Inside a Drone Factory in Ukraine

Throughout the more than three years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, drones have been a key tool and weapon used by both sides in the conflict. Because of this, Ukraine is at the cutting edge of drone innovation, churning out some two million unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, last year. These flying drones come in all sizes and they're produced in factories large and high-tech, as well as small and shoestring. In today's episode, NPR's Eleanor Beardsley takes us inside a drone-making operation in Kyiv.

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DOGE created a 'survey of surveys' for a push to cut some government data collection

DOGE's push to cut some federal surveys conducted by the Census Bureau may be duplicating a White House agency's oversight work and weaken U.S. data infrastructure, experts warn.

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Fired Copyright Office head sues Trump administration over removal

Shira Perlmutter's termination came shortly after the Copyright Office published a long-anticipated report on artificial intelligence.

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Judge blocks Trump admin's move to bar Harvard from enrolling international students

This comes in response to a lawsuit Harvard filed on Friday morning, challenging the Trump administration's abrupt move to revoke the school's ability to enroll foreign students.

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The White House rejects a watchdog finding that it's breaking the law over halted funds

The White House budget office rejected the conclusion of a nonpartisan congressional watchdog that said the Trump administration is breaking the law by not spending funds as directed by Congress.

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What should happen to George Floyd Square? The community is divided

Five years after George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer, the future of the intersection where it happened is uncertain. Today, a memorial is set up in the partially blocked street. But some want to move on. How does a community reckon with its past and confront its future?

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Ukraine and Russia begin the largest prisoner-of-war exchange since the invasion

Ukraine and Russia have begun the exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war, the largest such swap since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

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Insurance costs are soaring around Tornado Alley. Hail is the big problem.

While tornadoes can obliterate communities, hailstorms cause damage across much larger areas.

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Memorial Day Weekend travel could break records. Here's how to prepare for your trip

AAA predicts a record-breaking 45.1 million Americans will travel between Thursday and Monday, mostly by car and plane. Here's what to know if you're one of them.

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Trump threatens steep tariffs on trade with the European Union -- and on iPhones

Trump said on social media that he had recommended 50% tariffs on European Union products starting June 1 — and warned Apple's CEO to move manufacturing of iPhones to the United States.

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Kim Kardashian robbery trial: verdict expected in Paris

A verdict is expected in the Paris trial of 10 people accused of robbing Kim Kardashian at gunpoint in 2016. French media nicknamed them "the Grandpa Robbers" — most were in their 60s when the heist took place.

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Harvard's ability to enroll international students revoked. And, summer book releases

The Trump administration has revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students. And, 17 books releasing this summer that NPR critics are excited about.

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A federal judge further halts Trump's radical transformation of government

In her order, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston said the president may not initiate large-scale executive branch reorganization without approval from Congress.

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9 things to know about the big, private-school voucher plan in Republicans' tax bill

NPR asked researchers, advocates, tax experts, a parent and a public school leader for their thoughts on this first-of-its-kind national voucher plan. Here's what they said.

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Electric grills are a climate-friendly option to fossil fuel grills

Grilling usually involves burning fossil fuel. But some manufacturers are offering electric grills and citing climate change and convenience as reasons to switch.

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Kristi Noem couldn't define habeas corpus. Can you? Find out in the quiz!

Tush pushes, prison breaks, luxury jets and orange cats: This week's quiz is the usual potpourri of the silly and sublime. Actually, not the latter.

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Why you should fight to keep old friends

Nina Badzin, host of a friendship podcast, explains why staying friends with people from our past matters — and how to nurture relationships with old friends across time and distance.

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Graphics: Here's what it will take to transform the Qatari jet into Air Force One

The U.S. has officially accepted a luxury jetliner from Qatar as a gift, and slated it to become a new Air Force One. Experts say that overhaul could take years and cost hundreds of millions.

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NPR wants to hear from interracial couples to commemorate Loving Day

Loving Day, the landmark case that overturned U.S. state laws against interracial marriage, is on June 12. NPR wants to hear from people who celebrate this day.

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A new theory on gun violence

People blame gun violence on different things depending on their political leanings. But Jens Ludwig, an economist at the University of Chicago, has found a different reason behind it. Today, we bring you a story on solutions to gun violence.

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A secret in a garden after a winter of grief

Today's StoryCorps is about a love that lasted through the seasons. Patrice Hudson was apprehensive about online dating until she met Byron Ball, a high school science teacher who, like her, was a single parent and had been married before.

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'Leap together,' Kermit the Frog says in address at University of Maryland graduation

"Rather than jumping over someone to get what you want, consider reaching out your hand and taking the leap side by side," the beloved Muppet told graduates Thursday evening.

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Record floodwaters in eastern Australia leave 4 dead and 1 missing

Some 50,000 people have been isolated by the flooding in New South Wales, after days of heavy rain. Four bodies have been retrieved from floodwaters since Wednesday.

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Music talent agent among dead after jet crashes into San Diego neighborhood

Six people, including music talent agent Dave Shapiro, were on board a private jet that crashed into a San Diego neighborhood on Thursday.

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Trump's Harvard visa threat could wipe out several of the school's sports teams

Some of Harvard's sports teams could be wiped out by a Trump administration decision that would make the school with the nation's largest athletic program ineligible for international student visas.

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In reversal, Trump administration restores classes at the National Fire Academy

The academy in Emmitsburg, Md., is often described as the national war college for firefighting. It offers training that ranges from leadership to how to conduct fire, arson and blast investigations.

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Lawsuit challenges USDA demand for food stamp data as some states prepare to comply

The suit claims that efforts to get sensitive information about food aid recipients from states violates federal privacy laws.

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Proposed Muslim development in Texas brings inquiries by DOJ and state officials

The project, known as EPIC City, has yet to break ground, but members of this Muslim community feel stereotyped.

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Voice of America's prospects appear grim after appeals court order

A federal appeals court said it would not intervene — at least for now — to thwart the Trump administration's plans for the near-total dismantlement of Voice of America.

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Two Israeli embassy staffers killed amid a rise in antisemitism

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim worked for the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C.

This weekend, they were slated to go to Jerusalem — Milgrim was to meet Lischinsky's family for the first time. According to Israeli ambassador Yechiel Leiter, Lischinsky had bought a ring and was planning to propose.

Instead, they were gunned down outside an event at the Capitol Jewish Museum on Wednesday night.

The killing comes aside a rise in antisemitic incidents. Daniel Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, reacts to the news.

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