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The North Carolina Home Builders Association and the governor-appointed state Building Code Council have battled all year over proposed updates to energy efficiency standards for new homes. With the council poised to adopt the changes, the Republican-controlled legislature stepped in to pass a bill that would block any new standards. Email messages show that the home builders lobby helped write the legislation. Energy efficiency advocates are crying foul on the bill, which the governor vetoed and could come up for an override vote this week.

Late pop superstar Michael Jackson's last stage moments are captured in the new film, This is it. But will the film return Jackson's name to the all-time ist of legendary performers? Host Michel Martin speaks with Ronda Racha Penrice, author and pop culture critic, for more.

Google's new browser, Chrome, launched Tuesday and aims to offer a faster and more reliable user experience. Analysts say the browser was created in response to the heavier use of applications on the Web. Tabs are the centerpiece of Chrome, which also offers new security measures and privacy options.

Surgery can be emotionally and physically stressful for children. A California anesthesiologist has come up with a way to reduce anxiety that's safer, cheaper and much more entertaining.

As it celebrates its 50th birthday, hip-hop is a global phenomenon. But to map the music's true impact, you have to look closer. Here's a guide to rap history, charted across more than a dozen cities.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to the director of the National Hurricane Center, Michael Brennan, about hurricane season and climate change.

Deborah Blum's book, The Poison Squad, tells how Harvey Washington Wiley and his band of chemists crusaded to remove toxins, such as arsenic and borax, from food. How? By testing them on volunteers.

Natural disasters can happen anywhere with little to no notice. FEMA and the Red Cross say everybody should have an emergency go bag prepared.

Do cities destroy nature or are they part of nature? Astrophysicist Adam Frank looks at a new book attempting to answer that question — which he says could be a key to our collective future.

Wine writer Jon Bonné says that the traditional ways of thinking about wine no longer fit today's diversity of flavors and cultural influences — and that drinking it should be mainly about pleasure.

In Breaking News, Alan Rusbridger reflects on the blockbuster stories he helped publish over the course of his 20-year tenure running the British newspaper The Guardian.

Unlike other exhaustive guides to Mexico's diverse regional foods, Mexico: The Cookbook was written by a Mexican. Margarita Carrillo's recipes aim for simplicity to lure American readers to explore.

NPR's Eric Deggans talks to journalist Maureen Ryan about her exposé on the toxic culture behind the hit show Lost -- and what it says about the long-lasting toxic culture in Hollywood.

NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer talks with author Deepa Varadarajan about her debut novel Late Bloomers.

House Republicans insist there's a gulf between them and the White House on key areas on how to resolve the looming debt ceiling deadline.

The federal government has sharply cut funding to groups that help people enroll in health plans. But the groups say federal officials don't understand how much help and follow-up some people need.

President Biden is meeting with congressional leaders on Tuesday, in what is seen as the first step toward negotiations over raising the debt ceiling.

Video games can get a bad rap when it comes to kids and mental health, but their impact on child development is often misunderstood. Gaming can be a powerful training tool for a variety of skills.

Virginia furniture owner John Bassett III was determined to beat out foreign competitors. Author Beth Macy documents him, and the collapse of the U.S. furniture industry, in her new book, Factory Man.