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No one across the U.S. is consistently tracking climate-fueled deaths. One medical examiner has a new protocol on heat-deaths.
Billionaire investor Leon Black refused to appear before the committee investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for a deposition. Now it's up to the Department of Justice whether to pursue criminal charges.
It takes a group of dedicated volunteers to make sure mountain trails are wide enough so everyone can have fun.
In Liberia, the government gave cash transfers to couples to see if it would help solve problems that arise when partners disagree about how to manage money.
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with the reporter of a story that shows how the Department of Homeland Security is feeding information to local police as part of DHS' Predictive Intelligence Unit.
The Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rates has broader political and economic implications, with affordability top of mind for voters ahead of the midterms.
Argentina has produced some of the world's greatest soccer players. Could its youth system offer lessons for the United States?
Wired reporter EJ Dickson speaks with NPR's Juana Summers about an online community that targets and harasses young women with their own nonconsensual, sexually explicit images.
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates today Wednesday the first time in more than three years. The central bank is trying to curb stubborn inflation, which was rekindled by the war with Iran.
Gene technology is giving hope to citrus farmers in Florida who are fighting greening disease, which has been killing their trees for two decades.
Timeliness is a big component of work and for those whose job is in sports, timing can be everything.
NPR's Juana Summers talks with ProPublica data reporter Andrea Suozzo about their investigation looking into the rise in deaths related to ectopic pregnancies.
The European Union backs Canada's bid to become the bloc's first "associate member," as Brussels seeks closer ties with Ottawa and Trump calls the idea "laughable."
Dillard's work was characterized by spare prose and a deep connection to nature. She is best known for Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, An American Childhood, The Maytrees and The Writing Life.
Rep. Thomas Massie has moved to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Kentucky Republican alleges that Hegseth has waged the Iran war illegally, among other "high crimes and misdemeanors." NPR's Kat Lonsdorf reports.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
Neuroscientists have made a major advance in modeling the human brain in mice, offering a new way to study conditions like cerebral palsy. Ethicists ask if it changes how these mice should be treated.
Russia is believed to be holding thousands of Ukrainian POWs. Russia is also tormenting the families of these prisoners by contacting their relatives on social media and demanding they help Russia.
The Fed is expected to raise interest rates today for the first time in three years. And, the Kennedy Center board voted yesterday to close the historic center.
Mark Zandi, chief economist with Moody's Analytics, talks about the Federal Reserve's expected decision to raise interest rates and the implications of that move.
Rep. Thomas Massie has moved to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Kentucky Republican alleges that Hegseth has waged the Iran war illegally, among other "high crimes and misdemeanors."
The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates for the first time in three years as the Iran war pushes inflation higher and borrowing costs are already climbing.Two new government reports put the cost of the Iran war at more than $30 billion and reveal extensive damage to U.S. bases and growing strain on key weapons stockpiles.The Kennedy Center board voted to close the building for renovations after a federal judge again blocked President Trump’s name from being added, while Trump says he will not move ahead unless that changes.Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Rafael Nam, Andrew Sussman, Steve Drummond, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.Our director is Christopher Thomas.We get engineering support from Zac Coleman.Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.And our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.(0:00) Introduction(01:54) Federal Reserve Interest Rates(05:29) Reports Reveal Iran War Costs(09:36) Kennedy Center Closure
On Wednesday, the Senate committee on health held a confirmation hearing for three top health officials, including surgeon general. Dr. Nicole Saphier is President Trump's third attempt to nominate a surgeon general.
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to tech journalists Casey Newton and Kevin Roose about their new show 'Machine Gods,' which is coming to NPR.
NPR's Leila Fadel talks with journalist Chris Whipple about his new Vanity Fair feature with revealing details about the political development of JD Vance.
Because of a data lag, the current reality of access may be even worse.
The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate Wednesday to combat stubborn inflation. That will make it more expensive to borrow money to buy a car or carry a balance on a credit card.
Data suggests many candidates are embracing AI this year to boost their image and portray their opponents unfavorably. But whether it will turn out voters remains unclear.
Federal data shows many borrowers who aren't paying their loans went to private, for-profit colleges — schools that often market to low-income students and rely on federal financial aid for revenue.
One of the country's first known female tattoo artists was born on a Kansas farm. Maud Stevens Wagner ran off to join the circus and later became a tattoo legend.
