HIV or AIDS. Justice Department officials say they investigated the shelter program after receiving complaints that the city was violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.

NPR

Fictional 'Mothers' Reveal Facts Of A Painful Adoption Process

After years trying to conceive, novelist Jennifer Gilmore and her husband decided to adopt. What they thought would be a relatively simple process was instead a long and painful one. In her latest novel, Gilmore channels these autobiographical experiences into fiction.
NPR

In Raw Milk Case, Activists See Food Freedom On Trial

Activists say the case against Wisconsin dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger is about raw milk — and much more. His supporters have turned the case into a rallying cry for personal food freedom and the rights of farmers and consumers to enter into private contracts without government intervention.
NPR

Obama Group's Climate Push Puts President Under Scrutiny

Organizing for Action — a group that formed out of President Obama's re-election campaign — has focused its ire on Republicans it calls "climate change deniers." But some environmentalists are frustrated with the president himself on issues like the Keystone pipeline.
NPR

How That 'Nigerian Email Scam' Got Started

You've probably seen it in your inbox before: Someone who claims to have come into a fortune needs your help. You can share in the profits — if you send along a deposit or your bank account number. Boston Globe correspondent Finn Brunton talks about the history of the "Nigerian prince" or "419" scam, which actually got its start long before email.

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