What was ‘Disease X’ and what can we learn from it? Four weeks after a puzzling outbreak was reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization has identified the cause. Read more on NPR

NEW TECHNOLOGY GIVES HOPE TO SAVE ENDANGERED RIGHT WHALE Conservationists are getting better at monitoring the movement of the highly endangered Right Whale. They hope it will help encourage ships to slow down in an effort to save the species. Read more on NPR

9 unexpected things we learned about mental health and our brains in 2024 NPR’s health reporters followed the emerging science on what keeps our brains and our minds healthy. Here are highlights of the studies that piqued our readers’ interest the most. Read more on NPR

Examining Biden’s presidential legacy. And, north Gaza’s last key hospital shut down President Biden signed significant legislation that his backers say will leave a lasting impact. And, north Gaza’s last major hospital has been shut down with no ceasefire in sight. Read more on NPR

From Taylor Swift tickets to social media bans, here are new 2025 state laws It’s almost the new year, which means states across the country will enact thousands of new laws from new tax structures to first-in-country prenatal leave. Read more on NPR

Reporters’ notebook: revisiting Afghan refugees starting anew in the U.S. NPR reporters revisit Afghans who fled their home country after Taliban’s takeover in the summer of 2021. Read more on NPR

Should you be worried about bird strikes during your next flight? Bird strikes occur daily for commercial flights, costing airlines millions in damages each year. Although rare, these incidents can result in injuries and fatalities. Read more on NPR

What to know about Finland, Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ and a severed undersea cable Finland says a ship affiliated with Russia’s “shadow fleet” is linked to a 60-mile-long anchor drag mark on the seafloor. A power cable in the Baltic Sea was severed last week. Read more on NPR

Why do we drop a ball on New Year’s Eve? The Times Square tradition, explained Watching a huge ball descend down a pole in Times Square has been a beloved New Year’s Eve tradition for over a century. Here’s how the spectacle started and what’s changed over the years. Read more on NPR

Tiger-cats, sea squirts and beetles, oh my! Meet some species identified in 2024 From charismatic macrofauna to tiny sea squirts, here are some species formally identified by scientists in 2024. Read more on NPR