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Trump pushes Russia-Ukraine peace deal. And, NPR's glimpse inside liberated Khartoum

A Ukrainian woman looks at rescuers as they try to pull her out from under the rubble of a building after a Russian military strike on Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday. The strike occurred at 1 a.m., when most people were asleep. So far, nine people have been confirmed dead and more than 70 injured. The rescue operation is ongoing.

Russia launched a deadly strike on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Trump says he wants peace quickly. And, NPR looks inside Sudan's capital city of Khartoum after two years of war.

(Image credit: Anton Shtuka for NPR)

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Damage from gut bacteria may play a role in the rise in colon cancer in young adults

Escherichia coli or E. coli is a part of family of bacteria that are commonly found in the human gut. Scientists found that a toxin the bacteria release is linked to some cases of colorectal cancer.

Scientists have a new clue in the mystery of why younger people are getting more colon cancer. It may have to do with a toxin produced by a common gut microbe.

(Image credit: Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Libra)

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New analysis casts doubt on 'biosignatures' found on planet K2-18b

Scientists are debating whether data from the James Webb Space Telescope is really pointing to biosignature gases in the atmosphere of planet K2-18b.

Researchers using data from the James Webb Space Telescope recently announced they had detected biosignature gases on planet K2-18b. A new analysis of the same data casts doubt on the earlier findings

(Image credit: Adriana M. Gutierrez (CI Lab)
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Dear Life Kit: I'm not sure about her sexuality. Should I try to kiss her anyway?

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An NPR listener writes: "We've briefly discussed sexuality, but I have no idea how fluid she may be, if at all. " Plus: A woman wants to marry her partner, but his family constantly belittles her. Is the relationship doomed?

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They say they want Americans to have more babies. What's beneath the surface?

Pronatalists believe that modern culture has failed to adequately prioritize the value of nuclear families and making lots of babies. They see powerful potential allies in Elon Musk and JD Vance.

Pronatalists believe that modern culture has failed to adequately prioritize the value of nuclear families and making lots of babies. They see powerful potential allies in Elon Musk and JD Vance.

(Image credit: Jess Suttner for NPR)

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5 takeaways from the week — from a softer approach on trade to Hegseth in hot water

During impromptu remarks to reporters outside the White House on April 23, President Trump said the U.S. will "have a fair deal with China." 

After much volatility because of Trump's trade war, the stock markets responded positively to a softened tone toward both China and the Fed chair. This, plus four more takeaways from this week.

(Image credit: Samuel Corum/Sipa)

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Are you eligible to be the next pope? Find out in the quiz

From left: Zoe Saldaña

If you've paid attention to pope selection, COVID websites, national defense and libel cases, you'll do great this week!

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A moose trek across Sweden pulls in millions of viewers looking for 'Slow TV'

This undated photo, issued by SVT, shows Moose in Junsele, Sweden, during preparations for the livestream

Last year, more than 9 million people watched across the world, and executive producer Johan Erhag said he expects viewership will be even higher this year.

(Image credit: AP)

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The U.S. takes a step towards allowing mining on the ocean floor, a fragile ecosystem

Nodules containing valuable metals can be found scattered across the seabed in some parts of the ocean. Here, manganese nodules found off the Southeastern U.S. in 2019.

President Trump signed an order Thursday aimed at making it easier for companies to mine the ocean floor. Scientists and environmental groups say it could harm a fragile ecosystem.

(Image credit: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research)

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Scientists say NOAA cuts by Trump undermine improvements in hurricane forecasts

A flooded street with debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, in Siesta Key, Fla., on October 10, 2024. The monster weather system sent tornadoes spinning across the state and flooded swaths of the Tampa Bay area after the storm rapidly intensified to a top-of-scale category 5 major hurricane.

The Trump administration is targeting top climate and weather labs for cuts. Insiders worry about the impact on research and NOAA's ability to forecast severe weather like hurricanes and tornadoes.

(Image credit: Chandan Khanna)

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Trump wants to change the way the White House handles government regulations

A new Trump executive order remakes the way the White House handles government regulations. NPR's Planet Money tries to make sense of what this new idea will mean.

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Man adjusts to life after surviving a bear attack that blinded him

Dan Bigley was on a fishing trip in Alaska when he accidentally came between a bear and her cubs. In this StoryCorps, he talks about the attack that left him blind and about adjusting afterward.

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Houthi rebels have shot down 7 US Reaper drones worth $200 million in recent weeks

Houthi supporters chant slogans during a weekly, anti-U.S. and anti-Israel rally in Sanaa, Yemen on Friday, April 18.

The U.S. has increased its attacks on the Houthis, launching daily strikes since March 15, when President Donald Trump ordered a new, expanded campaign.

(Image credit: Osamah Abdulrahman)

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Venezuelans subject to removal under wartime act have 12 hours to contest

The Bluebonnet Detention Center is shown on Thursday in Anson, Texas

An ICE official said in court documents that people are subject to deportation if they don't say they want to challenge their removal within 12 hours after being notified about their rights.

(Image credit: Eli Hartman)

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In a reversal, the Trump administration restores funding for women's health study

The Department of Health and Humans Services changed course and will continue funding for the Women

The unexpected elimination of funding for the decades-long research project focused on women's health shocked scientists. They were heartened by the quick restoration of support.

(Image credit: Kayla Bartkowski)

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DOGE dismantling foreign aid agency started by George W. Bush

Elon Musk walks to the White House after landing in Marine One on the South Lawn with U.S. President Donald Trump (not pictured) on March 9. Musk

The Millenium Challenge Corporation, focused on boosting economic growth abroad, could essentially shutter.

