NPR - Breaking News, Analysis, Music, Arts & Podcasts Top stories in the U.S. and world news, politics, health, science, business, music, arts and culture. Nonprofit journalism with a mission. This is NPR.

Latest Stories

Watch

Incoming Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo takes the oath of office during his swearing-in ceremony in Guatemala City, early Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. Moises Castillo/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Moises Castillo/AP

Arévalo sworn in as Guatemala's president despite efforts to derail his inauguration

Bernardo Arévalo was sworn in as Guatemala's president on Monday minutes after midnight despite months of efforts to derail his inauguration and rising tensions right up until the transfer of power.

Rolando Alvarez, bishop of Matagalpa, gives a news conference regarding the Roman Catholic Church's agreeing to act as "mediator and witness" in a national dialogue between members of civil society and the government in Managua, Nicaragua, May 3, 2018. Moises Castillo/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Moises Castillo/AP

Nicaragua frees a jailed Catholic bishop and 18 priests, hands them to the Vatican

Bishop Rolando Álvarez and the other clergy were jailed more than a year ago, in most cases, as part of a crackdown on the opposition and Catholic Church by President Daniel Ortega.

United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur lifts off from Space Launch Complex 41D at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 8, 2024, carrying Astrobotic's Peregrine Lunar Lander. After suffering a propellant leak, the lander now appears to be destined to burn up in Earth's atmosphere. Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images

Peregrine moon lander heads back toward Earth and should burn up in the atmosphere

The mission was to be the first time an American company sent a spacecraft to the moon — and the first time the U.S. returned to the lunar surface in more than 50 years.

In this photo provided by Civil Protection taken from the Coast Guard's helicopter, a view of lava as the volcano erupts near Grindavík, Iceland, on Sunday. Icelandic Civil Protection via AP hide caption

toggle caption
Icelandic Civil Protection via AP

A volcano erupts in Iceland, sending lava flowing toward a nearby town

A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted for the second time in less than a month, sending lava snaking toward a nearby community and setting at least one home on fire.

Vehicles are seen in a parking lot outside of Perry High School in Iowa the day after a shooting on Jan. 4, 2024. Dan Marburger, the school's principal who put himself in harm's way to protect students during the shooting, died Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, a funeral home confirmed after Marburger's after the family announced it on a GoFundMe page. Charlie Neibergall/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Charlie Neibergall/AP

The Iowa principal who protected students during a high school shooting has died

Dan Marburger was critically injured during the Jan. 4 attack at Perry High School. The school superintendent said he was a "hero" who intervened with the teenage gunman so students could escape.

An officer stands guard on the banks of the Rio Grande river at Shelby Park on Friday in Eagle Pass, Texas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

From Texas Public Radio

3 migrants drown in Rio Grande after Texas blocks Border Patrol from rescue

A woman and two children drowned in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass on Friday night as they were attempting to cross the U.S. southern border. U.S. Border Patrol was prevented from deploying lifesaving efforts by agents with Operation Lone Star, the controversial Texas border security effort.

Taiwan's President-elect Lai Ching-te attends a press conference outside the headquarters of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taipei on Saturday. Alastair Pike/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Alastair Pike/AFP via Getty Images

Taiwan's election was a vote for continuity, but adds uncertainty in ties with China

Taiwan's vice president and candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, Lai Ching-te, will be the island's next leader. Tensions with Beijing seem poised to rise.

John Kerry, President Biden's climate envoy, delivers a speech during the U.N. climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on Nov. 15, 2022. Kerry is planning to leave his role. Joseph Eid/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Joseph Eid/AFP via Getty Images

John Kerry to step down after 3 years as Biden's top climate diplomat

John Kerry, who has led the Biden administration's international climate efforts, is leaving his role. He's been central to Biden's efforts to establish the U.S. as an international climate leader.

A street painting in Mumbai, India, reinforces the importance of masks amid a surge of COVID. The photo was taken on January 11. Indranil Aditya via Reuters Connect hide caption

toggle caption
Indranil Aditya via Reuters Connect

Coronavirus FAQ: Are we in a surge? How do you cope if your whole family catches it?

Are we in a surge? How would we know? Is winter now "COVID season"? And what do you do if your whole family got the coronavirus over the holidays? We tackle readers' coronavirus questions.

People dressed as kings and queens wait at Christiansborg castle in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, as Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik takes over the crown from his mother, Queen Margrethe II. Martin Meissner/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Martin Meissner/AP

Frederik X is proclaimed the new king of Denmark after Queen Margrethe II abdicates

Thousands of people spontaneously break into the Danish national anthem outside Christianborg Palace after Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen proclaims the new king.

