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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (left) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio move in between closed door briefings with members of Congress about the U.S. capture of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (left) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio move in between closed door briefings with members of Congress about the U.S. capture of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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Politics

Rubio and Hegseth brief lawmakers on a 'threefold process' for Venezuela

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth detailed a process of "stabilization", "recovery " and "transition." Rubio told reporters step one will involve "quarantine" for Venezuela, selling sanctioned oil and distributing the profits.
Celebrated banjo player Béla Fleck, performing at the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony in Los Angeles in Feb. 2025.

Celebrated banjo player Béla Fleck, performing at the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony in Los Angeles in Feb. 2025. Leon Bennett/Getty Images North America hide caption

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Leon Bennett/Getty Images North America
Celebrated banjo player Béla Fleck, performing at the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony in Los Angeles in Feb. 2025.

Celebrated banjo player Béla Fleck, performing at the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony in Los Angeles in Feb. 2025. Leon Bennett/Getty Images North America hide caption

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Leon Bennett/Getty Images North America

Performing Arts

Béla Fleck cancels Kennedy Center appearance, says it's become 'charged and political'

The 18-time Grammy Award winner is the latest musician to cancel an show at the Kennedy Center. Béla Fleck says he cannot currently perform there because it "has become charged and political."

WATCH

Great Grandpa: Tiny Desk Concert

Great Grandpa writes lullabies for the restless. The indie rock band's thoughtful intensity remains intact at the Tiny Desk, just at a quieter volume.
The symbol of the United Nations is displayed outside the Secretariat Building on Feb. 28, 2022, at United Nations Headquarters.

The symbol of the United Nations is displayed outside the Secretariat Building on Feb. 28, 2022, at United Nations Headquarters. John Minchillo/AP hide caption

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The symbol of the United Nations is displayed outside the Secretariat Building on Feb. 28, 2022, at United Nations Headquarters.

The symbol of the United Nations is displayed outside the Secretariat Building on Feb. 28, 2022, at United Nations Headquarters. John Minchillo/AP hide caption

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John Minchillo/AP

World

U.S. to exit 66 international organizations in further retreat from global cooperation

Most of the targets are U.N.-related agencies, commissions and advisory panels that focus on climate, labor and other issues that the Trump administration has categorized as catering to diversity and "woke" initiatives.
Andrew and Kelly King have a permit but still aren’t sure whether they’ll be able to afford to rebuild their home that was destroyed in the Eaton Fire.

Andrew and Kelly King have a permit but still aren't sure whether they'll be able to afford to rebuild their home that was destroyed in the Eaton Fire. Kirk Siegler/NPR hide caption

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Kirk Siegler/NPR

California Wildfires

One year into an uneven recovery, LA's fire survivors mark a somber milestone

The recovery from last year's deadly wildfires in Los Angeles has been slow and uneven for a lot of reasons, with survivors struggling to navigate a complex patchwork of systems to rebuild.
A portion of the Palisades fire burns in the hills of Los Angeles last January. After the LA fires, misinformation on social media had an impact on state policy.

A portion of the Palisades fire burns in the hills of Los Angeles last January. After the LA fires, misinformation on social media had an impact on state policy. Ryan Kellman/NPR hide caption

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Ryan Kellman/NPR
A portion of the Palisades fire burns in the hills of Los Angeles last January. After the LA fires, misinformation on social media had an impact on state policy.

A portion of the Palisades fire burns in the hills of Los Angeles last January. After the LA fires, misinformation on social media had an impact on state policy. Ryan Kellman/NPR hide caption

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Ryan Kellman/NPR

Climate

After the LA fires, false narratives on social media impacted state policy

Misinformation spread quickly after the wildfires in Los Angeles last year. Some of these false narratives on social media had an impact on California policy.
Pro-Trump influencer and YouTuber Benny Johnson being interviewed in Phoenix earlier this year. Johnson is one of many political influencers with close ties to the Trump administration.

Pro-Trump influencer and YouTuber Benny Johnson being interviewed in Phoenix earlier this year. Johnson is one of many political influencers with close ties to the Trump administration. Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images
Pro-Trump influencer and YouTuber Benny Johnson being interviewed in Phoenix earlier this year. Johnson is one of many political influencers with close ties to the Trump administration.

Pro-Trump influencer and YouTuber Benny Johnson being interviewed in Phoenix earlier this year. Johnson is one of many political influencers with close ties to the Trump administration. Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

Politics

Pro-Trump influencers take a victory lap amid the fallout from a viral video alleging fraud

The swift policy and political repercussions the video helped propel illustrate the symbiotic relationship between online content creators and the Trump administration's policy goals.

Pro-Trump influencers take a victory lap amid fallout from viral video alleging fraud

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A small orange line drawing of the U.S. Capitol is at the center. Orange lines extend outward to more than 20 small squarish-photos of Jan. 6 riot participants.

