Issues
Opinion: A little league heartbreak
The State Department denied one Venezuelan Little League team entry into the U.S., but allowed another. NPR's Scott Simon questions how the sports exemption to Trump's travel ban is being applied.
Remember running the mile in school? The Presidential Fitness Test is coming back
The Cold War-era test was a staple of school gyms for half a century before the Obama administration replaced it. Trump says his focus on childhood fitness is for both physical and patriotic reasons.
Today is the last day for many Education Department workers. Here’s what they did
Employees across multiple divisions agree: They can't imagine how the department will fulfill its legal obligations with roughly half its staff gone.
The job market is showing signs of weakness as Trump’s tariffs take effect
U.S. employers added just 73,000 jobs in July, according to a report from the Labor Department Friday, as the unemployment rate inched up to 4.2%. Job gains for May and June were also revised sharply lower.
Alaska ignored budget crisis signs. Now, it doesn’t have money to fix schools.
Alaska has long ignored warning signs of a budget crisis. Now, it has no money to fix something that is posing serious health and safety risks to students and staff: crumbling rural schools.
The manhunt for Eric Rudolph was the largest in US history: How it began. How it finally ended
Eric Rudolph planted a bomb in 1998 at a Birmingham clinic that performed abortions. A new podcast explores the massive manhunt assembled to find him, and how his words and actions are possibly more accepted now, than they were then.
An MMA fighter Trump hosted at the White House loses appeal in his rape case
Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor used to be the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. President Trump, a UFC fan, hosted him at the White House for St. Patrick's Day this year.
In reversal, Defense Department will continue providing crucial satellite weather data
About a month after announcing that it would stop sharing data that hurricane forecasters and scientists rely on, the Navy now says it will continue distributing it.
What Trump’s threat to tariff Russia’s trade partners means for India
President Trump said India would pay the price for buying Russian oil and military equipment. Here is a look at how India, with one of Asia's largest economies, is responding.
Father James Martin has taken heat for his LGBTQ acceptance
Father James Martin has become one of the most well-known Catholic priests in the U.S. But his journey to the priesthood took him by surprise after a chance encounter with a documentary.
Not enough money for retirement? NPR wants to hear from you
Many adults over age 50 either have no retirement savings or worry they won't be able to support themselves during their post-working years. If that's you, NPR wants to hear your story.
Brown University strikes agreement with White House to restore lost federal funding
Brown University will pay $50 million to Rhode Island workforce development organizations in a deal with the Trump administration that restores lost federal research funding, officials said Wednesday.
What makes a tsunami — and what to do if one comes
Several factors help determine whether a given earthquake will generate a dangerous tsunami, but the process is not yet fully understood.
Capped Alabama coal ash pond still polluting groundwater 7 years after closure, lawsuit claims
Coosa Riverkeeper filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Alabama Power, alleging significant groundwater pollution violations from the utility’s Gadsden coal ash pond that has been capped in place since 2018.
Automakers are eating the cost of tariffs — for now
Last quarter, tariffs cost the auto industry billions of dollars. So far, that's come out of profits instead of being passed along to buyers. But that could change.
The U.S. economy rebounds to 3% growth in second quarter — but tariffs skew picture
The U.S. economy grew this spring after a slowdown earlier this year. A report from the Commerce Department shows the nation's GDP grew at an annual rate of 3% in the second quarter of the year.
Trump keeps pressuring the Fed to cut rates. Here’s why its independence matters
Trump has threatened to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell, challenging the Fed's independence. Experts say he's not the first president to target the central bank, but he's the most public and aggressive.
The Fed is likely to hold interest rates steady despite intense pressure from Trump
The Federal Reserve is expected to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged, but a rate cut is possible in September. President Trump has been urging the central bank to lower borrowing costs.
Researchers find that songbirds sometimes get ‘divorced’
A new study from Oxford University finds that a common European songbird sometimes divorces its partner between breeding seasons.
UCLA reaches $6 million settlement with Jewish students over campus protests
The settlement comes after Jewish students and a professor argued their civil rights were violated when pro-Palestinian protesters blocked access to campus buildings during 2024 demonstrations.
Judges weigh preclearance requirement for Alabama congressional plans
Black voters and civil rights organizations, who brought a lawsuit that gave Alabama a new congressional map, are asking a three-judge panel to require any new congressional plans drawn in the next seven years go through federal review. The Alabama attorney general and the U.S. Department of Justice oppose the request.
Trump’s EPA wants to eliminate regulation for greenhouse gases
The Trump administration proposes eliminating a 2009 finding that greenhouse gases endanger people. That would undermine the EPA's climate change regulations for power plants and cars.
The EPA proposes gutting its greenhouse gas rules. Here’s what it means for cars and pollution
The Trump administration has effectively eliminated two rules designed to promote cleaner cars. Now, as the EPA suggests not considering carbon dioxide to be pollution, the last is poised to fall.
Family with a child facing cancer is divided after father detained by ICE agents
A Birmingham man, whose four-year-old daughter is battling cancer, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during a routine immigration check-in two weeks ago. His wife said the father, a construction worker, faces deportation to Guatemala.
Are prices going up because of tariffs? Here’s what we know
Prices have risen a tad on some items especially affected by tariffs. But for the most part, companies are finding ways to delay price increases — for now.
Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg has died after battling cancer
Ryne Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second baseman who became one of baseball's best all-around players while starring for the Chicago Cubs, has died. He was 65.
Mental health warnings on social media? Minnesota will require them next year
Supporters say the pop-up messages could encourage Minnesotans, especially kids, to think twice about how much time they spend on sites. Social media companies argue that the law is heavy-handed.
Medical groups are concerned that RFK Jr. may dismiss a panel of primary care experts
The American Medical Association is urging HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. not to oust members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent group of experts focused on primary care.
USA swim team members recovering from stomach bug at world championships
Some USA swim team members have missed events during the competition.
Here’s a puzzling question: Why are stocks at record highs despite looming tariffs?
President Trump's tariffs could hit the economy badly and lead to higher inflation. But Wall Street investors are reacting by sending stocks to record highs.
Even megastars like Venus Williams get the health insurance blues
In the U.S., as nowhere else, health insurance and employment are deeply connected. And that means confusion can snare even elite athletes.
Fact-checking claims about a proposed hyperscale data center
The developer behind the $14.5 billion project in Bessemer has suggested residents’ concerns are based on misinformation. Here’s what we know about the project and its impacts.
