Crowds of costumed crazies take a slightly less freezing plunge in Seattle to mark 2024 Brave Seattleites jumped into Lake Washington New Year's Day for the annual Polar Bear Plunge! Organizers estimated about 2,000 people crowded along the shore of Matthews Beach in North Seattle as they got ready to run into the water. Natalie Akane Newcomb
Hack, rizz, slay and other cringe-worthy words to avoid in 2024 Do your New Year's resolutions include improving your vocabulary? Then the 2024 Banished Words List from Lake Superior State is for you. Vanessa Romo
Up First briefing: Life Kit has 50 ways to change your life in 2024 Whether you want to exercise more, pay off your debts or make big career moves, NPR's Life Kit is here to support you. Suzanne Nuyen
Public libraries reveal their most borrowed books of 2023 Not all libraries track checkouts, and there isn't one definitive national list. But this year lots of people checked out Lessons in Chemistry, Prince Harry's memoir Spare, and Colleen Hoover's books. Neda Ulaby
When faced with a tough choice, my immigrant dad's love kept our family together As a kid, RadioActive's Phillip Zhou didn't know much about his dad's immigration story — they never really talked about it. But that all changed recently when Phillip learned about a big choice his dad made for their family. Phillip Zhou
Happy cozy high holidays! Enjoy this delicious holiday platter of podcast from our beloved BFF hosts, Lindy and Meagan. Happy cozy high holidays! This week, our beloved hosts Lindy and Meagan walk along the sunny shores of yesterday by bringing back some of their favorite conversations from past episodes of Text Me Back!. This is a perfect episode to share with your besties who haven't listened yet, by the way! Lindy West
Tom Smothers, one half of TV comedy legends the Smothers Brothers, dies at 86 Tom Smothers was the co-host of one of the most socially conscious and groundbreaking television shows in the history of the medium. The Associated Press
The year in review: 50 wonderful things from 2023 Pop culture critic Linda Holmes has been making this annual list since 2010. Big, small, inspirational, silly — what these items have in common is that they are all wonderful and brought her joy. Linda Holmes
From Swiftie beads and Barbie to Beyonce, girls ran the world economy in 2023 Girl spending was one of the most powerful economic forces in 2023. Taylor Swift and Beyoncé concerts boosted local and national economies. World leaders begged Taylor Swift to come and perform. Pallavi Gogoi
