Arts & Life Why do we drop a ball on New Year's Eve? The Times Square tradition, explained Watching a huge ball descend down a pole in Times Square has been a beloved New Year's Eve tradition for over a century. Here's how the spectacle started and what's changed over the years. Rachel Treisman
Politics Jimmy Carter gave Panama control of the canal. It's one of his most controversial achievements Handing control of the Panama Canal from the U.S. over to the Central American country was one of President Jimmy Carter's most controversial, and most overshadowed, foreign policy achievements. Rolando Arrieta
Technology Y2K seems like a joke now, but in 1999 people were really freaking out People feared the computer glitch would mean "the end of the world as we know it." Thankfully, Y2K didn't live up to the hype after years and billions of dollars were spent on painstaking preparation. Jack Mitchell
History Y2K: Looking back on the bug that wasn't Zachary Loeb, Purdue University assistant professor, tells NPR's Juana Summers that the real story of Y2k wasn't about computers run amok. It was about experts sounding an alarm, and fixing problems. Matt Ozug Sarah Handel Juana Summers
History French schoolchildren honor the African soldiers who fought for France in World Wars A lesser-known amphibious landing along France's Mediterranean played a big role in liberating the country from the Nazis. Those troops were under French command, but hailed mostly from Africa. Eleanor Beardsley
World Mourners mark 20 years since Indian Ocean tsunami that killed some 230,000 people Triggered by a 9.1 magnitude earthquake off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the catastrophic event was the deadliest tsunami in recorded history. The Associated Press
History At the end of a global year of elections, what does history have to teach us? Avery Keatley Scott Detrow Tinbete Ermyas
Politics Trump claims a 'massive' mandate, but presidents often overread their victories There's a long history of presidents claiming that their win means the will of the people is behind their agendas. But elections are rarely full-throated endorsements of a candidate's every policy. Domenico Montanaro
National Pearl Harbor survivor dies at 100 Bob Fernandez was a 17-year-old sailor on board the USS Curtiss during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack that propelled the U.S. into World War II. The Associated Press
Music 80 years later, Glenn Miller's sudden disappearance remains unsolved Glenn Miller was the swing era's biggest star. Then, he vanished without a trace. Julian Ring