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Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals points to the San Diego Padres dugout after hitting a single during the ninth inning of Monday night's game in San Diego. He ended the night with two singles, a walk and no home runs. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images hide caption

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Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols 'chases' baseball history: 700 home runs

The 42-year-old is in his final Major League season and is hoping to join three baseball legends in reaching 700 home runs. Only Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds have done it. Pujols has 698.

St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols 'chases' baseball history: 700 home runs

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New York State Attorney General Letitia James, pictured in February, New York's Democratic Attorney General Letitia James filed a civil lawsuit on Wednesday against former President Donald Trump, saying he "falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to unjustly enrich himself, to cheat the system." Seth Wenig/AP hide caption

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Seth Wenig/AP

New York's attorney general sues Trump and 3 of his children for alleged fraud

AG Letitia James is seeking $250 million in damages and to bar Trump and his children Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric from conducting business in New York state, where they built their fortune.

Renovations continue on the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building on September 19, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) concluded its two-day meeting on interest rates this afternoon. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images hide caption

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Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

The Fed orders another super-sized interest rate hike as it battles stubborn inflation

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by another 0.75 percentage points today, as it tries to control runaway prices. The central bank also signaled that additional rate hikes are likely.

To mark the 75th anniversary of this uniquely American cultural movement, NPR is traveling across the country for a look forward in our series "The Next Stage." Kristen Uroda for NPR hide caption

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Kristen Uroda for NPR

Across the U.S., regional theaters are starting to transform. Here's why

America's regional theaters, a nationwide network of more than 1,800 stages, are a proving ground and incubator for new plays and future Broadway musicals. Many were forced to completely transform when the pandemic shut them down.

Across the U.S., regional theaters are starting to transform. Here's why

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In October 2016, in Kigali, Rwanda, nations around the globe agreed to phase out a category of dangerous greenhouse gases widely used in refrigerators and air conditioners. In 2022, the U.S. took steps to formally ratify the agreement. Cyril Ndegeya /AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Cyril Ndegeya /AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. ratifies treaty to phase down HFCs, gases trapping 1,000x more heat than CO2

The Senate has ratified a climate treaty that would formally phase down the use of industrial chemicals found in air conditioners and refrigerators.

The Department of Defense logo is seen on the desk ahead of the press conference on January 14, 2020. Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images hide caption

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Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Senators demand answers from Dept. of Defense after reports of JROTC instructor abuse

Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand are questioning the Departments of Education and Defense after a New York Times investigation showed reports of sexual misconduct among JROTC instructors.

A customer walks in to the Speedway gas station in Des Plaines, Ill., where the winning Mega Millions lottery ticket was sold on July 30. Two people who wish to remain anonymous have claimed the $1.337 billion jackpot, officials said Wednesday. Nam Y. Huh/AP hide caption

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Nam Y. Huh/AP

Two people who agreed to split the Mega Millions jackpot have claimed the prize

The Illinois Lottery said the $1.337 million prize for the July 29 drawing was claimed by two people who wish to remain anonymous. They chose a lump sum payment of $780.5 million.

Sean Murphy, lead author of a new malaria vaccine study, demonstrates how participants got their dose: by placing an arm over a mesh-covered container filled with 200 mosquitoes whose bites delivered genetically modified malaria parasites. Annette M Seilie hide caption

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Annette M Seilie

A box of 200 mosquitoes did the vaccinating in this malaria trial. That's not a joke!

Volunteers for the trial put an arm over a box with hundreds of mosquitoes carrying a genetically modified malaria parasite. Here's why they did it that way — and why the trial holds promise.

The building housing Mykolaiv's regional government, bombed early in the war, lies in ruins on Aug. 11. Governor Vitaliy Kim says he knew he was the target "because it was my window." Thirty-seven of his colleagues died in the bombing. Joanna Kakissis/NPR hide caption

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Ukraine hunts for pro-Moscow collaborators suspected of helping Russia strike targets

The southern Mykolaiv region has seen targeted strikes, leading Ukrainian officials to round up people suspected of leaking information to the Russians.