A small orange line drawing of the U.S. Capitol is at the center. Orange lines extend outward to more than 20 small squarish-photos of Jan. 6 riot participants. Dept. of Justice, C-SPAN and Getty Images/Collage by Connie Hanzhang Jin/NPR hide caption

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Dept. of Justice, C-SPAN and Getty Images/Collage by Connie Hanzhang Jin/NPR

NPR Investigation: January 6, 2021

Jan. 6 is the most well-documented crime scene in history. See the evidence yourself

NPR's Jan. 6 archive brings together reporting, video, documents and testimony to show what really happened during the Capitol riot. Explore the timeline, cases and evidence behind the attack.
Library
Iphokhia/Flickr
Library
Iphokhia/Flickr

Books

A 200-year-old book distributor is closing. Here's what that means for public libraries

Baker & Taylor is one of very few companies that handle book distribution for libraries — getting books from publishers into borrowers hands. But a few months ago, the company abruptly announced it was shutting down.

Book distributor shutting down deals logistical blow to libraries

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Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack in the 2001 film, Serendipity.

Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack in the 2001 film, Serendipity. RGR Collection/Alamy hide caption

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Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack in the 2001 film, Serendipity.

Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack in the 2001 film, Serendipity. RGR Collection/Alamy hide caption

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RGR Collection/Alamy

Word of the week

The delightful history behind serendipity suggests it's not mere luck

While serendipity has often been associated with luck or happy accidents, its origin suggests that it goes beyond just happenstance.

Word of the Week - Serendipity

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An overhead view of Ascot Hills Park in Los Angeles, CA. A 10,000 square foot patch of green stands out against a dirt path and brown weeds.

This tiny forest in Los Angeles, CA is one of many micro-forests around the world offering green space and contributing to local biodiversity. Demian Willette/Loyola Marymount University hide caption

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Demian Willette/Loyola Marymount University
An overhead view of Ascot Hills Park in Los Angeles, CA. A 10,000 square foot patch of green stands out against a dirt path and brown weeds.

This tiny forest in Los Angeles, CA is one of many micro-forests around the world offering green space and contributing to local biodiversity. Demian Willette/Loyola Marymount University hide caption

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Demian Willette/Loyola Marymount University

Short Wave

Listen: Why scientists are planting tiny forests in big cities

Healthy forests help combat climate change, provide humans with drinking water and even improve mental and physical health. But it's hard to imagine an entire forest in the middle of a big city. That's where micro-forests come into play.

Micro Forests: An Emerging Climate Hero?

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Patricia Moran gets a hug in February 2023 from one of the children at her child care facility in San Jose, Calif.

Patricia Moran gets a hug in February 2023 from one of the children at her child care facility in San Jose, Calif. Jeff Chiu/AP hide caption

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Patricia Moran gets a hug in February 2023 from one of the children at her child care facility in San Jose, Calif.

Patricia Moran gets a hug in February 2023 from one of the children at her child care facility in San Jose, Calif. Jeff Chiu/AP hide caption

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Jeff Chiu/AP

The Trump administration will freeze child care funding in 5 states and look for fraud in California

 LAist 89.3

Federal support for needy families is being paused in several Democrat-led states in the wake of fraud allegations involving childcare centers in Minnesota.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., meets with reporters as Republicans struggle with a plan to address growing health care costs, at the Capitol on Dec. 16, 2025.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., meets with reporters as Republicans struggle with a plan to address growing health care costs, at the Capitol on Dec. 16, 2025. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption

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J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., meets with reporters as Republicans struggle with a plan to address growing health care costs, at the Capitol on Dec. 16, 2025.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., meets with reporters as Republicans struggle with a plan to address growing health care costs, at the Capitol on Dec. 16, 2025. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption

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J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Politics

A once rare legislative tool is causing headaches for Mike Johnson

The discharge petition is a way to force votes by sidestepping the speaker. For decades it was mostly forgotten, but has been brought back for bills on the Epstein files and to extend ACA subsidies.

Discharge petitions

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Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme

Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme A24 hide caption

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A24

Review

Movie Reviews

Timothée Chalamet brings a lot to the table in 'Marty Supreme'

Chalamet stars as a scrappy shoe salesman who dreams of becoming the greatest table tennis player in the world — and is willing to steal, cheat, sweet-talk and hustle his way to the top.

FA: Movie Review: Marty Supreme

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When an ant pupa has a deadly, incurable infection, it sends out a signal that tells worker ants to unpack it from its cocoon and disinfect it, a process that results in its death.

When an ant pupa has a deadly, incurable infection, it sends out a signal that tells worker ants to unpack it from its cocoon and disinfect it, a process that results in its death.


Christopher D. Pull/ISTA hide caption

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Christopher D. Pull/ISTA
When an ant pupa has a deadly, incurable infection, it sends out a signal that tells worker ants to unpack it from its cocoon and disinfect it, a process that results in its death.

When an ant pupa has a deadly, incurable infection, it sends out a signal that tells worker ants to unpack it from its cocoon and disinfect it, a process that results in its death.


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Christopher D. Pull/ISTA

Science

Sick young ants send out a 'kill me' scent to prevent deadly epidemics

Young, infected Lasius neglectus ants will send out an altruistic "kill me" signal to worker ants, a new study finds, as part of a strategy to keep deadly pathogens from spreading through the colony.
Cars drive on an 8-lane freeway in San Francisco, Ca.

