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2025 was one of most volatile years ever for U.S. naturalizations

New U.S. citizens take part in a naturalization ceremony at Faneuil Hall in Boston on Jan. 8.

The year began with many people becoming U.S. citizens, but by December, fewer people were doing so, driven by ramped-up scrutiny of applications and eroding trust in the system.

(Image credit: Joseph Prezioso)

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The FAA takes a rare step to head off a traffic jam at Chicago's O'Hare Airport

American Airlines is one of two major airlines with hubs at O

Federal regulators want airlines to cut the number of flights at O'Hare Airport in Chicago this summer. It's an unusual move, sparked by a turf war between two major airlines with hubs at the airport.

(Image credit: Daniel Slim)

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Can red light therapy really deliver a beauty and health glow up? Here's the science

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Wellness influencers tout the therapy's power for everything from rejuvenating skin and hair to boosting longevity. Devices sold for at-home use abound. We look at the evidence behind the hype.

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How a $75 billion windfall from Congress has insulated ICE

Observers film Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as they hold a perimeter after one of their vehicles got a flat tire on Penn Avenue in Minneapolis on Feb. 5.

Last year, Congress approved $75 billion for immigration enforcement. That money has allowed ICE to operate nearly unfettered during a record-long shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.

(Image credit: Stephen Maturen)

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More than a quarter of private colleges are at risk of closing, a new projection shows

Izzy Johnson, left, and Jack Beatson are first-year students at Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, Vt. The college has announced that it will close at the end of this semester.

As one Vermont college finishes its last semester, an estimated 442 others may be in trouble.

(Image credit: Oliver Parini for The Hechinger Report)

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Strikes on alleged drug boats kill 5 in eastern Pacific, U.S. military says

The Pentagon is seen from an airplane, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Washington.

The U.S. military said Sunday that it blew up two boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, as the Trump administration pursues its campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America.

(Image credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

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Rory McIlroy wins the Masters for second year in a row

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, holds the trophy after winning the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Augusta, Ga.

Rory McIlroy goes back-to-back at the Masters to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods.

(Image credit: Ashley Landis)

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A stampede at a Haitian mountaintop fortress kills at least 25 people and injures dozens

The shoes of victims of a deadly stampede sit by the main entrance of the Citadelle Laferriere in Milot, Haiti, Sunday, April 12, 2026.

A stampede at a mountaintop fortress popular with tourists in northern Haiti has killed at least 25 people and injured dozens of others, authorities said.

(Image credit: Ketlain Difficile)

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Peru election results delayed after thousands get a one-day voting extension

Voters line up outside a polling station during general elections in Lima, Peru, Sunday, April 12, 2026.

Voters will have to wait until at least Monday to learn the outcome of Sunday's presidential election after the process was mired with logistical issues that left thousands unable to cast ballots.

(Image credit: Guadalupe Pardo)

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Trump lambasts Pope Leo XIV, extending feud over Iran war with American pontiff

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sunday, April 12, 2026, after he returned from Miami.

President Donald Trump delivered an extraordinary broadside against Pope Leo XIV on Sunday night, saying he didn't think the U.S.-born global leader of the Catholic Church is "doing a very good job."

(Image credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

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Fighting assault allegations, Eric Swalwell suspends his bid for California governor

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., speaks at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif., last week

The San Francisco Chronicle and CNN reported multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. Swalwell calls them false but apologized to his supporters and family.

(Image credit: Rich Pedroncelli)

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Will Orbán's defeat change Hungary's relationship to the EU?

Historic voter turnout in Hungary ousted Prime Minister Viktor Orbán from power. This shift may dramatically change Hungary's relationship with the European Union, which Orbán criticized regularly.

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Viktor Orbán concedes defeat in historic Hungary election

Hungarians turned out in historic numbers to vote against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's and his Fidesz party. NPR's Rob Schmitz discusses with reporter Esme Nicholson and political scientist Abel Bojar.

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The consequences of Hungary's election, for Viktor Orban and the world

NPR's Rob Schmitz speaks with political scientist Abel Bojar about the results of Hungary's election, the far-reaching consequences of the vote and the future for Viktor Orban.

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Hungary's Viktor Orbán concedes defeat, ending 16 years in power

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives to address a "Day of Friendship" event at MTK Sportpark in Budapest, Hungary on April 7.

Hungarian voters turned out in the greatest numbers since the 1990s to turn away from Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's right-wing populist Fidesz party, putting an end to Orbán's 16 years in power.

