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Sell it, donate it — recycle it? A beloved old minivan faces a fork in the road

"Vanny," as this 2005 Chrysler Town and Country is affectionately known, has put in 20 years and 183,000 miles of service, and won the deep affection of two small children. It was a good run.

After 20 years of service, an NPR reporter's beloved minivan is on the fritz. But what is its best and highest calling now: Pass it on to another family, or recycle it into parts?

(Image credit: Camila Domonoske)

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Fox bosses privately called U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro 'reckless maniac' and more

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, speaks during a news conference on Aug. 26 in Washington, D.C.

Her colleagues made those remarks after the 2020 presidential election, when Pirro used her platform to amplify baseless claims of election fraud. She is now the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)

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A literary center named for author Larry McMurtry breathes life into his Texas hometown

George Getschow (left,) executive director of the literary center, and Kathy Floyd, the center

A literary center in Archer City, a tiny ranching town in Texas, keeps alive the legacy of famed Western author Larry McMurtry.

(Image credit: John Burnett)

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How the Education Department is using civil rights laws to bring schools to heel

The entrance of the U.S. Department of Education headquarters building in Washington, D.C.

The Trump administration is using decades-old laws, meant to prevent discrimination, to threaten school districts and states with cuts to vital federal funding.

(Image credit: J. David Ake)

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Portugal observes national day of mourning as Lisbon streetcar death toll rises to 17

Emergency teams work at the site of a derailed electric streetcar in Lisbon, Portugal on Wednesday.

The streetcar's crumpled wreckage was still on the downtown road where it crashed Thursday. Officials declined to speculate on whether a faulty brake or a snapped cable may have caused the accident.

(Image credit: Armando Franca)

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Trump asks Supreme Court to reverse tariffs ruling finding them illegal

President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with Polish President Karol Nawrocki in the Oval Office of the White House on Sept. 3, 2025, in Washington.

The government called on the court to reverse an appeals court ruling that found most of President Donald Trump's tariffs are an illegal use of an emergency powers law.

(Image credit: Evan Vucci)

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Trump administration illegally froze billions in Harvard funds, judge rules

Students walk up the steps of the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library on the campus of Harvard University.

The ruling is a legal victory for Harvard but the White House says it will appeal the decision.

(Image credit: Elissa Nadworny)

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A spine-tingling discovery: This dinosaur had spiked body armor

Fossils of the creature <!-- raw HTML omitted -->Spicomellus<!-- raw HTML omitted --> revealed elaborate body armor used to attract mates and deter rivals.

In a new paper, researchers describe a bizarre dinosaur with thorny spines along its neck and back that made its home in Africa more than 165 million years ago.

(Image credit: Matt Dempsey)

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How Trump's latest crypto launch enriches his family

President Donald Trump in July signed the GENIUS Act, the country

The president and his sons made $5 billion on paper as their cryptocurrency started trading — highlighting the extraordinary degree to which they are personally profiting from Trump's return to the Oval Office.

(Image credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

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Florida working to end vaccine mandates

Florida

Florida lawmakers will vote whether to repeal a law that requires children to receive vaccines for polio, diphtheria, measles, and mumps before entering school.

(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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Epstein survivors join with lawmakers in calling for full release of government files

Anouska De Georgiou speaks during a press conference and rally in support of the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

Standing in front of the U.S. Capitol, a group of eight survivors shared emotional stories of abuse and demanded more transparency from Congress on the government's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

(Image credit: Roberto Schmidt)

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President Trump floats deploying National Guard troops to New Orleans

President Trump looks on after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on April 9, 2025 in Washington, DC.

President Trump said the White House is considering whether to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago or a place with a governor who would welcome them, like New Orleans.

(Image credit: Saul Loeb)

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In a brawl over right-wing TV, Newsmax sues Fox News

Chris Ruddy, the CEO of Newsmax, prepares to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on April 3, 2025. On Wednesday, Newsmax sued Fox, claiming it was illegally using its power to squash rival conservative networks.

Right-wing TV news outlet Newsmax sued Fox News on antitrust grounds, alleging the conservative media powerhouse had illegally sought to suppress its smaller rival's growth in cable news.

(Image credit: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

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Hurricane Katrina had a silver-lining for some: Post-traumatic growth

NhuNgoc Pham with her family on the day she received her doctorate in public health from Tulane University. After living through Katrina as a teen, she now researches post-traumatic growth.

The mental health effects of Hurricane Katrina have been studied for more than a decade, and that research found that post-traumatic growth can co-exist with post-traumatic stress.

