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Technicians lift the mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope using a crane at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., in April 2017. On Saturday, the telescope completed its final deployment in space. Laura Betz/AP hide caption

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Laura Betz/AP

NASA's James Webb telescope completes its final unfolding in space

Considered the most powerful telescope in space, the James Webb telescope has completed its deployment process. It will still be five months before NASA can start receiving its images.

This photo released by the the National Galapagos Park communications office shows lava from the eruption of Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, on Friday. Wilson Cabrera/National Galapagos Park communications office via AP hide caption

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Wilson Cabrera/National Galapagos Park communications office via AP

Tallest Galapagos volcano erupts, spewing lava and ash

Ecuador's Emergency Operations Committee said the eruption on Isabela Island didn't represent a risk to humans or to native local species.

Ventura County firefighters respond to a fire aboard the Conception dive boat in the Santa Barbara Channel off the coast of Southern California on Sept. 2, 2019. Ventura County Fire Department via AP hide caption

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Ventura County Fire Department via AP

Coast Guard issues new safety rules stemming from 2019 boat fire that killed 34

The fire aboard the Conception off Santa Barbara marked the deadliest marine disaster in modern state history and led to criminal charges and calls for tougher regulations for small passenger boats.

In Chicago, the teachers union voted this week to return to virtual learning, citing COVID-19 concerns, despite district plans to continue in person. In response, the district canceled classes for its more than 300,000 students. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption

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Scott Olson/Getty Images

What it really takes to keep schools open during the omicron surge

Schools are just starting to get regular access to testing; teachers are still paying out of pocket for masks and air purifiers; and qualified substitutes and bus drivers can be hard to find.

Protesters and fans of Novak Djokovic gather outside the Park Hotel, used as an immigration detention hotel where Djokovic is confined in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday. Hamish Blair/AP hide caption

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Hamish Blair/AP

Novak Djokovic's lawyers say he had COVID last month, grounds for vaccination exemption

If he fails to have his visa cancellation overturned and gets deported, the top ranked tennis player risks missing more than one Australian Open and could be barred for up to three years.

Activists demonstrate against a U.S. missile defense system installed in Seongju county, South Korea, since 2017. Protesters stand near the entrance of the base, the site of a former golf course. Anthony Kuhn/NPR hide caption

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Anthony Kuhn/NPR

A South Korean village is protesting U.S. plans for missile defense upgrades

The potential upgrade at a U.S. air defense base, within range of missiles in North Korea and China, has residents concerned as Seoul walks a delicate balancing act between the rival powers.

The crater fire named "Gates of Hell" is seen near Darvaza, Turkmenistan, on July 11, 2020. The president of Turkmenistan is calling for an end to one of the country's most notable but infernal sights. Alexander Vershinin/AP hide caption

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Alexander Vershinin/AP

Turkmenistan's leader wants 'Gates of Hell' fire put out

The president of Turkmenistan is calling for an end to one of the country's most notable but infernal sights — a natural gas crater that has burned for decades.

A supporter holds a banner showing the Bosnian Serb member of the tripartite Presidency of Bosnia Milorad Dodik that reads: "Never Again!" during a protest against the government in Banja Luka, in the Serb-dominated part of Bosnia, in October. Radivoje Pavicic/AP hide caption

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Radivoje Pavicic/AP

How Bosnia's Dodik went from a moderate reformist to genocide-denying secessionist

Bosnian Serb leader responds to new U.S. sanctions saying the days when the U.S. and other Western democracies "modeled Bosnia to their taste" are long gone.

Clare Marie Schneider/NPR

Today's tip for 2022: To deepen relationships, start by showing up for yourself

If you're craving deeper relationships and more connection with loved ones, start by getting to know yourself better by running a time audit.

22 tips for 2022: To deepen relationships, start by showing up for yourself

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H. Armstrong Roberts/Retrofile/Getty Images

Newborn blessings for a new year

NPR's Scott Simon shares the story of twins born 15 minutes apart, one just before midnight on Dec. 31, and one just after, and what their birth years might mean in the future.

Opinion: Newborn blessings for a new year

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HarperCollins Children's Books/Balzer + Bray

WaaaAAH! Rraak! 'Everybody in the Red Brick Building' is awake!

Baby Izzie howls, Rayhan's parrot screeches, Benny and his friends play flashlight tag, and Natalia launches her rocket in the new children's book by author Anne Wynter and illustrator Oge Mora.

WaaaAAH! Rraak! 'Everybody in the Red Brick Building' is awake!

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Nelson Mandela and former U.S. President Bill Clinton look to the outside from Mandela's Robben Island prison cell in Cape Town, South Africa, in this photo from March 27, 1998. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption

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Scott Applewhite/AP

The key to Nelson Mandela's Robben Island prison cell is returning to South Africa

New York auction house Guernsey's has postponed the sale of some of the South African leader's belongings, including the key to his cell and the shirt he wore when he was released from Robben Island.

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Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

How to keep your New Year's resolutions

2022 is finally here, and many people are excited for their fresh starts. But, it's no secret that following through with New Year's resolutions can be challenging. Behavioral economist Katy Milkman shares her tips on how you can follow through.

How to keep your New Year's resolutions

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Left to right: Angel Gonzalez and Luis Paulino are seen at Paulino's 2011 high school graduation in New York. Courtesy of Angel Gonzalez hide caption

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Courtesy of Angel Gonzalez

School bullies told him to speak English. His mentee showed him he already belonged

At StoryCorps, a Dominican immigrant speaks with a fellow Spanish speaker who in high school helped him adjust to living in America. Eventually, they helped each other find their own voices.

School bullies told him to speak English. His mentee showed him he already belonged

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Reggie Brown, of Centralia, carries his daughter, Ocean, 4, on his shoulders as he walks through the floodwaters on Highway 507 with his wife, Jonell Brown, on Friday in Centralia, Wash. The highway had flooded after heavy rains caused the Skookumchuck River to rise about its northern banks. Pete Caster/The News Tribune via AP hide caption

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Pete Caster/The News Tribune via AP

A storm in the Pacific Northwest causes flooding and landslides and shuts roads

Parts of Washington state's two major highways, Interstate 90 and Interstate 5, were closed, and flooding swamped roads and closed schools in parts of Oregon.

The U.S. flag is seen at half-staff at Park Semper Fi in San Clemente, Calif., in this July 2020 file photo after a amphibious assault vehicle sank off the coast of Southern California. Paul Bersebach/Orange County Register via AP hide caption

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Paul Bersebach/Orange County Register via AP

Officer blames bad information for 2020 sinking that killed 9 Marines

A three-officer panel will issue a recommendation as to whether a decorated officer should be considered for discharge just shy of his 20-year mark and be denied retirement benefits.

Jennifer and James Crumbley (top) made a court appearance via Zoom on Friday, where their request for a lower bail amount was denied by a judge. Carlos Osorio/AP hide caption

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Carlos Osorio/AP

Prosecutors detail warning signs that the parents of the Michigan school shooting suspect missed

The parents of the Michigan school shooting suspect ignored numerous warning signs that included hallucinations, animal torture and obsession over guns and Nazi propaganda, prosecutors say.

A tally on the chalkboard at Commerce Street Brewery in Mineral Point, Wis., shows that people have bought more than 110 beers for the late comedian Betty White. Courtesy of Commerce Street Brewery hide caption

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Courtesy of Commerce Street Brewery

A pub that let people buy beers for Betty White will now donate the money to charity

The Golden Girl had a golden ale named for her at the pub in Mineral Point, Wis. Now the brewery is using its "buy a beer for a friend" system to support animal charities in White's honor.

A newborn cries on Sept. 17, 2013, at the maternity of the Lens hospital in northern France. A study of crying mice could help explain some building blocks of human infant cries and adult speech. Philippe Huguen/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Philippe Huguen/AFP via Getty Images

What crying baby mice could teach us about human speech

Scientists have found a cluster of rhythmic brain cells in newborn mice that may explain why spoken languages around the world share a common tempo.

New Podcast

The architect: Maverick Carter. Photo illustration by Renee Klahr/NPR hide caption

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Photo illustration by Renee Klahr/NPR

Maverick Carter on Building the LeBron James Empire

Years before they built the SpringHill Company — an entertainment and development brand recently valued at $725 million — Maverick Carter and LeBron James were just two kids from Akron, Ohio who loved playing basketball.

Maverick Carter on Building the LeBron James Empire

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