Mangione could plead guilty in federal case ahead of NY murder trial

Luigi Mangione appears for a pre-trial hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, on Aug. 11, 2026.

A surprise hearing Friday in federal court has added to speculation Luigi Mangione could enter a plea, which could derail a state murder trial.

(Image credit: Steven Hirsch)

NPR NewsAug 13, 2026, 4:40 PM

Vladimir Putin's first visit to disputed Pacific islands draws Tokyo protest

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, listens to Sakhalin Region Governor Valery Limarenko in Kurilsk on the Iturup Island, the largest of the Kuril Islands of Russia

The four southernmost islands of the chain also are claimed by Japan, which calls them the Northern Territories.

(Image credit: Gavriil Grigorov)

NPR NewsAug 13, 2026, 3:18 PM

By sky and sea, Ukraine's drone strikes challenge Russia's grip on Crimea

Diners sit at an outdoor restaurant in Sevastopol, Crimea, on July 22. Ukrainian drone strikes are causing power outages, fuel shortages and cuts in cellphone service in the peninsula. Russia seized Crimea when it first invaded Ukraine in 2014, but now its hold on the territory is being challenged.

Russia maintained an iron grip on Crimea since seizing it from Ukraine in 2014. Many Russian civilians go there to enjoy the beaches. But now Ukraine is hitting Crimea hard, upending daily life.

(Image credit: Igor Ivanko)

NPR NewsAug 13, 2026, 1:18 PM

Taiwan briefly slows its mobile internet to text-only speed as part of defense drill

People take cover inside at a MRT station during the Urban Resilience (Air-Defense) Exercise, part of the annual Han Kuang military exercises in Taipei, Taiwan, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026.

The drills come amid rising tensions with China, which frequently sends military planes and ships towards Taiwan.

(Image credit: Chiang Ying-ying)

NPR NewsAug 13, 2026, 11:31 AM

Inflation eased slightly in July. And, ICE plans to give officers electric shock gloves

Lettuce is displayed for sale at an H-E-B grocery store on May 11, 2026, in Austin, Texas.

Inflation cooled a bit last month, according to a new report from the Labor Department. And, ICE plans to equip its officers with electric shock gloves.

(Image credit: Brandon Bell)

NPR NewsAug 13, 2026, 11:18 AM

The drug lenacapavir is a mighty weapon against HIV. Its rollout gets mixed reviews

An injection of the new drug lenacapavir provides six months of protection against infection by HIV.

It's a twice-a-year injection that is remarkably effective in preventing an HIV infection. Distribution is starting. But questions are being raised about getting it to the areas that need it most.

(Image credit: Osodi Emmanuel)

NPR NewsAug 13, 2026, 10:59 AM

Primary voters send mixed signals about what they want from the Democratic Party

Primary results this month in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin paint a muddled picture of just how far to the left Democratic voters want their candidates to be come this fall's midterm elections.

NPR NewsAug 13, 2026, 9:58 AM

U.S. ambassador calls settler siege of Palestinian homes a 'horrific act of terror'

Israeli soldiers stand guard next to settlers in front of Palestinian homes that they have blockaded in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.

The U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned the actions of Jewish settlers who are besieging the home of an American Palestinian family in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

(Image credit: Nidal Eshtayeh)

NPR NewsAug 13, 2026, 9:00 AM

These swing voters in Nevada say they are not dismissing socialist candidates

Supporters of Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong cheer at her election night party on Tuesday in Madison. Hong, a self-described democratic socialist, narrowly lost the primary.

In online focus groups, 10 of 12 Biden-to-Trump voters said they wouldn't automatically think negatively of a politician who identifies with socialism.

(Image credit: Scott Olson)

NPR NewsAug 13, 2026, 9:00 AM

Sailors and their families have lives on pause, uncertain if they'll return to Mideast

A plume of smoke rises after a reported Iranian strike on fuel tanks in Muharraq, Bahrain, on March 12.

Sailors and family members who were evacuated from U.S. bases in the Middle East months ago are waiting for the military to figure out what will happen to the lives they left behind.

(Image credit: Fadhel Madhan)

NPR NewsAug 13, 2026, 8:44 AM

Morning news brief

Primary results reveal divide among Democratic Party, new inflation report could give the Fed more time to bring inflation under control, rescues teams race to find survivors of Colombia earthquake.

NPR NewsAug 13, 2026, 8:43 AM

Author discusses the common myths and stereotypes about domestic violence

Allegations of domestic violence against Congressman Max Miller, which he denies, have raised persistent stereotypes about abuse. NPR's Michel Martin talks to author Leslie Morgan Steiner.

NPR NewsAug 13, 2026, 8:41 AM

Former Disney CEO Bob Iger and investor Josh Kushner buy the Los Angeles Lakers

The Washington Wizards play the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on March 30, 2026.

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Mike Vorkunov of the Athletic about the record-breaking sale of the Los Angeles Lakers to investor Josh Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger.

(Image credit: Ronald Martinez)

NPR NewsAug 13, 2026, 6:21 AM

New indictment alleges Nick Reiner was lying in wait before killing his parents

FILE - Actor Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer, arrive for an event on Dec. 17, 2013, in New York.

A grand jury has indicted Nick Reiner on murder charges in the killings of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, and adds the allegation that he was lying in wait before attacking them.

(Image credit: Evan Agostini)

NPR NewsAug 13, 2026, 6:04 AM

Millions crowd cities to see Spain's first total solar eclipse in over a century

A solar eclipse is seen over a Virgin Maria church in Vidigulfo, near Pavia, northern Italy, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.

As the sky darkened, gradually at first and then quickly, people broke into applause and cheered. It was the Spain's first total solar eclipse in more than a century.

