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China's Xi meets Taiwan opposition leader ahead of key summit with Trump

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, right shakes hands with Kuomintang (KMT) party leader Cheng Li-wun in Beijing on Friday, April 10, 2026.

Xi Jinping and the KMT's Cheng Li-wun agreed to pursue peace, but Taiwan's ruling party worries it will enable Beijing to undermine its democracy.

(Image credit: Xie Huanchi)

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Trump says Iran 'doing a very poor job' in reopening the Strait of Hormuz

First responders search under the rubble at the site of an Israeli airstrike in the village of Habbouch, southern Lebanon on April 10, 2026.

The fragile ceasefire agreement was tested again on Friday after Iran refused to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Israel and Hezbollah traded strikes in Lebanon, and Kuwait was attacked with drones.

(Image credit: ABBAS FAKIH)

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Communities are waiting on billions in disaster funding from the Trump administration

The 2021 Caldor fire was a wake-up call for California

States say disaster funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency has slowed to a trickle under the Trump administration. That's delaying projects to protect communities from wildfires and hurricanes.

(Image credit: JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)

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This week's quiz reveals a dramatic twist! OR DOES IT?

From left: Arsenio Hall, Stephen Colbert, Zendaya.

If you keep up with secret identities, you'll get at least one question right this week!

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Women are getting most of the new jobs. What's going on with men?

The Labor Department says the vast majority of new jobs created over the last year went to women, most of them in health care.

Over the past year, the vast majority of new jobs have gone to women. One economist says to help men find work, we need to embrace ways to "make girly jobs appeal to manly men."

(Image credit: melitas)

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There's growing disquiet in the military. The Iran war made it worse

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Since Trump began his second term, his administration's use of the armed forces has left a growing number in the military unsettled, according to NPR interviews with service members and advocates.

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Nations tried to impose a digital fog of war in Iran. The results are mixed

A satellite image of destroyed planes at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, Iran on March 7.

Governments are blocking the internet, banning social media posts and cutting access to commercial satellite images. But experts say that efforts to censor information have had mixed results.

(Image credit: Planet)

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Artemis II astronauts are set to return to Earth today. Here's what to expect

NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman looks at Earth through Orion

After swooping around the moon, viewing an eclipse, breaking an Apollo distance record and testing out a space toilet, NASA's Artemis II mission is about to return to Earth. Here's what the astronauts must face to make it safely home.

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Overwhelmed by kid clutter? Get organized with these 7 smart tips

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If your household is starting to look like one giant playroom, it might be time to declutter. Here's how to cut down on stress-inducing mess and decide what to keep, donate or let go.

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Republicans in Congress brace for a fight over the Iran war price tag

The U.S. Capitol is visible in the early morning hours on April 2, 2026.

In recent days, multiple GOP lawmakers have gone public with their concerns over the war -- a range of issues Republican leadership will have to address as they face the task of securing new funding.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)

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Morning news brief

Vance to serve as lead US negotiator in peace talks to end Iran war, Israel and Lebanon to hold ceasefire talks, NASA's Artemis II astronauts return to Earth Friday.

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Inflation expected to climb to highest level in 2 years

The federal government delivers a cost-of-living report Friday. A spike in gasoline prices triggered by the war with Iran is expected to push inflation to its highest level in nearly two years.

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Hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa dies at age 68

FILE - Hip hop DJ pioneer Afrika Bambaataa speaks at a news conference in New York on Feb. 28, 2006.

Afrika Bambaataa, a man widely considered one of the main pioneers of hip-hop, died in Pennsylvania of prostate cancer on Thursday, according to his lawyer.

(Image credit: Henny Ray Abrams)

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Well-timed bets on Polymarket tied to the Iran war draw calls for investigations from lawmakers

FILE - Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., listens during a House committee on homeland security hearing addressing threats to election security at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, July 20, 2022.

Calls are increasing inside Congress for investigations into the prediction market platform Polymarket after the latest instance where groups of anonymous traders made strategic, well-timed bets on a major geopolitical event hours before it occurred.

(Image credit: Amanda Andrade-Rhoades)

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Immigration board denies Mahmoud Khalil's appeal

FILE - Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil holds a news conference outside Federal Court, Oct. 21, 2025, in Philadelphia.

The Board of Immigration Appeals has denied Mahmoud Khalil's latest attempt to dismiss his deportation case. This decision brings the Palestinian activist one step closer to possible expulsion.

(Image credit: Matt Rourke)

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Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel tells NBC News that he will not step down

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel delivers a welcome speech to participants of the "Nuestra America," or Our America Convoy at the Convention Palace in Havana, Cuba, Friday, March 20, 2026.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has told NBC News' Meet the Press that he would not step down in his first interview with a U.S. network.

