AP Lifestyles Digest

| December 14, 2020 8:09 AM

Here is the AP Lifestyles digest for the week of Dec. 14.

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YEAR'S END

The Year in Publishing — In the world of books, it was a year like no other and a year in some ways not so different. An industry that prides itself on free expression and high ideals was forced to confront its own blind spots about race and gender. The pandemic shut down bookstores around the country and forced publishers to cancel author tours or move them online. Yet through it all, books kept selling. By National Writer Hillel Italie. UPCOMING Monday: 900 words, photos.

HOMES

Homes-Soothing Decor — Our homes are getting a workout these days as the place to work, study, sleep, exercise and more. And don’t forget to unwind. Interior decorators say it’s easy to refresh your rooms to create a more restful home space for 2021. By Kim Cook. UPCOMING Tuesday: 650 words, photos.

FOOD

Food-Local Mail Order: One easy way to spread holiday cheer when you’re socially distanced is to send food and gifts. And by ordering hometown favorites from local businesses, you can nurture a sense of place too. From Maine lobsters to Texas barbecue to San Francisco sourdough, there are lots of options. By Katie Workman. SENT Monday: 750 words, photos.

AUTOS

Behind the Wheel-2021 Top Rated — Edmunds Top Rated Awards are bestowed annually upon the best vehicles of the year. The winners aced their Edmunds track tests and distinguished themselves as class leaders in extensive real-world evaluations. By Ronald Montoya. UPCOMING Wednesday: 700 words, photos.

HEALTH

Virus Outbreak-Nursing Home Worry — After 110,000 deaths ravaged the nation’s nursing homes and pushed them to the front of the vaccine line, they now face a vexing problem: Skeptical residents and workers balking at getting the shots. By Bernard Condon and Matt Sedensky. SENT: Monday 1, 230 words, photos.

PERSONAL FINANCE

Virus Outbreak-Nonprofits — The American spirit of generosity this holiday season may be no match for the coronavirus. Despite record amounts of charitable donations this year, the effects of the pandemic are suffocating nonprofits across the country as organizations face soaring costs and demand for help, yet are largely without their own support systems. By Sally Ho. SENT Monday: 960 words, photos.

Nerdwallet-Skimpy Life Insurance — If anyone depends on your income — or your unpaid labor, such as caregiving or parenting — you probably need life insurance. An insurance calculator can help you determine how much to buy and for how long. By Liz Weston of NerdWallet. SENT Monday: 860 words, photo.

ENVIRONMENT

Monarch Butterfly-Threatened — Trump administration officials are expected to say this week whether the monarch butterfly, a colorful and familiar backyard visitor now caught in a global extinction crisis, should receive federal designation as a threatened species. By John Flesher and Ellen Knickmeyer. SENT Monday: 1,020 words, photos.

ONE GOOD THING

One Good Thing-Estonia Dog— In a Northern Tallinn district a neighborhood has raised money for a sculpture to a “legendary” stray dog. By David Keyton. UPCOMING Wednesday: 600 words, photos and video

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