Can’t-miss interviews: Mohsen Mahdawi, Steve Bannon and Maura Healey on Harvard cuts
A lot happened this week, and NPR has you covered. Catch up on the big news and culture moments you might have missed.
Mohsen Mahdawi — the Columbia student arrested at his citizenship appointment — speaks
Speaking to NPR in his first media interview since his detention, lawful permanent U.S. resident Mohsen Mahdawi finds peace in meditation and hopes “America will fulfill its promise.”
Steve Bannon praises Trump’s strategy, wants DOGE’s receipts
NPR’s Steve Inskeep spoke with the Trump ally and sometime presidential adviser about the president’s agenda at home and abroad.
Trump’s Harvard funding cuts don’t put “America first,” says Massachusetts governor
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey argues President Trump’s funding cuts to Harvard University and other universities are detrimental to the economy.
Weird Al keeps dorkiness close to his heart
“Weird Al” Yankovic has no trouble tapping into his dorkiness. Perhaps that’s the secret to his decades-spanning appeal. On this week’s Wild Card with Rachel Martin, he talks about aging into his weirdness.
Ford Motor CEO “welcomes” Trump’s move to ease tariffs on automakers
President Trump is easing some of his tariffs on the U.S. auto industry. But what will the overall impact of these economic policies mean for the nation’s biggest carmakers? Ford Motor CEO weighs in.
GOP blocked Hegseth Signal probe because he is “indefensible,” says Rep. Adam Smith
House Republicans blocked a resolution that could have forced an investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., says it’s because the GOP knows it can’t defend him.
Heritage Foundation president on Trump’s first 100 days
NPR’s Juana Summers talks with Kevin Roberts — president of the Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank behind Project 2025 — about the Trump administration’s recent actions.
Ada Limón reflects on her tenure as the poet laureate
U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón reflects on her term and the urgency of connecting to nature through poetry.
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Trump will drop push for National Guard deployments in Chicago, LA and Portland, Ore.
Courts blocked troops from deploying in Chicago and Portland, Ore., and the Los Angeles deployment effectively ended after a judge blocked it earlier this month.
What Stranger Things gets right about wormholes
The final episode of fifth season of the Netflix series Stranger Things is out this week, and the concept of a wormhole figures largely into it. While the show is a work of fiction, theoretical wormholes have making appearances for decades not only in science fiction but in actual science.
Photos: The world welcomes the new year
As fireworks light the sky and crowds count down together, communities around the globe welcome 2026.
Meet five new species discovered in 2025
A bumpy snailfish, Andean mouse opossum and ancient sea cow were just some of the many species described in 2025.
What to know about Nick Shirley, the YouTuber alleging daycare fraud in Minnesota
Shirley is a 23-year-old self-described "independent YouTube journalist" who made prank videos in high school before pivoting to politics. He participated in a White House roundtable in October.
Greetings from Vienna, where an imperial palace hosts a holiday market for all
Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world.
