NPR News: Posts

NPR News

A deadly standoff in 1992 changed federal use-of-force rules. Here's why it matters

A makeshift memorial for Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer on Jan. 7, is seen on Jan. 20, in Minneapolis.

An encounter with white separatists decades ago led to new deadly force policies for some federal law enforcement. Minneapolis is raising questions about whether it's again time to revisit the issue.

(Image credit: Angelina Katsanis)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Trump administration's defense strategy tells allies to handle their own security

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at Mar-a-Lago, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Palm Beach, Fla.

The Pentagon released a priority-shifting National Defense Strategy late Friday that chastised U.S. allies to take control of their own security and reasserted the Trump administration's focus on dominance in the Western Hemisphere above a longtime goal of countering China.

(Image credit: Alex Brandon)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Minnesotans turn out in the frigid cold to protest Trump's immigration crackdown

People march during an "ICE Out" day of protest on January 23, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Minnesota residents took to the streets of downtown Minneapolis to protest the federal government's immigration campaign in the state, after weeks of sustained resistance in their communities. Businesses across the region closed in solidarity.

(Image credit: Erin Trieb for NPR)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Trump expands policy banning aid to groups abroad that discuss or provide abortions

A 19-year-old woman talks with nurse Valeria Zafisoa at a traveling contraception clinic in eastern Madagascar run by the British nonprofit group MSI Reproductive Choices. That group lost $15 million in funding the last time Trump enforced the Mexico City policy.

In addition to adding to the list of groups that will lose funding for providing or discussing abortion, the policy now also calls for ending aid to groups that embrace DEI.

(Image credit: Samantha Reinders for NPR)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

At Davos, U.S. allies question a fraying world order

President Trump speaks during a reception for business leaders at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday.

It was a volatile week for trans-Atlantic relations, marked by President Trump statements that unsettled global markets and strained ties with U.S. allies — on topics ranging from Greenland to Gaza.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

'Get warm, get safe and stay there,' officials warn as massive storm bears down on U.S.

This graphic from the National Weather Service shows the minimum wind chill temperatures expected from Jan. 22 through Jan. 26 across much of the U.S.

Forecasters say the storm will dump heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain from the Southern Rockies into New England through Monday.

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Gladys West, mathematician whose work paved the way for GPS, dies at 95

Gladys West went from a one-room schoolhouse in rural Virginia to college and to working on planetary motions and modeling. "I really did like geometry," she said of her high school years. "I fell in love with that."

A self-described "little farm girl" in the Jim Crow Era, Gladys West's complex and pioneering work for the U.S. Navy helped to improve billions of lives — and keep us from getting lost.

Continue Reading…

NPR News

A Canadian Olympic snowboarder turned alleged drug kingpin is arrested in Mexico

An image of former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, who was a fugitive and had been charged with allegedly running and participating in a transnational drug trafficking operation, is displayed on a video monitor along with bricks of cocaine, foreground, during an October 2024 news conference at the FBI offices in Los Angeles.

Ryan Wedding was among the FBI's top fugitives and faces charges related to drug trafficking and the killing of a federal witness. He reportedly turned himself in at the U.S. embassy in Mexico

(Image credit: Damian Dovarganes)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Weather influencers are going viral. How much should we trust them?

Snow falls on an empty parking lot outside a supermarket in December in Northvale, N.J. Social media weather forecasters span a wide range of reliability — from amateurs with no science background to accredited meteorologists.

The weather genre online spans a wide range of sources. Experts say that while weather influencers can help fill an information gap, social media platforms tend to prioritize likes over accuracy.

(Image credit: Kena Betancur)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Vietnam leader To Lam consolidates power as country targets 10% growth

Vietnam

Lam, 68, pledged to accelerate economic growth and was reappointed unanimously by the 180-member Central Committee at the conclusion of the National Party Congress.

(Image credit: Hoang Thong Nhat/AP)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Millions of Americans brace for winter storm. And, Zelenskyy's warning for Europe

A customer shops at Walmart on January 22 in Little Rock, Ark. A massive winter storm is expected to bring frigid temperatures, ice, and snow to millions of Americans across the nation.

Millions of Americans are bracing for a massive, life-threatening winter storm this weekend. And, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy delivers a stark message to Europe at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

(Image credit: Will Newton)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

How cuts to federal climate funds could threaten polar vortex research

A Nashville Department of Transportation truck applies salt brine to a roadway Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the central and eastern United States over the weekend.

Tens of millions of people are in the path of a major winter storm. Federal cuts threaten efforts to understand the causes of such weather.

(Image credit: George Walker IV)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Who's Board of Peace and who's bored of peace? The quiz knows — do you?

From left: A Beckham scion, a second lady and a first-time Oscar nominee.

Plus: The Oscars, tool-using animals, Nobel drama and more.

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Trump administration admits even more ways DOGE accessed sensitive personal data

A sign in front of the entrance of the Security Administration

New court documents reveal even more ways DOGE improperly accessed and shared sensitive personal data last year — and how that data appears to have been used to advance dubious fraud claims.

