Top Stories Audio/Video - NPR

Disney is leading a group of businesses that are fighting a new Florida state law that allows employees to bring their guns to work if they leave them in their parked cars. Disney says it's exempt from the law. The NRA accuses Disney of thumbing its nose at the Second Amendment.

Tour guides in Philadelphia say the city's efforts to ensure historical accuracy have gone a league too far. A city law set to take effect this fall requires tour guides to pass a written licensing test or face hefty fines. The tour guides are challenging the law in court, saying it violates the First Amendment.

The housing bill doesn't just help out Fannie Mae and Freddie Macs; it could make a big difference for regular folks, too. Ron Lieber, who writes a column for The New York Times called "Your Money," talks about the incentives, rebates and credits in the bill.

The Senate met in a rare Saturday session and gave final congressional approval to a wide-ranging housing bill. The bill aims to bolster the sagging housing market and includes measures aimed at shoring up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The president says he'll sign it when it reaches his desk, early next week.

The Tour de France is in its final weekend, and it's shaping up to be one of the closest contests in the race's history. James Startt, the European correspondent for Bicycling Magazine, gives an update on the final stages.

The FCC has approved the merger of XM and Sirius satellite radio after 17 months of behind-the-scenes negotiations. While some critics have said the merger represents a monopoly, it appears that the two weak companies may be combining to form one weak company.

The first war crimes trials since World War II started this week at Guantanamo Bay. Andrew McBride, a former Justice Department official, discusses the trials, as well as how Guantanamo's war crimes compare with those of 1945.

What has been the impact of Sen. Barack Obama's overseas trip? For one, he's been criticized for looking like he's on equal footing the world leaders. But, leaders may have wanted to score points by being seen with the popular candidate.

In many places around the country, the economy is down — but not everywhere. As economic changes alter how we work and play, some sectors are actually benefiting. Companies that immunize sell bikes and charter boats are all experiencing an unexpected boon.

As the physical reminders of the massive earthquake that killed thousands of school children are swept away, Chinese officials are waging a campaign to tamp down on potential unrest among survivors and bereaved parents.

In Paris, Sen. Barack Obama and French President Nicholas Sarkozy stressed areas of commonality. Obama declined to directly criticize President Bush while he is abroad and emphasized that Iran should promptly agree to a deal on its nuclear program.

This was has been the first of Salim Hamdan's trial at Guantanamo Bay. The prosecution has presented Osama bin Laden's driver as an insider in the al-Qaida leader's inner circle. The defense, however, has portrayed Hamdan as a poorly paid employee.

Five months after a new democratically elected government swept into power, Pakistan is facing a deep crisis and widespread criticism that nobody seems to be doing anything about the problems.

It's a good time for U.S. companies that have an international reach. McDonald's, 3M and Amazon – all of which sell products overseas – are doing well this year in spite of the troubled economic situation at home, thanks in part to the depreciated dollar.

Sen. Barack Obama drew a crowd of more than 200,000 people for a speech in Berlin. The Democratic presidential hopeful called on the U.S. and Europe to mend frayed ties and called for efforts at "shared security" in Afghanistan.

Sen. John McCain recently floated the idea of instituting a "Yankee" version of the prime minister's questions period in Britain. During these sessions, the prime minister is bombarded by questions on a range of subjects from members of Parliament. Does the presidential hopeful realize what he might be getting into?

Home foreclosure filings more than doubled in the second quarter of 2008 from a year ago, according to real estate data released Friday by RealtyTrac Inc. Nationwide, 739,714 households — one in every 171 — received at least one foreclosure-related notice from April to June.

In the latest political podcast, NPR Senior Washington Editor Rob Elving and Political Editor Ken Rudin discuss Obama's trip overseas and McCain's focus on domestic issues.

A much-debated merger deal between the nation's only two satellite radio companies — XM and Sirius — is on the verge of completion.

U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes, back from a visit to Myanmar, says rebuilding efforts are under way after May's deadly cyclone. But Holmes says relief and recovery operations still have a long way to go.

