Bill Chappell

In what's being hailed as a huge step in fertility and reproduction science, doctors in Sweden say a woman has given birth to a baby boy less than two years after she received a uterus transplant. The new mother, 36, had been born without a uterus, so another woman, 61, ...

The U.S. may have added jobs to its payroll last month, but the losses are still huge in Atlantic City, N.J., where four casinos have closed this year. A fifth teeters, and more than 7,000 people — dealers, greeters, cooks and maids — have been laid off.

The job losses ...

Even if you've never been to a jazz concert in your life, it's likely that you've heard Ryan Keberle play trombone. He's toured with Sufjan Stevens, backed up pop stars like Alicia Keys and Justin Timberlake, recorded for a Woody Allen film, played in Broadway pits and directed ...

Mayor Bill de Blasio signed an executive order Tuesday that effectively raises the hourly wage for thousands of workers in New York City. The city says its expansion of the Living Wage provisions will boost yearly earnings for the lowest-paid workers from $16,640 to $27,310.

From New York, NPR's ...

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed SB 270, the first statewide ban on single-use plastic bags in the U.S.

"This bill is a step in the right direction — it reduces the torrent of plastic polluting our beaches, parks and even the vast ocean itself," Brown said. "We're the first to ...

"For the first time in modern history, the eastern basin of the South Aral Sea has completely dried."

That's the word from NASA, which has released images showing the progressive decline of the water levels in the Aral Sea, which straddles the border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in Central ...

When an NFL defender picks off a pass and runs it back for a touchdown, the celebration is often spirited. But referees in Monday night's game took exception with Kansas City's Husain Abdullah after he slid in the end zone and prostrated himself, imposing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty.

The play ...

More than 20 bodies remained near the summit of Japan's Mount Ontake as new tremors and venting gases forced search teams to abandon their efforts early Tuesday local time. Officials don't yet know precisely how many climbers were trapped when the volcano erupted Saturday, a busy day for hiking.

From ...

Two days after the region's president announced a November vote on whether Catalonia should break away from Spain, the nation's highest court has suspended that plan, making it illegal to continue organizing the referendum. It's not clear whether the region's leaders will abide by the ruling.

Spain's central government in ...

If the oddsmakers are right, two Los Angeles teams will be the only ones left standing when the World Series starts in late October, in a "Freeway Series."

But there's talk of a "Beltway Series" back east, where two teams — the Washington Nationals and the Baltimore Orioles — are ...

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill into law that makes California the first in the nation to have a clear definition of when people agree to sex. The law goes further than the common "no means no" standard, which has been blamed for bringing ambiguity into investigations of sexual ...

The volcano whose eruption surprised hikers in central Japan this weekend sent a plume of ash and gas more than 1,500 feet into the air Monday as it continued to erupt, officials say. That has complicated efforts to find victims and survivors, and rescue efforts have again been halted.

At ...

Breathalyzers were placed in the doorway of a nightclub in Stockholm this weekend, with an unusual purpose: to ensure no guests had been drinking alcohol. It was all part of a plan for a booze-free night out called Sober, where staff were also on the lookout for anyone who seemed ...

For the first time, the world record in the marathon is now under 2 hours and 3 minutes, after Dennis Kimetto of Kenya tore through the course at Sunday's Berlin Marathon. Kimetto, 30, says he wants to set a new record next year.

"I feel good because I won a ...

Saying his country will do "whatever is needed" to help fight the extremist group ISIS, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he has reached what local media are calling "a point of determination."

That's according to a news briefing Erdogan gave to reporters on his way home from the ...

Police in riot gear have been deployed to the streets of Hong Kong, where thousands of protesters are calling for free elections. Police used tear gas and pepper spray to try to clear the city's central business and government district. Organized by student groups, the Occupy Central protests have now ...

The sudden and powerful eruption of a volcano Saturday may have killed more than 30 hikers in central Japan, according to authorities who have made their way up the side of Mt. Ontake. Officials say the hikers were found close to the mountain's peak, in cardiac and respiratory arrest.

As ...

Former Rep. James Traficant, the Ohio politician whose career included 17 years in Congress and a conviction for bribery, has died at age 73. Traficant's family had been fearing for his life since earlier this week, when he was critically injured in a tractor accident.

Traficant's death comes years after ...

U.S. fighters and drone aircraft continue to strike targets tied to the so-called Islamic State group, with at least 10 missions carried out in Iraq and Syria since Friday. Some of the strikes hit around Kobani, a town close to Turkey's border with Syria that's been under siege.

Kobani is ...