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Former astronaut and Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell has died

The giant, multi-billion dollar space telescope that NASA is about to launch is sometimes billed as Hubble's successor. Will this new telescope, which sees infrared light, be able to deliver?

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Trump says he will meet Putin 'very shortly' and will announce the date and place soon

President Trump takes questions from reporters during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on March 31, 2025.

President Trump has been pushing to broker an end to the war in Ukraine since he took office. But it hasn't been quick or easy.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)

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U.S. Islamic leaders urge Muslim-majority nations to take action to end Gaza conflict

The Islamic Center of America mosque in Dearborn, Michigan.

More than 90 Muslim scholars, community leaders and institutions are calling on Muslim nations to leverage their influence to end what they described as escalating genocide in Gaza by Israeli forces.

(Image credit: Bill Pugliano)

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Is there anything left to learn about the Russia investigation?

Reports say Attorney General Pam Bondi has authorized an investigation into the investigation of Trump's 2016 campaign's relationship with Russia. What is there left to learn?

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US Mining industry benefitting from bi-partisan federal assistance

This coal-fired power plant near Beulah, North Dakota is slated to be replaced with a nickel refinery

American has almost no domestic mineral smelters, compromising economic and military security. A nickel smelter proposed for a former North Dakota coal mine site could turn that around.

(Image credit: Sam Fuqua)

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IRS Commissioner Billy Long replaced after less than two months

Former Missouri Congressman Billy Long is being replaced as IRS Commissioner after less than two months on the job.

The Trump administration has replaced former Missouri Congressman Billy Long as IRS Commissioner, after less than two months on the job. It's the latest in a string of management shakeups at the tax collection agency.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)

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We've all gotten those hiring scam texts. Instead of deleting, this writer played along

Alexander Sammon received a suspicious job recruitment text from someone who claimed to be a hiring manager. He decided to play along to see how far the scam would go, and wrote about it for Slate.

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China has declared war on the chikungunya virus. How much of a threat is it?

A worker uses a sprayer to eradicate mosquitos at a park in order to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne disease Chikungunya  in Guangdong Province of China.

The mosquito-borne disease is sweeping through a province in southern China, which is taking strict measures to quash the outbreak.

(Image credit: Visual China Group)

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Some legal experts say ICE in criminal courts means a slower path to justice

Federal agents patrol the halls of immigration court at the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building on August 6, 2025 in New York City. Detentions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continue as people attend immigration court hearings, but immigrant arrests are also happening at criminal courts.

As President Trump ramps up deportations, ICE agents have been seen not just at immigration courts, but at criminal courts, too. Defense lawyers, prosecutors and judges fear a chilling effect on criminal proceedings.

(Image credit: Michael M. Santiago)

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Why short breaks to move around are crucial for your creative process

Author Kelly Corrigan(left) and Manoush Zomorodi(right) on a walk around Vancouver. Corrigan has her notebook at the ready.

When bestselling author Kelly Corrigan's creativity runs low or her mood turns, she doesn't power through. Here are her tips for connecting your body to your creative process and getting unstuck.

(Image credit: Katie Monteleone)

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President Trump taps federal law enforcement agencies to police Washington, D.C.

Capitol Police are among the law enforcement agencies tapped by President Donald Trump on August 7 to increase federal law enforcement presence in Washington DC.

President Trump has ordered federal law enforcement agencies to begin policing the streets of Washington, D.C., citing crime in the city.

(Image credit: JIM WATSON)

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Famed NASA astronaut and Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell has died at age 97

In 2010, Jim Lovell explored his Apollo 8 spacecraft at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

Lovell commanded the mission that almost ended in disaster after an explosion that threatened the crew's oxygen and electrical supply. The inspiring story of their survival was made into a hit movie.

(Image credit: M. Spencer Green)

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Why is Chile’s Birth Rate Plummeting?

Macarena Lagos, 18, F. Contreras, 21, and Mariana Sanhueza Weish, 22, are design students at the Catholic University in Santiago. All three voiced strong reservations about having children. They worry that motherhood would limit their freedom and choices.

Much of the attention on the world's plunging birth rate is on east Asian countries like Japan and South Korea. But Latin American countries, like Chile, are also seeing a decline in fertility. We go to Chile’s capital to understand the personal decisions behind the countries plummeting birth rate trend.

(Image credit: Tamara Merino for NPR)

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A woman who killed her in-laws with toxic mushrooms allegedly poisoned her spouse too

Erin Patterson, pictured in August 2023, was convicted last month of poisoning her estranged husband

Erin Patterson was convicted last month of killing her estranged husband's relatives with a meal laced with toxic mushrooms. Newly unsealed evidence alleges she previously poisoned his meals too.

(Image credit: Marta Pascual Juanola)

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Justice Department launches grand jury probe of N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James

New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference on Jan. 8. The Justice Department has opened an investigation into James

James prosecuted the president and his companies, winning millions in fines linked to fraud allegations. Her attorney called the probe a "desperate example of the president's campaign of retribution."

