In Georgia, Republican primary for governor goes to a runoff between Trump backers

People wait in a line at a precinct before voting during a Georgia primary.

Georgia is a swing state where both Democrats and Republicans are deciding the direction their parties will take in the fall in races for the senate and the governor's mansion.

(Image credit: Brynn Anderson)

NPR NewsMay 20, 2026, 12:20 AM

U.S. government to drop tax claims against Trump in broadening of IRS settlement

President Trump speaks about prescription drug prices in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus on Monday in Washington.

As part of the settlement agreement, the U.S. is "forever barred and precluded" from examining or prosecuting President Trump, his sons and the Trump organization's current tax issues, according to a document posted to the DOJ website.

(Image credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 11:57 PM

Endorsed by Trump, Ed Gallrein defeats Rep. Thomas Massie in GOP House primary

Ed Gallrein, Republican congressional candidate for Kentucky, speaks on May 18 in Hebron, Ky.

In a major victory for President Trump, his hand-picked challenger, Ed Gallrein, beat out U.S. House Rep. Thomas Massie in a Kentucky House GOP primary, ending Massie's reelection bid.

(Image credit: Jon Cherry)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 9:31 PM

'Taiwan Travelogue' wins the 2026 International Booker Prize

Taiwan Travelogue author Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, left, and translator Lin King are the first Taiwanese and Taiwanese-American winners of the International Booker Prize. They are pictured above in London on Monday.

The novel is the first work translated from Mandarin Chinese to win the award, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

(Image credit: Adrian Dennis)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 4:53 PM

Trump endorses Ken Paxton over incumbent John Cornyn in Texas Senate primary runoff

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks on the fourth day of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett.

President Trump has endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Texas GOP runoff for U.S. Senate, one week before voting ends in the contentious and expensive primary.

(Image credit: Greg Nash)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 4:28 PM

Minnesota becomes first state to ban prediction markets

Minnesota has enacted the most far-reaching crackdown on massively popular services like Kalshi and Polymarket.

While dozens of states have taken legal action against the controversial industry, Minnesota is the first state to pass a law making it a felony for companies like Kalshi and Polymarket to operate.

(Image credit: Steve Karnowski)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 4:19 PM

States sue over new student loan limits on certain nursing and healthcare degrees

A nurse checks a patient

New York, Arizona, North Carolina, Kentucky and Nevada are among the states challenging a rule that limits federal student loans for graduate degrees in nursing, physical therapy and more.

(Image credit: kieferpix)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 4:19 PM

Can't keep a habit? This comic shares a proven formula to make it stick

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In this illustrated guide, behavioral scientist BJ Fogg breaks down his Tiny Habits framework to help you rethink your approach to starting (or restarting) a habit.

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 2:12 PM

A study investigates: Did the abrupt end of USAID have an impact on violence?

Refugees carry food at a distribution center run by the World Food Programme at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Turkana, Kenya. After U.S. aid that paid for the food was curtailed, protests broke out.

That's the provocative question that researchers dug into after the U.S. shut down its premier aid agency.

(Image credit: Andrew Kasuku/AP)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 1:20 PM

Activists say Israel tries to expel a whole Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem

Fakhri Abu Diab, a community leader, walks by the remains of his family home after it was demolished by Israeli forces, in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem.

Israeli authorities are issuing Palestinians demolition orders in East Jerusalem at an accelerated rate since Israel launched war with Iran, human rights groups and U.N. experts say.

(Image credit: Ammar Awad)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 12:00 PM

To revive an extinct bird, you first need an artificial egg

A Colossal Biosciences worker performs a wellness check on an artificial egg.

Colossal Biosciences, a Texas company trying to bring extinct species back to life, reports creating artificial eggs that would be necessary to revive extinct birds such as the dodo.

(Image credit: Colossal Biosciences)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 11:33 AM

California mosque shooting leaves 5 dead. And, judge dismisses Trump's IRS lawsuit

San Diego Police officers block the access to the Islamic Center of San Diego following a shooting in southern California, on May 18, 2026. A shooting at the largest mosque complex in San Diego killed three people, with two suspected teenage gunmen later found dead in a car from self-inflicted gunshot wounds, police said.

San Diego authorities are investigating a deadly shooting at a mosque as a hate crime. And, Trump dropped his lawsuit against the IRS, paving the way for an "anti-weaponization fund."

(Image credit: Zoe Meyers)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 11:00 AM

Some plants have a genetic superpower that may help them survive a cataclysm

Many plants, including many species of bananas, have more than two sets of chromosomes. This can make the species more resilient to major environmental catastrophe, researchers find.

Get ready for a biology lesson. Certain plants have extra sets of chromosomes. And it turns out, it's a useful trait for a species facing a dramatic event like climate change.

(Image credit: Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 10:30 AM

The missing men of the American marriage market

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A new study suggests the growing educational and economic divide between men and women is reshaping marriage and family life in America — leaving many women with a shrinking pool of economically stable partners.

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 9:00 AM

What we know about how the U.S. government uses spyware (and what we don't)

Privacy and civil rights advocates are worried the Trump administration could be persuaded to also lift restrictions placed on NSO Group, an Israeli company that makes the powerful spyware Pegasus that researchers say can turn a phone into a recording device in addition to accessing its contents.

Critics of spyware, which can be used to remotely hack into phones, worry the Trump administration is eroding policies that stigmatized the commercial spyware industry.

(Image credit: Menahem Kahana)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 9:00 AM

House holds off on prediction market ban despite bipartisan calls for prohibition

FILE - The prediction market app Kalshi is displayed on a mobile phone, April 16, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)

Minority Leader Jeffries is urging Speaker Johnson to "swiftly" hold vote on House prediction market ban.

(Image credit: Erin Hooley/AP)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 9:00 AM

The French Open courts are clay, a tricky surface for some. Here's how the pros do it

Hailey Baptiste of United States plays a forehand against Madison Keys of United States during the Women

In tennis, clay has a reputation for being one of the harder surfaces to play on. But a few pros shared some of their tips for staying sharp.

(Image credit: Adam Pretty)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 9:00 AM

Steep drop in number of people with Affordable Care Act health coverage, analysis finds

The HealthCare.gov website is the starting place for anyone who needs to buy health insurance on their own.

Enrollment in Healthcare.gov and the other marketplaces is plunging by 5 million, the new paper from KFF finds. Last year, Congress failed to make a deal to keep the coverage more affordable.

(Image credit: Patrick Sison)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 9:00 AM

These men voted for President Trump. They have very different views of how he's doing

Wally and Gerald are two Black men who voted for Trump but have different views on Trump

Two Black men from Georgia who voted for President Trump in 2024 have very different views of how the country is doing now, in the first installment of Swing Shift from NPR's Tamara Keith.

(Image credit: Illustrations by Tara Anand)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 9:00 AM

NTSB hearing will probe cause of fiery UPS jet crash that killed 15 in Louisville

UPS Flight 2976 crashed shortly after takeoff near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky.

The nation's top safety investigators will launch a two-day hearing beginning Tuesday into what caused a UPS cargo plane to crash shortly after takeoff in Louisville last year, killing 15 people.

(Image credit: Stephen Cohen)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 9:00 AM

In conservative Utah, some communities are ditching fossil fuel power for clean energy

In conservative Utah, a group of communities joined forces to bring more renewable energy to the electric grid. The group ranges from the state

In conservative Utah, a coalition of cities and towns shows other communities how to bring new renewable energy to the electric grid in a unique way.

(Image credit: Kim Raff for NPR)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 9:00 AM

'We're not kids anymore': The DACA generation hits their 30s with an unstable future

Marena Guzman, a Ph.D. candidate in molecular biosciences, recently moved back in with her parents to renew her DACA out of concern it could lapse.

Recipients of the Obama-era DACA program are aging, even as the Trump administration moves to weaken the program's protections and benefits.

(Image credit: Ash Ponders for NPR)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 6:02 AM

Putin visits China to reaffirm Russia ties

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a walk at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in Beijing, China, Sept. 2, 2025.

The Kremlin has said Putin and Xi plan to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries, but also "key international and regional issues."

(Image credit: Alexander Kazakov)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 5:50 AM

Mark Fuhrman, ex-detective convicted of lying during OJ Simpson trial, has died

FILE - Los Angeles Police Department Det. Mark Fuhrman, foreground, and Superior Court Judge Lance Ito, rear, crane their heads to look at an overhead monitor during the O.J. Simpson double-murder trial, Friday, March 10, 1995, in Los Angeles.

Fuhrman was one of the first two police detectives sent to investigate the 1994 killings of OJ Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman, in Los Angeles.

(Image credit: REED SAXON)

NPR NewsMay 19, 2026, 5:27 AM

Trump says he's called off Iran strike at request of Gulf allies

Bakhtiari nomads, wearing traditional dress, hold their guns during a pro-government gathering near the residence where former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shown on a banner, was killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 18, 2026.

President Donald Trump says he is holding off on a military strike on Iran planned for Tuesday because "serious negotiations" are underway to end the war.

(Image credit: Vahid Salemi)

NPR NewsMay 18, 2026, 10:00 PM

Why you should care about 2 power companies merging. Hint: affordability

Utility giant NextEra Energy announced plans to acquire Dominion Energy on Monday. The merger comes as electricity demand and rates rises with the AI data center expansion.

NextEra Energy plans to acquire Dominion Energy to create the largest electricity producer in the United States.

(Image credit: Marco Bello)

NPR NewsMay 18, 2026, 8:58 PM

Tuesday is a big primary day. Here's what you need to know

A voting sign can be seen on Election Day for Congressional district 14, on March 10, 2026 in Dalton, Georgia.

Six states are holding primaries May 19 that could help to decide the balance of power in Congress and in key state governments.

(Image credit: Megan Varner)

NPR NewsMay 18, 2026, 8:30 PM

Is Kennedy heir Jack Schlossberg ready to lead?

NPR's Juana Summers speaks with Jack Schlossberg, Democratic candidate for New York's 12th Congressional District and the grandson of President John F. Kennedy.

NPR NewsMay 18, 2026, 8:25 PM

Israeli Navy intercepts activists trying to break Gaza blockade with aid ships

On Monday, the Israeli navy intercepted a flotilla of 54 boats of activists headed to Gaza with humanitarian aid.

NPR NewsMay 18, 2026, 8:10 PM

This Ebola outbreak raises questions about when it all began -- and the U.S. response

To keep Ebola from spreading in this current outbreak, a border health officer at the Busunga crossing between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo checks a traveler

The sheer number of cases and deaths are a sign that the outbreak might have been smoldering before the virus was identified.

(Image credit: Badru Katumba/AFP)