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The EPA is changing how it considers the costs and benefits of air pollution rules

Steam and pollution emerge from a coal-fired power plant in Wyoming. The Environmental Protection Agency under President Trump is taking a new approach to regulating air pollution. In a reversal from previous policy, the EPA will not put a dollar value on potential health benefits from regulations. Critics say that could make it easier to roll back regulations.

The EPA won't consider the economic costs of harms to human health, at least for now. Legal and health experts are concerned that the change could make it easier for the agency to roll back rules.

(Image credit: J. David Ake)

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Minnesota sues over Trump's ICE enforcement. And, SCOTUS hears trans athlete cases

A demonstrator displays a placard calling for President Trump to intervene in Iran during an anti-Iranian-government protest in Berlin, Germany, on Jan. 12.

Minnesota officials sued the Trump administration over unconstitutional ICE conduct. And, SCOTUS hears two cases on whether states can bar transgender athletes from women's sports.

(Image credit: John MacDougall)

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California fire victims say fighting with insurance companies has delayed rebuilding

An aerial view shows empty lots and new homes under construction in Altadena, California on January 5, 2026.

Wildfires last January destroyed communities around Los Angeles. Homeowners say recovery has been slowed by fights with insurers to get their claims paid.

(Image credit: Josh Edelson)

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'Fly, Wild Swans' is Jung Chang's painfully personal tribute to her mother

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A historian of modern China, Jung Chang turns the lens back on herself in her newest book to understand how she sees the world and why she writes about China today.

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What to know about Trump's ugly feud with the Federal Reserve

President Trump has been critical of cost overruns at the Federal Reserve

A Justice Department probe of the Federal Reserve marks the latest escalation in the Trump administration's effort to bend the independent central bank to the president's will.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)

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Trump administration to shutter an immigration court, adding to judges' backlog

People wait outside immigration court in October 2025 in San Francisco.

The planned closure of the San Francisco Immigration Court comes as immigration judges spent the last year facing pressure to move through their caseloads faster and streamline deportations.

(Image credit: Minh Connors)

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Trump heads to Detroit to give a speech refocusing on the American economy

President Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House on January 9, 2026 in Washington, DC.

The speech at the Detroit Economic Club comes after major foreign policy moves have overshadowed domestic policy.

(Image credit: Alex Wong)

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A conservative Supreme Court tackles the question of trans women in school sports

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The first case involves an Idaho student barred by state law from trying out for the track team; the second was brought by a West Virginia middle schooler barred by state law from competing.

(Image credit: Jose Luis Magana)

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People in Iran describe heavy security and some damage in first calls to outside world

Protesters march on a bridge in Tehran, Iran, on Dec. 29, 2025.

Iranians could call abroad on Tuesday for the first time since communications were halted during a crackdown on nationwide protests in which activists said at least 646 people have been killed.

(Image credit: AP)

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Pentagon is embracing Musk's Grok AI chatbot as it draws global outcry

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives for a classified briefing with senators on the situation in Venezuela, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that Elon Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot Grok will join Google's generative AI engine in operating inside the Pentagon network, as part of a broader push to feed as much of the military's data as possible into the developing technology.

(Image credit: J. Scott Applewhite)

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Offshore wind developer prevails in U.S. court as Trump calls wind farms 'losers'

Wind turbine bases, generators and blades sit at The Portsmouth Marine terminal that is the staging area for Dominion Energy Virginia, which is developing Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, on Dec. 22 in Portsmouth, Va.

A federal judge ruled Monday that work on a major offshore wind farm can resume, handing the industry at least a temporary victory as President Trump seeks to shut it down.

(Image credit: Steve Helber)

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Minnesota officials sue to block Trump's immigration crackdown as enforcement intensifies

Federal immigration officers get in a car as they prepare to deploy tear gas at a protest Monday in Minneapolis.

More than 2,000 federal immigration agents are in Minnesota, and that number is expected to increase. On Monday, an NPR reporter witnessed multiple instances where immigration agents drove around Minneapolis — and in parking lots of big box stores — and randomly questioned people about their immigration status.

(Image credit: John Locher)

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In photos: A week of protests against ICE

A large bird puppet crafted at In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre in Minneapolis is carried down Lake Street during a march demanding ICE

People across the country gathered to protest against ICE over the past week.

(Image credit: Ben Hovland/MPR)

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Elon Musk's X faces bans and investigations over nonconsensual bikini images

The UK communications regulator Ofcom launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk

After the social media app's AI chatbot started generating sexualized images of women and children, two countries have blocked it and several more have launched investigations.

