In Beirut, refugee girls and women learn more than self-defense in martial arts class

Palestinian girls train in jiu jitsu in the refugee camp of Bourj el Barajneh in South Beirut.

In the male-dominated world of Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, a martial arts teacher offers women a way to empowerment.

(Image credit: Aline Deschamps for NPR)

NPR NewsMay 25, 2026, 9:32 AM

Pope Leo takes aim at big tech in sweeping encyclical on AI

Pope Leo XIV attends the presentation of his first encyclical, "Magnifica humanitas," at the the Vatican on May 25, 2026.

"Magnifica Humanitas" tackles the social, economic and political challenges associated with artificial intelligence.

(Image credit: Alessandra Tarantino)

NPR NewsMay 25, 2026, 9:00 AM

COMIC: To raise a confident little talker, learn to speak 'parentese'

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So you've got a baby in your life. How do you talk to them, exactly? In this comic, experts explain why conversing with your baby is important — and share ways to help them develop their language skills.

NPR NewsMay 25, 2026, 9:00 AM

'My body carried me,' Elizabeth Smart says. Now she's celebrating it

Elizabeth Smart says she has gained confidence as a competitive bodybuilder. She continues to be an advocate for women and victims of sexual violence after she was kidnapped when she was 14.

Her abduction at age 14 drew international attention. After her rescue, Smart says she struggled with feeling shame around her body. Bodybuilding has helped her see herself differently.

(Image credit: Kim Raff for NPR)

NPR NewsMay 25, 2026, 9:00 AM

Diners are staying home, so this restaurant lets patrons pay what they want

A bartender pours a drink at L

Americans are increasingly passing up on dining out. So one restaurant is allowing diners to pay what they like for their food.

(Image credit: Sergio Flores for NPR)

NPR NewsMay 25, 2026, 9:00 AM

Spin to win: How this life insurance company turns healthy habits into a game

One life insurance company is banking on incentives to gamify the healthy habits of its customers, which in turn helps its bottom line.

You've heard of lower car insurance rates for good drivers. Now, one life insurance company wants to incentivize longevity with lower rates and extra bonuses for people who adopt healthy habits.

(Image credit: manusapon kasosod/Moment RF)

NPR NewsMay 25, 2026, 9:00 AM

This big university system is embracing AI. Students and faculty aren't all on board

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The California State University system offers an early look at what happens when an administration commits to a technology that its own community isn't convinced will improve education.

NPR NewsMay 25, 2026, 8:42 AM

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 NewsMay 25, 2026, 7:05 AM

Muslims begin the annual Hajj against a backdrop of war concerns

A Muslim pilgrim reacts as a volunteer sprays water to cool them outside the Grand Mosque during the annual hajj pilgrimage at the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, May 24, 2026.

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 NewsMay 25, 2026, 5:26 AM

China launches Shenzhou 23 spacecraft with 1 of 3 astronauts set for yearlong stay

The Shenzhou-23 manned mission launches from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, northwestern China on Sunday, May 24, 2026.

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 NewsMay 24, 2026, 10:14 PM

California chemical tank has cracked causing state of emergency, thousands to evacuate

An aerial view of water being sprayed onto an overheated 34,000-gallon tank at GKN Aerospace on May 23, 2026 in Garden Grove, California. A malfunctioning tank at an aerospace plant has the potential of a chemical leak or explosion.

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 NewsMay 24, 2026, 5:18 PM

DR Congo Ebola cases rise amid distrust, armed conflict zone

Red Cross workers bury an Ebola victim at the Rwampara Cemetery, in Rwampara, Congo, May 23, 2026.

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 NewsMay 24, 2026, 1:00 PM

More than 500 children have died in an outbreak that the world is virtually ignoring

Thirteen-month-old Jannat cries as her mother Sohana, a garment worker, tries to feed her. The child is hospitalized for measles at DNCC Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

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 NewsMay 24, 2026, 12:40 PM

Mind-bending photos by anonymous cousins show the pain and dreams of Afghan women

This photo, from a series of pictures by two anonymous cousins, is entitled "The Music of Poverty and Violence." The subject is playing an automatic weapon as if it were a string instrument.

