U.S. News and National Top Stories NPR coverage of national news, U.S. politics, elections, business, arts, culture, health and science, and technology. Subscribe to the NPR Nation RSS feed.

Sunday

South Koreans watch North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's televised New Year's address, at the Seoul Railway Station on Monday. Kim said the United States should be aware that his country's nuclear forces are now a reality, not a threat. Lee Jin-man/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Lee Jin-man/AP

New York Police Department officers prepare for New Year's Eve celebrations in Manhattan's Times Square in New York. Eduardo Munoz/Reuters hide caption

toggle caption
Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

Tightest Security In Years At New Year's Celebrations In New York And Las Vegas

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/574863937/574892729" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

An investigator heads to the scene of shooting Sunday, in Highlands Ranch, Colo. Authorities in Colorado say one deputy has died and multiple others were wounded, along with two civilians, in a shooting that followed a domestic disturbance in suburban Denver. David Zalubowski/AP hide caption

toggle caption
David Zalubowski/AP

Military To Allow Transgender Recruits

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/574850926/574850927" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Fabritze of the Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus lives and travels with the circus families, providing counseling and religious instruction. She says her most important role is a ministry of presence. Gloria Hillard for NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Gloria Hillard for NPR

This Sister Act Brings Serenity To Circus Life

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/571981915/574851004" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Crowds will gather again for New Year's Eve celebrations in New York's Times Square, but Twitter has other suggestions for midnight entertainment. Craig Ruttle/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Craig Ruttle/AP

Twitter Wants To Help You Welcome 2018 With One Climactic Musical Moment

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/574771733/574850980" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friendship bread is the chain letter of baking: A simple starter that you divvy up, keeping some for yourself and sharing the rest with others. It's an old tradition that connect neighbors through the act of sharing food. NPR would like to see you revive it in your community. Share your stories on social media — use #NPRFriendshipBread — and we might feature your experience in a follow-up story. Courtesy of Emily H. Landsman hide caption

toggle caption
Courtesy of Emily H. Landsman

The Friendship Bread Project: Can Baking Promote Unity In A Divided World?

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/562868016/574851028" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

The Western District police station in Baltimore, Md., seen in July, was the backdrop to violent clashes between police and rioters in 2015, following the death of Freddie Gray. The Washington Post/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
The Washington Post/Getty Images

Baltimore Residents Blame Record-High Murder Rate On Lower Police Presence

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/574824963/574851016" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Saturday

New York City has seen a precipitous drop in crime over the past several years. Bill Bratton, who served as NYPD's commissioner, says the department's police tactics have contributed to that crime reduction. Scott Roth/Invision/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Scott Roth/Invision/AP

How Crime Rates In New York City Reached Record Lows

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/574800001/574810431" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tyler Barriss, seen in a 2015 booking photo after a fake bomb threat, is accused of making a prank call that led to a man's death. Glendale, Calif., Police Department/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Glendale, Calif., Police Department/AP

In 2014, Erica Garner led a protest march in New York City after a grand jury decided not to indict a police officer involved in the death of her father, Eric Garner. Andrew Burton/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Tourism Season Begins In Puerto Rico

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/570949147/574753450" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Home, Home On The (Shooting) Range

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/574753369/574753370" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Advocating Changes To Missouri's Juvenile Justice System

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/574753334/574753335" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript