European Union leaders wrapped up a 10-hour-long meeting in Brussels agreeing on a fiscal pact that will require stricter budget discipline. But Britain is among countries not signing on to the deal. The head of the European Central Bank is calling the pact positive. It's not clear, though, whether the move is enough to relieve Europe's debt crisis in the near future. NPR's Philip Reeves wraps up the meeting.
The Texas congressman, enjoying second or third place among Republican presidential hopefuls in Iowa with about 18 percent support, held a rally at Iowa State University on Thursday night. Why does the 76-year-old have such a strong following among college kids?
Detroit is in danger of going broke. The city's elected leaders insist they can handle the crisis but haven't agreed on a plan of action. In the meantime, the governor is taking steps that could lead to an emergency manager taking over the city. To top it off, a petition drive to overturn Michigan's emergency manager law threatens to undo any actions the state would take. It's a wild, financially troubled situation. Michigan Radio's Sarah Cwiek reports.
Sunday marks the fifth anniversary of Mexican President Felipe Calderon's declaration of all-out war against drug traffickers in his country. In 2006, he vowed to use all the powers of the state to take down the drug lords. The narco-war has left a stunning toll — more than 40,000 people dead.
The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration released its final report this week into last year's West Virginia mine explosion. That explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine killed 29 workers. The government has maintained that the company that owned the mine, Massey Energy, didn't do enough to prevent the accident. Now, documentation obtained by NPR indicates that the government didn't do enough, either.
Linda Wertheimer introduces a new dish from the holiday food series: the traditional Norwegian porridge, rommegrot. Listener Christine Bielke relays how her family serves up the cinnamon- and butter-topped dish every holiday season.
A recent poll shows more companies plan to throw holiday parties this year. Maybe they shouldn't: Another survey shows that three-quarters of workers don't want their employers to spend money on an office party. They'd prefer cash bonuses, grocery gift cards — or more paid time off.
After meeting Friday in Brussels until the early morning hours, most European leaders agreed to a plan to move ahead with more budget discipline. Are world financial markets likely to see the talks as a failure or as progress?
Former MF Global CEO Jon Corzine testified on Capitol Hill on Thursday day. The former New Jersey Senator and governor was subpoenaed by a congressional panel that wanted to hear how MF Global wound up in bankruptcy. Corzine apologized repeatedly but denied knowingly breaking any rules.
The Los Angeles Angels have signed slugger Albert Pujols. He's considered one of the best baseball players of his generation, but is the $250 million the Angels are paying Pujols worth it?
Virginia Tech is quiet Friday morning after a gunman shot and killed a campus police officer and then killed himself Thursday afternoon. For hours the sprawling campus in Blacksburg, Va., relived the horror of a 2007 shooting that left 33 dead and raised troubling questions about the university's slow response to the tragedy.
The new screen adaptation of John le Carre's Cold War spy novel, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, addresses a simple question: Is there a Soviet secret agent at the very highest echelons of British intelligence? Getting to the answer is brilliantly complex.
The ratification is the official end of a contentious five-month lockout and two months of canceled games. NBA Commissioner David Stern said Thursday night that the new 10-year contract will move the league toward a "better business model."
Coca-Cola withdrew its secret recipe from a SunTrust bank this week and drove it over to a new Coke museum in downtown Atlanta. But you can't see it: The 1886 recipe is in a box, and the box is in another vault. The company says the move has nothing to do with the bank's selloff of millions in dollars of Coke stock.
Spirit Airlines has launched a new promotion mocking former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was sentenced to 14 years this week for crimes including trying to sell a vacant U.S. Senate Seat. Spirit's "Slammer Sale" features $14 fares in and out of Chicago. The airline is calling this a "seat-selling" sale.