NPR

A new California law bans child marriage. What's the global outlook on the practice?

The governor of California has signed into law a ban on child marriage. What is the status of other efforts to ban the practice? And do bans prove effective?...

4 days ago

Google launches Project Suncatcher, a step towards AI data centers in space

The fridge-size satellite with AI chips on board is part of Project Suncatcher, the company's moonshot effort to put AI data centers in space and harness solar energy....

4 days ago

The government can't revive Hearn's Reflecting Pool vandalism charges, a judge rules

Citing "exceptional circumstances," a D.C. judge has ruled that the federal government cannot refile its Reflecting Pool charges against David Hearn, despite pressure from President Trump to do so....

4 days ago

AI data centers: How much are ratepayers on the hook for?

Data centers consume large amounts of power and require upgrading infrastructure. But it's difficult to determine how much residential customers benefit and how much they actually pay for the benefit....

5 days ago

Cornell Jane Doe's attorney says she told police in 2024: 'I was raped'

Counter to what a local prosecutor has claimed, the alleged victim of a 2024 gang rape at Cornell University clearly said in her police statement that she was sexually assaulted, her attorney told NPR...

5 days ago

New space station crew launches from Florida on SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule

The crew of four — two NASA astronauts, one from Canada, and a Russian cosmonaut — heads to the International Space Station after liftoff from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida....

5 days ago

What a Pearly King taught me about Cockney rhyming slang and East London history

In mother-of-pearl suits, the Pearly Kings used to canvass East London for charity. The most famous one, George Major, died in August. A look back on this larger-than-life figure and the Pearly King t...

5 days ago

Passengers recount chaos on Tel Aviv flight. And, FBI probes employee-data hack

What we know so far about the tense moments aboard a Tel Aviv-bound flight. And, the FBI investigates a cyberattack involving sensitive employee data....

5 days ago

Picanha, prices and politics: What Brazil's favorite steak says about the election

Lula promised Brazilians four years ago they'd be able to afford picanha again. Now, as he seeks another term, the price of the country's favorite cut of beef is telling a different story....

5 days ago

SNAP's funding model is starting to change. Here's what that means for the program

States will start to pay a larger share of the bill to run the food assistance program, as federal funding for operational costs shrinks....

5 days ago

Trump administration reverses stance on integration of people with disabilities

Disability rights advocates are angered by the latest reversal but are rallying behind proposed legislation and working with states to strengthen protections for community integration....

5 days ago

Studying this super El Niño could save lives. NOAA is scaling back research

A powerful El Niño is already influencing extreme weather around the planet. During the last strong El Niño, federal agencies ramped up research in the hope of improving weather forecasts. This year, ...

5 days ago

Tennessee governor halts executions after Christa Gail Pike survives lethal injection

Tennessee officials were unable to put Christa Gail Pike to death Wednesday for a 1995 murder after administering two doses of a lethal drug. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee halted the remaining execution for...

5 days ago

Swiss glaciers suffer another year of record ice loss

Switzerland's glaciers are disappearing at a record pace. More than 5% of their ice has vanished this year alone — threatening water supplies, ecosystems and communities across Europe....

5 days ago

Leaning into culture war flashpoints, Hegseth says he has transformed U.S. military

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told hundreds of junior military officers and enlisted leaders on Wednesday that the Trump administration has achieved a cultural shift in the military....

5 days ago

Greetings from Syria, where time seems to melt as a glassmaker braves scorching temps

As a Syrian glassmaker created his wares in Damascus, watching his craft reminded this reporter to slow down and enjoy the moment....

6 days ago

Police questioning can shape a sexual assault case. Their approach is often wrong

The Cornell lawsuit filed by a woman alleging a brutal rape raises questions on how police handle such cases. The majority of police lack adequate training on trauma-informed approaches, experts say....

6 days ago

Trump officials changed forms for overseas voters amid a GOP push to restrict voting

The Pentagon made last-minute changes to forms that many overseas U.S. citizens use for absentee voting, removing a category of citizens that Republicans have been pushing to block from voting....

6 days ago

How Ukrainians are coping with new, more deadly Russian attacks

Zanny Minton Beddoes, The Economist's editor in chief, just visited Ukraine. She says, despite all its drone weaponry, Kyiv is under extraordinary bombardment, as Russia tries to make it unlivable....

6 days ago

How Trump keeps undercutting his anti-communist message

The Trump administration has taken government equity stakes in more than three dozen private companies....

6 days ago

After failed execution, health workers say Tennessee's method flouts medical ethics

After a botched lethal injection in May, dozens of Tennessee medical professionals told the governor that healthcare professionals shouldn't help with executions, no matter the method....

6 days ago

A flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverts to Saudi Arabia after making distress call

The pilot and co-pilot have been hospitalized after what flydubai described as an onboard "incident" — but what exactly happened is unclear....

6 days ago

FBI hunting the hackers who stole its employees' sensitive data

The FBI says it's addressing a massive data breach, vowing to go after the hackers it believes are responsible....

6 days ago

U.S. forces exit Iraq amid Iran war. And, SCOTUS revives Trump deportation policy

The U.S. has withdrawn its final troops from Iraq, leaving its defense future uncertain. And, the Supreme Court has sided for now with the Trump administration on third-country deportations....

6 days ago

Travel plans? Here's what to know as measles exposures reach trains and games

Measles is traveling, with outbreaks in Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York, and exposures on transportation and in sports. What should you know before getting on a plane or train?...

