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1 year in, National Guard became a part of D.C. life. And, deadly quake hits Colombia

People work on a collapsed building after an earthquake in Cali, Colombia on Aug. 10, 2026.

Today marks one year since the National Guard was deployed to the nation's capital. Here's what has happened since. And, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake leaves more than 100 people dead in Colombia.

(Image credit: Joaquin Sarmiento)

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The secret economics inside the new Planet Money board game

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From Nobel Prize-winning research to the Laffer Curve, Scabby the Rat, Veblen's peacock, and more — the economic ideas and inside jokes hiding throughout Planet Money's new board game.

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Former Syrian President Assad sentenced to death in absentia

FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2010 file photo, Syria President Bashar al-Assad arrives at the Elysee Palace in Paris for his meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

A Syrian court sentenced Assad along with his brother to death in absentia for crimes against humanity and war crimes during Syria's 14-year conflict that left about half a million people dead.

(Image credit: Remy de la Mauviniere)

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A midwife crosses 'maternity deserts' to make a difference for Black moms and babies

A midwife crisscrosses Alabama to care for pregnant women and deliver babies. It

New research from the March of Dimes says more than half of U.S. counties have no labor and delivery hospitals. One Black midwife tries to make a difference for moms in Alabama.

(Image credit: Maria Fabrizio)

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Alabama holds second primary Tuesday, leading to confusion, concerns about low turnout

Rep. Shomari Figures speaks at an event hosted by the Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, July 29 in Montgomery, Ala.

After Alabama redrew its congressional maps in May, voters in several districts saw their primaries pushed to August. Now, it's time to vote and there are concerns confusion will dampen voter turnout.

(Image credit: Vasha Hunt)

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A year in, thousands of armed troops have quietly become a fixture of D.C. life

The Washington Monument is seen in the distance as members of the National Guard stand atop the steps at the Lincoln Memorial at sunrise on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on July 23, 2026.

The deployment is expected to cost in the billions after it was quietly extended until Inauguration Day of 2029.

(Image credit: Kent Nishimura)

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In Minnesota and Wisconsin, competitive primaries will again test power of progressive candidates

A voter fills out their ballot at the Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services building on September 20, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minn.

A week after the Michigan primary, tests of progressive power will play out in the Midwest, raising questions of whether far left candidates can win come November or if the GOP can pick up moderates.

(Image credit: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

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The school year begins in LA with one big change: limited screen time

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As educators in the nation's second-largest district prepare for the new limits on classroom screen time, some teachers say it will be a difficult adjustment.

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Morning news brief

Voters in six states head to the polls Tuesday for high-profile primaries, Trump signals his strategy with Iran is shifting, 7.4 magnitude earthquake kills at least 111 people in Colombia.

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Turkey's parliament approves a pardon-like bill for thousands of PKK militants

FILE - Youngsters hold a photograph of Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the militant Kurdish group, or PKK, in Diyarbakir, Turkey, Feb. 27, 2025.

Turkey's parliament approved legislation that would introduce a conditional pardon for thousands of Kurdish militants in a bid to advance the government's peace initiative with their insurgent group.

(Image credit: Metin Yoksu)

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Trump pivots back to sanctions for Iran as other strategies to end his war fizzle

President Donald Trump walks to board Air Force One at Morristown Airport, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026, in Morristown, N.J.

The shift comes as U.S. stockpiles of key weapons have dwindled and as stop-start talks seem again to have stalled. But Trump insists the pressure can lead to a breakthrough.

(Image credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

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Magnitude 7.4 quake rocks western Colombia, killing at least 111 people

Residents and rescue workers search through the rubble after an earthquake struck Cali, Colombia, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026.

Search teams and civilians picked through the remains of destroyed buildings in the country's third-largest city, Cali, passing large pieces of concrete and rubble down a long line of volunteers.

(Image credit: Santiago Saldarriaga)

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Alabama heads into a second primary election after redistricting

Alabama voters are again selecting candidates for four Congressional districts after the state changed the district map to favor Republicans. The redistricting is causing confusion among voters.

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After his Reflecting Pool vandalism case is dismissed, David Hearn looks for closure

David Hearn (second from left) and his attorney Norman Eisen (right) addressed reporters after he entered his not guilty plea on July 9 in Washington, D.C.

The ex-Olympian accused of damaging the reflecting pool tells NPR the experience has been "Orwellian" and "Kafkaesque." And it's not over yet: His lawyers are fighting to close the case permanently.

(Image credit: Rod Lamkey)

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Trump and RFK Jr. try again to upend vaccines for kids

President Trump speaks before signing an executive order that calls for changing the childhood vaccine schedule.

President Trump signed an executive order on Monday about vaccines, saying children should get fewer. His administration has been blocked in the courts from changing the vaccine schedule.

