Once, there were more than 300 of them in schools around the country. Many are still around, but they're getting old. Schools have a choice: Keep the stars shining, or turn the lights out.

The 2016 election was divisive and nasty and full of insults and innuendo. But let's look at the brighter side — here are 10 lighter moments from 2016 that weren't so bad. Some are actually funny.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told NPR that President-elect Donald Trump was going to stop using the phrase "drain the swamp." Trump disagreed, and Gingrich apologized.

Thanksgiving is a holiday with a complicated history. So some teachers have developed strategies to teach it to young students.

Donald Trump may be taking the old adage of keeping friends close and enemies closer to heart. Romney was one of Trump's harshest Republican critics throughout the presidential campaign.

NPR examined what the president-elect has said about the 10 issues voters care most about.

For the second time in 16 years, a candidate won the presidential election without winning the direct vote of the people. Critics this year say it's time to change the country's voting system.

The House Minority Leader's stance on legal pot marks a larger trend across the country toward greater acceptance of the drug. Five states are voting on Tuesday to legalize its recreational use.

FBI Director James Comey says the emails "appear to be pertinent" to the inquiry of Hillary Clinton's server. Agents found the emails in early October but haven't been able to examine the contents.

The president will campaign most days next week for Hillary Clinton and other Democrats. It's a rare move for a sitting president and represents an intensifying effort to secure his own legacy.

Some down-ballot candidates are really embracing the nontraditional feel of this election year, especially when it comes to their advertisements.

Donald Trump's attendance at the grand opening of his hotel in Washington, D.C., is just the latest example of the GOP nominee bringing media attention to his businesses.

Big themes on ballots this November include marijuana, elections, education, guns, tobacco, minimum wage and the death penalty.

We broke down where the candidates stand on the 10 issues voters say they care about most.

The latest batch from WikiLeaks of hacked emails linked to Clinton campaign chair John Podesta brings the total to more than 11,000 of what the organization claims will be more than 50,000 emails.

Immigrants living in the United States without documentation have their eyes on this year's election. Their future may depend on it.

More than 30 prominent Republicans reacted to a video of Donald Trump using vulgar language and apparently describing himself forcing himself on women by calling for him to withdraw as the nominee.

A new release from WikiLeaks claims to show excerpts from Hillary Clinton's Wall Street speeches. Despite their private nature, her words to Wall Street don't differ much from her public stances.

Amid calls for Donald Trump to step aside, the candidate says he'd "never withdraw." The calls to drop out come after a leaked recording of Trump has him talking about kissing and groping women.

U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez ended her debate against California Attorney General Kamala Harris by doing a dance move called the dab.