The president relishes speaking off the cuff but on Christmas Eve it may have led to a regretful blunder when he insinuated a girl was too old to believe Santa is real.

The Guatemalan child died after midnight on Tuesday in Alamogordo, N.M. He’s the second child to die in U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody this month.

In the Holy Land, Santa doesn’t come down the chimney or wait till kids are asleep to deliver presents. “Baba Noel” or Father Christmas hops out of a red van and makes house calls while they’re awake.

The pope, an outspoken advocate for refugees and migrants, urged the international community to set aside its differences and turn its attention to crises around the world.

No militant group has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing and hours-long standoff with police in Kabul on Monday. Most of the people who died were government employees.

It can cost more to ship a pie than the price of the pie itself, and causes bakers a lot of headaches. So why does business boom over the holidays? Well, that’s personal.

Their former homeland was a U.S. testing site for nuclear bombs, but they can’t get Medicare or Medicaid in Oklahoma. A resident of Enid, Okla., who was born in the islands is trying to change that.

Rhode Island is among a growing number of states allowing children with autism to be treated with medical marijuana. The benefits are unproved and the full extent of the risks are unknown.

Evangelicals in 2018 had to defend their views on sexual sin, given their willingness to overlook Donald Trump’s infidelity and reports of sexual misconduct by their own pastors.

Wildfires destroyed thousands of homes across California this year. Fire scientists are discovering that most homes burn down from blowing embers, sometimes long after the the fire has passed.

About 40 percent of the Food and Drug Administration employees will go on unpaid leave starting Wednesday. The remaining staffers will respond to emergencies and continue work funded by user fees.

Angel Etchecopar, commonly known by his nickname “Baby Etchecopar,” was charged with sexist discrimination. Now, he must host experts on gender — and let guests speak uninterrupted.

Lawmakers planned to extend the law, but it expired on Friday. Payment requests from VAWA-funded programs will be delayed until the law is reauthorized, but grants already given will not be affected.

I had gone home to rural Zimbabwe for the holiday. In the village shop, two skinny young boys came in to buy cooking oil and bread. They hoped to use any leftover change to buy treats.

After President Trump’s decision to pull out U.S. troops, residents of northeastern Syria tell NPR they feel betrayed. Syrians, led by Kurdish fighters, have lost thousands in the fight against ISIS.

The Empress of the Seas was headed for Cuba, but changed its course for Jamaica due to weather. That’s how it ended up in the path of two fishermen from Costa Rica who had been adrift for 20 days.

Nawaz Sharif, who was removed from office over a separate corruption case last year, claims that the charges against him are politically motivated.

Jakeli and Micah Swimmer aren’t fluent in their native Cherokee dialect, but it’s an important part of their identity. “If we’re not speaking Cherokee, then what are we?” Jakeli asks.

A growing body of research shows keeping a log of what you are thankful for can lower stress, help you sleep better, and may even reduce the risk of heart disease. But it’s not for everyone.

A question about heading soccer balls inspired a series of experiments to understand how the brain changes shape when someone’s head takes a hit.

The Silicon Valley-based company will offer ride services in its autonomous vehicles, with the supervision of a certified driver. One catch: it’s not allowed to charge money.

Mail service and Social Security checks won’t be interrupted, but national parks and small business loans will see some temporary changes.

Grief can be amplified this time of year, whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah. Honoring the memory of late family members helps many NPR listeners and readers process their heartache.

Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will assume Mattis’ duties starting in the new year. Trump had previously said Mattis would step down at the end of February.

With the help of American volunteers, a family of refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo is celebrating Christmas for the first time in the U.S.

This festive punch, made from hibiscus, is the taste of the holidays throughout the islands. It is also a close cousin to African-American “red drink,” described as “liquid soul.”

Officials say the tsunami was triggered by underwater landslides caused by volcanic activity on the island of Anak Krakatau.

Hospitals are now financially rewarded by insurers for safety and efficacy — which often results in patients spending less time as inpatients.

They broke taboos and stereotypes around the world. They include the co-recipient of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, a disability activist — and a 101-year-old runner.

Two of Bernie Madoff’s victims share how their lives were affected by the Ponzi scheme that imploded ten years ago. They recovered much of what they invested, but were still harmed by the scam.

There are hundreds of books about picking the best college. But let’s face it: Most of them are written for high schoolers. A new book offers a roadmap for older students.

Brett McGurk’s decision to accelerate his departure from the Trump administration comes on the heels of Secretary of Defense James Mattis’ resignation earlier this week.

The U.S. Agency for International Development told grant recipients by email Saturday to start planning for the possibility that their funding could end by January 31.

No women ages 10 to 50 have been able to reach the temple since the ruling in September. “I’ll block younger women with my own body if I have to,” says a woman who waited until age 53 to visit.

A study found parachutes were no more effective than backpacks in preventing harm to people jumping from aircraft. The researchers’ tongue-in-cheek experiment makes a deeper point about science.