Britain's ruling Labour Party has lost a parliamentary seat in Glasgow East, a traditional Labour stronghold in Scotland. The defeat has fueled talk that Prime Minister Gordon Brown could be ousted.

Democratic and Republican bloggers have joined forces to punish members of Congress who voted for a revised government surveillance bill backed by the White House. One independent online group raised roughly $350,000 to spend on anti-FISA TV and radio ads.

Utah's Crandall Canyon mine — site of a deadly August 2007 collapse — was "destined to fail," federal investigators say. The Mine Health and Safety Administration says major engineering deficiencies led to the disaster — and that regulators were not told the mine was unstable.

A group of convicted felons is suing Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, demanding prompt action on pardon requests. Critics say the state takes too long to give applicants a yes or no decision.

Jessica Hardy, who qualified for the U.S. Olympic swim team in two events, has tested positive for a stimulant and could be barred from competing in Beijing. Hardy's lawyer says she denies that she "cheated."

The Bush administration is considering shifting more than $200 million intended for counterterrorism to help Pakistan make improvements to its fleet of F-16 jets. Congressional critics question claims that enhanced F-16s will be useful in the fight against terrorists.

Pressure to send more troops into Afghanistan presents military planners with a logistical challenge. Factor in training and recovery time — and a "surge" in Afghanistan isn't likely until the spring of 2009.

Taliban militants are gaining strength and power around the northern Pakistan city of Peshawar. As the group expands its control, it is having a direct impact on U.S. and NATO military operations in Afghanistan.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama's speech in Berlin Thursday dealt with road foreign policy issues. But the address was more to convince American voters of his foreign policy credentials than to impress foreign leaders.

Sen. Barack Obama delivered a speech in Berlin on Wednesday, calling for greater cooperation between Europe and the United States in fighting terrorism. The speech was billed by his campaign as a centerpiece of his trip abroad.

Radovan Karadzic's arrest on war crimes charges was met with a burst of celebration in the streets of Sarajevo, which suffered a brutal siege at the hands of Bosnian Serb militias loyal to Karadzic during the Bosnian war. But many citizens of Sarajevo are bitter that he was able to live on the lam for 13 years.

Both John McCain and Barack Obama support nuclear disarmament of Russia. McCain, however, wants to go one step further, kicking Russia out of the G-8.

The presidential hopeful addressed an expansive crowd Thursday near the site where the Berlin Wall once stood, calling on the U.S. and Europe to build new bridges of partnership. "The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand," Obama said, alluding to often strained relations between Europe and the U.S. under President Bush.

After posting an $8.7 billion loss for the second quarter on Thursday, Ford announces plans to switch manufacturing operations at three North American plants from trucks to small cars. The auto industry has seen a dramatic decline in truck and SUV sales in recent months as consumers react to high gas prices.

Coke is a big business all around the world. But in Africa, the soda is so pervasive that it acts like a key indicator of political stability. In other words, if you can't get a Coke somewhere, you might want to get out of the country — fast. We examine this unusual political indicator.

A special election Thursday in Scotland will be a crucial test for U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The parliamentary seat of Glasgow East is in a traditional stronghold of the ruling Labour Party. But polls are forecasting a defeat for Labour, which could force the unpopular Brown to step down.

Barack Obama is in Germany, where he will meet German leader Angela Merkel. The likely Democratic presidential nominee will also give the only public speech of his weeklong foreign tour, at a Berlin park. On Friday, he'll visit France. Journalists Stefan Kornelius in Germany and Jean Lesieur in France talk about Obama's expected reception in Europe.

Even in the midst of the worst housing slump in decades, some people are out there getting mortgages and buying homes. But they're paying more for mortgages these days, and borrowers with shaky credit won't find it easy to get a loan.

Congress has put the far-reaching housing bill on a fast track to the president. The House passed the measure Wednesday, and it goes to the Senate this week. It would help homeowners facing foreclosure, and put in place a rescue plan for troubled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.