Audrey Carlsen

President Biden's aides are beginning to put policy into action, while the U.S. Senate is taking up his nominees.

The U.S. is engaged in a massive effort to vaccinate the bulk of its population against COVID-19. But some states are working faster than others. See how yours is faring.

COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to strain U.S. hospitals. NPR built a tool to explore trends around the country. Look up your local hospital to see how it's faring.

Congress saw its first two members enter self-quarantine on March 8. Several outbreaks forced dozens more to quarantine after testing positive. Lawmakers started receiving the vaccine in December.

Not everyone gets tested. A new model estimates how many infections are missed because of this and how many people are actively shedding the virus. The results lend urgency to the vaccine race.

Ten Republican House members joined with all Democrats to impeach the president for a second time.

The chamber voted to encourage Vice President Pence to take steps to immediately become acting president, arguing that President Trump is unfit to lead the country. Here's a record of the vote.

Parts of the West Coast experienced very unhealthy or hazardous air from wildfires for the first time ever recorded. Millions endured that smoke for twice as long as the recent average.

An NPR investigation shows that black and Latino neighborhoods in four large Texas cities have fewer coronavirus testing sites, leaving communities blind to potential COVID-19 outbreaks.

When photographer Ajay Malghan looks at this image, he sees the Virgin Mary. But you might see something entirely different — a flower petal, maybe. Or a sea slug.

Or how about ... a carrot? Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is a picture of a sliced carrot.

And this? It's ...

Just because an over-the-counter product is called a dietary supplement doesn't mean that it's harmless.

Quite a few supplements have been found to include hidden and potentially risky ingredients, including drugs.

A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found 273 recalls of dietary supplements between 2004 and ...

Banning cheaper, generic forms of a dangerous drug sounds like a worthy idea.

But the Food and Drug Administration's decision to bar generic OxyContin may also push patients towards less effective drugs without eliminating the risk of addiction, experts say.

"Obviously, there's a cost issue," says Lynn Webster, president ...

Federal authorities confirm that the poison ricin was found in envelopes sent to both President Obama and Sen. Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican.

If that sounds eerily familiar it's maybe because back in 2003, an envelope containing a threatening note and a sealed container of ricin were found ...

If you went to Coachella last weekend, you probably had a ball. But will your ears pay the price?

While short-term hearing loss caused by loud noise can be unnerving, it may not be an automatic sign of permanent damage.

Temporary hearing loss may actually be the ear's way of ...

What do animals do when they get sick? They can't go to the doctor's office. They can't go to the pharmacy. Heck, they can't even go online.

Nevertheless, a surprising number of wild creatures have figured out ways to use herbs, resins, and even alcohol and nicotine for health's sake.

...

Scientists have developed a type of chocolate infused with micro-bubbles of fruit juice that they say can replace up to half of the fat found in normal chocolate. This hybrid treat, t...

It's easy enough to restore 20/20 eyesight with glasses or contacts. But even state-of-the-art digital hearing aids can't perfectly restore hearing for people whose inner ears have been damaged by noise exposure, medications or just the wear and tear of aging.

Part of the problem is that this kind of ...

The U.S. is embracing wind energy, with wind turbines making up half of the new electricity added to the power grid last year. But a smattering of people who live near the turbines say they're a nuisance — and making them ill.

Dr. Nina Pierpont, a Johns Hopkins-trained pediatrician and ...

We've all heard that eating fish is good for us. Regularly eating fish has been linked to a host of health benefits – for our hearts, our eyes, and our brains.

Now here's some more good news: A study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine ...

Ernie Button was putting a Scotch glass left out overnight into the dishwasher when he noticed something — a white, chalky film on the bottom of the glass. He held it up to the light and, upon closer inspection, could see a series of fine, lacy lines running along the ...