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How well people got along with their parents as teenagers affects how satisfied they are with romantic relationships as young adults. But if you were a rebellious teen, don't fret. Researchers say it's just one of many factors that influence your romantic life.

With Republicans growing more confident about their prospects for taking over the U.S. Senate this fall, activists from both parties are starting to fire up the message machines for the next Supreme Court opening.

As an acoustic engineer, Trevor Cox has spent most of his career getting rid of bizarre, unwanted sounds. But in The Sound Book, Cox turns up the volume on those sonic oddities. The book explores weird echoes and unexpected noises from around the globe — including "whisper galleries" and a chirping pyramid.

Why was Marius, a healthy 18-month-old giraffe, killed on Sunday at the Copenhagen Zoo? Employees say it's because Marius had genes too similar to other giraffes and was killed to avoid inbreeding. But the act has caused an uproar on social media and among animal activists. Robert Siegel talks to Bengt Holst, the scientific director at the Copenhagen Zoo, about the decision to put the giraffe down.

The Obama administration is again delaying a part of the Affordable Care Act that requires most companies to provide employees with health insurance. This time, smallish firms — those with fewer than 100 workers but more than 49 — get a reprieve until 2016.

Many Alaskans are watching the lower 48 suffer through the cold and snowy winter with one reaction: envy. That's because Alaska is enduring the opposite, facing record high temperatures and extremely low snow totals. Alaska Public Radio Network's Annie Feidt reports that the unusual weather has made it difficult for residents to enjoy the winter sports, like skiing, that are popular in the state.

As political sparring has gotten increasingly nasty in Israel, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has found himself caught in the crossfire for his role in the peace talks. State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki points to this criticism as a sign that Israeli and Palestinian sides are getting down to the painful details. Neither side wants to be labeled as the one to end negotiations, but outsiders are nevertheless striving to exert diplomatic and financial pressure in order to ensure talks continue. Some say that this pressure alone may get a framework for peace signed.

The winter weather in Britain is even worse than people expected this year. For more than a month now, the British Isles have been battered with storms that have destroyed train tracks, blocked roads and flooded large parts of the country. And as NPR's Ari Shapiro reports from London, there's no end in sight to the dismal weather.

When Congress hits its debt ceiling at the end of the month, don't expect another big confrontation. House Republicans don't have the appetite for it and can't even agree on what points to negotiate.

The Office writer B.J. Novak's new story collection covers everything from carrot cake to artificial intelligence. Reviewer Heller McAlpin says the book has a few too many things packed into it, but overall, the collection is "wildly promising."