NASA delays Artemis II human moon mission once again as it wraps up heat shield investigation The mission to take four astronauts on a trip around the moon and back, previously targeting a launch at the end of 2025, has been delayed until at least April, 2026. Brendan Byrne
Trump chooses billionaire astronaut Jared Isaacman to run NASA Earlier this year, Isaacman became the first private citizen to conduct a spacewalk. But his longstanding ties with Elon Musk's company SpaceX raise possible conflicts of interest. Geoff Brumfiel
Longer careers in ice hockey are linked to a greater risk of CTE, a new study finds A new Boston University study of 77 deceased male ice hockey players found that their chances of developing the degenerative brain disease known as CTE increased with each year they played the sport. Becky Sullivan
Negotiators fail to reach an agreement on a plastic pollution treaty. Talks to resume next year The negotiations in Busan, South Korea, were supposed to be the fifth and final round to produce the first legally binding treaty on plastics pollution, including in the oceans, by the end of 2024. The Associated Press
A landmark climate change case will open at the top U.N. court The hearings come after years of lobbying by island nations who fear they could simply disappear under rising sea waters, The Associated Press
A study of dinosaur droppings shows how the dinosaurs came to rule the Earth Researchers have conducted what could be the largest study ever of dinosaur poop. The findings shed new light on how dinosaur's diets allowed them to dominate the planet. (This story first aired on Morning Edition on November 28, 2024.) Geoff Brumfiel
Opinion: The life and work of Seuk Kim, pilot and animal rescuer NPR's Scott Simon remembers Seuk Kim, a volunteer animal rescue pilot who died in a crash earlier this week, transporting several dogs. Scott Simon
Reporter Journal: A sunrise trek through wild solitude in New York City New York City is home to more than eight million people but NPR's Brian Mann mapped out an urban hike through solitude and parkland wildness. Brian Mann
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, which is more sustainable: real or plasticky? It's time to discuss one of the perennial debates of the holiday season. Are real Christmas trees or their fake counterparts more eco-friendly? Alina Hartounian
Disappointed by this year's climate talks, Indigenous advocates look to Brazil in 2025 Indigenous advocates called the final agreement in Azerbaijan "drastically insufficient." Now they're focusing on next year's global climate summit in Brazil where Indigenous participation is expected to be historic. Nate Perez