6 days ago

A startup wants to build a massive nuclear-powered data center on public land in Utah

Valar Atomics wants to place over 450 reactors on more than 9,500 acres in Utah to power a huge data center project....

6 days ago

One year after the end of the EV tax credit, is the future still electric?

Congress got rid of a $7,500 federal tax credit for new electric vehicle buyers. One year later, are people still buying EVs?...

6 days ago

An 87-year-old woman whose eviction sparked protests in Spain is returning home

María del Carmen Abascal's case has drawn tens of thousands of people to the streets in recent days and led the Spanish government to present measures to address the country's housing crisis....

6 days ago

Trump says top tech firms have signed accord to 'self-police' AI development

President Trump on Tuesday said that he and a large group of leaders of artificial intelligence companies had signed a voluntary accord that will include internal and external reviews....

6 days ago

Hurricane Polo's remnants bringing more rain to flood-struck U.S. Southwest

The storm's remnants battered the U.S. Southwest, flooding roadways and forcing residents in small New Mexico towns to evacuate over concerns about a dam failing....

6 days ago

The federal law aimed at protecting college students from sexual abuse

The lawsuit by a former Cornell University student, alleging she was raped in 2024 by seven male students, has renewed long-standing concerns about how colleges deal with sexual assault....

6 days ago

U.S. Supreme Court sides with Trump administration in third-country deportations

The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to resume deportations of migrants to countries that are not identified in their removal orders. It also plans to hear full arguments on the case....

6 days ago

Lindsay Clancy's lawyer now questions whether she killed her 3 children

Lindsay Clancy's lawyer is arguing that there wasn't enough evidence to prove she killed her three children. It's a striking turn after a lengthy trial that focused more on her mental state than on wh...

1 week ago

Potential Taiwan tension sparked 'last minute' change in Trump-Xi National Archives visit

The sudden change was precipitated because of Chinese displeasure over one document that the U.S. had planned to show....

1 week ago

Making gene-edited babies is illegal. This startup says it may be time to reconsider

Origin Genomics aims to prove the potential benefits of its technology for editing disease-causing genes in human embryos outweigh the risks....

1 week ago

This year's MacArthur Fellows include researchers who fuse science and justice

The MacArthur Foundation has just announced its latest batch of 20 fellows. Among the recipients of the $800,000 "no-strings-attached" fellowships are researchers who were recognized for their work at...

1 week ago

Meet the 20 scholars and artists who've just won MacArthur Fellowships

A historian who studies wage gaps between races and a saxophonist whose live performances include a chef are among the latest recipients of the philanthropic group's annual, no-strings-attached $800,0...

1 week ago

Trump weakens fuel efficiency standards. And, Cornell fraternity rape case reopened

The Trump administration has weakened fuel efficiency standards for new cars. And, prosecutors have reopened a Cornell University fraternity rape case....

1 week ago

4 ways to avoid getting ripped off, according to a pricing expert

Companies have changed the way they price their products — and shoppers are getting deliberately overcharged. Here are steps you can take to ensure you are getting the best deal....

1 week ago

As the U.S. signals a smaller Middle East footprint, Turkey is ready to step in

Turkey's bid for regional influence comes at a time when the Middle East has been hit by profound shocks that started with the Hamas-led 2023 attack on Israel, and continues with the stalemated, seven...

1 week ago

News organizations ask court to bar White House enforcement of access ban

Three news outlets that President Trump banished from White House grounds asked a federal court to block the ban until the case is resolved....

1 week ago

OpenAI delays latest model over security concerns, as industry faces pressure

OpenAI's decision to hold back the model, called GPT-6.1 Astra, comes amid a broader push within the industry to slow the development of increasingly autonomous systems until safety measures catch up....

1 week ago

Tennessee is set to execute a woman for the first time in 200 years

One of the youngest women sent to death row is set to be executed in Tennessee. If carried out as scheduled Wednesday, it would be Tennessee's first execution of a woman in 200 years....

1 week ago

The Senate passes the Protect College Sports Act, but the bill's future is unclear

The bill's supporters, which include the NCAA, say it will tame what they call a "Wild West" era of college sports as litigation chips away at long-held rules around eligibility, transfers and pay....

1 week ago

Prosecutors are reexamining a Cornell fraternity rape case. Here's what we know

New York prosecutors are reopening an investigation into an alleged rape case at Cornell University in 2024. The alleged victim recently filed a lawsuit against seven members of Chi Phi fraternity....

1 week ago

Trump's immigration push has largely spared farms. Idaho dairymen worry it won't last.

America's farms have largely escaped the president's aggressive immigration crackdown. But as ICE sweeps continue across the nation, farmers are uneasy because many still can't find enough workers....

1 week ago

The Trump administration weakens fuel efficiency standards for new cars

The Trump administration says easing these standards will make cars more affordable. Critics say it's not so simple and could be costly for the environment....

1 week ago

SpaceX's Starship launches on first orbital mission from Texas

Starship is key to SpaceX's commercial success and NASA's plans to land humans on the moon. This is the 14th flight of the uncrewed Starship, but the first time it aims to reach orbit....

1 week ago

What we know about the suspected U.K. terror plot. And, why the Gulf remains in limbo

What we know — and still don't — about the suspected terror plot near a U.K. air base. Trump rejects Iran's offer to pause fighting. And CNN prepares for new owners with ties to Trump....

1 week ago

Trump aims to leave a physical legacy in D.C., bulldozing norms along the way

President Trump has brought his New York real estate background to the White House. But experts say D.C. is a very different historic and legal landscape — and worry about the precedent he could set....

1 week ago