News
Nearly 5 years after schools closed, the nation gets a new report card
There's some good news in math, mostly bad news in reading and lots of questions about why students are still struggling.
Trump’s health secretary pick, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., faces confirmation hearing
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, faces Senate confirmation hearings today. What can we expect?
Here’s how climate change fueled the Los Angeles fires
Extreme conditions helped fuel the fast-moving fires that destroyed thousands of homes. Scientists are working to figure out how climate change played a role in the disaster.
Several people are feared dead in a stampede at massive festival in India
Millions continued to throng the site even as police urged them to avoid the area. Deadly stampedes are relatively common around Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas.
Why members of two of EPA’s influential science advisory committees were let go
Acting EPA Administrator James Payne sent an email to members of the agency's Science Advisory Board and the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee informing them that both are being "reset."
Trump asks SpaceX to ‘go get’ two stranded ISS astronauts. They’re not stranded
Two NASA astronauts flew to the International Space Station in June on Boeing's Starliner capsule. The test flight was planned for eight days but technical troubles forced the capsule to return empty.
See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
Starbucks is trying to fix falling sales by changing its vibe back to coffee-house roots. The new CEO says parts of the plan, like free non-dairy milk, are helping bring people back.
Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
Through an email blast, federal workers were given the opportunity to resign from their jobs before Feb. 6 and retain full pay and benefits through Sept. 30.
Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump’s ‘stop work’ order
All departments were affected, including offices that address HIV and AIDS, infectious disease and child health.
Trump’s ‘stop-work’ order for PEPFAR cuts off anti-HIV drugs for patients
As a result of the new administration's actions, health centers funded by PEPFAR, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, are closing their doors and no longer dispersing medication.
Caroline Kennedy calls her cousin, RFK, Jr., a “predator” ahead of his confirmation hearings
In a letter, Kennedy said RFK Jr. was "unqualified" to be the new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary just hours before he was scheduled to appear for confirmation hearings.
Trump has issued a number of orders affecting the military. Here’s what they do
President Trump signed a number of new executive orders Monday night aimed at the U.S. military. Here is a breakdown of what he signed.
Neymar leaves Saudi team to return to his first soccer club in Brazil
Neymar struggled through physical injuries for most of his time in the Middle East, with a previous ACL rupture that kept him sidelined for a year.
The Louvre will be renovated and the ‘Mona Lisa’ will have her own room
French President Emmanuel Macron laid out an ambitious plan for a "reimagined, restored and expanded" Louvre. An art critic says Macron is aiming for another success after restoration of Notre Dame.
The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
Denver-based Boom Technology's XB-1 demonstrator plane hit Mach 1.122 — 750 mph. It's the first independently developed supersonic jet. The company is also working on a supersonic passenger airliner.
The Super Bowl could end in a ‘three-peat.’ Why that matters to a former NBA coach
Pat Riley, the current president and former head coach of the Miami Heat, owns half a dozen trademarks related to the word "three-peat." That could affect whether it appears on Super Bowl merch.
Birmingham’s new resilience chief looks to protect residents from climate change
“Fundamentally, to me, it's about survival,” says Sherry-Lea Bloodworth Botop, Birmingham’s new chief resilience and sustainability officer about fighting climate change.
Did you plan to buy a home — but found renting is cheaper? We want to hear from you
As mortgage rates and home prices have risen, the rent vs. buy calculation has changed. If you're renting when you'd planned to buy, tell us your story.
Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
The executive order speaks of transgender identity in sweeping and dismissive terms, and sets the stage for a policy that is more restrictive and punitive than the ban from Trump's first term.
DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a ‘Sputnik moment’ for AI?
Buzz around DeepSeek built into a wave of concern that hammered tech stocks on Monday.
Trump fires labor board officials, setting up legal fight
President Trump fired National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo. In an unprecedented move, he also ousted Democratic board member Gwynne Wilcox, leaving the board with no quorum.
A new book explains what the color blue can teach us about Black history
Imani Perry traces the history and symbolism of the color blue, from the indigo of the slave trade, to Coretta Scott King's wedding dress, to present day cobalt mining. Her new book is Black in Blues.
7 things about RFK Jr. you should know ahead of his Senate hearings
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has built his fortune and reputation on disparaging the government scientists and institutions he's now in line to lead as HHS secretary.
Not your average baby shark: An aquarium welcomes a pup from an all-female tank
Yoko the swell shark was born in a habitat of all-female sharks who hadn't seen a male in years. The aquarium has two possible explanations — and hopes to get confirmation in the coming months.
Trump memo to halt federal funds triggers confusion and constitutional questions
Washington is scrambling to interpret a new Trump administration memo that appears to halt funding for many programs. The impact of the short memo, released Monday, is causing widespread confusion.
5 economic papers that lit up our brains — and what they say about our confusing world
We at Planet Money are constantly reading the work of economists and other social scientists to glean ideas, evidence and insights about the economy, and, more generally, the confusing world around us. Welcome to the inaugural installment of the Planet Money Econ Roundup!
All the executive orders Trump has signed after 1 week in office
President Trump signed a slew of orders during his first week in office, impacting policy on immigration, the environment, federal diversity programs and more.
If confirmed as HHS secretary, RFK Jr. would have a vast global reach
As confirmation hearings begin for RFK Jr. nomination as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, many are focused on domestic agenda. The agency has a vast global scope as well.
Trump signs executive order taking aim at DEI programs in the military
Trump said the diversity programs discourage merit and leadership, and discriminate on the basis of race and sex. The directive was among a series of orders that seeks to reshape the U.S. military.
News for Trump: Denmark’s last envoy to Greenland says U.K. may have first dibs
Denmark's last minister for Greenland says Britain once claimed right of first refusal over the territory — because of its proximity to Canada, which Britain once ruled.
A museum’s confession: why we have looted objects
An exhibition at San Francisco's Asian Art Museum points to a burgeoning trend: museums are engaging the public more openly around efforts to repatriate artifacts looted from other countries.
Doctors opposing RFK Jr. rally in the lead-up to his confirmation
Many health professionals are lining up against Trump's pick for health secretary. They say his anti-vaccine views could cost lives. Some of his supporters embrace his stance.
