News
Supreme Court struggles over whether Alabama can execute man found to be intellectually disabled
There was no clear outcome apparent after the justices heard two hours of arguments in an appeal from Alabama, which wants to put to death a man who lower federal courts found is intellectually disabled.
What to know about death cap mushrooms, blamed for poisonings in California
Death cap mushrooms look harmless, but are responsible for the majority of the world's mushroom-related deaths. California officials say 21 people have been sickened in recent weeks, one fatally.
Author Sophie Kinsella, who penned the ‘Shopaholic’ books, has died at 55
The author, whose real name was Madeleine Sophie Wickham, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in late 2022.
The fight to beat neglected tropical diseases was going well. 2025 could change that
The campaign to prevent and treat these diseases has seen great success thanks to a USAID program. Now that program is gone.
Greetings from Andhra Pradesh, India, where a fragrant food stand feeds working women
Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world.
Machado’s daughter accepts Nobel Peace Prize in Venezuelan opposition leader’s absence
Machado — who has been in hiding for nearly a year — was still expected in Oslo later in the day.
How Trump is remaking one agency to aid his deportation push
The Trump administration's changes to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are taking an axe to the agency's traditional mission of ensuring people lawfully immigrate and stay in the U.S.
Useful tips from NPR’s most popular self-help stories of the year
A roundup of good advice from Life Kit's 10 most read stories of 2025. Find out which foods support better sleep, how to be happier and how to graciously accept compliments.
Trump’s SAVE tool is looking for noncitizen voters. But it’s flagging U.S. citizens too
Anthony Nel, of Texas, became a U.S. citizen as a teen. But a flaw in a Trump administration citizenship tool flagged him as a potential noncitizen, which led to his voter registration being canceled.
Education Department recalls fired attorneys amid civil rights complaint backlog
The department said recalling these fired staffers would "bolster and refocus" civil rights enforcement "in a way that serves and benefits parents, students, and families."
A divided Fed is expected to cut rates for a 3rd straight time
The Fed is expected to lower its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point — but with inflation stubbornly high and mixed signals from the job market, it could be a split decision.
Brett Cooper says she makes up her own mind — about Trump and everything else
NPR's Steve Inskeep asks conservative commentator Brett Cooper about her YouTube following, her recent criticisms of President Trump and her opinion of Nick Fuentes.
Feeling burned out? There’s a word for that in Mandarin Chinese
How an obscure term used in anthropology leaped from the pages of academia into the Chinese meme world and then became part of Chinese government policymaking.
Afghan CIA fighters, like National Guard attack suspect, face stark reality in U.S.
The fighters led by the CIA found themselves spiraling into despair because of what they saw as bureaucratic neglect and abandonment by the U.S. government. Among their ranks was Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man charged with killing one National Guard soldier and seriously injuring a second after opening fire on them in Washington, D.C. on Thanksgiving Eve.
How the Alabama Ballet makes Christmas magic with Balanchine’s Nutcracker
The Alabama Ballet is one of only eight companies in the world licensed to perform George Balanchine’s choreography for the Nutcracker. Balanchine’s production in 1954 first popularized the ballet as a Christmas holiday tradition across the country.
Democrat wins Miami mayor’s race for the first time in nearly 30 years
Democrat Eileen Higgins won the Miami mayor's race on Tuesday, defeating a Republican endorsed by President Donald Trump to end her party's nearly three-decade losing streak.
Trump’s speech on combating inflation turns to grievances about immigrants
On the road in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, President Trump said he objected to taking immigrants from "hellholes like Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia and many other countries."
Social media ban for children under 16 starts in Australia
The ban, a world-first, has been applauded by families looking to take back power from tech giants. But questions remain about its enforceability.
1 student dead, 1 critically injured in shooting at Kentucky State University
Classes and campus activities were canceled for the rest of the week after a shooting that police said left one student dead and another in critical condition. Police said a suspect who is not a KSU student was in custody.
Millions of borrowers in Biden’s SAVE plan would start paying under new settlement
Legal challenges put SAVE borrowers in limbo for months, a time during which they were not required to make payments on their loans. That would change if the proposed settlement is approved.
Rising temperatures could have a chilling impact on young children
A study points to a new concern about the effect that heat can have on young children.
Believe it or not, this book makes taxes fascinating
The Price of Democracy tells the history of taxation from colonization to the present day. It's essential reading for anyone who cares about preserving democracy.
Ukraine’s last eastern strongholds hang on as Russia fights to take Donbas
Russia is pushing to take over all of eastern Ukraine's Donbas region, where one resident tells NPR that she feels her "life depends on how our guys at the front hold on."
Are we in a recession? Maybe professional Santas can tell us
Demand for professional Santas and other seasonal workers seems to have cooled. Could that be a sign we're in a recession?
Black bear populations are bouncing back. Here’s how these Texas towns are coping
Historically, Black bears were the biggest predator to travel the Big Bend area of Texas. But overhunting and habitat loss led to their decline.
The GOP has allowed Trump to expand his authority. Here’s where they’re pushing back
Republicans in Congress have shown some willingness to push back on President Trump, but it is not clear how far they are willing to push back against the leader of their own party.
A 101-year-old runs the largest nutcracker museum in the U.S. Here’s a look inside
Arlene Wagner has been collecting nutcrackers for nearly 50 years. Now, she's got one of the largest collections in the world, housed at the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum in Washington.
After NIH grant cuts, breast cancer research at Harvard slowed, and lab workers left
Amid NIH funding delays, reversals and uncertainty, a scientist at Harvard who studies breast cancer has lost one-third of her lab employees and wonders if she can continue her research experiments.
Machado to accept Nobel as fight against Venezuelan regime intensifies
As María Corina Machado is set to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, the Venezuelan opposition leader is betting everything on her prediction of an imminent political transition.
Sen. Van Hollen urges Democrats to stand for something — not just be anti-Trump
Democrats have become the party of the status quo, says Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. He's urging members of his party to craft sharper election messages and back new voices in the party.
Honduras seeks arrest of ex-President Hernández after Trump pardon
Honduras' attorney general said Monday that he had ordered Honduran authorities and asked Interpol to execute a 2023 arrest order for Juan Orlando Hernández, pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump.
When Christmas is a little too bright … look to Krampus
If Santa Claus is the good cop of Christmas, then Krampus is the bad one: a creature from European folklore who scares children into behaving themselves, complete with goat horns and gnashing teeth.
