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A child from the Mbendjele people, a hunter-gatherer community that lives in the northern rainforests of the Republic of Congo. A new study found that children in this society have on average 8 caregivers in addition to the mother to provide hands-on attention. Nikhil Chaudhary hide caption

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Nikhil Chaudhary

Bringing up a baby can be a tough and lonely job. Here's a solution: alloparents

"Allo" is Greek for "other." Alloparents are helpful relatives and neighbors. In a study from Congo, babies had 8 alloparents on average. Perhaps the self-reliant nuclear family is a societal misstep.

Bringing up a baby can be a tough and lonely job. Here's a solution: alloparents

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Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump stands on the field during halftime in an NCAA college football game between the University of South Carolina and Clemson Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Columbia, S.C. Meg Kinnard/AP hide caption

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Meg Kinnard/AP

Federal judge rejects Trump's immunity claims in 2020 election interference case

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan's decision amounts to a sharp rejection to challenges the Trump defense team had raised to the four-count indictment in advance of the trial.

When Sarah Barak, standing here outside her Seattle home, needed an operation for her injured thumb, her surgeon gave her unsolicited advice to lose weight. People with larger bodies often report that when they go to the doctor, their problems are ignored or written off as an inevitable result of their weight. Megan Farmer/KUOW hide caption

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Megan Farmer/KUOW

Some doctors are ditching the scale, saying focusing on weight drives misdiagnoses

KUOW

A growing number of doctors have stopped recommending weight loss when they see patients, arguing that it can be counterproductive.

Baltimore illustrator John de Campos isn't happy that AI is being used to create images for commercial purposes, supplanting artists whose real life experience is reflected in their work. Andrea Hsu/NPR hide caption

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Andrea Hsu/NPR

With ChatGPT turning 1, Americans wonder whether AI is coming for their jobs

In the year since ChatGPT was released, people have been figuring out what it's good at, what it's not good at, and how AI tools will change how we live and work.

With ChatGPT turning 1, Americans wonder whether AI is coming for their jobs

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Squid Game: The Challenge is a reality game show based on the sensational 2021 South Korean drama series. But this gruesome, creatively misbegotten concept should never have made it past the first meeting. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

'The Challenge' is understanding why this 'Squid Game' game show was green-lit

Squid Game: The Challenge is a reality game show based on the sensational South Korean drama series. But this gruesome, creatively misbegotten concept should never have made it past the first meeting.

Olivia Rodrigo Nick Walker/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Nick Walker/Courtesy of the artist

Before 'GUTS,' Olivia Rodrigo first had to write a lot of 'bad songs'

WXPN

Under pressure to repeat the success of her debut album, Rodrigo leaned heavily on her songwriting skills to create her latest record. Now, GUTS is up for six Grammys, and she's gearing up for another stint as SNL's musical guest later this month.

Olivia Rodrigo on World Cafe

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Florida Governor and Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis (L) and California Governor Gavin Newsom (R) appear on screen from the press room during a debate held by Fox News, in Alpharetta, Georgia, on November 30, 2023. Christian Monterrosa/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Christian Monterrosa/AFP via Getty Images

The DeSantis-Newsom 'debate' offered a window into the future of warring visions of America

There couldn't be two governors with more opposite ideologies than the Florida Republican and the California Democrat, but few minds were likely changed.

Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis Antarctica) are pictured in Orne Harbour in the western Antarctic peninsula. Waddling over the rocks, legions of penguins hurl themselves into the icy waters of Antarctica, foraging to feed their young. Eitan Abramovich/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Eitan Abramovich/AFP via Getty Images

These penguins take 10,000 little naps a day — seconds at a time

What's black, white and sleeps over 10,000 times per day to sustain life in a noisy nesting colony and avoid predators? Chinstrap penguins.

