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40 years after ‘Purple Rain,’ Prince’s band remembers how the movie came together
Before social media, the film Purple Rain gave audiences a peak into Prince’s musical life. Band members say the true genesis of the title song was much less combative than the version presented in the film.
Park Fire in California could continue growing exponentially, Cal Fire officer says
Cal Fire has confirmed that over a hundred structures have been damaged in the Park Fire, which grew overnight near Chico, Calif. Difficult firefighting conditions are forecast through Friday night.
Checking in with Black voters in Georgia about the election, now that Biden is out
Some voters who could be key to deciding who wins Georgia. What do they think about Vice President Harris becoming the frontrunner in the race to be the Democratic nominee?
Tahiti’s waves are a matter of ‘life and death’ for surfing Olympics
Tahiti's Teahupo'o wave has a slew of riders for the Paris 2024 Olympics. NPR finds out why it's called one of the most dangerous waves.
Researchers are revising botanical names to address troubling connotations
Since the mid-1700s, researchers have classified life with scientific names. But some of them have problematic histories and connotations. The botanical community is trying to tackle this issue.
A spectacular opening ceremony wowed a global audience despite Paris’ on-and-off rain
The Paris Olympics opening ceremony wowed Parisians, fans and most everyone who was able to catch a glimpse of thousands of athletes floating down the Seine to officially begin the Games.
Kamala Harris faces racism and sexism as she moves closer to presidential nomination
As Vice President Kamala Harris ramps up her campaign for president, Republicans are trying out new — and old — attacks focused on her race and gender, including calling her a "DEI candidate."
‘Didi’ director Sean Wang says 13 is ‘old enough to know better, too young to care’
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with filmmaker Sean Wang about his new coming-of-age movie Didi, which was inspired by his own experiences growing up in an immigrant household in the Bay Area.
The political implications of Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump
On the day that former President Donald Trump is meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, we look at the Republican nominee's relationship with Israel.
How to stay safe while swimming this summer
Drowning is the number one cause of death for children ages 1-4 in the United States. NPR's Life Kit has water safety tips to keep young swimmers safe this summer.
Video game performers launch strike over compensation and AI
After over a year of negotiations with major video game companies over issues like AI, video game performers in the union SAG-AFTRA are on strike.
Ashleigh Johnson is a water polo veteran. Now, she’s learning how to be a role model
Ashleigh Johnson is one of the best water polo goalkeepers in the world. NPR's Juana Summers talks to her about her barrier-breaking role in the sport and her expectations for her third Olympic games.
Notorious leader of Sinaloa drug cartel is captured in U.S. operation
After a decades long man hunt the defacto head of Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel is arrested just outside El Paso. What more do we know about his capture and what impact, if any, will this have on the fentanyl crisis here.
Polio virus detected in Gaza wastewater raises public health concerns
Wastewater samples taken in Gaza show vaccine-derived polio. Health workers are looking for active cases but have yet to find any. Meanwhile experts scramble to find out where the virus came from.
The opposition is energized ahead of Venezuela’s high stakes election
The opposition is united against longtime leftist President Nicolas Maduro, who is seeking a third term in this Sunday's election amid the country's gravest economic and political crisis in decades.
An arson attack in France stranded tens of thousands ahead of Olympics
Authorities are searching for the arsonists who set fire to high-speed train infrastructure in France, stranding tens of thousands at the start of the Paris Olympics.
The 180-shift in the Democratic campaign
Out: Tom Petty. In: Beyonce. We look at what's behind the jarring vibe shifts in the Democratic campaign this week.
‘Southern Rock Opera’ revisited: celebrating two decades of the Drive-By Truckers’ landmark album
When the Drive-By Truckers released their third studio album, Southern Rock Opera, in 2001, they might not have foreseen the impact it would have on the Muscle Shoals-bred group or the Southern rock style as a whole.
California’s governor issues executive order for cities to clear homeless encampments
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Thursday urging cities to remove homeless encampments. But research shows clearing encampments doesn't reduce homelessness in the long term.
Russia sentences Russian American journalist to 6.5 years in secret trial
On the same day that a Wall Street Journal reporter was convicted of espionage, Russian American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva was sentenced to six and a half years in prison in a similar case.
Utah gets the Winter Olympics again
Utah will host the 2034 winter Olympics, an honor it first had in 2002. The announcement came on the same day the state celebrates its founding by Mormon leader Brigham Young. There are critics and memories of a 2002 bribery scandal.
The story of the church that ordains you with a few clicks online
Over 60 years ago, the Universal Life Church made it possible for anyone to become a minister and ordain a wedding. Today, weddings officiated by family and friends have become a huge part of the way Americans get married.
This week in science: Chimpanzee ‘conversations,’ deep ocean oxygen and rogue waves
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Regina Barber and Emily Kwong of Short Wave about chimpanzee "conversations," oxygen from the bottom of the ocean and how a computer program may warn of rogue waves.
How Delaware — Biden’s home state — is reacting to the end of his campaign
Joe Biden has been part of the Delaware political scene for decades. Delawareans react to the announcement that he won't run for reelection.
Travelers will no longer be able to choose open seats on Southwest Airlines flights
Southwest Airlines announced that it will drop the open seating model it's used since its founding more than 50 years ago. The airline is under pressure to boost profits.
A preview of tomorrow’s unique opening of the Paris Summer Olympic Games
The Olympic games begin Friday. For the first time in the modern era, the opening ceremony won't be in a stadium. The Games will kick off with a parade through Paris in boats along the river Seine.
Without spoilers, here’s how Wolverine is in the new Deadpool movie after he died
A world-weary Wolverine is dragged out of retirement — well, death, actually — by a motormouthed Deadpool in Marvel's latest superhero epic.
The family politics behind J.D. Vance’s ‘childless cat ladies’ comment
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Jessica Winter of The New Yorker about J.D. Vance's politics, particularly his views around the importance of having children.
U.S. gets its first big economic report card after Biden drops his campaign
The health of the economy always looms large for voters. So the report should be great news for President Biden and Vice President Harris. But the reality is, a lot of Americans aren’t feeling it.
A neurological disease stole Rep. Jennifer Wexton’s voice. AI helped her get it back.
Wexton spoke on the House floor Wednesday using an "augmentative and alternative communication" program.
Protecting the Paris Games from cyberattacks
As the Paris Olympics get underway, teams of IT experts have been thinking about one thing for months, and it’s not the sports. It’s the possibility of a disruptive cyberattack.
COVID is having a summer wave. Here’s what it means for older people
What's with the uptick in COVID cases? There's a pattern that's been repeated each year since COVID started -- a late summer wave. Older people and those who are immuno-compromised should be careful.
