National

Chelsea Manning leaves the Albert V. Bryan U.S. District Courthouse in northern Virginia in March. A top official with the United Nations says that her punishment for refusing to testify amounts to torture.

National

Jailing And Fining Chelsea Manning Constitutes Torture, Top U.N. Official Says

7:07pm December 31, 2019

by Bobby Allyn

Nils Melzer, the United Nations special rapporteur on torture, says detaining and fining Manning with the aim of coercing her to testify runs afoul of U.S. international human rights obligations.

National

An Attempt At Do-It-Yourself Car Repair Goes Awry, And Takes A Surprising Turn

6:17pm December 31, 2019

by Art Silverman

On Dec. 31, 1979, NPR's Art Silverman told the story on this program of his attempt to repair his car himself. We update the story with surprising news about the car and its recipient.

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National

Is The Decade Actually Ending?

5:21pm December 31, 2019

A listener wrote us a letter arguing that the end of the decade is not imminent. There are some surprising ramifications of assuming a decade goes from a year ending in 1 through a year ending in 0.

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A Look At U.S. Interests In Iraq

5:21pm December 31, 2019

by Greg Myre

Iraqi militiamen set fires and chanted "Down with America" outside the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. The larger issue, rarely discussed by the Trump administration, is what are U.S. interests in Iraq today?

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National

Former DOJ Official On Why She Thinks Domestic Terrorism Should Be A Federal Crime

5:21pm December 31, 2019

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Mary McCord, former Justice Department official, about why McCord believes Congress should make domestic terrorism a federal crime.

National

Listeners Share Their Regrets Of 2019

5:21pm December 31, 2019

NPR listeners share the stories behind their biggest regrets of 2019.

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National

New York Bail Reform Set To Take Effect Jan. 1

4:57pm December 31, 2019

by Martin Kaste

New York's criminal justice overhaul takes effect Wednesday, limiting cash bail and forcing district attorneys to share evidence earlier. Police and prosecutors worry the system will favor defendants.

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National

In California, Wildfire Survivors Face Deadline To File Claims Against PG&E

4:57pm December 31, 2019

by Lily Jamali

Tuesday is the deadline for wildfire victims in California to file settlement claims. A judge extended an earlier deadline over concerns that only a fraction of those eligible had come forward.

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Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, faced criticism after he sent a now-deleted tweet about the suspect in the stabbing attack in Monsey, N.Y.

DHS's Cuccinelli Faces Backlash Over Deleted Tweet About Suspect In Hanukkah Stabbing

4:36pm December 31, 2019

by Bobby Allyn

Critics questioned the relevance of impugning Grafton Thomas' entire family over his alleged crimes and wondered how the immigration status of his father was relevant to the suspect's alleged crimes.

California's new digital privacy law takes effect on Jan. 1.

National

California Rings In The New Year With A New Data Privacy Law

4:13pm December 31, 2019

by Rachael Myrow

Under California's new digital privacy law, consumers can opt out of the sale of their personal information. The toughest data privacy law in the U.S., it's expected to set the standard nationwide.