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President Barack Obama has dismissed suggestions this is his worst year. Speaking with reporters at the White House for a year-end news conference, he said the criticism is tied to his vacillating poll numbers. He said his concern is growing the economy and noted that it is finally showing significant progress. The government reported today the economy grew at a solid 4.1 percent annual rate from July through September, the fastest pace since late 2011 and significantly higher than previously believed.

Ugandan lawmakers have passed an anti-gay bill that calls for life imprisonment for certain homosexual acts, drawing criticism from rights campaigners who called it "the worst in the world." The major offences which carry a life sentence include repeated sex offenses among consenting adults.

A federal judge has struck down Utah's same-sex marriage ban, saying it is unconstitutional. The judge said Utah's law, passed by voters in 2004, violates gay and lesbian couples' rights to due process and equal protection under the 14th Amendment. He said the state failed to show that allowing same-sex marriages would affect opposite-sex marriages in any way. Attorneys for the state had argued that Utah's law promotes the state's interest in "responsible procreation" and the "optimal mode of child-rearing."

A roughly $633 billion dollar defense bill awaits President Obama's signature. The bill covers combat pay, new ships and military bases. It also cracks down on sexual assault in the military. Among other things, the bill strips a military commander's ability to overturn jury convictions and requires a civilian review if a commander decides not to prosecute a case.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is set to sign a bill to allow undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at the state's colleges. The governor agreed to sign the bill after a provision making undocumented students eligible for financial aid was removed.

Target says it has fixed the problem that caused 40 million credit and debit card numbers to be stolen. The company still hasn't disclosed exactly how the breach occurred. Stolen information includes customer names, credit and debit card numbers and card expiration dates.

The U.N. says 34,000 people are seeking refuge at its bases in South Sudan. Violence broke out within South Sudan's presidential guard late Sunday and has since spread across the country, leading to fears of a civil war between ethnic groups.

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Evening Newscast: Dozens Hurt in Theater Collapse

Thursday, December 19, 2013

More than 80 people were injured when the roof or ceiling of London's Apollo Theatre collapsed. At least seven of the injuries were serious. Several people were trapped and had to be rescued. The collapse happened during an evening performance. One survivor described the scene as "complete chaos."

The White House said it would veto new congressional legislation that would toughen sanctions against Iran. Senators from both parties introduced the legislation today. The bill sets restrictions that would go into effect if Tehran violates an interim nuclear deal it reached with world powers last month or lets the agreement expire without a long-term accord. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the sanctions would undermine American diplomatic efforts.

New York City's Council voted in favor of expanding the city's 12-year-old ban on indoor smoking to include electronic cigarettes, the first ban of its kind for the nicotine delivery devices. The vote was 43 to 8. Speaker Christine Quinn said in the hours before the expected vote there wasn't enough evidence yet to know whether the nicotine inhalers are truly safe. She said allowing the devices into restaurants, bars and other places where cigarettes are now banned could "re-normalize" public smoking. Manufacturers say the vapor mist from e-cigarettes is harmless.

Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio unveiled a new campaign to win New York State lawmakers over to a tax increase on the wealthy so that he can expand pre-kindergarten and after school programs in New York City's public schools. UPKNYC includes children's and education advocacy groups, business leaders, actress Cynthia Nixon and film producer Harvey Weinstein. De Blasio described the coalition as a "grassroots" effort.

Tonight, partly cloudy, not as cold as last night, low 37. Tomorrow, Friday, partly cloudy, breezy, high 50. Showers expected this weekend.

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Latest Newscast: Senate Passes Budget, NYC's Immigrants Reach Record Numbers

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Good evening, here are the latest headlines from the WNYC newsroom.

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Latest Newscast: Budget Bill Advances, Senate Intelligence Committee Demands CIA Report, SUNY Drops LICH Plan

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Good evening, here are the latest headlines from the WNYC newsroom.

Latest Newscast: NYC to Require Flu Shots for 150k Chidren, Radioactive Site in Queens

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Good evening, here are the latest headlines from the WNYC newsroom.

Reporter Explains the Program That Lets the Post Office Scan All Envelopes

Wednesday, July 03, 2013

By WNYC

When ricin-laced letters were sent to Mayor Michael Bloomberg and President Barack Obama, the FBI used a secret program to track down the sender. It's called the Mail Isolation Control and Tracking program. Through it, U.S. Postal Service computers photograph the exterior of every piece of paper mail - last year, it scanned 160 billion pieces.

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Map | New York City's Coworking Centers

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

By WNYC

New York City is home to several dozen “coworking” locations, places where people who don’t work in traditional offices can rent a desk and have a place of work.

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