When kindness becomes a habit, it improves our health Whether it’s volunteering at a local school or taking soup to a sick neighbor, improving the welfare of others can also improve our own physical and mental health, a sizable body of research shows. Read more on NPR

‘The Bachelor,’ Ukraine edition, features a veteran who lost both legs in the war He wants to give hope to the tens of thousands of Ukrainians who have lost limbs since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Read more on NPR

Want government money for a heat pump? Time might be running out The Biden administration introduced new consumer tax credits for climate-friendly heat pumps. What does a Trump administration and GOP-led congress mean for that money? Read more on NPR

Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet crashes in the Kazakhstani city of Aktau An Azerbaijani airliner has crashed in the Kazakhstani city of Aktau with 30 people likely dead and at least 28 survivors, according to Kazakhstan’s Emergency Ministry. Read more on NPR

Richard Perry, record producer behind ‘You’re So Vain’ and other hits, dies at 82 A recipient of a Grammys Trustee Award in 2015, Richard Perry died at a Los Angeles hospital on Tuesday. Perry was a hitmaking record producer with a flair for both standards and contemporary sounds. Read more on NPR

The Assad regime’s fall has freed displaced Syrians stuck in a remote desert camp More than 7,000 people had taken shelter in the Rukban camp, near the border with Jordan, many of whom fled the regime and ISIS attacks almost a decade ago. Read more on NPR

Starbucks baristas’ ‘strike before Christmas’ has reached hundreds of U.S. stores Starbucks’ union says workers are walking off the job at some 300 — out of over 10,000 — stores across the U.S. as contract negotiations falter. The company urges it to return to the bargaining table. Read more on NPR

American Airlines lifts ground stop that froze Christmas Eve travelers American Airlines passengers across the U.S. endured a sudden disruption of service on Christmas Eve as a “technical issue” forced the airline to request a nationwide ground stop of its operations. Read more on NPR

H-1B visas face uncertainty during Trump’s 2nd term. And, the perfect mashed potatoes Foreign-born scientists may face challenges working in the U.S. during President-elect Donald Trump’s second term. And, cooking tips for the perfect mashed potatoes this holiday. Read more on NPR

An Indian movie, loved abroad, is snubbed at home for Oscar submission All We Imagine as Light explores the lives of working-class women in Mumbai and won the Grand Prix at Cannes. But it was deemed not Indian enough to submit to the Oscars.  Read more on NPR