The Mexican guitar duo of Rodrigo y Gabriela found an unexpected kinship with the people of Japan when they play there. A new album called "OurHome" explores what it means to feel at home.
Where does Steve Bannon fit in the debate over regulating or slowing AI? He tells Morning Edition where he breaks with Trump and what he thinks Washington should do.
Democrats plan to send at least 10,000 volunteer "Democracy Protectors" to the polls during the midterms to deter voter intimidation.
The Kennedy Center's board of directors voted to close the historic arts center Tuesday, just minutes after a federal judge once again stopped a plan to put President Trump's name on the building.
The Kennedy Center's board voted to close for two years, after a judge ruled against adding President Trump's name. NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Attorney Nathaniel Zelinsky about the embattled venue.
Two new reports detail the damage the Iran war has caused to U.S. bases and the rising cost of the war, which has hit over $30 billion.
Millions of federal student loan borrowers are in default or well on their way. New federal data shows that tens of thousands of them attended the same problematic schools.
NPR's A Martinez speaks with space security analyst Laura Grego of the Union of Concerned Scientists about the U.S. military's revelation that it has deployed weapons in space.
For years, renewable energy companies have faced a problem: How to store the mass amounts of energy they produce for later use. Batteries may be just the solution. In California, there's now enough grid-scale battery storage to power millions of homes for a few hours. Battery power is often the second largest source of energy on a given day in the state. So, we're revisiting the fast-growing technology with Cooper Katz McKim, a producer on The Indicator from Planet Money.Listen to the three-part battery series.Have questions about the future of energy? Contact us at [email protected]. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
Big tech companies are borrowing billions of dollars to finance the build-out of AI data centers, and your 401(k) might be helping to fuel that. Today on the show, what AI hyperscalers are doing to the bond market.Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.Your Next Listen — Who's financing Meta's massive AI data center?Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
Margin borrowing and sports gambling “investments” are both on the rise! Today on the show, two stories from Planet Money’s daily podcast The Indicator about the ways investing is changing, and getting riskier.According to one study, more than half of Gen Zers are using investment dollars for sports gambling. On average, this is not a smart strategy for the long term. It might be that sports betting today is like day trading was for a previous generation of young investors: something a lot of young people, typically men, do, lose money at for a while, then quit. We review the early research on this trend and meet a state legislator proposing ways to stem problem gambling.More, generally younger people are also investing with borrowed money. Trading on margin is at an all time high of over $1.5 trillion. In the past, high levels of margin investing have led to crashes. We hear those stories and find out what the Fed might do to reign in the risk. Related Indicator episodes— How AI might mess with financial markets— Prediction markets are threatening national security. Who's gonna fix it?Connect with Planet Money & The Indicator— Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly link round up newsletter!— Sign up for Planet Money’s weekly longform newsletter!— Buy the Planet Money book— Find our socials, YouTube and more!— For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.These episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money were produced by Corey Bridges and Cooper Katz-McKim. They were engineered by Travis Hagan and Cena Loffredo, and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. They were edited by Julia Ritchey and Kate Concannon. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
For years, Turks have stashed their gold at home against a raining day, mistrustful of banks. Now the government says that tradition hurts the economy
Billions of dollars worth of gold is held in Turkish households outside the banking system. The government aims to convince citizens to put it into the mainstream financial system to help the economy.
AI leaders are warning about the threats posed by further advances of the technology and actively asking it to be regulated. What does Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, think about the future of AI and where it should go?This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Erika Ryan with audio engineering by Valentina Rodríguez Sanchez. Our director is Jonas Adams.It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Tinbete Ermyas.Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
Over the past week, fears of AI wiping out humanity are surging. But could it happen? And if so, how?
NPR gains rare access to the Israel-occupied zone of southern Lebanon.
As many as 50,000 Israelis are leaving the country a year, study shows, tired of war and hardline politicians.
A federal appeals court panel in D.C. hears arguments Tuesday on the Trump administration's crackdown on immigrant truckers. Critics say that will do little to make the nation's roads safer.
At the Emmys, The Pitt and Widow's Bay took home big wins. There were some beautiful moments, awkward jokes and surprises too.
NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with Bill Gates, the former Microsoft CEO turned philanthropist, about his contributions to AI equity initiatives -- and his criticisms of an AI-powered future world.
