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U.S. launches strikes in Syria targeting Islamic State fighters after American deaths

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth salute as carry teams move the transfer cases with the remains of Iowa National Guard soldiers Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa, and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and civilian interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat, who were killed in an attack in Syria, during a casualty return, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025 at Dover Air Force Base, Del.

The Trump administration launched military strikes in Syria to "eliminate" Islamic State group fighters in retaliation for an attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American interpreter a week ago.

(Image credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

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White House announces new round of drug-price deals

President Trump unveiled deals with nine pharmaceutical companies on drug prices in a White House event Friday.

Fourteen companies in total have now reached what the administration calls most-favored-nation pricing deals.

(Image credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI)

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Trump's push to end transgender care for young people opposed by pediatricians

A display at the Gender Health Program of Children

Doctors and children's hospitals say nothing in the evidence has changed to justify the Trump administration's efforts to ban gender-affirming care for teens and tweens.

(Image credit: Selena Simmons-Duffin)

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It was called the Kennedy Center, but 3 different presidents shaped it

President John F. Kennedy, left, looks at a model of what was later named the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC., in 1963.

Washington, D.C.'s performing arts center was named for President Kennedy after his assassination. But his vision for the arts as a cornerstone of democracy was shared by Eisenhower and Johnson.

(Image credit: National Archives)

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Justice Department begins the release of the Epstein files

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2005.

The Justice Department has begun publishing the Epstein files, releasing documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's criminal charges and his death by suicide in federal custody.

(Image credit: Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan)

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Judge blocks HUD homelessness overhaul, rebukes agency for causing 'chaos'

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development faces legal challenges over proposed major changes to homelessness funding.

A federal judge said HUD cannot dramatically change its funding policies on homelessness for now. States, cities and nonprofits say the proposed overhaul would push thousands back onto the streets.

(Image credit: Kent Nishimura)

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Scientists push back on Trump plan to break up a critical climate and weather center

President Trump references a map while talking to reporters about Hurricane Dorian on Sept. 4, 2019. The map appears to have been altered by a black marker to extend the hurricane

The White House plans to break up a key weather and climate research center in Colorado, a move experts say could jeopardize the accuracy of forecasting and prediction systems.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)

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A Reddit post helped find MIT and Brown shooting suspect. Here's what we know

A poster seeking information about the campus shooting suspect is seen on the campus of Brown University on Dec. 17, 2025, in Providence, R.I.

Details are beginning to emerge about the life of Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, the gunman who killed two and injured nine others in the attack at Brown University last week. He is also believed to have killed an MIT professor on Monday, police said.

(Image credit: Robert F. Bukaty/AP)

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He's the first African musician to get a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

Musician Fela Kuti performs at Orchestra Hall in Detroit in 1986.

The late, great Fela Kuti is known as the "Black President" for his role as both a musical and a political leader. Now he has become the first African artist to get this Grammy honor.

(Image credit: Leni Sinclair/Getty Images)

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Millions of soon-to-be uninsured Americans are looking for a 'plan B'

Robert and Emily Sory are starting an animal sanctuary at their home in Thompson Station, Tenn. In 2026, they plan to be uninsured. They

In January, millions of Americans will face more costly premiums on their ACA health plans. Some will go without insurance, pay out of pocket to see doctors, and use special prescription drug plans.

(Image credit: Blake Farmer
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America's new top health diplomat has strong opinions on abortion and gender

Bethany Kozma speaks to a U.N. meeting in September 2025. She has just been named to lead the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Global Affairs — a job known as the "diplomatic voice" of HHS.

Bethany Kozma leads a key global health office at the Department of Health and Human Services. In past experience in the public eye, she's campaigned against abortion and gender-affirming care.

(Image credit: United Nations)

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Cheddar bay biscuits, cheap margs and memories: Readers share their nostalgia for chain restaurants

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Americans have deep nostalgia, and love, for America's chain restaurants. Why? We asked and more than 150 readers answered.

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4 common scams to watch out for this holiday season

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Don't get swindled while buying those last-minute gifts. Amy Nofziger, a fraud specialist with AARP, shares top schemes she's been seeing this season — and tips on how to protect yourself.

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Brown University shooting suspect found dead. And Epstein files release deadline looms

A bouquet is left outside of the engineering and physics building at Brown University, the site of a mass shooting yesterday that left at least two people dead and nine others injured, on December 14, , in Providence, R.I.

The man suspected of fatally shooting two students at Brown University has been found dead. And, today is the Justice Department's deadline to release files on Jeffrey Epstein.

(Image credit: Spencer Platt)

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It's the last news quiz of the year! Will you go out on top?

From left: an incorrect quiz answer, a quiz question, a correct quiz answer

This week, we've got annoying holiday movies, chatty White House insiders, and cheese.