(Image credit: Jim Watson)

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'The Nerd Reich' tracks the 'unmasking of Silicon Valley's true politics'

Journalist Gil Durán argues that a small circle of Silicon Valley billionaires and venture capitalists have concluded that democracy is in their way — and that they should be governing in its place.

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Despite Mideast wars, 20 million gather in Iraq for Shia pilgrimage

Large crowds of pilgrims fill the area between the two holy shrines in Karbala at sunset, with the illuminated dome and minarets of Imam Hussein

Despite wars ranging across the Middle East, more than 20 million Shia pilgrims gather in Iraq shrine city for Arbaeen festival

(Image credit: Mohammed Sawaf for NPR)

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Does spending money make you feel bad? Read this comic

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If spending — or not spending — money makes you feel shame or regret, you might be grappling with financial guilt. Financial planner Lauryn Williams breaks down three types and how to deal.

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Flood death toll in India's Assam reaches 100 as thousands lose their homes

A school girl and her father wade through floodwaters in Alengmora village in Jorhat, India, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026.

Days of heavy monsoon rain has caused rivers, including the Brahmaputra, to overflow, inundating communities, disrupting livelihoods and damaging infrastructure.

(Image credit: Parikhit Saikia)

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Decades of abuse revealed at Michigan art school. And, the Iran war's impact on midterms

Vessels transit the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on Aug. 10, 2026.

A new report has revealed decades of alleged abuse at an elite art school. NPR spoke with one of the victims. And, Iran is playing the long game with negotiations, which could impact midterms.

(Image credit: Atta Kenare)

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Some disabled people want to advance their careers. They say Medicaid rules stop them

Erica Carter of Sioux City, Iowa, says she enjoys her job as a finance manager for the Omaha Nation public school district in Nebraska, working to find grants and opportunities for low-income students. But when she learned her pay was too high for her to remain in an Iowa Medicaid program, Carter had to choose — leave the job or give up her benefits.

Medicaid will have new work requirements next year. But some people with disabilities, who already work, say they'd like to work more, but risk losing their Medicaid coverage if they earn too much.

(Image credit: Natalie Krebs)

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The FAA wants to reboot the nation's airspace. This airline shows how it might work

Dispatchers in Alaska Airlines

When Alaska Airlines wanted to optimize its operations, it turned to a small startup called Air Space Intelligence. Now the FAA has hired the company for a major reboot of the entire U.S. airspace.

(Image credit: Joe Nicholson)

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Voters are sick of the two-party system. A new poll shows they're open to big changes

Voters cast ballots Tuesday at the Copland Center in Wyandotte, Mich.

A new poll shows support for moving the U.S. toward proportional representation, a system that elects multiple representatives in a single district in rough proportion to a party's vote share.

(Image credit: Finn Gomez)

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Who really needs testosterone?

The military plans to start screening service members for low testosterone, and social media is overflowing with claims about testosterone therapy.

The military plans to start screening service members for low testosterone, and social media is overflowing with claims about testosterone therapy. But who actually needs it?

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Mike Lindell touts Trump ties in race for governor of Minnesota, where Trump has lost

Mike Lindell, candidate for Minnesota governor in Tuesday

Lindell, of "MyPillow," plays up his ties to Trump, who endorsed him for Tuesday's primary. But the state Republican convention backed one of his opponents.

(Image credit: Dana Ferguson)

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An arts school where Epstein allegedly preyed on students reveals decades of abuse

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In a new report,former Interlochen students detail some 70 allegations of sexual abuse by nearly 50 adults employed or affiliated with the school. One of the former students tells his story to NPR.

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In a competitive Maine Senate race, women voters could be the deciders

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, walks in the annual Moxie Day Parade on July 11, 2026 in Lisbon, Maine. In her 2020 Senate campaign, Collins won women voters by three points, according to exit polling.

The race between Susan Collins and Troy Jackson is one of this year's most high-profile Senate contests. To win, both candidates will need support from an especially powerful voting bloc: Maine women.

(Image credit: Scott Eisen)

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Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian city of Nizhnekamsk kills 12, authorities say

Ukraine

Ukraine has targeted Russian oil facilities with long-range drones almost daily in recent months. The barrage has caused fuel shortages in Russia and unsettled the Russian public.

(Image credit: Darko Vojinovic)

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Morning news brief

Iran aims to put pressure on Trump amid negotiations with Oman, Labor Department to release new report on inflation, new report reveals decades of abuse at arts school linked to Epstein.

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The view from the proving grounds for next-generation nuclear reactors, Atomic City, Idaho

Arco, Idaho is among the small towns near Idaho National Laboratory with a decades-long nuclear energy legacy.

A new generation of small nuclear reactors is poised to come online in the next few years. Public opinion remains split.

(Image credit: Hanna Merzbach)

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