Postmates, the food delivery platform, is part of a federal lawsuit challenging California's new law that makes it harder to classify workers as contractors. Chandice Choi/AP hide caption
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From left: Sekou Sheriff, of Barkedu village in Liberia, whose parents died at an Ebola treatment center; a polio vaccination booth in Pakistan; a schoolgirl in Ethiopia examines underwear with a pocket for a menstrual pad; an image from a video on the ethics of selfies; Consolata Agunga goes door-to-door as a community health worker in her village in Kenya. From left: John Poole/NPR; Jason Beaubien/NPR; Courtesy of Be Girl Inc.; SAIH Norway/Screenshot by NPR; Marc Silver/NPR hide caption
California's new digital privacy law takes effect on Jan. 1. Saul Gravy/Getty Images/Ikon Images hide caption
Spotify announced Friday that it will stop the sale of political ads on the streaming platform. The move follows similar decisions by other tech giants, including Twitter and Google. Lionel Bonaventure/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Patients line up for remote health consultation sessions on a remote island near Rangpur, Bangladesh. Allison Joyce for NPR hide caption
Boeing, NASA, and U.S. Army personnel work around the Boeing Starliner spacecraft shortly after it landed in White Sands, N.M., Sunday. Bill Ingalls/AP hide caption
The federal courthouse in Washington D.C. that houses the secret court overseeing U.S. surveillance. A scathing report has sparked discussion about potential reform. Susan Walsh/AP hide caption
Scathing Report Puts Secret FISA Court Into The Spotlight. Will Congress Act?
In a year of gloom and doom, disasters and disease, these are the sweet online moments from around the world that brightened up our days this year. Left to right: an aspiring singer in the Philippines; scrunchie cat; Venezuelan cooking lessons. Screenshots by NPR hide caption
A time exposure of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the Boeing Starliner crew capsule on an flight test to the International Space Station lifts off in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Friday. Terry Renna/AP hide caption
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before the House Financial Services Committee in October. Under pressure from lawmakers and civil rights groups, the company has updated its policies to address census interference. Andrew Harnik/AP hide caption
A new study suggests that one service already in place in many food deserts could help make it easier to access fresh, healthy food: online grocery delivery. The finding lends support to expanding a pilot program that lets people use food stamp benefits to pay for those groceries. svetikd/Getty Images hide caption
Inuit parents value the playful side of kids, even when disciplining them. Above: Maata Jaw and her daughter. Johan Hallberg-Campbell for NPR hide caption
The Mayor, a green cube with a top hat, goes "kaboom" in Wattam. Funomena/Annapurna Interactive hide caption
Meet 'Wattam,' The Newest Absurd Video Game Playground From Keita Takahashi
Courtney Parker votes on a new voting machine in Dallas, Ga., last November. Whereas Georgia voters statewide are expected to vote on new machines in 2020, millions of voters across the country are expected to use machines that are more than a decade old. Mike Stewart/AP hide caption
At Wednesday's hearing, Dickson greets relatives and friends of people killed in 737 Max crashes. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images hide caption
George Laurer in 2011 at the University of Maryland's Innovation Hall of Fame. His many inventions, including the Universal Product Code, led to his induction into the hall in 1991. Al Santos/University of Maryland hide caption
YouTube announced changes Wednesday to its anti-harassment guidelines. The company has faced criticism in the past for failing to enforce its rule. Danny Moloshok/AP hide caption
Homes destroyed by Cyclone Idai litter the riverbanks of Buzi district, Mozambique. Weather forecasters there say they do not have all the resources they need to cope with more extreme weather affecting the country as a result of climate change. Nichole Sobecki/VII for NPR hide caption
Uber received a total of 5,981 allegations of serious sexual assault in the U.S. in 2017 and 2018, according to a new report. The claims range from unwanted touching and kissing to rape. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption
Uber Received Nearly 6,000 U.S. Sexual Assault Claims In Past 2 Years
U.S. and British authorities are seeking the arrest of Russian national Maksim Yakubets. Authorities say Yakubets ran Evil Corp., a group of alleged cyber hackers who stole tens of millions of dollars from victims worldwide through phishing schemes. FBI hide caption
DoorDash's delivery restaurant in Redwood City, near San Francisco, is among an increasing number of "ghost kitchens" and menus that exist solely in smartphone apps. Shannon Bond/NPR hide caption
Delivery Only: The Rise Of Restaurants With No Diners As Apps Take Orders
Instagram is now requiring users to give their birthday before they use the photo sharing app. Damian Dovarganesd/AP hide caption
Google co-founders Sergey Brin (left) and Larry Page announced Tuesday they are stepping down from their leadership roles but will remain board members of Alphabet, Google's parent company. Paul Sakuma/AP hide caption