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Trump's economic approval at new low. And, Congress set to let ACA subsidies expire

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) discusses rising health insurance premiums as U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) (L) and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) look on during a press conference in the U.S. Capitol Building on Dec. 10, 2025, in Washington, DC.

A new NPR poll finds that President Trump's economic approval has hit a new low at 36%. And, Congress has two days to take action on health care subsidies.

(Image credit: Heather Diehl)

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GOP House Rep. says it's 'unacceptable' to allow ACA subsidies to expire

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-NY, speaks to reporters as he arrives for a House Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on May 15 in Washington, D.C.

Rep. Mike Lawler says House Speaker Mike Johnson is correct in saying the health care system isn't working, but allowing ACA subsidies to expire without a plan to address rising costs is "idiotic."

(Image credit: Kevin Dietsch)

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Trump's BBC lawsuit: A botched report, BritBox, and porn

Journalists report outside BBC Broadcasting House in London. In a new lawsuit, President Trump is seeking $10 billion from the BBC for defamation.

President Trump's lawsuit alleges that the BBC's fall 2024 documentary was "a brazen attempt" to harm his re-election. The BBC has apologized but rejects his claim.

(Image credit: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP)

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Recent attacks have been 'inspired' by Islamic State. What does that mean?

A member of the Iraqi forces walks past a mural bearing the logo of the Islamic State group in a tunnel that was reportedly used as a training center by the jihadists, on March 1, 2017, in the village of Albu Sayf, on the southern outskirts of Mosul.

A decade ago, the self-proclaimed Islamic State group held vast swaths of territory across Iraq and Syria, but President Trump declared it destroyed in 2019.

(Image credit: Ahmad al-Rubaye)

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Is the viral cheese pull saving chain restaurants?

Images from Karissa Dumbacher

For restaurants, going viral is appetizing. But at what cost?

(Image credit: @karissaeats via TikTok)

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Trump's rush to build nuclear reactors across the U.S. raises safety worries

The Experimental Breeder Reactor II at Idaho National Laboratory. Several companies are now pursuing experimental reactor designs in the hopes of upending the nuclear power industry.

A new program at the Department of Energy is pushing the development of nearly a dozen new reactor designs at breakneck speed.

(Image credit: Idaho National Laboratory)

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Trump's economic approval hits a new low at 36%, poll finds

President Trump is pictured in the Oval Office on Monday.

A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll finds 70% of Americans say things have become too unaffordable and have a dim outlook on the economy and President Trump's handling of it.

(Image credit: Anna Moneymaker)

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From bird droppings to holiday kisses: How we ended up under the mistletoe

A soldier  leaving a London railway station to join his unit took along a sprig of mistletoe to make sure he got his Christmas kiss, Dec. 14, 1939.

The etymology of mistletoe — a plant with small, oval evergreen leaves and waxy white berries — may strike some as repugnant.

(Image credit: Gerry Cranham/Getty Images)

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Thousands of guns are found at crime scenes. What do they tell us?

A law enforcement officer inspects a handgun at the scene of a shooting in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 2.

A report from the advocacy group Everytown For Gun Safety analyzed data from local police departments on nearly 350,000 guns used in crimes from 2020 to 2024, including where they came from.

(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski)

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How the long-running Obamacare fight came to thwart enhanced subsidies in Congress

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., meets with reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday as Republicans confront internal divisions over how to to address growing health care costs.

Congress is poised to leave for a scheduled holiday recess without a solution for addressing the expiration of enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act marketplace plans.

(Image credit: J. Scott Applewhite)

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Beware the Christmas coronary. How to spot signs of holiday heart trouble

Too much merry-making with rich foods and alcohol can strain the heart. So can stress over the holidays.

There's lots of data to show cardiac troubles spike during the holidays amid the mix of merrymaking, travel and stress. But there are ways to spot the signs of trouble before it's too late.

(Image credit: mgstudyo)

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U.S. Santas becoming more diverse as families look to see themselves in Christmas

Santas in the U.S. are getting more diverse as families try to find a jolly fella who looks more like them.

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Suspected gunman in Bondi Beach shooting charged with 15 counts of murder

Swimmers gather for a morning vigil in Sydney, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, following Sunday

A suspected gunman in Sydney's Bondi Beach massacre was charged with 59 offenses including 15 charges of murder on Wednesday, as hundreds of mourners gathered to begin funerals for the victims.

(Image credit: Mick Tsikas)

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Trump expands travel ban and restrictions to include an additional 20 countries

President Donald Trump speaks during a Mexican Border Defense Medal presentation in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Washington.

The Trump administration announced Tuesday it was expanding travel restrictions to an additional 20 countries and the Palestinian Authority, doubling the number of nations affected by sweeping limits.

(Image credit: Alex Brandon)

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Nick Reiner will be charged with first degree murder in his parents' killing

Michele Singer Reiner, Rob Reiner and their son Nick in 2013.

The 32-year-old son of famed director Rob Reiner is being held without bail. Los Angeles authorities say the charges against him carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

(Image credit: Michael Buckner)

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After outcry over prices, FIFA to sell $60 tickets for the World Cup -- with a catch

The FIFA World Cup trophy is displayed at an event in Zurich, Switzerland, on Nov. 20, 2025.

