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The U.S. is facing a youth mental health crisis. These skaters want to help
The Skate Mind Project is working to bring psychological first aid to the skatepark — promoting stronger relationships within skating culture, and emphasizing parks and shops as community centers.
What song hit you hard in 2024?
Send us a voice memo about a song that hit you hard in 2024 -- one you listened to on repeat, ugly cried to, or that just made you feel something deeper than any other song this year.
Writer Thoreau warned of brain rot in 1854. Now it’s the Oxford Word of 2024
The term brain rot first appeared in Henry David Thoreau's famous Walden, according to the Oxford University Press. How did he use it — and what might he have made of its modern meaning?
Biden isn’t the first president to pardon a relative. Here’s how the power works
Biden is now the third president to pardon a relative, after Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. Here's a look at the commonplace — yet often controversial — presidential power.
College sports reform could advance in GOP-controlled Congress
Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican who is set to take over as chair of the powerful Commerce Committee, said recently that a college sports bill will be a top priority, accusing Democrats of dragging their feet on needed reforms.
12 novels that NPR critics and staff were excited to share with you in 2024
Every year, we ask NPR staff and book critics to share their favorite titles in our annual Books We Love guide. Behind the scenes, it's fun to spot trends and see what gets nominated again and again.
The 50 Best Albums Of 2024
You can't always know that it's a great year for new music while it's happening, but there was a sense from the very start of 2024 that we were in for a ride.
Who are the rebels who have seized control of Aleppo, Syria?
Syrian rebels have swept through parts of the country at lightning pace, taking control of the the second-largest city, Aleppo. But who are they and what are their aims?
Crash prevention technology shows ‘huge potential,’ but the roadmap is up for debate
Nearly all new cars now come with automatic emergency braking and other safety features. Researchers say these systems are saving lives, but there's still debate about how to make them better.
As federal aid shrinks, communities try new ways to tackle child poverty on their own
After Congress ended extra cash aid for families, local efforts aimed to fill the gap. In Flint, Michigan, Rx Kids gives cash aid to every family for a baby's first year. Will it work elsewhere?
FDA battles vaping industry at the Supreme Court
The justices will hear arguments about the FDA's rejection of some e-cigarettes. High schoolers are at the center of the case.
Dizzy after one drink? Social drinkers on obesity drugs lose the taste for alcohol
A new study finds people who take weight-loss drugs also cut back on alcohol consumption. Researchers think the drugs could be a promising new treatment for addiction.
President Biden makes long awaited trip to Africa
President Biden makes his first and only trip to Africa in his presidency, as he travels to Cabo Verde and Angola.
A landmark climate change case will open at the top U.N. court
The hearings come after years of lobbying by island nations who fear they could simply disappear under rising sea waters,
Hong Kong launches panda sculpture tour as the city hopes the bear craze boosts tourism
Thousands of giant panda sculptures will greet residents and tourists starting Saturday in Hong Kong, where enthusiasm for the bears has grown since two cubs were born in a local theme park.
The International Criminal Court is facing doubts as its member states meet
The court faces pushback over arrest warrants for Israeli officials, sexual harassment allegations against the court's chief prosecutor and a very empty docket.
Most Black Friday shoppers bagged their deals online this year, with record spending
As many opted to surf the web instead of face the crowds the day after Thanksgiving, shoppers spent a record $10.8 billion in online purchases. Cyber Monday is set to smash another spending record.
President Biden pardons son Hunter
The pardon comes in the last weeks of President Biden's time in office and despite his public assurances in the past that he would neither pardon nor commute his son's sentence.
Belgium becomes first country to give sex workers robust labor rights and protections
The new law guarantees fundamental rights for sex workers, including the ability to refuse clients, set the conditions of an act, and stop an act at any moment.
Stellantis CEO resigns as carmaker continues to struggle with slumping sales
Carlos Tavares is stepping down after nearly four years in the top spot of the automaker, which owns car brands like Jeep and Ram, amid an ongoing struggle with slumping sales.
Lake effect snow is expected to continue pummeling parts of the Northeast and Midwest
Some areas across the Great Lakes region have already received up to 3 feet of lake effect snow.
How to be not lonely? ‘Cohousing’ is an answer for some people
In cohousing communities, neighbors share common spaces, chores and a sense of connection that benefits everyone. For some, it's an answer to the isolation of parenting that many families feel today.
UN says it is halting aid through main Gaza crossing because route is too dangerous
The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Sunday it is halting aid deliveries through the main cargo crossing into Gaza because of the threat of armed gangs who have looted recent convoys.
Ira Glass admits he plays a ‘nicer version’ of himself on the radio
This American Life host Ira Glass doesn't care about how people will remember him, "I'm not making a radio show for them"
The ‘magical’ advent calendar that’s as big as a town hall
A small town in Germany turns its town hall into the 'world's largest' advent calendar each December. It started as a way to boost businesses in the winter, but it's grown to mean much more.
Protesters gather for third night of action after Georgia suspends EU talks
Protesters gathered across Georgia on Saturday night in a third straight night of demonstrations against the government's decision to suspend negotiations to join the European Union.
Heavy snow blankets parts of the U.S. during busy holiday travel weekend
Frigid air was expected to move over the eastern third of the U.S. by Monday, while heavy snow was forecast to cause hazards in the Great Lakes, Plains and Midwest regions.
FIFA should pay workers harmed in building World Cup venues, its committee report says
The report said the main responsibility lay with the workers' direct employers and the Qatari government, but noted that "a credible argument can be made" that FIFA played a role as well.
Trump picks longtime ally Kash Patel to replace current FBI director
The president-elect plans to replace current FBI Director Christopher Wray with Patel, a close ally of the president-elect and former national security aide, has berated the Justice Department and the news media.
How a Syrian rebel group pulled off its stunning seizure of Aleppo
Over a few days, rebel fighters in northern Syria have launched incursions into several major cities with little resistance from government troops.
World Central Kitchen workers killed by Israeli airstrike, Gaza health ministry says
An Israeli airstrike hit a car in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing five people, including at least three employees with the food aid charity. World Central Kitchen said that it was "urgently seeking more details."
Sure, the Chiefs’ Hallmark movie is a rom-com. It’s also a love letter to sports fans
Hallmark's partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs seems perfectly timed to capitalize on Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce. But the story of a family's devotion to a sports team is something many fans can relate to.