(Image credit: Michael M. Santiago)

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Justice Department launches grand jury probe of N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James

New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a news conference on Jan. 8. The Justice Department has opened an investigation into James

James prosecuted the president and his companies, winning millions in fines linked to fraud allegations. Her attorney called the probe "an attack on the rule of law."

(Image credit: Michael M. Santiago)

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EPA plans to end a program that makes solar power available to low-income Americans

GRID Alternatives employees install no-cost solar panels on the rooftop of a low-income household on October 19, 2023 in Pomona, California.

The Trump administration plans to end a $7 billion Biden-era program that helps low-income households get solar power.

(Image credit: Mario Tama)

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Germany halts its military exports that Israel could use in Gaza

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends a news conference after a meeting with Jordan

Germany will stop exporting military equipment to Israel that could be used in the Gaza Strip, in a swift response to Israel's decision to expand its operations in the Palestinian enclave's main city.

(Image credit: Ebrahim Noroozi)

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Far more environmental data is being deleted in Trump's second term than before

President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on January 20.

The second Trump administration has removed more climate and environmental data from websites in the first 100 days than the first administration, according to a new report

(Image credit: Evan Vucci)

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He built Michigan's Medicaid work requirement system. Now he's warning other states

An attendee holds a "Stop The Health Care Cuts" sign on June 6 at a Democratic town hall in Lansing, Mich. In July, Congressional Democrats failed to stop Republicans from passing a tax-and-spending bill that requires 40 states and D.C. to institute Medicaid work requirements.

Michigan's health director spent a year and $30 million building a work requirements system for Medicaid. The problems he encountered have him worried now that 40 states must do the same by 2027.

(Image credit: Emily Elconin)

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A word is born -- and critiqued: 'healthocide'

A view of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on September 17, 2024, destroyed by Israeli attacks amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Israel asserted that Hamas militants were using the hospital for shelter and internet access. The U.N. called the destruction of the facility "the most horrific assault on Gaza

This week a new word made its public debut. With an increase in attacks on health care facilities and personnel, the goal of this coinage is to spark outrage and outcry. But the reaction is mixed.

(Image credit: Omar Al-Qattaa)

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Israel plans to take control of Gaza City. And, Trump wants a new U.S. census

Palestinians carry gallons and buckets as they walk along a war-damaged street in Gaza City on Aug. 8, 2025.

Israel has announced plans to extend the Gaza war and take over Gaza City. And, President Trump wants a new U.S. census to exclude people without legal status.

(Image credit: BASHAR TALEB/AFP via Getty Images)

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Teen heartthrobs named Bobby were everywhere in the '60s — which was fine by me

In the 1960s, hearthrobs named Bobby were <!-- raw HTML omitted -->everywhere. <!-- raw HTML omitted -->Clockwise from top left: Bobby Darin, Bobby Vee, Bobby Rydell, Bobby Goldsboro, Bobby Womack, and Bobby Sherman.

Bobbys were inescapable in music in the '50s and '60s: Bobby Sherman, Bobby Rydell, Bobby Darin and more. NPR critic Bob Mondello looks back to an era when everyone seemed to share his name.

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Trump administration cuts McGruff the Crime Dog's fentanyl campaign

A McGruff the Crime Dog public service ad warning young people of fake prescription drugs that may contain fentanyl.

The National Crime Prevention Council is questioning federal cuts to McGruff the Crime Dog's campaign to sniff out fake pills. The group says McGruff's work that started in 1980 isn't over.

(Image credit: National Crime Prevention Council/YouTube)

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Over what does the Trump admin want to unleash 'dominance'? Find out in the quiz

From left: Jeanine Pirro, NFL player Matt Prater sniffing … something, and a famous ambulatory robot.

Plus: physical fitness, Confederate statues, robot overlords and weird zoo requests.

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Las Vegas sees drop in tourism, hinting at broader economic woes facing the U.S.

People take pictures with the Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas sign under hazy orange skies as the sun sets on July 29, 2023.

Economists say, what happens in Vegas matters nationally because it often reflects broader trends on consumer confidence and the overall health of the U.S. economy.

(Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon)

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NASA plans to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. Here's what that means.

A full super moon, rises behind a mountain in the village of Dodekametro, in the region of Arcadia in Greece, on July 10, 2025.

NASA is accelerating plans to have a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030.

(Image credit: Angelos Tzortzinis)

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AI-generated music is here to stay. Will streaming services like Spotify label it?

Unlike other tech giants — including YouTube, Meta and TikTok — Spotify is not currently taking steps to label AI-generated content.

Unlike other tech giants, many music-streaming services like Spotify are not currently taking steps to label AI-generated content. But experts say more transparency is key.

(Image credit: Jakub Porzycki)

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13 podcast episodes to make back-to-school season easier on kids and parents

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The new school year can be exciting, but also stressful. Kids may be feeling anxious. Parents may be juggling new responsibilities. Experts share tips on how to manage this season of change.

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Meet the judge hearing Harvard's lawsuits against the Trump administration

Allison Burroughs appears at her 2014 Senate confirmation hearing to be a U.S. district judge.

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs is presiding over two Harvard cases challenging Trump's moves to cut federal funding from the university and to ban it from enrolling international students.

(Image credit: U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee)

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