On tonight's program: A Florida state senator seems to have a leg up on the race to fill a vacated congressional seat. And although he has the nod from the incoming president, this individual insists he’ll have enough time in the state legislature to get his priorities into law; Right before the holidays, Governor DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet approve the acquisition of more land to go under Florida Forever protections; The incoming Trump administration and its threat of mass deportations of many immigrants has lots of people anxious. Although an expert in immigration law notes the issue has often changed over the years in response to who’s in the White House; The holiday season is already stressful enough. But add the extra anxiety often caused by too much social media interaction and you’ve got a mental health catastrophe in the making; But we’ also have some four-legged therapists on duty who can lift the spirits of those suffering from the trauma of the season; Forget the argument about whether or not America is a “Christian” nation. Is the country even a “religious” nation anymore? We’ll check out some new data that shows there are few atheists in foxholes OR jail cells; And we’ll discover that one of this year’s monster film hits could have the unexpected bonus of getting more students involved in musical theatre programs.

On tonight’s program: The recriminations continue. Why did Florida Democrats do so badly in the last election?; Could Florida re-instate a controversial wild bear hunt? Advocates believe there’s little other choice; A record number of Florida travelers will be driving and flying over the upcoming year-end holidays; With the year-end holidays looming, Florida lawmakers made a quick trip to Tallahassee this week. One big agenda item, the complex – and often convoluted – behavioral expectations for lawmakers; A judge considers a request to allow exploratory fossil fuel drilling in an environmentally sensitive North Florida river basin. Opponents fear what a “yes” decision might mean; An award-winning documentary on the destruction of Apalachicola’s famous oyster beds will soon have a much wider audience; Some endangered wildlife species are seeing new challenges to their well being in Florida; And it seems, despite all the medical advancements, HIV and AIDs remains a widespread public health issue.

On tonight’s program: As of this moment, Governor DeSantis isn’t OFFICIALLY in contention for Department of Defense secretary. But it sounds like that could change in a heartbeat; A once venerated organization that fights domestic violence is struggling to recover from its former boss’s misdeeds; One of the state’s most respected FORMER Republicans shares his thoughts on the recent election; Florida still has a lot of condos in a state of crisis. But it doesn’t appear state lawmakers will be making a special trip to Tallahassee to solve the problem; A father who lost a son to a distracted driver is determined to see Florida pass tougher laws against cell phone use by motorists; And it seems the water isn’t rising only in the oceans. The water that’s beneath our feet is on the rise as well.

On tonight’s program: Blame and recrimination continue in the wake of the Democratic defeat in Florida; Everyone agrees that Florida is now a red state. And one possible reason is that the Democratic Party has pretty much written the state off; Law officers say a troubled teen in North Florida needed help from the state’s child welfare agency. Help that didn’t come; The battle over whether or not to add fluoride to public water supplies didn’t end in the 1960s. The dispute is back again in Florida; A rift between the owners and the Pinellas County delegation could mean the end of the line for the Tampa Bay Rays; And as this year’s active Atlantic Hurricane Season draws to a close, we talk with a storm expert who sees the potential for even worse hurricanes in the future.

On tonight's program: Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi may soon be able to put the initials “U.S.” in front of that attorney general title. And that’s getting some serious home state applause; With former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz out of the running for U.S. Attorney General, what lies ahead for him and the seat he just vacated? Capital Reporter Margie Menzel will have the words of some possible candidates; Post election, Florida’s six-week abortion ban remains in effect. Lawmakers met this week and that was a big part of the meeting agenda; Another question in advance of the 2025 Florida lawmaking session is whether those who support open carry will have better luck than they’ve had in the past. But thisweek, the incoming Senate President essentially shot it down again; A native of Haiti who now lives in Florida worries his adopted home is beginning to take on some of the more unpleasant trappings of his homeland; And we chat with one of Florida’s most acclaimed chefs on the secret sauce involved in preparing the perfect Thanksgiving turkey.

On tonight's program: Although many folks from all over the political spectrum are a bit gobsmacked by a number of Donald Trump appointees, there are some who are saying, “What’s the big deal?”; Fear is growing among many immigrant communities, even those with legal status, in response to Donald Trump’s deportation promises; The conventional wisdom among lots of Democrats was that Hispanic voters would flee from the Republicans this electoral cycle. Boy, were they wrong; An expert on consumer law thinks protecting seniors from scams might be one of those issues that everyone, regardless of politics, may be able to get behind; Even though the words “climate change” may not have official recognition in Florida, the research consensus remains that manmade impacts are still driving weather patterns into ever more dangerous territories; And a bunch of Florida counties have adopted something called “Children’s Services Councils” to provide more services for kids. We’ll find out how that’s going.

