U.S.

It's sometimes hard to assess the value of health claims about yoga, but if it relieves some pain, that may be enough.

A Skeptic Fact-Checks Yoga's Health Claims And Goes With The Om

10:00am December 31, 2016

by Ann Finkbeiner

Yoga has been promoted as the cure for many ills, from diabetes to insomnia. Scientific proof is mixed. But this skeptic says if yoga makes climbing the stairs hurt less, that's good enough.

When Eleanor Dewald left her stuffed bear Teddy (that's not him pictured, but how adorable is that stuffed bear?) on a plane, he had an adventure of his own before making his way home.

National

NPR News Nuggets: Germs, Peanut Butter Jelly Time & Red Solo Cups

8:40am December 31, 2016

by Wynne Davis

Here's a quick roundup of some of the mini-moments you may have missed on this week's Morning Edition.

Queue Listen Now

Remembering Debbie Reynolds

7:54am December 31, 2016

In 2013 NPR's Scott Simon interviewed Debbie Reynolds. She shared a lesson she learned from Fred Astaire on the set of Singin' in the Rain — that even great artists have to work hard.

National

Amazon Echo Murder Case Renews Privacy Questions Prompted By Our Digital Footprints

7:41am December 31, 2016

Smart devices like the Amazon Echo record snippets of conversation when they're being used. NPR's Scott Simon asks Scott Stein of CNET to explain what happens to the data that is collected.

2016 In Sports: Overdue Victories; When Games Got Political

7:41am December 31, 2016

Was this the year of the activist athlete? NPR's Scott Simon looks back on the year in sports with Howard Bryant of ESPN.com.

In Renewed Focus On Nuclear Deterrence, Nonproliferation Expert Recalls A Close Call

7:41am December 31, 2016

Trump's tweet about strengthening U.S. nuclear capability renewed conversations about proliferation. Arms Control Wonk blogger Jeffrey Lewis tells NPR's Scott Simon about a nuclear close call in 1983.

Jeff Lynch (left) and his wife, Christy, sought fertility treatments after Jeff returned home from his two deployments to Iraq, which left him unable to have children naturally.

New Law Provides Fertility Treatment Benefits To Wounded Veterans

7:41am December 31, 2016

by Patricia Murphy

Veterans' advocates estimate that as many as 2,000 former service members are possible candidates for in vitro fertilization because of military related fertility problems.

Refugees Claire Mukundente and Edward Murinzi share the lessons they've learned since coming to the U.S.

Living In America 101: When Refugees Arrive, What Do They Need To Learn?

7:41am December 31, 2016

by Gabrielle Emanuel

How do you read a bank statement? Or a map? A program in Chicago is working to connect refugees with people who can teach them.

In The Service Industry, New Year's Is Often About Just Getting By

7:41am December 31, 2016

Linda Tirado spent 15 years working in the service industry, at gas stations, restaurants and bars. She says New Year's resolutions aren't really for people working dead-end jobs.

Despite Recent Production Boost, Wyoming Coal's Long-Term Outlook Is Dim

7:41am December 31, 2016

by Leigh Paterson

In 2016, the collapse of the coal industry hit the epicenter of U.S. production: Wyoming. Miners reflect on hard times, and how they're hedging their bets in a shrinking industry.