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Indonesians brave choking smoke to pray for rain as country battles wildfires

Indonesian Muslims attend a prayer requesting for rain following wildfires that burn through peatlands in several regions in Sumatra and Kalimantan Island, in Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026.

Huge blazes in central and western regions of Indonesia have scorched wide areas of forests and peatland, creating a choking haze that blanketed some cities.

(Image credit: Muhammad Fajri)

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The UK will help Ukraine make long-range missiles by sharing classified tech information

Ukraine

Burnham, who was in Kyiv for Ukraine's Independence Day, said defense firm MBDA will release details on U.K.-made parts for the SCALP missile to Ukraine to help the country assemble the weapons.

(Image credit: Henry Nicholls)

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US set for largest mass visa revocation in history targeting up to 200,000 foreigners, officials say

President Donald Trump walks past Secretary of State Marco Rubio as he arrives for a roundtable on the American mining industry, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the State Department in Washington.

The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum status in the United States.

(Image credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

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Six months on, U.S. Navy families who evacauated Bahrain remain in limbo

A U.S. Navy ship, the USS Rafael Peralta, takes part in a maritime blockade against an Iranian-flagged ship attempting to sail toward an Iranian port on April 24. The photo was provided by U.S. Central Command.

When the U.S.-Iran war began, more than 1,000 dependents of U.S. Navy personnel in Bahrain were ordered to evacuate. After six months in temporary conditions, they want to know what the plan is.

(Image credit: U.S. Navy)

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Penn State bust put focus on cocaine but on most campuses the big risk is alcohol

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A drug bust involving an alleged cocaine ring at Penn State has drawn attention to drug use on college campuses, but research shows the big risk to students is alcohol.

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Supreme Court pauses lower court ruling on Trump's mail voting order as hurdles loom

President Trump holds up an executive order calling to restrict mail-in voting in the White House in March.

The Supreme Court paused a lower court's ruling that blocked key parts of Trump's order to limit voting by mail for the midterms. But U.S. Postal Service work on the order remains blocked nationwide.

(Image credit: Alex Wong)

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to unveil new economic sanctions on Iran

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to members of the media outside the White House in Washington, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026.

The Trump administration calls this "economic D-Day" on Iran. Iran vows to respond to fresh sanctions in a "seismic manner."

(Image credit: Jacquelyn Martin)

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U.S. to detail new economic pressures on Iran. And, Canada to impose tariffs on U.S.

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks to members of the press outside the West Wing at the White House on Aug. 20, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Today, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to announce details on new economic pressures on Iran. And, Canada has vowed to impose retaliatory tariffs against the U.S.

(Image credit: Alex Wong)

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Washington, D.C.'s first IndyCar race packed the National Mall

Drivers take part in the Freedom 250 Grand Prix IndyCar Series race in Washington, D.C., Aug. 23, 2026.

IndyCar drivers zoomed past some of the nation's most famous landmarks this weekend. They faced novel challenges on an unconventional route.

(Image credit: Nathan Howard)

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'It embarrasses me to be involved': Inside the National Guard D.C. deployment

Thousands of National Guard members have been patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C. for more than a year, in what has become President Trump

As President Trump's deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D.C. enters its second year, three guard members who served many months on the mission share their reactions with NPR.

(Image credit: Illustration by Mari Fouz​ for NPR)

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Sean Grayson, former deputy convicted of killing Sonya Massey, dies in prison, lawyer says

FILE - In this image from body camera video released by Illinois State Police, Sonya Massey, left, talks with Sangamon County Sheriff

Sean Grayson, a former Illinois sheriff's deputy whose fatal shooting of Sonya Massey inside her home became a flashpoint over police use of force, died Sunday while serving a 20-year prison sentence.

(Image credit: Illinois State Police)

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Morning news brief

Treasury secretary to detail new round of economic pressure on Iran, Iran warns of 'seismic' retaliation if U.S. follow through with economic threat, Canada vows to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S.

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U.S. businesses are getting tariff refunds. Will customers get any money back?

Companies have received tariff refunds. What about consumers? Some companies are providing refunds while others decline.

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High-intensity sprints can trigger molecular changes in the bloodstream

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A new study finds that an all-out sprint may have unique benefits when it comes to the proteins and tiny molecules in your bloodstream.

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Thousands forced to evacuate parts of Reno, Nevada, as new wildfire rages

Smoke billows in the distance as a wildfire burns in Reno, Nev., Sunday, August 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)

Officials say the fire, which has now burned more than 15,000 acres and is zero percent contained, was human caused. Nearly 90,000 people have been told to evacuate or prepare to leave.

