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Judge orders Trump administration to continue to seek funding for the CFPB

A view of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) headquarters building in Washington, DC, on February 10, 2025.

The order is the latest in a complex legal battle over the fate of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a watchdog agency.

(Image credit: SAUL LOEB)

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In a year of steep challenges, there were still shining moments in global health

A health worker administers the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to a student in Islamabad, Pakistan on Sept. 24. The vaccine protects against cervical cancer. This year, a new one-dose strategy gained greater acceptance in Pakistan and other countries. Previously, the standard was three doses but years of testing have established that one dose is highly effective for younger girls and older girls can get the benefit from two doses.

The Trump administration's deep cuts in U.S. foreign health aid had a devastating impact. Yet there were achievements of note in spite of it all.

(Image credit: Farooq Naeem)

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An escalation in Yemen threatens to reignite civil war and widen tensions in the Gulf

The president of the Yemen

Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen's port city of Mukalla, targeting a shipment of weapons from the United Arab Emirates for separatist forces. The UAE later said it would withdraw its forces from Yemen.

(Image credit: Ted Shaffrey)

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What being around death taught this hospital chaplain about life

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J.S. Park helps patients and their families cope with death every day as a hospital chaplain. He explains what to expect as a person is dying, and how to reckon with uncomfortable feelings about death.

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Israel says it will bar aid groups, including Doctors Without Borders, from Gaza

A Palestinian woman walks along a street surrounded by buildings destroyed during Israeli air and ground operations in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, in Gaza City, Tuesday.

Israel accused Doctors Without Borders, one of the largest health organizations operating in Gaza, of failing to clarify the roles of some staff that Israel accused of cooperation with militants.

(Image credit: Abdel Kareem Hana)

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Trump, Netanyahu meet over ceasefire. And, Russia accuses Ukraine of attempted strike

President Trump shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago club on Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. The two leaders held a bilateral meeting to discuss regional security in the Middle East as well as the U.S.-Israel partnership.

Conditions are dire for people in Gaza as President Trump and Israel's prime minister discuss the next phase of the ceasefire deal. And, Russia accuses Ukraine of an attempted drone strike.

(Image credit: Joe Raedle)

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China flexes blockade capabilities near Taiwan on second day of military drills

A Taiwan

China's People's Liberation Army is staging a second day of large-scale military drills around Taiwan. It's unleashing live-fire exercises as part of what it calls "Justice Mission 2025."

(Image credit: Chiang Ying-ying)

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Policy relief for family caregivers seems stalled out. But there are signs of change

The Care Can

Family members carry the burden and costs of caring for America's aging population. Federal policy change is slow to come but a new movement and state actions are building momentum.

(Image credit: Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Unbendable Media)

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Federal appeals court judge is accused of bullying her clerks

A view of the Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse in Manhattan, N.Y., where the Second Circuit Court of Appeals is seated, from 2020.

The Legal Accountability Project complaint, which has not been previously reported, states that it is based on conversations with multiple former law clerks.

(Image credit: Mark Lennihan)

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Thousands watch livestream of Maine family's food pantry for deer

A three-generation family in Maine set up a camera to capture their deer-feeding station. Thousands watch online as hundreds of white-tailed deer enjoy the food at Brownville's Food Pantry for Deer.

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FIFA president defends World Cup ticket prices, saying demand is hitting records

FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the FIFA World Cup 2026 official match schedule announcement in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 6, 2025.

The FIFA President addressed outrage over ticket prices for the World Cup by pointing to record demand and reiterating that most of the proceeds will help support soccer around the world.

(Image credit: Roberto Schmidt)

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From chess to a medical mystery: Great global reads from 2025 you may have missed

Clockwise from top left: Rohingya refugee children find a place to play amid the construction at the refugee camp outside of Cox

We published hundreds of stories on global health and development each year. Some are ... alas ... a bit underappreciated by readers. We've asked our staff for their favorite overlooked posts of 2025.

(Image credit: Clockwise from top left: Danielle Villasanal; Viraj Nayar for NPR; Joanne Cavanaugh Simpson for NPR; Ben de la Cruz/NPR)

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The U.S. offers Ukraine a 15-year security guarantee for now, Zelenskyy says

President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands at the start of a joint news conference following a meeting at Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday the United States is offering his country security guarantees for a period of 15 years as part of a proposed peace plan.

(Image credit: Alex Brandon)

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Trump says Ukraine peace is closer. And, how funding cuts affect anti-poverty groups

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky listens as President Trump speaks during a press conference following their meeting at Trump

Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy signaled momentum on peace talks after a meeting yesterday. And, anti-poverty groups address challenges they are facing that impact Americans who need help.

(Image credit: Joe Raedle)

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'Raising questions' isn't enough. The best films of the year took a stance

Clockwise from top left: stills from <!-- raw HTML omitted -->Eddington, Bugonia, Sinners, It Was Just an Accident, Good Fortune, One Battle After Another,<!-- raw HTML omitted -->

Now is not the time for subtlety, nostalgia or neutrality on screen.

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Why do so many people ring in the new year on Jan. 1?

Revelers celebrate after the ball drops in New York

Much of the world follows the Gregorian calendar, named after Pope Gregory XIII, who put the finishing touches on a Roman system that integrated ideas from other cultures.

