U.S. strikes Iran again. And, DOJ charges Google staffer over Polymarket trades

The U.S. says it has struck Iran again as peace talks continue to end the conflict. And, the federal government has charged a Google staffer for allegedly using insider information in Polymarket trades.

(Image credit: Win McNamee)

NPR NewsMay 28, 2026, 11:13 AM

A federal judge in D.C. declines to block Trump's executive order on voting by mail

President Trump holds his signed executive order that calls for restricting voting by mail in the White House

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has declined to temporarily block President Trump's executive order that calls for restricting mail-in voting. Another judge may rule on the order soon.

(Image credit: Alex Brandon)

NPR NewsMay 28, 2026, 10:44 AM

U.S. street drug deaths keep dropping, but some Western states see deadly overdose surge

In this file photo, signs are displayed at a tent during a health event in Charleston, W.Va. Public health officials say the spread of naloxone, also known as Narcan, has dramatically reduced overdose deaths in the U.S.

Researchers say some structural changes in treating addiction are helping, including wider access to overdose reversing medication.

(Image credit: John Raby/AP)

NPR NewsMay 28, 2026, 10:00 AM

An Ohio pastor-turned-lawmaker backs a Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act for schools

Republican state Rep. Gary Click, from northern Ohio, is a Baptist pastor and three-term lawmaker. Here, he poses for a portrait in his office in Columbus, Ohio, in February.

The bill says it would permit the teaching of the positive impact of Judeo-Christian values in U.S. history. Opponents say it offers a skewed view of history.

(Image credit: Andrew Spear for NPR)

NPR NewsMay 28, 2026, 9:00 AM

Trump wants a gas tax holiday. There's a much bigger problem looming

An American flag flies above a sign displaying gas prices at a gas station in Arcadia, Calif., on May 11.

Suspending the federal gasoline tax could save drivers up to 18.4 cents per gallon. But it would drain the fund meant to cover roadbuilding and repairs — a fund that's already in trouble.

(Image credit: Mario Tama)

NPR NewsMay 28, 2026, 9:00 AM

These swing voters are adding high gas prices into their political calculations

Swing Shift voters, a group of swing voters in swing states who NPR is routinely speaking with through the next several months. Clockwise from top left: Lee from Nevada, Michelle from Michigan, Wally from Georgia, Jason from North Carolina, Evan from Wisconsin, Gerald from Georgia, Colleen, John and Theresa from Pennsylvania.

As part of NPR's Swing Shift project checking in with swing voters, these Americans are split on who is to blame for high gas prices but they all agree it has an impact on their personal finances.

(Image credit: Illustrations by Tara Anand)

NPR NewsMay 28, 2026, 9:00 AM

Trick or spice? How the 'nutmeg' came to dominate the soccer world

Circa 1790: plants used in commerce, including nutmeg, tea and cotton plants.

Nutmeg commonly spices up a holiday season eggnog. It's also one of the most sought-after trick moves in soccer.

(Image credit: Hulton Archive)

NPR NewsMay 28, 2026, 9:00 AM

Trump pledged to house 6,000 homeless vets. His budget funds zero

Vincent Tourville, a veteran of the Iraq war, lives on the West Los Angeles VA campus with his 2-year-old son.

Veteran groups hoped a Trump executive order would supercharge housing for homeless vets. That hasn't happened, and veterans' advocates want to know why.

(Image credit: Bethany Mollenkof for NPR)

NPR NewsMay 28, 2026, 8:49 AM

Morning news brief

U.S. conducts another strike against Iran, Democrats are hopeful about their chances to retake GOP-held Senate seats, a town in eastern DRC is emerging as the epicenter of the latest Ebola outbreak.

NPR NewsMay 28, 2026, 6:07 AM

Iranians are back online after a monthslong shutdown but face heavy restrictions

A woman checks her smartphone while sitting on a bench along a sidewalk in northern Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, May 26, 2026.

Iranians began to regain internet access after authorities ended a monthslong shutdown. Users said service was slow and spotty in some areas, with apps like YouTube and Instagram heavily restricted.

(Image credit: Vahid Salemi)

NPR NewsMay 28, 2026, 5:56 AM

Happy, who taught researchers that elephants can recognize themselves, is euthanized

Bronx Zoo elephant "Happy" strolls inside the zoo

Happy, a Bronx Zoo elephant who gave researchers new insight into the animal's behavior and became the crux of a closely watched animal rights case, has been euthanized at age 55.

(Image credit: Bebeto Matthews)

NPR NewsMay 28, 2026, 5:38 AM

Ex-CIA official charged with stealing millions of dollars in gold bars

The seal of the Central Intelligence Agency is displayed at CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., April 13, 2016.

A former senior CIA official with top secret-level clearance is accused of stealing hundreds of gold bars worth more than $40 million from the federal government and stashing them in his home.

(Image credit: Carolyn Kaster)

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 11:35 PM

DOJ charges Google staffer over Polymarket trades netting $1.2 million

An aerial view shows Google

It's the second known case of the federal government filing criminal charges against someone who allegedly used insider information to make a large profit on a prediction market site.

(Image credit: Josh Edelson)

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 8:02 PM

NPR's newsroom shrinks through buyouts and layoffs

NPR Investigations Correspondent Joe Shapiro is among the network journalists who accepted buyouts.

At least 18 NPR journalists have accepted buyouts and another 10 have been laid off as the public media network attempts to save money and reorganize the newsroom.