(Image credit: Haven Daley)

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Climate change is unearthing archaeological discoveries, while also threatening them

NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben speaks with Jørgen Hollesen, a Senior Researcher at the National Museum of Denmark, about how climate change is impacting the study of archaeology.

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Learning to live in a post-American world

In a recent article for Foregin Affairs, Mark Leonard makes that argument that America's leading role in the world order is fading. He discusses his argument with NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben.

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Thousands in northwest Indiana still without power nearly two weeks after storm

Workers from True Cut Tree Care of Farmington, Michigan remove a tree from the front of a home after it was toppled during a recent storm on Aug. 20, 2026 in Gary, Indiana.

A round of storms impacted the region on Aug. 11

(Image credit: Scott Olson)

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Nonprofits are helping musicians pay for insurance in Austin, Texas, and beyond

Zack Morgan plays keyboard for a number of bands in Austin, Texas. He

A nonprofit and a local public health agency are subsidizing marketplace health insurance for Austin musicians , even as rising healthcare costs make the program more expensive.

(Image credit: Ysa Mendoza)

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Becerra, running for governor of California, faces a health insurance problem

Xavier Becerra campaigns to be governor of California in Los Angeles

The nation's uninsured rate hit a historical low when Xavier Becerra was health secretary. Now he wants to be California's next governor as Trump's actions have driven people off health insurance.

(Image credit: Justin Sullivan)

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Tropical Storm Moke to cause more flooding as Hawaii recovers from Lala

This NOAA satellite image taken Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, shows Tropical Storm Moke advancing towards Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.

More than a foot of rain could fall across Big Island of Hawaii, according to NOAA.

(Image credit: NOAA)

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Body cam shows federal agent was 'unjustified' in Memphis shooting, attorney says

Cindy Leachman Aldridge holds a photo of her late grandson, Jonah Neal, at her home on July 12 in Owensboro, Ky.

The family of Jonah Neal and their attorney were recently shown video from the day that Neal was shot by a federal agent while he experienced a mental health crisis.

(Image credit: Luke Sharrett for NPR)

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Trump administration's 75-country visa ban was illegal, judge rules

Federal immigration officers walk through a security checkpoint at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston in March.

The U.S. stopped issuing visas for citizens of 75 countries because it said they were likely to need public assistance. A judge ruled the policy illegally discriminated on the basis of nationality.

(Image credit: David J. Phillip)

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Opinion: Mr. Rogers keeps finding a new neighborhood

Catcher Jake Rogers #28 of the Chicago White Sox talks with starting pitcher Anthony Kay #18 before their game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on August 15, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan.

MLB catcher Jake Rogers probably didn't know if he was coming or going the last several weeks: he's been a Detroit Tiger, a Baltimore Oriole, a Boston Red Sox, and now he's a Chicago White Sox.

(Image credit: Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

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As Flock battles public scrutiny, other police surveillance companies see an opening

Traffic flows past an Axon brand automated license plate reader (ALPR) camera in Silver Spring, Md.

Dozens of cities have canceled their contracts with Flock. Some are switching to other companies, but privacy experts say they're no better than Flock.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)

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U.S. imposes 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products

President Donald Trump walks on the Ellipse as he arrives on Marine One near the White House, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Washington.

The United States imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products early Saturday, and Canada immediately said it would retaliate, after last-ditch negotiations failed.

(Image credit: Manuel Balce Ceneta)

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A battle over 'Italian brainrot' could shape who owns AI art

Tung Tung Sahur, one of the world

A legal battle over what looks like a cartoon stick could help set the rules over whether creators can claim ownership of their AI-generated characters.

(Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

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Supreme Court allows Trump's ballroom construction to continue for now

President Trump displays a rendering of his proposed $250 million White House ballroom on Oct. 22, 2025 in Washington, D.C.

The ruling comes after months of back and forth between the Trump administration and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

(Image credit: Alex Wong)

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Beatty files emergency request to stop Trump's name from returning to Kennedy Center

National Guard troops patrolling outside the Kennedy Center on June 28. The entryway of the Washington, D.C. arts complex continues to be covered with a tarp after a federal judge ordered the organization

Joyce Beatty, a Democratic representative from Ohio, asked a federal judge to stop the Kennedy Center trustees from putting President Trump's name up in three places at the arts complex.

(Image credit: Alex Wroblewski)

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Top Iran official says US focus on economic warfare shows it has failed militarily

Iran

The Iranian regime has dismissed President Trump's threats to crush the country economically, saying that years of U.S. sanctions have failed.

(Image credit: Hadi Mizban)

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