Front Page

New technology gives hope to save endangered right whales

Conservationists are getting better at monitoring the movement of the highly endangered right whale. They hope it will encourage ships to slow down in an effort to save the species.

9 unexpected things we learned about mental health and our brains in 2024

NPR's health reporters followed the emerging science on what keeps our brains and our minds healthy. Here are highlights of the studies that piqued our readers' interest the most.

From Taylor Swift tickets to social media bans, here are new 2025 state laws

It's almost the new year, which means states across the country will enact thousands of new laws from new tax structures to prenatal leave.

Reporters’ notebook: revisiting Afghan refugees starting anew in the U.S.

NPR reporters revisit Afghans who fled their home country after Taliban's takeover in the summer of 2021.

8 questions for President Biden, if he’d take them

Here's what NPR's White House correspondents would ask Biden at a press conference as his presidency comes to a close.

What to know about Finland, Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ and a severed undersea cable

Finland says a ship affiliated with Russia's "shadow fleet" is linked to a 60-mile-long anchor drag mark on the seafloor. A power cable in the Baltic Sea was severed last week.

Why do we drop a ball on New Year’s Eve? The Times Square tradition, explained

Watching a huge ball descend down a pole in Times Square has been a beloved New Year's Eve tradition for over a century. Here's how the spectacle started and what's changed over the years.

Should you be worried about bird strikes during your next flight?

Bird strikes occur daily for commercial flights, costing airlines millions in damages each year. Although rare, these incidents can result in injuries and fatalities.

Tiger-cats, sea squirts and beetles, oh my! Meet some species identified in 2024

From charismatic macrofauna to tiny sea squirts, here are some species formally identified by scientists in 2024.

Transit systems turn to AI-powered cameras to catch drivers who block bus lanes

The nation's biggest transit systems are using AI-enhanced cameras to keep bus lanes clear of illegally parked cars. That's making buses move faster, but the rollout has hit a few speed bumps.

South Korea to inspect Boeing aircraft as it struggles to find cause of plane crash

Many worry how effectively the South Korean government will handle the disaster as it grapples with a leadership vacuum after the impeachments of the country's top two officials.

Treasury says Chinese hackers remotely accessed documents in ‘major’ cyber incident

The revelation comes as the U.S. grapples with a massive cyberespionage campaign that gave Chinese officials access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans.

Jimmy Carter will have funeral services in Plains, Ga., Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

Former President Jimmy Carter's state funeral services will span six days, three cities and multiple places of significance from his life.

In Jimmy Carter’s hometown of Plains, people remember the former president

People in Plains, Ga., are remembering former President Jimmy Carter who died on Sunday at the age of 100. Carter embraced his hometown and never forgot the importance of the place.

Photos: Former President Carter redefined post-presidency role

The Nobel Peace Prize winner devoted himself to improving the health of people around the world, promoting democracy and resolving global conflicts.

5 people have been charged in the death of Liam Payne

An Argentine judge ordered pretrial detention for two of the charged for suppling Payne with drugs. Prosecutors had filed initial charges against three people in November but didn't reveal their names.

Top chess player Magnus Carlsen is back in competition after quitting over dress code

Magnus Carlsen, the No. 1 ranked chess player, quit the World Rapid Chess Championship in New York on Friday after refusing to change out of jeans to conform to a strict dress code.

Court rejects Trump appeal in E. Jean Carroll sexual abuse and defamation case

Trump contended the trial court judge erred in several rulings — including decisions to allow the testimony of two women who alleged that Trump sexually assaulted them in the past.

9 countries said goodbye to a devastating disease in 2024

Nine countries eliminated a disease in 2024. Here's how Pakistan pulled it off — fulfilling a young boy's dream of eliminating blindness caused by bacterial infections.

What are your hopes for 2025?

With 2024 coming to a close, we have a whole new year to look forward to. What are your hopes for 2025? We put that question to attendees of our recent News and Brews community pop-up.

Egyptian and Israeli leaders send condolences for Carter, who brokered their peace treaty

One of the crowning foreign policy achievements of Carter's single term as U.S. president was brokering a series of agreements that later came to be called the Camp David accords in 1978.

Jimmy Carter was ‘a very unusual kind of politician,’ biographer says

In the wake of Jimmy Carter's death, biographer Kai Bird, author of 'The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter' discusses the late president's successes and failures.

In 2024, film and TV grappled with death. The result was comforting

From Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Special to A Man on the Inside, movies and TV found new ways to address death and dying.

Jimmy Carter had an early ally in the Senate: a young Democrat named Joe Biden

When they met in the mid-1970s, Jimmy Carter and Joe Biden were both political underdogs. They forged a strong friendship that lasted more than 50 years.

10 essential books about Jimmy Carter

Throughout his lifetime, Jimmy Carter took on many titles: 39th President of the United States, Nobel Peace Prize winner, philanthropist, humanitarian, artist – and writer.

Four years after the Capitol riot, why QAnon hasn’t gone away

QAnon followers played an outsized role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. While the online conspiracy community is less prominent now, it still draws attention from GOP politicians.

For seniors with hoarding disorder, a support group helps with stigma and isolation

Concern is growing about the prevalence of hoarding disorder among seniors, and the lack of access to effective treatments. Some have found coping strategies — and community — in a support group.

Bird flu Q&A: What to know to help protect yourself and your pets

Each week some revelation about bird flu seems to flutter through the news cycle. Here's what the latest research is saying about how it is spreading and how to keep yourself and your pets safe.

2024 in photos: NPR station photographers share memorable moments

NPR's member and affiliate station photographers share memorable moments from throughout 2024.

Biden speaks of Carter’s ‘honesty and character’ in Sunday address

President Joe Biden speaks about the death of former President Jimmy Carter on Sunday. (Susan Walsh | AP) President Joe Biden has remembered former President Jimmy Carter as a friend as well as globally recognized humanitarian. In an address Sunday night, Biden remembered Carter for his simple decency. Carter continued to teach Sunday school at […]

At least 3 migrants die trying to cross the English Channel

This latest incident comes as 2024 is named the deadliest year on record for small boat crossings along the perilous migration route.

These were the most-borrowed books from public libraries in 2024

Many of the most-borrowed books in 2024, including 'romantasy' titles and memoirs, also appeared on public library lists in 2023.