A group of former campaign and Senate staffers for John Fetterman say they will soon begin dropping damaging stories about the Pennsylvania Democrat. Many of his constituents are already fed up.
Residents in Louisiana near SpaceX's next launch site are concerned about the project's impact on the environment and say they were kept in dark about the deal.
Two new, independent reports show detailed looks at the costs of the war in Iran. It's led to shortages in U.S. weapons, supply chain bottlenecks and a price tag in the tens of billions of dollars.
The words "climate change" are slowly being removed from textbooks in Florida and from the state's education standards.
When Teyu Chou was 11 years old, his family immigrated to the U.S. The transition was isolating and confusing. But a fellow student stepped up and helped him adjust.
Voters tell us they're frustrated with the economy, that costs are too high, and that neither Democrats nor Republicans seem able to solve their problems. We listen to swing voters in Michigan to understand how their worries could impact that state's Senate race.This episode: senior political correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional reporter Sam Gringlas, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson.This podcast was produced and edited by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs.Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
China has made developing and selling humanoid robots an economic priority, but getting robots to work requires hours of repetitive "training" done by people to create data about the physical world.
A new global democracy report finds the U.S. at its lowest level of democratic performance in the 50 years it has been measured.
An annual report from the Census Bureau shows the average family made more money in 2025 than the year before, while the official poverty rate declined. Health care coverage was little changed from 2024.
The board's vote to shutter the historic arts center came amid concerns about financial, structural problems.
Antarctic krill serve as a crucial food source for penguins, seals, and whales. They recycle nutrients used by algae. Now researchers say they've found krill in a surprising place: hydrothermal vents.
Brooks grew up in a church where her mom was a minister and her dad a deacon. She went on to play Taystee in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. Now she co-stars If I Go Will They Miss Me?
The EPA announced Monday its repealing limits on greenhouse gas emissions that come from power plants. NPR's Julia Simon reports.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
The Supreme Court has rejected Trump's mail-in voting restrictions ahead of the midterm elections. And, the Kennedy Center says it is on the brink of bankruptcy and could close soon.
In 2025, the Trump administration ended a long-running program to collect air pollution data at U.S. embassies. A new study suggests that led to a 24-33% increase in local pollution levels.
President Trump dismissed warnings from leading AI companies that the technology is advancing too fast, calling fears of machines taking over a hoax and framing AI development as a race with China.The Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration’s bid to impose new Postal Service requirements on mail-in ballots, meaning voting by mail that has already started in several states will continue under existing rules.The Kennedy Center says it is on the brink of bankruptcy, with a memo warning the building may be unsafe to occupy as soon as today while the fight over putting President Trump’s name on it continues in the court.Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Rebekah Metzler, Ben Swasey, Steve Drummond, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.Our director is Christopher Thomas.We get engineering support from Zo vanGinhoven.Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.And our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.(0:00) Introduction(01:55) Trump Downplays AI Risks(05:53) SCOTUS Mail-In Voting Ruling(09:42) Kennedy Center Bankruptcy
This year’s Emmys were a big night for shows we really love, including Widow’s Bay, The Pitt and Pluribus. Actors Jean Smart and Matthew Rhys picked up wins, and Rhys made some history. And we’ll explain why we love Mariska Hargitay, who proved to be a game yet corny host. Connect with Pop Culture Happy Hour:Letterboxd / FacebookOur weekly newsletterSupport public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
Haitians in the U.S. lost their Temporary Protected Status under Trump's immigration crackdown. Now facing deportation to a homeland wracked by gang violence, disease and extreme poverty, Haitians in Miami are meeting the moment with grief, anger, and courage.
The Austin Tice files begin to give up their secrets. Josh and Sara uncover names, locations and new leads about what happened to Austin Tice. But to understand them, they have to go back to the start - to Austin’s own journey through Syria, the rebels he befriended, and the road he took before he vanished. That road leads to a town outside Damascus - and a shocking discovery.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include early access and sponsor-free listening (perks may vary between seasons). Learn more at plus.npr.org.
The rare pairing of a progressive leader and a MAGA voice is a sign of how worries over rapidly advancing AI are upending political alliances. But their policy proposals are far apart.
NASA employees say they've lost vital equipment and staff needed to make sophisticated spacecraft amid the agency's abrupt relocations over the past several months.