How can you outsmart scammers? How do everyday people cope when they go up against big business? How safe are big airliners? What would you do if you were out with a friend — and they were attacked by a wild cougar?
NPR readers wanted to know the answers to those questions and more in 2024 — that is, when they weren't trying to absorb the latest news from a tumultuous general election. Along the way, we witnessed the massive power of nature — and the tragedies of more mass shootings.
A wildly unpredictable presidential campaign season drove readers to NPR, looking for context and analysis. They flocked to stories like our analysis of the Trump-Harris debate; an exhaustive fact-check of a Trump news conference; Kamala Harris's historic nomination; and analysis of the Biden-Trump debate.
These stories also resonated with our audience:
A Florida man who refused to sell his home to a developer now lives in the shadows (March 16). "Just imagine ... that your house was in the middle of Manhattan surrounded by high-rise buildings," the owner says. "That's what it's like."
Zombie 2nd mortgages are coming back to life (May 18). A nurse in Quincy, Mass., was stunned to learn her house was about to be auctioned off. An NPR investigation found thousands of cases like hers.
The Klamath River: The largest dam removal in U.S. history begins (Jan. 13). The Yurok Tribe won a long-fought battle to restore habitat for salmon and other wildlife, with far-reaching effects.
Kansas City shooting was not an act of terrorism or homegrown violence, say police (Feb. 15). A Super Bowl celebration became a shootout that wounded at least 22 people, including children, and killed a woman. Two juveniles and multiple adults were charged.
N.C. hospital sues an 18-year-old quadriplegic to make her leave (Feb. 22). Alexis Ratcliff wants to go to college near her family — but the hospital that's been housing her for years wants her to go to a nursing home in Virginia.
To make sure grandmas like his don't get conned, he scams the scammers (April 15). Kitboga is a millennial who uses improv skills and a voice-changer to bait scammers, turning the fight against online crime into a lucrative gig.
A huge solar storm is keeping power grid and satellite operators on edge (May 10). One of the biggest solar storms on record disrupts infrastructure and induces bright auroras in the U.S.
Police identify Wisconsin school shooting suspect as a 15-year-old female student (Dec. 16). A sad statistic: In the U.S., firearms are the leading cause of death for people ages 1 to 19, the CDC says.
After a shocking shooting, Americans vent feelings about health insurance (Dec. 6). "A lot of people are in deep pain, and maybe didn't have anywhere to put that pain," a professor of health care ethics says, after the killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO prompts an outpouring of frustration.
Before a door plug flew off a Boeing plane, an advisory light came on 3 times (Jan. 8). A terrifying incident on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 brought scrutiny that unearthed quality control problems at Boeing and a supplier.
Stories from across the NPR network
Across the country, readers turned to member station websites for deep coverage of local and state elections, from important races to ballot measures.
Voters in California devoured LAist's voter game plan for LA County. From Oregon to Colorado and Georgia, readers turned to member stations to understand local ballot measures.
These readers also dove into a wide range of local news:
A cougar attacked them. They fought back for 45 harrowing minutes (March 14). Five women on a bike ride in Washington state were set upon by an apex predator that clamped its jaws on one of them, as KUOW reports.
I willingly, joyfully adopted my sons from Paraguay. I would never do it again (Sept. 26). "My sons and I lived a life of closeness," an adoptive mom tells WBUR in Boston. But meeting their birth mothers presented her with tough questions.
The TwinRay mystery: A spiritual group in Ashland raises eyebrows and worries (May 7). Its leaders have a penchant for "elixir ceremonies" — and for changing their names and living in luxury. Oregon Public Broadcasting later reported the group was closing its odd store.
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A Missouri police sniper killed a 2-year-old girl. Why did he take the shot? (March 25). "Nobody returned fire because there was a child inside the camper trailer," an officer said, according to KCUR. But then, a sniper squeezed his trigger.
The owner of Phoenix Mystery Castle wants to demolish it (April 19). It dates to 1930 and has old automobile parts in its walls — and a dungeon, as KJZZ reports. A stay of demolition from the historic preservation office has now expired.
What exactly is that thin strip of land separating Colorado from Texas? (May 20). The Oklahoma Panhandle's past is rooted in disputes over slavery. Its present is marked by immigration and good Mexican food, a local tells Colorado Public Radio.
Texas Lotto changes rules after a Houston Chronicle investigation (Aug. 22). A "syndicate buyer" bought 25.8 million number combinations to win $57.8 million, according to Texas Standard, which says lawmakers will look at more changes.
FBI recovers deleted texts showing chaos of bribe attempt in Feeding our Future trial (Nov. 19). It's a bit like a Coen brothers movie: Defendants on trial for siphoning $47 million from government child nutrition programs got word that a juror could be bribed — but another fraud was playing out, as Minnesota Public Radio reports.
Just days left to apply for California program that helps pay for your first house (April 25). The California Dream for All program had about $250 million to help buyers. But as KQED says, the money didn't reach the people or the areas it had targeted.
The real Kamala Harris: What her California years reveal (July 16). Calls for President Joe Biden to stop his reelection race led CapRadio in Sacramento to explore key events that shaped Harris' career
Ways to donate and help flood victims in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene (Sept. 28). In the desperate frenzy to get aid and supplies to people whose lives were upended by a hurricane, Blue Ridge Public Radio compiled efforts of government, schools and charity organizations.
This is only a tiny sample: The NPR Network is made up of over 200 local newsrooms at member stations across the country, which share local reporting with their communities.
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