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Extreme temperatures present a significant challenge to AC systems, which engineers and installers say are really only designed to keep indoor temperatures about 20 degrees cooler than outside.

From urban rooftops to suburban ranches, apiaries are hip. As the ranks of backyard beekeepers grow, they're reporting some mysterious and sometimes disturbing behaviors, including the disappearance of whole hives. And what about the honey? Is it really good medicine, or just a sweet treat?

France extended its state of emergency by three months after the attack in Nice this week. NPR's Linda Wertheimer talks to Sophie Peder about the mood in France.

It's nearly time for the Super Bowl, but Howard Bryant of ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine tells NPR's Scott Simon that more people are talking about off-the-field scandals than the actual game.

Public libraries have had to deal with staffing shortages and controversies over book bans. Milwaukee Public Library's push back against that is humor and social media posts that have gone viral.

Census Bureau data show the number of foreign-born people rose by nearly a million in 2022 after years of little growth. Experts say the increase coincides with a gradual reboot of legal immigration.

In her new book, Stacy Schiff evokes the world of Salem, Mass., and the bitter winter of 1692 when 19 people were hanged for witchcraft. Reviewer Maureen Corrigan calls The Witches a "haunting" tale.

Ayelet Waldman's new memoir describes her experiences with a variant of bipolar disorder, and her attempts to self-medicate with LSD. Critic Maureen Corrigan calls it a "gutsy ... really good story."

The author of Man Booker Prize finalist Washington Black began her new book on a plantation in 1830s Barbados. "I really have no idea where my story is going at the outset of it," she says.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Daniel Cohan, a professor of civil engineering at Rice University, about American power grids, many of which are at risk of energy shortfalls due to extreme heat.

If you're planning to throw some meat on the grill this July 4th holiday, here are some ways to save money in the process.

Robert Siegel talks with NPR's Julie Rovner about the Food and Drug Administration's decision to approve sales of the so-called morning-after pill without a prescription. The new rules allow women over 18 to buy the "Plan B" drug over the counter. The decision comes after three years of national debate over access to emergency contraception.

Bernard Madoff has gone from a $7 million penthouse to a tiny jail cell in Manhattan. Madoff pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday, but implicated no one but himself. Investigators continue to pore over records, trying to figure out, among other things, who helped Madoff engineer the $64 billion fraud that may be the largest in U.S. history. Madoff will be sentenced on June 16.

President Barack Obama Monday gave GM 60 days in which to reorganize its business plan under new leadership before rendering a final judgment on additional taxpayer aid for the automaker. He also gave Chrysler 30 days to finalize a deal with Fiat with federal help.

Rising global food prices are often blamed on China's increasing consumption. But some economists, who note the country's high export rates, say it's not that simple. One factor: More wealth has brought an appetite for more meat.

President Bush announces that troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan will serve 12-month tours — down from 15. The shorter war zone assignments will take effect beginning with the next troop rotations in August.

SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood actors and performers, is on strike against major studios after negotiations broke down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

The union representing Hollywood actors has agreed to mediation in its ongoing negotiations. This came a day before the contract is set to expire. A strike is possible if an agreement isn't reached.

Biden will attend NATO this week, where the war in Ukraine will be a main focus. A gender-affirming care ban takes effect in Tennessee. Taylor Swift rereleases her album, "Speak Now."

The House voted Friday on the financial rescue plan that the Senate passed Wednesday. The new version includes billions of dollars in tax breaks and credits. Keith Ashdown, chief investigator at Taxpayers for Common Sense, says lawmakers in the Senate piled on as much baggage onto what they saw as the last legislative train leaving the station.