National

Untold RVA's tour guide, historian Free Egunfemi, sits inside Sweet Tea's Southern Cuisine, a restaurant with a history in the Underground Railroad.

National

Historian Goes Underground To Shed Light On Richmond's Role In Slave Trade

10:11pm December 28, 2016

by NPR Staff

Historian Free Egunfemi is working to preserve the history of the black community in Richmond, Va. She explores the basement of a local restaurant that she says was part of the Underground Railroad.

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Almothana Alhamoud (second from left) with his family in Chicago. From left to right are his sister, Fatina; their father, Abdel Bari; their mother, Alia; and his other sister, Rowan. Alhamoud earned a computer engineering degree in Syria, but when he cam

How One U.S. Group Turns Migrants Into Employees

10:11pm December 28, 2016

by Deborah Amos

Migrants often have college degrees and extensive professional experience, but may still have to settle for a low-wage job. The U.S. nonprofit Upwardly Global is working to change that.

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President-elect Donald Trump speaks to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., on Wednesday.

Trump Reverses Obama Criticism, Touts New Jobs In Brief Remarks

8:19pm December 28, 2016

by Scott Detrow

The president-elect announced plans for the creation of 8,000 jobs in the U.S. tied to the Japanese firm SoftBank, which pledged big investments in American jobs after Trump was elected.

Cable news networks saw massive audience growth in 2016, despite the year's disruptive events.

Beyond Fake News: 2016's Most Disruptive Media Moments

6:21pm December 28, 2016

by Eric Deggans

This year was the most chaotic year America's mainstream news media have faced in a long time — and not just because of the presidential election, or the prevalence of fake news stories.

Donald Trump spoke at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Conference in March when he was a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination.

Trump Tweets Give A Glimpse Into Foreign Policy Approach

6:01pm December 28, 2016

by Jessica Taylor

The president-elect's comments on Israel, China and nuclear policy also highlight how reactionary comments on social media can immediately spur international concern and attention.

Amazon's personal assistant device Echo, powered by the voice recognition program Alexa, is one of the most popular gifts this holiday season.

National

As We Leave More Digital Tracks, Amazon Echo Factors In Murder Investigation

4:55pm December 28, 2016

by Alina Selyukh

Arkansas police have served a warrant to Amazon looking for possible recordings from a murder scene. Privacy advocates have predicted a wave of cases involving smart home devices and gadgets.

Large portions of the Internet have declared 2016 one of the worst years ever. But 2017 hasn't gotten here yet, so let's all just simmer down.

National

Should We All Just Stop Calling 2016 'The Worst'?

4:13pm December 28, 2016

by Sam Sanders

Large portions of the Internet have declared 2016 one of the worst years ever. That's probably an inaccurate assessment, but it still says a lot about how we live online.

The Science Of Wildfires May Be Up In Smoke

4:06pm December 28, 2016

by Nathan Rott

With wildfire becoming more prevalent in the U.S. and the Forest Service increasingly looking to let some wildfires burn, there's a need to better understand the smoke that billows from those fires.

Convicted Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof told a federal judge Wednesday that he will not present evidence or witnesses in the penalty phase of his trial. Roof (pictured in 2015) faces the death penalty.

Charleston Shooter Won't Call Witnesses, Offer Evidence During Penalty Phase

4:05pm December 28, 2016

by Ammad Omar

Dylann Roof is facing the death penalty for the 2015 shooting rampage that killed nine black churchgoers. The self-avowed white supremacist also plans to represent himself.

Many large-scale farms rely heavily on immigrant labor. And many farmers are opposed to Donald Trump's strong stance against illegal immigrant.

Big Battles Over Farm And Food Policies May Be Brewing As Trump Era Begins

3:30pm December 28, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump hasn't said much about food and farm policy or named his choices for top food-related jobs. But the coming years will likely see profound battles over food and nutrition.