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Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., (right) and Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., get settled before the start of Price's confirmation hearing Wednesday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call,Inc. hide caption

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Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

Shots - Health News

6 Senators Assessing Trump's HHS Nominee Own Health Care Stocks, Too

Kaiser Health News

A half-dozen senators involved in confirmation hearings for Rep. Tom Price to head the Department of Health and Human Services have health care investments made by themselves or family members.

In a small room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, mail from children is read, sorted into categories and answered by staff — except for the few that are sent every week to President Obama. The letters are eventually stored at the National Archives and will later find a home in the president's library. Becky Harlan/NPR hide caption

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Becky Harlan/NPR

Around the Nation

Dear Mr. President: Obama Staff Mobilizes To Answer Kids' Letters

In cramped offices near the White House, a brigade of staff, volunteers and former interns is scrambling to read every letter sent to President Obama — especially the letters from children.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., meets Jan. 6 with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator-designate Scott Pruitt, right, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Pruitt's confirmation hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday. Zach Gibson/AP hide caption

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Zach Gibson/AP

Politics

EPA Critic To Get Sharp Questions On Industry Ties As He Vies To Run Agency

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has sparked controversy for his denial of climate science and his ties to fossil-fuel interests. Here's what to expect in Wednesday's confirmation hearing.

EPA Critic To Get Sharp Questions On Industry Ties As He Vies To Run Agency

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Face masks were placed on stone monkeys at the Beijing Zoo on Dec. 19 to protest heavy air pollution in northeast China. A week earlier, riot police cracked down after artists put similar masks on human figures in Chengdu. STR/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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STR/AFP/Getty Images

Commentary

In China, Pollution Fears Are Both Literal And Metaphorical

Fears of contagion shape politics in today's China. A protest by artists against smog was met with swift repression. That's because authorities fear a different kind of pollution: destabilizing ideas.

Joe Jiang (left) and Simon Tam of The Slants are in a legal battle at the Supreme Court over their band's name. Ariel Zambelich/NPR hide caption

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Ariel Zambelich/NPR

Law

In Battle Over Band Name, Supreme Court Considers Free Speech And Trademarks

The Patent and Trademark Office denied registration to an Asian-American rock band named The Slants; the musicians say they want to re-appropriate the term. The case hits the high court on Wednesday.

In Battle Over Band Name, Supreme Court Considers Free Speech And Trademarks

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A member of the Secret Service stands guard while President Barack Obama attends a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton on Aug. 1, 2016, in College Park, Georgia. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way - News Blog

Secret Service, Agents Settle Over Racial Discrimination Allegations

A long-running class action lawsuit alleged the Secret Service denied promotions to black agents. The agents , the service and Homeland Security have reached an agreement, pending court approval.

Chelsea Manning had been sentenced to 35 years for leaking military secrets to WikiLeaks. Civil liberties groups have praised President Obama's decision to commute the sentence, but some Republican leaders are outraged. AP hide caption

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AP

The Two-Way - News Blog

President Obama Commutes Chelsea Manning's Prison Sentence

Civil liberties groups have praised Obama's decision to commute the sentence of the Army private who leaked documents to WikiLeaks, but some Republican leaders are outraged.

Carolyn Kaster/AP

NPR Ed

At DeVos' Senate Hearing, Questions Of Choice, Charters, 'Other Options'

President-elect Trump's pick for education secretary faced tough questions during her Senate confirmation hearing. She maintained her strong support for school choice and free-market solutions.

At DeVos' Senate Hearing, Questions Of Choice, Charters, 'Other Options'

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Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad greets Chinese President Xi Jinping before a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in April 2013. The two first met in 1985, during a visit by Xi to Iowa. Andy Wong/AP hide caption

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Andy Wong/AP

Parallels - World News

An 'Old Friend Of China' Prepares To Bridge Differences At A Fraught Time

Donald Trump chose Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad as ambassador to Beijing because of old ties with President Xi Jinping and Iowa's history of trade with China. Branstad will have a tough job.

An 'Old Friend Of China' Prepares To Bridge Differences At A Fraught Time

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Yadkin Valley Farm in Yadkin County, N.C., has been in the family of Chuck Wooten Jr. for at least five generations. Ari Shaprio/NPR hide caption

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Ari Shaprio/NPR

Politics

In Rural N.C., Trump Supporters Eagerly Await A Different Kind Of Change

Yadkin County, N.C., is overwhelmingly white and went overwhelmingly for Donald Trump in November. Voters there hope Trump will lessen what they've felt was a weight on them for the past eight years.

In Rural N.C., Trump Supporters Eagerly Await A Different Kind Of Change

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Luke Whitbeck, 2, sits on his mother's lap while the nurse prepares his treatment at a pediatric infusion center in Hawthorne, N.Y., in October 2016. Heidi de Marco/Kaiser Health News hide caption

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Heidi de Marco/Kaiser Health News

Shots - Health News

High Prices For Orphan Drugs Strain Families And Insurers

Kaiser Health News

Three decades ago, Congress set up a system to encourage drug companies to develop treatments for rare diseases. The law has worked, but at a high cost.

High Prices For Orphan Drugs Strain Families And Insurers

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A 2014 photo shows shanty houses on a river bank in Jakarta, where Indonesian President Joko Widodo once pledged to close a fast-growing wealth gap. Bay Ismoyo /AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Bay Ismoyo /AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way - News Blog

Gulf Between Richest And Poorest Is Wider Than Previously Thought, Oxfam Says

Last year, Oxfam said the world's richest 62 people had as much money as the poorest 3.6 billion. Turns out those numbers were wrong: The richest nine people had as much wealth as half the planet.

Migraine headaches are one example of a chronic illness that typically doesn't respond to quick fixes. Westend61/Getty Images hide caption

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Westend61/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

For Many People, Medical Care Works Best When It's Incremental

We often imagine the best medical care as a miracle cure. Atul Gawande argues that for chronic illness, the best care may be a long, slow process of improving health a little bit at a time.

For Many People, Medical Care Works Best When It's Incremental

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