(Image credit: Attila Kisbenedek)

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A country-by-country glance at Pope Leo XIV's trip to Africa

Pope Leo XIV attends the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord in St. Peter

Pope Leo XIV's four-nation, 11-day trip to Africa is so dizzying in its complexity it recalls some of the globetrotting odysseys of St. John Paul II in his early years.

(Image credit: Andrew Medichini)

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A Hezbollah commander describes battling Israel in Lebanon

People inspect the aftermath of Wednesday

In a rare interview, a wounded Hezbollah commander tells NPR about his secretive Shia Muslim militia's new command structure and how it has managed to keep firing rockets into northern Israel.

(Image credit: AFP)

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No Deal: U.S.-Iran peace talks in Islamabad collapse

Vice President JD Vance gives a thumb up sign as he boards Air Force Two after attending talks on Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, April 12, 2026.

The United States and Iran failed to reach an agreement after a day of highly anticipated face-to-face peace talks, Washington's lead negotiator Vice President J.D. Vance announced on Sunday.

(Image credit: Jacquelyn Martin)

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The real space science behind 'Project Hail Mary'

In the film <!-- raw HTML omitted -->Project Hail Mary<!-- raw HTML omitted -->, middle school teacher Ryland Grace (played by Ryan Gosling) goes on a interstellar journey and conducts lab science in space in a quest to save humanity.

The science fiction blockbuster wowed audiences with its depiction of space travel and more. Here's what NASA staff and other scientists say about the basis for the amazing events of the film.

(Image credit: Jonathan Olley)

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White House ballroom construction can continue for now, appeals court says

Work continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Washington, where the East Wing once stood.

The order comes as the Trump administration challenges a lower court ruling that the estimated $300-million project requires congressional approval.

(Image credit: Rod Lamkey)

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Trump touts newly released plans for D.C. triumphal arch

Artist renderings and diagrams for President Trump

The proposed 250-feet-tall, white-and-gilded monument would stand on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., by the Potomac River.

(Image credit: Jon Elswick)

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At a concert in Budapest, anti-Orbán sentiments take center stage ahead of election

At a concert in Budapest, musicians and concertgoers express criticism of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's leadership.

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How Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's hometown became a symbol of excesses

Pancho Arena, soccer stadium in Felcsút, Hungary.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has long been accused of corruption. Sightseers now flock to his hometown as groups aim to raise awareness of what they say are the leader's excesses.

(Image credit: Rob Schmitz)

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In Hungary, upcoming elections could bring an end to Orban's 16-year rule

In Hungary, voters head to the polls Sunday. At stake: the future for populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Europe's longest-serving leader - and an ally of Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

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Pope Leo says 'delusion of omnipotence' is fueling U.S.-Israeli war in Iran

Pope Leo XIV leads a vigil for peace inside St. Peter

In the first weeks of the war, the Chicago-born Leo was initially reluctant to publicly condemn the violence and limited his comments to muted appeals for peace and dialogue. But Leo stepped up his criticism starting on Palm Sunday.

(Image credit: Gregorio Borgia)

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Artemis II splashdown captures nationwide attention

NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, left, and NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist are seen sitting on a Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 on the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha.

Fans across the country tuned in to see the Artemis II crew make their splashy return to Earth.

(Image credit: Bill Ingalls)

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Opinion: A well-deserved statue for a hero rat

Cambodia is recognizing the life-saving contributions of a rat named Magawa with a statue. The late rat sniffed out landmines for a non-profit group, and in a short career helped find more than 100.

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The Great Green Wall's one of the world's most ambitious eco-projects. Is it working?

Women install barricades to halt the shifting dunes that threaten to swamp the oasis outside their village of Kaou, Chad. The oasis feeds their only source of farmland, but oases in the region have been shrinking steadily, elders say, in the face of hotter temperatures and stronger winds. The dune fixing is part of a broader intervention to support farming known as the Great Green Wall initiative.

It's a global effort with a multibillion dollar price tag. Among its aims: re-greening nearly 250 million acres, planting 4,000 miles of trees, helping farmers, creating jobs, sequestering carbon.

(Image credit: Tommy Trenchard for NPR)

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India cracks down on satirists for turning its prime minister into a punch line

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (center) takes a group photo with AI company leaders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (third from right), Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei (second from right), Google CEO Sundar Pichai (third from left) and Meta Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang (second from left), at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on Feb. 19.

India's satirists are turning Prime Minister Narendra Modi into a punch line — and the government is hitting back.

(Image credit: Ludovic Marin)

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Gut troubles? This gastroenterologist has tips to help you achieve 'poophoria'

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In her new book You've Been Pooping All Wrong, Dr. Trisha Pasricha shares habits and practices to make your relationship with your solid waste as smooth as possible

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