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 NewsMay 24, 2026, 12:00 PM

Religious leaders, lawmakers push for $1 billion to secure houses of worship

Eric Fingerhut, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, speaks at an event in D.C. on May 18, 2026. JFNA organized an advocacy fly-in of more than 400 Jewish leaders to Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to support more funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which offers funding to strengthen security at 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 NewsMay 24, 2026, 10:00 AM

Nurse convicted in patient's death is now a national speaker on hospital safety

People demonstrate outside the courthouse where the sentencing hearing for former nurse RaDonda Vaught was held on May 13, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn.

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 NewsMay 24, 2026, 9:12 AM

Russia uses hypersonic Oreshnik missile in mass attack on Kyiv

A man carries a box from a burning trade center after a Russian strike on Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday, May 24, 2026.

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 NewsMay 24, 2026, 9:00 AM

Torn by war, Israelis and Palestinians tie their fortunes together

This year

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 NewsMay 24, 2026, 9:00 AM

'Homeland Security' has spawned political insecurity since DHS was born

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security flag waves outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building as seen on January 07, 2026 in Washington, DC. According to reports, a federal agent allegedly fatally shot a woman in her car during an incident in south Minneapolis.

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 NewsMay 24, 2026, 9:00 AM

The Enhanced Games are Sunday. Here's what to know about the controversial event

Two-time Olympic-medalist Fred Kerley attends a press conference ahead of the Enhanced Games in Las Vegas, Friday, May 22, 2026. Unlike most of the athletes participating in the Sunday night event, the sprinter says he

Dozens of athletes — including former Olympians — will participate in the Las Vegas event while using performance-enhancing drugs.

(Image credit: Ty ONeil)

NPR NewsMay 24, 2026, 12:23 AM

Secret Service shoots person near White House, bystander also shot, law enforcement says

Police and members of the Secret Service block streets around the White House, Saturday, May 23, 2026, in Washington, D.C.

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 NewsMay 24, 2026, 12:13 AM

Romanian director Cristian Mungiu's 'Fjord' wins top prize at Cannes

Left to right: Tilda Swinton poses with Renate Reinsve, Cristian Mungiu — winner of the Palme d

Mungiu took home the prestigious Palme D'Or for his film Fjord, a culture-war drama set in Norway.

(Image credit: Andreea Alexandru)

NPR NewsMay 23, 2026, 11:00 PM

Trump says a deal with Iran and opening of Strait of Hormuz are 'largely negotiated'

In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Masoud Pezeshkian, right, speaks with Pakistan

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 NewsMay 23, 2026, 5:49 PM

What will Trump do next with Iran?

A banner of President Donald Trump hangs over Iranian Americans and their supporters as they march from the U.S. Capitol to the World War II Memorial during a rally Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Washington.

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 NewsMay 23, 2026, 5:35 PM

Kyle Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, his family says

Kyle Busch is introduced during the NASCAR All-Star auto race at Dover Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Dover, Del.

The two-time NASCAR champion died on Thursday, a day after passing out in a Chevrolet simulator.

(Image credit: Derik Hamilton)

NPR NewsMay 23, 2026, 2:10 PM

A little bit country, a little bit Desi: A Pakistani-American's hybrid music

Singer-songwriter Mo Sabri loves country music — and Pakistani devotional music. His new music reflects both genres.

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 NewsMay 23, 2026, 12:09 PM

U.S. passengers flying from Ebola-affected countries rerouted

As travelers entered the Entebbe International Airport in Uganda on May 21, they were screened with a thermal camera that detects their temperature. Pictured at bottom is reporter Michal Ruprecht.

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 NewsMay 23, 2026, 12:00 PM

Opinion: Remembering Barney Frank, trailblazing public servant

Former Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) speaking during a news conference on Capitol Hill September 26, 2008 in Washington, DC.

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 NewsMay 23, 2026, 10:00 AM

Chile's MAGA-inspired border control

On Chile

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 NewsMay 23, 2026, 10:00 AM

Summer electric bills sizzle as the cost of cooling climbs

Electricity prices are climbing faster than overall inflation. That, coupled with a hotter-than-usual summer, has forecasters warning of a sharp jump in utility bills.

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)