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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testifies before a Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Washington.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testifies before a Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Washington. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP hide caption

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Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

Immigration

The Homeland Security secretary misstates the meaning of habeas corpus under Senate scrutiny

Facing sharp questioning from Democratic lawmakers, the director of Homeland Security incorrectly described the constitutional right as a presidential authority to deport individuals.

WATCH

ARTEMIS: Tiny Desk Concert

This jazz supergroup has super powers and they're on full display from beginning to end during this Tiny Desk.
The damaged front of the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic stands following a bomb blast on May 17 in Palm Springs, California. A suspected bomber is believed to have post a manifesto to social media before the explosion.

The damaged front of the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic stands following a bomb blast on May 17 in Palm Springs, California. A suspected bomber is believed to have post a manifesto to social media before the explosion. David McNew/Getty Images hide caption

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David McNew/Getty Images

Word of the week

'Nihilism' is in the news. What's behind this 'nothing' philosophy?

The weekend bombing of a Palm Springs, Calif., fertility clinic has cast a fresh spotlight on a 19th century philosophy linked to Russian revolutionaries. What does "nihilism" mean?
Jim Xiao paid an agent a flat $10,000 fee to help him buy a home in Evans, Ga., last year. Here, Xiao and his children play soccer at their new home.

Jim Xiao paid an agent a flat $10,000 fee to help him buy a home in Evans, Ga., last year. Here, Xiao and his children play soccer at their new home. Jim Xiao hide caption

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Jim Xiao

Your Money

Homebuyers and sellers say agents' cuts are too big. Flat-fee brokers offer an alternative

Agents have typically taken a commission on the sale of a home that totals 5% to 6% of the price. But new rules have created an opening for brokers who charge much less.

Real estate agent commissions too high? Flat-fee brokers offer an alternative

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson calls the DOJ probe into cityhall hiring is the Trump administration's latest attack on diversity.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson calls the DOJ probe into cityhall hiring is the Trump administration's latest attack on diversity. Scott Olson/Getty Images/Getty Images North America hide caption

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Scott Olson/Getty Images/Getty Images North America

National

Chicago's mayor calls a DOJ probe the Trump administration's latest diversity attack

The Department of Justice has launched a probe into the city of Chicago's hiring practices in what Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson has quickly labeled the latest hostile attack on diversity by the Trump administration.
George Wendt appeared as Norm in every episode of Cheers, earning six Primetime Emmy nominations.

George Wendt appeared as Norm in every episode of Cheers, earning six Primetime Emmy nominations. AJ Pics/Alamy Stock Photo hide caption

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AJ Pics/Alamy Stock Photo

Obituaries

George Wendt, who played Norm on 'Cheers,' has died

Wendt got his start in Chicago's The Second City improv comedy troupe. He went on to earn six Primetime Emmy nominations for his role as a lovable barfly on Cheers.

George Wendt, who played Norm on 'Cheers,' has died

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NEW YORK, NY - MAY 01: Sean 'Diddy' Combs aka Puff Daddy (L) and Cassie attend the "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City.

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 01: Sean 'Diddy' Combs aka Puff Daddy (L) and Cassie attend the "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City. Mike Coppola/Getty Images for People.com hide caption

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Mike Coppola/Getty Images for People.com

Sean Combs trial

Sean Combs trial: Cassie Ventura's mother and former best friend testify

Regina Ventura and Kerry Morgan testified in the federal trial of Sean Combs this week as the prosecution continues to build a case around the mogul's relationship with singer Cassie Ventura.
The Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) is a lethal venomous snake native to Africa. Its bite is one of multiple that could be treated with a new universal antivenom ... developed from a human named Tim Friede.

The Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) is a lethal venomous snake native to Africa. Its bite is one of multiple that could be treated with a new universal antivenom ... developed from a human named Tim Friede. Michele D'Amico/Getty Images hide caption

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Michele D'Amico/Getty Images

A man let snakes bite him for years. He could be the key to a universal antivenom

Tim Friede has let himself be bitten over two hundred times, by all kinds of venomous snakes. The bites have sent him to the ICU, put him into comas and more. But he's also built up an immunity to multiple types of venom.
Mug shots from the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office show the 10 escapees.

Photographs from the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office show the escaped suspects, from top left: Dkenan Dennis, Gary C Price, Robert Moody, Kendell Myles, Corey E Boyd. Bottom from left: Lenton Vanburen Jr, Jermaine Donald, Antonine T Massey, Derrick D. Groves, and Leo Tate Sr. AP/Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office hide caption

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AP/Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office

Explainer

National

A worker said he'd be 'shanked' if he didn't help 10 New Orleans prisoners escape

Five of the 10 men who escaped from a New Orleans jail through a hole behind a toilet on Friday are still missing. Authorities believe they had help from the inside and made an arrest on Tuesday.
President Trump speaks alongside Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in the Oval Office on May 20, 2025, announcing plans for the "Golden Dome," a national ballistic and cruise missile defense system.

