News
Student loan borrowers in default may soon see their wages garnished
About 5.5 million borrowers are currently in default. They haven't risked wage garnishment since the beginning of the pandemic, when policymakers paused the practice.
Student loan borrowers in default may soon see their wages garnished
About 5.5 million borrowers are currently in default. They haven't risked wage garnishment since the beginning of the pandemic, when policymakers paused the practice.
Sounds of the season: John Rutter’s ‘Magnificat’
The Magnificat is Mary’s song of praise in the Gospel of Luke. John Rutter's setting is influenced by Latin music.
Justice Department releases more Epstein files and some mention Trump
The Department of Justice has been publicly posting files related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation since Friday.
Justice Department releases more Epstein files and some mention Trump
The Department of Justice has been publicly posting files related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation since Friday.
Vince Zampella, video game pioneer behind megahit Call of Duty, dies at 55
One of Vince Zampella's crowning achievements was the creation of the Call of Duty franchise, which has sold more than half a billion games worldwide.
Scientists learn more about how human embryos implant using artificial wombs
Scientists have developed an experimental way to study how human embryos implant in a uterus, which may provide new insights into why miscarriages occur and how they can be prevented.
2025: The images that stayed with us
Photographs help us look back on the moments that defined the year. Taken by NPR photojournalists nationwide, this collection goes beyond the headlines to reveal quietly powerful human stories.
The U.S. economy grew robustly as Americans continued to spend
The data, which was delayed from October by the government shutdown, comes as the economy takes center stage for voters and the Trump administration.
It’s the ‘gold standard’ in autism care. Why are states reining it in?
Budget shortfalls and nearly $1 trillion in looming federal Medicaid cuts have prompted states to rein in spending on a widely embraced autism therapy, pinching families who depend on the services.
U.S. regulators approve Wegovy pill for weight loss
U.S. regulators on Monday gave the green light to a pill version of the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, the first daily oral medication to treat obesity.
American journalist injured in Israeli attack wants answers from Washington
AFP's Dylan Collins was among journalists injured in an Israeli attack on Lebanon in 2023. The attack killed Reuters' Issam Abdallah. Collins was in Washington this month to press for accountability.
Immigrants now have fewer legal options to stay in U.S. under Trump
The 1.6 million number marks the largest-ever effort to strip permissions for immigrants who attempted to migrate to the country through legal means, advocates said.
Federal student loans are changing. Here’s what to expect in 2026
The SAVE Plan is ending and repayment options will change dramatically in the new year.
Biden stopped the executions of 37 men. Trump’s DOJ wants to punish them
Since Trump took office, officials have transferred ten of the 37 men Biden spared from execution to the "Alcatraz of the Rockies." One prisoner still awaiting transfer has attempted suicide.
U.S. strikes another alleged drug-smuggling boat in eastern Pacific
The U.S. military said Monday that it had conducted another strike against a boat it said was smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one person.
At least 5 killed after Mexican Navy plane on medical mission crashes in Texas
A small Mexican Navy plane transporting a young medical patient and seven others crashed Monday near Galveston, killing at least five people and setting off a search in waters along the Texas coast.
Trump announces plans for new Navy ‘battleship’ as part of a ‘Golden Fleet’
President Trump claims the warship will be "the fastest, the biggest, and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built." A month ago, the Navy scrapped plans to build a new, small warship, citing delays and cost overruns.
Federal judge says U.S. must give due process to deported Venezuelans
Judge James Boasberg said the U.S. denied due process to the Venezuelan men it deported to a prison in El Salvador after President Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.
Nearly two dozen states sue the Trump administration over funding for CFPB
The attorney generals say the Trump administration is refusing to accept funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which could hurt consumers in their states.
A rift in MAGA has top Heritage Foundation officials leaving to join with Mike Pence
The exit of more than a dozen staffers follows turmoil at Heritage and the larger conservative movement over the role of right-wing influencers who've promoted antisemitic and other extremist ideas.
The Gulf South played a key role in high execution counts for 2025
A report from the Death Penalty Information Center shows Alabama played a key role in executions and new death sentences.
Hundreds mourn Brown University sophomore Ella Cook, killed in campus shooting
Hundreds gathered at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in downtown Birmingham to remember Ella Cook. She and freshman MukhammadAziz Umurzokov were killed Dec. 13 when a gunman entered a study session in a Brown academic building and opened fire on students. Nine other students were wounded.
The Trump administration pauses wind projects off New England, New York and Virginia
An Interior Department statement did not detail the national security risks. It's the administration's latest pus to hobble offshore wind and limit renewable energy sources.
Rep. Adam Smith says Trump’s oil blockade is about power over Venezuela
Rep. Adam Smith, the Democratic leader of the Armed Services Committee, says Trump's oil blockade is about driving Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro out of power more than anything.
‘Music makes everything better’: A Texas doctor spins vinyl to give patients relief
A palliative care doctor in Austin says listening to vinyl music can lift heavy moments for families and patients receiving end-of-life care.
How systemic failures turn state mental hospitals into prisons
The share of people with severe mental illness in state psychiatric hospitals accused of serious crimes has risen steeply. The shift has all but halted the possibility of care before a catastrophic crisis.
Here are some of the NPR stories that had a big impact in 2025
A sampling of the stories NPR staff believe made some of the deepest ripples this year — reminders of what rigorous, compassionate journalism can do, and why the work remains as urgent as ever.
Can Americans learn to love tiny, cheap kei cars?
President Trump recently embraced kei cars, tiny vehicles that are popular in Asia but hard to get in the U.S. Kei car enthusiasts are delighted — but doubt whether much will change.
How President Trump reshaped capitalism in 2025
His policies are picking winners and losers — and blurring the lines between business and government.
The DOGE mindset is still central to the Trump administration’s agenda as 2025 ends
The Department of Government Efficiency effort was one of the most consequential and controversial – if not entirely successful – changes the Trump administration made in 2025.
NPR analysis shows skyrocketing number of ‘no-shows’ in immigration court
More immigrants are not showing up for their mandatory immigration court hearings compared to prior years, an NPR analysis shows, allowing the government to order their immediate deportation.
