The Department of Government Efficiency effort was one of the most consequential and controversial – if not entirely successful – changes the Trump administration made in 2025.

A sampling of the stories NPR staff believe made some of the deepest ripples this year — reminders of what rigorous, compassionate journalism can do, and why the work remains as urgent as ever.

A northern English town loses its best choral singers to fighting in World War I but finds new hope in a time of loss through music in Nicholas Hytner's new film "The Choral," featuring Ralph Fiennes.

More immigrants are not showing up for their mandatory immigration court hearings compared to prior years, an NPR analysis shows, allowing the government to order their immediate deportation.

Officials said the error is likely be too minute for the general public to clock it, but it could affect applications such as critical infrastructure, telecommunications and GPS signals.

Researchers retrieved reef monitoring devices that had been placed in deep coral reefs in Guam. The devices were placed up to 330 feet below the surface.

Rosemary Westwood from member station WWNO asked a few of New Orlean's favorite musicians about the songs they like to listen to around Christmas.

Cartagena, Colombia, is set to ban its iconic horse-drawn carriages, replacing them with electric buggies — a move dividing the historic city over tradition, tourism, and animal welfare.

Authorities report that nine people have died and at least 10 others are injured after a shooting at a South African pub. The incident occurred early Sunday in Bekkersdal, west of Johannesburg.

A Kremlin envoy says peace talks in Florida on a U.S.-proposed plan to end the war in Ukraine are proceeding constructively, after U.S. meetings with Ukrainian and European officials in Berlin.

Workforce cuts made by the Trump administration at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are prompting meteorologists to debate the reliability of weather predictions.

With months-long consulate and embassy delays being reported, the two tech companies say staying put in the U.S. right now could prevent workers from getting stranded in their home countries.