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Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., speaks at a podium with a sign that says " Pass the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act." The sign shows a picture of a mushroom cloud exposure.

Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., speaks in favor of reauthorizing the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in 2024. The legislation, which will benefit people sickened by radiation exposure in uranium mining and nuclear weapons testing, was included in the budget bill President Trump signed on July 4, 2025. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images hide caption

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Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

Public Health

A creek with atomic waste from WWII is linked to increased cancer risk

A new study in JAMA shows how proximity to Coldwater Creek, where nuclear waste from the Manhattan Project was improperly stored, affected cancer rates over the decades.

WATCH

Bono and The Edge: Tiny Desk Concert

To help pull off several reimagined songs from U2's "All That You Can't Leave Behind," Bono and The Edge invited a teen choir from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., to join them.
Pac-Man, or PUCK in this instance, is a little less cute and cuddly in the new game Shadow Labyrinth.

Pac-Man, or PUCK in this instance, is a little less cute and cuddly in the new game Shadow Labyrinth. Bandai Namco hide caption

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Bandai Namco

Gaming

Shadow Labyrinth is a gritty twist on Pac-Man aimed at a new, younger audience

A new video game just debuted within the Pac-Man universe. It's called Shadow Labyrinth and it's very different from the pellet-chomping game that once dominated arcades.

45 years in, Pac-Man gets a gritty twist

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The new book Nothing More of This Land explores the indigenous past and present on Martha's Vineyard. Above, beachgoers on Moshup Beach in July 2010.

The new book Nothing More of This Land explores the indigenous past and present on Martha's Vineyard. Above, beachgoers on Moshup Beach in July 2010. Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images

Author Interviews

Beyond polo shirts and presidents, Martha's Vineyard has an indigenous past and present

In Nothing More of This Land, Aquinnah Wampanoag writer Joseph Lee takes readers past the celebrity summer scene and into the heart of Noepe, the name his people have called the island for centuries.

Beyond polo shirts and presidents, Martha's Vineyard has an indigenous past and present

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A man administers the cholera vaccine to a child at a temporary cholera treatment centre which has been set up to deal with the latest deadly cholera outbreak, at the Heroes National Stadium in Lusaka, Zambia January 17, 2024 REUTERS/Namukolo Siyumbwa

A man administers the cholera vaccine to a child at a temporary cholera treatment centre which has been set up to deal with the latest deadly cholera outbreak, at the Heroes National Stadium in Lusaka, Zambia January 17, 2024 REUTERS/Namukolo Siyumbwa Namukolo Siyumbwa/Reuters/X07818 hide caption

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Namukolo Siyumbwa/Reuters/X07818

Goats and Soda

The world keeps millions of vaccines on ice. Is it worth it?

It costs nearly $100 million a year to maintain global stockpiles of vaccines for Ebola, cholera, meningitis and yellow fever in case of emergency. A new study estimates how many lives they've saved.
Palestinians react after carrying the bodies of those killed while trying to reach aid trucks entering northern Gaza through the Zikim crossing with Israel, at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Sunday.

Palestinians react after carrying the bodies of those killed while trying to reach aid trucks entering northern Gaza through the Zikim crossing with Israel, at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Sunday. Jehad Alshrafi/AP hide caption

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Jehad Alshrafi/AP

World

Nearly 100 people killed seeking aid in Gaza on Sunday, Palestinian officials say

Dozens of Palestinians were killed across Gaza on Sunday as they tried to get food aid, according to local health authorities, one of the deadliest days in recent months for those seeking assistance.
Adham and Nouruldeen Aljamous 4.jpeg
Rebecca Rosman for NPR

Middle East

Assad is gone. But can Syrians go home?

After over a decade in exile, many Syrians living abroad are contemplating what was once unthinkable: going home. But what does home look like today?

Syrians in Turkey weigh returning home... or staying put

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A view of the Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Stadium, defunct and currently under demolition, in Washington, DC, on April 28, 2025. President Trump is threatening to intervene in a deal for a new stadium.

