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The Long Awaited Brexit Deal Is Finally Here

Published on December 31, 2020

After four and a half tumultuous years in British politics, Brexit is now becoming a reality. NPR's London correspondent Frank Langfitt reports on mixed views about the new deal from a highway outside the Port of Dover along the English Channel, where truckers are trying to cross the border before rules change in the new year. Anand Menon, director of the think tank UK In A Changing Europe, sees the new deal as a win, and says it help avoid further economic disruption.

What Will The Courts Look Like Under Joe Biden?

Published on December 31, 2020

President Trump reshaped the federal judiciary and made three lifetime appointments to the Supreme Court. How will that legacy play out under a Joe Biden administration?In this episode: political correspondent Scott Detrow, national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg.Connect:Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here.Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Listen to our playlist The NPR Politics Daily Workout.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.

All Things Considered

It Wasn't Just The Pandemic: Oil's Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Year

Published on December 31, 2020

The coronavirus-induced collapse in oil demand stole all the headlines. But oil companies faced a myriad of other woes, too, from hurricanes to itchy investors — and, of course, climate change.

All Things Considered

How U.K.'s Separation From EU Will Affect The Country

Published on December 31, 2020

After years of political tumult, the United Kingdom has finalized its divorce from the European Union. The end of Brexit will bring changes to politics, the economy and regular people's lives.

All Things Considered

Back To The Beginning Of The Coronavirus Pandemic

Published on December 31, 2020

One year ago on Thursday, China notified the World Health Organization that it had discovered a new coronavirus circulating in Wuhan. NPR discusses what happened after that.

All Things Considered

This Year's Car Sales Exceeded Expectation Despite The Pandemic

Published on December 31, 2020

Forecasts for new-car sales show that automakers are finishing this year strong. Retail sales have done far better than anticipated, and average car prices have climbed to record highs.

Morning Edition

Seoul Launches Month-Long 'You're Doing Great!' Campaign

Published on December 31, 2020

South Korean officials in Seoul want to lift people's spirits. They're sending flower bouquets to 500 lucky households. They're also providing counseling and postcards with stay-at-home tips.

Morning Edition

Only 1 More Day. What Got You Through 2020?

Published on December 31, 2020

It's been a tough year for most of us, and we've been asking what's helped you cope. For many of us — it was mother nature and our four legged friends — that have gotten us through it.

Morning Edition

Navigating Losses: Going Through Grief Separate From The Pandemic

Published on December 31, 2020

NPR's Rachel Martin talks to author Nora McInerny and host of the podcast Terrible, Thanks for Asking, about what it's like to grieve more intimate losses during a global pandemic, and how to cope.

Morning Edition

Arizona Sets Records For COVID-19 Hospitalizations, ICU Patients

Published on December 31, 2020

As coronavirus numbers trend down across some of the U.S., they remain persistently high in Arizona. Hospital capacity is strained and the legislature is fighting over rules for its upcoming session.

Morning Edition

Juan Ramirez On The Life Of A Traveling Nurse During A Pandemic

Published on December 31, 2020

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to traveling nurse Juan Ramirez, who worked in Texas and Arizona during the pandemic and is now an ICU nurse in California at Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding.

Morning Edition

In Memoriam 2020: The Musicians We Lost

Published on December 31, 2020

The sheer volume of loss felt by the music world in 2020 is almost overwhelming. Here is NPR's tribute to dozens of the musicians — founders and innovators across genres — who died this year.

Outside/In: War of the Worlds

Published on December 31, 2020

The Sunni-Shia divide is a conflict that most people have heard about - two sects with Sunni Islam being in the majority and Shia Islam the minority. Exactly how did this conflict originate and when? We go through 1400 years of history to find the moment this divide first turned deadly and how it has evolved since.

Our 2021 Pop Culture Resolutions

Published on December 31, 2020

It's the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021, as much as it seemed like we might never get here. That means we're looking back, and we're looking ahead. What did we resolve to do in 2020, did we accomplish them and what do we want to do in the year ahead? We've still got goals, plans and the willingness to look back at our ambitious plans and wonder what in the world happened to all of them.

The Rest Of The Story, 2020

Published on December 30, 2020

We check in on The Fed, a vaccine scientist, and the mixed martial arts. Oh, and a bunch of escheaters. So long, 2020! | Support our show here.

Congress Is Sending Relief But Many Cities And States Didn't Get What They Wanted

Published on December 30, 2020

While it took time for congress and President Trump to agree on the $900 billion pandemic relief bill, one thing has been certain for a while. Many mayors and governors did not get the money they requested. Tracy Gordon, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, explains that while states will get funding for things like public education and vaccine distribution, what mayors and governors really want are unrestricted funds to spend how they'd like. NPR's Ailsa Chang reports on how public transit has been hit especially hard during the pandemic. And scaled-back services, while saving some money, hurt passengers who rely on them.

