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As the U.S. bids adieu to the World Health Organization, California says hello

Gavin Newsom, governor of California, at the 2026 Davos gathering of political leaders, executives and celebrities. Newsom met with World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the event to talk about working together to monitor emerging public health threats.

In the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from WHO, California is the first state to participate in the agency's disease monitoring network. Are others following?

(Image credit: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg)

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CBP has a history of excessive force. Critics say they were unprepared for Minnesota

Border Patrol police disperse pepper spray at demonstrators, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)

Experts say federal immigration agents' skills are a dangerous mismatch for urban settings such as the Twin Cities

(Image credit: Jen Golbeck/AP)

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To keep AI out of her classroom, this high school English teacher went analog

Chanea Bond teaches composition and American literature classes at Southwest High School in the Fort Worth Independent School District in Texas. Bond has banned AI from her classroom; swapping computers for pencils and paper — lots of paper.

Forth Worth teacher Chanea Bond says sticking with pen and paper keeps generative artificial intelligence out of her American literature classes.

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Americans may love football, but did you know its origins are in medieval England?

In this Jan. 15, 1967, file photo, Green Bay Packers

"Football" is a word used to refer to different games: American football, the game played at the Super Bowl, where a foot is rarely used to direct the ball. And elsewhere in the world, football refers to what Americans call "soccer." But where does this word really come from?

(Image credit: AP)

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3 generations of women in one family show how choices on motherhood have changed

Caroline Brown (left) and Cynthia Briscoe Brown look at family photo album with their grandmother and mother Barbara Briscoe (seated) in Atlanta.

In one family, three generations of American women explore how choices around becoming mothers have changed at the same time the U.S. birth rate has dropped.

(Image credit: Nicole Buchanan for NPR)

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How bystander videos of law enforcement have shaped public understanding

Demonstrators record Seattle police officers during a march against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Seattle on Feb. 8, 2025. Bystander videos have become central to public understanding of many news events.

Bystander videos have shaped public perception for decades. The ability to now spread video widely can lead to real-time access and transparency, but experts say videos can't tell the full story.

(Image credit: Jason Redmond)

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The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules

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The rewrite was done to speed up the construction of a new generation of nuclear reactors. Critics warn it could compromise safety and public trust.

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Mexican president says her country has paused oil shipments to Cuba

A driver refuels others wait in a long line behind to fill up at a gas station in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the pause was part of general fluctuations in oil supplies and that it was a "sovereign decision" not made under pressure from the United States.

(Image credit: Ramon Espinosa)

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Spain will grant legal status to immigrants lacking authorization

FILE - Migrants sit together with their belongings after being evicted by police from an abandoned school where they had been living in Badalona, near Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025.

Spain's government announced Tuesday it will grant legal status to potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants living and working in the country without authorization.

(Image credit: Emilio Morenatti)

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It's the foundation of psychiatric diagnosis. And it's about to get a makeover

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The current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual is known as the DSM-5. What will the next version be called? That's one of several open questions as the "Bible of psychiatry" goes online.

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Rep. Ilhan Omar rushed on stage and sprayed with liquid at town hall event

A man is tackled after spraying an unknown substance at US Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) (L) during a town hall she was hosting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 27, 2026. (Photo by Octavio JONES / AFP via Getty Images)

Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar was speaking at a town hall event when she was rushed by a man who sprayed a liquid at her via a syringe.

(Image credit: OCTAVIO JONES/AFP via Getty Images)

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Internal review contradicts White House narrative of Pretti's death

A picture sits at a memorial to Alex Pretti on Jan. 25, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minn.

The preliminary assessment from Customs and Border Protection makes no mention of Alex Pretti attacking officers or threatening them with a weapon — as the administration first described the incident.

(Image credit: Scott Olson)

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NTSB blames 'deep' systemic failures for deadly midair collision near Washington D.C.

National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Jennifer Homendy briefs reporters on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. The NTSB released its investigative findings into the January 2025 midair collision of an American Airlines regional jet and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The collision killed all 67 aboard both aircraft.

After a yearlong investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board did not find a single cause for the deadly collision near Washington, D.C., but blamed the crash on multiple systemic failures.

(Image credit: Alex Wong)

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Bitter cold grips the eastern U.S. as storm deaths rise and power outages linger

Emma Teske shovels out her car following a winter storm that dumped more than a foot and a half of snow across the region on Tuesday in Haverhill, Mass.

Three Texas siblings who died in an icy pond are among several dozen deaths in U.S. states gripped by frigid cold. A massive storm dumped deep snow across more than 1,300 miles from Arkansas to New England.

(Image credit: Charles Krupa)

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Fourth graders ask whether kids or adults have it better as part of NPR challenge

Who's got it better in life, kids or adults? A group of fourth-graders in New Jersey did some serious reporting on this topic and sent us their findings as a part of NPR's Student Podcast Challenge.

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Italian officials voice outrage at the presence of U.S. ICE agents at the 2026 Olympics

Military personnel stand guard in Piazza Duomo ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games Milan, Italy, on Monday. Agents from ICE

U.S. Homeland Security agents provided security support at past Olympics. But after violence by ICE agents in Minneapolis, some Italian officials say an ICE unit is unwelcome in Milan Cortina.

