NPR News
Morning news brief
Trump touts breakthrough in negotiations to end Iran war, Middle Eastern countries react to news of a potential deal to end war, Africa races to contain a fast-spreading Ebola outbreak.
NPR NewsNPR NewsMuslims begin the annual Hajj against a backdrop of war concerns
More than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war and related regional tensions.
(Image credit: Altaf Qadri)
NPR NewsChina launches Shenzhou 23 spacecraft with 1 of 3 astronauts set for yearlong stay
China launched the Shenzhou 23 spacecraft with 3 astronauts heading to its space station. One astronaut is set to stay in space for a year to explore human adaptability in long-duration spaceflights.
(Image credit: Ng Han Guan)
NPR NewsCalifornia chemical tank has cracked causing state of emergency, thousands to evacuate
One California town is in a state of emergency and 50,000 people are under an evacuation order as a malfunctioning chemical tank at an aerospace plant is overheating and could leak or explode.
(Image credit: Apu Gomes)
NPR NewsDR Congo Ebola cases rise amid distrust, armed conflict zone
Africa races to contain a fast-spreading Ebola outbreak threatening 10 countries as infections spill from eastern Congo into Uganda.
(Image credit: Moses Sawasawa)
NPR NewsMore than 500 children have died in an outbreak that the world is virtually ignoring
The number of cases — and deaths — in Bangladesh is staggering. As of Sunday, 528 have died, mostly children. How did this measles outbreak begin? And how is the country responding?
(Image credit: Anike Rahman for NPR)
NPR NewsMind-bending photos by anonymous cousins show the pain and dreams of Afghan women
The young women make photos that look at life — how it is, how they wish it could be — under Taliban rule. The images are on display at the Photoville Festival in Brooklyn, New York.
(Image credit: Mahnaz Ebrahimi|January 2026)
NPR NewsReligious leaders, lawmakers push for $1 billion to secure houses of worship
There's an effort on Capitol Hill to increase funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which awards funding to houses of worship to harden their defenses. In 2024, roughly a third of those who applied actually received funding.
(Image credit: Photo courtesy of the Jewish Federations of North America)
NPR NewsNurse convicted in patient's death is now a national speaker on hospital safety
RaDonda Vaught was convicted of negligent homicide after dispensing the wrong drug to a patient. She now gives speeches about hospital safety in an era of automation and artificial intelligence.
(Image credit: Mark Humphrey)
NPR NewsRussia uses hypersonic Oreshnik missile in mass attack on Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday Russia used the powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile during a mass drone and missile attack on Kyiv on Sunday that killed at least two people.
(Image credit: Evgeniy Maloletka)
NPR NewsTorn by war, Israelis and Palestinians tie their fortunes together
At a time when hopes are dim for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, some Arab and Jewish entrepreneurs are partnering across the divide, hoping to prove what's possible.
(Image credit: Dena Yadin)
NPR News'Homeland Security' has spawned political insecurity since DHS was born
DHS was originally conceived in the interest of unity and harmony — and the phrase "homeland security" was originally meant to be reassuring.
(Image credit: Heather Diehl)
NPR NewsThe Enhanced Games are Sunday. Here's what to know about the controversial event
Dozens of athletes — including former Olympians — will participate in the Las Vegas event while using performance-enhancing drugs.
(Image credit: Ty ONeil)
NPR NewsSecret Service shoots person near White House, bystander also shot, law enforcement says
FBI Director Kash Patel said on social media that officers were responding to shots fired and that he would "update the public as we're able." President Trump was inside the White House at the time.
(Image credit: Alex Brandon)
NPR NewsRomanian director Cristian Mungiu's 'Fjord' wins top prize at Cannes
Mungiu took home the prestigious Palme D'Or for his film Fjord, a culture-war drama set in Norway.
(Image credit: Andreea Alexandru)
NPR NewsTrump says a deal with Iran and opening of Strait of Hormuz are 'largely negotiated'
President Trump announced the unfinalized deal on social media after talks with Israel and other allies. It aims to end the war and includes two-month negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.
(Image credit: Iranian Presidency Office via AP)
NPR NewsWhat will Trump do next with Iran?
Three months since the start of its conflict with Iran, the Trump administration is oscillating between strike threats and diplomatic overtures. Neither path has yielded a clear resolution.
(Image credit: Rod Lamkey)
NPR NewsKyle Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, his family says
The two-time NASCAR champion died on Thursday, a day after passing out in a Chevrolet simulator.
(Image credit: Derik Hamilton)
NPR NewsA little bit country, a little bit Desi: A Pakistani-American's hybrid music
On May 31, Yo Sabri make a landmark appearance with the Nashville Symphony for an orchestral rendition of his new album, "Tennessee Desi," which blends Appalachian styles with Muslim devotional music.
(Image credit: Mo Sabri)
NPR NewsU.S. passengers flying from Ebola-affected countries rerouted
The U.S. government is responding to the Ebola outbreak in with travel restrictions. American citizens and permanent residents departing affected countries must fly into one of three U.S. airports.
(Image credit: Michal Ruprecht for NPR)
NPR NewsOpinion: Remembering Barney Frank, trailblazing public servant
Mass. congressman Barney Frank was the first House member to come out as gay and was instrumental in Wall Street reforms after the Great Recession. He died this week at the age of 86.
(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski)
NPR NewsChile's MAGA-inspired border control
Chile digs desert trenches along its northern border as President José Antonio Kast pushes a hardline migration crackdown critics say may have little effect.
(Image credit: John Bartlett)
NPR NewsSummer electric bills sizzle as the cost of cooling climbs
The temperature is climbing, and so are people's utility bills. Rising electricity prices and hotter-than-usual weather could make it especially costly to stay cool this summer.
(Image credit: Brandon Bell)
NPR News'I'd wait forever, but 334 days is crazy.' USS Ford finally comes home
The USS Ford came home to a hero's welcome. Sailors had been away from home for nearly a year, through two conflicts, a fire and problems with the sewage system.
(Image credit: Mike Kropf)
NPR NewsOne solution for Maine's struggling fishing industry? Give fillets away for free
Surging food costs and fuel prices are pummeling Maine's struggling groundfishing industry. But a pandemic-era program is helping to keep it afloat as inflation worsens.
(Image credit: Ryan David Brown for NPR)
NPR News15 years since a deadly tornado brought Joplin, Mo. together, kindness carries on
Nearly 100,000 volunteers helped the town rebuild and a spirit of community service continues to this day. Researchers studying human behavior catastrophes can bring out compassion in surprising ways.
(Image credit: FEMA)
NPR NewsCoal mine gas explosion in China kills 82 people, state media say
A gas explosion at a coal mine in China's northern province of Shanxi killed at least 82 people. Official news agency Xinhua said the accident happened on Friday evening and 247 workers were trapped.
(Image credit: Cao Yang)
NPR NewsSpaceX launches its biggest, most beefed-up Starship yet on a test flight
The mega rocket made its debut two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he's taking the company public. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Starship is now one step closer to the moon.
(Image credit: Eric Gay)
NPR NewsTrump administration to force foreigners in the U.S. to apply for a green card abroad
Foreigners in the U.S. who want a green card will need to leave and apply in their home country, the Trump administration announced Friday, in a surprise change to a longstanding policy.
(Image credit: Wilfredo Lee)
NPR NewsRubio arrives in India ahead of Quad talks as U.S. tries to reset strained ties
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in India on Saturday ahead of a meeting next week with his counterparts from India, Australia, and Japan, members of the Indo-Pacific strategic alliance.
(Image credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
