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Law
9:01 pm
Mon January 30, 2012

GOP Seeks Big Changes In Federal Prison Sentences

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Every year, federal judges sentence more than 80,000 criminals. Those punishments are supposed to be fair — and predictable. But seven years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court threw a wrench into the system by ruling that the guidelines that judges use to figure out a prison sentence are only suggestions.

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Shots - Health Blog
9:01 pm
Mon January 30, 2012

'I Wanted To Live:' New Depression Drugs Offer Hope For Toughest Cases

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Credit Lianne Milton / For NPR
Chris Stephens, 28, has been battling depression all of his life, at home, in Concord, Ca., on Jan. 27. After a dose of ketamine, Stephens says "I actually wanted to do things. I wanted to live life."
Credit Ronald Duman / Yale University
Credit Ronald Duman / Yale University
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A club drug called "Special K" is generating a lot of buzz among researchers who study depression.

That's because "Special K," which is actually an FDA-approved anesthetic named ketamine, can relieve even suicidal depression in a matter of hours. And it works on many patients who haven't responded to current antidepressants like Prozac.

Those traditional drugs, which act on the brain's serotonin system, can take more than a month to kick in, and don't work for up to 40 percent of people with major depression.

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Middle East
9:01 pm
Mon January 30, 2012

Longtime Allies, Egypt And U.S. Now Have Differences

Credit Khaled Desouki / AFP/Getty Images
The U.S. is insisting that Egypt establish a full-fledged democracy and move away from military rule. Here, an Egyptian woman covers her head in a national flag as she demonstrates in a pro-democracy rally in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Jan. 27.
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Originally published on Tue January 31, 2012 4:50 am

For many years, top Egyptian officials coming to Washington could expect a warm welcome, with few points of contention.

But for a group of Egyptian generals now in the U.S., several points of friction are likely to dominate the agenda between the longtime allies.

Egypt doesn't like the new conditions U.S. lawmakers have placed on American aid. And the U.S. is furious with the way Egypt has been treating U.S. groups that promote democracy. At least three Americans have taken shelter in the U.S. Embassy in Cairo.

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The Two-Way
4:00 pm
Mon January 30, 2012

Report Prompts Calls To End Freddie Mac's Conflict Of Interest

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A sign for Freddie Mac in front of its headquarters in McLean, Va.
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Several U.S. lawmakers and prominent economists on Monday said Congress and the White House should end a financial conflict of interest at the taxpayer-owned mortgage company Freddie Mac.

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The Salt
3:19 pm
Mon January 30, 2012

Here's A Pie In Your Eye: A Brief History Of Food Fights

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Communist party lawmaker Liana Kanelli enters her car after protesters threw yogurt on her face as she tried to reach the Greek parliament during a 48-hour general strike in Athens in 2011.
Credit Jessica Hill / Associated Press
Dixon Jimenez (right), delivers tacos with other activists to Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. in East Haven, Conn., on Jan. 26. Maturo was not in his office to receive the tacos.
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By Kristofor Husted

Last week, 500 tacos appeared at the mayor's office in East Haven, Conn. But they weren't intended for a casual luncheon.

Instead, this truckload of tacos was meant to be a symbol of discontent. An immigration reform group sent the fare in protest to what they said was an insensitive comment from Mayor Joseph Maturo in reference to Latinos and tacos.

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