Trump pardons Waddle, Gobble in holiday tradition

From NPR. President Trump took part in the time-honored White House tradition in pardoning two Thanksgiving turkeys — Waddle and Gobble — yesterday. At a ceremony in the Rose Garden, Trump’s remarks were interrupted a few times by a gobble from … Gobble. The turkeys will spend the rest of their lives at North Carolina…

San Diego Zoo’s oldest resident, Gramma, dies at 141

From NPR. A beloved Galápagos tortoise named Gramma, the oldest resident of the San Diego Zoo, has died at an estimated age of 141 years old. Gramma first came to San Diego from the Bronx Zoo nearly a century ago and quickly became known for her gentle, shy personality. Keepers affectionately called her “the queen…

Utah Gov. Cox on the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination

From NPR. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox drew widespread attention after the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in September. He urged Americans to "find the off-ramp" from political violence. Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep spoke with Gov. Cox about whether he thinks America listened. —————————————————— Follow NPR elsewhere, too: • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/npr/ • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@npr…

Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America’s divides

From NPR. Utah Governor Spencer Cox sat down with NPR’s Morning Edition for an interview that explored that status of a divided nation. In his chat with NPR’s Steve Inskeep, the governor discussed the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk shooting, the approach he takes to navigating his political critics, and his insights on other issues,…

‘Wicked: For Good’ dazzles with $150M opening weekend

From NPR. The movie "Wicked: For Good" was No. 1 at the North American box office over the weekend. With "The Wizard of Oz" a children’s classic in the U.S., "Wicked: For Good" was expected to do well here — and with what looks like a $150 million opening weekend, it’s doing very well. But…

This Thanksgiving could be airports’ busiest in 15 years

From NPR. More than 80 million Americans are expected to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday — a forecast that’s projected to set another record. AAA is projecting that nearly 82 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and the Monday after Thanksgiving. That’s 1.6 million more than last year’s record…

Study: Ultra-processed foods a key driver of chronic disease

From NPR. A new study finds that ultra-processed foods are a key driver of chronic disease around the world — and governments need to act now to reduce their consumption. That’s the conclusion of an expansive new series of papers published by an international team of health researchers in the medical journal "The Lancet." The…

CDC’s shift in stance on vaccines, autism alarms experts

From NPR. The CDC’s website now says a link between vaccines and autism cannot be ruled out. That’s a sharp reversal from the CDC’s stance that there is no link. The change comes even though a connection between vaccines and autism has long been debunked by a large body of high-quality research. But Health Secretary…

Frida Kahlo painting sold for record-breaking $54.7 million

From NPR. An arresting self-portrait by Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is now the most expensive work of art created by a woman to be sold at auction. The 1940 painting, "El sueño (La cama)," sold for $54.7 million Thursday night at Sotheby’s in New York. The work depicts the artist slumbering beneath a tangle of…

Mourners attend funeral for Vice President Cheney

From NPR. Mourners, including two former presidents, gathered inside Washington National Cathedral on Thursday for former Vice President Dick Cheney’s funeral. Former President George W. Bush was among the mourners who eulogized the man who served as his vice president. Cheney served in many roles in Washington, including as a member of Congress, White House…

Hundreds evacuated as Indonesian volcano erupts

From NPR. Indonesia’s Mount Semeru volcano is erupting again. Hundreds of people have been evacuated from villages on the island of Java that had been blanketed by ash. Authorities also had to rescue more than 170 mountain climbers who had been stranded by the eruption. Semeru’s last major eruption, in December 2021, killed 51 people…

At least 1 killed, 170 homes burned in huge fire in Japan

From NPR. Officials in southern Japan say a huge fire has killed at least one person and scorched more than 170 homes in the coastal city of Saganoseki. Scores of people have evacuated. The fire has burned about 12 acres and spread to a forest, and the Japanese military is engaged in helping firefighters fight…

Trump defends Saudi crown prince over question about killing of Khashoggi

From NPR. President Trump defended Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office Tuesday when reporters asked about CIA findings that the prince approved the killing of "Washington Post" columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump called Khashoggi "extremely controversial" and said "A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about." He…

Shoppers brace for higher Thanksgiving food prices

From NPR. With Thanksgiving around the corner, shoppers are bracing for higher grocery prices. Wholesale turkey prices are up 40% from last year — largely due to outbreaks of bird flu hurting the country’s supply. Tariffs on steel and aluminum have contributed to higher prices of canned vegetables, up 5% from last year. The Trump…

Billionaire sells $100M stake in Nvidia amid AI bubble fears

From NPR. An investment company owned by billionaire Peter Thiel has sold its $100 million stake in chipmaker Nvidia, adding to investors’ fears that the AI industry is in a financial bubble. Nvidia became the first company to be valued at more than $5 trillion at the end of October. Shares are up 33% overall…

Border Patrol arrests dozens in N.C. over the weekend

From NPR. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents made dozens of arrests in Charlotte, N.C., over the weekend. Immigration activists are expected to confront the Charlotte City Council tonight, to urge city leaders to bar Border Patrol agents from city-owned buildings and parking lots. Agents have made the arrests largely along Charlotte’s immigrant corridors, sparking…

