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Lew, Bowles Rumored To Replace Treasury's Geithner

By John Ydstie

Originally published on Mon November 12, 2012 4:43 pm

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A second term means some new Cabinet appointments for President Obama, including at the Treasury. After four pretty grueling years, Secretary Timothy Geithner has made it clear he will be leaving Washington.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said last week that Geithner would be staying on through the inauguration. He's also expected to be a "key participant" in "fiscal cliff" negotiations.

2:29 am

Mon November 12, 2012

Struggle For Smarts? How Eastern And Western Cultures Tackle Learning

Credit STR / AFP/Getty Images

Chinese schoolchildren during lessons at a classroom in Hefei, east China's Anhui province, in 2010.

By Alix Spiegel

Originally published on Thu November 15, 2012 1:17 pm

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In 1979, when Jim Stigler was still a graduate student at the University of Michigan, he went to Japan to research teaching methods and found himself sitting in the back row of a crowded fourth-grade math class.

2:28 am

Mon November 12, 2012

WWI Poetry: On Veterans Day, The Words Of War

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Credit AP

Four U.S. soldiers, runners for the 315th Infantry, pose in France in November 1918. The troops reportedly carried official orders to Lt. Col. Bunt near Etraye, France, shortly before noon, Nov. 11, 1918, announcing that the armistice had been signed, thereby ending World War I.

Credit Sherril Schell / Getty Images

English poet Rupert Chawner Brooke died of dysentery aboard a troop ship headed for Gallipoli in April 1915. His poem "The Soldier" is one of the most famous poems written during World War I.

By editor

Originally published on Mon November 12, 2012 4:39 am

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Veterans Day — originally Armistice Day — was renamed in 1954 to include veterans who had fought in all wars. But the day of remembrance has its roots in World War I — Nov. 11, 1918 was the day the guns fell silent at the end of the Great War. On this Veterans Day, we celebrate the poetry of World War I, one of the legacies of that conflict.

2:27 am

Mon November 12, 2012

As The Clock Ticks, U.S. Trains Afghan Troops

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Credit Sean Carberry / NPR

US troops from the 1-91 Cavalry patrol in Baraki Barak district in Logar Province, south of Kabul. Insurgents carry out frequent attacks in the area. The U.S. is trying to improve the capabilities of Afghan forces so they will be able to take control when U.S. troops leave.

Credit Sean Carberry / NPR

U.S. troops from the 1-91 Cavalry question Afghan civilians in Baraki Barak district in Logar Province, south of Kabul.

Credit Sean Carberry / NPR

Afghan National Army soldier in one of the quieter parts of Logar Province.

By Sean Carberry

Originally published on Mon November 12, 2012 4:39 am

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As NATO prepares to withdraw combat troops from Afghanistan in 2014, Afghan forces are increasingly taking the lead against the Taliban and other insurgents. But the results are mixed.

In parts of Logar Province, just south of Kabul, Afghan troops are successfully leading security operations. In other parts of the same province, where insurgents are more active, U.S. troops are still taking the lead.

2:25 am

Mon November 12, 2012

With Millions Spent, GOP 'Investors' Saw Little Return Election Night

Credit Jerome Delay / AP

A supporter of President Barack Obama raises his arms as it is announced that Obama was re-elected during an election night watch party in Chicago.

By Peter Overby

Originally published on Mon November 12, 2012 4:39 am

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A "return on investment" is a concept better known to Wall Street than to Washington. But after President Obama and the Democrats won most of the close elections last week there are questions about the seven- and eight-figure "investments" made by dozens of conservative donors.

During the election season, it was pretty common to hear about donors making "investments" in superPACs and other outside groups, rather than a "political contribution," perhaps because the phrase has a sort of taint to it.

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2:49 am

Mon November 12, 2012