Sections
Fire-making materials at 400,000-year-old site are the oldest evidence of humans making fire
Archaeologists in Britain say they've found the earliest evidence of humans making fires anywhere in the world. The discovery moves our understanding of when humans started making fire back by 350,000 years.
I hate getting Pap smears. Is there a safe alternative?
You may have heard about HPV testing and self-swabbing to collect the sample. Does that work as well? Here are the ins and outs of this newer option.
Trump calls affordability crisis a “hoax,” touts the economy ahead of midterms
As Democrats campaigning on affordability pick up wins, Trump's messaging about a strong economy is at odds with widespread voter sentiment that he's not doing enough to tackle rising costs.
The best albums of 2025
If there’s one question that professional music lovers hear most often, it’s some variation on: “Heard any good albums lately?” We always have, of course, but when it came time […]
Will U.S. military strikes slow drug overdose deaths? Experts say no
President Trump says U.S. strikes on supposed drug-smuggling boats will save Americans from overdose deaths. But most experts worry the strategy is counterproductive.
This refugee’s family faced persecution in Bhutan. Now, he could be deported there
Mohan Karki's family and others with Nepali ancestry were persecuted and driven out of Bhutan in the 1990s. Karki himself was born in a refugee camp in nearby Nepal. Yet, the U.S. government claims he is a Bhutanese citizen and seeks to deport him there.
Senate to vote on dueling health care proposals as ACA premium hikes loom
The Senate is set to vote on dueling health care proposals. Both plans are likely to fail, even as Affordable Care Act premiums are set to skyrocket at the end of the year.
Elizabeth Warren says both bids to buy Warner Bros. Discovery are bad for consumers
Sen. Elizabeth Warren cautions that the sale of Warner Bros. Discovery to either Netflix or Paramount Skydance could reduce competition and concentrate power over what films and news American see.
The Best Album of 2025 is…
Rosalía’s LUX is NPR Music’s No. 1 album of 2025 At the moment this fall when NPR Music’s staff began discussing our picks for the best albums of 2025, the […]
Venezuelan opposition leader Machado reappears in Oslo as a Nobel laureate
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado appeared in public for the first time in 11 months after a daring escape from her homeland when she emerged from a hotel balcony in Norway's capital.
Botulism outbreak sickens more than 50 babies and expands to all ByHeart products
At least 51 babies in 19 states have been treated for botulism after being exposed to organic ByHeart baby formula. The New-York based manufacturer issued a recall of all its products last month.
Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore jailed, hours after his firing
Moore was jailed on Wednesday, according to court records, hours after he was fired for what the university said was an "inappropriate relationship with a staff member."
Trump says the U.S. has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela
Using U.S. forces to take control of a merchant ship is unusual and marks the Trump administration's latest push to increase pressure on Maduro, who has been charged with narcoterrorism.
NTSB warns that defense bill could undermine aviation safety changes after DCA crash
The head of the NTSB is voicing strong opposition to provisions in the defense policy bill. The NTSB says the House bill would undermine safety improvements made after the mid-air collision near DCA.
Philip Rivers’ return to the NFL, by the numbers
Philip Rivers is coming out of retirement at age 44 for a shot at playing for the Indianapolis Colts, who are struggling to make the playoffs. He last played in the NFL in 2021.
New books coming in December tell tales of the sea, colonialism and midlife
As the year wraps up, we bring you some final notable titles — including The Sea Captain's Wife and The Rest of Our Lives — publishing before 2025 comes to a close.
Egypt and Iran object to playing in a Seattle ‘Pride’ match in next year’s World Cup
Local organizers had planned to include the June 26 game with Seattle's Pride celebrations. Then, FIFA announced the match would include Egypt and Iran, two countries where gay rights are nil.
Judge blocks Trump’s National Guard deployment in LA with sharp rebuke
In the latest in a series of legal setbacks for Trump's deployments, a judge ruled the administration must end its deployment to Los Angeles and return control of National Guard troops to California.
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.
