HOLIDAYS WEEKENDS

Early in 2019, China hopes to land a rover — the first soft landing on the moon’s far side. The mission is exploratory, and will lay groundwork for a trip by Chinese astronauts to the lunar surface.

Because of the partial government shutdown, a great number of federal workers are furloughed or working without pay. President Trump has ordered a freeze in 2019 federal employee salary rates.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to convene in Manhattan to watch the ball drop and see performances by stars such as Snoop Dogg, Sting and Paulina Rubio.

Monday is the Defense Secretary’s last day on the job. He urged people to “to support and defend the Constitution while protecting our way of life.”

With the Dow swinging up and down hundreds of points in a day, investors are feeling queasy. One economist says uncertainty in the stock markets may mean turbulence will continue in the new year.

The partial government shutdown is hurting the pocketbooks of 800,000 federal workers. But it also could affect consumer and business confidence down the line.

The incoming House leadership plans legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security for a month. President Trump shows no sign of agreeing to their terms, digging in on funding a border wall.

Russia says Paul Whelan was detained on Friday while on a spy mission. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on espionage charges.

On New Year’s Day, Jair Bolsonaro will be sworn in as president. He’s an admirer of Donald Trump, and his rise to power has created — and reflected — deep divisions among Brazilians.

It all started when a guy wanted to create a better sanitary pad for his wife. And now there’s a new documentary about the impact of his work.

The largest importers of crops like lentils, garbanzos or peas — China and India — aren’t buying because of trade wars and tariffs. But farmers already planted in anticipation of sales.

Warren is launching an exploratory committee. The 69-year-old senator, former law professor and consumer advocate is likely to face a crowded Democratic field eager to take on President Trump in 2020.

Minutes after the turn of the new year, NASA’s New Horizons probe will fly by a minor planet in the most distant exploration of a world ever attempted.

Republican Orrin Hatch is leaving the Senate after 42 years. He led bipartisan efforts to get more kids and AIDS patients health care. He also thrived on donations from the drug industry.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ruling alliance handily won Sunday’s general election, which saw at least 17 people killed during voting. The main opposition party rejects the results.

Adorable babies and cute puppies can make us happy. But researchers say their cuteness can be so overwhelming that it unleashes some ugly thoughts.

In the past few years, enthusiasts have touted coconut oil as the next great health food. But it contains high levels of saturated fat, which is associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

The minimum wage will increase on or around January 1 in 20 states and 21 cities, impacting millions of American workers. Twenty-nine states will have set minimum wages above the federal level.

Greg McKelvey says his interactions with Andrew Halbert, a police officer at his Oregon high school, traumatized him. Eight years on, McKelvey’s tweets led them to reflect on their shared experiences.

The incoming Florida governor and other politicians in the state say they will need to weigh-in before the amendment passed by voters in Nov., giving voting rights back to felons, is implemented.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center is monitoring an American health care worker who may have been exposed to the Ebola virus after treating patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Roman was one of the first female executives at NASA, its first chief of astronomy and she played an instrumental role in making the Hubble Space Telescope a reality. She died on Dec. 25.

Thousands of civilians, soldiers and police were killed this year in suicide attacks, bombings and airstrikes. The lives and deaths of three Afghan men shed light on the challenges the country faces.

Two children recently died in Border Patrol custody. In response, volunteers created pop-up clinics and the Department of Homeland Security ordered medical checks on kids in custody.

“Bad optics,” charter jets, abusive tweets and insider trading. It has been that kind of year in President Trump’s Cabinet and on Capitol Hill.

The sighting is a glimmer of hope for a species that has seen a hard few years: 19 right whales died in 2017 and 2018, and not a single North American right whale calf was seen last season.

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke on the phone Saturday. The U.S. has said it will raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, if a deal is not reached by March.

Alan Naiman died nearly a year ago from cancer at age 63. As the anniversary of his death nears, charities say that he stunned them with his generous donations.

Many people wait until the end of the year to make contributions to their favorite charities and churches. But this year, those donations are unlikely to be deductible, as a result of the new tax law.

Half of the parents of young children in a recent survey said their kids fear going to the doctor. Some admit skipping vaccines and needed appointments. Here’s how to nip medical anxiety in the bud.

The FCC chairman called CenturyLink’s widespread telecom outage unacceptable and says an investigation will start immediately.