"I call it medical minutes," says Dr. Richard Katz of George Washington University Hospital in the nation's capital. He's testing whether inner-city diabetics, an especially hard-to-treat population, might better control their blood sugar—and thus save Medicaid dollars—by tracking their disease using Internet-connected cellphones, provided with reduced monthly rates as long as they regularly comply.

"I call it medical minutes," says Dr. Richard Katz of George Washington University Hospital in the nation's capital. He's testing whether inner-city diabetics, an especially hard-to-treat population, might better control their blood sugar—and thus save Medicaid dollars—by tracking their disease using Internet-connected cellphones, provided with reduced monthly rates as long as they regularly comply.

For years, recess at Grout Elementary School in Portland, Ore., was fraught with the same sort of playground woes common around the country.Some kids would play, some wouldn't. Some roughhoused and got into tussles. Resolving those tussles, teachers said, ate into post-recess classroom time. "Kids are not inherently kind to each other," said Principal Susan McElroy. The pattern was broken about a year ago when McElroy hired a recess coach to help children do what they used to do naturally: play. Now, Grout has its own professional coach on school grounds all day who not only organizes and supervises playground games, but also trains kids to be junior coaches, teaches conflict resolution and serves as a mentor, McElroy said.

For years, recess at Grout Elementary School in Portland, Ore., was fraught with the same sort of playground woes common around the country.Some kids would play, some wouldn't. Some roughhoused and got into tussles. Resolving those tussles, teachers said, ate into post-recess classroom time. "Kids are not inherently kind to each other," said Principal Susan McElroy. The pattern was broken about a year ago when McElroy hired a recess coach to help children do what they used to do naturally: play. Now, Grout has its own professional coach on school grounds all day who not only organizes and supervises playground games, but also trains kids to be junior coaches, teaches conflict resolution and serves as a mentor, McElroy said.

They have their eyes on twin prizes: first college degrees, then careers in law, medicine, education or business. But they know it's going to take hard work to get there. That's why these 22 students have traded a summer of hanging out with friends for.

They have their eyes on twin prizes: first college degrees, then careers in law, medicine, education or business. But they know it's going to take hard work to get there. That's why these 22 students have traded a summer of hanging out with friends for.

More than 240,000 female service members have been deployed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but for many, reintegrating into civilian life and trying to find employment is not within their reach. The Department of Veteran Affairs has acknowledged that women are nearly four times as likely as men to end up homeless.

More than 240,000 female service members have been deployed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but for many, reintegrating into civilian life and trying to find employment is not within their reach. The Department of Veteran Affairs has acknowledged that women are nearly four times as likely as men to end up homeless.

Williams and Hadler acknowledge the grim reality of most for-profit nursing homes-- “walled communities” where the elderly quickly lose their autonomy, in a place that “lies somewhere between a homeless shelter and a hospital; a smelly, run down, unattractive warehouse filled with mentally and physically impoverished , half-dead people.” Care is very expensive, but often not very good.

Williams and Hadler acknowledge the grim reality of most for-profit nursing homes-- “walled communities” where the elderly quickly lose their autonomy, in a place that “lies somewhere between a homeless shelter and a hospital; a smelly, run down, unattractive warehouse filled with mentally and physically impoverished , half-dead people.” Care is very expensive, but often not very good.

Minority children have fewer opportunities than their white peers to gain access to high-quality health care, education, safe neighborhoods and adequate support from the communities where they live, according to a nationwide survey of professionals who work with young people.

Raising kids and a family can be a handful for parents. It can be especially overwhelming when also caring for an elderly loved one as many families discover that providing care for aging relatives can be challenging. In this week’s weekly parenting segment, Host Michel Martin speaks with author and veteran geriatric specialist Marion Somers about balancing family life with elder care. Also joining the conversation is Jolene Ivey, a regular parenting contributor and mother of five who also cares for her elderly father.

Families with lower incomes have been especially hard hit by this recession, and the lowest-priced homes have suffered the deepest drops in value. All of that has meant even more pressure on the poorest homeowners. NPR's Joshua Brockman has our report.

Earlier this month, the Federal Reserve released an immense report detailing evidence of the nation's ongoing economic recovery. The collective net worth of American households and non-profits rose $6.3 trillion since the first quarter of 2009 (generally considered the low point of the Great Recession). And the value of household real-estate grew by well over $800 billion. But we are still billions of dollars down from where we were when the economy collapsed in late 2007. And for many Americans, the recovery has not yet begun—least of all for poor communities of color.

Last school year, 258 public school students were shot in Chicago, 32 fatally, on their way to or from school, traveling through gang-infested territory and narcotics wars on the South and West Sides. In an effort to get ahead of the next killings, the schools conducted an analysis to identify the 250 students most at risk of being shot (by studying profiles of 500 recent victims). Since December, each of those students has had an advocate like Ms. Tinajero on call to offer caretaking and support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Last school year, 258 public school students were shot in Chicago, 32 fatally, on their way to or from school, traveling through gang-infested territory and narcotics wars on the South and West Sides. In an effort to get ahead of the next killings, the schools conducted an analysis to identify the 250 students most at risk of being shot (by studying profiles of 500 recent victims). Since December, each of those students has had an advocate like Ms. Tinajero on call to offer caretaking and support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Kent Kiehl has studied hundreds of psychopaths. Kiehl is one of the world's leading investigators of psychopathy and a professor at the University of New Mexico. He says he can often see it in their eyes: There's an intensity in their stare, as if they're trying to pick up signals on how to respond. But the eyes are not an element of psychopathy, just a clue. Officially, Kiehl scores their pathology on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, which measures traits such as the inability to feel empathy or remorse, pathological lying, or impulsivity.

Kent Kiehl has studied hundreds of psychopaths. Kiehl is one of the world's leading investigators of psychopathy and a professor at the University of New Mexico. He says he can often see it in their eyes: There's an intensity in their stare, as if they're trying to pick up signals on how to respond. But the eyes are not an element of psychopathy, just a clue. Officially, Kiehl scores their pathology on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, which measures traits such as the inability to feel empathy or remorse, pathological lying, or impulsivity.

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that cities and states must abide by the 2nd Amendment, strengthening the rights of gun owners and opening a new chapter in the national debate over gun control. In a 5-4 decision, the justices said the right to have a handgun for self-defense is "fundamental from an American perspective (and) applies equally to the federal government and the states."

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that cities and states must abide by the 2nd Amendment, strengthening the rights of gun owners and opening a new chapter in the national debate over gun control. In a 5-4 decision, the justices said the right to have a handgun for self-defense is "fundamental from an American perspective (and) applies equally to the federal government and the states."