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Iranian missiles aimed at targets in Israel pass through the sky of Hebron, West Bank on June 18 as Israeli air defense system tries to intercept them.

Iranian missiles aimed at targets in Israel pass through the sky of Hebron, West Bank on June 18 as Israeli air defense system tries to intercept them. Mosab Shawer/AFP via Getty hide caption

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Mosab Shawer/AFP via Getty

National Security

The math behind the war: Can Israel's air defense keep up against Iranian attacks?

There's a specific kind of math that could determine just how much longer the war can go — how many long-range missiles Iran has versus how many missile interceptors Israel has to shoot them down.

Israel interceptors vs Iranian missiles

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Police tape is strung outside the home of State Rep. Melissa Hortman on June 15 in Brooklyn Park, Minn. Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, were shot and killed this month in what officials are describing as a political assassination.

Police tape is strung outside the home of State Rep. Melissa Hortman on June 15 in Brooklyn Park, Minn. Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, were shot and killed this month in what officials are describing as a political assassination. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images hide caption

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Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Politics

Questions remain about the Minnesota rampage. Anti-abortion extremism may shed light

The suspect in the killing of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband texted, "Dad went to war last night,' evoking the language of the far right, Christian anti-abortion movement.

Minnesota shootings come during heightened political tensions in the U.S.

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FedEx CEO Fred Smith appears at a signing ceremony where President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order that establishes a National Council for the American Worker in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, July 19, 2018, in Washington.

FedEx CEO Fred Smith appears at a signing ceremony where President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order that establishes a National Council for the American Worker in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, July 19, 2018, in Washington. Andrew Harnik/AP hide caption

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Andrew Harnik/AP

National

FedEx founder Fred Smith, who revolutionized package delivery, dies at 80

Smith once said he came up with the name Federal Express because he wanted the company to sound big and important when in fact it was a start-up operation with a future far from assured.
Mahmoud Khalil after being released from federal immigration detention in Louisiana on Friday evening. A federal judge in Louisiana ordered the government to release him on bail more than three months after ICE agents arrested him for deportation over his pro-Palestinian activism at Columbia University.

Mahmoud Khalil after being released from federal immigration detention in Louisiana on Friday evening. A federal judge in Louisiana ordered the government to release him on bail more than three months after ICE agents arrested him for deportation over his pro-Palestinian activism at Columbia University. ACLU of Louisiana hide caption

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ACLU of Louisiana

Immigration

Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil released on bail

Khalil left the Louisiana detention center where he's been since March, when ICE agents arrested him over his pro-Palestinian activism. A federal judge ruled the government could no longer detain him.

KHALIL ORDERED RELEASED

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A person uses an umbrella as they walk near Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Friday. The United States is experiencing its first significant heat wave of the year, across the Great Plains and expanding into parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

A person uses an umbrella as they walk near Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Friday. The United States is experiencing its first significant heat wave of the year, across the Great Plains and expanding into parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images

Weather

Welcome to summer: U.S. braces for first significant heat wave of the new season

For many Americans, high humidity will make it feel in the triple digits. The National Weather Service is urging people to prepare to protect themselves from the dangers of extreme heat.
An illustrated gif shows a scene with a larger-than-life cup of ice water standing in for a swimming pool. A person stands at the top of a high dive in red swim trunks and when a cloud moves away from the sun, the person dives into the water.

Submerging yourself in water is a great way to cool down if you start feeling too hot when you're outside. If that's not feasible, you can opt to immerse your feet or your forearms in cold water, which can "lower your core body temperature," says Ashley Ward, the director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainability. Dajah Callen for NPR hide caption

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Dajah Callen for NPR

Life Kit

Planning to be outside on a hot day? Take these precautions

People spend a lot of time outside during hot weather. Whether you're going to the beach, walking your dog or working your shift as a lifeguard, try these 7 proven ways to stay cool and prevent heat-related illness while outside.

WATCH

Beenie Man: Tiny Desk Concert

The king of dancehall powers through a decades-spanning set of club classics behind the Tiny Desk.
A copy of the Ten Commandments is posted along with other historical documents in a hallway at the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta on June 20, 2024. On Friday, a panel of federal appellate judges ruled that a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in the state’s public school classrooms is unconstitutional.

A copy of the Ten Commandments is posted along with other historical documents in a hallway at the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta on June 20, 2024. On Friday, a panel of federal appellate judges ruled that a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in the state's public school classrooms is unconstitutional. John Bazemore/AP hide caption

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John Bazemore/AP

National

Court blocks Louisiana law requiring schools to post Ten Commandments in classrooms

The ruling marked a win for civil liberties groups who say the mandate violates the separation of church and state, and that displays would isolate students — especially those who are not Christian.
The seal of the National Transportation Safety Board is seen before a news conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Jan. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Va. The pilot of a small plane that crashed near a North Carolina airport this month had raised a wheel after landing to avoid hitting a turtle on the runway, according to a NTSB preliminary report.

