Search results for

2011 was a tough year in many ways: The economy is still struggling; Europe is dealing with a huge debt crisis; and Japan is still recovering from a devastating tsunami. But from e-books to HIV treatment, there are people, products and ideas that have done well in 2011.

NPR's Neal Conan reads from listener comments on previous show topics, including realizing how much college actually costs, recovering from a traumatic injury and the season's big video games.

The House blew up the end-of-year deal to extend the payroll tax holiday, but it insists it's the Senate's fault. If both chambers fail to forge a compromise, taxes go up, unemployment benefits expire and payments to Medicare doctors get cut by 27 percent — all starting Jan. 1.

In 2010, Phil Jackson, then the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, complained about the NBA's scheduling of games on Christmas Day. It seemed, he said, that "Christian holidays don't mean anything" any longer. With its season shortened, the NBA can't afford to skip the holiday this year.

The alleged child sex abuse charges at Penn State are prompting new federal and state legislation that could expand who is required to report suspected child abuse. But some doctors and child protection officials are skeptical.

Mental health and law enforcement officials in California are wrestling with that question as violence at the state's psychiatric hospitals continues to escalate. They are trying to determine how to hold violent mental patients accountable for their actions without punishing them for being sick.

The same laid-back attitude and openness to outsiders that draws tourists to the peaceful country has also attracted Mexican cartels and their Colombia cocaine suppliers. Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla says it tests Costa Rica's view of itself as a peaceful country in a violent region.

Former Mass. Governor Mitt Romney is on a campaign swing through New Hampshire. With the Iowa caucuses fast approaching, Romney is instead shoring up his position in the state that is key to his primary campaign strategy.

There's a spirited debate going on between GOP presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. A Super PAC called Restore Our Future is running negative ads against Gingrich on Romney's behalf. Gingrich called on Romney to get the ads off the air. Romney responded by saying the law does not allow him to communicate with a Super PAC.

CNN host Piers Morgan testified by video conference Tuesday before the panel investigating British press practices. Morgan has repeatedly denied allowing phone hacking while he was a high-profile tabloid editor in London.