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National

Eight out of 10 Americans believe the U.S. faces a threat to democracy

4:19pm December 15, 2022

by Domenico Montanaro

Eight out of 10 Americans believe the U.S. faces a threat to democracy but disagree on what is causing it. The final NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist poll of 2022 reveals insights into public opinion.

National

How 2022 has gone for President Biden

4:19pm December 15, 2022

by Mara Liasson

As 2022 begins to wind down, NPR takes a look at how the year has gone for President Biden.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and other lawmakers have introduced legislation that would ban TikTok in the U.S. over national security concerns. The U.S. Senate unanimously approved a separate bill that would ban the wildly popular app from devices issued by federal agencies.

From states to federal agencies, TikTok faces bans on government-issued devices

2:05pm December 15, 2022

by Giulia Heyward

The U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill that would ban the wildly popular app from devices issued by federal agencies. Several governors have banned TikTok on their agencies' phones and computers.

A marble bust of Chief Justice Roger Taney is displayed in the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the U.S. Capitol on March 9, 2020.

Congress votes to remove a bust of the Dred Scott decision's author from the Capitol

1:51pm December 15, 2022

by Ashley Ahn

The bill calls for replacing the bust of former Chief Justice Roger Taney, who wrote the decision upholding slavery, with one of Thurgood Marshall, the first Black person to serve on the high court.

New research tackles the central question about "buy now, pay later": Does it encourage people to overspend?

In a year marked by inflation, 'buy now, pay later' is the hottest holiday trend

1:47pm December 15, 2022

by Alina Selyukh

People are paying for blenders, shirts and even groceries in installments. New research suggests this encourages people to overspend.

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This year, there were attempts to restrict ballot initiatives in at least a dozenÃÂ states

Ballot measures on weed and abortion won in 2022. Now they're fueling a backlash

1:26pm December 15, 2022

Right-leaning states moved to make ballot measures tougher to pass after success of voter initiatives on abortion rights, marijuana and Medicaid expansion. That's led to pushback from state lawmakers.

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Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, pictured in San Francisco in October, commuted the sentences of all 17 people on death row on her way out of office.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown explains why she commuted all of her state's death sentences

11:49am December 15, 2022

by Rachel Treisman

In her final weeks in office, Brown commuted the sentences of all 17 people on death row in the state. Capital punishment is legal in Oregon, though its last execution was in 1997.

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Retail spending dipped in November compared to October, as holiday sales bit into inflation.

National

Retail spending dips as holiday sales bite into inflation

10:32am December 15, 2022

by Alina Selyukh

Retail sales declined 0.6% in November compared to October, the biggest decline in almost a year. For once, declining prices seem to be part of the story.

Morning news brief

5:16am December 15, 2022

A new NPR poll shows Americans want congressional leaders to compromise. Peru declares a 30-day national emergency. Israel's longest-serving prime minister is poised to return to office.

National

California gardener rents out real and reusable holiday trees

5:16am December 15, 2022

Love the smell of a live Christmas tree but hate to throw it out at the end of the holiday season? A California nursery rents real and re-usable Tannenbaums.