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Iran-U.S. ceasefire off to a shaky start. And, Bill Gates to testify in Epstein probe

Workers clear rubble from the site of an Israeli airstrike the day before that targeted the Bir Hassan neighborhood in Beirut

Attacks persist across the Middle East despite the two-week ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran. And, Bill Gates is set to testify in the investigation of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

(Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

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Trump warns strikes will resume if Iran doesn't agree to his peace terms

First responders and residents gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut

President Trump said that any peace deal would not allow nuclear enrichment in Iran, and would need to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, as conflicting messages surface over the terms of the ceasefire.

(Image credit: Fadel Itani)

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Why high oil prices are good for oil companies — until they aren't

A pumping jack is visible at sunrise on Feb. 24, 2025, in Hobbs, New Mexico.

Yes, higher crude oil prices mean a multibillion-dollar cash infusion to the oil industry. But volatility is bad for business, and sustained high prices come with very serious drawbacks.

(Image credit: Julio Cortez)

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How to make a high-deductible health plan and HSA work for you

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If you chose a cheaper health plan, you may be stuck with some hefty medical bills until you meet your deductible. Here's how to get the most out of your plan and health savings account.

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Iran expert discusses whether the war has made the Iranian regime stronger

Iranians hold portraits of slain Iran

Iran expert Vali Nasr of Johns Hopkins University discusses whether the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran has made the Iranian regime stronger.

(Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

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Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Mount Everest, dies at 97

Jim Whittaker is interviewed for the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the First American Ascent of Mount Everest in Berkeley, Calif., Feb. 22, 2013.

The celebrated mountaineer, who also served as the first full-time employee of the outdoor retailer REI and later as its president and CEO, died Tuesday at his home in Port Townsend, Washington, his family said.

(Image credit: Jeff Chiu)

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North Korea says its latest weapons tests included missiles with cluster-bomb warheads

A TV screen shows a file image of North Korea

North Korea said its testing spree this week involved various new weapons systems, including ballistic missiles armed with cluster-bomb warheads, as it pushes to expand nuclear-capable forces.

(Image credit: Ahn Young-joon)

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Guatemalan man pleads guilty in federal court in crash that killed over 50 in Mexico

Bodies in bags sit on the side of the road after a deadly semi-trailer truck crash in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas state, Mexico, Dec. 9, 2021.

A man pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court and acknowledged his involvement in an attempt to illegally smuggle migrants to the U.S. when a truck crashed in Mexico in 2021, killing more than 50.

(Image credit: AP)

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Teen birth rates hit another historical low in 2025, CDC says

A woman at an abortion-rights protest in New York in 2023 holds a pregnancy test. The U.S. teen pregnancy rate in 2025 was 11.7 births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 19, according to provisional data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday.

The teen birth rate continues its decades-long downward trend. Researchers say many factors are at play, including less sexual activity and more access to contraception and abortion.

(Image credit: Kena Betancur)

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Once seen as a war hero, Australian ex-soldier will stand trial for alleged war crimes

Until a few years ago, Ben Roberts-Smith was one of Australia's most celebrated war heroes. But now, he will stand trial for alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan.

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Bill Gates will testify in the Epstein probe; Pam Bondi testimony postponed

Bill Gates speaks during an event in New York City in September 2024. He is scheduled to testify before a House committee investigating Jeffrey Epstein.

Bill Gates will appear before the House Oversight Committee in June. The Department of Justice said Wednesday that former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not testify for now.

(Image credit: Roy Rochlin)

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What has the U.S. war with Iran accomplished?

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a news briefing at the Pentagon on Wednesday. President Trump

After five weeks of fighting, President Trump's stated goals for the war look mostly unmet.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)

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Why OpenAI bought 'SportsCenter for Silicon Valley'

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OpenAI is seeking to shape the public narrative about AI with the purchase of a niche talk show popular with Silicon Valley insiders.

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Greetings from downtown Cairo, where unpretentious cafés are part of centuries-old charm

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Downtown Cairo, or Wust el-Balad as it's known, is a trove of hidden gems. Imprinted on every high-ceilinged building, arched balcony and iconic roundabout are relics that feel like love letters from the past.

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Democrats keep doing better in elections since Trump returned to office

In this file photo, voters cast their ballots in Oak Creek, Wis., on Nov. 5, 2024. On Tuesday, Apr. 8, Wisconsin voters elected a new justice to the state

With elections in Georgia and Wisconsin Tuesday, Democrats continued to overperform, which the party started in 2025 when it regularly improved on its margins compared to the presidential race in 2024.

