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Readers share wishes for 2025: Be kind to each other and Earth! Learn from birds!
We asked our readers to make a wish for 2025. If even one of these wishes comes true, the world will definitely be a better place!
Beyond red dye No. 3: Here’s what parents should know about food colorings
Food companies have two years to get red dye No. 3 out of their products. But other synthetic dyes have also raised concerns, because of behavioral issues in kids. Here's what parents need to consider.
Is the air quality index actually useful right now?
The air has improved in the LA region as firefighters get blazes under control, but there are questions about how safe the air actually is.
One longtime Gaiman fan on where we go from here
Pop culture critic Glen Weldon says he can't separate the art from the artist. But in light of the sexual abuse allegations against Gaiman, he will separate himself from the author's future work.
More teens say they’re using ChatGPT for schoolwork, a new study finds
According to the survey, 26% of students ages 13-17 are using the artificial intelligence bot to help them with their assignments.
These are the U.S. citizens held hostage in Gaza
Seven of the nearly 100 hostages held in Gaza are U.S. citizens, several of whom are confirmed dead.
In Lebanon, these Palestinian refugees sew designs from a homeland they’ve never seen
In a workshop in an infamous refugee camp in Beirut, Palestinian women practice an ancient art form — as a livelihood, and also as therapy. The designs come from a homeland most have never seen.
Private firefighters are helping out in LA wildfires. It raises ethical questions
Insurers are deploying private firefighters amid the Los Angeles wildfires. Are they an added bonus for all — or only for those who can afford them?
A California fifth grader interviews his firefighter father
Cian Lawlor's father was dispatched to the Palisades Fire just over a week ago and he's been working it ever since. The 11-year-old had some questions for his dad.
Hate cooking? 3 mindsets to make it less of a chore
Even if you dislike cooking, you still have to eat every day. Here's how to gain more confidence in the kitchen and think outside the box when it comes to meal prep.
Trump’s return recalls when inaugurations have been more than ceremonies
Presidential inaugurations are by definition historic acts, but when we think of past Inauguration Days there is clearly a hierarchy of historical pop.
After major 2024 defeats, the Democratic Party searches for a new direction
The Democratic Party begins 2025 with several looming questions. Among them: who will lead its national party apparatus, and how it will handle President-elect Donald Trump's second term.
The musical universe of David Lynch
From Twin Peaks to his films to his own recording career, the director understood how much sound mattered — not only to the audience, but to the characters in his stories.
Russian attack kills 4 people in Kyiv
Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital with a barrage of drones and missiles Saturday, leaving at least four people dead, while industrial sites in Russia were set ablaze by Ukrainian strikes.
More than 40 Pakistani migrants feared drowned off African coast
Pakistan said that the boat, carrying 80 passengers including some Pakistanis, had set off from Mauritania on their way to the Canary Islands.
What’s Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and reading
Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: the shows The Agency and The Pitt, audiobooks by Philomena Cunk, and cinema from the late director David Lynch.
Zyn nicotine pouches can be marketed in the U.S., the FDA says. What does this mean?
The FDA said "an extensive scientific review" found the products were found to pose lower risks of cancer and other serious health conditions compared to cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products.
Air traffic controllers rush to divert aircraft after Elon Musk’s rocket explodes
Debris streaking across the Caribbean appeared to cause confusion and delays.
A planet parade of Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars shines in the skies this month
All month, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars will appear to line up and be bright enough to see with the naked eye in the first few hours after dark. This weekend, Venus and Saturn get especially cozy.
Justin Baldoni has sued Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds for $400 million
Baldoni, his studio Wayfarer, and their publicists are alleging civil extortion, defamation and a slew of contract-related claims about the film It Ends With Us.
Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Lil Baby and more will play FireAid benefit concert in L.A.
The Jan. 30 event will stream live and raise money for those impacted by the wildfires.
CNN liable for defamation over story on Afghanistan ‘black market’ rescues
A Florida jury found CNN defamed a security consultant in a story that suggested he was charging "exorbitant prices" to evacuate people trying to flee Afghanistan after the U.S. withdrawal in 2021.
Ohio’s Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to fill U.S. Senate seat vacated by JD Vance
In making his announcement, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he wanted a "workhorse" in the U.S. senate who would focus on Ohio as well as the rest of the country.
Can James McVinnie change your mind about the pipe organ?
On his new album, the British keyboardist offers both engaging and entertaining contemporary works for the misunderstood instrument.
Immigrants drive Nebraska’s economy. Trump’s mass deportations pledge is a threat
Nebraska is one of the top meat producers in the U.S. It also has one of the worst labor shortages. The incoming Trump administration has promised mass deportations on an unprecedented scale. We asked Nebraskans what that could mean.
Pepsi accused of illegal pricing deals with ‘a large, big box retailer’ in U.S. lawsuit
The Federal Trade Commission is suing Pepsi, alleging it has rigged competition by offering unfair pricing deals to a big retailer at the expense of smaller rivals, resulting in higher costs for shoppers.
President-elect Donald Trump moves inauguration indoors, citing frigid temperatures
President-elect Donald Trump announced Friday that he will move the inauguration ceremony indoors as Washington, DC prepares for record low temperatures. The ceremony will now take place inside the Capitol rotunda.
Joan Plowright, acclaimed British actress and wife of Laurence Olivier, dies at 95
Plowright brought stage and screen characters to vibrant life for more than six decades in such works as A Taste of Honey, Tea with Mussolini and Enchanted April.
Trump’s inauguration falls on MLK Day. That overlap is pretty rare
Trump is only the third president to be sworn in on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Due to the particulars of the calendar and the Constitution, the two events won't overlap again until 2053.
Biden’s Medicaid director shares lessons learned and concerns for the program’s future
Dan Tsai discusses how he ran Medicaid under Biden, and his fears for how Republicans might try to change the program.
Film offers ‘Hard Truths’ about why some people are happy — and others are miserable
Marianne Jean-Baptiste gives a phenomenal performance as a profoundly unhappy woman. There isn't a lot of plot, but director Mike Leigh builds his stories from the details and detritus of daily life.
Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban, threatening app’s existence in the U.S.
The decision resolves a long-running legal dispute between the Department of Justice and TikTok. But experts say President-elect Donald Trump will now have considerable sway over the platform's future in the U.S.
