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As federal government pulls back, Colorado charts independent course with vaccines

Carol Boigon at home in Denver on Jan 13. To combat vaccine misinformation, Carol joined an outreach coalition and is publicly sharing her story about being hospitalized with polio when she was 5. She never recovered full function in her right arm.

As state leaders change laws to make vaccines more accessible, a coalition of doctors, public health advocates and everyday Coloradans is trying to start a public conversation about their importance.

(Image credit: Kevin J. Beaty)

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Court rejects Virginia redistricting in a blow to Democrats' counter to Trump, GOP

State Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, center, speaks with the media following a hearing on new congressional maps before the state Supreme Court in Richmond, Va. on April 27.

Virginia voters approved redistricting that could help Democrats pick up four House seats. Democrats said it was to counter the gains that Trump and the GOP have picked up in Republican-led states.

(Image credit: Allen G. Breed)

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Rooted in nature, 'Silent Friend' will change the way you see the trees

In <!-- raw HTML omitted -->Silent Friend,<!-- raw HTML omitted --> Hannes (Enzo Brumm) is profoundly transformed while caring for a plant.

A new art-house drama tells three stories that span the century — and connect to one tree. Silent Friend will open your eyes to the beauty of the natural world.

(Image credit: Lena Kettner)

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U.S. intercepts Iranian attacks on 3 ships. And, what to know about hantavirus

In this picture obtained from Iran

The U.S. says it intercepted Iranian attacks yesterday targeting three Navy ships. And, what to know about the hantavirus outbreak that started on a cruise ship.

(Image credit: Amirhossein Khorgooei)

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The U.S. awaits Iran's response as the UAE reports another missile barrage

Cargo ships, including bulk carriers and general cargo vessels, sit at anchor offshore as a small motorboat passes in the foreground, in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on May 4.

The Iran war's shaky ceasefire was further strained on Friday as the United Arab Emirates responded to a missile and drone strikes.

(Image credit: Amirhosein Khorgooi)

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UAE reports drone and missile attack as Iran war ceasefire is challenged

Cargo ships, including bulk carriers and general cargo vessels, sit at anchor offshore as a small motorboat passes in the foreground, in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday, May 4 , 2026.

The Iran war's shaky ceasefire was further strained on Friday as the United Arab Emirates responded to a missile and drone strikes.

(Image credit: Amirhosein Khorgooi)

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Military drills on the edge: U.S. and allies test capabilities near Asia's flash points

Soldiers of the U.S. Army

From drone boats to long-range missiles, the U.S. and its allies tested new military tactics in the Philippines, sharpening deterrence as tensions with China intensify.

(Image credit: Anthony Kuhn)

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Prices are up, but Mother's Day still means brunch

A Society of American Florists survey found that many florists are "leaning into value-focused offerings," including cheaper grab-and-go bouquets and smaller arrangements.

It's the biggest day for America's restaurants, and one of the biggest for flower sales. Despite anxieties over rising gas prices, people are ready to splurge to celebrate.

(Image credit: Brandon Bell)

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Spain readies for evacuations as a hantavirus-hit cruise ship heads for Canary Islands

Health workers in protective gear arrive to evacuate patients from the MV Hondius cruise ship at a port in Praia, Cape Verde, Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

Spanish authorities are preparing to receive more than 140 passengers and crew members on board a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship headed for the Canary Islands.

(Image credit: Misper Apawu)

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What video got Kash Patel in the headlines this week? The quiz knows

From left: Blake Lively, Kash Patel, Lauren Sánchez Bezos.

Plus: The Met Gala, GameStop, Canada and Banksy (again!).

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Trump's Truth Social lays bare narrow obsessions of an extremely online president

President Trump speaks.

The bulk of the president's social media posts don't make news. But taken together they show what's on his mind as he leads the nation through war and domestic turmoil.

(Image credit: Saul Loeb)

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David Attenborough celebrates his 100th birthday

Sir David Attenborough at the Beijing Museum of Natural History with fossil of <!-- raw HTML omitted -->Juramaia<!-- raw HTML omitted -->, as featured in the Smithsonian Channel series <!-- raw HTML omitted -->Rise of Animals: Triumph of the Vertebrates.<!-- raw HTML omitted -->

He was born before the Great Depression, came of age in WWII, and is still making wildlife documentaries. Brits call David Attenborough a national hero, as he celebrates his 100th birthday.

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With Spirit in liquidation, here's what happens next to its planes

Spirit Airlines jets on the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida on May 2, 2026.

When Spirit Airlines stopped flying last weekend, it left more than 90 planes scattered across the country. Many will go back to the companies that own them, while Spirit tries to monetize the rest.

(Image credit: Giorgio Viera)

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European countries emerge as NATO leaders as U.S. role recedes

President Trump attends a bilateral meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21.

President Trump's decision to leave NATO in the dark before launching strikes on Iran has inflamed tensions and is putting new urgency on rethinking the alliance.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)

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Morning news brief

U.S. and Iran trade fire amid month-old ceasefire, Tennessee becomes first state to draw new U.S. House map after SCOTUS decision, U.S.'s continued strikes on alleged drug boats raise questions.

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March Madness tournaments will expand to 76 teams each starting next season

FILE - March Madness logo sis displayed at center court during the opening rounds of the NCAA college basketball tournament in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, March 20, 2024.

The NCAA will expand its March Madness tournaments by eight teams each next season. It will add more early-round games in the first week without altering the overall format.

(Image credit: Gene J. Puskar)

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North Korea says it will deploy new artillery guns targeting Seoul

In this photo provided on May 8, 2026, by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, center, visits the destroyer Choe Hyon to review its maneuverability off North Korea

North Korea says it'll deploy new long-range artillery systems capable of striking the capital region of rival South Korea this year and commission its first naval destroyer in coming weeks.

(Image credit: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service)

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Trade court strikes down a second round of Trump tariffs

A specialty trade court has struck down a second round of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

The Court of International Trade has struck down a second round of global tariffs ordered by President Trump, after his earlier import taxes were outlawed by the U.S. Supreme Court. The decision is a victory for importers and a setback for the administration.

(Image credit: Joe Raedle)

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U.S. military says it intercepted Iranian attacks on 3 Navy ships in Strait of Hormuz

Children play in the water along the shore as a mix of bulk carriers, cargo ships, and service vessels sit offshore in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Sunday.

The U.S. military also says that it "targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S. forces." The exchange occurred Thursday as U.S. Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command said in a social media post.

(Image credit: Razieh Poudat/ISNA)

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Is hantavirus the next COVID? Is the U.S. response on point? An outbreak update

Hantavirus particles in a color-enhanced micrograph image.

The outbreak began in early April on a cruise ship. Now health authorities around the world are working to contain it. Here's what infectious disease experts have to say.

(Image credit: Alfred Pasieka/Science Photo Library)

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She helps families in need. As gas and grocery prices rise, she needs help, too

Dalene Basden volunteers at a local soup kitchen after her day job helping families who have children with special needs. Now, with gas and grocery prices rising, she

She has spent decades helping others struggling to make ends meet. Now the rising cost of gas and groceries has left Dalene Basden feeling the strain herself.

(Image credit: Tovia Smith/NPR)

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Confused about the abortion pill news? Here's where things stand

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

The courts are considering ending telemedicine access to mifepristone, one of the two pills used in a medication abortion. Here's what's happened this week and what's to come.

(Image credit: Jonathan Bachman)

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A Trump council recommends overhauling FEMA. Here are 3 key changes

A Texas flag hangs from a flood-damaged tree on the bank of the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas after deadly floods in July 2025. A group of emergency experts appointed by President Trump is recommending that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provide less money to states to help prepare for and respond to disasters including floods.

A group of emergency experts wants the Trump administration to raise the bar for federal help after disasters, and also make it easier for survivors to get money quickly.

(Image credit: Darren Abate)

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DHS blames funding lapse for shutdown of internal detention oversight

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stand near a gate at Delaney Hall, an immigrant detention center in Newark, N.J., in May 2025.

The office investigates detainee deaths and access to medical care, among other issues. It's being wound down, even as the number of detention deaths and length of detention stays has grown.

(Image credit: Timothy A. Clary)

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A judge unsealed Epstein's purported 2019 suicide note. More documents could follow

The Department of Justice has released millions of documents and images from criminal investigations into Jeffrey Epstein since December, but his purported suicide note was sealed in an unrelated court case until this week.

At the request of the New York Times, a judge unsealed a goodbye note that Jeffrey Epstein's former cellmate says he found after the convicted sex offender's first suicide attempt in July 2019.

(Image credit: Jon Elswick)

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Tennessee Republicans pass a map to break up the state's lone Democratic House seat

State troopers remove people from the Tennessee House gallery on Thursday during a special session of the state legislature to redraw congressional voting maps.

Tennessee Republicans' map would crack Shelby County — home to majority-Black Memphis — into three different districts, in an effort to eliminate the state's lone remaining Democratic-held seat.

(Image credit: George Walker IV)

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Rubio visits Vatican amid escalating tensions between Trump and Pope Leo

Pope Leo XIV greets U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, upon his arrival for talks in the pope

Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Rome in an effort to preserve a crucial relationship between Washington and the Holy See.

(Image credit: Vatican Media via AP)

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China gives suspended death sentences to 2 ex-defense ministers

Both were the latest to be sentenced in President Xi Jinping's ongoing anti-corruption campaign, which started more than a decade ago.

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These families help researchers find Alzheimer's treatments. Their network is at risk

June Ward (right) — pictured with her sisters Susie Gilliam (center) and Karen Douthitt (left) — carries a rare gene mutation that virtually guarantees she will get Alzheimer

Families with rare gene mutations that cause Alzheimer's in middle age are giving scientists a unique window on the disease, and a quick way to test potential treatments.

(Image credit: Juan Diego Reyes for NPR)

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Iran reviews U.S. proposal. And, Rubio to meet Pope Leo after Trump's criticism

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives at Rome

Iran is reviewing the Trump administration's latest proposal to end the war. And, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting Pope Leo XIV amid President Trump's harsh criticism of him.

(Image credit: Andrew Medichini)

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