National

The Puerto Rican capitol building in San Juan is seen on July 1, 2015. The island's residents are struggling to cope with the government's $72 billion debt.

Congress' Funding Package Offers No Debt Assistance To Puerto Rico

5:11pm December 16, 2015

by Camila Domonoske

Struggling under a $72 billion debt, the territory asked for a legal change allowing it to file for some form of bankruptcy. But lawmakers have left that language out of their tax-and-spending deal.

Supporters cheer during a meeting Monday when the Seattle City Council voted to approve a measure that would allow ride sharing drivers for Uber and other ride services to unionize.

National

Fact Checking Uber On Labor Laws

4:57pm December 16, 2015

by Aarti Shahani

A law passed by Seattle, which allows Uber and other contract drivers to organize, raises many legal questions. But despite claims by Uber, it has real teeth.

A pedestrian walks along the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Boylston Street in April 2014. Of the 160 companies near the explosions that submitted claims for property damage or business losses, nearly 14 percent had coverage for terrorism.

National

Commerical Buildings More Often Than Not Have Terrorism Insurance

4:57pm December 16, 2015

by John Burnett

The Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, where a terrorist couple killed 14 people, is covered by terrorism insurance. In fact, 6 in 10 major U.S. businesses are insured for terrorism damage.

Here's What The Fed Interest Rate Hike Means For Consumers

4:57pm December 16, 2015

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in nine years Wednesday. NPR's Audie Cornish talks to Megan Greene, chief economist at John Hancock, about what this means for consumers.

The fleet of U.S. vehicles has kept its fuel efficiency at a record high, the EPA says. Here, an electric BMW i3 is seen in Miami.

Trucks Hit Record 20.4 MPG, EPA Says; Carmakers Are Ahead Of Emissions Standards

4:57pm December 16, 2015

by Bill Chappell

Fuel economy is at record highs and carmakers have surpassed strict greenhouse gas emissions standards for the third straight year, the Environmental Protection Agency says.

A Flint resident cries out during the filing of a class action lawsuit against city and state government officials on Monday, Nov. 16, 2015.

Michigan Mayor Declares State Of Emergency Over Lead Levels

3:37pm December 16, 2015

by Merrit Kennedy

Lead poisoning has caused irreversible health problems for children in the city of Flint. Mayor Karen Weaver calls it a "man-made disaster" and says the situation is still dangerous.

President Obama speaks at the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection at Stanford University on Feb. 13.

Cybersecurity Legislation Finds A Place In U.S. Budget Bill

3:21pm December 16, 2015

by Alina Selyukh

Congress has been trying to tackle cybersecurity for years. After several attempts to craft information-sharing legislation, the latest one has found its way into the must-pass federal spending bill.

Clinical Trials Still Don't Reflect The Diversity Of America

3:05pm December 16, 2015

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Clinical trials are too white, with less than 2 percent of cancer studies including enough minority people to provide information that could be useful for health, a study finds.

In a recently surfaced recording of a 1939 radio interview, James Naismith, describes how he invented basketball in 1891.

In His Own Words: How A Gym Teacher Invented Basketball In 1891

2:54pm December 16, 2015

by Laura Wagner

In what may be the only recording of his voice, James Naismith describes how he created basketball to occupy his stir-crazy students during a snowy winter in New England.

The food industry has processed lots of foods to hit that "bliss point" — that perfect amount of sweetness that would send eaters over the moon. In doing so, it's added sweetness in plenty of unexpected places – like bread and pasta sauce, says inves

How The Food Industry Helps Engineer Our Cravings

2:48pm December 16, 2015

by Here & Now Staff

To make foods irresistible, the food industry has added sweetness in unexpected places — like bread and pasta sauce. That's helped shape our cravings but may also be coming back to bite the industry.