(Image credit: Leon Neal)

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As birth rates tumble, some progressives say the Left needs to offer solutions

Many countries around the world including the US face aging and shrinking populations. Conservative groups have taken the lead talking about the issue. Some liberal thinkers say it's time to talk about the global population shift and offer progressive solutions

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Trump administration tells states to end 'orphan tax' on foster kids

Alex Adams, assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, during his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., on July 22, 2025.

There's a growing move to end what some call "the orphan tax" and stop states from taking benefit checks from children and youth in foster care.

(Image credit: Eric Lee/Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Flu shot recommendation for kids dropped just as the illness rages

A child receives an immunization at a Florida pediatrician

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dropped its advice that kids get an annual flu shot at a time when flu cases and hospitalizations are surging.

(Image credit: Joe Raedle)

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Trump calls for a 10% cap on credit card interest rates

Credit cards as seen Thursday, July 1, 2021, in Orlando, Fla.

With credit card interest rates near modern highs, President Trump says he wants to cap the rates for one year.

(Image credit: John Raoux)

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A judge orders HHS to restore children's health funding as a lawsuit continues

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services building is seen in 2009 in Washington.

The judge ordered the restoration of nearly $12 million in funding to the American Academy of Pediatrics, including money for rural health care and the identification of disabilities in children.

(Image credit: Alex Brandon)

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More federal agents head to Minnesota. And, U.S. Figure Skating announces Olympic team

A person in an inflatable frog suit holds a sign during a protest in Los Angeles on Jan.10 against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.

The Trump administration will send hundreds of additional federal agents to Minnesota. And, here are the figure skaters who will represent Team USA in the Olympics.

(Image credit: Etienne Laurent)

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DHS sending more agents to Minnesota as protests over Renee Good's death continue

The killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent sparked protests across Minneapolis. Federal authorities have taken over the investigation and say they're sending more Homeland Security agents to Minnesota.

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Who are the figure skaters representing Team USA? Key names and backstories to know

Amber Glenn, Evan Bates, Madison Chock and Ilia Malinin — pictured at national championships in St. Louis, Mo., in January — are among the 16 figure skaters representing the U.S. at the 2026 Olympics.

Sixteen U.S. figure skaters are competing in all four Olympic disciplines: men's, women's, pairs and ice dance. The team includes a mix of seasoned vets, world champions and rising stars.

(Image credit: Brian Munoz)

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How IVF has led to a record number of single moms in their 40s

Laura Terry lives in Nashville, Tenn., with her daughters Margaret, 2, and Eleanor, 4.

Who gets to be a parent has been reshaped by IVF: Single women in their 40s are increasingly opting to become moms.

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Exercise is as effective as medication in treating depression, study finds

Even light to moderate exercise can boost mood and reduce symptoms of depression.

New research shows exercise is as effective as medication at reducing symptoms of depression. And you don't need to run a marathon to see benefits. So how much is enough?

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Marrying for health insurance? The ACA cost crisis forces some drastic choices

Marrying a roommate for insurance? Some Americans are making big leaps to manage the cost of health care.

While Congress debates bringing back Affordable Care Act subsidies , many Americans have already made life-altering decisions to afford health care.

(Image credit: Anton Pentegov/iStockphoto)

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Venezuela begins releasing political prisoners, but hundreds remain behind bars

Relatives of prisoners hold candles during a vigil while waiting updates on the release of prisoners outside "El Rodeo" prison on Jan. 9, 2026 in Miranda, Venezuela.

Venezuela has freed a handful of detainees in what it calls a gesture of national unity. Rights groups say releases are slow and the country's repressive system remains in place.

(Image credit: Jesus Vargas)

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How to responsibly recycle your children's old toys

Now that the holiday gift-giving season is over, parents may be looking for ways to recycle or donate their children's old toys. Here's what you need to know about recycling responsibly.

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Celebrities wear pins protesting ICE at the Golden Globes

Mark Ruffalo, wearing a "Be Good" pin, arrives at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Some celebrities donned anti-ICE pins at the Golden Globes on Sunday in tribute to Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer last week in Minneapolis.

(Image credit: Jordan Strauss/AP)

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Malaysia, Indonesia become first to block Musk's Grok over AI deepfakes

FILE - Elon Musk listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the Oval Office of the White House, May 30, 2025, in Washington.

Malaysia and Indonesia have become the first countries to block Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk's xAI, after authorities said it was being misused to generate sexually explicit and non-consensual images.

(Image credit: Evan Vucci)

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Trump threatens 'strong' military action as Iran protest deaths rise

This frame grab from footage circulating on social media shows protesters dancing and cheering around a bonfire on Friday in Tehran, Iran. Protesters have taken to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown.

Hundreds of protesters have been killed in Iran, rights groups say, as President Trump threatened "strong" military action.

(Image credit: AP)

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