(Image credit: Pham family)

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SNL announces 5 new cast members, including one from 'Please Don't Destroy'

From left to right: Tommy Brennan, Viktoria Slowikowska and Kam Patterson are among the new cast members joining <!-- raw HTML omitted -->Saturday Night Live<!-- raw HTML omitted --> ahead of its 51st season.

Ben Marshall of "Please Don't Destroy" will join the cast alongside comedians Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson and Veronika Slowikowska. Here's what to know about them.

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FAQ: Why were 76 Guatemalan children pulled off deportation flights in the middle of the night?

A child looks at the badge of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.

A federal judge's emergency order stopped planes carrying Guatemalan migrant children. Attorneys said the rushed deportation effort violated the minors' due process rights.

(Image credit: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

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A bipartisan bill to ban lawmakers from trading stocks is unveiled in the House

Market statistics are displayed on a screen as traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the opening bell on June 13 in New York City.

Efforts to ban congressional stock trading have stalled for years. But a group of bipartisan lawmakers has a new consensus plan and wants a vote to show lawmakers aren't profiting from their roles.

(Image credit: Angela Weiss)

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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s impact on Americans' health

New York Times reporter Sheryl Gay Stolberg discusses how Kennedy's cuts to government staff and expert groups will impact everyday Americans. A vaccine skeptic, he fired the CDC director last week.

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New Jersey Democrat faces House censure vote and removal from key committee

LaMonica McIver speaks onstage at the 2025 ESSENCE Festival of Culture presented by Coca-Cola at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana. She faces a censure vote in the House of Representatives this week.

New Jersey Democrat LaMonica McIver is facing a censure vote in the House of Representatives over her arrest earlier this year at an immigration detention facility.

(Image credit: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

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Democrats push Homeland Security Department on DACA recipients

Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) speaks during a news conference with immigration experts, DACA recipients and DREAMers to mark the 13th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in Washington, D.C. on June 11, 2025.

After the agency called on DACA recipients to self-deport, Democrats are asking for answers on how mass deportations are affecting the group of immigrants also known as 'DREAMers.'

(Image credit: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/)

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An ancient disease makes yet another comeback

In Gedaref Sudan, a former bus station is serving as a cholera clinic. Many of the patients are Sudanese who have been displaced by the country

Why cholera is striking in Africa. It's a disease that's easy to control with proper treatment. But without medical care, patients can perish quickly.

(Image credit: Giles Clarke)

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Lawmakers push for release of more Epstein files. And, Trump family launches crypto

A billboard in Times Square calls for the release of the Epstein Files on July 23, 2025, in New York City.

Some members of Congress are trying to force a vote to make the Trump administration release more of the Jeffrey Epstein files. And, the Trump family's crypto started trading publicly this week.

(Image credit: Adam Gray)

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Epstein accusers expected to hold rally and speak on Capitol Hill Wednesday

NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Lisa Phillips, who says she was sex trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein, about political moves to release more information and about seeking justice for his victims.

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Efforts pick up in Congress to force vote on release of Jeffrey Epstein files

There's a renewed bipartisan push in Congress for information about the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein to be released, with some members trying to force a vote to release all related files.

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Hitler's bunker is now just a parking lot. But it's a 'dark tourism' attraction anyway

Tourists gather at a parking lot in the center of Berlin, Germany.

Why evil histories sell. A visit to Hitler's bunker, and a deep dive into the economics and ethical quandaries of "dark tourism."

(Image credit: Greg Rosalsky)

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With federal money in doubt, California's high-speed train seeks a new path forward

The Tied Arch Bridge construction site in Fresno County, Calif.

The leaders of California's high-speed rail project say they've learned from past mistakes. But the troubled megaproject faces an uncertain future with $4 billion in federal funding tied up in court.

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'Founders Museum' from White House and PragerU blurs history, AI-generated fiction

An AI-generated image of former President John Adams is part of an exhibit that is a partnership between the Trump administration and conservative nonprofit PragerU.

Historians say it's good to highlight America's founders, but the project takes too narrow a view of history.

(Image credit: The White House/PragerU)

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So um, why do we say 'um' so much?

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Who knew two letters could spark so much conversation? This week, we're breaking down the many uses of "um" and why the word is so controversial.

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Former U.S. ambassador talks about China's efforts to change geopolitical world order

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Nicholas Burns, former U.S. Ambassador to China, about the country's military parade and its efforts to reshape the geopolitical world order.

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Trump cannot use Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan gang members, appeals court rules

President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday.

The administration deported people designated as Tren de Aragua members to a notorious prison in El Salvador where, it argued, U.S. courts could not order them freed.

(Image credit: Mark Schiefelbein)

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