(Image credit: Piero Cruciatti)

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Ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter joins those calling for boycott of World Cup in U.S.

In this June 1, 2011, file photo, Sepp Blatter gestures during a press conference in Zurich, Switzerland.

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter is backing a proposed fan boycott of World Cup matches in the United States because of the conduct of President Trump and his administration at home and abroad.

(Image credit: Michael Probst)

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A crackdown on immigration is leading to a sharp drop in U.S. population growth

Immigrants study for a U.S. citizenship exam in Connecticut. The Census Bureau says net immigration dropped sharply in the 12 months ending last June.

A sharp drop in net immigration has led to a slowdown in U.S. population growth. The Census Bureau says the population grew only about half as fast in the year ending last June as it did the previous year.

(Image credit: John Moore)

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'Fireworks' wins Caldecott, Newbery is awarded to 'All the Blues in the Sky'

<eFireworks, by Matthew Burgess and illustrated by Cátia Chien has won the Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children, and All the Blues in the Sky, written by Renée Watson has been awarded the Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature.'/>

The best books for children and young adults were awarded the country's top honors by the American Library Association on Monday.

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How did Tucker Carlson become one of the far right's most influential voices?

Tucker Carlson attends a meeting with President Donald Trump and oil executives in the East Room of the White House on Jan. 9, 2026.

Writer Jason Zengerle says Carlson had the foresight to see Trump's potential in 2015. Now he's someone the president "definitely listens to." Zengerle's new book is Hated by All the Right People.

(Image credit: Alex Brandon)

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Scientists shed new light on the brain's role in heart attack

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Researchers discovered a feedback loop between nerve cells, the immune system and the heart. They think it shows promise as a target for future therapies.

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Families of killed men file first U.S. federal lawsuit over drug boat strikes

President Trump speaks as U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth looks on during a meeting of his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House in December 2025.

The case filed in Massachusetts is the first lawsuit over the strikes to land in a U.S. federal court since the Trump administration launched a campaign to target vessels off the coast of Venezuela.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)

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Has sports betting become part of your daily routine? Tell us about it

A fan of the French soccer team watches an online sports betting app during the live broadcast of the Euro 2024 semi final, Spain vs France, on the terrace of a bar in Lyon, France, July 9, 2024. (Photo by Matthieu Delaty / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP) (Photo by MATTHIEU DELATY/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)

It's never been easier to bet on sports. And polls show the majority of American men are involved in sports betting. To learn more, we want to hear from you about your betting experiences.

(Image credit: Matthieu Delaty/Hans Lucas)

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A kids' guide to phone-free fun, from the author of 'The Anxious Generation'

Jonathan HaidtThe Amazing Generation, is a collaboration with science journalist Catherine Price and graphic novelist Cynthia Yuan Cheng.'/>

Jonathan Haidt's 2024 book made the case that screen time had "rewired" kids' brains. The Amazing Generation is a collab with science journalist Catherine Price and graphic novelist Cynthia Yuan Cheng.

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India and the EU clinch the 'mother of all deals' in a historic trade agreement

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (center) welcomes European Council President Antonio Costa (left) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen before their meeting in New Delhi, India, Tuesday.

India and the European Union have reached a free trade agreement, at a time when Washington targets them both with steep import tariffs, pushing major economies to seek alternate partnerships.

(Image credit: Manish Swarup)

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After rocky start, Bari Weiss to cut staff, add commentators at CBS News

New CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss arrived with a mandate to reshape the network

CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss came in with a mandate to reshape coverage. She is set to announce plans for newsroom cuts and the hiring of many new commentators.

(Image credit: Spencer Platt)

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Trump sends border czar to Minnesota. And, trial over social media addiction begins

U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, seen here in Minneapolis on Jan, 21, has been ordered to leave Minneapolis.

Border czar Tom Homan heads to Minnesota to replace Greg Bovino amid the immigration crackdown backlash. And a trial starts today to decide whether social media firms knowingly harm young users.

(Image credit: Roberto Schmidt)

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GLP-1 drugs don't work for everyone. But personalized obesity care in the future might

Injectable GLP-1 drugs have been a game-changer for many people with obesity. But as researchers discover why the medicines fail for others, they are gaining insights about the complexity of the condition.

As doctors learn why GLP-1s don't work for about 50% of people, they are also learning more about the complex drivers of obesity. They foresee a future of personalized obesity medicine similar to the way cancer is treated now.

(Image credit: Tatsiana Volkava)

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Meta, TikTok and YouTube are on trial over whether their apps hurt children

In this photo illustration, a teenager uses her mobile phone to access social media on Jan. 31, 2024, in New York City. A major trial starting Tuesday will determine whether social media companies intentionally designed their products to be addictive for children.

A trial kicking off in a Los Angeles courtroom marks the first time a jury will hear claims that social media companies knowingly hook young users and cause harm.

(Image credit: Spencer Platt)

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Reporter's Notebook: Living and reporting from Minneapolis in crisis

An observer is detained by ICE agents after they arrested two people from a residence in Minneapolis on Jan. 13.

In Minneapolis, disruption has become part of daily life for nearly everyone, including for NPR reporter Meg Anderson. Many residents are living in fear and uncertainty.

(Image credit: Stephen Maturen)

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