(Image credit: Morry Gash)

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A humorist faces life with Stage 4 lung cancer: 'The future disappeared for me'

In 2020, Annabelle Gurwitch went to urgent care for a COVID-19 test and learned she had cancer. She writes about life as a "cancer slacker" in her memoir, The End of My Life is Killing Me.

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Oil prices plunge and stocks soar after U.S. and Iran agree on ceasefire

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on April 2, 2026 in New York City.

Investors around the world breathed a sigh of relief at the prospect of peace — and an easing of the global energy crisis.

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

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U.S., Iran agree to 2-week ceasefire. And, Trump-backed Clay Fuller wins House race

Iranians hold national flags as they gather in Tehran

The U.S. reached a last-minute ceasefire with Iran just before Trump's deadline for the country to meet his demands. And, Trump-backed Clay Fuller wins the U.S. House race in Georgia.

(Image credit: Atta Kenare)

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Your sarcasm is showing — and its history is surprisingly violent

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Some people use sarcasm jokingly. But funnily enough, we tend not to find it witty when we're on the receiving end.

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Colleges are trying to boost student voting. A Trump probe freezes data for that work

Students walk past a polling site at the University of Pittsburgh during the 2022 midterm election in Pittsburgh, Pa.

To figure out how to boost student voting, colleges have relied on a study about campus voter registration and turnout rates. A Trump administration investigation has cut schools off from new data.

(Image credit: Angela Weiss)

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Abortion clinics are closing nationwide. Could urgent care help fill the gap?

Marquette Medical Urgent Care in Michigan started offering medication abortion to patients last summer.  The physician who owns the urgent care started the service after Planned Parenthood closed a clinic, leaving the remote Upper Peninsula without in-person options for abortion care.

When the only clinic that offered abortions in Michigan's rural Upper Peninsula closed, an urgent care decided to step in to fill the gap. Now, others are considering similar moves as brick-and-mortar clinics close in blue states.

(Image credit: Kate Wells)

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Morning news brief

U.S. and Iran agree to two week ceasefire, how Iranians are responding to the ceasefire, the effects of the war in Iran give investors around the world whiplash.

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Trump-backed Clay Fuller wins House race in Georgia to replace Greene

Clay Fuller received President Trump's endorsement earlier in the election season in the race to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. He will serve out the remainder of Greene's term.

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U.S. and Iran agree to 2-week ceasefire

Iranians react after a ceasefire announcement at the Enqelab square, in Tehran, on April 8 2026.

As part of the agreement, set to take effect immediately, Trump said the U.S. and Israel would suspend bombing Iran for two weeks, subject to Iran following through on its commitment to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for safe passage during the ceasefire period.

(Image credit: STR)

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Telehealth abortion will remain available for now, after a federal judge's ruling

An abortion-rights rally outside the Supreme Court on March 26, 2024 when the justices heard another case about mifepristone, one of the drugs used in medication abortion. The High Court did not roll back the FDA

The abortion pill mifepristone must undergo a safety review by the FDA, the judge said. Louisiana's case seeking to ban its use through telemedicine will proceed after that review.

(Image credit: Anna Moneymaker)

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Trump has backed down from his threat to wipe out Iran's civilization

President Trump has backed down from his threat to wipe out Iran's civilization and bomb its power plants by Tuesday night. Online, he said he agreed to suspend the bombing of Iran for two weeks.

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The Artemis II crew saw parts of the moon never seen before. Here's what they said

The moon, seen here backlit by the sun during a solar eclipse on Monday, is photographed by one of the cameras on the Orion spacecraft

The astronauts on Artemis II observed parts of the moon humans had never seen before. Their findings provide a scientific baseline — and sense of wonder — for future missions.

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Congressional Democrats raise alarm over Trump's comments on Iran

Lawmakers are currently on a scheduled recess but are weighing in on President Trump

Dozens of Congressional Democrats raised alarm Tuesday over President Trump's rhetoric about Iran. Most Republican lawmakers have been silent.

(Image credit: Zayrha Roodriguez)

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ICE acknowledges it is using powerful spyware

A man holds his phone up next to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol agent during an immigration raid in Chicago on Oct. 4, 2025. The top official of CBP

In a letter sent last week, ICE's top official indicated to members of Congress the agency is using a spyware tool to intercept encrypted messages of fentanyl traffickers.

(Image credit: Octavio Jones)

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In a stark reversal, President Trump announces two-week ceasefire with Iran

President Trump has announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran, contingent on their opening of the Strait of Hormuz. In an earlier online post, he had threatened "a whole civilization will die tonight."

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