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Leader of top FEMA disaster coordination office resigns, as Trump moves to eliminate agency

People impacted by the wildfires seek information and relief at a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. The leader of FEMA

Jeremy Greenberg was in charge of coordinating federal help after hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes and other emergencies. He has resigned from leading FEMA's National Response Coordination Center.

(Image credit: Etienne Laurent)

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How Trump's travel ban could disrupt the way knowledge about health is shared

A rally in New York on June 9 protested President Donald Trump

Global health specialists talk about the consequences of the full or partial ban on travel to the U.S. from 19 countries.

(Image credit: Adam Gray)

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Trump threatens Iran's supreme leader, escalating his rhetoric about the conflict

President Trump returned to the White House early on June 17, 2025, cutting his time short at the G7 summit in Canada because he said he wanted to focus on the Iran-Israel conflict.

President Trump called Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei an "easy target" but said, "We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now."

(Image credit: Al Drago)

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With the World Cup a year away, the U.S. men's soccer team needs a shot in the arm

Alexander Freeman #16 of the United States battles Sheldon Bateau #4 of Trinidad and Tobago during the Gold Cup 2025 on Sunday in San Jose, Calif. The U.S. defeated Trinidad and Tobago to snap a four-game losing streak as it eyes next year

A handful of dreadful losses — plus some drama between the team's biggest star and its new head coach — has the USMNT looking for a badly-needed rebound in this summer's Gold Cup tournament.

(Image credit: Jed Jacobsohn)

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Joey Chestnut will return to the Coney Island hot dog contest after last year's beef

Sixteen-time champion Joey Chestnut poses after his 2021 Nathan

Joey Chestnut was banned from the contest that made him famous after signing an endorsement deal with a company that makes plant-based proteins. The 16-time champ returns to Coney Island on July 4th.

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The Taliban has banned a lot of things ... but chess?

Chessboards have no players at the Kabul Elite Chess Club in Kabul after Taliban authorities have barred the game across Afghanistan.

A former chess coach says a member of the Taliban vice squad told him: "Playing chess is forbidden. Buying a chess set is forbidden. Even watching it — is forbidden." Why was the game banned?

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Trump leaves G7 to focus on Mideast conflict. And, Vance Boelter faces federal charges

President Donald Trump alights from Air Force One after arriving at Joint Base Andrews on June 17 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Trump said he left the G7 Leaders

Trump left the G7 summit early to focus on the rapidly escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. And, the man suspected of killing a Minnesota state lawmaker faces federal murder charges.

(Image credit: Al Drago)

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How Apple turbocharged China's development

Apple Store in Shanghai, China.

A new book raises the specter that corporate offshoring of manufacturing may have undermined America's lead in technological innovation and even its national security.

(Image credit: Paul Souders)

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Russia pummels Kyiv with drones and missiles, killing at least 15

Ukraine Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, right, examines the site of a missile strike that ruined a residential building during Russia

The attacks was one of the largest on Ukraine's capital in months. It came as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepared for the G7 summit in Canada, where he is pushing for stronger sanctions on Russia.

(Image credit: Efrem Lukatsky)

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Minnesota shootings come during heightened political tensions in the U.S.

Federal officials say the suspect in the killings of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband had a much larger list of targets, including Democratic officeholders and abortion rights supporters.

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10 ways travel insiders deal with annoying flight delays

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Clever advice on how to quickly rebook your flight, skip long lines and avoid flight issues in the future. One tip? Try queuing up for an agent in the airport lounge.

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Timbaland's AI music project is a ghost in a misguided machine

Timbaland speaks at the 2023 A3C conference in Atlanta. The Grammy-winning hip-hop producer has launched an AI music company, Stage Zero, with the goal of creating a stable of digital "artists."

The super-producer whose beats moved the boundaries of Top 40 radio is chasing a new revolution: digital superstars and the erasure of artistic process as we know it.

(Image credit: Prince Williams/WireImage)

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Medicaid keeps getting more popular as Republicans aim to cut it by $800 billion

Rick Macias of Kansas City, Kansas, came to Washington, D.C., last month with ADAPT, a disability rights organization, to speak out against Medicaid cuts.

Americans across the political spectrum like Medicaid and think it should get more funding, not less, according to a new poll from health research organization KFF.

(Image credit: Jemal Countess)

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Virginia's governor's race could be a barometer for how voters feel about Trump

Democrat Abigail  Spanberger (left) and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears are the candidates for governor of Virginia.

On Tuesday, Virginia hold its primary election. The contest is a barometer for how Virginians, and maybe the country, feel about the Trump administration ahead of the 2026 midterms.

(Image credit: Win McNamee via Getty Images/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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Trump wants a Golden Dome missile defense shield. Is that realistic?

Since last week, Israel has been attacking Iran's nuclear facilities, along with many other targets around the country. Iran has fired hundreds of missiles in response. NPR correspondent Geoff Brumfiel has been watching all of this very closely because Israel's missile defenses have been a focus of the Trump White House. This year, President Trump requested funding from Congress for a "Golden Dome for America" — a missile defense system that would protect all of the United States. The idea comes from Israel's Iron Dome — a network of interceptor missiles stationed at points across the country. Iron Dome and related Israeli air defenses don't get every missile fired — including some launched in the past few days by Iran — but the Israeli military says it has intercepted thousands of rockets since it was built. Trying to get that kind of protection for America, though, might be a very different matter.