(Image credit: Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

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Americans are protesting the Trump administration. Do they work?

A view from the Lincoln Memorial toward the Washington Monument at the end of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King Jr gave his "I Have a Dream" speech in August 1963.

When you think of a successful protest movement, most Americans probably think of the American Civil Rights movement, and the March on Washington in 1963.

Martin Luther King, Jr. standing behind a podium on the steps of the Lincoln memorial delivered his most famous speech and a line that would come to define the goals of the Civil Rights Movement.

President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act just nine months after the March. A year after that Johnson signed the National Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The quest for equality continues. In the decades since that bright summer day in August 1963, many other Americans have tried to use the model of protest to achieve their political goals.

But do protests work?

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Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

(Image credit: Fotosearch)

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A developing political scandal in Florida has Gov. Ron DeSantis on the defensive

Republican lawmakers in Florida are investigating how $10 million in state money was diverted for use in a political campaign with ties to the wife of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

A developing political scandal in Florida has put Gov. Ron DeSantis on the defensive. Republican lawmakers are investigating how $10 million in state money was diverted for use in a campaign.

(Image credit: Joe Raedle)

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What is the Relationship Between Russia and the U.S. Now?

Outside the US Embassy in Moscow in April 2025.  Pro-war signs in the Russian tri-color read "We

The sometimes cold and often frozen relationship between Russia and the U.S. has gotten a lot warmer since President Trump took office. And even through the American drive to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine may be faltering, the desire to do big business deals with the Kremlin has not. We go to Moscow to look at how the relationship between the two countries has changed, from the Russian perspective.

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Artists wanted for Trump's National Garden of American Heroes

Ronald Reagan, Amelia Earhart, Kobe Bryant and Albert Einstein will be among those honored in the National Garden of American Heroes.

The National Endowment for the Humanities says the project will "honor the statesmen, visionaries, and innovators who shaped the nation." It's a lot of statues.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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More than 50 House Democrats demand answers after whistleblower report on DOGE

The U.S. Capitol on April 21, 2025. Democratic lawmakers are asking the National Labor Relations Board to respond to a recent whistleblower disclosure that documents concerns that officials with the Department of Government Efficiency team may have taken sensitive information about workers.

Members of the Congressional Labor Caucus wrote the letter after NPR reported that a whistleblower says DOGE may have removed sensitive labor data and compromised the security of computer systems.

(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski)

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Home sales just posted their biggest monthly fall since 2022

Sales of existing homes slipped in March, amid elevated mortgage rates. Here, a home for sale in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 2023.

More inventory hitting the market was expected to drive sales. Instead, existing home sales suggest a continued slump in the housing market, with mortgage rates hurting affordability.

(Image credit: David Zalubowski/AP)

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Judge pauses parts of Trump's sweeping executive order on voting

A sign for new voter registration is seen outside a polling location in Derry, N.H., on March 11.

A federal judge has paused a key section of President Trump's executive order that makes sweeping changes to voting and elections.

(Image credit: Reba Saldanha)

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After nearly 50 years cooped up inside, Rockalina the turtle finds the great outdoors

Rockalina the eastern box turtle enjoys the outdoors for the first time in nearly 50 years.

Rockalina was an adult eastern box turtle living in the wild when she was taken into a New York home in 1977. When a reptile rehabilitation center got a hold of her this February, they worried for her survival.

(Image credit: Garden State Tortoise)

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India-Pakistan tensions escalate after deadly Kashmir attack

Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers stand guard at the India-Pakistan Wagah border post on the outskirts of Amritsar on April 24. At least 26 people were killed April 22 in Indian-administered Kashmir when gunmen opened fire on tourists, in the region

A day after India suspended a water-sharing treaty and downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan, authorities in Islamabad closed airspace to Indian aircraft and suspended all trade with India.

(Image credit: Narinder Nanu)

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Millions of American kids have an ADHD diagnosis. Are they being treated effectively?

ADHD has been considered a medical disorder, treatable with drugs like Ritalin, but New York Times Magazine writer Paul Tough says recent studies question that assumption and treatment options.

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Fyre Festival's embattled founder is selling the brand: 'It's time to pass the torch'

Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland, pictured in 2023, is putting the brand up for sale two years after announcing plans for a second event.

Billy McFarland says he will sell the brand "to an operator that can fully realize its vision." The news comes days after the postponement of Fyre Festival 2, which was scheduled for late May.

(Image credit: Theo Wargo)

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House oversight committee demands answers on gutting of CDC public records office

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-VA is pushing for CDC

House Rep. Gerry Connolly is pushing CDC leadership to explain why the personnel who handle FOIA requests lost their jobs, noting that that the public has a right to access federal records.

(Image credit: Kayla Bartkowski)

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Mercury, Venus and Saturn to delight stargazers in a parade across the sky

Mercury, Venus and Saturn will be visible in the predawn Friday morning sky.

The pre-dawn sky will feature a glowing crescent moon, joined by planets Mercury, Venus and Saturn.

(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

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How to get older men to socialize is a puzzle. A group called ROMEO is one answer

Attendance has more than quadrupled since the free ROMEO lunches for older men started in Harpswell, Maine, last fall. Tom Mahoney, left, directs other volunteers at a recent lunch when pizza was on the menu.

ROMEO stands for "retired older men eating out," and it's helping guys in one Maine town get out of the house and into more friendships.

(Image credit: Bill Snellings)

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