December 28, 2025

Good morning. This week, scientists said they have discovered 20 new species in the Pacific Ocean, CBS News chief Bari Weiss received backlash for pulling a 60 Minutes segment on alleged abuses at a detention center in El Salvador, and the nuclear arms race heated up between North and South Korea.

America's enduring love for chain restaurants

by Jaclyn Diaz, general assignment correspondent

Sit-down casual chain restaurants, like Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse or IHOP, can be found in many American neighborhoods. They've littered the suburban landscape for decades — making them easy to overlook. On NPR’s general assignment desk, we started thinking about how much of a cultural cornerstone they are, and how uniquely American they are, whether you like them or not.

An illustration showing people eating at a restaurant. Thought bubbles show them thinking about good memories they've had at these restaurants.

Kaitlin Brito for NPR

This reporting project started with a conversation between my colleague Alana Wise and me. I had initially pitched an amorphous idea exploring how Chili’s was so obviously pulling on aging millennials’ nostalgia through its ads like this one, but dropped it because of … *gestures wildly* the state of the nation and news.

Alana and I kept coming back to the story idea, though. But we didn’t want to just put something out that served as free advertising. Instead, we asked a bigger question: How are these restaurants able to survive in a struggling economy with rising tariffs and changing diet trends? And still offer unlimited pasta?

We put the questions out to readers and heard back from more than 150. Many shared personal stories — affordable family dinners, college happy hours, first dates at Denny’s. The responses made clear there was something deeper to explore.

The first piece in the series looks at the emotional pull these restaurants have for many people. The sameness that critics sometimes deride turns out to be a huge appeal. You can order the same chicken alfredo or chicken crispers as you did at home in Connecticut as a kid, and order it again years later as an adult in Arizona.

Our reporting — based on interviews with restaurant managers, CEOs, marketing experts, a psychologist, a content creator and a culture writer — found these chain restaurants survive through a careful mix of nostalgia, industrial efficiency and, increasingly, social media virality.

Covering chain restaurants may be easy to dismiss as “fluff.” But in reporting this project out, we found that these restaurants reveal something real about American culture, how we eat, spend money and love to seek out familiarity and sameness — sodium levels be damned.

Check out more great reads from the NPR network you may have missed:

by Suzanne Nuyen, Up First newsletter editor

Last year, former President Joe Biden 37 federal death row prisoners from execution by reducing their sentences to life in prison. Since then, the Trump administration has taken steps to punish them as harshly as possible. Some were moved to restrictive, maximum-security prisons where everyone is in solitary confinement. Others were taken to states where prosecutors have vowed to seek death penalty convictions at the state level. NPR reporting shows the actions violate current federal policy and could be unconstitutional.

This year brought grim global news: deep U.S. aid cuts, the spread of diseases and mounting health crises. But there were also moments of hope and humanity. Browse a selection of the NPR Goats and Soda team's most popular stories about global health and development.

Millions of Americans fly during the holidays, on flights that rely on complex computer systems to manage everything from seat assignments to the crew. When these systems fail, they can ground an entire airline. Here are some conclusions the industry can draw from these system failures and what airlines can learn from past disruptions.

Earlier this month, President Trump signed an executive order loosening restrictions on marijuana. The order aimed to bring relief to cannabis businesses and begin a new era for research into the substance. But experts say one executive order won't be enough to rewrite decades-old federal drug policy.

Newsletter continues after sponsor message

You sustain this essential public service.

Public media has endured unprecedented challenges this year, yet our commitment to our mission remains unwavering. We continue to uphold the values of independent journalism and provide factual reporting to all.

As we face an uncharted future in 2026, we’re relying on this community to stay by our side.

Can we count on you to sustain our work in the new year? Your support today – especially with a recurring gift – means that we will be here for you tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that.

Donate Now ➜

Pod club

An illustration of a woman sitting cross legged in front of a cell phone.

NPR

Thanks for tuning in last week to the Fresh Air episode dedicated to Rob Reiner's life and career. Listener Beth Bohon said that "Rob and Michele Reiner were examples of the best of us" and described Rob's films as "real stories about real people, that were so relatable."

Today, we’re listening to the It's Been a Minute episode, "How to manifest your best year yet." Host Brittany Luse explores the popular belief that if you want something badly enough, it'll come to you. Has our relationship to the internet and algorithms created a feedback loop that actually makes our dreams seem more possible? And where's the line between dreams, reality and the internet? Listen to the episode here.

Do you believe in the power of manifestation? Did your opinion change after listening to this episode? Share your thoughts here, and your response could be featured in next week’s newsletter.

Love podcasts? For handpicked episode recommendations every week, check out Pod Club — a newsletter written FOR podcast fans BY podcast fans. Subscribe here!

And on The Sunday Story from Up First, host Ayesha Rascoe examines the increasing number of Americans who have reached retirement age – and the questions many ask at this stage of life: What did I do that mattered? The episode explores the transformative power of human passion and finding your purpose later in life.

P-A-R-T-Y words and names

NPR

It's time for the Sunday Puzzle! For this week's on-air challenge, NPR puzzlemaster Will Shortz has brought a game of Categories based on the word “party.” For each category name something in it starting with each of the letters P-A-R-T-Y. For example, if the category is "Four-Letter Boys' names" you could say Paul, Adam, Ross, Tony and Yuri. Any answer that works is OK, and you can give answers in any order. Test your skills here. Check the page later to hear the answers, or catch them live on Weekend Edition at 8:41 a.m. ET.

This week's online challenge comes from Joseph Young, of St. Cloud, Minn. Think of a two-syllable word with four letters. Add two letters in the beginning and one letter at the end to make a one-syllable word with seven letters. Which two words are these? Submit your answer here, and you could win a chance to play next Sunday's on-air puzzle.

Stream your local NPR station.

Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream.

This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi.

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 Up First emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002

Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy