Warren Eyes 2020; Brazil’s New President; Opioid Lawsuits

Plus, Martha’s tips for hosting the perfect New Year’s Eve bash. [NPR] by Korva Coleman and Jill Hudson First Up [Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in July 2016.]( Carolyn Kaster/AP Happy New Year’s Eve! Here’s what we’re following today. Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren launched an exploratory committee for a 2020 presidential run. The 69-year-old law professor turned consumer advocate is a liberal icon but [faces a crowded field of Democrats]( eager to challenge President Trump. Opioid makers face a wave of lawsuits in 2019. Thousands of state and local governments, including cities and tribal governments, are demanding that companies such as Purdue Pharma, Walmart and Rite-Aid compensate them for the [costs of responding to the crisis](. The Affordable Care Act can stay in effect while under appeal. A federal judge in Texas [issued a stay on the health care law]( more than two weeks after ruling it unconstitutional due to a recent elimination of a tax penalty on uninsured people. On New Year's Day, Jair Bolsonaro will be sworn in as Brazil’s president. [He's an admirer of Donald Trump]( and his rise to power has created — and reflected — deep divisions among Brazilians. Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina won a third term after a violent election and accusations of vote-rigging. [At least 17 people were killed during voting]( according to police, despite the deployment of some 600,000 security forces. --------------------------------------------------------------- The Daily Good A social worker leaves nearly $11 million to children’s charities. Friends remember Washington state social worker Alan Naiman as being frugal. He wore old shoes held together with duct tape, bought his apparel at the grocery store, drove jalopies and ate at cheap restaurants. But when he died of cancer in January 2018, at age 63, the people around him learned that he had [quietly saved millions]( for organizations serving abandoned, impoverished, sick and disabled children. Naiman amassed a great deal of wealth by saving his work wages, taking on side jobs and inheriting millions from his parents. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Listens Martha Stewart has a few tips for hosting a New Year's Eve party. [Martha Stewart says in the last 30 years she's seen the food offerings at parties become a lot more interesting and varied. ]( Fadil Berisha/Magrino PR As 2018 draws to a close, the hosts of the Help, I'm Hosting! series went to the ultimate authority on all things home and hosting. New Year's Eve is a time for optimism, Stewart says. It's "the welcoming of a new year, a new season ... hopefully a happier time." Ice balls melt slowly and impress everyone. Provide toothbrushes and bathrobes for overnight guests. And if your budget is tight, mac and cheese and a bottle of good wine can go a very long way. (Listening time, 6:14) [▶ LISTEN]( What the deaths of three Afghan men tell us about the 17th year of America's longest war. [Guards of honor carry a photo of Brig. Gen. Abdul Raziq, Kandahar police chief, at his burial ceremony in Kandahar in October.]( AP Thousands of civilians, soldiers and police were killed this year in suicide attacks, bombings and airstrikes. U.S. combat troops have been in Afghanistan for nearly double the time they were in Vietnam. And the war has touched generations of Afghans. Of the thousands of lives lost this year, three stand out. The lives and deaths of these three Afghan men help tell the story of Afghanistan and shed light on the challenges the U.S. faces there. (Listening time, 7:52) [▶ LISTEN]( --------------------------------------------------------------- The Picture Show Channeling the pain of depression into photography. Tara Wray Tara Wray's book Too Tired for Sunshine is a collection of images she made between 2011 and 2018 [while she struggled with depression](. "Just forcing myself to get out of my head and using the camera to do that is, in a way, a therapeutic tool," says Wray, a photographer and filmmaker based in central Vermont. "It's like exercise: You don't want to do it, you have to make yourself do it, and you feel better after you do." Wray invited others to share photos that depict their battle with mental illness by tagging her Instagram account, [@TooTiredProject](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before You Go [Researchers say human brains can become overwhelmed by cute traits, such as large eyes and small noses, embodied by movie characters like Bambi.]( Disney Junior/Disney Channel via Getty Images - Researchers say your brain can get aggressive [when cuteness becomes overwhelming](. - Coconut oil has been hailed as [the next great health food](. But is it really? - A movie about menstruation is [on the short list for an Oscar nomination](. - Way beyond Pluto, an icy world will be [ready for its close-up]( minutes after the turn of the new year. - Nancy Grace Roman, [the "Mother of the Hubble" space telescope]( has died at 93. --------------------------------------------------------------- The Daily News Headlines newsletter will not be published on Tuesday this week. Happy New Year! ✏️ What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [dailynewsletter@npr.org](mailto:dailynewsletter@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) 📬 Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. 📧 Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to our Daily News emails. | [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002 [NPR]