A reflection on the comedy stylings of Pope Francis, who is telling priests to lighten up and not be so dour.De către Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon talks to Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., about the House GOP caucus and the Dec. 20 stopgap funding vote.De către Scott Simon

German officials say a 50-year-old Saudi doctor who moved to Germany in 2006 deliberately drove his car into a crowded outdoor Christmas market Friday.De către Scott Simon

Hours away from a government shutdown, Congress passed a bill to fund federal operations until March 14, 2025.De către Scott Simon

An impasse over the budget and the threat of a government shutdown dominated political news earlier this week.De către Sarah McCammon

NPR's Scott Simon talks with Jonathan Lane, of the consortium Revolution 250, about why the Battle of Bunker Hill won't be reenacted at Bunker Hill to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S.De către Scott Simon

Some Amazon drivers held small protests this week to highlight conditions they say need to be improved and urged other drivers to join the teamsters union.De către Marlon Hyde

The Kurdish coalition that controls a third of Syria and helped the US fight ISIS is facing a new reality after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. NATO ally Turkey sees them as a threat and is demanding the dismantling of Kurdish militia (YPG). And some of the majority Arab civilians who live in Kurdish controlled areas want to be governed by the rebel…

December in Peru means surf and ceviche, as our reporter catches some breaks on the beaches outside Lima.De către Simeon Tegel

NPR's Scott Simon and ESPN's Michele Steele discuss a big weekend of college and professional football.De către Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Syrian-American composer Malek Jandali about the fall of the dictatorship in Syria and his hopes for his homeland's future.De către Scott Simon

We look at what the Trump White House did in early 2017 and what might be different this time around.De către Tamara Keith

Scott Simon and Howard Bryant of Meadowlark Media discuss Bill Belichick's move to college football and Juan Soto's massive new contract with the New York Mets.De către Scott Simon

Loneliness is a modern, cross-generational plague. Some people are looking to an old German tradition for a tried and true remedy.De către Laurel Wamsley

Zildjian cymbal are used by top drummers across the globe -- they've been made by one family, using a secret process, for 400 years.De către Andrea Shea

The incoming Congress is preparing to extend expiring portions of the 2017 tax cuts from the last Trump administration. Congressional bean counters say that will have little effect on economic growth.De către Scott Horsley

The state of Texas is suing a doctor in New York, saying she prescribed abortion pills for a Texas woman in violation of its law.De către Elissa Nadworny

NPR's Scott Simon speaks to David Miliband, CEO of the International Rescue Committee, about the group's 2025 Watchlist, which warns that more than 300 million people require humanitarian assistance.De către Scott Simon

The fall of the Assad regime in Syria has freed at least thousands of people detained in Syria's notorious prisons. Some of them have made it back home. Other families are still looking.De către Emily Feng

A new study suggests moderate to vigorous physical activity can boost scores on memory tests. Adding to the evidence that daily exercise is good for the brain.De către Allison Aubrey

Scott Simon talks with Lily Tuck about her new novel, "The Rest is Memory." Based on a real photograph, she imagines the life of a Polish girl killed at Auschwitz concentration camp.De către Scott Simon

Scott Simon speaks with Richard Gere about acting in "Oh, Canada," the latest film from Paul Schrader, with whom he last worked more than forty years ago on "American Gigolo."De către Scott Simon

New research is revealing similarities between Earth's Grand Canyon and ones on the red planet. It's informing future Martian exploration and settlement plans.De către Eric Whitney

Scott Simon speaks to Massima Bell and poet Eileen Myles about "TRANSA", a compilation of music by queer artists and their allies, focusing on trans issues.De către Scott Simon

Scott Simon talks to Colleen Shogan who leads the National Archives about the challenges facing the agency in a time of deep political polarization.De către Scott Simon