National Public Radio News

In a controversial 2008 decision, the FDA gave fast-track approval for Avastin for breast cancer treatment based on a single study. Now, after subsequent research proved disappointing, a panel has recommended that the agency revoke approval, angering patients and the drugmaker.

At his news conference, the president's first and more short-term campaign was his effort to get congressional Republicans to agree to raise the federal debt ceiling by the Aug. 2 deadline set by the U.S. Treasury Department to avert a debt default by the U.S. government. His second and longer campaign was for re-election.

The decision by the Cincinnati-based court took on a special importance because one of the judges upholding the law, Jeffrey Sutton, is a prominent conservative. As a litigator, he made modern states' rights arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court. But in this case, he rejected similar arguments in the context of the national health care law.

At his news conference, the president's first and more short-term campaign was his effort to get congressional Republicans to agree to raise the federal debt ceiling by the Aug. 2 deadline set by the U.S. Treasury Department to avert a debt default by the U.S. government. His second and longer campaign was for re-election.

President Obama took questions from reporters Wednesday at his first news conference since March. He called out congressional Republicans for their refusal to consider any revenue increases as part of a budget deal. Mister Obama also took questions regarding his views on same-sex marriage.

President Obama tells Congress to get cracking on the deficit reduction talks — and maybe not take so many vacations. After all, Mister Obama said, his kids do their homework ahead of time, so why can't Congress?

The Obama administration and auto industry executives are starting talks over new fuel economy standards for cars and trucks, which are to be announced in September. Sources say the administration is pushing for the average fuel economy for each carmaker's fleet to rise to 56 mpg by 2025. The companies want something closer to 47 mpg. The heavyweight in these negotiations could turn out to be California, which plans to set its own standard if the federal government doesn't go high enough.

In the green idyll of Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in Oregon, more than 90,000 marijuana plants were discovered earlier this month. Park officials now have to cope with the cleanup of the site — and the toxicity caused by an extensive camp of pot farmers and the fertilizers they used. Melissa Block speaks with park ranger Ken Gebhardt about the job ahead.

On the corner of 53rd and Second Avenue, in the summer of 1955, a store owner grabbed his fishing pole ... and headed downstairs. His goal? To fish the dark waters of a subterranean stream.

Six years ago, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. bought the social networking site for a hefty $580 million. But the site lost revenue and users to its rival Facebook.

The site allows users to organize their online lives into "circles," which lets them keep photos and other information private from certain friends. The company is also promising to let users delete information from its servers, something Facebook has never done.

The publishing arm of the major record label EMI has decided that it will negotiate its own fees for digital performances of songs instead of relying on ASCAP, a company that has long tracked performances of songs and that collects fees for labels and songwriters.

As a little girl, novelist Margaret Mitchell sat on the front porch of her Georgia home, listening to adults tell stories of the Civil War. Mitchell's famous novel of the Old South was published 75 years ago this month; NPR's Kathy Lohr visits "the closest thing to Tara," just south of Atlanta.

Online dating sites are now a multibillion-dollar industry. But how do they match people together? New Yorker writer Nick Paumgarten recently profiled several of the major online dating websites to find out how they pair people with compatible romantic mates.

All over the world, people have been grilling since they discovered fire, and immigrants to the United States brought their signature flavors with them. Hot dogs and burgers are joined by chorizo, kalbi, yakitori, kebab and more as we fire up the grill for Independence Day.

Last week, celebrated journalist Jose Antonio Vargas came forward as being in the United States illegally — giving a face to the immigration debate. Courtney E. Martin of The Nation says activism for individuals like Vargas is dangerous but may help pave the way for better immigration processes.

A list of 19 factors to consider before enforcing immigration laws was released by ICE this month due, in part, to limited resources. Adam J. White of The Weekly Standard argues that the list is too broad, and that Congress should be the one to decide if resources are limited.

A Saudi Arabian store has taken the womens' rights movement one step further — women can now buy their undergarments from women instead of men. Ellen Knickmeyer of Foreign Policy explains what this small step means for the future.