The seal of the National Transportation Safety Board is seen before a news conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Jan. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Va. The pilot of a small plane that crashed near a North Carolina airport this month had raised a wheel after landing to avoid hitting a turtle on the runway, according to a NTSB preliminary report. Jose Luis Magana/AP hide caption

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Jose Luis Magana/AP

National

Pilot who died in N.C. plane crash tried to avoid a turtle on airport runway

The pilot of a small plane that crashed near an airport tried to avoid hitting a turtle on the runway, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report. The pilot and a passenger were killed.
People hold up signs during the Harvard Students for Freedom rally in support of international students at the Harvard University campus in Boston on May 27, 2025.

People hold up signs during the Harvard Students for Freedom rally in support of international students at the Harvard University campus in Boston on May 27, 2025. Rick Friedman/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Rick Friedman/AFP via Getty Images

Education

Trump says he's close to 'a Deal' with Harvard, as judge grants injunction

Trump's Truth Social comments came as a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction that would continue blocking the president's efforts to bar international students from attending Harvard.
A child gets off a bus near the Jordanian border with other pediatric patients who have been evacuated from Gaza through Israel on June 11.

A child gets off a bus near the Jordanian border with other pediatric patients who have been evacuated from Gaza through Israel on June 11. Salah Malkawi/Getty Images hide caption

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Salah Malkawi/Getty Images

Middle East crisis — explained

A cancer center in Jordan treats kids from Gaza, but only a few dozen have arrived

Children from Gaza with cancer are finally making it to Jordan for long-promised treatment. But a plan to allow as many as 2,000 patients out of the war-torn enclave has slowed.

JORDAN GAZA MEDICAL

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A makeshift memorial for Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman is seen at the Minnesota State Capitol on June 16, 2025, in St. Paul.

A makeshift memorial for Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman is seen at the Minnesota State Capitol on June 16, 2025, in St. Paul. Steven Garcia/Getty Images hide caption

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Steven Garcia/Getty Images

Opinion

Simon Says

From tragedy, words of wisdom

Sophie and Colin Hortman remember their parents, Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and Mark Hortman, as "the bright lights at the center of our lives." The couple was murdered in their home last weekend.

ESSAY 06-21-25

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The Wallace Center for Arts and Reconciliation promotes reconciliation, healing, and repair through arts, education, and cultural programming.

The Wallace Center for Arts and Reconciliation promotes reconciliation, healing, and repair through arts, education, and cultural programming. 1504 hide caption

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1504

The Picture Show

A former plantation becomes a space for healing, art and reparative history

Through a powerful blend of creative interpretation and ancestral memory, an Alabama town reckons with its past and begins to write a new chapter of shared truth.

New Exhibit Portrays Black Alabama Families After Emancipation

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Labubu figures and dolls are seen on display at a Pop Mart store on June 9 in Shanghai.

Labubu figures and dolls are seen on display at a Pop Mart store on June 9 in Shanghai. Visual China Group/Getty Images hide caption

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Visual China Group/Getty Images

Word of the week

'Labubu' is a plush toy that is causing a frenzy. Here's its origin story

Labubus are a global sensation — sparking long lines outside toy stores, selling out online within minutes, and listing for double or triple their original price on resale markets. Here's why.

Word of the week:

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John Spitzberg, 87, holds a "Support our Veterans" sign during a "Veterans March" at the National Mall on March 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

John Spitzberg, 87, holds a "Support our Veterans" sign during a "Veterans March" at the National Mall on March 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The 87-year-old veteran was arrested June 13 at the U.S. Capitol while protesting the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary parade which coincided with President Trump's 79th birthday. Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images hide caption

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Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

National

The story behind the arrest of 87-year-old veteran John Spitzberg at the Capitol

The video of John Spitzberg's arrest has been shared widely across social platforms, becoming a crystalizing moment for those protesting the Trump administration.
Illustration that shows a person on top of a bed wearing a strawberry pajama short set with their arms and legs spread out. A cat is curled up next to them. There is a window on either side of the bed, and both are open with lines showing air flow as the curtains blow in the breeze. A fan rotates overhead, with motion marks indicating it's spinning. Two potted plants decorate the room. The image shows ways that you can reduce energy use in your home.

Climate solutions for reducing home energy use can be extremely simple – and sometimes even free, says Dorit Aviv, assistant professor of architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. Illustrations by LA Johnson/NPR hide caption

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Illustrations by LA Johnson/NPR

NPR's Climate Solutions Week

5 simple (and cheap) things to make your house use less energy

Sometimes reducing your home's energy use can be as simple as opening a window or buying tape. Here are five easy ways to have a more climate-friendly home and save on energy bills at the same time.

Climate: 5 Easy Ways to Reduce Electricity Use

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