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The U.S. unexpectedly loses 92,000 jobs, adding to worries about the economy

The U.S. economy lost jobs in February, and job gains for December and January were revised downward. A report from the Labor Department Friday dashed hopes that the job market was stabilizing.

The job market showed further signs of weakness last month as employers cut 92,000 jobs. The unemployment rate inched up to 4.4%, from 4.3% in January.

(Image credit: Spencer Platt)

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Trump fires Kristi Noem. And, DOJ releases some missing Epstein files

This combination of pictures created on March 5, 2026, shows US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Washington, D.C., on March 3, 2026, and Subcommittee chairman US Senator Markwayne Mullin, Republican from Oklahoma, in Washington, D.C., on April 29, 2025.

President Trump has fired DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and named Sen. Markwayne Mullin as her replacement. And, the Justice Department released some missing Epstein files.

(Image credit: Mandel Ngan, Drew Angerer)

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Taking the heat. Sauna's popular and there may be health benefits too

Sauna enthusiast Michael Calcagno, second from right, sits inside a clear-walled wood-fired sauna during the Seattle Sauna Festival in November. Sauna use has taken off as a health practice and scientists are studying its benefits.

It's an age old practice that's having a moment right now. But is there anything to the health claims? Scientists say sauna is more than hot air.

(Image credit: Mike Kane for NPR)

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Iran retaliates after Israel strikes Beirut and Tehran as war enters Day 7

The damaged 12,000-seat Azadi indoor stadium is seen after being struck during ongoing U.S.–Israeli military strikes in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, March 5, 2026.

Iran fired missiles toward Israel Friday, Israeli officials said, after Israel launched fresh strikes on Tehran and hit Beirut's southern suburbs overnight.

(Image credit: Vahid Salemi)

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Homegoing service will celebrate civil rights leader Jesse Jackson in Chicago

Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died last month, is being celebrated in Chicago, the city where he took his fight for civil rights after growing up in South Carolina during the segregation era. He

Chicago native Jennifer Hudson is among the singers performing at a memorial for the civil rights leader who died last month. Former presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden will attend.

(Image credit: Kris Connor)

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Was that really Jim Carrey? The internet had thoughts but the quiz has answers

From left: Kristi Noem, RFK Jr. and Jim Carrey — OR IS IT?

Plus: Primates of all varieties!

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The Kalshi and Polymarket CEO feud: They hate each other

Polymarket

The 20-something billionaires who run Kalshi and Polymarket are battling it out to be the top prediction market company. Observers and former insiders say the feud is just heating up.

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Former Sen. Ben Sasse on laughing his way through terminal cancer

Former Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska, talks with NPR's Steve Inskeep about the state of politics and his life after being diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.

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Organist shares how his childhood music lessons led him to a lifelong passion

For StoryCorps, Lance Jackson speaks with his former music teacher about how her lessons led him to a career as a professional organist.

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GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas ends reelection bid after admitting to affair with aide

FILE - Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, speaks during a news conference Dec. 7, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas said late Thursday he was withdrawing from his reelection race, after having admitted an affair with a former staff member.

(Image credit: Mariam Zuhaib)

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Pentagon labels AI company Anthropic a supply chain risk

Pages from the Anthropic website and the company

The Pentagon said in a statement Thursday that it has "officially informed Anthropic leadership the company and its products are deemed a supply chain risk, effective immediately."

(Image credit: Patrick Sison)

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Justice Department publishes some missing Epstein files related to Trump

An NPR investigation finds the Justice Department has removed or withheld Epstein files related to sexual abuse accusations that mention President Trump.

The Justice Department has published additional Epstein files related to allegations that President Trump sexually abused a minor after an NPR investigation found dozens of pages were withheld.

(Image credit: Department of Justice and Getty Images/Collage by Danielle A. Scruggs/NPR)

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Pregnant women in ERs took less Tylenol after Trump autism warning

President Trump urged pregnant women to avoid taking Tylenol in a White House announcement in September 2025.

A study in The Lancet finds that pregnant women in emergency rooms used less Tylenol after President Trump said it could raise their babies' risk of autism. Scientists say there is no proven link.

(Image credit: Francis Chung)

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What you need to know about Sen. Markwayne Mullin, Trump's new pick to lead DHS

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. spoke with reporters at the Capitol on Thursday. President Trump announced that Mullin is his pick to replace Kristi Noem as the head of the Department of Homeland Security.

President Trump announced Thursday that Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., is his pick to replace Kristi Noem as the head of the Department of Homeland Security.

(Image credit: Anna Moneymaker)

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Travel industry pushes Congress to end DHS shutdown and pay federal security workers

Passengers wait in line at a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint while traveling at Los Angeles International Airport in November 2025.

With the busy spring break travel season looming, travel and aviation industry leaders urged Congress to end the stalemate over DHS funding before workers at TSA and ports miss a full paycheck.

(Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon)

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Trump fires Kristi Noem as DHS chief, names Sen. Markwayne Mullin to replace her

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem attends a meeting in the Oval Office on Nov. 17, 2025.

Stepping in as acting secretary is GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma who Trump said had "Wisdom and Courage required to Advance our America First Agenda."

