KCUR - Site Search | KCUR - Kansas City news and NPR

State Laws Govern Gun Purchases Very Differently Across The Country

Melissa Block talks to Daniel Webster, director of the John Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, about the wide variation in gun laws from state to state, and how those laws correspond to gun violence.

Flames engulf the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, on April 20, 1993. A 51-day standoff at the compound ended in a fire and the deaths of about 80 sect members, including two dozen children.

Two Decades Later, Some Branch Davidians Still Believe

Twenty years ago, federal agents clashed with David Koresh's Branch Davidian community near Waco, Texas. The standoff ended with a raid and fire in which some 80 children, women and men perished. It's remembered as one of the darkest chapters in American law enforcement.

This 9 mm semi-automatic handgun is configured with transducers in its handle that can detect the grasp of an authorized user.

Can 'Smart Gun' Technology Help Prevent Violence?

What if a gun could only be fired by its rightful owner? What if it recognized a grip or fingerprint, or communicated with a special ring? It's been a fantasy for years, and in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, so-called smart gun technology is back in the spotlight.

U.S. Navy sailors form a ceremonial guard at a wreath-laying ceremony to memorialize the victims of the attack on Pearl Harbor and pay tribute to the veterans of World War II in front of the Lone Sailor statue at the Naval Memorial in Washington, D.C., in December 2003.

After WWII, A Letter Of Appreciation That Still Rings True

Recently, Fresh Air contributor Maureen Corrigan found a letter from then-Secretary of War James Forrestal that had been sent to her father after he had been honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1945. In that letter, she found an expression of gratitude that could serve us well today.

A wounded Afghan police officer is helped from the scene of Friday's explosion and gunfire in Kabul.

Explosion, Gunfire Reverberate In Kabul

Witnesses say the blast happened in the late afternoon. The sound of shots followed. As night fell, at least two attackers were dead. A small number of civilians had been wounded. Offices of the International Organization for Migration appear to have been targeted.

Members of Jabhat al-Nusra clean their weapons, in Aleppo in December. The Islamist rebel group has become an increasingly powerful force in Syria's civil war.

A Chat With A Radical Fighter In Syria

Islamist fighters have been playing a larger role in the Syrian conflict, and the most prominent single group is Jabhat al-Nusra. One of its fighters sat down with NPR and spoke about the group.

Daily life on the streets of a Garifuna community Jan. 25 in Corozal, Honduras. Various factors have contributed to a high HIV rate among the Garifuna, including poverty and migration.

In Honduras, Fighting HIV/AIDS Through Music And Theater

The Afro-Caribbean people known as the Garifuna have a rich tradition of music, dance and storytelling much like their forebears. They also have another parallel to Africa: a severe HIV and AIDS epidemic. The Garifuna are using their culture as a weapon to fight the spread of the virus.

For Juvenile Sex Offenders, State Registries Create Lifetime Of Problems

Federal laws require states to keep lists of convicted sex offenders, including juveniles. But recently, the practice of registering minors has come under scrutiny.

MaryAnn Anselmo has started to sing again after recovering from brain surgery and having successful treatment with a drug that targeted a mutation in her tumor cells.

Why Doctors Are Trying A Skin Cancer Drug To Treat A Brain Tumor

A drug that's effective in patients with certain forms of melanoma is being tested as a treatment for other cancers whose genetic code contains an identical mutation.

Allied troops at the ANZAC Cove in the Gallipoli peninsula, during World War I. Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand fought for nine months but could not defeat the Ottomans. Overall, a half-million were killed or wounded.

Remembering Gallipoli, A WWI Battle That Shaped Today's Middle East

The clash at Gallipoli was one of the most memorable fights of World War I — and one of the most consequential. Its reverberations are still felt to this day in the chaotic Middle East.

Search results for