National

Mary Thode, of Chittenden, Vt., hand decorates hundreds of cookies every year for Christmas.

National

When 'Cookiers' Take Holiday Cookie Decorating To A Whole New Level

8:15am December 23, 2018

by Nina Keck

Many people enjoy baking holiday cookies, but cookie making and decorating have become a big business for companies and for private individuals who see it as a delicious art form.

Youth pastor Kyle Smith of First Assembly of God Paradise reads from the Bible on his phone because his copy of the book burned in the Camp Fire. His congregation is one of several now worshiping with congregations in Chico.

'Blessings Come In' As Churches Take In Refugee Congregations After The Camp Fire

8:01am December 23, 2018

by Rachael Myrow

Chico, Calif., has had to make room for thousands of refugees and several displaced congregations after California's deadliest and most destructive fire destroyed the town of Paradise in Butte County.

National

Vermont Mother Works To Get A Waiting Period For Gun Purchases After Son's Suicide

8:01am December 23, 2018

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with Alyssa Black of Essex, Vt. Her son Andrew bought a gun and killed himself hours later. Black wants her state to adopt a waiting period for gun sales.

National

These 2 Girl Scouts Meet Again

8:01am December 23, 2018

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro reconnects with two people from our Missed Connection series, Laurie Luna and Linda Walker, to see how they are doing after they were reunited.

National

What 'Unaccompanied Alien Children' Means

8:01am December 23, 2018

by John Burnett

The term is how the government describes some immigrant children, but it isn't always the best way to describe the children or the circumstances of their migration.

A Mexican Girl Attached Her Christmas List To A Balloon. An Ariz. Man Found It

8:01am December 23, 2018

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro asks Randy Heiss of Patagonia, Ariz., about a wish list attached to a balloon that had floated over the border from Mexico. He tracked down the little girl who sent it aloft.

An Argument Against Life Sentences, Especially For Juvenile Defendants

8:01am December 23, 2018

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with Robert Holbrook, who was given a life sentence, and Ashley Nellis, co-author of the book "The Meaning of Life: The Case for Abolishing Life Sentences."

Charlotte Potts, who has a history of heart problems, lives within sight of Livingston Regional Hospital. After a recent stint there, she was discharged into the care of a home health agency, and now gets treatment in her apartment for some ailments.

How Helping Patients Get Good Care At Home Helps Rural Hospitals Survive

7:00am December 23, 2018

by Blake Farmer

Hospitals are now financially rewarded by insurers for safety and efficacy — which often results in patients spending less time as inpatients.

The map to college for adults is non-linear.

In 'Never Too Late,' Finally, A Guide For Adults Going To College

6:00am December 23, 2018

by Elissa Nadworny

There are hundreds of books about picking the best college. But let's face it: Most of them are written for high schoolers. A new book offers a roadmap for older students.

National

Governor Under Mounting Pressure To Commute Life Sentence Of Cyntoia Brown

5:52pm December 22, 2018

by Natasha Senjanovic

In Tennessee, there's mounting pressure on the governor to commute the life sentence of Cyntoia Brown, who was 16 years old when she killed a man she claimed forced her into prostitution.