(Image credit: Stefan Jeremiah)

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Teens are having disturbing interactions with chatbots. Here's how to lower the risks

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Teen use of AI chat bots is growing, and psychologists worry it's affecting their social development and mental health. Here's what parents should know to help kids use the technology safely.

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A 'very aesthetic person,' President Trump says being a builder is his second job

Paintings and gold trim are visible behind reporters as U.S. President Donald Trump holds a swearing in ceremony.

President Trump was a builder before he took office, but he has continued it as a hobby in the White House.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)

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Electric vehicles had a bumpy road in 2025 — and one pleasant surprise

Electric cars sit parked at a charging station  in Corte Madera, Calif., in May 2025.

A suite of pro-EV federal policies have been reversed. Well-known vehicles have been discontinued. Sales plummeted. But interest is holding steady.

(Image credit: Justin Sullivan)

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Many farmers are going into 2026 on the brink

Kevin Deinert grows soybeans and corn and also raises cattle on his family

President Trump says 2026 will be better for American farmers, thanks in part to $12 billion in new federal "bridge payments." But optimism remains hard to come by in farm country.

(Image credit: Kirk Siegler)

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For those who help the poor, 2025 goes down as a year of chaos

Paul B. Miller shops at The Market food pantry in Logan, Ohio on Dec. 9.  Food aid was just one of many services offered here that faced disruption in 2025.

Local anti-poverty groups have had to scramble and scale back this year as the Trump administration targeted safety-net programs. They are bracing for what may come next.

(Image credit: Rich-Joseph Facun for NPR)

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Pipe bomb suspect told FBI he targeted U.S. political parties, memo says

Attorney General Pam Bondi, third from right, Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith, left, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, ATF Special Agent in Charge of Washington Anthony Spotswood, FBI Director Kash Patel, and FBI deputy director Dan Bongino speak during a news conference at the Department of Justice, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Washington.

The man accused of placing two pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of Jan. 6, 2021 told investigators someone needed to "speak up" for people who believed the 2020 election was stolen, prosecutors said Sunday.

(Image credit: Alex Brandon)

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Chinese military stages drills around Taiwan to warn 'external forces'

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), front row second from left, poses with other military officers after promoting to generals, back row, from left, Yang Zhibin of the Eastern Theater Command and Han Shengyan commander of Central Theater Command in Beijing on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025.

The drills came after Beijing expressed anger at U.S. arms sales, and a statement by Japan's prime minister saying its military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan.

(Image credit: Li Gang/AP)

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Trump and Netanyahu to meet in Florida at a crucial moment for the Gaza ceasefire

Palestinian youth walk along a tent camp for displaced people as the sun sets in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025.

President Trump could use the face-to-face at his Mar-a-Lago estate to look for ways to speed up the peace process, as Israel's leader has been accused of not pushing his side to move fast enough.

(Image credit: Abdel Kareem Hana)

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'Bomb cyclone' forecasted to bring heavy snow, blizzard conditions and dangerous travel

People walk through the snow in Brooklyn after an overnight storm on Saturday in New York City.

A 'bomb cyclone' is intensifying severe winter weather for millions of people across the U.S. The system is expected to knock out power and disrupt holiday travel.

(Image credit: Spencer Platt)

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Russia sends 3 Iranian satellites into orbit, report says

In this photo released by Roscosmos State Space Corporate on Friday, July 25, 2025, a Soyuz rocket lifts off from a launch site in Vostochny in far eastern Russia carrying an Iranian satellite along with Russian satellites into orbit.

The report said that a Russian rocket sent the satellites on Sunday from a launchpad in eastern Russia.

(Image credit: Ivan Timoshenko)

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Viral global TikToks: A twist on soccer, Tanzania's Charlie Chaplin, hope in Gaza

From left: Fanuel John Masamaki. Hamada Shaqoura, a Palestinian food influencer, cooks Egyptian-style shrimp fries. Arthur Marques plays soccer for a living, but it's soccer with a twist. Valerie Keter, dressed in a traditional beaded collar from the Maasai people in southern Kenya, discusses the history of the ancient tribe.'/>

TikToks are everywhere (well, except countries like Australia and India, where they've been banned.) We talk to the creators of some of the year's most popular reels from the Global South.

(Image credit: From left: @zerobrainer0, @hamadashoo, @arthurzinnv and
@valerie_keter; screengrabs by NPR
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Memory loss: As AI gobbles up chips, prices for devices may rise

Idaho-based Micron Technology is one of the world

Demand for memory chips currently exceeds supply and there's very little chance of that changing any time soon. More chips for AI means less available for other products such as computers and phones and that could drive up those prices too.

(Image credit: Charlie Litchfield/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

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Brigitte Bardot, sex goddess of cinema, has died

Brigitte Bardot pictured in 1960.

Legendary screen siren and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot has died at age 91. The alluring former model starred in numerous movies, often playing the highly sexualized love interest.

(Image credit: Keystone Features)

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For Ukrainians, a nuclear missile museum is a bitter reminder of what the country gave up

Hennadiy Vladimirovitch Fil, 65, former deputy commander of the Soviet Union

The Museum of Strategic Missile Forces tells the story of how Ukraine dismantled its nuclear weapons arsenal after independence in 1991. Today many Ukrainians believe that decision to give up nukes was a mistake.

(Image credit: Anton Shtuka for NPR)

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