Michael Phelps won his 20th Olympic medal, the gold, in his last race with Ryan Lochte, who took the silver. Rebecca Soni won a gold, as well. All in all, it was a good day for American swimmers. NPR's Howard Berkes reports from London.
The Labor Department announces the number of jobs added in July and the national unemployment rate Friday. NPR's Scott Horsley joins Renee Montagne to talk about the report and the consequences for the presidential race.
The London Olympics have produced lots of fascinating moments in its early days. Records have been shattered, rules have been broken. And it's only the first week. NPR's Mike Pesca has been covering the games and joins Steve Inskeep.
We'll see where the count stands after another day of competition at the London Olympics but after Thursday, the United States is at the top with the most medals. Renee Montagne has results of Thursday night's Olympics competition.
A NASA rover called "Curiosity" is approaching Mars. After a more than eight-month journey, it's set to land on Mars late Sunday night. Steve Inskeep and Renee Montagne report.
Who's The Happiest? Researchers studied photos of Olympic medalists to learn who is the happiest. Here, bronze medalist Aliya Mustafina of Russia, gold medalist Gabby Douglas of the U.S., and silver medalist Victoria Komova of Russia pose after the all-around gymnastics final.
Both athletes were U.S. swimmers, both were dripping wet after finishing an Olympics final, and both had just won medals.
The first said, "It's not my normal specialty. ... We went out there and raced tough – and just came up a little short."
The second had a beaming face. He said, "[I] swam my own race. And knew I had a lane, and had an opportunity, and I went for it. It worked out, you know, it's just awesome that I get to go on the podium tonight. Honestly, I'm really proud of myself!"
Members of the Free Syrian Army are seen in a neighborhood of Damascus, Syria on June 28. Several huge suicide bombings this year suggest al-Qaida or other extremists are joining the battle against President Bashar Assad's regime.
Late last month, counterterrorism officials discovered a disturbing video on YouTube that showed what appeared to be a faction of the Syrian rebel army standing in front of a fluttering black banner. The mysterious flag — which read "no god but God" in white Arabic cursive — is thought to be a reproduction of the Prophet Muhammad's battle flag. It has also become al-Qaida in Iraq's calling card in Syria.
NASA engineer Adam Steltzner led the team that designed a crazy new approach to landing on Mars.
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This artist's concept shows thrusters firing to steer the spacecraft as it enters Martian atmosphere. The Curiosity rover has traveled for more than seven months inside the spacecraft.
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Friction with the Martian atmosphere helps slow the spacecraft as it descends. It also heats the heat shield. Friction alone accounts for almost all of the deceleration needed for landing.
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A parachute more than 50 feet across pops out, adding a bit more braking as the craft sinks into Mars's lower atmosphere.
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With the heat shield jettisoned, the rover can be seen tucked into the backshell of the spacecraft.
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Rocket thrusters provide the last little bit of deceleration. At the same time, radar clicks on, giving the craft information about its speed and distance from the surface.
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Here's where things get crazy. A new "sky crane" lowers the rover on three cables while hovering above the surface.
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Once the sky crane senses that it's no longer supporting the rover, it releases the cables and flies off to crash-land a safe distance away. Curiosity is now free to explore its new home.
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Airbags: They don't work because Curiosity is much heavier than past rovers.
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This is it! Lowering the rover on a cable makes it easier for the landing system to know when the rover's actually on solid ground.
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Legs. Too unstable; rover will tip over.
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Pallet: A wider base and more legs still isn't enough to overcome stability issue. Too wimpy.
Credit NASA
The Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft will approach Mars at 13,000 mph. The entry, descent and landing process has to guide it to a soft landing.
Over the next few years, the Affordable Care Act will probably boost demand for nurses to take care of the newly insured, she says, "and I need faculty to teach the practitioners that are going to take care of these uninsured."
Gymnast C.J. Maestas has been tumbling since he was 18 months old. His grandfathers Frank Barela (left) and Frank Maestas have been a lifelong source of support.
As fans around the world are riveted to the 2012 Summer Games in London, one young gymnast already has his sights on 2016.
Albuquerque, N.M., native C.J. Maestas, 20, has been tumbling his entire life. A self-described "hyper" kid who loved to climb on things, C.J. joined his first gymnastics class when he was 18 months old.
"As a little baby, you were always jumping," C.J.'s grandfather Frank Maestas recalls.
Celeste (Rashida Jones) and Jesse (Andy Samberg) are a separated couple who continue to hang out like best friends in Celeste and Jesse Forever. Jones also co-wrote the film.
Credit David Lanzenberg / Sony PIctures Classics
Jesse with pot dealer Skillz (co-writer Will McCormack), one of the film's amusing secondary characters.
The easiest way to put divorce onscreen is to slap a couple of clearly mismatched souls up there and proceed to show them bickering over money, property, the kids, the family dog. Celeste and Jesse Forever takes the harder and more honorable way, giving us two people who genuinely care for each other, who are perhaps perfect for each other in all the ways you can list on paper, and who still fall victim to some essential loneliness that seems to be hardwired into their union.
On its first day as a public company in May, Facebook's stock traded for more than $40 a share. On Thursday, investors could pick up a share for less than $20. Facebook has lost nearly half its value during its first few weeks on the Nasdaq. Institutional investors such as Fidelity are selling their stake. Facebook executives are now desperate to change the conversation about the company.
The sizzle seems to be gone from America's long-term relationship with the potato. Consumers are eating fewer of them, especially the kind that's not fried in a vat of hot oil. But what if a new and different potato arrived in town? A stylish one, with colorful flesh that was good for you, too?
