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Drones delivering coffee? Trump administration wants more companies using UAVs

A drone hovers in airspace outside the safety perimeter surrounding St. Louis Lambert International Airport as an airliner approaches for a landing on March 10, 2025.

The Trump administration wants to make it easier for companies to use drones for business — from delivering coffee to inspecting power lines to working on farms.

(Image credit: Jeff Roberson)

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The story behind one grim image of a mother and child in Gaza

A photo of a starving child in Gaza has gone viral, with many in Israel claiming it depicts false information.

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How gerrymandering became a blood sport

Texas state lawmakers board a bus following a press conference at the DuPage County Democratic Party headquarters on August 03, 2025 in Carol Stream, Illinois. The group of Democratic lawmakers left the state so a quorum could not be reached during a special session called to redistrict the state. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Fights over Congressional maps never used to be this intense. On Tuesday, Texas Republicans voted to issue civil arrest warrants for Democrats who fled the state.

The GOP is trying to redraw house districts, and the proposed new map could give Republicans as many as five more House seats. That change could easily decide control of Congress.

This fight is rippling out to other states too with President Trump urging Republicans to follow the lead of Texas. And Democratic governors saying they might follow the same path.

Trump can be this transparent because there are no federal restrictions on redrawing districts for purely partisan gain. The Supreme Court said so in 2019.

Gerrymandering has been part of U.S. politics for hundreds of years. How did it become a bloodsport?

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A Famous Palestinian Activist Killed in the Occupied West Bank

A photo of Palestinian activist Awdah Al Hathaleen, who witnesses say was killed by an Israeli settler, hangs in the entrance to his home in the village of Umm al-Khair, West Bank, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025.

A Palestinian activist who helped make the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land" was shot dead in a suspected Israeli settler attack in the occupied West Bank. We go to his community to hear about the man and the incident that lead to his death.

(Image credit: Julia Frankel/AP)

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The politics driving the push for gerrymandering

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report about the impact redistricting efforts will have on the 2026 midterms and beyond.

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CDC to disburse delayed funds for fighting fentanyl and more, staffers say

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.

Much of the public health agency's $9 billion budget had been in limbo but funds are finally flowing, according to CDC staffers, including for a key overdose prevention program.

(Image credit: Ben Hendren/Bloomberg)

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4 European countries agree to buy a combined $1 billion in U.S. weapons for Ukraine

Ukrainians have made a makeshift memorial outside an apartment building in the capital Kyiv that was hit by a Russian airstrike on July 31. A combined missile and drone attack killed more than 30 civilians and wounded more than 150 in the city that day.

The weapons include U.S. missiles for Patriot air defense systems already in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said he had a "productive" call with President Trump.

(Image credit: Roman Pilipey)

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Confederate statue toppled during Black Lives Matter protests will be reinstalled

The statue Albert Pike, the only statue of a Confederate general in Washington, D.C., was toppled by protesters on June 19, 2020.

The statue of Albert Pike, a Confederate general and Freemason leader, was vandalized and taken down on Juneteenth in 2020. It is the only statue of a Confederate general in Washington, D.C.

(Image credit: Eric Baradat)

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Your call to a local Social Security office may be picked up by someone who can't help

A Social Security Administration office building is seen on March 6 in Nashville, Tenn.

Phone calls to local Social Security offices are currently being rerouted to other field offices — often to staff who don't have jurisdiction over the caller's case, employees say.

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Sean Combs denied bail, will remain in custody until sentencing

Last week, Sean Combs

Combs was convicted on July 2 of two counts of transportation for prostitution. The music mogul had filed a request to be released on bail before his sentencing, which is scheduled for Oct. 3.

(Image credit: Gregg DeGuire)

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Bangladesh needs the world's help to keep up its remarkable progress in health care

Dr. Tina Mustahid sees patients over video from her office in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She most often deals with gynecological and digestive issues, joint pain, skin diseases and fever.

The prime minister fled. There's an interim government. Our writer urges global health groups, including WHO and UNICEF, to help preserve the nation's health care achievements at this critical time.

(Image credit: Allison Joyce for NPR)

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Their son was shot by police in Bangladesh's 2024 protests. They still want justice

Abu Sayed

In July and August of 2024 in Bangladesh, student protesters' push for change drove the authoritarian prime minister out of power. Hundreds of demonstrators were killed.

(Image credit: Parvez Ahmad Rony for NPR)

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What's the secret to India's moves to conquer the global chess scene?

Seven-year-old Lakshan is coached by Selvabharathy, a trainer at Vishnu Prasanna

With the Women's World Cup in the bag and 88 grand masters, India is ready to take over the chess world. And they're making sure their youngsters are poised to checkmate.

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Texas GOP threatens to arrest Democratic leaders. And, why 2 NASA missions could end

U.S. Rep. Jolanda Jones (D-TX) looks at a map during the Texas State Representatives redistricting committee meeting on August 01, 2025 in Austin, Texas.

Texas GOP is threatening to arrest Democratic lawmakers unless they return to vote on redrawing the congressional map. And, two NASA satellite missions that scientists and farmers rely on could end.

(Image credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

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This Tuscan startup sold all its olive oil in the U.S. Then came Trump's tariffs

Siblings Marie-Charlotte Piro and Romain Piro stand among some of the olive trees they harvest in Tuscany, Italy, to create their olive oil. Their Olio Piro startup had been exporting all its olive oil to the United States — until new U.S. tariffs moved up their plans to start expanding elsewhere.

