News

An ICE employee waiting to enter the all-male Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Ga.

National

Federal Investigation Finds 'Significant Issues' At Immigrant Detention Centers

9:09pm December 14, 2017

by Richard Gonzales

An inspector general's report says immigrant detainees' rights, health and safety are compromised in four facilities. In response, ICE agrees to strengthen oversight and improve conditions.

A 16-year-old in Louisiana shared his joy over learning he was accepted to Harvard in a viral video, viewed more than 6 million times.

Teen's Dramatic Video, Revealing His Acceptance By Harvard, Charms Internet

9:06pm December 14, 2017

by Amy Held

"All the hard work was worth it," Ayrton Little said. The video has been viewed more than 6 million times.

James Dinklage, a cattle rancher from Nebraska, is one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed Thursday. The suit accuses the USDA of "arbitrary and capricious" behavior in rolling back two Obama-era rules designed to protect small farmers, who say they are

The USDA Rolled Back Protections For Small Farmers. Now The Farmers Are Suing

8:25pm December 14, 2017

by Nancy Matsumoto

At issue is the Trump administration's withdrawal of two Obama-era rules designed to protect small farmers, who say they are being exploited by the meatpacking companies they supply.

Defendants Efrain Antonio Campos Flores (center left) and Franqui Francisco Flores de Freitas (center right), as depicted in federal court in New York on Thursday, were sentenced to 18 years in prison on drug conspiracy charges.

Nephews Of Venezuelan First Lady Sentenced In U.S. Drug Smuggling Case

6:38pm December 14, 2017

by Amy Held

Efrain Antonio Campo Flores and his cousin Franqui Francisco Flores de Freitas received 18 years in prison.

There were 23 executions in 2017, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Over the past 25 years, only last year's total, 20, was lower.

National

Use Of The Death Penalty In U.S. Near A 25-Year Low, Report Finds

5:28pm December 14, 2017

Executions of death row inmates occurred in only eight states in 2017 as public support for capital punishment wanes, according to an annual report by the Death Penalty Information Center.

Clark Howe, 12, and his family lost their Santa Rosa, Calif., home and nearly all their possessions to the Tubbs Fire. While he found it hard to talk about the fire, it's also been really helpful to do so, and he can't believe the support he has received

After Wildfires Destroyed Their Homes, Students Find Healing Help At School

5:11pm December 14, 2017

Experiencing a natural disaster can traumatize children. After a devastating wildfire in California, some educators are using an unusual assignment to help students find comfort.

National

Five Years After Sandy Hook Tragedy, How Two Dads Turned Grief Into Action

4:47pm December 14, 2017

by Anthony Brooks

On the fifth anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre, two dads speak about how they turned their grief into action. Mark Barden lost his 6-year-old son, Daniel, at Sandy Hook. Greg Gibson lost his son, Galen, precisely 20 years before Sandy Hook at a school shooting in western Massachusetts. When the two dads met, they discovered not only that their sons died on the same calendar day, in the same horrible way, but that their boys also shared the same birthday.

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Economy

The Most Important Economic Indicator That Everyone Ignored

4:47pm December 14, 2017

by Cardiff Garcia

This week on All Things Considered, we're sharing a series of "Highly Specific Superlatives." Cardiff Garcia from NPR's podcast The Indicator talks about the most important economic indicator in 2017 that everyone ignored: global trade.

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Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai led a vote to repeal Obama-era "net neutrality" rules on Thursday.

FCC Repeals 'Net Neutrality' Rules For Internet Providers

4:47pm December 14, 2017

by Alina Selyukh

After a brief security evacuation, the agency voted to undo Obama-era regulations that prohibit cable and telecom companies from blocking access to websites and apps or influencing how fast they load.

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An mage taken from a TD Canada Trust error message that NPR received when trying to read about how the institution handles bank drafts.

Economy

An $846,000 Inheritance Got Lost In Transit. That Was In February

4:37pm December 14, 2017

by Bill Chappell

The only money a Canadian family has recovered from a lost bank draft is the $32 it cost to ship the document. The family's bank, TD Canada Trust, has delayed reissuing the larger sum.