COVID-19 can damage the brain, causing long-term problems with thinking and memory. New research suggests the damage comes from the immune system's reaction to the coronavirus, not the virus itself.

Health experts are hopeful that vaccines will stop the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. But what will it take to make the 12 to 15 billion doses to cover the entire globe?

Kris Ehresmann of the Minnesota Department of Health says the holidays were a big reason that not as many people were vaccinated as had been planned.

A business that traditionally provided line standers for Broadway shows and other events, now serves people who don't want to wait hours outside a health clinic.

An angry President Trump urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn the state's election result, according to a recording of a call obtained by Georgia Public Broadcasting.

A new session of Congress opens, with Nancy Pelosi looking to get reelected speaker with her slimmer majority.

The coronavirus-induced collapse in oil demand stole all the headlines. But oil companies faced a myriad of other woes, too, from hurricanes to itchy investors — and, of course, climate change.

If you feel daunted by the responsibility of shepherding a child through difficult times, don't feel alone: "I'm afraid of those moments as a parent, too," says picture book author Matt de la Peña.

Dr. Nikhila Juvvadi, chief clinical officer at a Chicago hospital, says about 40 percent of the staff distrust the vaccines — in part because of deep-rooted cultural mistrust based on past abuses.

As the city's hospitals reach a breaking point, Mayor Eric Garcetti says Los Angeles needs more vaccine doses as soon as possible: "We can go as fast as you give us those vaccines."

Forecasts for new-car sales show that automakers are finishing this year strong. Retail sales have done far better than anticipated, and average car prices have climbed to record highs.

There are two schools of thought: either the right to abortion will be systemically hollowed out, leaving it a right on paper only, or Roe will be overturned.

One year ago on Thursday, China notified the World Health Organization that it had discovered a new coronavirus circulating in Wuhan. NPR discusses what happened after that.

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Tracy Gordon, a senior fellow with the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, about how the pandemic continues to affect local government funding.

The pandemic interrupted what was expected to be a year of reckoning for drug companies tangled up in the opioid crisis. Many communities are left waiting as lawsuits remain on hold.