(Image credit: Kayla Bartkowski)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

How Minnesota became the center of a political crisis

Vice President JD Vance gave remarks while standing in front of ICE agents following a roundtable discussion with local leaders and community members amid a surge of federal immigration authorities in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In the days leading up to Renee Macklin Good's death, the political situation in Minneapolis had turned combustible. Her shooting has exposed how colliding forces set the stage for the ongoing crisis.

(Image credit: Pool)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Trump pushes his power to new heights with help from loyal lieutenants

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters at the White House .

As President Trump finishes the first year of his second term, it is clear there are fewer guardrails than last time.

(Image credit: Alex Brandon)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Ice may be more hazardous than snow this weekend. What to expect and how to prepare.

Freezing rain and ice expected with this weekend

A major winter storm is expected to impact more than 200 million people in United States this weekend. Freezing rain and ice is a particular concern.

(Image credit: Rick Loomis)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

How President Trump has challenged a constitutional foundation

undefined

In his first year back in the White House, President Trump has presided over a sweeping expansion of executive power while eroding democratic norms.

Continue Reading…

NPR News

'Pain, betrayal, sadness': Danish veterans describe shock of Trump admin rhetoric

The Memorial for Denmark

Danish veterans say the rhetoric from the Trump administration has been painful. They describe feeling betrayed and abandoned by an ally after standing shoulder to shoulder with American soldiers.

(Image credit: IDA MARIE ODGAARD/Ritzau Scanpix)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Morning news brief

Statewide economic blackout against ICE to be held in Minnesota Friday, Zelenskyy gives scorching critique of Europe in Davos speech, millions of Americans prepare for massive winter storm.

Continue Reading…

NPR News

'A symbol of safeness': How the West Hollywood sign showed a man where he belonged

A man remembers how the West Hollywood sign showed him the way to where he belonged.

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Venezuela opens debate on an oil sector overhaul as Trump seeks role for US firms

Flames rise from flare stacks at the Amuay refinery in Los Taques, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.

Venezuela's legislature advanced a bill on Thursday to loosen state control over the country's vast oil sector, the first major overhaul since parts of the industry were nationalized in 2007.

(Image credit: Matias Delacroix)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

TikTok finalizes deal to form new American entity

The icon for the TikTok video sharing app is seen on a smartphone in Marple Township, Pa., Feb. 28, 2023.

TikTok has finalized a deal to create a new American entity, avoiding the looming threat of a ban in the United States that has been in discussion for years.

(Image credit: Matt Slocum)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Republican-led House blocks effort to limit President Trump's war powers in Venezuela

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks alongside Republican Conference Chair Representative Lisa McClain, R-Mich., and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on January 21, 2026.

Two Republicans joined Democrats to vote for the war powers resolution, but the motion failed in a 215-215 vote.

(Image credit: SAUL LOEB)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

House approves spending bills despite many Democrats' objections to ICE funds

The House voted to approve a set of spending bills that would prevent a government shutdown. The Senate still needs to vote on the measure.

The House has approved the final set of spending bills to avoid a government shutdown, despite objections from Democrats to the funding levels set for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

(Image credit: Zayrha Rodriguez)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

3 people involved in Minnesota church protest arrested; judge rejects charges against journalist

Nekima Levy Armstrong holds up her fist after speaking at an anti-ICE rally for Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 19 in St. Paul, Minn.

Protesters on Sunday entered the Cities Church in St. Paul, where a local official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement serves as a pastor. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrest of protester Nekima Levy Armstrong and others on X.

(Image credit: Angelina Katsanis)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Trump sues JPMorgan Chase and CEO Jamie Dimon for $5B over alleged 'debanking'

Trump sued JPMorgan Chase and CEO Jamie Dimon (pictured) for a least $5 billion, alleging his accounts at the country

The lawsuit escalates a series of confrontations between the president and the leader of the country's biggest bank.

(Image credit: Win McNamee)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Heart disease deaths declined. And here's how to reduce your risk of the #1 killer

Green, open spaces within urban environments, like Central Park in New York City, pictured here, can help people exercise more, which is one of the ways to prevent heart disease.

An annual report from the American Heart Association shows deaths from heart disease and stroke are down, encouraging news after the rate went up in the early years of the pandemic.

(Image credit: Kena Betancur)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

Trump signs Board of Peace charter at Davos as allies split on Gaza plan

President Trump holds up his signature on the founding charter during a signing ceremony for the Board of Peace at the World Economic Forum on Thursday in Davos, Switzerland. The final makeup of the board has not been confirmed.

The signing ceremony marked the most concrete step yet in Trump's effort to establish the board, whose final composition has yet to be confirmed.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)

Continue Reading…

NPR News

A large Syrian camp for ISIS families faces an uncertain fate after a security handover

Women and children, relatives of suspected Islamic State fighters, sit near a wall inside al-Hol camp in the desert region of Syria

Security at the biggest ISIS detention camp in Syria has collapsed as Syrian Kurds withdraw to face advancing government forces.

(Image credit: Omar Haj Kadour)

Continue Reading…