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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.
The Best Music of 2025
Each year at NPR Music, we curate two flagship lists: The Best Albums of the Year and The Best Songs of the Year. But there’s a lot more recommendations and […]
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.
‘Pluribus’ star Rhea Seehorn says no thanks to a world dictated by group think
In the Apple TV series, Seehorn stars as a woman named Carol who suddenly finds herself surrounded by people who are inexplicably happy. The only problem: Carol's not interested in joining them.
Who is Danny Ocean, the pop star playing at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony?
The 33-year-old singer collaborated with Nobel Prize winner María Corina Machado during last year's highly-contested elections in Venezuela.
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.
Raul Malo, lead singer of The Mavericks, has died at 60
The son of Cuban immigrants, Malo and his band blended country, rock and roll, folk, jump blues, Latin music and Cajun rhythms into a distinct sound anchored by his unmistakable voice.
Jazz, joy and one ragged Christmas tree: 60 years of ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’
On Dec. 9, 1965, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" premiered on television. In 1995, Peanuts creator Charles Schulz spoke with NPR's Bob Edwards on Morning Edition.
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.
The 25 Best Songs Of 2025
From the breakout Brooklyn band Geese to the Puerto Rican star and soon-to-be Super Bowl halftime performer Bad Bunny and dozens in between, NPR Music shares its picks for the best songs of 2025.
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.
Syria marks a year since Assad fled, but struggles to heal
Syria is struggling to heal a year after the Assad dynasty's repressive 50-year reign came to an end following 14 years of civil war that left the country battered and divided.
Former Trump attorney Alina Habba resigns as top federal prosecutor in New Jersey
Habba's decision comes as the Justice Department has lost a string of court cases ruling that U.S. attorneys have not been appointed legally, including in Nevada, California and Virginia.
Trump administration announcing $12 billion in one-time payments to farmers
Trump administration announcing $12 billion in one-time payments to farmers
Maureen Corrigan’s 10 favorite books of 2025 — with plenty for nonfiction lovers
Fresh Air's book critic says her picks tilt a bit to nonfiction, but the novels that made the cut redress the imbalance by their sweep and intensity. Karen Russell's The Antidote was her favorite.
