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Want to have a professional take your picture in a National Park? You'd better plan ahead. The Park Service has been ordered by Congress to start charging photo permit and location fees to some photographers. Host Debbie Elliott looks at the new policy and how it's playing out on the National Mall in Washington.

Conservative candidate Felipe Calderon leads an official recount of votes in Mexico's presidential election by the thinnest of margins over former Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. On Wednesday, Lopez Obrador threatened to ignore the final tally because of "serious evidence of fraud."

President Bush signs the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which he calls the biggest reform of the nation's pension system in more than three decades. The legislation is designed to strengthen the government's deficit-ridden pension insurance program. But some companies say the stricter funding requirements could push more firms to dump pension programs in favor of 401(k) programs.

Florida’s spiraling housing affordability crisis has sent protesters to the streets across the state.

Public schools in New Orleans were devastated, as were the region's Catholic schools. And the Baton Rouge Catholic school system is struggling to accommodate evacuee families in this heavily Catholic region.

Spring comes late to western Alaska and brings a mix of anxiety and anticipation. Citizen scientists use traditional knowledge to predict river breakup and flooding for dozens of remote communities.

Members of Congress wrap up work on spending and taxes before the Thanksgiving break. Early Friday morning, the Senate approved a $60 billion package of tax cuts, and the House narrowly approved $50 billion in spending cuts. But finding common ground in December won't be easy.

A patriarch of a family that was involved in an 11-day Idaho standoff with federal agents 30 years ago has died.

Some people cannot live without wheat products while others have to. A component of wheat called gluten has been discovered to trigger allergies, even in small amounts. The federal government will require manufacturers to list wheat among other allergens in food packaging.

At issue was a federal law that has been on the books for 20 years that barred federal candidates from raising more than $250,000 to repay loans made to their campaigns.

The deadline to enroll in the new Medicare drug benefit is March 15 -- but some lawmakers have asked to push that date back, because the plan's rules are too confusing for seniors. President Bush, however, vows there will be no delay. Julie Rovner reports on what's behind the president's decision.

The Supreme Court hears arguments on whether police are required to inform foreign nationals of their right to talk to their countries' consulates when arrested. A 1969 treaty provides that right; the court considers whether police bear the burden of informing the suspect of that right.

It's hard not to notice when 18,000 people pick up and leave town all at once. Each time the soldiers at Fort Stewart are deployed, the residents of Hinesville, Ga., feel the absence keenly.

As illegal immigrants challenge the tough words on Capitol Hill, many established leaders of minority organizations are being left in the dust, trying to figure out where the new movement -- if in fact it is a "movement" -- is headed.

Recruiting and hiring thousands of additional federal Border Patrol agents is a key part of President Bush's plan to reduce illegal immigration. But tough entry requirements and low pay are making it difficult for the Border Patrol to find and retain enough new agents to meet that goal.

When most people are headed to the beach, radio producer Scott Carrier heads for the ski slopes near his home in Utah. Carrier explains that the combination of freezing and thawing in the late spring gives the mountain snow pack a special quality that makes for a unique skiing experience.

The election of Iraq's first parliament since the fall of Saddam Hussein is a big step in the country's attempt to redefine itself. Security analyst Anthony Cordesman says its just a beginning.

'Tis the season for holiday festivities in our nation's capital. Madeleine Brand talks with Slate political correspondent John Dickerson about the annual White House holiday parties, and how much of President Bush's attention they'll occupy between now and Christmas, and beyond. The president will host a total of 26 parties at the executive mansion.

The results of a study released this month find that at least one in five Republican state legislators across the country are affiliated with far-right groups on Facebook.

Rumors, misinformation and conspiracy theories were rampant on right-wing social media before verifiable information came out about the gunman who took at least 21 lives at a Texas elementary school.

Everyone suddenly wants to learn Mandarin Chinese. The problem is that there are few credentialed teachers. Now the Chinese government is making plans to develop teaching partnerships with U.S. public school districts.

Authorities in Utah and Arizona are taking new steps to try to control a polygamist group dominating twin towns on the Utah-Arizona border. The group is known as the FLDS Church and it controls the schools, police and local government. Last week, the state of Arizona raided the school administrative offices and a Utah judge froze the assets of the group.

Richard Bernard Moore is the first prisoner in South Carolina to face the choice of execution methods since the state made electrocution the default and gave inmates the option to face rifles instead.

Americans have cut back what they're buying at gas stations and grocery stores in response to rising prices. But their spending overall has remained fairly steady.

Despite Washington's focus on the war in Ukraine, the White House is trying to demonstrate that it is stepping up in the Asia-Pacific.