A view of the Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Stadium, defunct and currently under demolition, in Washington, DC, on April 28, 2025. President Trump is threatening to intervene in a deal for a new stadium. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Sports

Trump threatens to derail Washington Commanders' new stadium deal over team name

President Trump said the Washington Commanders should change their name back to their former name, which many Indigenous people consider a slur. He threatened to derail a deal for a new stadium.
Megan Machmuller (center, green shirt, straw hat), a research scientist at Colorado State University's Soil Innovation Lab, presents some of her research on plant diversity and soil health at Pfaltzgraff Farms' Research Field Day in Haxtun, Colo., on June 26, 2025. Funding for Machmuller's project was canceled by the federal government in April.

Megan Machmuller (center, green shirt, straw hat), a research scientist at Colorado State University's Soil Innovation Lab, presents some of her research on plant diversity and soil health at Pfaltzgraff Farms' Research Field Day in Haxtun, Colo., on June 26, 2025. Funding for Machmuller's project was canceled by the federal government in April. Rae Solomon/KUNC hide caption

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Rae Solomon/KUNC

Sustainable agriculture researchers seek options in wake of Trump budget cuts

 KUNC

About 10 percent of America's greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture. The Inflation Reduction Act that President Biden signed into law in 2023 set aside more than $20 billion to reduce those emissions.
As efforts to reform the cash bail system increase, the backlash against them does too. On Monday, President Trump disparaged bail reform on social media, calling it a “complete disaster."

As efforts to reform the cash bail system increase, the backlash against them does too. On Monday, President Trump disparaged bail reform on social media, calling it a "complete disaster."

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Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune via Getty Images

National

Community bail funds face backlash from GOP lawmakers after a 2020 surge in popularity

Bail Funds — where community members donate money to help others post bail — exploded in popularity after the 2020 protests against police brutality. Since then, they've faced political blowback, and a wave of legislation working to restrict them.
Bottles of unlabeled beauty products.

Democratic lawmakers have reintroduced a set of bills called the "Safer Beauty Bill Package," aiming to bring safety and transparency to the largely unregulated cosmetics industry. Nadia Audigie/Getty Images hide caption

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Nadia Audigie/Getty Images

Health

Many beauty products have toxic ingredients. Newly proposed bills could change that

The "Safer Beauty Bill Package" would ban the most toxic ingredients in everyday cosmetics and create protections for the women of color and salon workers who are disproportionately exposed to them.
A scoop of white powder is shown next to a glass of white, milky liquid.

A poll of parents last fall found 40% of teens consumed some type of protein supplement in the past year. Boys took it to bulk up; girls took it to replace meals. Huizeng Hu/Moment RF/Getty Images hide caption

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Huizeng Hu/Moment RF/Getty Images

Living Better

Teens are trying to bulk up on protein supplements. What should parents watch for?

Teenage boys, especially, are getting lots of messages — from peers and from social media — about the power of protein supplements. Doctors caution there can be too much of a good thing.

Teens are trying to bulk up on protein supplements. What should parents watch for?

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President Donald Trump speaks as first lady Melania Trump, left, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott listen during a roundtable discussion with first responders and local officials at Hill Country Youth Event Center in Kerrville, Texas, during a tour to observe flood damage, Friday, July 11, 2025.

President Donald Trump speaks as first lady Melania Trump, left, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott listen during a roundtable discussion with first responders and local officials at Hill Country Youth Event Center in Kerrville, Texas, during a tour to observe flood damage, Friday, July 11, 2025. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption

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Jacquelyn Martin/AP

News

In the spotlight after floods, Texas lawmakers eye disaster plans amid FEMA uncertainty

 The Texas Newsroom

The Legislature will look at proposals for emergency preparedness in a special session that was already planned over hemp laws. A bill to help build emergency systems failed in the spring.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency building is seen in August 2024 in Washington, D.C. The Trump administration is shutting down the agency's unit for scientific research.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency building is seen in August 2024 in Washington, D.C. The Trump administration is shutting down the agency's unit for scientific research. Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images hide caption

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Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images

Politics

Trump administration shuts down EPA's scientific research arm

The agency is closing the Office of Research and Development, which analyzes dangers posed by hazards including toxic chemicals, climate change, smog, wildfires, water pollution and more.
Anti-evolution books on sale in Dayton, Tenn., where teacher John Scopes was put on trial for teaching evolution in the famous 1925 "Monkey Trial."

