Geneticists found clues to a disease of iron storage in the remains of several Bronze Age inhabitants of what's now Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland.

Geneticists found clues to a disease of iron storage in the remains of several Bronze Age inhabitants of what's now Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland. Chrisgel Ryan Cruz/Flickr hide caption

toggle caption Chrisgel Ryan Cruz/Flickr

Shots - Health News

A 'Celtic Curse' Has Roots Stretching Back To The Bronze Age

In people with hemochromatosis, iron builds up and can overload the heart and other organs. Geneticists looking at 5,000-year-old human remains say the disorder may have had evolutionary advantages.
Wind turbines dot the landscape in Mojave, Calif. The recent extension of federal tax credits is expected to give the wind and solar energy industries a big boost.

Wind turbines dot the landscape in Mojave, Calif. The recent extension of federal tax credits is expected to give the wind and solar energy industries a big boost. Irfan Khan/LA Times via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Irfan Khan/LA Times via Getty Images

Energy

Tax Breaks, Falling Costs Are Boosting Wind And Solar

Congress has extended tax credits for clean energy as part of a $1.8 trillion spending bill. Solar and wind power companies say it will catapult the industry at a time when costs are already falling.
Sue McConnell is one of more than 130 transgender veterans receiving treatment at the Tucson Veterans Affairs hospital.

Sue McConnell is one of more than 130 transgender veterans receiving treatment at the Tucson Veterans Affairs hospital. Jimmy Jenkins/KJZZ hide caption

toggle caption Jimmy Jenkins/KJZZ

Around the Nation

New VA Clinic Opens For Transgender Vets KJZZ

The Tucson Veterans Affairs hospital is expanding treatment to the needs of trans veterans, one of the first such facilities in the U.S. to do so. The clinic's services include hormone treatment.
Listen Loading… 4:25
  • Playlist
  • Download
  • Embed
    <iframe src="http://www.npr.org/player/embed/460955296/461409349" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

From member station

Mourners gather for the funeral of Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Darren Goforth, killed as he pumped gas in a surprise attack in August. According to new national statistics, 42 police officers were shot and killed in 2015.

Mourners gather for the funeral of Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Darren Goforth, killed as he pumped gas in a surprise attack in August. According to new national statistics, 42 police officers were shot and killed in 2015. Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images

The Two-Way - News Blog

Number Of Police Officers Killed By Gunfire Fell 14 Percent In 2015

Of the 124 officers who died, the largest number (52) were killed in traffic-related incidents, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Another 42 were shot and killed.
President Richard Nixon meets with John Kasich, a freshman at Ohio State, on Dec. 22, 1970.

President Richard Nixon meets with John Kasich, a freshman at Ohio State, on Dec. 22, 1970. Oliver Atkins/White House hide caption

toggle caption Oliver Atkins/White House

Journey Home

The Student Who Once Nudged His Way To The Oval Office Now Hopes To Move In

John Kasich, GOP presidential hopeful, has had a habit of speaking his mind, even as a college student at Ohio State. It has served the Ohio governor well in politics.
Listen Loading… 4:46
  • Playlist
  • Download
  • Embed
    <iframe src="http://www.npr.org/player/embed/461307424/461409324" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Hissene Habre, the former president of Chad, waves as he leaves a courthouse in Dakar, Senegal, on June 3. Habre was ousted from Chad in 1990 and has lived in exile in Senegal ever since. He was arrested in 2013 and is now on trial for charges that include torture, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Hissene Habre, the former president of Chad, waves as he leaves a courthouse in Dakar, Senegal, on June 3. Habre was ousted from Chad in 1990 and has lived in exile in Senegal ever since. He was arrested in 2013 and is now on trial for charges that include torture, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Seyllou/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Seyllou/AFP/Getty Images

Parallels - World News

An Ex-Dictator Faces Trial — But Not In The Country He Ruled

For the first time, one African country, Senegal, is prosecuting the deposed leader of another African state, Chad. Witnesses say Hissene Habre was responsible for mass killings, torture and rape.
Listen Loading… 5:13
  • Playlist
  • Download
  • Embed
    <iframe src="http://www.npr.org/player/embed/461272224/461409336" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
How much do editors shape the final book we read?