NPR wants to hear your story about how you navigated a difficult moment with an older driver in your life. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Cars drive on an 8-lane freeway in San Francisco, Ca.

NPR wants to hear your story about how you navigated a difficult moment with an older driver in your life. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

News

Have you had a hard talk with an older driver? Tell us about it

Have you thought about taking the keys away from an older driver in your life? NPR wants to hear your story about how you navigated a difficult situation with an aging parent or relative.
Former Uvalde school district police officer Adrian Gonzales arrives in the courtroom at the Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday.

Former Uvalde school district police officer Adrian Gonzales arrives in the courtroom at the Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday. Eric Gay/AP hide caption

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Eric Gay/AP
Former Uvalde school district police officer Adrian Gonzales arrives in the courtroom at the Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday.

Former Uvalde school district police officer Adrian Gonzales arrives in the courtroom at the Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday. Eric Gay/AP hide caption

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Eric Gay/AP

Trial of former Uvalde school police officer to resume after judge rejects mistrial motion

 KSTX News

Former officer Adrian Gonzales is charged with 29 felony counts of abandoning or endangering a child during the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
Former CIA agent Aldrich Ames leaves federal court after pleading guilty to espionage and tax evasion conspiracy charges April 28, 1994, in Alexandria, Va.

Former CIA agent Aldrich Ames leaves federal court after pleading guilty to espionage and tax evasion conspiracy charges April 28, 1994, in Alexandria, Va. Wilfredo Lee/AP hide caption

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Wilfredo Lee/AP
Former CIA agent Aldrich Ames leaves federal court after pleading guilty to espionage and tax evasion conspiracy charges April 28, 1994, in Alexandria, Va.

Former CIA agent Aldrich Ames leaves federal court after pleading guilty to espionage and tax evasion conspiracy charges April 28, 1994, in Alexandria, Va. Wilfredo Lee/AP hide caption

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Wilfredo Lee/AP

Obituaries

CIA turncoat Aldrich Ames, who sold U.S. secrets to the Soviets, dies in prison at 84

CIA turncoat Aldrich Ames, who betrayed Western intelligence assets to the Soviet Union and Russia in one of the most damaging breaches in U.S. history, has died in a Maryland prison. He was 84.
From the Archives
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton speaks at a panel hosted by the National Council of Resistance of Iran on August 17, 2022 in Washington, DC.

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton speaks at a panel hosted by the National Council of Resistance of Iran on August 17, 2022 in Washington, DC. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption

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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton speaks at a panel hosted by the National Council of Resistance of Iran on August 17, 2022 in Washington, DC.

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton speaks at a panel hosted by the National Council of Resistance of Iran on August 17, 2022 in Washington, DC. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption

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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Interview highlights

John Bolton on expanding into Greenland

John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, told NPR in February 2025 that making Greenland a U.S. territory or commonwealth could help with security interests of "critical importance."

Former Ambassador on US Greenland ambitions - Mix KZ

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A "for rent" sign is posted in front of a home on December 12, 2023 in Miami, Florida.

A "for rent" sign is posted in front of a home on December 12, 2023 in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images
A "for rent" sign is posted in front of a home on December 12, 2023 in Miami, Florida.

A "for rent" sign is posted in front of a home on December 12, 2023 in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Planet Money Newsletter

Here's what happens when private equity buys homes in your neighborhood

What makes rents go down and neighborhood diversity go up? Corporate landlords. But they also make it harder to own for yourself.
United States Marine Corps recruits from Lima Company, the first gender integrated training class in San Diego, receive a safety briefing on April 21, 2021 at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, California.

United States Marine Corps recruits from Lima Company, the first gender integrated training class in San Diego, receive a safety briefing on April 21, 2021 at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, California. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
United States Marine Corps recruits from Lima Company, the first gender integrated training class in San Diego, receive a safety briefing on April 21, 2021 at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, California.

United States Marine Corps recruits from Lima Company, the first gender integrated training class in San Diego, receive a safety briefing on April 21, 2021 at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, California. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Exclusive

National Security

The Pentagon will begin a review of the 'effectiveness' of women in ground combat positions

The review, outlined in a Pentagon memo obtained by NPR, comes after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told admirals and generals in September that women must meet the "highest male standard."
U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) arrives for a closed door meeting on Capitol Hill on Dec. 16 in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) arrives for a closed door meeting on Capitol Hill on Dec. 16 in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) arrives for a closed door meeting on Capitol Hill on Dec. 16 in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) arrives for a closed door meeting on Capitol Hill on Dec. 16 in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Politics

Sen. Mark Kelly fires back after Hegseth threatens his rank and retirement pay

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has launched administrative action against Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain and astronaut, which could affect Kelly's rank and retirement pay.
Millie Bobby Brown in the final season of Stranger Things.

Millie Bobby Brown in the final season of Stranger Things. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Listen: 'Stranger Things' is over, but did they get the ending right?

The final season had new faces and new revelations, along with moments of friendship and conflict among the folks we've known and loved since the night Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) first disappeared.

Stranger Things

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