(Image credit: Wanyu Zhang)

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 7:12 PM

More people are going hungry now than at the height of the pandemic

More than 3,500 families attended a food distribution event organized by the Houston Food Bank in November.

Food insecurity affects more families now than during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

(Image credit: Mark Felix)

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 3:16 PM

Former Obama advisor reflects on the 'Battle for American Identity'

Ben Rhodes was a speech writer and security advisor for President Obama. His book, All We Say, is a collection of 15 speeches — from Ben Franklin to Trump — about what it means to be American.

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 2:58 PM

Greetings from Cape Verde, where the sounds of samba, jazz and morna fill the air

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Music is interwoven with the sounds of daily life in this West African island nation, which hosted two international music festivals in April and has been named the African Capital of Culture for 2028.

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 2:45 PM

Palestinians use recycling as Israel's restrictions trigger a trash crisis

The heightened restrictions on movement make every aspect of life more difficult for the 3.4 million Palestinians living in the West Bank, in particular the collection and disposal of garbage.

Palestinians in the West Bank live amid garbage following Israeli restrictions. Two Palestinian entrepreneurs are trying to make a change.

(Image credit: Eleanor Beardsley)

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 11:39 AM

Texas primary runoff takeaways. And, DOJ mass-deletes info on Jan. 6 riot cases

Supporters react to news of the returns at a watch party for Attorney General Ken Paxton held by the Lone Star Liberty PAC at the Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center on May 26, 2026 in Plano, Texas.

The Texas primary runoffs have now concluded and major November election matchups are set. And Trump's Justice Department has deleted significant information from the Jan. 6 riot cases.

(Image credit: Stewart F. House)

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 11:00 AM

Inside the effort to save one of America's most imperiled salamanders

Frosted flatwoods salamanders, or "frosties" as they

When a species is facing extinction, it takes an enormous human effort to stave it off. Case in point: the painstaking campaign to save the frosted flatwoods salamander.

(Image credit: Nathan Rott)

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 10:00 AM

The movie 'Pressure' leans into the drama of high-stakes weather forecasts

Brendan Fraser plays Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and Andrew Scott plays meteorologist James Stagg in the new film Pressure, about the tense lead-up to the D-Day invasion during World War II.

The new movie tells a story about how good meteorology can literally win wars. It also takes us back in time, to when the United States was at a disadvantage when it came to weather science.

(Image credit: Alex Bailey)

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 9:00 AM

Conservative Christians love this painting of George Washington. The event it depicts may not have happened

"The Prayer at Valley Forge", a 1975 painting by Arnold Friberg done for America

A painting of George Washington is being used by the Trump administration to argue the founders were devout Christians, but historians have doubts about whether the moment depicted actually happened.

(Image credit: First Freedom Art Company)

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 9:00 AM

For far-right extremists, the rise of a new enemy: women

Nicole Witherow prays beside flowers placed outside of the Islamic Center of San Diego on May 19.

Misogyny is an increasing factor in far-right attacks, but it often goes unnoticed.

(Image credit: Jae C. Hong)

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 9:00 AM

Texas general election matchups are finally set. Here's what you need to know

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at an election night watch party held by the Lone Star Liberty PAC Tuesday in Plano, Texas. Paxton defeated Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in a Senate primary runoff election and will face Democrat James Talarico in the November general election.

The Texas primary runoffs are over and November election matchups are set in major contests, like one for the U.S. Senate, as the results deliver lessons for both parties.

(Image credit: Stewart F. House)

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 9:00 AM

Dana White says it's an 'honor' to build a fight arena on the White House lawn

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NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Dana White, president and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, about his plans to build a fighting arena on the White House lawn.

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 9:00 AM

Clyburn's district stays intact as South Carolina Republicans scrap redistricting

Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., announces his intent to seek an 18th U.S. House term, during a March 12 event at the South Carolina Democratic Party headquarters in Columbia, S.C.

The majority-Black district held for 34 years by South Carolina Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn will survive intact, for now, after Republican state lawmakers rejected a plan to redraw congressional maps.

(Image credit: Meg Kinnard)

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 9:00 AM

ICE is spending millions of dollars on iris scanners, expanding its arsenal of tech tools

A federal immigration agent uses facial recognition software to confirm an asylum seeker

ICE is expanding its use of iris recognition technology, with plans to deploy hundreds of scanning devices across the country. The practice raises concerns among privacy experts that the Department of Homeland Security is amassing a database of biometric data.

(Image credit: Olga Fedorova)

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 8:40 AM

Morning news brief

Controversial Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wins GOP nomination for U.S. Senate seat, South Carolina lawmakers reject Trump-backed redistricting plan, Trump's whiplash diplomacy on Iran continues.

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 6:15 AM

NASA lays out moon base plans with landers, buggies and drones at the top of the list

In this photo provided by NASA and captured by the Artemis II crew from lunar orbit, the moon eclipses the sun on April 6, 2026.

The space agency outlined the first phase of its moon base plans on Tuesday, awarding hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts to four U.S. companies.

(Image credit: NASA via AP)

NPR NewsMay 27, 2026, 5:37 AM

Biden sues DOJ to stop release of audio and transcripts tied to special counsel probe

FILE - Former President Joe Biden speaks to the South Carolina Democratic Party, Feb. 27, 2026, in Columbia, S.C.

Joe Biden sued the Justice Department to block the release of audio recordings and transcripts of the former president's interview with a ghostwriter that were obtained by the special counsel.

(Image credit: Matt Kelley)