December 30, 2024 - PBS News Hour full episode

It's the season for year-end lists and we’ve got you covered when it comes to the best books of 2024. Jeffrey Brown sat down with two of our regular literary critics, Maureen Corrigan and Gilbert Cruz, to highlight their favorites. It's for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Last-minute sales, limited-time offers and half-off deals can be hard to resist for some holiday shoppers. This season, Americans were projected to spend seven percent more than 2023. But a social media trend is urging eager consumers to hit pause before pressing the purchase button. Paul Solman reports.

The number of murders in the U.S. is declining at a rapid pace. While crime was a central focus of the election, with President-elect Trump alleging it was out of control in many cities, other crimes also saw declines. William Brangham discussed what the data tells us with Jeff Asher, the co-founder of AH Datalytics and creator of the Real-Time Crime Index.

In our news wrap Monday, South Korea's acting president ordered an inspection of the entire aviation sector after a plane crash killed 179 people, President Biden announced $2.5 billion in aid to Ukraine, the Taliban says it will close all non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan that employ Afghan women and the U.S. Treasury revealed Chinese hackers stole documents earlier this month.

The world is remembering former President Jimmy Carter after he passed away at age 100. To discuss his life and legacy, Nick Schifrin spoke with Judy Woodruff, who has covered the Carters for more than 50 years; James Fallows, Carter’s speechwriter during the first two years of the administration; and Kai Bird, author of “The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter.”

Former President Jimmy Carter is being remembered as a humanitarian and statesman, more than 40 years after leaving the White House. The 39th president, who died Sunday at 100, will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol next week before his funeral at the Washington National Cathedral. Laura Barrón-López reports.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join Nick Schifrin to discuss the latest political news, including the passing of former President Jimmy Carter, the fate of President Biden's legacy and a look ahead at the political landscape in 2025.