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COMIC: 6 tips to help you overcome social anxiety this season

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If you're tempted to bail on potentially fun events becuase you feel awkward, read this. Level up your small talk game and practice social courage with six tips from psychologists.

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What to watch for in this weekend's College Football Playoff first round

The college football playoff begins Friday and among the stars set to shine during the first two rounds are (left to right): Indiana quarterback (and Heisman Trophy winner) Fernando Mendoza, University of Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney, and Texas A&M linebacker Cashius Howell.

An unpredictable and exciting college football season is coming to a close. This weekend's first-round slate is set up for two tight games and two blowouts — but in the playoffs, anything goes.

(Image credit: (From left to right) Michael Reaves/Getty Images; Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images; Joe Buvid/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

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Friday is the deadline to release the Epstein files. Here's what to expect

A protester holds a sign related to the release of the Jeffrey Epstein case files outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on November 12, 2025.

Friday is the deadline for the government to release files related to the life and death of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and there are still questions about what will be published and when.

(Image credit: Saul Loeb)

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In the shadow of U.S. export controls, China rallies its own chip industry

The WeSemiBay Semiconductor Ecosystem Expo in Shenzhen, China.

The chip industry in China is hustling to overcome a Western tech choke hold, even as President Trump appears poised to loosen U.S. chip restrictions.

(Image credit: John Ruwitch/NPR)

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Meet the new WaPo food critic who won't dine in anonymity

ElazaThe Washington Post, talks with NPR's Morning Edition about ending anonymity and rethinking how restaurant criticism can feel more accessible.'/>

NPR's Leila Fadel tags along for lunch with Elazar Sontag, the _Washington Post'_s new food critic.

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Trump will revisit a North Carolina town, now the focus of a newly redrawn congressional district

President Trump speaks during a campaign event on October 30, 2024 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He plans to return to the city on Friday.

While he is directly appealing to Americans that the economy is improving, President Trump will visit a congressional district Republicans are eyeing in their attempts to keep control the U.S. House.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)

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Man shares how 'making Christmas' helped him connect with his roots

Dr. J. Herman Blake shares how celebrating Christmas on the South Carolina sea islands brought him closer to his African roots.

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Trump suspends U.S. green card lottery after Brown University and MIT shootings

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appears before the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on the social platform X that, at Trump's direction, she is ordering the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to pause the program.

(Image credit: Mark Schiefelbein)

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EU leaders agree on $105bn Ukraine loan, but without relying on frozen Russian assets

Ukraine

European Union leaders have agreed to provide a massive interest-free loan to Ukraine to meet its military and economic needs for the next two years. The loan will not rely on frozen Russian assets.

(Image credit: Stephanie Lecocq, Reuters)

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A federal jury finds Milwaukee judge guilty of obstructing immigration agents

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, center, depicted in a court sketch as jury selection in her trial begins in Milwaukee, Wis.

A jury returns a guilty/not guilty verdict in the case of Hannah Dugan. The Milwaukee judge was accused of allowing an undocumented immigrant defender to evade immigration agents

(Image credit: Adela Tesnow)

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Suspect in Brown University shooting found dead in New Hampshire

Crime scene tape outside of the Barus and Holley building on the campus of Brown University on Dec. 16.

The suspect in the shooting at Brown University Saturday was discovered dead Thursday at a storage facility in New Hampshire.

(Image credit: Boston Globe)

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TikTok signs deal to give U.S. operations to Oracle-led investor group

TikTok company offices in Culver City, Calif. on Sept. 30, 2025. A deal to sell the American part of the company to a group of U.S. investors was signed on Dec. 18.

The agreement aims to resolve a yearslong standoff between the popular social media platform and the U.S. government over national security concerns tied to China's parent company, ByteDance.

(Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon)

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Mangione pre-trial hearing wraps, but judge won't rule on evidence for months

Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Criminal Court for an evidence hearing, Thursday , Dec. 18, 2025, in New York.

After three weeks of testimony, a judge will now rule on whether evidence found in Mangione's backpack can be used in his state trial for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

(Image credit: Luiz C. Ribeiro)

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What to know about Jared Isaacman, the billionaire private astronaut leading NASA

Jared Isaacman testifies during his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in early December.

Trump withdrew Isaacman's nomination in May, citing the billionaire's donations to Democrats and ties to Elon Musk. He was renominated last month and confirmed by a 67-30 Senate vote on Wednesday.

(Image credit: Anna Moneymaker)

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Austrian nuns await word from the Vatican on whether they can stay in their convent

Sister Regina sits in the convent chapel at Schloss Goldenstein in Salzburg, Austria.

The three octogenarian nuns broke out of a nursing home to go back to live in their convent, sparking a dispute with their church superior. Both sides have appealed to the Vatican for a resolution.

(Image credit: Esme Nicholson)

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