How much do editors shape the final book we read? iStockphoto hide caption

toggle caption iStockphoto

Book News & Features

What Exactly Does An Editor Do? The Role Has Changed Over Time

Earlier this year it became clear that Harper Lee had extensively revised To Kill a Mockingbird on the advice of her editor. That made us wonder: How much do editors shape the books we read?
Listen Loading… 6:00
  • Playlist
  • Download
  • Embed
    <iframe src="http://www.npr.org/player/embed/461289330/461409330" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Clockwise from left: Nestle, Dunkin Donuts, Panera and Tyson, among other Big Food companies, made commitments in 2015 to change the way they prepare and procure their food products.

Clockwise from left: Nestle, Dunkin Donuts, Panera and Tyson, among other Big Food companies, made commitments in 2015 to change the way they prepare and procure their food products. Justin Sullivan/Getty; Susana Gonzalez/Bloomberg/Getty; Paul Sakuma/AP hide caption

toggle caption Justin Sullivan/Getty; Susana Gonzalez/Bloomberg/Getty; Paul Sakuma/AP

The Salt

In 2015, Artificial Out, Innovation In (And 2 More Trends)

From big food companies simplifying ingredients, to the U.S. government's new goal to reduce food waste, to a public image crisis for Chipotle, 2015 has been a big year for food.
Listen Loading… 3:46
  • Playlist
  • Download
  • Embed
    <iframe src="http://www.npr.org/player/embed/460589462/461352978" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Medical workers surround 34-day-old Noubia, the last known patient to contract Ebola in Guinea, as she was released from a Doctors Without Borders treatment center in Conakry on Nov. 28.

Medical workers surround 34-day-old Noubia, the last known patient to contract Ebola in Guinea, as she was released from a Doctors Without Borders treatment center in Conakry on Nov. 28. Cellou Binani /AFP/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Cellou Binani /AFP/Getty Images

Goats and Soda

A Cause For Cautious Celebration: Guinea Is Ebola-Free

After two years and over 2,500 deaths, the country's epidemic has officially ended, the World Health Organization says. But there is still a chance the virus will re-emerge.
The Townhouse Gallery of Contemporary Art in Cairo featured a project by artist Mohamed Allam titled "My Nineties: A Panorama of Collective Memory Televised" in April 2013.

The Townhouse Gallery of Contemporary Art in Cairo featured a project by artist Mohamed Allam titled "My Nineties: A Panorama of Collective Memory Televised" in April 2013. Marwa Morgan / Demotix/Corbis hide caption

toggle caption Marwa Morgan / Demotix/Corbis

The Two-Way - News Blog

Egypt Raids 2 Major Independent Cultural Institutions In 2 Days

Authorities targeted an art gallery and a publishing house in Cairo that are pillars of the independent cultural scene. The raids have raised concerns about freedom of expression in Egypt.
Netflix's Master of None isn't A Show About Race, but it doesn't shy away from showing how the backgrounds of its characters inform and complicates their personal and professional lives.

Netflix's Master of None isn't A Show About Race, but it doesn't shy away from showing how the backgrounds of its characters inform and complicates their personal and professional lives. K.C. Bailey/Netflix hide caption

toggle caption K.C. Bailey/Netflix

Code Switch

The Case Against 'Colorblind Casting'

Having an ethnically diverse cast is not enough, an essay in The Atlantic argues: TV shows or movies that ignore race miss out on rich storytelling opportunities.
A member of Iraq's elite counterterrorism service flashes the "V" for victory sign Tuesday in Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's Anbar province. Iraq's prime minister says the extremist group will be pushed out of Iraq in 2016.

A member of Iraq's elite counterterrorism service flashes the "V" for victory sign Tuesday in Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's Anbar province. Iraq's prime minister says the extremist group will be pushed out of Iraq in 2016. Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way - News Blog

After Ramadi, A Look At What's Next In The Fight Against ISIS

Celebrating victory in Ramadi, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi said his troops will oust ISIS from Iraq entirely in 2016. But strongholds like Mosul may be much harder to retake.
Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke, who was charged with murder last month in the shooting death of Laquan McDonald, arrives at the Cook County Criminal Court for a status hearing on Dec. 18.

Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke, who was charged with murder last month in the shooting death of Laquan McDonald, arrives at the Cook County Criminal Court for a status hearing on Dec. 18. Joshua Lott/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Joshua Lott/Getty Images

The Two-Way - News Blog

Chicago Officer Who Shot Teen 16 Times Pleads Not Guilty To Murder

The city's police force has come under new scrutiny in recent days, after two more people — a 19-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman — were shot and killed by police.
This photo released by Mexico's Jalisco state prosecutor's office shows the person authorities identify as Ethan Couch, after he was taken into custody in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

This photo released by Mexico's Jalisco state prosecutor's office shows the person authorities identify as Ethan Couch, after he was taken into custody in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. AP hide caption

toggle caption AP

The Two-Way - News Blog

Captured 'Affluenza' Teen, Mother Had 'Going-Away Party,' Sheriff Says

Ethan Couch was on probation after being convicted of DUI vehicular manslaughter in 2013. He and his mother were apprehended in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Texas authorities say they are working with Mexico to bring the pair back to the U.S.
Kendrick Lamar onstage at Brooklyn's Barclays Center in October.

Kendrick Lamar onstage at Brooklyn's Barclays Center in October. Bennett Raglin/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Bennett Raglin/Getty Images

Music Interviews

Kendrick Lamar: 'I Can't Change The World Until I Change Myself First'

Even with To Pimp a Butterfly's success, Lamar is still conflicted about his place in music. "How am I influencing so many people on this stage rather than influencing the ones that I have back home?"
Listen Loading… 7:18
  • Playlist
  • Download
  • Embed
    <iframe src="http://www.npr.org/player/embed/461129966/461352960" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
CVS is among hundreds of health providers nationwide that repeatedly violated the federal patient privacy law known as HIPAA between 2011 and 2014, a ProPublica analysis of federal data shows.

CVS is among hundreds of health providers nationwide that repeatedly violated the federal patient privacy law known as HIPAA between 2011 and 2014, a ProPublica analysis of federal data shows. Bryan Anselm for ProPublica hide caption

toggle caption Bryan Anselm for ProPublica

Shots - Health News

Repeat Violators Of Health Privacy Laws Often Go Unpunished ProPublica

Regulators have logged dozens, even hundreds, of complaints against some health providers for violating federal patient privacy law. Warnings are doled out privately, and sanctions are rarely imposed.
Listen Loading… 3:57
  • Playlist
  • Download
  • Embed
    <iframe src="http://www.npr.org/player/embed/460828382/461352966" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Partner content from

The artwork for VHO–L's Deeper Than Sky perfectly illustrates the shredded cosmos the album explores.

The artwork for VHO–L's Deeper Than Sky perfectly illustrates the shredded cosmos the album explores. Brandon Duncan/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption Brandon Duncan/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

The Year In The Loud And The Weird

In 2015, Iron Maiden reigned, a once-mysterious sacred music collective returned after 20 years, and some Olympia punks smashed the patriarchy with a boot to the head.
Listen Loading… 53:13
  • Playlist
  • Embed
    <iframe src="http://www.npr.org/player/embed/460679770/461288534" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
A U.S. Coast Guard crew with six Cubans picked up in the Florida Straits in May. A larger Coast Guard vessel is in the background.

A U.S. Coast Guard crew with six Cubans picked up in the Florida Straits in May. A larger Coast Guard vessel is in the background. Tony Winton/AP hide caption

toggle caption Tony Winton/AP

Parallels - World News

Cuban Immigrants Flow Into The U.S., Fearing Rules Will Change

One consequence of improved relations between the U.S. and Cuba is that Cubans believe it will soon be harder to immigrate. This year has seen the largest influx of Cubans in more than two decades.
Listen Loading… 3:46
  • Playlist
  • Download
  • Embed
    <iframe src="http://www.npr.org/player/embed/461296212/461352954" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Shots - Health News

Do You Speak Health Insurance? It's Not Easy MPR

Even savvy consumers stumble over the meaning of coinsurance and other jargon. The misunderstandings can be costly, especially when picking a health plan.

From member station

Support comes from