From ‘Harry & Meghan’ to ‘The Slap’, Celebrity Gossip Was Big News in 2022

Even if you don’t follow gossip sites, it was almost impossible this year to ignore the scandals, missteps, and legal woes of celebrities.

Gossip has been a part of the media landscape almost since the advent of newspapers, gaining popularity throughout the 20th century and expanding across new media platforms.

But this year, stories that might have once been relegated to sites like TMZ or Gawker became part of the mainstream news feed.

NPR’s Andrew Limbong speaks with media critic Eric Deggans, and Constance Grady of VOX, on the thin line between news and gossip.

Coping With Trauma Is Part of the Job For Many In The U.S. Intelligence Community

Trauma is an inherent part of intelligence work. Think of undercover operatives deployed in dangerous places or investigating gruesome crimes. But getting help to process that trauma can be difficult.

We speak with Heather Williams, a former U.S. intelligence officer, about her own experience with trauma and what she learned about how best to cope with it.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

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Anxiety Is Up. Here Are Some Tips On How To Manage It.

The number of Americans experiencing anxiety has been rising, especially since the start of the pandemic.

There also aren’t enough providers to meet the need, making it tough to access proper treatment for millions of Americans.

NPR’s Juana Summers talks to Catherine Ettman, a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, about how the pandemic caused anxiety to spike.

And NPR’s Rhitu Chatterjee shares some strategies that could help manage anxiety.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

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When Your Parents Are Also Your Roommates

More and more young people are moving back in with their parents — and staying there.

According to Pew Research, from 1971 to 2021, the number of adult Americans living in multigenerational households quadrupled.

There are several reasons that many young adults have moved back in with their parents, including: low pay, high housing costs, caring for loved ones – and more recently, the pandemic.

NPR’s Claire Murashima spoke with a handful of young adults between the ages of 25 and 34 who are experiencing the highs and lows of living with their parents.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

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Interest In Electric Vehicles Is Growing, And So Is The Demand For Lithium

The Inflation Reduction Act signed into law by President Biden this year includes incentives for buying an electric vehicle, ideally to persuade people to ditch cars that run on gasoline and switch to EVs.

And as interest in electric vehicles grows, so is the demand for lithium – a key component of electric vehicle batteries.

One way to get more lithium is to open new mines — which could pose various environmental concerns.

But as NPR’s Camila Domonoske reports, new mines aren’t the only option.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

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Jan. 6 Committee Issues Four Criminal Referrals For Trump

The House Select Committee investigating the deadly January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol held what is expected to be its final hearing.

Committee members voted to refer former President Donald Trump to the Justice Department for prosecution on four criminal charges. They include inciting an insurrection, obstructing an official government proceeding and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

We discuss the news with NPR justice correspondent Carrie Johnson and congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh.

And Republican strategist Ron Bonjean breaks down what this could mean for Trump and the GOP.

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Making Wine More Inclusive and Less Pretentious

The world of wine has long had a reputation for snobbery. And it has long been dominated mostly by white men.

But that has slowly begun to change. From sommeliers to vineyard owners, the industry is gradually opening up to more people of color and women. Vintner’s associations and vineyards have rolled out recruitment plans and scholarships to provide opportunities for equity, diversity, and inclusion in wine-producing regions.

Host Michel Martin speaks with sommelier and anti-wine snob André Hueston Mack, host of Bon Appetit’s video series World of Wine. He shares some of his ideas for holiday wine and spirits to gift and serve.

And we talk with Chrishon Lampley, owner of the wine company Love Cork Screw, one of the few Black women in the wine industry.

What China’s New COVID Surge Could Mean—For China And The World

Three years into the pandemic, the world could be on the cusp of the biggest outbreak yet — in China.

The country had some of the strictest COVID polices anywhere, but in recent weeks has dramatically eased them.

And as China has dropped most testing and quarantine requirements, the virus is spreading largely unchecked. How could that impact China and the world?

NPR China affairs correspondent John Ruwitch, science correspondent Michaeleen Doucleff and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley take stock of where things may be headed.

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Big Money Swirls Around College Football’s Star Coaches

Deion Sanders’ decision to leave Jackson State for the University of Colorado has stirred a lot of debate in the world of college football.

LA Times sports culture critic Tyler Tynes explains why some are saying that Sanders is letting down Historically Black Colleges and Universities by leaving Jackson State.

And Washington Post sports writer Liz Clarke breaks down how big money swirls around some of college football’s star coaches.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

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Remembering The Victims Of The Sandy Hook School Shooting, 10 Years Later

Each mass shooting has a grim number attached to it. But that number is made up of individuals, each of whom had a full life and a family who continues to cope with their absence.

Ten years ago, 26 first graders and staff were murdered in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. In this episode, we make space to think of the individuals who died. We spoke with the parents of four students about how they’d like their children to be remembered.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

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