NPR News: Posts

NPR News

Peace talks in doubt as U.S. seizes Iranian ship

Commuters drive past a giant billboard referring to the

President Trump said a U.S. delegation will head to Pakistan to resume talks to end the war with Iran, but Tehran expressed reluctance after the U.S. seized one of its cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

(Image credit: Atta Kenare)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

A mine despoiled the beauty of the rainforest. This Goldman Prize winner took action

Theonila Roka Matbob of Papua New Guinea is one of this year

"We women are the land guardians and keepers," says Theonila Roka Matbob of Papua New Guinea, recognized for her efforts to repair the environmental and social harms caused by a copper and gold mine.

(Image credit: Goldman Environmental Prize)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

U.S. seizes Iranian cargo ship. And, tariff refund portal launches

The sun rises behind a tanker anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, on Saturday.

U.S. forces seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. And, an online government portal for processing tariff refunds launches today.

(Image credit: Asghar Besharati)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Who owns presidential records? Trump's Justice Department says it's him

A flag featuring Donald Trump waves amid a small group of his supporters near Mar-a-Lago in May 2024 in Palm Beach, Fla.

The Trump administration asserts a nearly 50-year-old law requiring the preservation of presidential records is unconstitutional. Historians warn important papers could be destroyed.

(Image credit: Alon Skuy)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Voters say they feel confused and misled on Virginia's redistricting vote

The groups on either side of the redistricting vote in Virginia have used images of former President Barack Obama and Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger on their mailers.

Contradictory election mailers, conflicting TV ads and vague wording on the ballot have Virginia voters saying that the campaigns on either side of the redistricting vote are muddying the waters.

(Image credit: Jahd Khalil)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

The Sonoran Desert teems with wildlife. These 3D scans could help protect its future

The RAF Exhibit Gallery hosts an immersive with mutliple screens showing FRAMERATE: Desert Pulse on April 14, 2026 at Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.

A new art exhibit in Phoenix features some of the world's prickliest plants. It could also help save them.

(Image credit: Caitlin O'Hara for NPR)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Data center disputes have been local. But the midterms might change that

A Meta data center in Ashburn, Va., in 2025. Virginia is the state with the most data centers.

Anger over the data center boom has spilled into politics with voters unseating local politicians who support them. It's become an issue hard to ignore in the midterm elections.

(Image credit: Lexi Critchett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Got wearable data? Your doctor can help you connect the dots

Patients can ask their doctors for help decoding their health data from their wearable devices.

The American Academy of Neurology issued guidance on using wearable data devices, like smart watches or Oura rings, to track key health metrics that can help flag serious conditions.

(Image credit: Natalia Lebedinskaia)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Spanish speakers learn strategies to pass English-only driving test in Florida

Johannes González, an instructor at Speedway Driving School in Hialeah, Florida, teaches Spanish-speaking students to memorize key words in order to pass the state

A new English-only driving test rule in Florida is fueling a surge in strategy lessons for Spanish speakers where they learn to figure out the questions without having to take English language courses.

(Image credit: David Ovalle)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Morning news brief

Trump announces planned Iran war peace talks, Tehran signals it may boycott negotiations amid ongoing U.S. naval pressure, businesses can now apply for Trump tariff refunds.

Continue Reading…

NPR News

A humanoid robot sprints past the human half-marathon world record in Beijing race

A robot starts off for the Beijing E-Town Half Marathon and Humanoid Half Marathon on the outskirts of Beijing on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

The winner from Honor, a Chinese smartphone maker, completed the race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, running faster than the human world record in a show of China's technological leaps.

(Image credit: Ng Han Guan)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

U.K police investigating if attacks in London are the work of Iranian proxies

Police officers patrol at a cordon near Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, a suburb of London, Sunday, April 19, 2026.

U.K. police said Sunday they are investigating whether a string of arson attacks on Jewish sites in London are the work of Iranian proxies, the latest of which caused minor damage on Saturday night.

(Image credit: Jamie Lashmar)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Communities launch cleanup after severe weather and tornadoes churn across Midwest

An aerial view shows damage from a tornado, on Saturday in Lena, Ill.

At least 66 tornado reports were submitted across multiple states on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

(Image credit: Scott Olson)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Will the DHS shutdown affect security for the World Cup?

The FIFA World Cup is a little over 50 days away. NPR's Rob Schmitz talks to former Department of Homeland Security official Juliette Kayyem about the security concerns people have about hosting the tournament in America in this moment.

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Eight children killed in a shooting in Louisiana, police say

The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport, Louisiana police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 people were shot.

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Photos: In this part of the world, nearly every chile pepper farmer is a woman

Rajeshwari, 44, grades the chiles she has picked in the fields. Her sharp eyes spot the pale white pods in the sea of red: "The ones with the rich red color are the best, but even though the paler ones are of poorer quality, we can still sell these at the market."

