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7 key things to know about Trump's tariffs after the Supreme Court decision

The Port of Los Angeles is a major gateway to the U.S. for cargo coming from Asia.  But imports from China have dropped this year in response to President Trump

The Supreme Court ruled Friday that President Trump overstepped his authority in ordering double-digit tariffs on nearly everything the U.S. imports. Here's some of the economic context to understand that decision.

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Facing a mental health crisis, an NJ school pulled a beloved novel from English class

The school district removed Junot Díaz

Junot Díaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao was removed from an English class at the public school. PEN America says it's part of a trend of scrubbing literature dealing with uncomfortable topics.

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Supreme Court strikes down Trump's tariffs

The U.S. Supreme Court

The 6-3 ruling is a major blow to the president's signature economic policy.

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The economy slowed in the last 3 months of the year -- but was still solid in 2025

Consumer spending, including holiday spending, helped keep the U.S. economy growing during the final months of 2025.

The U.S. economy grew 2.2% in 2025, a modest slowdown from 2.4% the previous year. GDP gains were fueled by solid consumer spending and business investment.

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Ali Akbar, who's sold newspapers on the streets of Paris for 50 years, is now a knight

Ali Akbar sells newspapers in the Latin Quarter in Paris in September 2025. The Pakistani-born 73-year-old is believed to be the last remaining newspaper vendor in the French capital, and was awarded a knighthood by France

For decades, Ali Akbar has sold papers on the Left Bank of Paris. Last month, France gave the beloved 73-year-old immigrant from Pakistan one of its highest honors — and his neighborhood is cheering.

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For years the Taliban told women to cover up in public. Now they're cracking down

An Afghan woman, wearing a burqa, visits a hospital in Herat with her child. In early November, agents of the the ministry for the prevention of vice and promotion of virtue fanned out across Herat

At hospitals, at seminaries and on buses, the Taliban is stepping up enforcement of rules on women's dress in the city of Herat.

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U.S. military buildup near Iran reaches critical level. And, Trump's plans for Gaza

The Iranian pre-Islamic revolution of 1979 flag is seen near the U.S. Capitol during a march in support of the people of Iran by members of the American-Iranian community in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 14. The demonstration comes after the bloody crackdown on protesters last month, while President Trump has been massing warships in the Middle East.

The U.S. buildup in the Middle East has reached a critical mass that could put pressure on Iran in negotiations. And, Trump unveils big plans for Gaza during the first-ever Board of Peace meeting.

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What I learned watching every sport at the Winter Olympics

The Olympics are exhausting. Above, Taiwan

Sit down with pop culture critic Linda Holmes as she watches the 2026 Winter Games. She is exhausted by cross-country, says "ow ow ow" during moguls, and makes the case, once and for all, for curling.

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Scientists worry about lasting damage from Potomac sewage spill

Water samples are taken from the Potomac River in Maryland in January. A massive pipe that moves millions of gallons of sewage ruptured and sent wastewater flowing into the Potomac River northwest of Washington, D.C.

Drinking water around the District of Columbia hasn't been contaminated. But scientists say the environmental damage could be severe.

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'We were scared': Man recalls the night he nearly launched a nuclear missile

In 1974, Lt. Colonel Randall Lanning manned the launch controls that could deploy nuclear weapons in the event of a Soviet attack. He looks back at one night that's still etched in his memory.

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Using saliva to detect disease holds promise, but it's not perfected yet

Your saliva is "like a microbial fingerprint," says Purnima Kumar, a spokesperson for the American Dental Association. But it also changes if you take a sip of water or coffee.

Easier than a blood test, saliva tests have the potential to detect cavities, infections and even cancer. But a lack of insurance coverage and other obstacles stand in the way of wider use.

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What worked and what didn't with a cellphone ban at a Kentucky school

Madelyn Whitt (left) and Quani

Keeping students off their devices is the new norm in many schools. We talked to students and educators at one Kentucky school to see how it's working.

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Israeli settlers kill 19-year-old Palestinian American, officials and witnesses say

Mourners give condolences to Mohammad Abu Siyam, the father of Palestinian-American Nasrallah Abu Siyam, 19, who according to the Palestinian Health Ministry was shot by settlers on Wednesday night, during his funeral in the West Bank village of Mukhmas, east of Ramallah, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026.

Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank shot and killed a Palestinian American man during an attack on a village, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

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Trump says he doesn't know if aliens are real but directs government to release files on UFOs

President Donald Trump waves after stepping off Air Force One, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on return from a trip to Georgia.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he's directing the Pentagon and other government agencies to release files related to extraterrestrials and UFOs because of "tremendous interest."

