News

Washington National Opera leaves Kennedy Center, joining slew of artist exits

The WNO is just the latest to say they will no longer perform at the Kennedy Center since Trump took over last year.

Ukrainian drones set fire to Russian oil depot after Moscow launches new hypersonic missile

The strike comes a day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, including a powerful new hypersonic missile that hit western Ukraine.

Opinion: Remembering Renee Good

Renee Good won a national prize six years ago for her poem "On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs," which muses on science and faith. Good was shot to death by an ICE agent this week in Minneapolis.

PHOTOS: Laundry is a chore but there’s a beauty and serenity in the way it hangs out

A new photo series from Filipino photographer Macy Castañeda Lee offers a visually striking view of the mundane task of doing laundry and the role it plays in a rural economy.

2026 looks ominous for media, from Hollywood to journalism

Critic at large Eric Deggans says that in 2026, audiences have more power than they realize to determine the future of news and entertainment.

Influencer, White House welfare fraud claims are distorted, but the system has risks

Federal officials are targeting Democratic-led states over alleged safety-net fraud. Critics worry a drumbeat of unfounded accusations could undermine public trust.

New video shows fatal Minnesota ICE shooting from officer’s perspective

The video, published online by a Minnesota-based news site, Alpha News, and reposted by the Department of Homeland Security, shows the shooting from the perspective of the officer who fired the shots.

RFK Jr. cast doubt on a key vaccine. This country can’t wait to get it

The U.S. is cutting the Hepatitis B vaccine from its recommended list. But here's a place where the medical establishment — and a rapper — are eager to obtain it.

U.S. Figure Skating Championships will determine who’s going to the Olympics

This week's competition in St. Louis will skaters tickets to the Milan-Cortina games in February

How the ICE shooting in Minneapolis and calls to deport Nicki Minaj are related

How are the calls to deport Nicki Minaj to Trinidad and the ICE shooting in Minneapolis related? They illustrate the contradictions that come up when people try to cherry pick applications of the law.

The CDC just sidelined these childhood vaccines. Here’s what they prevent

The childhood vaccines that the CDC is dropping from the recommended scheduled have successfully beat back illness and death in children from rotavirus, hepatitis and other pathogens.

Federal agents shoot 2 in Portland after an ICE agent killed a woman in Minneapolis

Officials are calling for transparent investigations into controversial shootings involving federal agents. Here's a recap of the latest developments in Portland and Minneapolis.

Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council says it will dissolve after its head fled to UAE

Yemen's Southern Transitional Council and its institutions will be dismantled after weeks of unrest in southern areas and a day after its leader fled to the United Arab Emirates.

National Park Service will void passes with stickers over Trump’s face

The use of an image of Trump on the 2026 pass — rather than the usual picture of nature — has sparked a backlash, sticker protests, and a lawsuit from a conservation group.

Hiring slows in December to end the weakest year of job growth since the pandemic

U.S. employers added 50,000 jobs in December, according to a report from the Labor Department Friday. Measured annually, job gains in 2025 were the slowest since 2020.

Venezuela releases imprisoned opposition figures, which Trump says U.S. requested

Venezuela released a number of imprisoned high-profile opposition figures, activists and journalists, in what the government described as a gesture to "seek peace".

Maduro is out, Congress is in and the quiz is back! Start 2026 with a perfect score

Plus: What's up with Wicked, Greenland, quarters and Jan. 6?

Your next primary care doctor could be online only, accessed through an AI tool

The shortage of primary care doctors is a national problem. To cope, a large health system in Massachusetts is using an AI tool to screen patients and refer them to other care.

Many Americans say the U.S. is not a moral leader but want it to be: NPR/Ipsos poll

Commissioned by NPR in partnership with Ipsos, the poll also highlights sharp partisan divides on key foreign policy issues.

Russia says it used new Oreshnik ballistic missile against Ukraine

Russian media said the Oreshnik targeted a huge underground natural gas storage in Ukraine's western Lviv region. Ukrainian officials said four people were killed in Kyiv overnight.

Protests sweep Iran despite internet shutdown as state TV warns of casualties

Iranian protesters shouted and marched through the streets into Friday morning, despite Iran's theocracy cutting off the nation from the internet and international telephone calls.

After delays, the missing Jan. 6 plaque will be displayed at the Capitol

This week, senators stepped up after learning the plaque, which had been approved by Congress more than three years ago, was nowhere to be found at the Capitol.

AI images and internet rumors spread confusion about ICE agent involved in shooting

While the agent wore a mask in videos taken of the event, he appeared to be unmasked in many social media posts. That image appeared to have been generated by xAI's generative AI chatbot, Grok.

Photos: Protests grow over the fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis

In cities across the country, demonstrators have expressed grief and outrage over the death of Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Wednesday morning.

Doctors says ‘The Pitt’ reflects the gritty realities of medicine today

The Pitt is back for a new run, evoking the tensions health care providers face in the U.S. today. Here's what one doctor says to watch out for this season.

Why is the U.S. pulling out of 31 U.N. groups? And what’s the impact?

The Trump administration is withdrawing from 66 global groups, including U.N. entities that focus on climate and health issues.

Mamdani says New York child care expansion a real step to fulfilling campaign pledge

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani says a plan unveiled Thursday to take the first steps toward universal childcare for kids under five shows New Yorkers that "democracy can actually deliver for them."

A ‘medical situation’ is forcing NASA to end mission at the space station a month early

NASA says a crew member on the International Space Station is unwell. The agency canceled a planned spacewalk for Thursday and is taking the rare step of ending the Crew-11 mission early.

Lest we forget: NPR’s public archive features video and court records related to the Jan. 6 attack

NPR’s Jan. 6 database is now the most comprehensive archive of its kind dedicated to the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

What we know one day after the killing of Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Good "followed his training." Local officials want ICE to leave, but Noem says she's open to sending more officers.

Minnesota and federal officials are no longer cooperating in ICE shooting investigation

In two press conferences about an hour apart, Minnesota's governor and the White House disagreed about the facts behind Wednesday's fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis.

‘The atmosphere is very authoritarian’: Venezuela’s opposition reels from the sidelines

President Trump sidelined Venezuela's opposition and is working with remnants of the regime led by ousted leader Nicolás Maduro. What's next for the opposition?