The war of Christmas: Fake tree vs. real

Christmas tree farmers and Christmas tree manufacturers have both launched big marketing campaigns to try to get your dollars this year. It's a battle of authenticity vs. convenience, of getting the genuine holiday experience – and scent! – versus getting exactly the look you want and knowing it'll be there again next year.

Brandon Thibodeaux/ProPublica CPAP machines sent patients’ identifiable data to their doctor, insurer, the manufacturer and more Millions of Americans rely on the machines to counter their sleep apnea, which can prevent good rest and increase the risk of several serious health problems. But the machines and supplies can be expensive, so insurers regularly monitor to make sure patients are using them – and to refuse coverage if they’re not. "The doctors and providers are not in control of medicine anymore,” says one supplier. “It's strictly the insurance companies.” Patients can find themselves in a Catch-22: They might need adjustments to their setup to consistently use their machine, but their insurance won’t pay for it until they’re consistently using their machine. Noah Berger/AP/Getty Images Climate change is here, is harming communities and could be economically disastrous if left unchecked, new U.S. report says The National Climate Assessment, assembled by hundreds of top scientists, says that man-made climate change has made both major wildfires and severe flooding more common and that air pollution and insect-borne diseases will get worse and damage Americans' health. And relatively little is being done at the federal level to prevent that. “We're talking billions of dollars as the cost of inaction each year,” one climate scientist involved in the report says. Rodrigo Abd/AP President Trump’s immigration rhetoric has crossed the border as ‘Mexico First’ demonstrators protest Hondurans passing through Hundreds of flag-draped marchers converged on a Tijuana shelter housing 2,500 migrants this month, singing the national anthem and clashing with riot police. The mayor of the city, where the first group is crossing, takes the mimicry further, suggesting some are criminals — but adding he’s sure “there are some good people.” Other residents yelled back at the protesters, and migrants who worriedly watched the demonstration said Mexicans had been nothing but friendly to them so far. But with hundreds more migrants en route to Tijana, tensions are likely to get worse. Anna King/Northwest News Network Christmas tree farmers hope their social media campaign can persuade millennial moms to ‘Keep It Real’ The farmers note their product takes eight to 10 years of work to finish and say that artificial-tree makers "are kind of stealing our concept and our art" and that picking out a tree is an important family experience. But people bought 21 million of the fake trees last year, and manufacturers say they're easier to use and better-looking than ever. Growers will quickly have to figure out if their sales pitch landed — they’re already planting for Christmas 2028. Win McNamee/AP A new presidential Twitter rant draws the ire of the country’s judicial branch After President Trump vented his frustration with "an Obama judge" who ruled against him, the country's top judge, John Roberts of the Supreme Court, told him that there was no such thing and that "that independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for." The president cited Fox News reporting as proving him right, but the American Bar Association said he was needlessly undermining U.S. courts’ authority. You received this message because you're subscribed to our Best of NPR emails. |  Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002