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Social Security benefits face big cuts in 2033, unless Congress acts

Trustees of the Social Security trust fund predict the fund will be exhausted in eight years. Unless Congress acts, Social Security payments will automatically drop by 23% at that time.

Democratic lawmakers press USDA for answers on sensitive data collection

35 House members said they are troubled by the Agriculture Department's plans to collect personal data from people who applied for federal food assistance, and urged the effort to "immediately cease."

Greetings from Shenyang, China, where workers sort AI data in ‘Severance’-like ways

Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international team shares snapshots of moments from their lives and work around the world.

Looking for summertime suspense? Turn up the heat with these 4 mystery novels

Maureen Corrigan recommends four great reads: El Dorado Drive, by Megan Abbott; The House on Buzzards Bay, by Dwyer Murphy; King of Ashes, by S.A. Cosby; and Murder Takes a Vacation, by Laura Lippman.

‘Labubu’ is a plush toy that is causing a frenzy. Here’s its origin story

Labubus are a global sensation — sparking long lines outside toy stores, selling out online within minutes, and listing for double or triple their original price on resale markets. Here's why.

Iran warns of ‘irreparable consequences’ as Trump weighs U.S. role in conflict

Iran's Supreme Leader struck back at Trump's calls for Tehran's "unconditional surrender," warning that any U.S. involvement in Israel's offensive would cause "irreparable harm" to Americans.

U.K. Parliament bans women from being prosecuted for late-term abortion

The new law makes it illegal to investigate, arrest, prosecute or imprison any woman in England or Wales for terminating her own pregnancy — no matter what term or trimester she's in.

A battle of sounds stops at the inter-Korean border

The two Koreas have engaged in psychological warfare since the 1960s, with weapons like huge billboard screens, loudspeakers installed along the border, and airdropping propaganda leaflets.

Iran ‘dangerous’ to peace, says GOP Rep. who backs Trump on U.S. military involvement

As President Trump weighs U.S. military involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., says he backs any move by the president "if that is what is required to finish the job."

Cloudy with a chance of showers? Fed’s economic forecast coming today

The Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates steady Wednesday. Members of the central bank's rate-setting committee will telegraph their plans for possible rate cuts later this year.

Trump administration actions contradict MAHA rhetoric on toxic chemicals

Trump says he backs the MAHA agenda which includes eliminating toxins linked to human health problems. But his administration continues to cuts funds, grants and regulations that support that goal.

Announcing the 2024 NPR College Podcast Challenge Honorable Mentions

Here are some of the best entries in NPR's 2024 College Podcast Challenge.

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones accused of hiding money from Sandy Hook families

U.S. bankruptcy Trustee Christopher Murray has filed three suits accusing Infowars host Alex Jones of hiding millions of dollars in cash and property.

New Report: U.S. drug overdose deaths rise again after hopeful decline

The latest 12-month report from the CDC showed 1,400 more deaths in January of this year compared with the year prior. This comes after more than a year of dramatic progress. Experts say they're not sure if this is a "blip" or something more troubling.

North Korea plans to send military construction workers and deminers to Russia

North Korea will send thousands to support reconstruction work in Russia's Kursk region. North Korea has already supplied combat troops and conventional weapons to back Russia's war against Ukraine.

Florida Panthers repeat as Stanley Cup champions by beating the Oilers in 6 games

The Florida Panthers repeated as Stanley Cup champions, becoming the NHL's first back-to-back winners since Tampa Bay in 2020 and '21 and the third team to do it this century.

Anne Burrell, TV chef who coached the ‘Worst Cooks in America,’ dies at 55

TV chef Anne Burrell, who coached culinary fumblers through hundreds of episodes of "Worst Cooks in America," has died. Medical examiners are set to determine what caused her death.

Goliath the Galápagos tortoise celebrated his first Father’s Day and 135th birthday

Goliath had been paired with several female tortoises before, in hopes of producing a hatchling, but the process wasn't successful until earlier this month.

NAACP won’t invite Trump to its national convention, breaking a 116-year tradition

President Trump is the first U.S. president in 116 years that the NAACP hasn't invited to the annual convention. The group says Trump is attacking democracy and civil rights.

As Israel turns its focus to Iran, the death toll mounts in Gaza — and hunger deepens

Palestinians say Israeli forces killed scores of people trying to reach food aid in Khan Younis on Tuesday in the deadliest attack of recent weeks on hungry crowds attempting to get food in Gaza.

4 things to know as the war between Israel and Iran intensifies

Panic and confusion gripped Iran's capital, Tehran, as Israel warned civilians to evacuate or face more potential strikes as conflict between the two countries spilled into its fifth day.

Alex Padilla recounts his removal from DHS news conference in emotional Senate speech

The California Democrat returned to the Senate floor Tuesday to warn that the Trump administrations response to immigration protests in Los Angeles should "shock the conscience of our country."

Alfred Brendel, the cerebral pianist with a dry wit, dies at 94

Routinely called a "musician's musician," the pianist had an atypical career that even he called mysterious. He spent it returning to a handful of favorite composers, with acclaimed results.

Sabrina Carpenter joins the ‘song of the summer’ race, just in time

"Manchild," the first single from Sabrina Carpenter's forthcoming album Man's Best Friend, enters this week's Hot 100 singles chart at No. 1, making a late-breaking bid for "song of the summer" status in the process.

Kraft Heinz to remove artificial dyes from all products, like Jell-O and Kool-Aid

By 2027, Kraft Heinz says all artificial food dyes will be replaced with natural colors. The move comes two months after federal officials called on food companies to stop using synthetic dyes.

Leader of top FEMA disaster coordination office resigns, as Trump moves to eliminate agency

Jeremy Greenberg was in charge of coordinating federal help after hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes and other emergencies. He has resigned from leading FEMA's National Response Coordination Center.

How Trump’s travel ban could disrupt the way knowledge about health is shared

Global health specialists talk about the consequences of the full or partial ban on travel to the U.S. from 19 countries.

Trump threatens Iran’s supreme leader, escalating his rhetoric about the conflict

President Trump called Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei an "easy target" but said, "We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now."

With the World Cup a year away, the U.S. men’s soccer team needs a shot in the arm

A handful of dreadful losses — plus some drama between the team's biggest star and its new head coach — has the USMNT looking for a badly-needed rebound in this summer's Gold Cup tournament.

Joey Chestnut will return to the Coney Island hot dog contest after last year’s beef

Joey Chestnut was banned from the contest that made him famous after signing an endorsement deal with a company that makes plant-based proteins. The 16-time champ returns to Coney Island on July 4th.

New books out this week offer catastrophes that at least profess to be just fantasies

The new books publishing this week may get quite heavy, laden as they are with family tragedy, psychopathy and heartbreak — but at least they are fiction.

The summer TV season is almost here. Here’s what to watch.

Here are some of the best summer TV shows — from Marvel reviving its fortunes with a new armored hero to TV's most compelling serial killer returning for a bite of the Big Apple.