Front Page
How cozy Yuletide traditions got their start with raging parties and animal sacrifice
Today, people consider "Yule" synonymous with "Christmas." But centuries ago, Yule meant something different — a pagan mid-winter festival, dating back to pre-Christian Germanic people.
Crime in the U.S. fell in 2025. Will the trend continue?
Crime rates dropped across much of the U.S. in 2025. That was true for both property and violent crime. And it declined nearly everywhere: In big cities and small towns, and in red and blue states.
35 years after ADA, people with disabilities still find hotels unaccommodating
AN NPR survey finds that people with disability still find hotels unaccommodating, even 35 years after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Powerball’s $1.7B jackpot could make Christmas Eve unforgettable for a lucky winner
A Christmas Eve Powerball drawing could add new meaning to holiday cheer as millions of players hope to cash in on the $1.7 billion prize.
U.S. bars Europeans it says pressured tech firms to censor American viewpoints online
The State Department announced Tuesday it was barring five Europeans it accused of leading efforts to pressure U.S. tech firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints.
19 states sue HHS over a move that could curtail youth gender-affirming care
A coalition of 19 states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday sued the Department of Health and Human Services over a declaration that could complicate access to gender-affirming care for young people.
Explosion at a Pennsylvania nursing home kills at least 2, governor says
The explosion collapsed a part of the building and happened just as a utility crew had been on site looking for a gas leak at Bristol Health & Rehab Center in Bristol Township, just outside Philadelphia.
Supreme Court rules against Trump in National Guard case
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against President Trump on Tuesday, refusing to reinstate, for now, Trump's ability to send National Guard troops into the state of Illinois over the objections of the governor.
In Memoriam 2025: The Musicians We Lost
D'Angelo. Brian Wilson. Sly Stone. We lost these greats and so many more in 2025 — singers, producers, conductors and writers whose departures gave us a pang of loss, but whose art still lifts us up.
A diplomat’s tears, 200 snake bites, drone pix: Goats and Soda’s top stories in 2025
Our most popular global health and development stories in 2025 covered the human impact of the upheaval in U.S. foreign aid, surprising news about familiar diseases and the beauty of earth captured by drone cameras.
Student loan borrowers in default may soon see their wages garnished
About 5.5 million borrowers are currently in default. They haven't risked wage garnishment since the beginning of the pandemic, when policymakers paused the practice.
Student loan borrowers in default may soon see their wages garnished
About 5.5 million borrowers are currently in default. They haven't risked wage garnishment since the beginning of the pandemic, when policymakers paused the practice.
Sounds of the season: John Rutter’s ‘Magnificat’
The Magnificat is Mary’s song of praise in the Gospel of Luke. John Rutter's setting is influenced by Latin music.
Justice Department releases more Epstein files and some mention Trump
The Department of Justice has been publicly posting files related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation since Friday.
Justice Department releases more Epstein files and some mention Trump
The Department of Justice has been publicly posting files related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation since Friday.
A top-10 list can’t contain all the great TV of 2025
TV critic David Bianculli says 2025 offered so many great shows he couldn't narrow them down. But in a year of intense TV, Netflix's haunting series Adolescence, stands apart.
Vince Zampella, video game pioneer behind megahit Call of Duty, dies at 55
One of Vince Zampella's crowning achievements was the creation of the Call of Duty franchise, which has sold more than half a billion games worldwide.
Scientists learn more about how human embryos implant using artificial wombs
Scientists have developed an experimental way to study how human embryos implant in a uterus, which may provide new insights into why miscarriages occur and how they can be prevented.
2025: The images that stayed with us
Photographs help us look back on the moments that defined the year. Taken by NPR photojournalists nationwide, this collection goes beyond the headlines to reveal quietly powerful human stories.
The U.S. economy grew robustly as Americans continued to spend
The data, which was delayed from October by the government shutdown, comes as the economy takes center stage for voters and the Trump administration.
It’s the ‘gold standard’ in autism care. Why are states reining it in?
Budget shortfalls and nearly $1 trillion in looming federal Medicaid cuts have prompted states to rein in spending on a widely embraced autism therapy, pinching families who depend on the services.
U.S. regulators approve Wegovy pill for weight loss
U.S. regulators on Monday gave the green light to a pill version of the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, the first daily oral medication to treat obesity.
American journalist injured in Israeli attack wants answers from Washington
AFP's Dylan Collins was among journalists injured in an Israeli attack on Lebanon in 2023. The attack killed Reuters' Issam Abdallah. Collins was in Washington this month to press for accountability.
R&B’s next vibe shift is here. These 2025 albums are proof
Let the sunshine in: After a decade of chilly trap beats and freaky club tales, the tide is turning on the genre's dominant sound.
Immigrants now have fewer legal options to stay in U.S. under Trump
The 1.6 million number marks the largest-ever effort to strip permissions for immigrants who attempted to migrate to the country through legal means, advocates said.
Federal student loans are changing. Here’s what to expect in 2026
The SAVE Plan is ending and repayment options will change dramatically in the new year.
Biden stopped the executions of 37 men. Trump’s DOJ wants to punish them
Since Trump took office, officials have transferred ten of the 37 men Biden spared from execution to the "Alcatraz of the Rockies." One prisoner still awaiting transfer has attempted suicide.
U.S. strikes another alleged drug-smuggling boat in eastern Pacific
The U.S. military said Monday that it had conducted another strike against a boat it said was smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one person.
At least 5 killed after Mexican Navy plane on medical mission crashes in Texas
A small Mexican Navy plane transporting a young medical patient and seven others crashed Monday near Galveston, killing at least five people and setting off a search in waters along the Texas coast.
Trump announces plans for new Navy ‘battleship’ as part of a ‘Golden Fleet’
President Trump claims the warship will be "the fastest, the biggest, and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built." A month ago, the Navy scrapped plans to build a new, small warship, citing delays and cost overruns.
Federal judge says U.S. must give due process to deported Venezuelans
Judge James Boasberg said the U.S. denied due process to the Venezuelan men it deported to a prison in El Salvador after President Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.
Nearly two dozen states sue the Trump administration over funding for CFPB
The attorney generals say the Trump administration is refusing to accept funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which could hurt consumers in their states.
