News

Measles, the reorganization of the World Health Organization and the Zika virus could all make global health headlines in 2016.

Global Health Forecast For 2016: Which Diseases Will Rise ... Or Fall?

10:45am January 04, 2016

by susan brink

What will be the big stories of 2016? Four experts offer their best guesses. They worry about Zika virus and malaria. But not all their predictions are downers.

Jeffrey Iliff (left), a brain scientist at Oregon Health & Science University, has been studying toxin removal in the brains of mice. He'll work with Bill Rooney, director of the university's Advanced Imaging Research Center, to enroll people in a similar

Lack Of Deep Sleep May Set The Stage For Alzheimer's

8:29am January 04, 2016

by Jon Hamilton

A mouse's brain clears out toxins during periods of deep sleep — including toxins that form the sticky plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease. Could the same hold true for people?

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National

Site Of Mass Shooting In San Bernardino Slated To Reopen

8:11am January 04, 2016

by Matt Guilhem

Counselors will be available as workers return to the office complex Monday. A director says it'll be "business as usual," but they'll also take time "to reflect on what we do here and what happened."

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World News

Egypt Cracks Down On Free Facebook Service

12:32am January 04, 2016

by Leila Fadel

Egypt has shut down a free Facebook service called Free Basics. The government says it's a licensing issue, but critics say the Egyptian government is stifling freedom of expression.

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World News

Saudi Arabia, Iran Face Off As Sectarian Tensions Escalate After Executions

10:51pm January 03, 2016

by Deb Amos

A cold war in the Middle East just turned a lot hotter. Saudi Arabia, a Sunni power, and Iran, a Shiite one, have long been bitter rivals, but always maintained diplomatic relations — until now.

Protesters in Burns, Ore., march toward the home of Dwight Hammond, a local rancher convicted of arson on federal land. The Jan. 2 protest was peaceful, but ended with a group of militiamen occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

National

Of Ranchers And Rancor: The Roots Of The Armed Occupation In Oregon

8:56pm January 03, 2016

by Colin Dwyer

An armed group has taken over a federal building in Oregon. Here's a primer on the "paradox" behind the situation, the court case that gave it a spark — and how the Oklahoma City bombing is involved.

Iranian riot police block a street leading to the Saudi embassy as protesters hold portraits of prominent Shiite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr during a demonstration against his execution by Saudi authorities on Sunday in Tehran.

Saudi Arabia Severs Diplomatic Ties With Iran

6:58pm January 03, 2016

by Eyder Peralta

Saudi Arabia's execution of Shiite cleric Sheik Nimr al-Nimr has inflamed sectarian conflict and been strongly condemned by Iran. Now the Saudis have ordered Iranian diplomats out of the country.

National

Update On Armed Anti-Government Protesters In Oregon

5:20pm January 03, 2016

Armed anti-government activists have occupied a building in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon to protest the federal prosecution of two ranchers.

National

Words You'll Hear: 'Substantially Similar'

5:20pm January 03, 2016

"Substantially similar" is a phrase key to understanding California's Fair Pay Act. The new law went into effect Jan. 1 and aims to close the pay gap between men and women.

Dr. Tiffany Anderson is credited with turning around the school system in Jennings, Mo.

The Superintendent Who Turned Around A School District

4:30pm January 03, 2016

by NPR Staff

Through her unconventional focus on addressing poverty, Superintendent Tiffany Anderson has been credited with rapidly improving the school district of Jennings, Mo.