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Trump's speech is longest State of the Union address in recent history

President Donald Trump arrives to deliver his State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on February 24, 2026.

Speaking for more than an hour and 40 minutes, President Trump beat his previous record for longest speech given to a joint session of Congress.

(Image credit: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds)

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Who will — and won't — be guests at the State of the Union address

President Trump is seen during a visit to the Fort Bragg U.S. Army base earlier this month in Fort Bragg, N.C.

Invitees at Tuesday night's address by President Trump include the gold-medalist men's U.S. hockey team, while Democratic lawmakers have invited several Epstein survivors.

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Read NPR's annotated fact check of President Trump's State of the Union

President Trump gestures as he addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025.

As President Trump delivers his State of the Union address, reporters from across NPR's newsroom will fact check his speech and offer context.

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President Trump set to deliver first State of the Union address of his second term

President Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025.

Facing low approval ratings and ahead of midterm elections in November, President Trump delivers the first State of the Union address of his second term as president Tuesday night.

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U.S. House rejects aviation safety bill after Pentagon abruptly withdraws support

Family members of the people who were killed in the midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport listen during a news conference ahead of a vote on an aviation safety bill on Capitol Hill on Tuesday in Washington.

The House of Representatives narrowly rejected a bipartisan aviation safety bill that was spurred by the deadly midair collision near Washington, D.C. after the Pentagon abruptly withdrew its support.

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China and the US alter foreign aid strategies

China

China's foreign aid strategy has shifted in the last few decades and now its model may be the one the US is adopting as China moves away from it.

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Flavor Flav is among women's hockey team fans outraged by presidential snub

American rapper and television personality Flavor Flav watches on during the Women

The rapper, who also serves as the official "hype man" for multiple U.S. Olympic teams, invited the female hockey players to Las Vegas for a "real celebration."

(Image credit: Andrew Milligan)

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Hegseth threatens to cancel Anthropic's $200 million contract over "woke AI" concerns

A 2011 file photo of the Pentagon, the headquarters of the Department of Defense.

The company's Claude chatbot is one of the few AI systems cleared for use in classified settings. But a standoff between Anthropic and the Trump administration is putting its government work at risk.

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Listen to NPR live coverage of the State of the Union

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President Trump will address the nation Tuesday night to outline his vision and priorities for his administration's second year. Listen to NPR's live special coverage of the speech and the Democratic response.

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The director of Paris' Louvre Museum has resigned in the wake of a major jewel heist

Laurence des Cars, director of the Louvre Museum, is photographed before a hearing of the Senate culture committee, three days after jewels were stolen in a daring daylight heist, in Paris, Oct. 22, 2025.

The French president's office said it had accepted the resignation of Laurence des Cars, who has come under fire since the stunning heist of crown jewels in October.

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Where patients live matters for access to gene therapy

Dustin Vidrine stands outside his house in Lafayette, La.

Gene therapies have the potential to cure some diseases, but they are extraordinarily expensive. Location can also be a big hurdle for patients seeking this specialized care.

(Image credit: Annie Flanagan for NPR)

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DOJ hides Trump-related Epstein files. And, what to know for the State of the Union

This photo illustration shows redacted documents from the Epstein Library files released by the US Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., on Feb.18, 2026.

An NPR investigation found that the DOJ withheld some Epstein files related to abuse allegations against Trump. And, what you need to know ahead of the president's State of the Union address tonight.

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Democrats tap Spanberger and Padilla to respond to State of the Union

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger speaks after being sworn into office at the Virginia State Capitol on Jan. 17 in Richmond. Spanberger is the first woman elected to the Commonwealth of Virginia

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver Democrats' response on Tuesday following President Trump's State of the Union address.

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Is the YIMBY movement doomed?

Construction workers build new houses

For decades, rising home prices have been an engine for middle-class wealth. Now a growing movement wants to slow — or even reverse — that trend. Are the politics around new housing development inherently stacked against them?

(Image credit: Matt Cardy)

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A U.S. veteran adopted an orphan from Iran. Decades later, ICE is trying to deport her

An adoptee brought to the United States by her American parents from Iran as a young child stands for a portrait in California on Feb. 21.

The woman has no criminal record and is unsure what prompted the threat of removal. She fears being deported to Iran given her father's military service and her Christian faith.

(Image credit: Stella Kalinina for NPR)

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What you need to know about tonight's State of the Union address

U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 04, 2025 in Washington, DC.

The primetime address is a chance for the president to tout his record ahead of this year's midterm elections. But it comes at a moment when Trump has seen his agenda complicated on multiple fronts.

