Chapter 1: What recent changes have been made to marijuana classification in the U.S.?
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. For decades, marijuana has been considered one of the most dangerous street drugs in America by the federal government. Now President Trump is reclassifying it, clearing the way for more medical research and insurance coverage. NPR's Brian Mann reports.
As Trump signed the executive order, he said he's been lobbied heavily to loosen marijuana restrictions.
We have people begging for me to do this, people that are in great pain.
Marijuana has been classified as a Schedule I drug, akin to heroin since the 1970s. Now it will be classified as a Schedule III drug, a category that recognizes its usefulness and low risk, Medicare insurance is also expected to cover some cannabis products beginning next year. Dozens of U.S. states have gone much further, fully legalizing marijuana, including for personal recreational use.
Trump said he's not ready to take that step. Brian Mann, NPR News.
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Chapter 2: How are expiring subsidies affecting Americans' health insurance coverage?
So far, Congress has not renewed expiring subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans. As Blake Farmer of member station WPLN reports, millions of Americans are now planning for reduced coverage or even going without health insurance altogether.
Robert Sori of Thompson Station, Tennessee, has already talked to a psychiatrist about paying cash for his appointments every three months. That way he can keep his prescriptions current, which he'll also have to find money for.
I'm not somebody who gets sick super often, thank God. And if I do, generally I go to an emergency room where they're going to bill me later and I can get on a plan, you know what I mean?
A repayment plan that he says he can pay over time. Sori works as a farmhand and was recently laid off. This year, he had been paying no monthly premium for his Affordable Care Act insurance thanks to the expiring subsidies. A new plan would cost him $70 a month, but he says he just can't afford that. Up to 4 million Americans are estimated to do the same for 2026.
For NPR News, I'm Blake Farmer in Nashville.
Inflation slowed last month, according to data that was delayed and likely distorted by the government shutdown, and the consumer price index rose 2.7 percent in November from a year earlier. Inflation remains well above the Federal Reserve's target, and Americans are worried about the high cost of living, as NPR's Scott Horsley explains.
Even if prices aren't going up as fast as they once were, though, they're generally not coming down.
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Chapter 3: What does the latest inflation data reveal about the economy?
And that remains a headache for a lot of family budgets, as well as a political problem for the White House. President Trump campaigned with a promise to lower prices, and his economic approval rating has dropped to just 36 percent in the latest NPR-PBS News-Marist poll.
NPR's Scott Horsley reporting. A business jet has crashed at an airport in Statesville, North Carolina, erupting in a large fire and killing multiple people. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating. According to North Carolina Highway Patrol, seven are confirmed dead in the crash, including retired NASCAR star Greg Biffle and members of his family.
You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The Trump administration has announced a massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion. The statement has drawn an angry response from China. The agreement covers rocket and missile systems similar to what the U.S. had been providing Ukraine during the Biden administration.
Kids and teens are turning to AI chatbots for companionship, romantic role play, and emotional support. And a new report from digital security company Aura shows that AI is becoming a key part of kids' lives. NPR's Ritu Chatterjee reports.
When kids use artificial intelligence tools, 42% of the time it's for companionship, where kids engage with a chatbot for an ongoing conversation.
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Chapter 4: What are the implications of the recent business jet crash in North Carolina?
And frequently, nearly 40% of the time, those conversations involve violent role-playing. Scott Collins is chief medical officer at Aura.
It is role-play that is interaction about harming somebody else, physically hurting them, torturing them, fighting them. and a lot of it gets pretty graphic.
These conversations also tend to be longer, he says, compared to when they use AI for help with homework.
Chapter 5: How is the U.S. responding to the arms sales announcement to Taiwan?
Among 13 to 17-year-olds, kids who spend more time online are also more stressed out by their digital lives. Ritu Chatterjee, NPR News.
A conservation fund has secured more than 3,300 acres of high-priority wintering habitat for whooping cranes near Port Aransas, Texas. It's one of North America's rarest birds with just hundreds left in the wild. The sanctuary will also serve as a wetland habitat for other species from birds to butterflies.
Chapter 6: What role do AI chatbots play in the lives of children and teens?
I'm Ryland Barton. This is NPR News from Washington.