Search results for

NPR's movie critic looks back on 2012 and his picks for the year's best movies.

From depression drugs to circumcision to runner's high, here's what kept you clicking this year on Shots.

It's unlikely 2013 will be the year that jet packs make it big, but the coming year could bring us a host of other new technology trends and products, like 3-D printers for consumers, even smarter smartphones, and more connected devices like glasses and cars.

For perspective on why Democrats and Republicans in Washington have not been able to work together to avoid a countdown to the fiscal cliff, All Things Considered host Robert Siegel talks with Norm Ornstein, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Ornstein says a big part of the problem is how Republicans in Congress have behaved like a parliamentary minority.

Communities hit by Hurricane Sandy are waiting for more help from Washington. There's been no agreement on how much air they can expect, but people in the storm zone are concerned that repairs and rebuilding will be delayed, leaving them vulnerable to future storms.

Some economists predict that the reconstruction from the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy will produce a stimulus effect for the U.S. economy in 2013 — especially in construction and related industries. Others say the losses associated with a storm will outweigh any positive effects from the rebuilding.

The leader of the judicial branch of government uses his end-of-year report on the state of federal courts to highlight efforts to trim government costs, and to note: "For each citizen's tax dollar, only two-tenths of one penny go toward funding the entire third branch of government!"

It is New Year's Eve. And that means people will: go to parties and drink Champagne; ignore the hubbub and go to bed by 10; start cooking for New Year's Day; watch college football — or some combination of the above. For many people, the center of attention tonight will be New York's Times Square, where the famed ball will drop.

With hours to go before the so-called fiscal cliff deadline, the House adjourned for the night and the Senate has yet to scheduled any vote. NPR's Julie Rover talks with All Things Considered host Audie Cornish about the latest.

The new year could bring new challenges to the nation's schools and students. Host Michel Martin discusses what's ahead with NPR Education Correspondent, Claudio Sanchez. He says immigration policy and the demand for Pell Grants could have a huge effect on American education in 2013.