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Friday is the deadline to release the Epstein files. Here’s what to expect
Friday is the deadline for the government to release files related to the life and death of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and there are still questions about what will be published and when.
Trump will revisit a North Carolina town, now the focus of a newly redrawn congressional district
While he is directly appealing to Americans that the economy is improving, President Trump will visit a congressional district Republicans are eyeing in their attempts to keep control the U.S. House.
COMIC: 6 tips to help you overcome social anxiety this season
If you're tempted to bail on potentially fun events becuase you feel awkward, read this. Level up your small talk game and practice social courage with six tips from psychologists.
In the shadow of U.S. export controls, China rallies its own chip industry
The chip industry in China is hustling to overcome a Western tech choke hold, even as President Trump appears poised to loosen U.S. chip restrictions.
Meet the new WaPo food critic who won’t dine in anonymity
NPR's Leila Fadel tags along for lunch with Elazar Sontag, the Washington Post's new food critic.
Islamic school’s effort to expand draws anti-Muslim backlash
The Islamic Academy of Alabama is a K-12 school that has been in Homewood since 1996. They applied to rezone an office park space in Hoover to expand. The issue has sparked anti-Islamic rhetoric, notably from U.S. Tommy Tuberville.
Trump suspends U.S. green card lottery after Brown University and MIT shootings
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on the social platform X that, at Trump's direction, she is ordering the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to pause the program.
EU leaders agree on $105bn Ukraine loan, but without relying on frozen Russian assets
European Union leaders have agreed to provide a massive interest-free loan to Ukraine to meet its military and economic needs for the next two years. The loan will not rely on frozen Russian assets.
A federal jury finds Milwaukee judge guilty of obstructing immigration agents
A jury returns a guilty/not guilty verdict in the case of Hannah Dugan. The Milwaukee judge was accused of allowing an undocumented immigrant defender to evade immigration agents
Suspect in Brown University shooting found dead in New Hampshire
The suspect in the shooting at Brown University Saturday was discovered dead Thursday at a storage facility in New Hampshire.
TikTok signs deal to give U.S. operations to Oracle-led investor group
The agreement aims to resolve a yearslong standoff between the popular social media platform and the U.S. government over national security concerns tied to China's parent company, ByteDance.
A family reunion to commemorate the Montgomery Bus Boycott
This month marked the 70th anniversary of the historic Montgomery Bus Boycott. The demonstration was catalyzed when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus. The boycott lasted over a year and is considered a spark of the Civil Rights Movement.
President Trump to add his own name to the Kennedy Center
The arts institution will be called the Trump-Kennedy Center. The president's press secretary said it comes after a unanimous vote by the center's board, which Trump took over earlier this year.
Mangione pre-trial hearing wraps, but judge won’t rule on evidence for months
After three weeks of testimony, a judge will now rule on whether evidence found in Mangione's backpack can be used in his state trial for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Lucy Liu on ‘Rosemead,’ rejection and returning to Mandarin
The child of Chinese immigrants, Liu didn't learn English until she was 5. She plays a terminally ill woman grappling with her teenage son's mental health crisis in Rosemead.
Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ breaks an all-time chart record
With Carey's enduring Christmas hit, we may be looking at a record that borders on the untouchable.
Austrian nuns await word from the Vatican on whether they can stay in their convent
The three octogenarian nuns broke out of a nursing home to go back to live in their convent, sparking a dispute with their church superior. Both sides have appealed to the Vatican for a resolution.
From toddlers to teens, here’s your one-stop shop for young readers
If you have kids in your life who are ready to broaden their book horizons we have recommendations for you! Here you'll find tried-and-true picture books, chapter books, and YA, all published in 2025.
Inflation cools slightly in November as worries about affordability grip Americans
The cost of living in November was up 2.7% from a year ago, according to a report Thursday from the Labor Department. That's a smaller annual increase than for the 12 months ending in September.
New York has a new Archbishop. His background looks a lot like Pope Leo’s
Like Pope Leo, Bishop Ronald Hicks is an Illinois native with deep experience in Latin America.
Could international troops be sent to Gaza? Here’s why Trump’s plan hinges on it
President Trump's peace plan for Gaza hinges on international troops in Gaza, but Israel is skeptical and no country has yet agreed to send their soldiers.
RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz to announce moves to ban gender-affirming care for young people
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to announce a package of measures that would together ban gender-affirming care for minors. A press conference is set for 11 a.m. Thursday.
A new ‘Avatar,’ a marital stand-up story and a gut-wrenching drama are in theaters
A new drama uses the real, gut-wrenching recordings of a call for help from Gaza to tell a harrowing and profound story.
20 years later, Waveland’s letters to Santa tell stories of recovery from Hurricane Katrina
More than a thousand letters were written and answered after the hurricane. They’re now housed in an exhibit at the Ground Zero Hurricane Katrina Museum.
Where we went: NPR’s U.S. travel guide for the curious
NPR's staff traveled a lot in 2025. From a Mardi Gras workshop to a festival celebrating the mythical Mothman, here are some places and events we thought you might want to check out, too.
These federal workers proudly served the American people. Then came Trump’s upheaval
Mass firings, buyouts and heightened uncertainty led to an exodus of federal workers in 2025. More than 300,000 employees will be out of the government by the end of December.
ICE is reopening shuttered prisons as detention centers. Many have a troubled past
In its push for more immigrant detention space, the Trump administration is reopening shuttered prisons in several states. Many of these facilities, closed amid allegations of abuse and mismanagement.
Venezuelans brace for hardship as Trump threatens oil blockade
After years of shortages and economic collapse, Venezuelans face fresh uncertainty as Trump threatens an oil blockade — but many say they're too exhausted to do anything but endure.
Lone FCC Democrat warns of political pressure on media if agency loses independence
The only Democrat on the Federal Communications Commission says chairman Brendan Carr's belief that the FCC isn't independent leaves news media vulnerable to political pressure.
Mourners grieve 10-year-old slain in Bondi mass shooting as Australia’s leader pledges new hate laws
Hundreds of mourners bearing bright bouquets and clutching each other in grief gathered at a funeral in Sydney on Thursday for a 10-year-old girl who was gunned down in an antisemitic massacre during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach.
US announces massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion
The Trump administration has announced a massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion that includes medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones, a move that is sure to infuriate China.
Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent Peter Arnett has died
Peter Arnett, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who spent decades dodging bullets and bombs to bring the world eyewitness accounts of war from Vietnam to Iraq, has died. He was 91.