Ukraine hunts for pro-Moscow collaborators suspected of helping Russia strike targets

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Catherine Engelbrecht, seen here in 2015, founded the controversial nonprofit True the Vote. A new lawsuit alleges that Engelbrecht and True the Vote defamed a small company that makes software for election workers. Anadolu Agency/Getty Images hide caption

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Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Prominent election deniers are facing growing legal trouble

The group True the Vote, which executive produced Dinesh D'Souza's "2,000 Mules" election denial film, is facing a defamation lawsuit brought by a small company that makes election software.

Prominent election deniers are facing growing legal trouble

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Mom in Mexico City, a year prior to her Alzheimer's diagnosis. She was already showing symptoms — misplacing things, withdrawing from social activities, changes in her mood and increased memory loss. Alicia Vera hide caption

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Alicia Vera

These images are how one woman tried to cope with her mother's Alzheimer's diagnosis

When Alicia Vera's mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, the diagnosis left her devastated, anxious and hopeless. "Va a Llover Toda la Noche" is her attempt to cope.

Edward Enninful became the editor-in-chief of British Vogue in 2017. His new memoir is A Visible Man. Rafael Pavarotti/Penguin Random House hide caption

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Rafael Pavarotti/Penguin Random House

'British Vogue' editor-in-chief wants his magazine to reflect the world he sees

Fresh Air

Edward Enninful grew up in Ghana, assisting his mother in her dressmaking shop. "For me, fashion was always such an inclusive, beautiful thing," he says. His memoir is A Visible Man.

'British Vogue' editor-in-chief wants his magazine to reflect the world he sees

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The Federal Aviation Administration has rejected a regional airline's bid to reduce the number of flight hours needed to become a commercial airline pilot. NAM Y HUH/ASSOCIATED PRESS hide caption

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NAM Y HUH/ASSOCIATED PRESS

An airline made a bid to reduce the flight hours required for new pilots. The FAA rejected it

Regulations require 1500 hours of flight time for pilot certification. Amid a pilot shortage, regional airline Republic Airways wanted graduates of its flight school to be eligible in half that time.

Former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane is already serving a 2 1/2-year federal sentence for violating George Floyd's civil rights. Hennepin County Sheriff's Office via AP, File hide caption

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Hennepin County Sheriff's Office via AP, File

A former Minneapolis officer is sentenced to 3 years for aiding George Floyd's death

Former police officer Thomas Lane, who pleaded guilty to a state charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd, was sentenced on Wednesday.

Simply improving our breathing can significantly lower high blood pressure at any age. Recent research finds that just five to 10 minutes daily of exercises that strengthen the diaphragm and certain other muscles does the trick. SciePro/Getty Images/Max Posner/NPR hide caption

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SciePro/Getty Images/Max Posner/NPR

Daily 'breath training' can work as well as medicine to reduce high blood pressure

Research finds five to 10 minutes daily of a type of strength training for muscles used in breathing can help anyone reduce or prevent high blood pressure. The training can also help elite athletes.

Daily 'breath training' can work as well as medicine to reduce high blood pressure

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In this photo provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, yellow crazy ants are seen in a bait testing efficacy trial at the Johnston Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in December, 2015. An invasive species known as the yellow crazy ant has been eradicated from the remote U.S. atoll in the Pacific. Robert Peck/AP hide caption

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Robert Peck/AP

The number of ants on Earth has a mass greater than all birds and mammals combined

Researchers compiled hundreds of studies of tree-dwelling and ground-dwelling ants to make their estimate of 2.5 million ants for every human.

Police and firefighters inspect the scene where a man is reported to set himself on fire, near the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Wednesday. /Kyodo News via AP hide caption

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/Kyodo News via AP

A man sets himself on fire in an apparent protest of Japanese leader Abe's funeral

More protests are expected before the state funeral next week for Japan's divisive former leader. Shinzo Abe's assassination in July has highlighted the Unification Church's ties to Japanese politics.

When the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, Nasrat Khalid says, "I think it was one of the moments I felt the most powerless in my life but also the moment that inspired my team to radically shift what we do." That's when Aseel, the online arts business he started, took on charity work, drawing on cash reserves to provide shelter and food to displaced Afghans. Mostafa Bassim for NPR hide caption

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Mostafa Bassim for NPR

He wanted his company to be the Etsy of Afghanistan. Now it has a crucial new mission

As international charities pulled out or faced funding issues after the Taliban takeover, Aseel, an online business that sells local crafts, wondered: Could it help ease the rising wave of hunger?

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