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Asia defense summit opens amid doubts over U.S. priorities

A man walk near the entrance of the Shangri-La Hotel, the venue for the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia

The Shangri-La Dialogue, hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, will also address tensions in the Middle East and Russia's war on Ukraine.

(Image credit: Achmad Ibrahim)

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Israel, Lebanon officials to meet. And, judge won't block Trump's mail-in voting order

A fireball and smoke erupt from a building following an Israeli strike in Tyre, southern Lebanon, on May 28, 2026.

Israel and Lebanon officials are set to meet today as U.S.-Iran peace talks continue. And, a federal judge declined to block Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting.

(Image credit: Kawant Haju)

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Meteorologists were central to D-Day. 'Pressure' tells the story of navigating uncertainty

Andrew Scott stars as James Stagg in <!-- raw HTML omitted -->Pressure<!-- raw HTML omitted -->.

The new movie, based on writer and actor David Haig's 2014 play, dramatizes the tensions between military leaders and meteorologists in the lead up to the Allied invasion of Normandy.

(Image credit: Alex Bailey)

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Photos show the world's 'uncounted' people -- and what it takes to be counted

<!-- raw HTML omitted -->July 1, 2025. Sirajganj, Bangladesh <!-- raw HTML omitted -->Mothers who lacked birth certificates for themselves and family members hold up the newly obtained documents after a drive in Dhamainagar Union, part of a campaign to get people to register so they are eligible for social safety new programs.

Colombian-American photographer and filmmaker Juan Arredondo turns his lens on the people of the world who do not have birth and death certificates — and how these vital records are created.

(Image credit: Juan Arredondo)

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Russian drone launched against Ukraine crashes in Romania, injuring 2

This photo released by Romania

A Russian drone that was part of an overnight attack on Ukraine crashed into an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people, Romanian authorities said Friday.

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WHO chief lands in Congo to address rare Ebola outbreak amid distrust and insecurity

Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaks to the media upon his arrival at N

The head of the World Health Organization arrived in Congo's capital, Kinshasa, to witness efforts against an outbreak of a rare type of Ebola virus.

(Image credit: Samy Ntumba Shambuyi)

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Which first lady feared her husband might be having a stroke? The quiz knows

From left: Jeff Bezos, Roland Garros, Jill Biden.

This week, the pope took aim at AI, a fancy carmaker dipped a toe in the EV market and a first lady made a surprising comment.

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Former AG Pam Bondi to testify before Congress over handling of the Epstein files

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Feb. 11, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Bondi was ousted from her role as attorney general in April. She will testify Friday in a closed-door hearing about the release of the Epstein files.

(Image credit: Win McNamee)

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Replacing aging U.S. voting equipment will take years and billions of dollars

A young child waits for her mom to finish voting at Phillis Wheatley Community School in New Orleans on May 15. Many voting machines in Louisiana are decades old.

America's voting systems are getting old. But unless Congress makes a massive financial commitment, a new report finds it could take decades before voting machines are widely replaced.

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Why the U.S. cattle herd is at a 75-year low — and what it means for beef prices

Cows stand in a feed barn at Hallstead Farms in Lexington, Ky., in February. Although the U.S. cattle herd size has shrunk in recent decades, U.S. beef production has remained strong, partly because cattle now weigh hundreds of pounds more than they did in the 1950s.

The overall number of U.S. beef and dairy cattle has shrunk to its lowest level since 1951. Drought, rising operating costs and increased consolidation are among the causes.

(Image credit: Luke Sharrett for NPR)

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Morning news brief

The U.S. says it's moving closer to a deal to end the Iran war despite continued fighting, DOJ opens investigation into Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll, Bari Weiss wants to reinvent CBS' "60 Minutes."

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Blue Origin rocket explodes on the launch pad during an engine-firing test

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket stands ready for launch at the Cape Canaveral Space Force station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., April 18, 2026.

A rocket belonging to Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin exploded during a test at the launch pad Thursday night, ahead of a satellite launch planned for next week.

(Image credit: John Raoux)

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Shrey Parikh, 14, wins the Scripps Spelling Bee after a nail-biting 'spell-off'

E.W. Scripps Company president and CEO Adam Symson holds the trophy over Shrey Parikh, winner of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee, at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. on Thursday.

This is the 101st year of the national spelling competition, and the third time it's been decided by a rapid-fire "spell-off" since the practice was introduced in 2021

(Image credit: Allison Robbert)

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Treasury Department prepares $250 bill with Trump's face on it

US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent shows a proposed $250 bill featuring President Donald Trump during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC.

Congress needs to pass legislation in order for the bill's printing

(Image credit: KENT NISHIMURA)

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Former senior CIA officer took home gold bars and millions in cash, FBI says

Authorities allege that David J. Rush took home tens of millions of dollars worth of gold bars from his job at the CIA and fabricated key parts of his education and military history. He

David Rush, a former senior CIA officer, is accused of theft and making false statements. The trove of gold and cash went missing from his CIA storage space — but it was found in his Virginia home.

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FIFA's World Cup ticket sales outraged fans. Now they are under investigation

FIFA — led by Gianni Infantino — is facing a joint probe from attorneys general in New Jersey and New York.

FIFA has always had a peculiar way to sell tickets to the World Cup. It never faced any major issues — until prices soared for the 2026 tournament.

(Image credit: Win McNamee)

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Australian woman charged over travel to Syria to join Islamic State

FILE - Unidentified women walk between tents in a section of the camp housing Australian family members of suspected Islamic State militants in the Roj Camp in eastern Syria, Feb. 18, 2026.

The arrest came eight months after she returned to Australia with her children from Lebanon.

(Image credit: Baderkhan Ahmad)

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Orthodox Jewish women in Israel may now take a rabbinic exam, like men

Rabbanit Batya Kraus leads a women

Until now, only Orthodox Jewish men in Israel have been allowed to take exams to become rabbis. After a long campaign, women can now also take the test - but still can't become rabbis

(Image credit: Ofir Berman for NPR)

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A new report shows how close American households are to the financial edge

A customer shops for produce in an H-E-B grocery store on May 11 in Austin, Texas.

In 2024, nearly half of U.S. households did not earn enough to cover their necessities.

(Image credit: Brandon Bell)

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

President Donald Trump (2nd-L) speaks as (L-R) U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy listen during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on May 27, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Trump meets with his Cabinet days after saying a peace deal with Iran was "largely negotiated" amid expectations around the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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.

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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)

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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)

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