NPR News

The Senate is on the verge of passing a highway bill. It would spend more than $100 billion on the nation's roads in two years. The bill is expected to pass with bi-partisan support. But it's had an unusual and controversial path.

British Prime Minister David Cameron is in Washington for talks with President Obama. British Ambassador to the U.S. Peter Westmacott talks to Steve Inskeep about what's likely to dominate the agenda of the two leaders: Afghanistan.

Far right politician Marine Le Pen is officially in the French presidential race after getting the required 500 mayors' signatures to appear on the ballot. She launched her campaign in a small town in the north of France, a poor region where many see globalization and immigration as France's biggest problems.

On the popular movie-rating website Rotten Tomatoes, Eddie Murphy's latest film A Thousand Words received zero positive reviews.

It was a big night for Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum. He won the primaries in Mississippi and Alabama. Mitt Romney was running third in both states.

Even as the job market is improving and other indicators are positive, the Federal Reserve wants to keep interest rates super low until 2014. The Fed reaffirmed that policy Tuesday. That's likely because the economy is still growing slowly — not nearly fast enough to sustain consistent, long-term job creation.

On Tuesday, President Obama received the endorsement of the nation's largest organized labor organization, the AFL-CIO. Collective bargaining has been under attack in several states, which has drained union resources. But labor leaders say that's made them more determined than ever to keep Obama in the White House.

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum won Republican primaries in Mississippi and Alabama Tuesday night. The victories underscore his appeal with the conservative base of the Republican Party.

Over the past few years, authorities have arrested more than 200 gang members in an unexpected place: the tree-lined suburbs along the Hudson River in New York.

Drug traffickers with ties to the Bloods, the Latin Kings and other gangs have put down roots there. Authorities say they brought shootings and stabbings with them.

Middletown, N.Y., is 90 minutes northwest of the city. On West Main Street, you can find tidy brick buildings from the 1800s, a brew pub, and a restaurant that sells fresh mussels and escargot.

Part of a series

Detroit automakers are creating thousands of new jobs amid a sales boom. And as they expand, their suppliers are racing to keep up, adding tens of thousands of new jobs.

At Bridgewater Interiors in Warren, Mich., for example, the pace is intense. Hundreds of union employees scurry to fill a growing list of orders. The factory floor is packed with stacks of foam cushions, seat covers and headrests.