These penguins take 10,000 little naps a day — seconds at a time

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Philip Belcastro, a high school English teacher, looks at the framed mementos from his students that he keeps stored in his storage unit. He gathered the letters, drawings and crafts gifted to him by his classes over the last three years of teaching. "A lot of it is just kind of bittersweet," he said. Nancy Guan/WUSF hide caption

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Nancy Guan/WUSF

These teachers say they can't live and work in Florida anymore

Blaming unrealistic workloads, restrictive laws and pay that ranks near the bottom in the nation, some teachers in the state are packing up and heading elsewhere.

The world's largest iceberg, A23a, is moving into the open waters near Antarctica after being essentially stuck in place for decades. It's seen here in satellite imagery from Nov. 15. European Union/Copernicus Sentinel-3/via Reuters hide caption

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European Union/Copernicus Sentinel-3/via Reuters

The iceberg cometh: It's the size of Oahu, and it's moving into the open ocean

"It's a trillion tons of ice," as one expert told NPR. Now the largest iceberg in the world, A23a, is on the move after decades of being grounded on the seafloor.

Sigal Manzuri, whose daughters Norelle and Roya were killed in the Hamas-led attack on the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, embraces one of their friends. Surrounding them are photos of people killed and taken hostage by Hamas militants, displayed at the site as DJs spin music to commemorate victims, near Kibbutz Re'im, Tuesday. Maya Levin for NPR hide caption

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Maya Levin for NPR

At an Israeli rave site attacked by Hamas, DJs played music to honor the dead and missing

The memorial event, at which five DJs played, took place at the site where Hamas killed hundreds attending a rave on Oct. 7. "This is the first time I've been able to cry," says one attendee.

At Israeli rave site attacked by Hamas, DJs play music to honor the dead and missing

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Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes, which may show up in some pre-cut mixes, are believed to be behind a growing outbreak of salmonella infections across the U.S. and Canada. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Avoid cantaloupe unless you know its origins, CDC warns amid salmonella outbreak

At least 117 people in 34 states have gotten sick from salmonella infections. U.S. health officials believe two brands of cantaloupe — and dozens of fruit cups and medleys — may have been the cause.

Jussie Smollett arrives at the BET Awards on June 26, 2022, in Los Angeles. An appeals court on Friday upheld the disorderly conduct convictions of the actor, who was accused of staging a racist, homophobic attack against himself in 2019 and then lying about it to Chicago police. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP hide caption

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Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

Appeals court upholds actor Jussie Smollett's convictions and jail sentence

An appeals court upheld the disorderly conduct convictions of the "Empire" actor, who was accused of staging a racist, homophobic attack against himself in 2019 and lying about it to Chicago police.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., performed the Heimlich maneuver on Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa as she was choking Thursday during a closed-door GOP lunch. Here, Paul and Ernst look over a folder provided to them by the White House, during a luncheon in 2017 in the State Dinning Room of the White House. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP hide caption

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Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Rand Paul successfully used the Heimlich maneuver on Joni Ernst at a GOP lunch

Ernst, who has served in the Senate since 2015, hosted the closed-door luncheon for GOP senators Thursday when the incident occurred.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signs a Medicaid expansion law at the Executive Mansion in March in Raleigh, N.C. Advocates say the bill could help 600,000 adults. Hannah Schoenbaum/AP hide caption

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Hannah Schoenbaum/AP

North Carolina finally expands Medicaid for hundreds of thousands of residents

Medicaid expansion goes live in North Carolina, giving low income adults health insurance access after the Republican-controlled legislature decided to accept federal incentives and subsidies.

From left: a possible answer, a black-and-white photo, someone who left wills in her furniture. David Livingston/Getty Images, Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images, Noam Galai/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival hide caption

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David Livingston/Getty Images, Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images, Noam Galai/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival

Puppets, politicians and a queen's property: It's the weekly news quiz

Do you know your puppets from your politicians? What about the new word of the year and the world of rare crustaceans? Test your knowledge of this week's news.

