Around the Nation

National

A Late Christmas Tree May Not Be A Beauty, But It's A Tradition

8:02pm December 24, 2013

by Martin Kaste

Stores and families keep putting up their Christmas decorations earlier and earlier each year. But some people still hold out for decorating on Christmas Eve. Martin Kaste has this audio postcard about the difficulties faced in trying to keep Christmas at bay until Christmas.

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National

Judge Denies Stay Of Utah Same-Sex Marriages, Unions Continue

5:56pm December 23, 2013

by Terry Gildea

Gay marriages will continue in Utah, for the time being. A federal judge denied a request on Monday to stay his decision that said the state's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. The state says it will appeal the ruling to a higher court. Gay couples have been flooding county clerks' offices since the original ruling came down Friday afternoon.

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Politics & Government

Obama Fails To Accomplish Ambitious Agenda In 2013

8:00am December 23, 2013

President Obama has had a dramatic trajectory this year. He started 2013 fresh off a hard-fought electoral victory, going into a second term with a lot of goals. He ends the year with many of his priorities stalled and his poll numbers at all-time lows.

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Weird Stories Make The News In 2013

8:00am December 23, 2013

Here's an example of off-beat stories from United Press International: Germany dropped the longest word in its language. Maker's Mark had plans to lower the alcohol content in its whiskey. And a Canadian dentist bought John Lennon's tooth at auction, hoping to use it to clone the Beatle.

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Most Books At N.Y. High School Are Digital

8:00am December 23, 2013

Many schools are adding computer tablets and cutting back on books. Archbishop Stepinac High School is doing without them almost entirely. The only exception: books on religion.

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Is Healthcare.gov Ready For Last-Minute Shoppers?

8:00am December 23, 2013

For millions of Americans, Dec. 23 is the last day to sign up for individual health plans to be assured of coverage Jan 1. That's the case in all 36 states that use the federal website healthcare-dot-gov.

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National

In The World Of Pinball, An Underdog Takes On The Giant

6:53pm December 22, 2013

by Francesca Fenzi

For more than a decade, Stern Pinball was the only company manufacturing pinball machines. A New Jersey startup company is trying to shake up that monopoly. But with decreased demand for the games, it's unclear whether the pinball industry is big enough for two.

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Economy

A Search For The Disappearing Middle Class

5:00pm December 22, 2013

As the U.S. recovers from the Great Recession, one fact that's emerging is that while jobs are coming back, most are either high- or low-paying. NPR's Kelly McEvers is reporting on the disappearing middle. Host Arun Rath talks with Kelly about her first piece of the project, a look at her hometown of Lincoln, Ill. They also discuss her upcoming work.

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National

'New Level' Of Scandal With LA Sheriff's Department

5:00pm December 22, 2013

Host Arun Rath talks with Los Angeles Times reporter Robert Faturechi about the troubles facing the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. More than a dozen current and former deputies face federal charges stemming from allegations of abuse and corruption.

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The Texas Camel Corps guides camel treks through the Big Bend region of Texas, where such animals once served American settlers in the late 1800s.

National

Camels Trek In The Texas Desert, Just Like Old Times

10:28pm December 21, 2013

by Wade Goodwyn

The Texas Camel Corps leads trips through the rugged Big Bend region of West Texas. Indigenous people lived in the area some 9,000 years ago, and for a while, camels called it home, too. In the 1800s, U.S. soldiers brought the animals in to traverse the distance between water supplies for the first American settlers.

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