Sam Sanders

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has once again changed the number of cars included in a massive and urgent recall over an inflator defect in air bags made by the Japanese company Takata.

Initially, 4.7 million vehicles were recalled, but in a list released on Wednesday, NHTSA added ...

Update at 7:27 p.m. ET. Toys R Us Pulls Dolls:

After a controversy stirred by a Florida mom, Toys R Us is pulling a line of action figures based on the TV show Breaking Bad.

The AP reports that in a statement, the toy retailer said: "Let's just say, ...

The CEO of French oil company Total, Christophe de Margerie, died when his plane collided with a snow plow Monday night at a Moscow airport. He was 63.

Total posted a statement on its website:

"Total confirms with deep regret and great sadness that Chairman and CEO Christophe ...

A massive auto recall on defective airbags was given fresh urgency on Monday, when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration encouraged the owners of nearly 5 million cars to get them fixed "immediately." Michigan Radio's Tracy Samilton told our Newscast unit some deaths have been tied to the defect:

...

Nepal has ended rescue operations for people who may have been trapped or died in blizzards and avalanches last week throughout the foothills of Nepal's Himalayan mountain range. Locals and international tourists are among at least 39 people known to have died. Rescuers say those killed include four Canadians, two ...

The Synod is a two-week meeting of Bishops at the Vatican, called by Pope Francis. A tentative report released this week included a softer message toward gay people and divorced individuals.

The Vickery Meadow neighborhood area is home to many newly arrived immigrants. The leaders of churches and social service organizations report that volunteers and others aren't showing up for work.

Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian man who was diagnosed with Ebola in Dallas, Texas, remains hospitalized in critical condition. The relatives he was living with are quarantined.

In Dallas, school officials are working to keep students and parents calm. There have been some reports of children being kept home due to Ebola fears, but largely parents and students are taking the news in stride.

Liberians in the Dallas area have been joining together as their home country struggles with Ebola. A man in Dallas is the first Ebola case confirmed in the U.S. He had recently traveled to Liberia.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill banning plastic grocery bags throughout the state. "This bill is a step in the right direction," he said. "We're the first to ban these bags, and we won't be the last."

Domestic movie ticket sales seem to have topped out. Now, cinema owners are trying to lure customers — and justify higher ticket prices — with innovations like panoramic screens and so-called 4-D.

Some leaders of this extreme city sport where people run, jump and slide on streets and over buildings, hope to slip into the games by courting the International Olympic Committee.

NPR's Sam Sanders asked that question of black men in New York and Los Angeles, and he shares just a few of their answers here.

After the Liberian government ordered a quarantine of one of the poorest neighborhoods in its capital, Monrovia, residents there woke up to find themselves cut off from the rest of th...

Times Square performers, who often don characters' costumes, have been a New York City staple for years, exchanging photos for tips. Lately, though, city officials have said tipping t...

You might have heard a lot recently about non-Asian people donning makeup or clothing to appear Asian. But why is it that we're seeing so much of this phenomenon, widely referred to as "yellowface"?

Lego has made billions of dollars from a mostly male consumer base. But now, the Danish company is renewing its push to appeal to girls with a new kit that includes three female scientists.

The drama continues. For months now, unions have been negotiating with the Metropolitan Opera's leadership over compensation and benefits; employees also accuse the Met of financial mismanagement.

Many people don't realize it's a set of standards, not a curriculum. NPR's Eric Westervelt talks with education reporter Cory Turner about other misconceptions about the Common Core standards.