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Scientists say the question-mark-shaped structure seen in a new photo from the James Webb Space Telescope is likely the merger of two or more galaxies. NASA, ESA, CSA, J. DePasquale hide caption

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NASA, ESA, CSA, J. DePasquale

People are freaking out over a question mark seen in space. Scientists can explain

A stunning new image from the James Webb Space Telescope shows a pair of actively forming stars. But many people are more curious about the tiny question mark visible toward the bottom of the frame.

Wildfires outside of Yellowknife, the capital of Canada's Northwest Territories, as seen from space on Tuesday. As of Thursday the fires are less than 10 miles outside of the city. NASA/Michala Garrison hide caption

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NASA/Michala Garrison

Out-of-control wildfires in Canada force all 20,000 residents of Yellowknife to flee

More than 230 active wildfires are burning in Canada's Northwest Territories, including one outside the capital of Yellowknife, forcing 20,000 residents to flee.

A stack of the latest edition of the weekly Marion County Record sits in the back of the newspaper's building in Marion, Kansas, on Wednesday. The newspaper's front page was dedicated to two stories about a raid by local police on its offices and the publisher's home on Aug. 11. John Hanna/AP hide caption

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John Hanna/AP

Judge who signed Kansas newspaper search warrant had 2 DUI arrests, reports say

The Marion County Record now has all of the devices police seized in a raid. Local newspapers report that the judge who signed the search warrant had two drunken driving arrests within a year.

U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski watches during the Women's World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Sweden and the United States in Melbourne, Australia, Aug. 6, 2023. Andonovski stepped down, according to a statement from the U.S. Soccer Federation released Thursday, Aug. 17. The move comes less than two weeks after the Americans were knocked out of the Women's World Cup earlier than ever before. Scott Barbour/AP hide caption

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Scott Barbour/AP

The head coach of the U.S. national women's soccer team has stepped down

Head coach Vlatko Andonovksi and the U.S. Soccer Federation have "mutually agree to part ways," the organization said. Last week, the USWNT was knocked out of the World Cup earlier than ever before.

The E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse in Washington on Aug. 5. Judge Tanya Chutkan received death threats on her chamber's phone line, a court affidavit says. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

A Texas woman is charged with threatening the judge overseeing Trump's Jan. 6 trial

Abigail Jo Shry is accused of calling the judge's chambers and leaving a voicemail threatening to "kill anyone" who went after the ex-president, including Democrats and members of the LGBTQ community.

A screenshot from a video uploaded to TikTok by @big.ebk, which has since been removed, shows subway surfers in New York City. Four teens have died performing the dangerous stunt in the city this year. @big.ebk/TikTok/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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@big.ebk/TikTok/Screenshot by NPR

NYC officials are trying to stop the deadly social media trend of 'subway surfing'

Four teens have died, another two critically injured, from riding atop moving subway cars between Jan. 1 and July 5. Police say they've arrested over 70 people for subway surfing.

In this Friday, Feb. 1, 2013 photo, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, adoptive parents of Baltimore Ravens starting offensive lineman Michael Oher, take part in a television interview in New Orleans. They were depicted in the move "The Blind Side" and will be attending Sunday's NFL football Super Bowl between the Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers. Gerald Herbert/AP hide caption

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Gerald Herbert/AP

Tuohy family calls Michael Oher's petition 'hurtful' and an attempt at a 'shakedown'

The family says that Oher's claims against them in the petition filed Monday are essentially a "shakedown effort" in order to get nearly $15 million from them.

Hillsong church founder Brian Houston arrives Thursday at the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney. He was ruled not guilty of a charge of concealing his father's child sex crimes. Bianca De Marchi/AAP Image via AP hide caption

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Bianca De Marchi/AAP Image via AP

Hillsong Church founder found not guilty of concealing his father's child sex crimes

Brian Houston was ruled not guilty Thursday of an Australian charge of concealing his father's child sex crimes. He resigned from his church roles after being charged two years ago.

The circuitous journey by Chinese Muslims reflects the extraordinary means China is undertaking to surveil and stop its citizens from making the Hajj — as well as the equally resourceful ways believers circumvent them. Sally Chen for NPR hide caption

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Sally Chen for NPR

China makes it harder for its Muslim citizens to go to Mecca, or anywhere else

Chinese Muslims take roundabout trips for their Hajj pilgrimage, trying to circumvent China's tightened surveillance at every turn — and possible arrest on their return, pilgrims and tour leaders say.

The yellow-legged hornet is a prolific predator of honey bees and other pollinators. Now it's been spotted alive in the wild in the U.S. for the first time. Georgia Department of Agriculture hide caption

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Georgia Department of Agriculture

An invasive hornet that hunts honeybees is spotted in the U.S. for the first time

The yellow-legged hornet, Vespa velutina, is a close cousin of the northern giant hornet, or "murder hornet." Both of them are very adept in the wholesale destruction of honey bees.

JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio takes questions from reporters on Aug. 9, 2023. J. Tyler Franklin/LPM hide caption

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J. Tyler Franklin/LPM

National

After last week's bus route catastrophe, Louisville schools finally are ready to try again

Louisville Public Media

The Kentucky school district shut down schools for a week after a new bus system, designed to handle 60,000 kids with just 600 buses, failed badly on the first day of school, with the last student arriving home just before 10 p.m.

