Facing a mental health crisis, an NJ school pulled a beloved novel from English class Junot Díaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao was removed from an English class at the public school. PEN America says it's part of a trend of scrubbing literature dealing with uncomfortable topics. Anastasia Tsioulcas
For years the Taliban told women to cover up in public. Now they're cracking down At hospitals, at seminaries and on buses, the Taliban is stepping up enforcement of rules on women's dress in the city of Herat. Diaa Hadid
Using saliva to detect disease holds promise, but it's not perfected yet Easier than a blood test, saliva tests have the potential to detect cavities, infections and even cancer. But a lack of insurance coverage and other obstacles stand in the way of wider use. Yuki Noguchi
'Dude, good luck': the Olympic wit and wisdom of a pioneering African skeleton racer Who says serious athletes are always serious? Akwasi Frimpong, who's competed for Ghana, is a world-class wisecracker as he reflects on being a Black African athlete in the white world of winter sports. Jonathan Lambert
That ain't perfume! Ancient bottle contained feces, likely used for medicine Researchers found a tiny bottle from ancient Rome that contained fecal residue and traces of aromatics, offering evidence that poop was used medicinally more than 2,000 years ago. Ari Daniel
FDA reverses course on Moderna flu shot A little more than a week after the FDA rattled the biotech industry by rejecting Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine without even reviewing the application, the agency changed course. But there's a catch. Sydney Lupkin
ICE agents often ignore safety and privacy practices for detainee patients, Tacoma nurses say Nurses at a Tacoma hospital allege that ICE agents have repeatedly ignored practices safeguarding detainee patients’ privacy, health, and safety. Eilís O'Neill
This form of mental exercise may cut dementia risk for decades A study finds that people who did one specific form of brain training in the 1990s were less likely to be diagnosed with dementia over the next 20 years. Jon Hamilton
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to face jury in landmark social media addiction trial The case is seen as a test of social media's legal responsibility for platform design features that plaintiffs' lawyers say exacerbated mental health issues in young people. Bobby Allyn
8 creative ways to build your village, according to our listeners NPR listeners share how they've made relationships with their neighbors and community. Many of them, through parties, potlucks and coffees, say they've made the first move. Mika Ellison