The Best of NPR
20+ most popular NPR articles, as voted by our community.
New this Week
These are fresh off the press.
Many in Gen Z ditch colleges for trade schools. Meet the 'toolbelt generation'
With demand for jobs like HVAC technicians, electricians and wind turbine installers, enrollment is ticking up at vocational schools as four-year college costs continue to soar.
Players are pushing back against free video games that rely on in-game purchases
In 2012, a studio had a game with no publishers. So it tried something new. Now, many studios use the "live service model." Rather than costing money upfront, games are free with "in-game purchases."
He missed a chance to be the first Black astronaut. Now, at 90, he's going into space
Edward J. Dwight Jr. is set to be on the next Blue Origin rocket into space. The rare opportunity comes more than six decades after he was passed over to become a NASA astronaut.
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Lisa Genova on Alzheimer's, memory, and how to keep our brains healthy : TED Radio Hour :…
Original broadcast date: December 23, 2022. Our brains are magnificently complex - and highly fallible. This hour, neuroscientist and novelist Lisa Genova explains how to keep our brains healthy and what to do when something goes wrong. TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.
The case for financial literacy education
Financial literacy programs have been called useless in the past. But a new study suggests that's due to the way the subject is taught, rather than the subject itself.
The work and legacy of photographer Anja Niedringhaus endure 10 years after her death
A new exhibition and book honor the memory of the Pulitzer Prize-winning German photojournalist who was killed on April 4, 2014, while on assignment for The Associated Press in Afghanistan.
Places across the U.S. are testing no-strings cash as part of the social safety net
The idea got a boost from the pandemic, when an array of cash relief helped cut child poverty and keep people housed. Researchers are studying how much money, for how long, may have lasting impact.
Rise and grind? Working late, volatile hours may lead to depression, illness by 50
Burnt out much? A study links working late, or variable shifts with health problems later in life. Maybe it's time to quit hustle culture for good.
NPR on Anger
How To Control (And Even Use) Your Anger — With Meditation
Anger can be a powerful teacher — if we know how to use it. In this episode, Lama Rod Owens, a teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, explains how he learned to love his anger, and gives listeners a six-step…
«Anger is a complicated emotion that many of us try to suppress rather than examine — a desire often reinforced by societal narratives that dictate who is allowed to hold and process the sentiment.»
Got Anger? Try Naming It To Tame It
While many people believe that how we feel and express anger is hard-wired, some scientists suggest our experience and culture help shape it. One way to get a handle on it may be to personalize it.
NPR on Cannabis
California Says Its Cannabis Revenue Has Fallen Short Of Estimates, Despite Gains
The tepid results have prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to revise his office's estimates of how much money the state will net from its cannabis industry.
You Can Get A Master's In Medical Cannabis In Maryland
The University of Maryland, Baltimore, now has a master's program dedicated to the science and therapeutics of medical weed because of a growing number of students looking for expertise in the field.
NPR on Climate Crisis
The world’s melting ice has surprising impacts. Can you guess them?
Melting glaciers and ice caps are far from where most people live. But the impacts stretch across the planet. See if you can guess how.
A new kind of climate refugee is emerging
They flee their homes not solely because of climatic changes that make it difficult to earn a living but also because of violence sparked by the competition for dwindling resources.
NPR on Conspiracy Theories
She was a popular yoga guru. Then she embraced QAnon conspiracy theories
Themes like everything is connected, nothing happens without a purpose, and nothing is what it seems are central to both yoga philosophy and conspiratorial thinking.
How Damar Hamlin's collapse fueled anti-vaccine conspiracy theories
In the absence of information about why the Buffalo Bills player collapsed during a game, misleading claims about COVID vaccines quickly spread online.
NPR on Health
Just Move: Scientist Author Debunks Myths About Exercise And Sleep
Paleoanthropologist Daniel Lieberman says the concept of "getting exercise" is relatively new. His new book, Exercised, examines why we run, lift and walk for a workout, when our ancestors didn't.
There's a way to get healthier without even going to a gym. It's called NEAT
All those daily activities we'd rather avoid — taking the stairs, cleaning the house etc. — have a big metabolic payoff. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis can help manage weight and boost health.
NPR on Housing
It's harder to buy a house. This city fought back by outbidding corporate landlords
A Cincinnati agency says large investors are taking some of the most affordable homes off the market, exacerbating the racial wealth gap. It's now helping its new tenants buy the homes themselves.
Housing is now unaffordable for a record half of all U.S. renters, study finds
A new Harvard analysis finds people across income levels got squeezed by rent hikes during the pandemic. The market has lost millions of low-rent places, and new construction is mostly high-end.
NPR on Mental Health
Sitting too much drags down your mental health. Here's how to get moving
A lot of us have been sitting too much, and it's hard on us mentally as well as physically. Research shows breaking up that couch or desk time with short stints of movement can help lift your mood.
«Don't blame yourself if you're struggling to get started.»
Changing Your Diet Can Help Tamp Down Depression, Boost Mood
Depression symptoms dropped significantly in a group of young adults who ate a Mediterranean-style diet for three weeks. It's the latest study to show that food can influence mental health.
NPR on Parenting
Yes, I'm a Disney Adult. Let me explain
Backlash against Disney Adults reveals a lot about the ever-morphing hierarchies of fandom within the cultural zeitgeist, and what's considered cool to obsess over and what's not.
How Inuit Parents Teach Kids To Control Their Anger
At the top of the world, the Inuit culture has developed a sophisticated way to sculpt kids' behavior without yelling or scolding. Could discipline actually be playful?
NPR on Religion
8 listeners share the powerful ways they keep in touch with their ancestors
Last month, we asked our audience to tell us how they stay connected to their late loved ones. They tell us about the objects they keep, the altars they built and how they pay their respects.
Non-religious Americans seek community
A new study shows nearly one-third of Americans have no religious affiliation. Some secular organizations are trying to create the community of church — without the religion.
NPR on War
The war in Gaza has taken an economic toll on tech, Israel's most productive sector
Reservists have been called into military service, leaving tech companies understaffed. The tech sector employs about 12% of Israel's workforce and accounts for half of the country's exports.
After a year of war in Ukraine, all signs point to more misery with no end in…
The first anniversary of the war arrives this week with few, if any, signs of a way out of the conflict. For the civilians caught in the crossfire, that means no discernible end to the suffering.
Popular
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Here's why you should make a habit of having more fun
Happiness can sometimes feel just out of reach. But having more fun? You've got this — and those giggles and playful moments can make a big difference to your health and well-being.
Daily 'breath training' can work as well as medicine to reduce high blood pressure
Research finds five to 10 minutes daily of a type of strength training for muscles used in breathing can help anyone reduce or prevent high blood pressure. The training can also help elite athletes.
Gen Z is driving sales of romance books to the top of bestseller lists
For months, Colleen Hoover and Emily Henry have occupied multiple spots on the New York Times paperback trade fiction bestsellers list. The success of these romance writers has been aided by Gen Z.
What is 'quiet quitting,' and how it may be a misnomer for setting boundaries at work
Quiet quitting is taking over TikTok as a new workplace trend popular with Gen Z. However, it may be a misnomer for setting healthy boundaries in the workplace.
«The term 'quiet quitting' is so offensive, because it suggests that people that do their work have somehow quit their job, framing workers as some sort of villain in an equation where they're doing exactly what they were told,»
The cheating scandal roiling the chess world has a new wrinkle
World champion Magnus Carlsen abruptly resigned after making a single move in his highly anticipated rematch with Hans Niemann. Calls have increased for an investigation.
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