Why comedian Mike Albo says it's better to be a last-minute holiday shopper
NPR's Michel Martin speaks with author and comedian Mike Albo about the virtues of buying holiday gifts at the absolute last minute.
![]()
NPR's Michel Martin speaks with author and comedian Mike Albo about the virtues of buying holiday gifts at the absolute last minute.
![]()

Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the controversies that dominated the Turning Point conference, but he did not define any boundaries for the conservative movement besides patriotism.
(Image credit: Jon Cherry)
![]()

CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss pulled a 60 Minutes segment on allegations of abuses at an El Salvador detention center where the Trump administration sent hundreds of Venezuelan migrants.
(Image credit: Leigh Vogel)
![]()

Steves purchased the property to prevent it from closing. Many homeless people had come to depend on the Lynnwood Hygiene Center, which had operated rent-free on the property since 2020.
(Image credit: Rick Steves)
![]()

The Justice Department is defending its initial release of documents related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying lawyers are still going through them to ensure victims are protected.
(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)
![]()

Officials said the error is likely be too minute for the general public to clock it, but it could affect applications such as critical infrastructure, telecommunications and GPS signals.
(Image credit: J. Sherman, R. Jacobson)
![]()
Researchers retrieved reef monitoring devices that had been placed in deep coral reefs in Guam. The devices were placed up to 330 feet below the surface.
(Image credit: California Academy of Sciences)
![]()

Without a fix from Congress, costs for many people who buy health care on the Affordable Care Act marketplace have gone up. Here's what's to know about cheaper choices — and pitfalls to be aware of.
(Image credit: Patrick Sison)
![]()

Cartagena, Colombia, is set to ban its iconic horse-drawn carriages, replacing them with electric buggies — a move dividing the historic city over tradition, tourism, and animal welfare.
(Image credit: Jeffrey Greenberg)
![]()

Rosemary Westwood from member station WWNO asked a few of New Orlean's favorite musicians about the songs they like to listen to around Christmas.
(Image credit: Sean Gardner/Getty Images; Nelson Cosey; Josh Brasted/Getty Images for Essence)
![]()

In Kashmir, December 21 is said to mark the start of the 40 harshest days of winter. A woolen robe called a pheran is key to keeping warm — and a reminder of how to face and overcome hardships.
(Image credit: Tauseef Mustafa/AFP)
![]()

Budget cuts threaten the future of Amsterdam-based Radio Dabanga, which has served as an information lifeline for Sudanese people about their war-torn country.
(Image credit: Indy Scholtens for NPR)
![]()

Authorities report that nine people have died and at least 10 others are injured after a shooting at a South African pub. The incident occurred early Sunday in Bekkersdal, west of Johannesburg.
(Image credit: Alfonso Nqunjana)
![]()

Congress is wrapping up the year without a lot of legislative accomplishments under its belt and a growing list of lawmakers who are retiring. Former members say the challenges on Capitol Hill have been brewing for a long time.
![]()

A Kremlin envoy says peace talks in Florida on a U.S.-proposed plan to end the war in Ukraine are proceeding constructively, after U.S. meetings with Ukrainian and European officials in Berlin.
(Image credit: Alexander Kazakov/AP)
![]()

With months-long consulate and embassy delays being reported, the two tech companies say staying put in the U.S. right now could prevent workers from getting stranded in their home countries.
(Image credit: Justin Sullivan)
![]()
Kendal Wright, editor in chief of the University of Alabama's Nineteen Fifty-Six magazine, reacts to the suspension of two student publications amid a federal crackdown on campus DEI policies.
![]()

The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has finally received full federal recognition, which it has sought since 1888. Tribal leaders were moved to tears after President Trump signed the measure.
(Image credit: Jacquelyn Martin)
![]()

Pope Leo XIV has summoned the world's cardinals for two days of meetings to help him govern the church, in the clearest sign yet that the new year will signal the unofficial start of his pontificate.
(Image credit: Gregorio Borgia)
![]()

The comedian is scheduled to co-host his final show on Saturday with Wicked star Ariana Grande.
(Image credit: Jamie McCarthy)
![]()

An NPR analysis of the Epstein files shows some documents, originally available on Friday, are no longer on the Department of Justice's "Epstein Library" website as the DOJ releases more files.
(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)
![]()

U.S. forces stopped a vessel off the coast of Venezuela for the second time in less than two weeks as President Trump continues to ramp up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
(Image credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
![]()

A federal judge ordered special elections after earlier ordering the state to redraw the electoral map used to select justices, concluding the current configuration dilutes the power of Black voters.
(Image credit: Rogelio V. Solis)
![]()

The attack at Australia's Bondi Beach earlier this week on people who were celebrating the first night of Hanukkah was horrific. Stories have emerged about those who died trying to stop the gunmen.
(Image credit: DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)
![]()

The Trump administration launched military strikes in Syria to "eliminate" Islamic State group fighters in retaliation for an attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American interpreter a week ago.
(Image credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
![]()

Fourteen companies in total have now reached what the administration calls most-favored-nation pricing deals.
(Image credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI)
![]()
Doctors and children's hospitals say nothing in the evidence has changed to justify the Trump administration's efforts to ban gender-affirming care for teens and tweens.
(Image credit: Selena Simmons-Duffin)
![]()

Washington, D.C.'s performing arts center was named for President Kennedy after his assassination. But his vision for the arts as a cornerstone of democracy was shared by Eisenhower and Johnson.
(Image credit: National Archives)
![]()

The Justice Department has begun publishing the Epstein files, releasing documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's criminal charges and his death by suicide in federal custody.
(Image credit: Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan)
![]()

A federal judge said HUD cannot dramatically change its funding policies on homelessness for now. States, cities and nonprofits say the proposed overhaul would push thousands back onto the streets.
(Image credit: Kent Nishimura)
![]()