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12/31/2024

Every year, scientists add thousands of new species to the scientific record. Each new plant, fish, beetle or bird is a unique and irreplaceable answer to the question of how to make a living on Earth.

From charismatic macrofauna to tiny sea squirts, here are some species formally identified by scientists in 2024.

12/31/2024

President Biden may eschew an end-of-term press conference — he had relatively few during his four years in office. But as Biden's presidency comes to a close, here's what NPR's White House correspondents would ask him if he did hold one.

Here's what NPR's White House correspondents would ask Biden at a press conference as his presidency comes to a close.

12/31/2024

Time to study up, Illinois. When the clock hits midnight on New Year’s Day, 293 new state laws will take effect.

They include digital driver’s licenses, salary transparency and health insurance changes

12/31/2024

The Times Square ball drop has been a fixture of New Year's Eve since 1907, when the original wood and iron orb made its maiden journey. It remains a beloved tradition over a century and half a dozen ball redesigns later.

Watching a huge ball descend down a pole in Times Square has been a beloved New Year's Eve tradition for over a century. Here's how the spectacle started and what's changed over the years.

12/30/2024

Beginning in the new year, all Kentuckians will have to undergo vision screenings to renew their driver’s licenses thanks to a 2021 state law.

12/30/2024

Tennessee will soon resume executions, after an AP investigation led the state to pause all lethal injections and redesign its protocol. The state's Department of Corrections will use a single-drug protocol, according to a press release issued last week.

Tennessee will soon resume executions, after an Associated Press investigation led the state to pause all lethal injections and redesign its protocol.

12/30/2024

Medical cannabis is technically legal for eligible patients in Kentucky on Jan. 1, but it will likely be many months until homegrown ma*****na makes its way into stores for purchase.

12/30/2024

Throughout his lifetime, Jimmy Carter held many titles: 39th president of the United States, Nobel Peace Prize winner, philanthropist, humanitarian, artist – and writer.

Throughout his lifetime, Jimmy Carter took on many titles: 39th President of the United States, Nobel Peace Prize winner, philanthropist, humanitarian, artist – and writer.

12/30/2024

Most of the rioters who stormed the Capitol in 2021 say they were inspired by Donald Trump's calls to be there. But many also cited the QAnon conspiracy theory. Since then, the online extremist community has continued to be courted by Trump and his allies.

QAnon followers played an outsized role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. While the online conspiracy community is less prominent now, it still draws attention from GOP politicians.

12/29/2024

Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, died Sunday at age 100. The Carter Center announced he died in his hometown of Plains, Ga.

Carter was president from 1977 to 1981, but he was perhaps more famous for the life he led after he left office. He was one of the biggest advocates for peace, democracy and human rights.

12/29/2024

In the Nisqually tribe’s creation story, salmon were the first to offer themselves to the people. As they celebrated the Native American New Year on December 21, the Winter Solstice, the Nisqually also honored their sacred relationship with the fish.

Native American New Year was celebrated on the solstice under a canopy of winter stars. Near a crackling bonfire, the Nisqually tribe shared their culture and renewed their sacred pact with the salmon.

12/29/2024

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev said Sunday that the Azerbaijani airliner that crashed last week was shot down by Russia, albeit unintentionally, and criticized Moscow for trying to "hush up" the issue for days.

NPR News Azerbaijan's president says crashed jetliner was shot down by Russia unintentionally By The Associated Press Published December 29, 2024 at 7:56 AM CST Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email AP / APPeople mourn at the grave of flight attendant Hokume Aliyeva during a funeral of the crew members o...

12/28/2024

Olivia Hussey — who starred in the 1968 film "Romeo and Juliet” and the 1974 proto-slasher “Black Christmas,” among many others — has died. Her family made the announcement earlier today. She was 73.

Hussey was 15 when director Franco Zeffirelli cast her in his adaptation of the Shakespeare tragedy. The film won two Oscars and Hussey won a Golden Globe for best new actress for her part as Juliet.

12/28/2024

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said her agency will need to start taking "extraordinary measures," or special accounting maneuvers intended to prevent the nation from hitting the debt ceiling, as early as Jan. 14, in a letter to congressional leaders.

Yellen told Congress her agency will need to start taking "extraordinary measures," or special accounting maneuvers intended to prevent the nation from hitting the debt ceiling, as early as Jan. 14.

12/28/2024

It looks like production at the viral baby pygmy hippo factory is at an all-time high, with the Metro Richmond Zoo in Moseley, Va., announcing the birth of a healthy female hippo to parents Iris and Corwin this month. And a new poll will decide her name.

Moo Deng and Haggis are joined by another slick, round supreme on the scene. Fans of the new baby can cast their vote to name her until New Year's Eve, with the winning name announced the next day.

12/28/2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart after the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people, but stopped short of acknowledging Russian responsibility.

The Kremlin said air defense systems were firing near Grozny due to a Ukrainian drone strike as the airliner attempted to land, but stopped short of saying it was shot down by Russian air defenses.

12/27/2024

GOP state leaders in Tennessee and other states that banned abortion argue that they are bolstering services for families. But recent research has found that from the time a Tennessee woman gets pregnant, she faces greater obstacles to a healthy pregnancy, a healthy child and a financially stable family life than the average American mom.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee has nearly total abortion ban and a porous safety net for mothers and young children. GOP state leaders in Tennessee and other states that banned abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 argue that they are bolstering services for familie...

12/27/2024

The minimum wage in Illinois will increase to $15 an hour on Jan. 1, completing a six-year transition period since the increase was approved in 2019.