Read more of science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel's reporting on this topic and find NPR's coverage of the Middle East here.

Questions about nuclear science? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

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Doctor who supplied ketamine to Matthew Perry will plead guilty

Matthew Perry appears at the GQ Men of the Year Party in West Hollywood, Calif., on Nov. 17, 2022.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, according to the signed document filed in federal court in Los Angeles.

(Image credit: Willy Sanjuan/Invision)

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Lawmakers in Washington press for more security following Minnesota shooting

Lawmakers from both parties are calling for updated security for members of Congress following the attacks in Minnesota.

Members of Congress from both parties are calling for security updates following the weekend attack in Minnesota where a gunman killed one state lawmaker and her husband and left another state lawmaker and his wife wounded.

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Trump is leaving the G7 early to focus on the Middle East

President Trump arrives for the official welcome ceremony during the G7 Leaders

Trump will leave Canada Monday night after having dinner with the G7 leaders, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt, said. He had originally been slated to leave Canada on Tuesday evening.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)

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What does Juneteenth mean to you? We want to hear your story

A Juneteenth flag flies on a float during the 45th annual Juneteenth National Independence Day celebrations in Galveston, Texas in 2024.

NPR wants to know how you feel about celebrating Juneteenth at this moment in history

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Supreme Court faces new headwinds with roughly two weeks left in the term

Major Supreme Court cases that remain include a challenge to President Trump

Some 20 cases remain to be decided—about a third of the total argued cases--many of them the most important of the term. But the shadow docket — with its own list of cases — looms over the other opinions.

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The Air War Between Israel and Iran

Iran

For days Israel has been attacking Iran with airstrikes, which they say is an effort to degrade Iran's nuclear capabilities. Iran has been responding by firing missiles at Israel. We'll hear what has been hit and what targets may be next. And we compare the two countries' ability to defend against these types of attacks.

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Israel claims control of Iran's skies, but Tehran is managing to hit back

Missiles fired from Iran are pictured in the night sky over Jerusalem on June 14, 2025 as Israel and Iran exchanged fire a day after Israel unleashed an unprecedented aerial bombing campaign that Iran said hit its nuclear facilities, killed top commanders and dozens of civilians.

Israel says it has largely knocked out Iran's air defenses. In contrast, Israel still has strong air defenses in place, though some Iranian missiles are breaking through with lethal results.

(Image credit: Menahem Kahana)

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Trump Administration could impose a travel ban on dozens more countries

Up to 36 more countries could face travel bans to the U.S.

A State Department memo says dozens of countries have until Wednesday morning to come up with a plan to address some U.S. concerns, or face travel restrictions.

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President Trump fires a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Cooling towers at the nuclear reactor facility at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Georgia. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency charged with overseeing safety at the nation

Christopher Hanson was appointed to serve on the commission overseeing the nation's nuclear reactors by President Biden in 2020.

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What does it mean to show mercy to someone on death row?

The Atlantic staff writer Elizabeth Bruenig talks about her decision to serve as a witness to state-sanctioned executions, and what she's learned about mercy, faith and the possibility of redemption.

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Purdue Pharma, Sacklers reach new $7.4 billion opioid settlement

Grace Bisch hold a picture of stepson Eddie Bisch who died as a result of an overdose on outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on December 4, 2023  in Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court overturned a previous version of the Purdue Pharma-Sackler bankruptcy plan, leading to a new deal now under review.

A new $7.4 billion opioid settlement for Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family has been approved by all U.S. states and territories

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Top House Democrat asks Microsoft about DOGE code allegedly tied to NLRB data removal

The DOGE team may have taken data related to union organizing and labor complaints and hid its tracks, according to a whistleblower.

A top House Democrat is asking Microsoft for information about a DOGE staffer's GitHub account connected to whistleblower allegations of sensitive data leaving the National Labor Relations Board.

(Image credit: Charlotte Gomez for NPR)

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A new chapter for online sales of obesity drug alternatives tests legal limits

Consumers have flocked online for cheaper alternatives to name brand obesity drugs.

While some compounding pharmacies have stopped making alternatives to Wegovy and Zepbound since shortages were declared over, others are continuing and pushing regulatory boundaries.

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The suspect in the shooting of 2 Minnesota lawmakers has been captured and charged

This booking photo provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff

Vance Boelter was captured in a wooded area on Sunday night, and charged in the shootings of two state lawmakers and their spouses. His first court appearance is scheduled for Monday.

(Image credit: Hennepin County Sheriff's Office)

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This mother relies on SNAP to help feed her kids. Now, she's bracing for cuts

Tea Church is a stay-at-home mom with five kids. She says SNAP is a big part of what keeps her family afloat each month.

Millions of people who use the food assistance program SNAP are facing changes: on what food they can buy, how much money they'll receive or even if they'll still qualify for the program.

(Image credit: Jay Fram)

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