Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel tells NBC News that he will not step down

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel delivers a welcome speech to participants of the "Nuestra America," or Our America Convoy at the Convention Palace in Havana, Cuba, Friday, March 20, 2026.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has told NBC News' Meet the Press that he would not step down in his first interview with a U.S. network.

(Image credit: Adalberto Roque)

NPR NewsApr 9, 2026, 9:05 PM

Melania Trump denies close ties to Jeffrey Epstein in rare public statement

First lady Melania Trump listens as U.S. President Donald Trump (not pictured) delivers remarks during an Independence Day military family picnic on the South Lawn of the White House on July 04, 2025 in Washington, DC.

The first lady made a rare public statement on Thursday saying she was not friends with the late sex offender. She also said Epstein did not introduce her to President Donald Trump.

(Image credit: Samuel Corum)

NPR NewsApr 9, 2026, 8:38 PM

How an ancient resin traded for centuries got snarled up by the Iran war

Frankincense is harvested from Boswellia trees on the Arabian peninsula. It

It's not just energy supplies that have been disrupted by the Iran war. It's also hitting frankincense, a commodity that's been defining trade routes in the Middle East for thousands of years.

(Image credit: Maha Loubaris)

NPR NewsApr 9, 2026, 6:45 PM

710,000 fewer babies were born last year in U.S. compared with two decades ago

File photo showing babies in a U.S. maternity ward. The fertility rate in the U.S. has dropped steadily. Last year, there were roughly 710,000 fewer children born in the U.S. compared with the peak in 2007.

The U.S. fertility rate continued its slide to historic levels, due to plunging teen pregnancies and far more women delaying motherhood into their 30s and 40s.

(Image credit: Seth Wenig)

NPR NewsApr 9, 2026, 6:16 PM

How a cheese sandwich at the Masters is still $1.50 in an era of price hikes

Concession stand sandwiches range from $1.50 to $3 at the Masters this year.

The priciest concessions at the Masters, beer and wine, cost just $6 each. The Georgia golf tournament prides itself on a simple and affordable menu, even as ticket prices continue to climb.

(Image credit: Andrew Redington)

NPR NewsApr 9, 2026, 6:01 PM

How bad for humans is wildlife trade? A new study has answers

This pangolin was confiscated from a smuggling ring that sold endangered animals to restaurants in China. Animals caught up in the wildlife trade pose a great risk of spillover diseases.

People sell wild animals for food and for traditional medicine — legally and illegally. A study looks at the risks of spillover diseases from those pangolins, giant rats and other exotic critters.

(Image credit: Jimin Lai/AFP)

NPR NewsApr 9, 2026, 5:41 PM

Artemis II astronauts have fitness lessons for everyone

The Artemis II crew — Christina Koch (left), Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman — have to share tight quarters aboard the Orion spacecraft on their way home. But even with limited space, they can still get a solid workout in — thanks to a very special piece of equipment.

The Artemis II astronauts don't have a lot of space to exercise. That's why they've got the flywheel — a small device that can be used for strength and cardio workouts.

(Image credit: NASA)

NPR NewsApr 9, 2026, 4:27 PM

This doctor turned a 31-foot RV into one of the country's only mobile OB-GYN clinics

Mary Fariba Afsari's book, Labor, is a portrait of reproductive healthcare in post-Dobbs America. Her book also is about her Iranian heritage and her grandmother's death from an illegal abortion.

NPR NewsApr 9, 2026, 3:21 PM

In the Trump era, everybody's talking about 'soft power.' But ... what is it exactly?

A protester carries a sign that equates foreign aid with soft power during a rally near the U.S. Capitol to protest the dismantling of USAID, the international agency charged with dispensing humanitarian aid around the world on behalf of the United States.

The U.S. government long saw giving international aid as a way to build goodwill throughout the world. Did it work? And what does the reducing of foreign aid mean for that effort now?

(Image credit: Ben de la Cruz/NPR)

NPR NewsApr 9, 2026, 12:02 PM

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)

NPR NewsApr 9, 2026, 9:20 AM

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)

NPR NewsApr 9, 2026, 9:00 AM

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)

NPR NewsApr 9, 2026, 9:00 AM

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.

NPR NewsApr 9, 2026, 8:46 AM

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)

NPR NewsApr 9, 2026, 5:22 AM

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)

NPR NewsApr 9, 2026, 5:19 AM

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)

NPR NewsApr 9, 2026, 5:04 AM

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)

NPR NewsApr 9, 2026, 4:01 AM

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)

NPR NewsApr 8, 2026, 10:59 PM

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.

NPR NewsApr 8, 2026, 10:15 PM

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)

NPR NewsApr 8, 2026, 8:49 PM

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)

NPR NewsApr 8, 2026, 7:17 PM

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.

NPR NewsApr 8, 2026, 5:58 PM

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.

NPR NewsApr 8, 2026, 4:28 PM

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)

NPR NewsApr 8, 2026, 4:11 PM

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.

NPR NewsApr 8, 2026, 1:33 PM

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)

NPR NewsApr 8, 2026, 11:55 AM

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)

NPR NewsApr 8, 2026, 9:00 AM

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.

NPR NewsApr 8, 2026, 9:00 AM

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)

NPR NewsApr 8, 2026, 9:00 AM

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)