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From immigration to government spending, Hochul is picking her battles with Trump

Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., has tried to walk a fine political line in dealing with the Trump administration -- choosing her battles, with immigration possibly emerging as the big one to come.

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More Norwegian ski jumpers have been suspended due to a major cheating scandal

Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal of Team Norway is one of the athletes suspended on suspicion of illegal suit manipulation.

Team officials are accused of altering athletes' suits to enhance their aerodynamics. The suspension by International Ski and Snowboard Federation (IFS) follows last week's FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.

(Image credit: Lars Baron/Getty Images)

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Senate advances plan to avert shutdown, in vote that exposes Democratic rifts

A six-month spending bill advanced in the Senate after Democrats split on the bill. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Shumer, D-NY, announced Thursday that he would back the bill, creating an opportunity for others to follow and vote to avoid a shutdown, despite their own misgivings about the bill.

The Senate voted to advance a spending bill to fund the government through Sept. 30, narrowly avoiding a government shutdown. The vote exposed a deep rift among Democrats.

(Image credit: Kayla Bartkowski)

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What Happened to Syria's Lost Children?

A children

In Syria about a decade ago, while the Assad regime was focused on crushing an uprising that challenged its rule, it faced a problem. It had too many children in detention, who had been swept up when their mothers were arrested. An NPR investigation has found that hundreds of children were separated from family and placed in orphanages around Damascus by government intelligence agents. They ordered the orphanages to keep this a secret.

Now that the Assad regime has fallen, families are searching the Syrian capital for their missing children. We go to Damascus to learn more.

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Over 50 universities are under investigation as part of Trump's anti-DEI crackdown

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon arrives to President Trump

The schools under scrutiny include dozens of state schools and two Ivy Leagues. A number of private schools are also being targeted, including Georgetown, Rice, Vanderbilt, and New York University.

(Image credit: Tierney L. Cross)

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USPS head agrees to let DOGE find 'efficiencies' — with limits to employee data access

Louis DeJoy, the U.S. postmaster general, attends a 2022 event at the Postal Service headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The head of the U.S. Postal Service has agreed to allow Elon Musk's DOGE team to help find "further efficiencies" at the mail agency. But the agreement limits DOGE's access to USPS employee records.

(Image credit: Kevin Dietsch)

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NASA and SpaceX make second attempt this week to launch astronauts

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon spacecraft stands ready for a mission to the International Space Station on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

The arrival of the new crew will pave the way for the return of two astronauts who have been "stuck" on the station since June of last year.

(Image credit: Terry Renna/AP)

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A U.S. influencer outrages Australians by snatching a baby wombat from its mom

Wombats at the Hannover Zoo in Germany. Sam Jones, a self-described outdoor enthusiast with a large social media following, was widely criticized in Australia after briefly yanking a wombat joey away from its mother in the night.

Outdoor enthusiast Sam Jones left Australia after posting a video of herself separating a baby wombat from its mom on a dark road. Australians are cheering her departure and worrying about the animal.

(Image credit: Julian Stratenschulte)

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How the pandemic changed the world of disease control for worse -- and for better

Wastewater sampling plays an increasing role in identifying disease outbreaks. Above: Inspectors in Oakland, Calif., collect samples to send to labs that will try to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Five years after the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic, there has been progress — and backsliding in the way the world responds to infectious disease.

(Image credit: Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

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Vice President JD Vance gets booed at The Kennedy Center

Music director Gianandrea Noseda conducts The National Symphony Orchestra at The Kennedy Center on March 13, 2025.

Symphony orchestra audiences aren't known for their rowdiness, but the Vice President and Second Lady Usha Vance were loudly booed by the crowd as they entered the Concert Hall Thursday night.

(Image credit: Julian Thomas)

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FTC asks to delay Amazon trial over 'dire' resources, then quickly backtracks

The Federal Trade Commission building is seen in Washington, D.C.

The Federal Trade Commission is in a "dire resource situation," a federal lawyer said on a call about its major lawsuit against Amazon. Within hours, he retracted the claim.

(Image credit: Jose Luis Magana)

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Duterte is declared fit for ICC appearance as his lawyer alleges he was 'abducted'

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is seen on a screen with his lawyer Salvador Medialdea (left) in the courtroom during his first appearance before the International Criminal Court on charge of crimes against humanity over his deadly crackdown on narcotics, in The Hague on March 14.

The former Philippine president, accused of crimes against humanity over his deadly "war on drugs," spoke via video link in his initial appearance at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

(Image credit: PETER DEJONG/POOL)

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Photos: Across the U.S., sky gazers marvel at the blood moon lunar eclipse

A full lunar eclipse is seen during the Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse in Palm Springs, California, on Thursday.

As the moon moved through the shadow of the Earth, it was also being illuminated by light from the sun — causing the moon to appear as if dipped in a deep red hue in a stunning celestial sight.

(Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon)

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Hamas says it's willing to release the five American hostages in Gaza

Friends and relatives of Israeli hostages held captive since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, stand behind a banner bearing their portraits during a demonstration calling for action to secure their release in front of the Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv on Tuesday.