Carelle Calvan in blue T-shirt, hugs Nora Bulosan as they gather near a checkpoint in hopes to get access to their home destroyed in recent wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Jae C. Hong/AP hide caption

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Jae C. Hong/AP

Hawaii governor vows to block land grabs as fire-ravaged Maui rebuilds

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said he had instructed the state attorney general to work toward a moratorium on land transactions in Lahaina. He acknowledged the move will likely face legal challenges.

In this photo illuminated by an off-camera flash, a tarp covers a portion of a homeless person's tent in February on a bridge overlooking the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles. Jae C. Hong/AP hide caption

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Jae C. Hong/AP

There are hundreds of apartments available for LA's homeless. Paperwork is keeping them empty

LAist 89.3

Nearly 300 units built for unhoused people are sitting empty more than two months after being declared ready for move in. Federal rules and layers of eligibility restrictions regarding who can live where are keeping people on the streets longer.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

How Yellow wound up in the red

Yellow stunned the trucking industry when it filed for bankruptcy this month. The nearly 100-year-old company said it will lay off 30,000 employees and liquidate all of its assets.

How Yellow wound up in the red

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Supporters of new restrictions on transgender healthcare and sports participation gathered Wednesday outside the North Carolina House chamber in Raleigh, N.C., ahead of veto override votes. Colin Campbell/WUNC hide caption

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Colin Campbell/WUNC

North Carolina's legislators override a vetoes of transgender care and athletics bans

North Carolina Public Radio

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper had blocked the proposals, which would prevent transgender women and girls from playing on sports teams that match their gender identity and would ban hormone treatments and surgery for transgender youth.

Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko speaks in April during a hearing of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee concerning the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Sopko says the U.S. also needs to keep an eye on the billions of dollars provided to Ukraine. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption

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Alex Brandon/AP

Corruption in Afghanistan offers lessons for billions going to Ukraine

John Sopko has long been a U.S. government-appointed watchdog for how money was distributed in Afghanistan. He believes there are lessons that apply to aiding Ukraine's fight against Russia.

Corruption in Afghanistan offers lessons for billions going to Ukraine

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Nicholas Hartnett, owner of Pure Power Solar, carries a panel as he and Brian Hoeppner, right, install a solar array on the roof of a home in Frankfort, Ky., Monday, July 17, 2023. Tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act will reduce the cost of installing rooftop solar panels by 30%, which will in turn lower monthly electricity bills. Michael Conroy/AP hide caption

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Michael Conroy/AP

A year in, landmark U.S. climate policy drives energy transition but hurdles remain

One year ago, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, directing hundreds of billions of dollars to speed the transition away from fossil fuels.

A year in, landmark U.S. climate policy drives energy transition but hurdles remain

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Jerry Moss, right, and Herb Alpert, co-founders of A&M Records, appear during their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in New York on March 13, 2006. Moss, a music industry giant who co-founded A&M Records, died Wednesday at his home in Bel Air, Calif. He was 88. Jeff Christensem/AP hide caption

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Jeff Christensem/AP

Jerry Moss, co-founder of A&M Records and Rock Hall of Fame member, dies at 88

With Herb Alpert, Moss presided over one of the industry's most successful independent labels with hits by the Carpenters, the Police, Janet Jackson, Carole King, Janet Jackson and hundreds of others.

A patient prepares to take mifepristone, for a medication abortion. A federal appeals court ruled to impose new restrictions on the drug Wednesday but the ruling will not take effect until the Supreme Court weighs in. Charlie Riedel/AP hide caption

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Charlie Riedel/AP

Ruling deals blow to access to abortion pill mifepristone — but nothing changes yet

A federal appeals court would restrict the use of mifepristone, a pill used in medication abortions. But previous action by the Supreme Court means the status quo holds for now.

Reprinted from EMILE AND THE FIELD. Copyright © 2022 by Kevin Young. Illustrations copyright © 2022 by Chioma Ebinama Make Me a World, an imprint of Random House Children's Books hide caption

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Make Me a World, an imprint of Random House Children's Books

A little boy falls in love with nature in 'Emile and the Field'

Kevin Young first wrote his story about Emile, a boy in love with a field, as a bedtime poem for his son years ago. Now, it lives on as a picture book with watercolor illustrations by Chioma Ebinama.

A little boy falls in love with nature in 'Emile and the Field'

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OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, has in recent weeks been hit with lawsuits from comedian Sarah Silverman, U.S. novelists, and others alleging copyright infringement. Now, the New York Times is weighing possible legal action. Leon Neal/Getty Images hide caption

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Leon Neal/Getty Images

'The New York Times' considers legal action against OpenAI as copyright tensions swirl

The news publisher and maker of ChatGPT have held tense negotiations over striking a licensing deal for the use of the paper's articles to train the chatbot. Now, legal action is being considered.

Rescue workers in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, walk past homes wrecked by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Early reports suggested dozens of people died in the storm, but later assessments found the death toll to be at least 20 times higher. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption

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Mario Tama/Getty Images

Hurricanes cause vast majority of storm deaths in vulnerable communities

New research puts stark numbers on a well-known disparity: poor and vulnerable communities suffer over 90% of deaths associated with major storms.

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