A few seconds doesn't seem like much, but scientists say an early detection system that gives the public five, 10, up to 40 seconds of warning before an earthquake could save lives.

The AP reports today that the United States is working on a system that does just that:

After years of lagging behind Japan, Mexico and other quake-prone countries, the U.S. government has been quietly testing an earthquake early warning system in California since February. ...

The prospect of a United Nations vote on Palestinian statehood did not escape the notice of the Republican contenders for president, as Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday hurled himself into the debate over Middle East policy with a public address on the subject in New York City.

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

MICHEL MARTIN, host: I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News.

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

MICHEL MARTIN, host: I'm Michel Martin, and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News.

The word is spreading about the $2 million — in cash — paid recently for a double-wide mobile home in Malibu, Calif.

A new book by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind paints an unflattering picture of rivalries and dysfunction within President Obama's first economic team — rivalries that Suskind says then slowed the administration's response to the financial crisis.

Many people, if they think about disability insurance coverage at all, focus on their employer's long-term disability plan rather than any short-term coverage they may get on the job. That makes sense in many ways, since you face a bigger financial risk if you're unable to work for two years rather than for two months.

The "future of the American way of war," The Washington Post writes this morning, may be:

"A day when drones hunt, identify and kill the enemy based on calculations made by software, not decisions made by humans. Imagine aerial 'Terminators,' minus beefcake and time travel."