(Image credit: Win McNamee)

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Can a digital tablet cut back a country's overuse of antibiotics?

A mother and child at a health center in Rwanda. The child

Overprescribing antibiotics breeds antibiotic resistance. A new tool aims to lower a notably high rate of such prescriptions in Rwanda.

(Image credit: Magali Rochat)

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They were led off course in a big race. But a fix is more complicated than prize money

Elite female distance runners take off at the start of the Atlanta Half Marathon on March 1. Jess McClain, middle left, led much of the race before an official car led her off course.

Top finishers in the Atlanta half marathon are calling for U.S. track officials to ensure that Jess McClain and two other athletes aren't excluded from the world championships because of an error.

(Image credit: Matthew Demarko)

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A Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by Trump was sentenced to life in prison for child sex abuse

Andrew Paul Johnson was sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing children. Johnson received a full pardon from President Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 riot. Dozens of former Capitol rioters have gotten into legal trouble since their pardons.

Since receiving presidential pardons, dozens of former Capitol rioters have gotten into more legal trouble. In Florida, Andrew Paul Johnson was sentenced to life in prison for child sex abuse.

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President Trump, Pam Bondi sued over sale of TikTok assets

In this photo illustration, the TikTok logo and flag of the United States are seen on screens in January 2025 in Hong Kong.

The case, filed in a federal court in Washington, D.C., accuses the Trump administration of ignoring legislation designed to stop the spread of Chinese propaganda — and instead helping to broker a partial sale to businessmen close to Trump.

(Image credit: Anthony Kwan)

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A rift between Spain and Trump widens over Spanish opposition to the Iran war

Demonstrators hold photographs of the killed Iranian supreme leader and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez during a protest against U.S. and Israeli military attacks in Iran in Barcelona, Spain, on Wednesday.

The Spanish government reiterated it would not let U.S. forces use two joint military bases in Spain as the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran escalates, widening a rift with the Trump administration.

(Image credit: AP)

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House to vote on Trump's war powers. And, Minnesota sues over halted Medicaid funding

Motorists drive along an expressway as plumes of smoke rise after a strike in Tehran on March 5, 2026.

The House is set to vote today on whether to constrain President Trump's authority to continue to wage war on Iran. And, Minnesota sues the Trump administration over halted Medicaid funding.

(Image credit: Atta Kenare)

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U.S-Israeli strikes continue across Iran; Iranian drones hit Azerbaijan

Iranian nationals arrive in Turkey after passing through the Razi-Kapiköy border crossing in Van, northeastern Turkey, on Tuesday, a day after Turkey and Iran mutually suspended day-trip crossings at their border as Israeli-U.S. strikes continued to pound the Islamic Republic.

The U.S. and Israel say they conducted new strikes inside Iran overnight, targeting ballistic missile launchers. Iran claims it struck a U.S. oil tanker in the northern Persian Gulf.

(Image credit: Ali Ihsan Ozturk)

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In lawsuit, Minnesota accuses Trump administration of 'weaponizing' Medicaid funding

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz testifies during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing about fraud on Wednesday.

The federal government said the state should do more to fight fraud and is holding back funds. Minnesota officials say the attack is unfair as the state's fraud rate is well below national averages.

(Image credit: Tom Williams)

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Wall Street is betting on tariff refunds after Supreme Court ruling

People walk by the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street. Trades of tariff refunds have ballooned since the Supreme Court struck down many of President Trump

When the Supreme Court struck down many of President Trump's tariffs, it left importers wondering how long they'd have to wait to get their money back. Hedge funds are offering to help out.

(Image credit: Spencer Platt)

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March (Audio) Madness! Here are the finalists in NPR's College Podcast Challenge

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From 75 campuses across 35 states, we've listened to hundreds of student entries to select the very best for NPR's College Podcast Challenge.

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Announcing the 2025 NPR College Podcast Challenge Honorable Mentions

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Here are some of the best entries in NPR's 2025 College Podcast Challenge.

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A run for their money: Young candidates rival older incumbents in midterm fundraising

Tennessee State Representative Justin Pearson takes a selfie with protesters at a "No Kings" protest on October 18, 2025 in Memphis, Tenn.  Pearson is looking to unseat his former boss, Rep. Steve Cohen.

As a growing crop of young candidates challenge longtime Democratic incumbents, some are not just breaking through in the money race, but outraising their opponents altogether.

(Image credit: Jan Sonnenmair)

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When ICE came, Minneapolis created underground health networks. Should other cities?

A couple and their 1-year-old son have been afraid to leave their apartment for fear of being targeted by immigration enforcement agents. "It feels like a psychological attack," the father says. "The possibility of being separated from your family."

The Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis forced some families into hiding and catalyzed informal medical networks to deliver critical health care services inside homes.

(Image credit: Kate Wells)

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China sets a lower economic growth target of 4.5% to 5% for 2026 as challenges loom

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left and Chinese Premier Li Qiang chat during the opening session of the National People

China has signaled continuity rather than change for its economy, setting a slightly lower target for growth this year in the midst of a property slump and other headwinds at home and growing uncertainty abroad.

(Image credit: Ng Han Guan)

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