U.S. News and National Top Stories NPR coverage of national news, U.S. politics, elections, business, arts, culture, health and science, and technology. Subscribe to the NPR Nation RSS feed.

Wednesday

A kayaker paddles along Zephyr Cove, near the site of the 20th Annual Lake Tahoe Summit in south Lake Tahoe, Nev. President Obama said the environmental challenges of conservation and fighting climate change are inseparably linked. Rich Pedroncelli/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Rich Pedroncelli/AP

U.S. Treasury Jack Lew says a better case needs to be made to U.S. workers who fear the effects of proposed trade deals with Asia and Europe. Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images

Treasury Secretary Lew On Global Trade Deals And Corporate Taxation

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/492125813/492133100" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Encore: Glen Campbell Documents Farewell Tour In 'I'll Be Me'

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/492133087/492133088" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Diane Robertson volunteered for Obama in 2008 and 2012 and is now volunteering for Clinton. She says "voter suppression" is the biggest motivating factor for black voters. Asma Khalid/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Asma Khalid/NPR

For Some Black Voters, 'Not Trump' Is The Number One Reason To Support Clinton

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/492133073/492133074" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, shown here in January, wants to create a new Civilian Office on Police Accountability to investigate police shootings, allegations of excessive force and other police misconduct. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Chicago Mayor Creates Civilian Agency To Monitor Police

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/492133066/492133067" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Coning left the Marines in 2013. His wife says she thinks it's likely he had post-traumatic stress disorder, but he was never tested for it by the VA. Courtesy of the Coning family hide caption

toggle caption
Courtesy of the Coning family

After A Vet's Suicide, Getting VA Benefits Can Compound A Family's Grief

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/492076788/492133106" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick stands on the field during an NFL game against the Atlanta Falcons in Santa Clara, Calif. Ben Margot/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Ben Margot/AP

My Father Stood For The Anthem, For The Same Reason That Colin Kaepernick Sits

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/492086321/492288952" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Minnesota's governor has ordered new restrictions on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, which have been blamed for killing bees. Many details of the plan, however, remain to be worked out Jim, the Photographer/Flickr hide caption

toggle caption
Jim, the Photographer/Flickr

Maine Gov. Paul LePage, shown in June, has been widely criticized for repeatedly blaming Maine's drug trade on black and Hispanic people. After a lawmaker called his comments racially charged and unhelpful, LePage left him an obscene voicemail. Michael Dwyer/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Michael Dwyer/AP

School funding is highly dependent on property taxes in most districts. LA Johnson/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
LA Johnson/NPR

New Federal Rules For Distributing School Money: An 'Unfunded Mandate'?

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/492071491/492288946" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Marv Sepe is the chief operating officer of CTC Global in Irvine, Calif. The company manufactures high-capacity conductors for transmission lines. Maya Sugarman/KPCC hide caption

toggle caption
Maya Sugarman/KPCC

In California, Curbing Trade Might Have Its Trade-Offs

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/491247775/492133094" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript