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U.S. grand jury indicts Raul Castro, ex-Cuban president

Former Cuban President Raul Castro speaks during the National Assembly in 2018 in Havana, Cuba, after the country was led by the first non-Castro Cuban president since 1976.

The 94-year-old former leader of Cuba faces several charges, including four counts of murder for an attack on a humanitarian group more than 30 years ago.

(Image credit: Alexandre Meneghini)

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Bipartisan home affordability bill passes the House

House Financial Services Committee ranking member Rep. Maxine Waters, D-CA., and Chair French Hill, R-AR., listen to a hearing on Capitol Hill on June 24, 2025.

The bill is meant to encourage home construction, and would ban corporate investors from buying up more homes to rent out.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)

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The Justice Department gives Trump an unprecedented settlement

D.O.J. gave Trump and his family immunity from tax audits and set up a $1.8 billion fund for victims of "government weaponization." Former government lawyer Andrew Weissmann explains the settlement.

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The San Diego mosque shooting victims remembered as 'heroes' for protecting children

From left to right, Mansour Kaziha, Amin Abdullah and Nadir Awad.

Amin Abdullah, Nadir Awad and Mansour Kaziha distracted and delayed two gunmen at the Islamic Center of San Diego. Their actions saved the many children and staff inside the mosque and cost them their lives.

(Image credit: The Islamic Center of San Diego)

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Greetings from Bali, where a kecak dance shows the triumph of good over evil

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The kecak dance involves a retelling of one of the stories in the Ramayana, the Hindu epic poem. At the story's climax, there is an eruption of fire as tufts of dried coconut husks are set aflame.

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How contagious is Ebola? And how worried should you be about the current outbreak?

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This outbreak is being called "the perfect storm." How did it start, what are the characteristics of the strain that's causing it and how much of a threat is it to global health?

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Barney Frank, former congressman and gay-rights pioneer, dies at 86

US Rep. Barney Frank,D-MA, chairman of the US House Financial Services Committee conducts hearings on "Financial Market Regulatory Restructuring." July 10, 2008 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

The former congressman was politically engaged until the end. As GBH reports, Even in hospice, Frank was actively working to spread the message of his forthcoming book, "The Hard Path to Unity: Why We Must Reform the Left to Rescue Democracy."

(Image credit: KAREN BLEIER)

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How one Oregon city has raised a billion dollars for climate change

The PDX Community Solar project is funded by a more than $4 million grant from the Portland Clean Energy Fund. It provides power to qualified low-income residents in Portland, Oregon

The Portland Clean Energy Fund has raised a billion dollars for climate change action via a retail tax on large corporations in the city. Other cities are starting to shape similar funds.

(Image credit: Monica Samayoa)

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Takeaways from Tuesday's primaries. And, victims of mosque shooting revealed

Empty voting booths are seen shortly after a polling place opens at Meyzeek Middle School on May 19, 2026, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Trump-backed Ed Gallrein ousted Congressman Thomas Massie in Kentucky's Republican House primary. And, police have identified the victims in California's mosque shooting.

(Image credit: Jon Cherry)

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Former Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero is under investigation

Spain

A Spanish court is investigating former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero for alleged influence peddling and other possible crimes tied to a government airline bailout.

(Image credit: Juan Karita)

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Bees have coexisted with us for over a millennia. Their name remains a mystery

Bees in a hive in San Diego, Calif. Beekeeping has been a practice for thousands of years.

Its name is short — like its size —but bees are one of Earth's most important and busy creatures.

(Image credit: Alan Nakkash for NPR)

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4 takeaways from Tuesday's primary night in half a dozen states

An attendee wears party colors at a primary election night party for Georgia gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson on May 19 in Atlanta.

While Trump continues to rack up victories on his vengeance tour, general-election opponents are waiting in swing districts and swing states. Can frontline GOP candidates navigate these choppy waters?

(Image credit: Brynn Anderson)

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Denver has a plan to heat and cool buildings without fossil fuels. It involves … sewage?

Denver plans to heat and cool a cluster of downtown buildings with a system using water, geothermal energy and even heat from ... sewage.

Like many cities, Denver's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions is its buildings. Heating and cooling skyscrapers requires a lot of fossil fuels. Now, the city is trying a surprising solution.

(Image credit: Aaron Ontiveroz)

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4 takeaways from Tuesday's primary night in half a dozen states

An attendee wears party colors at a primary election night party for Georgia gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson on Tuesday in Atlanta.

While Trump continues to rack up victories on his vengeance tour, general election opponents are waiting in swing districts and swing states. Can front-line GOP candidates navigate these choppy waters?

(Image credit: Brynn Anderson)

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Gun rights groups see 'golden age' under Trump administration

A detailed view of a hat that reads, God Guns and Trump is seen at a campaign event for U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, a Republican from Louisiana, at Bourne

New gun rules and lawsuits against states signal how this Trump administration is using its powers to align itself with the wishes of the gun rights movement.

(Image credit: Tyler Kaufman)

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Overworked and understaffed: Special ed teachers turn to AI for help

Mary Acebu, a special education teacher at Riverview Middle School in Bay Point, Calif., works with a student during a math lesson. She says using AI to help with the paperwork part of her job allows her to spend more time interacting with her students in a meaningful way.

A fast-growingnumber of special educators nationwide are using AI to create customized education plans. Despite the risks, some research shows it could improve the quality of teachers' work.

(Image credit: Talia Herman for NPR)

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Morning news brief

A look at primary results from around the country, Trump and Vance share conflicting messages on state of Iran war, shooting at San Diego mosque being investigated as possible "hate crime."

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Montana could soon ease restrictions on mining precious metals

Restrictions on mining for precious metals like gold in Montana that were put in place 30 years ago could soon be relaxed as the mining industry makes a comeback in the U.S.

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This year's list of endangered historic places focuses on equality and erasure

Stonewall National Monument in New York City is the first and only national monument to LGBTQ+ history in the U.S. It is on the National Trust

Eleven historically significant sites across the country will receive $25,000 from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to commemorate the country's 250th anniversary.

(Image credit: Whitney Browne, National Parks Conservation Association)

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Shirtless fans cheer at MLB stadiums as "Tarps Off" trend sweeps baseball world

Tampa Bay Rays fans cheer on the team during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles Monday, May 18, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla.

At ballparks all across the country, groups consisting of mostly young men are joining in on the trend: Go to the section where the party is happening, take off your shirt and start twirling it above your head.

(Image credit: Chris O'Meara)

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Bolivia's capital under siege as protests deepen crisis for President Paz

Demonstrators run across a street during an anti-government protest in La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, May 18, 2026.

Bolivia's President Rodrigo Paz faces a deepening crisis as widespread protests and blockades leave the political capital under siege less than six months after he took office.

(Image credit: Freddy Barragan)

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WHO chief concerned over 'scale and speed' of Ebola outbreak

People in protective masks wait in the corridor of a hospital in Bunia, Congo, Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

The World Health Organization top official has expressed concern over the rapid spread of a rare type of Ebola in Congo. Authorities have reported at least 134 suspected deaths and over 500 cases.

(Image credit: Dirole Lotsima Dieudonne)

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Xi and Putin meet to reaffirm China-Russia ties days after Trump's visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping inspect an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday in a meeting meant to reaffirm ties and that takes place only days after a visit by President Donald Trump.

(Image credit: Maxim Shemetov)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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'Taiwan Travelogue' wins the 2026 International Booker Prize

<!-- raw HTML omitted -->Taiwan Travelogue <!-- raw HTML omitted -->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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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