Morning news brief
Temporary truce begins in Gaza, with first hostages set to be released. Why progressive prosecutors often face resistance from police. Rosalynn Carter tried to end mental health discrimination.
Health & Safety
Watching war unfold is distressing — here's how to protect your mental health
Doomscrolling won't help the people who are suffering and it might put you into a state of chronic stress. A psychiatrist who works with trauma shares advice for how to process global tragedy.
First Lady Rosalynn Carter's legacy on mental health boils down to one word: Hope
The former first lady fought with persistence to put care for mental and physical health on equal footing and to eliminate discrimination toward people with mental illnesses.
Before dying, she made a fund to cancel others' medical debt — now $60 million worth
NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Andrew Gregory about his late wife, Casey McIntyre, and the medical debt cancellation fund she set up before she died earlier in November of ovarian cancer.
Minnesota aims to stop separating mothers in prison from their newborn babies
A woman who gives birth in jail or prison typically is separated from her baby within hours or days. Minnesota now lets some moms stay out of prison and at home with their new babies.
WHO asks China for more information about rise in illnesses and pneumonia clusters
The World Health Organization has asked China to provide data on a spike in pneumonia and bacterial lung infections in children there.
Could a 'funky' pathogen be sickening dogs? Scientists search for clues
Dogs around the country are becoming sick with an unknown respiratory illness. Some veterinarians are warning dog owners to take precautions. A strange bacterium could be involved.
Sweet potato memories: love 'em, rely on 'em ... hate 'em
Three Africans ponder the tuber. "There is simply no bad way to prepare sweet potatoes," writes a Zimbabwean. They fueled a Ugandan for his 8-mile run to school. But for one Kenyan they're a big yuck.
Salty much? These brain cells decide when tasty becomes blech
Scientists say two separate brain circuits control how much salt we consume.
Another Ozempic side effect? Facing the holidays with no appetite
Weight-loss medications tamp down hunger — often dramatically — causing some people to lose the pleasure of communing over food at a festive family meal.