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As fireworks light the sky and crowds count down together, communities around the globe welcome 2026.
Alex Boersma
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Greetings from Vienna, where an imperial palace hosts a holiday market for all
Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world.
His brother's mental illness isolated his family. Now he's helping other caregivers
When it comes to serious mental illness, family caregivers are crucial partners. But often, they must fend for themselves. A new solution offers them support.
Out with the mayo: How Ukrainians reclaim holiday food
For many people from former Soviet countries, New Year's is a big holiday feast time. A Ukrainian restaurant in Washington gives NPR a taste of what's on the menu.
50 wonderful things from 2025
Each year, critic Linda Holmes looks back on the year and compiles a list of the things that brought her joy.
Why do we make New Year's resolutions? A brief history of a long tradition
One of the earliest mentions of New Year's resolutions appeared in a Boston newspaper in 1813. But the practice itself can be traced back to the Babylonians.
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A reflection on music videos' glory days -- as MTV shuts down channels.
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Across the country, cities and towns have New Year's Eve drops that feature everything from New York City's crystal ball to a favorite product made by the people of Mt. Olive, North Carolina.
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The U.S. economy chugs into the new year in stronger shape than many forecasters had expected. But Americans remain wary about the high cost of living.
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President Trump issues his first vetoes of his second term.
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Downtown Phoenix businesses sued the city over a sprawling homeless encampment. The city's solution appears successful two years later, but funding for it is set to run out.
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Extra security will be in place tonight in New Orleans as the city marks the anniversary of last year's New Year's Day attack. Drew Hawkins of the Gulf States Newsroom reports.
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Only 8% of directors with movies in theaters in 2025 were women. That news comes from an annual study from USC Annenberg. It reveals a reversal of trends that were not great to begin with; in 2020, the best year for women directors on record, only 15% of movie directors were women.
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Starting Jan. 1, non-U.S. citizens will have to pay an additional $100 each to enter 11 of America's most popular national parks.
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A nonprofit group has filed a complaint alleging a federal judge has been bullying her law clerks. It's a flashpoint in the debate over whether the judiciary can police itself.
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In Mumbai, some celebrate New Year's Eve with an effigy of the old year. It's just one of many New Years celebrated in India.
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NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben about their thriller, Gone Before Goodbye.
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Advocates for the LGBTQ+ community say the new limits on the food assistance program, SNAP, may make it especially difficult for many LGBTQ people battling food insecurity.