Anti-evolution books on sale in Dayton, Tenn., where teacher John Scopes was put on trial for teaching evolution in the famous 1925 "Monkey Trial." Topical Press Agency/Getty Images/Hulton Archive hide caption

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Topical Press Agency/Getty Images/Hulton Archive

Science

100 years after evolution went on trial, the Scopes case still reverberates

One hundred years ago, the small town of Dayton, Tenn., became the unlikely stage for one of the most sensational trials in American history, over the teaching of Darwin's theory of evolution.

100 years after the Scopes trial

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Abby DuFour, WCHG News Reporter and afternoon host of DuFour Du Jour, cues up the next song in her broadcast at station WCHG 107.1 FM, in Hot Springs, Virginia, on Friday, July 18th, 2025. Credit: Kristian Thacker for NPR

Abby DuFour, WCHG News Reporter and afternoon host of DuFour Du Jour, cues up the next song in her broadcast at station WCHG 107.1 FM, in Hot Springs, Virginia, on Friday, July 18th, 2025. Credit: Kristian Thacker for NPR Kristian Thacker for NPR hide caption

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Kristian Thacker for NPR

Politics

Community radio stations are collateral damage as Congress cuts NPR funding

Congress voted to claw back federal funding to public media. Some of those hit hardest include community radio stations in areas that voted for the president.
An MRI machine is seen in Pittsburgh. Police in New York's Nassau County are investigating the death of a 61-year-old man who was injured after he was pulled into an MRI machine this week.

An MRI machine is seen in Pittsburgh. Police in New York's Nassau County are investigating the death of a 61-year-old man who was injured after he was pulled into an MRI machine this week. Keith Srakocic/AP hide caption

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Keith Srakocic/AP

National

Police are investigating a man's death after he was pulled into MRI machine

New York police said the 61-year-old man was wearing a large metal chain that caused him to be "drawn into the machine." The FDA warns that MRI scans create a "strong, static magnetic field."
Dancers perform in St Swithins Church, Bath, at the Jane Austen Festival, 2023.

Dancers perform in St Swithins Church, Bath, at the Jane Austen Festival, 2023. Beata Cosgrove/Jane Austen Festival hide caption

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Beata Cosgrove/Jane Austen Festival

Europe

Jane Austen fans mark 250 years since the writer's birth with a wave of parties

Jane Austen fans are celebrating 250 years since the writer's birth with a series of celebrations – including Georgian costume balls, where attendees try out period dancing.

Jane Austen fans mark 250 years since the writer's birth with a wave of parties

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Kiss cams often capture moments of delight, such as this 2014 smooch between comedian Kevin Hart and fiancee Eniko Parrish at an NBA basketball game between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers in Los Angeles. But as this week's incident involving a tech CEO and his human resources head shows, kiss cam footage can cause

Kiss cams often capture moments of delight, such as this 2014 smooch between comedian Kevin Hart and fiancee Eniko Parrish at an NBA basketball game between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers in Los Angeles. But as this week's incident involving a tech CEO and his human resources head shows, kiss cam footage can cause trouble. Danny Moloshok/AP hide caption

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Danny Moloshok/AP

Culture

Kiss cam incident at Coldplay concert highlights the technology's awkward history

A couple embarrassed to be caught cuddling on the big screen at a Coldplay concert in Massachusetts sent the internet into a frenzy. It's not the first time kiss cams have caused mishaps at stadium events.
Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in Wednesday.
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Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in Wednesday. NETFLIX hide caption

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NETFLIX
Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in Wednesday.

Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in Wednesday.

NETFLIX

Main Character of the Week

Is the 'Gen Z stare' just a call to look inward?

This week's discourse has revolved around the so-called "Gen Z stare" in professional and retail environments. But what are people really talking about?

Is the ‘Gen Z stare’ just a call to look inwards?

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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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The average American eats more than 22 pounds of ice cream an frozen treats a year. Westend61/Getty Images/Westend61 hide caption

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Westend61/Getty Images/Westend61

The average American eats more than 22 pounds of ice cream an frozen treats a year.

Westend61/Getty Images/Westend61

Short Wave

The joy of ice cream's texture

July is National Ice Cream Month! Flavor is only one part of the treat's allure. We look at some of the processes that create the texture of ice cream, and how that plays into our enjoyment of it.

The Joy Of Ice Cream's Texture

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