FIFA said it would sell $60 tickets to the World Cup, including for the final — but only for supporters of qualified teams. And the actual number of available tickets is limited.

(Image credit: Fabrice Coffrini)

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What to know from Susie Wiles' interviews with 'Vanity Fair,' according to the writer

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles looks on during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump and members of Trump

Throughout the year, Vanity Fair writer Chris Whipple interviewed some of the people closest to President Trump. We speak with Whipple about his talks with White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)

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Bondi Beach attack casts a shadow on Hanukkah celebrations in Israel

Australian Jews and others hold a vigil in Tel Aviv for the victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting, on Sunday, Dec 14.

People of all ages had been looking forward to celebrating — especially this year, as a ceasefire in Gaza has held since October and all but one of the hostages taken by Hamas-led militants have been returned.

(Image credit: Jerome Socolovsky)

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Psychologists are increasingly using — and worrying about — AI tools, poll finds

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A survey finds that 56% of psychologists are trying out artificial intelligence tools at work, mainly for administrative tasks. A majority also are concerned about harms of AI on patients and society.

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Her 1951 walkout helped end school segregation. Now her statue is in the U.S. Capitol

A model of the statue of Barbara Rose Johns pictured in 2023, two years before the real thing was unveiled at the U.S. Capitol.

Barbara Rose Johns was 16 when she led a walkout at her high school, credited with helping end school segregation. Her statue replaces Robert E. Lee's, which was removed in 2020.

(Image credit: Amy Davis)

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New report finds the Arctic continues to warm faster than the planet as a whole

The orange tributary of the Kugororuk River in Alaska is an example of a "rusting river." These rivers are increasingly common in the Brooks Range of northern Alaska, the result of thawing permafrost. The orange color is caused by naturally occurring iron, but it can also indicate elevated levels of heavy metals.

This year's Arctic Report Card from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration finds that the northernmost part of the Earth is warming faster than the global average, leading to melting glaciers, shifting fish populations, and rivers running orange.

(Image credit: Josh Koch)

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Search for body of last hostage held by Hamas in Gaza is delayed due to bad weather

Palestinians cross a flooded street following heavy rain in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Dec. 11.

A storm has battered the Gaza Strip, creating misery for displaced Palestinians and delaying the search for the body of the last Israeli hostage held by militants there.

(Image credit: Abdel Kareem Hana)

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The U.S. added just 64,000 jobs in November -- a sign the labor market is slowing

U.S. employers added 64,000 jobs in November, as the pace of hiring continued to slow.  The unemployment rate rose to 4.6%.

Hiring cooled this fall, according to delayed figures released by the Labor Department Tuesday. Employers added 64,000 jobs in November as the unemployment rate rose to 4.6%.

(Image credit: Spencer Platt)

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Rob Reiner's son Nick arrested. And, Brown University shooting suspect image released

Flowers rest on Rob Reiner

Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner's son Nick has been arrested in connection with their deaths. And, authorities have released new images to help identify the gunman in the Brown University shooting.

(Image credit: Mario Tama)

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The Warner Bros. Curse

An aerial view of the Warner Bros. logo displayed on the water tower at Warner Bros. Studio on Dec. 5, 2025 in Burbank, Calif.

Warner Bros. has a history of disastrous mergers and acquisitions. Can they avoid another bad sequel as Netflix and Paramount battle to buy it?

(Image credit: Mario Tama)

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Republicans divided on policy toward Afghan immigrants after shooting

Afghan refugee girl Laylama is pictured during a September 2025 interview with AFP in Islamabad, where she was living after President Trump suspended refugee admissions to the U.S.

The signs of Republican pushback come as President Trump has pursued a campaign of mass deportations and crackdown on migration from certain countries.

(Image credit: Farooq Naeem)

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Mahmood Mamdani on how Uganda's history shaped his belonging — and his son's moment

Mahmood Mamdani, a Columbia University professor, draws on his experiences of exile and statelessness in Uganda to examine how colonial legacies continue to shape political power.

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Professor Mahmood Mamdani about his new book, "Slow Poison." The book is a firsthand report on the tragic unraveling of Uganda's struggle for independence.

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Chain restaurants are hit by tariffs and inflation. How do they control costs?

Tomatillos are among the fresh produce in refrigerated warehouses at the Sysco food distribution center in Houston.

Inflation, rising food prices and the high cost of living has been top of mind for consumers all year. But then Olive Garden offers an unlimited pasta meal or a chain steakhouse restaurant sells a steak dinner with two sides for less than 30 bucks. So, how are chains are able to keep prices as low as they do in this economy?

(Image credit: Keren Carrión)

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Teachers are using software to see if students used AI. What happens when it's wrong?

Ailsa Ostovitz, left, and her mother, Stephanie Rizk, at their home in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. In mid-November, Rizk met with Ostovitz

School districts from Utah to Ohio to Alabama are spending thousands of dollars on these tools, despite research showing the technology is far from reliable.

(Image credit: Beck Harlan)

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Built to spill: The life of a crash test dummy

An assembled crash test dummy sits on a moveable desk in the assembly area at a Humanetics production facility in Huron, Ohio.

Automotive crash test dummies are born in Ohio, brought to "life" near Detroit, and then sent around the world to make cars safer.

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