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A lawsuit tries to block the Trump administration’s efforts to merge personal data
A class action lawsuit argues that the administration's efforts to combine databases of personal information on Americans violates privacy laws and the Constitution.
Here’s what a shutdown means for Smithsonian museums, memorials and the zoo
History tells us visitors will likely find shuttered doors at major cultural institutions. But they will also find plenty of alternatives.
‘I can’t stop DJing,’ Mark Ronson says — never mind the back pain
Ronson's memoir, Night People, is a love letter to late-night 1990s New York City. Ronson would go on to produce music for Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga and other pop superstars.
Pasta meals from Trader Joe’s and Walmart may be linked to a deadly listeria outbreak
The USDA says the precooked pasta products, sold at Trader Joe's and Walmart, could be connected to a nationwide listeria outbreak that has killed four people and sickened at least 20 others.
Spotify’s Daniel Ek announces that he’ll step aside as CEO
The founder of the world's biggest music streaming service says he'll remain at the company as Executive Chairman, and will be replaced by two co-CEOs.
With ‘drug boat’ strikes, Trump leans into war on terror tactic against cartels
The administration's approach to drug cartels relies — at least in part — on a blueprint for military strikes that mirror those waged during the global war on terrorism after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Poll: Republicans get more of the blame than Democrats for a potential shutdown
As a government shutdown becomes more likely, a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll shows even though President Trump has a low approval rating, just 1 in 4 approve of how Democrats in Congress are doing.
New books this week: War, murder, and Lionel Richie
This week's notable book releases promise a veritable potpourri of death — and a celebration of life from one of America's most ubiquitous singers.
‘Like ice melting’: Journalists warn press freedom is in decline across Asia
China's jailing of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan highlights a deeper press freedom crisis across Asia.
Scientists create human eggs in the lab, using skin cells
Scientists created the eggs using DNA from adult skin cells, a step that could someday potentially lead to new ways to treat infertility and enable gay couples to have genetically related children.
Second detainee dies after shooting at Dallas ICE facility
Miguel Angel Garcia-Hernandez, 32, had been on life support after what authorities called a targeted act of violence toward federal immigration agents. He leaves behind four kids and his wife, pregnant with their fifth.
Energy Dept. tells employees not to use words including ‘climate change’ and ‘green’
The banned words list applies to all work done at the largest federal funder of clean energy technology.
Birmingham’s Bengali community breaks barriers with annual Durga Puja
Durga Puja is a Bengali celebration during the 9-day long Hindu festival of Navratri, which celebrates divine feminine energy in all forms. Across India, celebrations vary in scale, focus and tradition.
The UN mission appeals to the Taliban to restore internet access in Afghanistan
The outage was the first nationwide shutdown since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 and was part of their professed crackdown on immorality.
With therapy hard to get, people lean on AI for mental health. What are the risks?
People are using ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence apps to help them with emotional issues, but experts say they are not a substitute for therapy or companionship.
Germany thrived in the first China Shock. But the next one could prove catastrophic.
The export-led industrial model that Germany has pursued for decades is now at a crossroads.
Memphis and Portland, Ore. brace for troops. Why Chicago might be next
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said the Department of Homeland Security has requested for 100 military personnel to help protect ICE agents and facilities in his state.
5 takeaways from the U.S. ceasefire proposal for Israel and Hamas
The leaders of the U.S. and Israel say they have agreed to a broad plan that could end Israel's war in Gaza. But substantial uncertainties remain.
Here’s what a government shutdown could affect around the country
A federal shutdown will impact people across the United States. NPR's network of member stations explains how these effects will be felt nationwide.
Government to shut down after midnight barring last minute breakthrough in Congress
Democrats and Republicans have been unable to resolve an impasse over federal healthcare spending. The government will shutdown at the end of the day on Tuesday barring a last-minute breakthrough.
The MLB postseason begins Tuesday. Who should you root for to win a World Series?
Twelve teams will enter October, but only one team will leave (with a ring). You can root for the three franchises that have never won a title before … or you can pull for the Yankees or Dodgers.
Trump, Hegseth to headline a highly unusual gathering of top military officials
It is highly unusual to bring in military leaders from across the globe to one central location. The president said the meeting would discuss "esprit de corps."
EV sales surge in the U.S. ahead of Sept. 30 tax credit deadline
A $7,500 tax credit is available for the lease or purchase of many electric vehicles — but only if contracts are inked by midnight on Sept. 30. The result: The market for EVs is a little distorted.
As sports betting explodes, should states set more limits to stop gambling addiction?
With concerns about addiction rising, some advocates and lawmakers call for federal regulations on the gambling industry — but would settle for more state laws to help curb excessive betting.
With no guarantee of U.S. weapons, Ukraine races to make its own
President Trump is sounding more supportive of Ukraine. But he still isn't pledging military aid for the country. As a result, Ukraine is producing as many of its own weapons as it can.
Federal workers who took Trump’s buyout get final paychecks and an uncertain future
Federal workers who took the Trump administration's buyout offer come off the payroll at the end of September. Now some are confronting fear, regret and uncertainty as they figure out what's next.
‘We survived, we are resilient’: Remembering U.S. Indian boarding schools
Tuesday is Orange Shirt Day, when communities honor the survivors of U.S. Indian boarding schools and their descendants.
Rescuers run oxygen to survivors in Indonesia school building collapse
Rescuers ran oxygen and water to students trapped in the unstable concrete rubble of a collapsed school building in Indonesia, as they worked to free survivors Tuesday, a day after the structure fell.
YouTube agrees to pay Trump $24 million to settle lawsuit over Jan. 6 suspension
YouTube is the latest social media company to pay Trump tens of millions of dollars to resolve lawsuits brought before he returned to power. The money will fund a new ballroom at the White House.
From painting to producing: Birmingham DJ Andrea Really releases first album
Birmingham DJ Andrea Really wasn't always a music producer. She used to be a prolific painter. But when her art studio burned down in 2017, she pivoted careers. Really spoke with WBHM about that journey upon the release of her first album this summer, called Zeitgeist.
A year after Helene, a group of raft guides embarks on a river clean-up mission
A popular rafting river in the Appalachian mountains is still closed a year after Hurricane Helene, because there's just too much debris. Now, rafting guides have come together to help clean it up.
Lesotho’s Famo music: from shepherd songs to gang wars
In Lesotho, a style of traditional accordion music called Famo has become entangled with deadly gang rivalries. Once the soundtrack of shepherds and migrant workers, today it's linked to killings, government bans — and a fight over cultural identity.