Hamas, the militant group the U.S. has labeled as terrorists, says it's willing to release the one living American hostage and bodies of four others it's held in Gaza since the 2023 attacks in Israel.

(Image credit: Jack Guez)

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Dorothy Thompson: The journalist who warned us about Hitler

Dorothy Thompson at the White House in Washington, D.C., following a visit with President Franklin D. Roosevelt in May 1940.

Dorothy Thompson saw the rise of Nazi Germany as a foreign correspondent in Berlin. A new series from Radio Diaries tells the story of Thompson's career as a radio broadcaster.

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The best and biggest games of 2025 so far

Split Fiction (from left), Monster Hunter Wilds and Avowed.

Game studios have cranked out surprising hits ranging from cooperative platformers to historical epics. NPR staff and contributors round up the latest from a promising 2025.

(Image credit: Hazelight Studios, Capcom, Obsidian Entertainment)

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Senate signal plans to avoid shutdown. And, Trump to visit DOJ

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 11: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks during a press conference following a policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on March 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Schumer answered a range of questions during the press conference. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Senate Democrats must choose between a government shutdown or a bill they hate, as the deadline to pass a spending bill looms.

(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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Are beef tallow fries any healthier? These nutritionists say don't kid yourself

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In a recent appearance on Fox News, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ate French fries cooked in beef tallow and mused that 'food is medicine.' Nutrition scientists are scratching their heads.

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When are March Madness brackets released? Here's what to know about Selection Sunday

Three top contenders for this year

The 68-team fields for the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments will be unveiled Sunday night, and the games begin next week.

(Image credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images; Ronald Martinez/Getty Images; Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

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NWSL preview: 5 questions that could shape women's soccer this season

The Orlando Pride and newly minted NWSL star Barbra Banda (left) turned in a dominant 2024 season. Now Hal Hershfelt (right) and the Washington Spirit are among the teams hoping to claim a championship in 2025.

Whether you're new to the National Women's Soccer League, or you've been a fan for its past 12 seasons, here's a preview of what you should watch out for when play kicks off this weekend.

(Image credit: Jamie Squire)

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North Dakota went big for Trump. Now many farmers say they face an uncertain future

Justin Sherlock transferring corn from a storage bin to a grain truck on his farm near Wimbledon, ND.

In North Dakota, many farmers are still recovering from the 2018 trade war and are now bracing for more losses as President Trump levies sweeping tariffs on everything from soybeans to pork.

(Image credit: Dan Koeck)

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Who's in, who's out and who is Billboard's Woman of the Year? Find out in the quiz

From left: She

If you've been paying attention to international politics, you'll get at least three — yes, THREE! — questions right this week!

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Trump takes birthright citizenship to the Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court

The president's contention that birthright citizenship is unconstitutional is considered a fringe view because the Supreme Court ruled to the contrary 127 years ago.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)

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COVID made shortages of doctors and nurses even worse. Rural hospitals still struggle

Keokuk County Hospital needs three physicians to staff its emergency room, but currently has just two. The hospital is seeking to hire a third full-time doctor to work in the ER and help treat patients at the 14-bed facility.

The U.S. already faced shortages in its health care workforce, then the pandemic spurred even more doctors and nurses to retire or leave hospital jobs. Filling those vacancies is a challenge.

(Image credit: Natalie Krebs)

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Trump says the U.S. is in a 'period of transition' — and more takeaways from this week

President Trump speaks to the press as he meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday.

This week, President Trump continued to threaten tariffs as DOGE continued its cuts of the federal workforce. It was another consequential and news-packed week in Trump's presidency.

(Image credit: Mandel Ngan)

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5 nature-inspired ways to bring joy and wonder into your life this spring

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Simple activities to help you better appreciate the birds, bees and flowers — and spend more time outside.

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Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump's pick to lead Medicare and Medicaid, gets his Senate hearing

Dr. Mehmet Oz, a cardio-thoracic surgeon, has been a daytime TV talk show host and a candidate for Senate. He

Dr. Mehmet Oz is set to appear before the Senate Finance committee Friday for his confirmation hearing to be the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

(Image credit: Leigh Vogel/Concordia Summit)

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Why CEOs are calm about tariffs in public — but 'very discouraged' in private

President Trump arrives at the Business Roundtable

Business leaders are trying to engage in a delicate diplomacy with the White House — even as their companies brace for the impact of market volatility and tariffs.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

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Big March storm system threatens U.S. with tornadoes, blizzards and wildfire risk

This satellite image from NOAA shows a March megastorm building across the United States on Thursday, March 13, 2025.

A storm system crossing the U.S. threatens to unleash tornadoes Friday in the Mississippi Valley, blizzards in the northern Plains and dry conditions in Texas and Oklahoma that pose a wildfire risk.

(Image credit: AP)

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Mexicans searching for missing relatives uncover possible mass killing site

This photo released by the Jalisco State Attorney General

Distraught families from across the country have already started reaching out about clothing items they say they recognize.

(Image credit: AP)

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