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What you need to know as Russia's full-scale war on Ukraine enters its 5th year

A woman with a bouquet of flowers walks past a high-rise residential building heavily damaged by a Russian drone strike in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 25, 2025.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago, and the fighting continues. Here's a look at where the war stands today.

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'Fear of Flying Clinic' helps anxious travelers back into the skies

Participants in the Fear of Flying Clinic walk up the boarding stairs and into a 787 as part of a four-day course to help ease their anxiety around air travel. Getting exposed to the sights and sounds of airplanes is one piece of that training.

For 50 years, a San Francisco-based group has created a space where fearful flyers can get supported exposure to air travel.

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Justice Department withheld and removed some Epstein files related to Trump

An NPR investigation finds the Justice Department has removed or withheld Epstein files related to President Trump.

An NPR investigation finds the public database of Epstein files is missing dozens of pages related to sexual abuse accusations against President Trump.

(Image credit: Department of Justice and Getty Images/Collage by Danielle A. Scruggs/NPR)

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These small business owners are owed tariff refunds. Will they ever get them?

ASM Games, based in California, makes family card games such as "Do you really know your family." Its owner Alfred Mai has paid tens of thousands of dollars in tariffs that were struck down by the Supreme Court.

Anyone who paid the taxes should get reimbursed, but the high court did not address how. Business owners wonder if they'll need lawyers, brokers, money — or luck.

(Image credit: ASM Games)

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Why Gavin Newsom refuses to be a "bystander" in this political moment

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What does the Democratic leader see for himself in the years to come?

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Morning news brief

Trump to deliver first State of the Union address of his second term, what's next for Mexico after killing of cartel leader, NPR investigation finds DOJ withheld some Epstein files related to Trump.

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FBI director invites fresh scrutiny over travels with appearance at US men's hockey team celebration

FILE - FBI director Kash Patel arrives before President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington.

When the American men's hockey team retreated to their locker room to celebrate their Winter Olympics gold medal win, they were joined by a special guest from the United States: FBI Director Kash Patel.

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France moves to bar US Ambassador Charles Kushner from direct government access

FILE - U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner gives a news conference marking the 250th birthday of the U.S. in 2026, in Paris, Dec. 4, 2025.

France's top diplomat has requested that U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner no longer be allowed direct access to members of the French government. Kushner skipped a meeting Monday to discuss comments by the Trump administration over the beating death of a far-right activist.

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GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales faces pressure from party over affair allegations

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, is seen here at a news conference on border security outside of the U.S. Capitol Building on November 14, 2023.

The Texas Republican is facing calls from fellow House Republicans to resign, following allegations of an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.

(Image credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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In pictures: Winter storm slams the east coast

A collection of snow sport enthusiasts brave blowing snow and 20-degree temperatures to ski Horsebarn Hill in Mansfield, Ct. on Monday afternoon as the snow squalls pass from a storm that dropped more than a foot of snow across the state  on Feb. 23.

Photos of cities in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts as they cope with a powerful winter storm.

(Image credit: Mark Mirko)

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The FDA creates a quicker path for gene therapies

The Food and Drug Administration will consider approving treatments for rare diseases based on evidence they have a plausible mechanism.

The Food and Drug Administration aims to evaluate treatments for rare diseases based on plausible evidence that they would work — without requiring a clinical trial first.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)

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BAFTAs apologize after guest with Tourette syndrome uses racial slur during ceremony

John Davidson attends the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards on February 22, 2026 in London, England.

A man with Tourette syndrome shouted a racial slur and other offensive remarks during the BAFTA awards ceremony Sunday. The BBC did not edit out his outbursts in its delayed broadcast.

(Image credit: Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images)

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'Everything was in pieces:' Lindsey Vonn describes grueling surgery on broken leg

Lindsey Vonn of Team USA was rescued by helicopter after she crashed during the Women

In a recent video, the Olympic skier credits her surgeon with saving her leg from potential amputation.

(Image credit: Al Bello/Getty Images Europe)

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A new lawsuit alleges DHS illegally tracked and intimidated observers

An observer films ICE agents this month in Minneapolis. A new lawsuit alleges federal agents are unconstitutionally retaliating against people who are lawfully observing and recording federal immigration enforcement operations by gathering their personal information and labeling them as domestic terrorists

Observers watching federal immigration enforcement in Maine who were told by agents they were "domestic terrorists" and would be added to a "database" or "watchlist" are now part of a new federal class action lawsuit.

(Image credit: Stephen Maturen)

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