The schools under scrutiny include dozens of state schools and two Ivy Leagues. A number of private schools are also being targeted, including Georgetown, Rice, Vanderbilt, and New York University.

The arrival of the new crew will pave the way for the return of two astronauts who have been "stuck" on the station since June of last year.

Whether you're new to the National Women's Soccer League, or you've been a fan for its past 12 seasons, here's a preview of what you should watch out for when play kicks off this weekend.

If you've been paying attention to international politics, you'll get at least three — yes, THREE! — questions right this week!

Dr. Mehmet Oz appeared before the Senate Finance committee Friday for his confirmation hearing to be the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

In North Dakota, many farmers are still recovering from the 2018 trade war and are now bracing for more losses as President Trump levies sweeping tariffs on everything from soybeans to pork.

Hamas, the militant group the U.S. has labeled as terrorists, says it's willing to release the one living American hostage and bodies of four others it's held in Gaza since the 2023 attacks in Israel.

In a recent appearance on Fox News, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ate French fries cooked in beef tallow and mused that 'food is medicine.' Nutrition scientists are scratching their heads.

The president's contention that birthright citizenship is unconstitutional is considered a fringe view because the Supreme Court ruled to the contrary 127 years ago.

Democrats face a dilemma. Should they help pass a GOP spending bill or allow the government to shut down? NPR speaks with Faiz Shakir, senior adviser to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont.

Senate to vote on GOP spending bill as government shutdown deadline looms, Trump to give speech at DOJ about law and order, judges order federal agencies to reinstate thousands of fired workers.

In a pair of rulings Thursday, judges ordered federal agencies to reinstate thousands of workers who were recently fired. In both cases, the judges said the mass firings appear illegal.

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Mahmoud Khalil's attorney, Amy Greer, about her client's recent arrest. Khalil, a green card holder, is currently being detained by ICE officers.

Survivors mourn those killed by Israel's military as bodies are exhumed from mass graves at Gaza's al-Shifa hospital in another reminder of war's toll.

Former president of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte is in custody at the International Criminal Court. He has been under investigation since 2021 for his administration's deadly drug crackdown.

It takes a spy to catch a spy in Steven Soderbergh's thriller Black Bag. And if they're married and played by Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett, so much the better.

In 2019, Louisiana's fourth graders ranked 50th in the country for reading. Now, they're 16th. Here's how the state, and one rural district, pulled it off.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he plans to vote for a Republican bill to fund the government through September, paving the way for other Democrats to join him.

Nearly every economic sector relies on secure technology networks: retailers, airlines, hospitals and more. After a faulty software update by cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike, businesses across the globe came screeching to a halt, dragging customers with them. In this episode, the tech firm behind today’s maddening “blue screen of death.” Plus: why the Federal Reserve plans communication blackouts, a former delivery driver remembers using chickens to mark her routes, and industry upheaval threatens an Alaskan fishing community.

The number of people filing for jobless benefits in each of the last two weeks rose. That means it’s taking job seekers longer to find employment. It’s also offers mild support to those who want to see lower interest rates. Also: Who’s spending and who isn’t? And what AI means for authors and publishers.

Now’s the time of year when many families look for a new home. But it’s a seemingly impossible market for first-time buyers: high prices, high mortgage rates, high insurance, low inventory. We’ll explain how some are pulling it off and why some experts believe lower home prices and rents are in sight. Also: State and local governments have been on a hiring spree, and business inventories are up.

Retail sales numbers released today show spending was flat last month. But if you look a little deeper, you’ll see Americans spent more in June than May. What does this mean for the Federal Reserve as it considers lowering interest rates? Also: Homebuilders are feeling a little less confident, and AI is trying to read emotions. Plus, the nocturnal sprint at UPS’ one-day-shipping hub.

The economy seems to be coming in for a soft landing, and that’s a big reason banks are doing so well. Markets are up, emboldening companies to make merger deals, which they pay investment banks to execute. JPMorgan Chase just posted the highest quarterly net income for a bank in U.S. history — $18.1 billion. Also: On the eve of Amazon Prime Day, how a shipping hub handles quick turnarounds. Plus, another decline in China’s GDP, and a DJ looks back at her analog life spinning vinyl.