News
They’re cured of leprosy. Why do they still live in leprosy colonies?
Leprosy is one of the least contagious diseases around — and perhaps one of the most misunderstood. The colonies are relics of a not-too-distant past when those diagnosed with leprosy were exiled.
This season, ‘The Pitt’ is about what doesn’t happen in one day
The first season of The Pitt was about acute problems. The second is about chronic ones.
Lindsey Vonn is set to ski the Olympic downhill race with a torn ACL. How?
An ACL tear would keep almost any other athlete from competing -- but not Lindsey Vonn, the 41-year-old superstar skier who is determined to cap off an incredible comeback from retirement with one last shot at an Olympic medal.
Trump promised a crypto revolution. So why is bitcoin crashing?
Trump got elected promising to usher in a crypto revolution. More than a year later, bitcoin's price has come tumbling down. What happened?
The CIA World Factbook is dead. Here’s how I came to love it
The Factbook survived the Cold War and became a hit online. It mixed quirky cultural notes and trivia with maps, data, and photos taken by CIA officers. But it was discontinued this week.
State Department will delete X posts from before Trump returned to office
The policy change orders the removal of any post made by official State Department accounts on X before President Trump returned to office in 2025.
DVDs and public transit: Boycott drives people to ditch Big Tech to protest ICE
A sweeping boycott has begun — targeting tech giants who participants believe are enabling President Trump and his immigration crackdown.
Mariah Carey, coffee makers and other highlights from the Olympic opening ceremony
NPR reporters at the Milan opening ceremony layered up and took notes.
Japan’s first female prime minister stakes her future on snap elections
Japan's first female premier has called snap elections for Sunday. She seeks a mandate for what could be sweeping changes and possibly a lurch to the political right.
Trump’s harsh immigration tactics are taking a political hit
President Trump's popularity on one of his political strengths is in jeopardy.
A drop in CDC health alerts leaves doctors ‘flying blind’
Doctors and public health officials are concerned about the drop in health alerts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since President Trump returned for a second term.
Photos: Highlights from the Winter Olympics opening ceremony
Athletes from around the world attended the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan.
Alabama sets execution for man in auto parts store customer’s death
Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday set a March 12 execution using nitrogen gas for Charles “Sonny” Burton. Burton was convicted as an accomplice in the shooting death of Doug Battle, a customer who was killed during an 1991 robbery of an auto parts store in Talladega.
Trump posts racist meme of the Obamas — then deletes it
Trump's racist post came at the end of a minute-long video promoting conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
Hate them or not, Patriots fans want the glory back in Super Bowl LX
As Bostonians bemoan their long years of suffering without a Super Bowl win, rival fans gripe that Title Town has become Entitled Town.
It’s about to get easier for Trump to fire federal workers
Since his first term, President Trump has wanted to be able to fire federal employees for any reason. A new rule vastly expands his authority to do that.
Behind the glitz in Milan, the Epstein scandal casts its shadow over the Olympic movement
The Epstein scandal has spread to the Olympic movement. The top organizer of the Los Angeles Summer Games faces calls to step down because of his past contacts with Epstein collaborator Ghislaine Maxwell.
Congress passes $50 billion foreign aid bill, despite Trump’s cuts in 2025
Congress allocated $50 billion for initiatives aimed at supporting democracy, scholarship programs, U.S. embassy operations and health and humanitarian programs around the world.
TB or not TB? That is the question
A new study in "Nature Medicine" estimates 2 million people are incorrectly told they have TB each year — and clinicians miss diagnosing TB in 1 million people. Why so many misdiagnoses?
From Jesus to Jurassic Park: This year’s Super Bowl ads are playing it safe
Early Super Bowl spots show advertisers want lots of buzz but not controversy.
Suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque on Islamabad’s outskirts kills at least 31
It was a rare attack in the capital of Pakistan as its Western-allied government struggles to rein in a surge in militant attacks across the country.
Court records: Chicago immigration raid was about squatters, not Venezuelan gangs
In the documents the Department of Homeland Security said the raid "was based on intelligence that there were illegal aliens unlawfully occupying apartments in the building." There is no mention of criminal gangs or Tren de Aragua.
What does the CIA not want you to know? The quiz has the secret
Plus: ambiguous mascots, rodents with hard-to-spell names, and three boring photos of buildings.
Minneapolis now has daily deportation flights. One man has been documenting them
A professional airplane enthusiast has been tracking the federally chartered deportation flights out of the Minneapolis airport as DHS sends immigration detainees to other states and, eventually, other countries.
Dog sled, ski ballet and other sports you could once see at the Winter Olympics
For many decades, Olympic Games included "demonstration sports." Some, like curling, became part of the permanent roster. But others, like skijoring, didn't stick around.
Olympic figure skating starts with the team event. Here’s what to know about it
The three-day event is a chance for the top 10 skating countries to bring home a medal — and for viewers to get acquainted with the sport's different disciplines and biggest names.
Ronald Hicks to be installed as 11th archbishop of New York
Ronald Hicks, a former Illinois bishop chosen by Pope Leo XIV to replace the retiring Cardinal Timothy Dolan, is set to be installed as New York's 11th archbishop
Iran and US set for talks in Oman over nuclear program after Tehran shaken by nationwide protests
Iran and the United States could hold negotiations in Oman after a chaotic week that initially saw plans for regional countries to participate in talks held in Turkey
Lawmakers advance bill banning candy and soda from SNAP benefits
Alabama is one of the most obese states in the nation. One state lawmaker says SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps, could be used to turn that around. We talk about that and other legislative matters this week with Todd Stacy, host of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television.
New Jersey’s special Democratic primary too early to call
With more than 61,000 votes counted, Mejia led Malinowski by less than 1 percentage point. The Democratic winner will face the Republican primary winner Joe Hathaway in April.
White House unveils TrumpRx website for medication discounts
Under Trump administration deals to lower drug prices, pharmaceutical companies are offering some of their drugs at discounted prices through a new website called TrumpRx.gov.
Virginia Democrats show map to counter Trump redistricting but its future is unclear
The new map still requires approval from the courts and the voters but, if enacted, it could help Democrats win four more House seats
