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A fifth-grade student uses her cursive skills at a school in Baltimore. The Indiana Senate recently passed a bill that would restore instruction of cursive writing as an educational standard.

States Want Kids To Learn A Lot — Maybe Too Much

When state legislators impose mandates on schools, educators get nervous. Sometimes, lawmakers want kids to learn legitimate skills; other times, they try to micromanage lessons down to the historical event.

An example of the FDA's proposed nutrition label to replace the one that's been around since the 1990s.

First Look: The FDA's Nutrition Label Gets A Makeover

The FDA has released its mock-up of a proposed new label for food. On it, calorie counts go big and bold. What's out? Listing calories from fat. What else is new? More details on added sugars.

Snowborder Shaun White Will Leave Sochi Without A Medal

American snowboarder Shaun White had hoped to win his third consecutive gold in these games. Instead, he's going home empty-handed. Not a single member of team USA was on the podium for the snowboard halfpipe event.

Consumer Advocates Alarmed By $45 Billion Deal

Comcast, the nation's largest cable provider, is set to become even bigger. The Philadelphia-based company has reached an agreement to acquire Time Warner Cable, the nation's second-largest cable provider, in an all-stock deal valued at roughly $45 billion. Consumer groups oppose the deal on the grounds that it will hurt competition and raise prices. But the companies claim competition won't be harmed at all.

Amanda Knox is led away from an appeals court in Perugia, Italy, in November 2010. Her murder conviction in the death of a flatmate was ultimately overturned, but now, Italy's highest court has ruled she must be retried.

Knox Or Not: Plenty Of Cases Are Tried Without A Defendant

Amanda Knox may face a retrial for murder in Italy, but it would very likely be conducted without her. The legal mechanisms that allow for in absentia trials are common practice in courts around the world.

Federal Budget Cuts Hamper Waste Cleanup At Washington Nuclear Reservation

The Hanford Nuclear Reservation in southeast Washington state is set to lose $182 million due to federal budget cuts known as the sequester. The cuts come just after news that six tanks full of radioactive waste are leaking. Those tanks are filled with millions of gallons of the most toxic nuclear waste on Earth and are not far from the Northwest's iconic Columbia River.

NPR To Discontinue 'Talk Of The Nation'

The daily call-in show will be replaced by Here and Now, which is produced by Boston's WBUR. Talk of the Nation host Neal Conan is leaving NPR after more than three decades with the network. Science Friday will continue.

Newly elected Cuban Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel attends a tribute to the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in March. Diaz-Canel is expected to eventually succeed Raul Castro as the island nation's leader in 2018.

Official On Deck To Succeed Castros Still A Question Mark To Many Cubans

Miguel Diaz-Canel, Cuba's new vice president, has been tapped to take over from Raul Castro when he steps down as president in 2018. The 52-year-old former education minister is relatively unknown outside his home province, but is now on a campaign to increase his national exposure.

Detail of <em>The Autumn,</em> a painting of a man made of food by 16th century Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo.

What Do We Lose, And Gain, When Reducing A Life To A Recipe?

It's easy to see why a rocket scientist's obituary that led with a mention of her culinary prowess set off accusations of sexism. But food is undeniably a powerful marker of identity, as much or more of a statement of who we are as what we do for a living.

Patricia Whisnant, who runs Rain Crow Ranch in Doniphan, Mo., says her grass-fed beef can compete with the Australian product because it has a better story American consumers can connect with.

Why Lots Of Grass-Fed Beef Sold In U.S. Comes From Down Under

A lot of the grass-fed beef sold in the U.S. now comes from Australia because it's cheaper and available year-round. But U.S. producers say they still have an advantage over the imported meat: a homegrown story.

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