(Image credit: Adalberto Roque)

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Melania Trump denies close ties to Jeffrey Epstein in rare public statement

First lady Melania Trump listens as U.S. President Donald Trump (not pictured) delivers remarks during an Independence Day military family picnic on the South Lawn of the White House on July 04, 2025 in Washington, DC.

The first lady made a rare public statement on Thursday saying she was not friends with the late sex offender. She also said Epstein did not introduce her to President Donald Trump.

(Image credit: Samuel Corum)

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How an ancient resin traded for centuries got snarled up by the Iran war

Frankincense is harvested from Boswellia trees on the Arabian peninsula.  It

It's not just energy supplies that have been disrupted by the Iran war. It's also hitting frankincense, a commodity that's been defining trade routes in the Middle East for thousands of years.

(Image credit: Maha Loubaris)

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710,000 fewer babies were born last year in U.S. compared with two decades ago

File photo showing babies in a U.S. maternity ward. The fertility rate in the U.S. has dropped steadily. Last year, there were roughly 710,000 fewer children born in the U.S. compared with the peak in 2007.

The U.S. fertility rate continued its slide to historic levels, due to plunging teen pregnancies and far more women delaying motherhood into their 30s and 40s.

(Image credit: Seth Wenig)

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How a cheese sandwich at the Masters is still $1.50 in an era of price hikes

Concession stand sandwiches range from $1.50 to $3 at the Masters this year.

The priciest concessions at the Masters, beer and wine, cost just $6 each. The Georgia golf tournament prides itself on a simple and affordable menu, even as ticket prices continue to climb.

(Image credit: Andrew Redington)

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How bad for humans is wildlife trade? A new study has answers

This pangolin was confiscated from a smuggling ring that sold endangered animals to restaurants in China. Animals caught up in the wildlife trade pose a great risk of spillover diseases.

People sell wild animals for food and for traditional medicine — legally and illegally. A study looks at the risks of spillover diseases from those pangolins, giant rats and other exotic critters.

(Image credit: Jimin Lai/AFP)

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Artemis II astronauts have fitness lessons for everyone

The Artemis II crew — Christina Koch (left), Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman — have to share tight quarters aboard the Orion spacecraft on their way home. But even with limited space, they can still get a solid workout in — thanks to a very special piece of equipment.

The Artemis II astronauts don't have a lot of space to exercise. That's why they've got the flywheel — a small device that can be used for strength and cardio workouts.

(Image credit: NASA)

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This doctor turned a 31-foot RV into one of the country's only mobile OB-GYN clinics

Mary Fariba Afsari's book, Labor, is a portrait of reproductive healthcare in post-Dobbs America. Her book also is about her Iranian heritage and her grandmother's death from an illegal abortion.

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In the Trump era, everybody's talking about 'soft power.' But ... what is it exactly?

A protester carries a sign that equates foreign aid with soft power during a rally near the U.S. Capitol to protest the dismantling of USAID, the international agency charged with dispensing humanitarian aid around the world on behalf of the United States.

The U.S. government long saw giving international aid as a way to build goodwill throughout the world. Did it work? And what does the reducing of foreign aid mean for that effort now?

(Image credit: Ben de la Cruz/NPR)

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Iran-U.S. ceasefire off to a shaky start. And, Bill Gates to testify in Epstein probe

Workers clear rubble from the site of an Israeli airstrike the day before that targeted the Bir Hassan neighborhood in Beirut

Attacks persist across the Middle East despite the two-week ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran. And, Bill Gates is set to testify in the investigation of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

(Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

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Trump warns strikes will resume if Iran doesn't agree to his peace terms

First responders and residents gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut

President Trump said that any peace deal would not allow nuclear enrichment in Iran, and would need to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, as conflicting messages surface over the terms of the ceasefire.

(Image credit: Fadel Itani)

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Why high oil prices are good for oil companies — until they aren't

A pumping jack is visible at sunrise on Feb. 24, 2025, in Hobbs, New Mexico.

Yes, higher crude oil prices mean a multibillion-dollar cash infusion to the oil industry. But volatility is bad for business, and sustained high prices come with very serious drawbacks.

(Image credit: Julio Cortez)

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How to make a high-deductible health plan and HSA work for you

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If you chose a cheaper health plan, you may be stuck with some hefty medical bills until you meet your deductible. Here's how to get the most out of your plan and health savings account.

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Iran expert discusses whether the war has made the Iranian regime stronger

Iranians hold portraits of slain Iran

Iran expert Vali Nasr of Johns Hopkins University discusses whether the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran has made the Iranian regime stronger.

(Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

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Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Mount Everest, dies at 97

Jim Whittaker is interviewed for the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the First American Ascent of Mount Everest in Berkeley, Calif., Feb. 22, 2013.

The celebrated mountaineer, who also served as the first full-time employee of the outdoor retailer REI and later as its president and CEO, died Tuesday at his home in Port Townsend, Washington, his family said.

(Image credit: Jeff Chiu)

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