Chile peppers are a traditional part of Indian cuisine — and a key crop for women farmers. They say it's too demanding for men. "In spite of the challenges," says one, "we've found freedom."

(Image credit: Viraj Nayar for NPR)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

U.S.-Iran ceasefire expires this week with no deal in sight

The sun rises behind a tanker anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, Saturday, April 18, 2026.

After briefly reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has again closed the vital economic waterway, saying it will restrict ships from passing through as long as the U.S. continues its blockade.

(Image credit: Asghar Besharati)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Real estate investors are buying up long-term care facilities. Residents can suffer

Leslie Adams holds a photo of his mother, Shirley, who died after developing infected bedsores at a rehabilitation center, according to a lawsuit he filed. A court awarded the family $17 million, but they are still trying to collect it.

Real estate investment trusts are landlords for thousands of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals. Some select the managers and keep close watch but deny blame for bad care.

(Image credit: Taylor Glascock for KFF Health News)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

This tariff-refund portal is about to be America's hottest website

On Monday, the U.S. Customs portal will start accepting refund requests from businesses that paid President Trump

Exactly two months after the Supreme Court struck down most of President Trump's tariffs, the U.S. government has set Monday as the day when some companies can begin requesting refunds.

(Image credit: Nickolai Hammar)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

She no longer remembers it's her birthday. He got her a present anyway

undefined

A special day can be tinged with sorrow when your partner has dementia. But then he found the perfect gift.

Continue Reading…

NPR News

School choice is booming in Iowa. Are students better off?

Principal Condra Allred visits a third grade class at Cleveland Elementary School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in April. Soon, Allred expects to hear for certain if her school will close.

With school choice programs ascendant not just in Iowa but across the U.S., Cedar Rapids offers a preview of who wins and who loses when education meets the free market.

(Image credit: Cliff Jette for NPR)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

The Little Probe That Could: Why Voyager 1 Matters, and Why NASA Just Switched Part of It Off

FILE - This illustration provided by NASA depicts Voyager 1.

This week, NASA announced it had shut down one of that spacecraft's remaining science instruments — not because the mission has failed, but to keep it alive a little longer.

(Image credit: NASA)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward sea

FILE - In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, center, visits to observe the test launches of missiles at an undisclosed place in North Korea Sunday, April 12, 2026. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says the launches happened on Sunday morning from the North's eastern Sinpo area.

(Image credit: AP)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

US Coast Guard spots overturned vessel near Saipan during search for missing ship

A U.S. Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplane crew assigned to Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point flies over an overturned vessel offshore Saipan, Saturday, April 18, 2026, while searching for a missing vessel, the Mariana, that experienced an engine failure April 15.

The Mariana is a 145-foot dry cargo vessel registered in the U.S. It suffered engine failure Wednesday as a massive typhoon bore down on Saipan and nearby islands.

(Image credit: AP)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Life jacket worn by a passenger who survived the Titanic auctioned off for over $900,000

FILE - The Titanic leaves Southampton, England, April 10, 1912, on her maiden voyage.

A life jacket worn by a passenger on the RMS Titanic has sold at auction for 670,000 pounds, which is more than $900,000.

(Image credit: AP)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

A mass shooting in Ukraine's capital leaves 6 dead before police shot and killed the gunman

Police officers are seen at the site where a gunman killed at least six people in the streets before being shot dead by police, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 18, 2026.

A gunman has killed six people and injured at least 14 in a mass shooting in Ukraine's capital before he was shot and killed by police.

(Image credit: Dan Bashakov)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Trump signs order fast tracking review of psychedelics for mental health disorders

President Donald Trump holds up a signed executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on Saturday in Washington.

President endorses psilocybin and ibogaine: "Can I have some, please?"

(Image credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Photos: How overfishing in Southeast Asia is an ecological and human crisis

Various species of sharks — some of which are endangered, while others are listed as vulnerable — are hauled on shore at dawn at the Tanjung Luar port on June 9, 2025, in East Lombok, Indonesia. Tanjung Luar is one of the largest shark markets in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, from where shark fins are exported to other Asian markets — primarily Hong Kong and China — and their bones are used in cosmetic products also sold to China.

A rare look at one of the world's most critical and understudied environmental crises. Southeast Asia produces more than half of the world's fish, yet its waters are among the most depleted and contested.

(Image credit: Nicole Tung)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Opinion: Remembering Kevin Klose, former NPR president and broadcasting icon

Former NPR President Kevin Klose.

We remember Kevin Klose, former NPR president, who helped secure financial stability for the network while supporting and encouraging its journalism.

(Image credit: Jay Paul)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Tired of waiting for your EV to charge up? One Chinese company has a novel solution

An electric vehicle is seen at NIO battery swap station on March 9, 2025 in Yantai, Shandong Province of China.

Chinese car company NIO is putting up EV battery swapping stations all around the world. NPR took a ride in one car for the experience.

(Image credit: Tang Ke/VCG via Getty Images)

Continue Reading…