Jazz singer Sheila Jordan, then 84, performs at the 21st Annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival in New York City's Tompkins Square Park on August 25, 2013. Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images/Getty Images hide caption

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Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images/Getty Images

At 95, jazz icon Sheila Jordan still eats, drinks and breathes the music

Jazz at Lincoln Center

She's among the last living beboppers, one of the first singers on Blue Note and a pioneer of voice and bass. The legendary Sheila Jordan joins Christian McBride for a career-spanning conversation.

At 95, jazz icon Sheila Jordan still eats, drinks and breathes the music

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Many dog owners are worried about reports of a mysterious respiratory illness affecting dogs. THEPALMER/Getty Images hide caption

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THEPALMER/Getty Images

Veterinarians say fears about 'mystery' dog illness may be overblown. Here's why

Reports of an "outbreak" of some as yet unidentified canine respiratory illness are scaring dog owners. But veterinarians and researchers aren't panicking.

Veterinarians say fears about 'mystery' dog illness may be overblown. Here's why

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Harry Robertson, 56, is a Washington, D.C., native. After five long years, he recently became one of the lucky few with a federal housing voucher. Keren Carrión/NPR hide caption

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Keren Carrión/NPR

Millions of seniors struggle to afford housing — and it's about to get a lot worse

Baby boomers are entering older age amid a historic affordable-housing shortage and widening inequality. A new study warns many won't be able to access the kind of housing or caregiving they need.

Millions of seniors struggle to afford housing — and it's about to get a lot worse

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After getting hit with Hurricane Irma in 2017, Antigua and Barbuda is still recovering. It's one of many countries that will need hundreds of millions of dollars to prepare for stronger storms and other climate impacts. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

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Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Countries promise millions for damages from climate change. So how would that work?

A historic agreement at the international climate talks will provide hundreds of millions of dollars for developing countries. It's nowhere near enough.

Marine Corps veteran Ed O'Connor is seen outside his home in Fredericksburg, Va. He is among tens of thousands of veterans who took a COVID forbearance on a VA home loan. But the VA's program ended abruptly in October of 2022 and many veterans were asked to either pay all the missed payments or face foreclosure. Catie Dull/NPR hide caption

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Catie Dull/NPR

Veterans fear the VA's new foreclosure rescue plan won't help them

A pause in foreclosures after an NPR investigation may be of no help to many vets. They were already pushed into costly loan modifications after a move by the VA stranded them in a tough spot.

Veterans fear the VA's new foreclosure rescue plan won't help them

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In a still frame from video law enforcement officers investigate the scene of a shooting late last month in Burlington, Vt. The suspect is accused of shooting three young men of Palestinian descent who were attending a Thanksgiving holiday gathering near the University of Vermont campus. Wayne Savage/AP hide caption

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Wayne Savage/AP

For years, the FBI quietly stopped tracking anti-Arab violence and hate crimes

When the FBI developed its program to collect hate crime data, it included a category to track anti-Arab incidents. But this code was dropped, masking the scale of the problem.

For years, the FBI quietly stopped tracking anti-Arab violence and hate crimes

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Twenty-four people have been put to death so far in 2023, up from 18 in 2022 and 11 in 2021, according to a new report by the Death Penalty Information Center. The center attributed the increase to Florida's return to executions after a 3-year pause. Pat Sullivan/AP hide caption

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Pat Sullivan/AP

Executions are on the rise in the U.S., even as public support wanes

Twenty-four executions have been carried out in 2023 — five more than last year, the Death Penalty Information Center says. Meanwhile, 50% of Americans say the death penalty is applied unfairly.

The Phillips family with their new favorite player, Jesse Luketa. J.W. Phillips hide caption

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J.W. Phillips

Fans gave NFL linebacker Jesse Luketa a lift to the game after he got a flat tire

Cardinals linebacker Jesse Luketa was stuck at a gas station with less than an hour before he needed to be at the stadium for Sunday's game. He decided to get resourceful.

Fans gave NFL linebacker Jesse Luketa a lift to the game after he got a flat tire

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