(Image credit: Antonio Calanni)

NPR NewsAug 13, 2026, 5:43 AM

3 men set for lethal injection on same day in Tennessee, Alabama and Oklahoma

FILE - This Oct. 9, 2014, file photo shows the gurney in the execution chamber at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Okla.

Three men in Tennessee, Alabama and Oklahoma are scheduled for lethal injection Thursday in a rare convergence of executions on the same day in the U.S.

(Image credit: Sue Ogrocki)

NPR NewsAug 13, 2026, 1:38 AM

Photos: See the best photos from the solar eclipse

The moon completely covers the sun during a total solar eclipse as seen from the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory in Arcos de las Salinas, near Teruel, Spain, August 12, 2026.

Millions of people in Europe stepped outside this evening to watch a spectacular sunset with a solar eclipse. The path of totality passed through portions of Greenland, Iceland and Spain,

(Image credit: Christian Hartmann)

NPR NewsAug 12, 2026, 10:13 PM

ICE plans to outfit officers with electric shock gloves

Protesters are arrested by federal agents near the scene where Renee Macklin Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer last January in Minneapolis.

The company that makes the gloves, Compliant Technologies, says they're a nonlethal tool to make individuals compliant during arrests.

(Image credit: Adam Gray)

NPR NewsAug 12, 2026, 8:33 PM

Trump sued over service selling faster access to Truth Social posts

President Donald Trump holds up a printout of one of his Truth Social posts before signing an executive order that calls for changing the childhood vaccine schedule on August 10, 2026. He is facing a lawsuit over a service offering early access to his Truth Social feed for up to $100,000 a month.

The federal lawsuit alleges that the service from the president's media company violates the Constitution. Meanwhile, Trump Media executives say they have signed up more than 10 customers.

(Image credit: Anna Moneymaker)

NPR NewsAug 12, 2026, 8:19 PM

Controversial group wins $158M-contract to represent unaccompanied immigrant children

Children wait outside of an immigration court at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building on July 31, 2026 in New York City.

Utah-based Our Rescue was founded by activist Tim Ballard. It was previously known as Operation Underground Railroad and it says it helps law enforcement perform sting operations and rescues human trafficking survivors.

(Image credit: Michael M. Santiago)

NPR NewsAug 12, 2026, 8:05 PM

White House press secretary leaving

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 23, 2026.

Karoline Leavitt will continue to be an outside adviser, Trump said

(Image credit: SAUL LOEB)

NPR NewsAug 12, 2026, 6:24 PM

Has the U.S. lost its dominance to China?

Beijing may be benefiting from the war in Iran and Trump's tariffs and has an edge in the competition for tech supremacy. The New Yorker's Evan Osnos discusses his story "The Future, Made in China."

NPR NewsAug 12, 2026, 2:00 PM

Inflation eases in July as gasoline and grocery prices fall

Falling grocery prices helped to keep inflation in check last month. Lettuce prices dropped sharply in July after an outbreak of food-borne illness prompted a recall of some leafy greens.

Consumer prices in July were up 3.4% from a year ago — a smaller annual increase than in May or June. The news makes it less likely the Fed will feel the need to raise interest rates in September.

(Image credit: Justin Sullivan)

NPR NewsAug 12, 2026, 1:38 PM

Greetings from a surreal expanse of sand dunes dotted with freshwater lagoons in Brazil

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The pristine white sand dunes of the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park are bordered by thick jungle on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. Thousands of lagoons fill up after the rainy season.

NPR NewsAug 12, 2026, 1:00 PM

His wedding guests gave $6k to fund a health startup. Now it's won a $3 million prize

Genesis Whegelee (right, in vest) has been a community health worker for Last Mile Health in Rivercess County, Liberia, since 2018. He visits households to keep an eye on sick children, pregnant moms and anyone with a problem that needs diagnosing.

Dr. Raj Panjabi founded Last Mile Health to bring healthcare to people living in remote areas. The group is the 2026 recipient of the Conrad H. Hilton Humanitarian Prize.

(Image credit: Last Mile Health)

NPR NewsAug 12, 2026, 12:36 PM

Zhu Rongji, who drove China's 1990s economic reforms, has died at 97

Then-Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji arrives at Hong Kong

Zhu was renowned for reforms that sought to transition China from the post-Maoist years to a more global market-oriented financial system, without ceding party control over the economy.

NPR NewsAug 12, 2026, 11:25 AM

Takeaways from Tuesday primaries. And, Iran threat prompted Trump's secret plane swap

Residents vote in the state

Yesterday's primaries provided more insight into what voters in both parties want from their new leaders. And, Trump secretly switched planes in Turkey last month amid a foreign threat

(Image credit: Scott Olson)

NPR NewsAug 12, 2026, 10:47 AM

Andrew Tate's extradition fight tests his influence with Trump's America

Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate (obscured) — facing more than 50 charges in the U.K. and Romania, including rape and human trafficking — arrive in Florida after a travel ban on them was lifted in February 2025.

After President Trump took office, Andrew Tate proclaimed, "The Tates will be free." A year later, Tate is being held in federal prison after he was arrested following a U.K. extradition request.

(Image credit: Alon Skuy/Getty Images)

NPR NewsAug 12, 2026, 9:02 AM

Feel so busy you don't even realize you're busy? Try doing a time audit

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The exercise can help you identify what's wasting your time — and make room for what matters, says psychotherapist Niro Feliciano. Take a moment to try it. You might be surprised with what you find.

NPR NewsAug 12, 2026, 9:00 AM

Nuclear power push ramps up uranium mill — and tribal health concerns

The White Mesa Mill

Federal efforts to revive uranium mining in the West and decrease reliance on Russian uranium raise concerns about drinking water for tribal communities reckoning with the industry's deadly legacy.

(Image credit: EcoFlight)