News

Supreme Court seems poised to further undercut the Voting Rights Act

The court's conservative majority could invalidate the section of the Voting Rights Act aimed at ensuring that minority voters are not shut out of the process of drawing new congressional district lines.

Hegseth orders troops to watch his speech decrying a ‘woke’ military

During the speech last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lectured senior military officials on the "warrior ethos," focusing on fitness and grooming standards, and calling out "fat generals."

The federal government is still shut down. Here’s what that means across the country

The federal government is currently shut down. The NPR Network is following the ways the government shutdown is affecting services across the country.

Argentina: The queen of bailanta

One of the most listened-to genres in the Americas, photographers and storytellers Karla Gachet and Ivan Kashinsky document cumbia in Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and the United States.

Democratic governors form a public health alliance in a rebuke of Trump

They're framing it as a way to share data and messages about threats, emergency preparedness and public health policy at a time when the federal government isn't doing its job in public health.

A celebration of the South’s rich — and messy — heritage, delivered on a plate

In a new cookbook, culinary historian Michael W. Twitty pays homage to the rich tapestry of cultures that have shaped Southern cuisine — and keeps a gimlet eye on the region's complicated history.

How Charlie Chaplin used his uncanny resemblance to Hitler to fight fascism

It's been 85 years since The Great Dictator first dazzled audiences in 1940. It was a big risk for one of the world's most popular performers to take a stand against fascism on film.

Photos: Ceasefire in Gaza brings reunions amid devastation

As the ceasefire began, Israel released more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages freed by Hamas. Amid the rubble in Gaza, families begin to find their way home.

Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to a temporary ceasefire after days of deadly clashes

Clashes in recent days have killed dozens of people on both sides of the border. Pakistan is grappling with militant attacks that have increased since 2021, when the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan.

Greetings from the Rhône Glacier, where a gash of pink highlights how it’s melting

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

Study: We’re losing the fight against drug-resistant infections faster we’d thought

Antimicrobial resistance is responsible for some 1.2 million deaths a year a year and contributes to millions more. Data in the new report shows that the problem is growing at an alarming rate.

A Supreme Court ruling on voting rights could boost Republicans’ redistricting efforts

A Supreme Court case over Louisiana's congressional map could determine the future of Voting Rights Act protections against racial discrimination and allow Republicans to draw 19 more House seats.

Raila Odinga, Kenya’s former Prime Minister, dies at 80

Raila Odinga — the towering figure of Kenyan politics who helped usher in multiparty democracy and a new constitution — has died in India at 80.

In rural America, scarce doctors battle misinformation as they practice medicine

Conspiracy theories about health fill a vacuum created by the lack of doctors in many rural communities. Meanwhile, doctors in these areas say patients have become increasingly distrustful and sometimes hostile.

Israel keeps Gaza border crossing closed while reducing aid deliveries

The ceasefire on Wednesday was largely holding, although Hamas described Israeli attacks in Gaza as violations of the agreement.

U.S. charges Cambodian tycoon in massive alleged cryptocurrency scam

In an indictment unsealed in federal court, U.S. prosecutors charge the founder of a Cambodian conglomerate in a massive cryptocurrency scam, bilking would-be investors out of billions of dollars.

Thousands of federal employees are getting laid off. Will a judge intervene?

Unions representing federal employees have asked a federal judge in San Francisco to halt the Trump administration's latest round of layoffs, which are coming amid the government shutdown.

‘Broadcasting’ has its roots in agriculture. Here’s how it made its way into media

The word 'broadcasting' dates back centuries, and originally described a method of sowing seeds. But it took on a new meaning with the rise of radio in the 1920s.

Supreme Court hears case that questions major plank of voting rights

The Supreme Court on Wednesday hears a case that could strike down the last major part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that remains standing.

Many rural schools rely on international teachers. Trump’s visa changes threaten that

The Trump administration announced a $100,000 fee to accompany each H1-B visa. The fine could wreak havoc on rural school districts that rely on them to bring in teachers.

Supreme Court rejects Alex Jones’ appeal of Sandy Hook shooting defamation judgment

The Supreme Court Tuesday rejected an appeal from Alex Jones and left in place the $1.4 billion judgment against him over his description of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting as a hoax.

Pennsylvania man pleads guilty in arson attack at governor’s mansion

Under a plea deal, Balmer was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison, far less than he could have faced if the case went to trial. He declined to address the judge about the crime.

With new cuts at CDC, some fear there’s ‘nobody to answer the phone’

More than 1,300 staffers at the health agency got notices they were fired — but more than half were reinstated. The cuts will hobble some divisions, employees say.

Trump awards the Medal of Freedom posthumously to Charlie Kirk

President Trump presented the award to Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, in the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday.

In new memoir, John T. Edge explores Southern identity and a troubled family history

Writer John T. Edge has spent much of his career telling stories about a changing American South filtered through the lens of food and culture. Now he's talking about his troubled family's history.

Afghan earthquake triggers contradictory Taliban tactics on rescuing women

The Taliban responded with contradictory stances in the effort to rescue women and girls who were wounded and left homeless. That's a reflection of tensions between hardliners and pragmatists.

Military seizes power in Madagascar following anti-government protests

The army in Madagascar seized power on Tuesday, days after the president fled the African island nation saying he feared for his life after several weeks of massive anti-government protests.

Questions remain about deceased Israeli hostages in Gaza

The tenuous ceasefire in the two-year Israel-Hamas war appears to be holding even as complex issues remained ahead.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills enters crowded Democratic race to unseat Susan Collins

Mills was reportedly recruited by Democratic Senate leaders after her high-profile confrontation with President Donald Trump in February, in which she told the president she'd "see you in court."

GOP ‘afraid to do anything’ unless Trump approves, says Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia says shutdown can end if Trump engages more earnestly in negotiations.

Data centers are booming. But there are big energy and environmental risks

How tech companies and government officials handle local impacts will shape the industry's future in the U.S.

Opinion: Why I’m handing in my Pentagon press pass

Tom Bowman has held his Pentagon press pass for 28 years. He says the Pentagon's new media policy makes it impossible to be a journalist, which means finding out what's really going on behind the scenes and not accepting wholesale what any government or administration says.