Americans love olive oil — and import 95% of it. But tariffs are making it harder for Europeans to sell it to Americans.

(Image credit: Vikki Colvin)

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He said, she said, it said: I used ChatGPT as a couple's counselor. How did we fare?

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Looking for backup, I turned to an AI chatbot for relationship wisdom. It took my side. It was only when I challenged the bot's biases — and my own — that we had a communication breakthrough.

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Hurricane Katrina was a catalyst for change in New Orleans' public defender office

Danny Engelberg, head of the Orleans Public Defenders, sits for a portrait.

Hurricane Katrina exposed longstanding flaws in the New Orleans criminal justice system. In the 20 years since, there has been dramatic change in the public defender office.

(Image credit: Claire Harbage)

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Morning news brief

As ceasefire talks stall Israel's government weighs a full occupation of Gaza, Texas Republicans threaten to arrest Democratic lawmakers unless they return to the State House, why a NASA satellite that scientists and farmers rely on may be destroyed on purpose.

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As ceasefire talks stall, Israel's government weighs a full occupation of Gaza

Just days after the U.S. Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited Israel and met with hostages' families, the Israeli government considers a full occupation of the Gaza Strip, including areas where hostages are held.

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A retired Israeli Major General on letter to President Trump from former Israeli military officials

Hundreds of former Israeli military officials are demanding an end to the war in Gaza. NPR's Leila Fadel speaks to retired Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin aout this letter signed a letter to President Trump.

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'Zombie' cells have scientists rethinking how we age — and what to do about it

Shortened telomeres have been linked to aging.

It’s no secret that stress isn’t good for you. But just how bad is it? Well, in the last few decades, scientists have linked psychological stress to changes in our DNA that look a lot like what happens on the molecular level as we age. Today on the show, host Regina G. Barber talks to freelance science journalist Diana Kwon about the latest research on stress and aging, including a new hypothesis for how your brain handles aging — and what science could do about all of it.

Interested in more aging science? Let us know 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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Tennessee readies for execution of man with working implanted defibrillator

This undated booking photo provided by the Tennessee Department of Corrections shows Byron Black.

Gov. Bill Lee declined to grant a reprieve Monday amid uncertainty about whether the implantable defibrillator will shock Byron Black's heart when the lethal drug takes effect.

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Brazil's Supreme Court orders house arrest for former President Bolsonar

Brazil

The trial of the far-right leader is receiving renewed attention after U.S. President Donald Trump directly tied a 50% tariff on imported Brazilian goods to his ally's judicial situation.

(Image credit: Luis Nova)

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State Department may require visa applicants to post bond of up to $15,000 for entry

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio gives a media briefing during the ASEAN foreign ministers

The State Department said it would start a pilot program that will require cash deposits to tourist and business visas for people from countries with high overstay rates.

(Image credit: Mandel Ngan/Pool AFP)

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Texas Democrats block GOP redistricting plan by fleeing the state

Texas state Rep. Jolanda "Jo" Jones, a Democrat, flips through maps during a public hearing on congressional redistricting in Austin, Texas, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. After the bill passed the committee, state Democrats fled to Illinois and New York to break the quorum and stall a vote on the new maps, which heavily favor Republicans.

The Texas House failed to reach the quorum needed to vote on a new congressional map that could have given Republicans five new seats, after House Democrats forced a legislative standstill.

(Image credit: Eric Gay)

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Wildfire smoke is like smoking 'half a pack a day.' Here's how to protect yourself

People play rugby in the hazy weather on July 27, 2025 in New York City. There are currently smoke advisories across the Midwest and Northeast as a result of wildfires in Canada.<!-- raw HTML omitted -->

As Canadian wildfires spread smoke across the U.S. the air pollution is dangerous to health. But there are ways to protect yourself. Here's what to know**.**

(Image credit: Liao Pan/China News Service)

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The Global Impact of the Latest U.S. Tariffs

Shipping containers sit stacked at the Evergreen terminal at the port of Los Angeles, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025.

The Trump Administration’s worldwide tariff wars continue. A top priority for Trump has been resetting U.S. trade relations and earlier this year his administration had vowed “90 deals in 90 days”. But as the August 1st deadline came and went, what emerged wasn’t a flurry of deals but a wave of new tariffs. We hear from reporters around the world about how countries are reacting to the news and what the impact could be.

(Image credit: Damian Dovarganes/ AP)

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A squirmy diet may explain the high nitrogen levels in neanderthal remains

New research suggests that maggots may be the secret ingredient responsible for extremely high nitrogen values found in Neanderthal remains.

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A charm bracelet carries the memories of 10 years at Camp Mystic before the floods

Abby Breyfogle wears a silver charm bracelet that represents her achievements at Camp Mystic, the all-girls Christian camp destroyed by the Independence Day floods. The former camper, who is now a student at the University of Texas, Austin, talks about the memories from the ten summers that she wears on her wrist.

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Texas Democrats walked out to block the GOP. How well has the tactic worked before?

Texas state lawmakers board a bus following a press conference at the DuPage County Democratic Party headquarters on August 03, 2025 in Carol Stream, Ill. The group of Democratic lawmakers left the state earlier today so a quorum could not be reached during a special session called to redistrict the state.

Dozens of Texas Democrats left the state to protest a redistricting map, facing potentially steep consequences. Lawmaker walkouts have had mixed success in the past — so what is there to gain?

(Image credit: Scott Olson)

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