Why The Housing Market Is Booming In A Bad Economy

Published on December 30, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has brought with it a massive economic downturn. Another thing it's brought: A booming housing market. We explain why. | Support The Indicator here.

Exclusive Interview: Jake Sullivan, Biden's National Security Adviser

Published on December 30, 2020

Jake Sullivan is the president-elect's top national security adviser. He told NPR's Scott Detrow that he is worried that a lack of communication from top Trump officials could jeopardize a safe transition.Sullivan also emphasized that Americans' economic well-being will be a central tenet of Joe Biden's foreign policy. Although he served in the Obama administration, Sullivan now feels that it didn't do enough to tie foreign policy to domestic concerns.This episode: political reporter Danielle Kurtzleben and political correspondent Scott Detrow.Connect:Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here.Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Listen to our playlist The NPR Politics Daily Workout.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station. Produced by Barton Girdwood and Lexie Schapitl.

All Things Considered

How To Ensure Public Safety In Crowded Airports

Published on December 30, 2020

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Sarah McKeon, deputy general manager of New Jersey Airports at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, about keeping airports safe during a surge in air travel.

All Things Considered

How The U.S. Could Ramp Up Vaccination Against The Coronavirus

Published on December 30, 2020

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, about how he thinks the federal government can ramp up COVID-19 vaccination.

All Things Considered

Boston Celtics Legend K.C. Jones Dies At 88

Published on December 30, 2020

Boston Celtics player and coach K.C. Jones has died at age 88. NPR remembers his understated manner and how he let the players have the limelight.

All Things Considered

Alex Padilla On Becoming California's 1st Latino Senator

Published on December 30, 2020

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Alex Padilla, California's former secretary of state who is set to take Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' Senate seat, about his background and his new position.

All Things Considered

The Latest On COVID-19 Vaccines

Published on December 30, 2020

The U.K. has authorized emergency use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine. In the U.S., Pfizer and Moderna are now distributing their vaccines. Other vaccine candidates may be available soon.

All Things Considered

What We've Lost: Milestones

Published on December 30, 2020

NPR honors milestones — the pins people use to map out their lives and mark their accomplishments — that were lost this year due to the pandemic.

Fresh Air

Remembering Broadway Star Rebecca Luker

Published on December 30, 2020

Luker, who died of ALS Dec. 23, received Tony nominations for her performances in Showboat, The Music Man and Mary Poppins. She spoke to Fresh Air in 1999, 2000, 2013 and 2020.

Fresh Air

Remembering The Jazz Legends Who Died In 2020

Published on December 30, 2020

Dozens of notable jazz musicians died this year, many from COVID-19. Fresh Air critic Kevin Whitehead remembers some of the legends lost, including Bucky Pizzarelli, Ellis Marsalis and Jimmy Heath.

Morning Edition

1st Known U.S. Case Of U.K. Coronavirus Variant Found In Colorado

Published on December 30, 2020

Colorado health officials found the variant of COVID-19 that spreads faster than the common strain. U.K. scientists identified the strain last week. It has spread in the U.K. and to other countries.

Morning Edition

After Shopping And Shipping Crush Come Record Returns

Published on December 30, 2020

Online purchases drove this year's sales, and they are much more likely to get returned than items bought in person. Plus, people are shopping like Goldilocks.

Morning Edition

Examining COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts Around The World

Published on December 30, 2020

While Israel has already vaccinated half a million citizens against the coronavirus, the vaccine timeline for poor countries will be much longer. We look at Israel, Pakistan and the Philippines.

Morning Edition

News Brief: COVID-19 Variant, Abortion Vote, Pandemic Relief

Published on December 30, 2020

A highly contagious COVID-19 strain makes its way to the U.S. Argentina's upper house of Congress votes to legalize abortion. And, with two days left in 2020, Senate rushes to finish end-of-year list.

Our 2021 Pop Culture Predictions

Published on December 30, 2020

To say we could not have predicted the course of 2020 is a ridiculous understatement. But nevertheless, we press on. We'll check in on last year's predictions, while turning our eyes to the future to try and figure out what the next year will bring, even when that seems nearly impossible.

Why We Weren't Prepared For A Pandemic

Published on December 29, 2020

We've had plenty of warnings over the years that we weren't ready for a pandemic. Today on the show: the psychology and economics of why.

Contact Tracers Struggle to Keep Up As Coronavirus Cases Surge From Holiday Travel

Published on December 29, 2020

One in every thousand people has died of COVID-19 in the U.S. And California just passed 2 million confirmed coronavirus cases. This surge, likely from Thanksgiving travel, is making contact tracing efforts difficult across the country. Dr. Christina Ghaly, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, says hospitals are being forced to treat COVID-19 patients in conference rooms and gift shops as beds fill up. To help contain the spread, Brett Dahlberg reports that some health officials in Michigan are asking people to do their own contact tracing. In New York City, WNYC's Fred Mogul found a contact tracer who is making home visits in an effort to alert people in at-risk categories.