President Trump speaks alongside Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in the Oval Office on May 20, 2025, announcing plans for the "Golden Dome," a national ballistic and cruise missile defense system. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

National Security

Trump unveils ambitious and expensive plans for 'Golden Dome' missile defense

The plan includes a vast array of space-based sensors and interceptors.

Trump unveils ambitious and expensive plans for 'Golden Dome' missile defense

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South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks to journalists during the eighth EU-South Africa summit in Cape Town, South Africa in March.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks to journalists during the eighth EU-South Africa summit in Cape Town, South Africa in March. Nardus Engelbrecht/AP hide caption

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Nardus Engelbrecht/AP

Africa

Trump ambushes South African president in tense Oval Office meeting

The heavily trailed Oval Office meeting between South Africa's president and Trump started well and very quickly went off the rails when Trump started playing a videos and repeating discredited claims that there is a white genocide occurring in South Africa.

South Africa’s president heads to the White House: Can he charm Trump?

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Churchgoers pray during service at the Evangelical church Sunday, May 11, 2025, in Tampa, Florida. The service focused on celebrating the mothers in attendance, as well as Maurilio Ambrocio’s continued detention in an immigration facility. (Lexi Parra for NPR)

Churchgoers pray during service at the Evangelical church Sunday, May 11, 2025, in Tampa, Florida. The service focused on celebrating the mothers in attendance, as well as Maurilio Ambrocio's continued detention in an immigration facility. (Lexi Parra for NPR) Lexi Para for NPR hide caption

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Lexi Para for NPR

Immigration

In Florida, an immigrant pastor's detention sends a community reeling

In one weekend in May, more than 1,000 immigrants were arrested in Florida. The massive crackdown has Trump supporters asking why their neighbors were detained and must be deported.

Florida community rallies around immigrant pastor swept up in crackdown

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F is an international student studying in New York City.

F is an international student studying in New York City. Keren Carrión/NPR hide caption

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Keren Carrión/NPR

Immigration

These students protested the Gaza war. Trump's deportation threat didn't silence them

NPR spoke with two international students about their decision to continue speaking out despite the government's aggressive effort to deport pro-Palestinian activists.

These students protested the Gaza war. Trump's deportation threat didn't silence them

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An employee holds a full-size prototype LMR battery cell at the General Motors Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center. GM has prototyped approximately 300 full-size LMR cells as it worked with LG Energy Solution to crack the code on the chemistry.

An employee holds a full-size prototype LMR battery cell at the General Motors Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center. GM has prototyped approximately 300 full-size LMR cells as it worked with LG Energy Solution to crack the code on the chemistry. Handout from GM: Steve Fecht for General Motors/Handout from GM hide caption

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Handout from GM: Steve Fecht for General Motors/Handout from GM

Deep Dive

Business

The great battery race: China and the U.S. compete over the future of EVs

The car you drive years in the future might run off a battery being invented in a lab today. Companies in China and the United States are racing to perfect and scale up next-generation technologies.
What are you looking for in a summer read? At a minimum, do you want the book to actually exist, and not be made up by AI? A syndicated summer reading list featuring fake books by real authors was published in major newspapers this week. Above, a reader enjoys the sunshine in Hyde Park in London in 2009.

What are you looking for in a summer read? At a minimum, do you want the book to actually exist, and not be made up by AI? A syndicated summer reading list featuring fake books by real authors was published in major newspapers this week. Above, a reader enjoys the sunshine in Hyde Park in London in 2009. Oli Scarff/Getty Images hide caption

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Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Books

How an AI-generated summer reading list got published in major newspapers

Newspapers around the country, including the Chicago Sun-Times and at least one edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer, published a syndicated book list featuring made-up books by famous authors.
President Trump hopes to encourage more U.S. manufacturing with his import taxes on foreign goods. But an online experiment suggests most people aren't willing to pay a premium for a "Made in the USA" product.

President Trump hopes to encourage more U.S. manufacturing with his import taxes on foreign goods. But an online experiment suggests most people aren't willing to pay a premium for a "Made in the USA" product. Angela Weiss/AFP hide caption

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Angela Weiss/AFP

Economy

What a Texas showerhead salesman discovered about 'Made in the USA' labels

A showerhead salesman wanted to know how much more customers would pay to buy a product made here. The answer could pour cold water on Trump's plan to encourage companies to open factories in the U.S.

A Texas salesman discovers the truth about 'Made in the U.S.A': no one's buying

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