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Trump warns of 'bad things' if Iran doesn't make a deal, as second U.S. carrier nears Mideast

This image provided Thursday Feb. 19, 2026 by the Iranian military and dated Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2025, shows navy ships conducting operations during a join drill by Iranian and Russian forces in the Indian Ocean.

Iran held annual military drills with Russia on Thursday as a second American aircraft carrier drew closer to the Middle East.

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Eric Dane, 'Grey's Anatomy' star and ALS awareness advocate, dies at 53

FILE - Eric Dane arrives at a promotional event for the series "Euphoria," in Los Angeles, April 20, 2022.

Eric Dane, the celebrated actor best known for his roles on "Grey's Anatomy" and "Euphoria" and who later in life became an advocate for ALS awareness, died Thursday. He was 53.

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Venezuela approves amnesty that may release of hundreds detained for political reasons

People who consider their detained family members to be political prisoners protest for their releases outside the United Nations office in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday Feb. 18, 2026.

Venezuela's acting president has signed into law an amnesty bill that could lead to the release of politicians, activists, lawyers and many others. The approval marks a stark turn for the nation.

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In a historic vote, Tennessee Volkswagen workers get their first union contract

Volkswagen assembly plant workers in Chattanooga, Tenn. and supporters celebrate the factory joining the United Auto Workers union on April 19, 2024.

Two years ago, the successful union drive at this plant was expected to spark victories throughout the South. But now, as members vote to make their contract official, momentum has fizzled.

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NASA chief blasts Boeing, space agency for failed Starliner astronaut mission

This view from the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft shows Boeing

NASA's Jared Isaacman slammed Boeing for failures with its Starliner spacecraft, which was deemed unsafe to return its crew of two astronauts from the International Space Station

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U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu said she didn't care if she medaled. She won gold

Team USA

Liu is the first American woman to win an individual figure skating gold medal since Sarah Hughes in 2002.

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Internal memo details cosmetic changes and facility repairs to Kennedy Center

A person walks a dog in front of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 10, 2026.

Trump announced his plans to close the Kennedy Center entirely for two years "for Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding." The announcement came after many prominent artists canceled existing scheduled appearances.

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Baby chicks link certain sounds with shapes, just like humans do

Baby chickens appear to react similarly to humans when tested for something called the "bouba-kiki effect," which links certain sounds to certain shapes.

A surprising new study shows that baby chickens react the same way that humans do when tested for something called the "bouba-kiki effect," which has been linked to the emergence of language.

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American Jordan Stolz speedskates to a third Olympic medal -- silver this time

Jordan Stolz took silver in the men

U.S. speedskater Jordan Stolz had a lot of hype accompanying him in these Winter Olympic Games. He's now got two gold medals, one silver, with one event to go.

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Reporter's notebook: My Olympic Lunar New Year

The exterior of Villa Necchi in Milan, a 1930s villa-turned-museum that South Korea has rented during the Olympics

An NPR reporter covering the Olympics in Milan takes us on cultural side quests, to a hospitality house and a candy store.

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Michael Pollan says AI may 'think' — but it will never be conscious

Michael Pollan is the author of <!-- raw HTML omitted -->A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness.<!-- raw HTML omitted -->

"Consciousness is under siege," says author Michael Pollan. His new book, A World Appears, explores consciousness on both a personal and technological level.

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The U.S. and Canada set to square off in Olympic women's ice hockey gold medal match

USA forward Abbey Murphy celebrates at the end of the women

Canada was long the top dog of Olympic women's hockey. But with a win Thursday, the Americans could do more than earn a third gold medal — they could prove the sport's balance of power has shifted.

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Amazon dethrones Walmart as the world's biggest company by sales

An Amazon Prime delivery van sits parked near a Walmart store in California.

In a slow-motion race of two retail behemoths, Amazon's trump card was its lucrative cloud-computing business.

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A Republican plan to overhaul voting is back. Here's what's new in the bill

People vote at a polling station in Pasadena, Calif., on Nov. 4, 2025.

A Republican voting overhaul is back on Capitol Hill — with an added photo identification provision and an altered name. Opponents say the legislation would disenfranchise millions of voters.

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'Dude, good luck': the Olympic wit and wisdom of a pioneering African skeleton racer

Ghana

Who says serious athletes are always serious? Akwasi Frimpong, who's competed for Ghana, is a world-class wisecracker as he reflects on being a Black African athlete in the white world of winter sports.

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HUD rule could push families with undocumented immigrants out of their homes

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development headquarters in Washington, D.C.  The agency wants to ban families with any undocumented member from federally subsidized housing.

A proposed rule could put nearly 80,000 people at risk of eviction, many of them U.S. citizen children. Undocumented immigrants don't get rental aid but can currently live with family members who do.

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