Trump reverses course, urging vote for release of Epstein files

From NPR. President Trump reversed course over the weekend, now telling House Republicans to vote to demand the release of Justice Department files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein "because we have nothing to hide." In a Truth Social post Sunday evening, he again called the issue a "Democrat Hoax" intended to "deflect from…

Study: Bros really do dominate podcasts

From NPR. Men do most of the talking on the most popular podcasts, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that among last year’s 100 most popular podcasts, nearly two-thirds were hosted by men, and nearly three-quarters of their guests were male, too. The researchers say…

Swiss Gruyère wins the 2025 World Cheese Awards

From NPR. An 18-month aged Swiss Gruyère has been awarded the title of World Champion Cheese 2025 at the World Cheese Awards. More than 200 judges gathered in Switzerland this week to crown the best cheese in the world. They spent hours stroking, sniffing and tasting more than forty samples each in a competition involving…

Coca-Cola’s AI-generated holiday ad sparks criticism

From NPR. Coca-Cola is doubling down on AI-generated holiday ads, and viewers say the new commercial lacks the warmth of the classics while raising fresh questions about creativity and authenticity. The company is defending the campaign, though. According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, up to one-third of ads are currently generated by AI.

Shutdown Worsens Crises At The National Parks | NPR News Now

From NPR. NPR’s “News Now” is a roundup of the top stories of the day. Click “Show More” for a list of today’s stories: 0:00 Today’s Top Stories 0:08 Shutdown Worsens National Parks’ Crises 1:10 Airlines Confident About Return To Normal 2:02 Administration Slashes Funding For Homelessness Programs 3:00 DOJ Joins Lawsuit Over California Congressional…

Why is Chile’s birth rate plummeting?

From NPR. Chile is experiencing a sharp drop in the number of babies being born each year. Positive trends — the rise of women in education and the workplace and a rapid drop in adolescent pregnancies — also mirror what’s happening in the U.S. and in many parts of the world, according to Vladimíra Kantorová,…

After a 200-year run, the U.S. mints its last penny

From NPR. After more than two centuries, the U.S. Mint has minted the last penny. President Trump announced the decision back in February. Producing each coin was costing the government nearly four cents, and ending production will save taxpayers more than $50 million every year. But the move to phase out the penny has been…

Northern lights visible as far south as Florida this week

From NPR. Solar storms are making the northern lights visible across much of the country this week. But while the displays sparked social media joy, space weather forecasters warned of potential complications — geomagnetic storms can temporarily disrupt radio and satellite operations. Forecasters say another coronal mass ejection — the Sun’s massive blasts of plasma…

Trump floats 50-year mortgages to help homebuyers

From NPR. President Trump is floating a 50-year mortgage to help buyers purchase a home. The chief economist for the National Association of Realtors says homebuyers may see small monthly savings on a 50-year mortgage, but that it would take borrowers almost 40 years to pay off just half of their original balance.

Sen. Fetterman says Democrats have lost their way with men

From NPR. In his new book, "Unfettered," Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) criticized his party for losing the support of working class men, writing that President Trump appealed to them more because "he wasn’t afraid to comment on things the left told us we were no longer allowed to have commonsense opinions on." Fetterman also writes,…

Trump Floats 50-Year Mortgages To Help Homebuyers | NPR News Now

From NPR. NPR’s “News Now” is a roundup of the top stories of the day. Click “Show More” for a list of today’s stories: 0:00 Today’s Top Stories 0:15 Senate Passes Bill To End The Shutdown 1:14 Judge Criticizes Order To ‘Undo’ SNAP Benefits 2:13 Trump Floats 50-Year Mortgages 2:59 Trump Again Suggests $2,000 Tariff…

FDA Commissioner on lifting warnings on hormone therapy for menopause

From NPR. The Food and Drug Administration says it is removing the black box safety warnings from all hormone therapy creams, pills and other treatments prescribed to ease the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. The prominent warnings said these therapies could raise the risks for some cancers, dementia, heart attacks and strokes. It was time…

The FDA will lift warnings on hormone therapy for menopause

From NPR. The Food and Drug Administration says it is removing the black box safety warnings from all hormone therapy creams, pills and other treatments prescribed to ease the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. The prominent warnings said these therapies could raise the risks for some cancers, dementia, heart attacks and strokes. —————————————————— Follow NPR…

Sen. Fetterman defends his vote to re-open the government

From NPR. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) was among a handful of Democrats who crossed party lines to approve a deal to end the government shutdown on Sunday. When asked if his vote risked teaching President Donald Trump that Democrats "will fold under pressure," as put by New York Times columnist Ezra Klein on Monday, Fetterman…

Trump grants pardon to 2020 election’s ‘fake electors’

From NPR. President Trump has issued a sweeping pardon of his political allies associated with a plot to make false electoral slates that could have potentially interfered with the presidential certification on Jan. 6, 2021. It names Trump campaign attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Kenneth Chesebro, Mark Meadows and John Eastman, as well as dozens of other…