President Biden speaks during a campaign event in Blue Bell, Pa. — his first campaign speech of 2024 — where he made a point of calling former President Donald Trump a "loser." Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Trump likes to call people losers. Now Biden's using the insult on him

President Biden made a point of calling his predecessor a loser in his first two speeches of the year. It's a way to remind voters of the post-2020 election chaos — and troll his likely opponent.

Trump likes to call people losers. Now Biden's using the insult on him

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1224500142/1224508542" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump were friendly with and traveled with Jeffrey Epstein during years when he allegedly victimized women. Both say they had no knowledge of Epstein's behavior. One alleged victim says Epstein's powerful acquaintances "had to be blind" not to know. Ted Shaffrey/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Ted Shaffrey/AP

Epstein papers leave questions about what powerful men knew about his crimes

Documents released by a federal court don't have any smoking guns or stunning revelations. They do include claims that people in Jeffrey Epstein's world "would have to be blind" not to know about his crimes.

An aerial view of Consumer Reports' testing track in Connecticut. Consumer Reports hide caption

toggle caption
Consumer Reports

As the auto industry pivots to EVs, product tester Consumer Reports learns to adjust

The auto industry is adding more electric vehicles, and Consumer Reports' product reviewers are making adjustments too, from installing EV chargers to inventing new tests for cars.

As the auto industry pivots to EVs, product tester Consumer Reports learns to adjust

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1224283528/1224312978" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Sushi rolls with cream cheese, a popular ingredient in Ukrainian sushi, are served at Island Sushi in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Claire Harbage/NPR

Sushi restaurants are thriving in Ukraine, bringing jobs and a 'slice of normal life'

Ukraine's economy is battered by Russia's full-scale invasion, but its consumer economy is still running — especially the country's popular sushi restaurants, where cream cheese is a key ingredient.

Hundreds of people are buried in numbered graves in a pauper's graveyard near the Hinds County Detention Center and Hinds County Penal Farm. Families say their loved ones were buried there without notice. Google Maps/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Google Maps/Screenshot by NPR

215 people have been buried behind a Mississippi jail since 2016, attorney says

The issue became national news when families said they waited months for word about missing loved ones — only to learn their relative had been buried without notice.

Mary Lou Retton performs on the balance beam in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Last week, she said she couldn't afford health insurance and owes big hospital bills after a serious illness. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

Mary Lou Retton's health insurance explanation sparks some mental gymnastics

KFF Health News

The gold-medal gymnast, who is recovering from a lengthy hospital stay, shouldn't have been denied coverage for pre-existing conditions under current laws.

U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona (center) greets Dartmouth College student Yasmine Abouali at the start of a roundtable discussion on Wednesday in Hanover, N.H. Steven Senne/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Steven Senne/AP

From New Hampshire Public Radio

Biden's campaign is snubbing N.H. But the state is popular with his Cabinet lately

The president hasn't visited New Hampshire since 2022. But his administration — the Cabinet, in particular — has been showing a keen interest in the state in the crucial final stretch before the Jan. 23 primary.

Illustrations © 2023 by Anait Semirdzhyan

Mop-mop-swoosh-plop it's rug-washing day in 'Bábo'

Little Tato sneaks a few cherry plums before grabbing a mop and a hose to help Bábo — her grandmother — with a favorite chore.

Mop-mop-swoosh-plop it's rug-washing day in 'Bábo'

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1224459521/1224585691" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

A woman carries her pet dogs as residents are evacuated on rubber boats through floodwaters in northern China's Hebei province in August 2023 amid severe flooding from Typhoon Doksuri. 2023 was the hottest year ever recorded, scientists say. Andy Wong/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Andy Wong/AP

'Frankly astonished': 2023 was significantly hotter than any other year on record

2023 was significantly hotter than any year going back to at least the late 1800s. The coming decades will be even hotter if humans don't rapidly move away from burning fossil fuels, scientists warn.

The SAVE plan is becoming a key vehicle for President Biden's student loan debt relief efforts. In a Friday press release, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said, "The Biden-Harris Administration designed the SAVE Plan to put community college students and other low-balance borrowers on a faster track to debt forgiveness than ever before." Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Education Dept. fast-tracks forgiveness for borrowers with smaller student loans

In a surprise move, the Biden administration announced it is fast-tracking a change that will erase the debts of many federal student loan borrowers after just 10 years.

Education Dept. fast-tracks forgiveness for borrowers with smaller student loans

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1224265472/1224358068" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

We pull back the curtain on Emmy eligibility and explain why the seasons you'd think are up for awards just ... aren't. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

The Emmys are confusing this year, so here's a guide to what is and isn't eligible

The Emmys ceremony was delayed due to the Hollywood strikes — and that means several shows and actors won't be winning awards for their most recent work. Here's a breakdown of what's in the running.

Helado Negro's "Just Want To Wake Up With You" is one of Alt.Latino's favorite new tracks. Sadie Culberson hide caption

toggle caption
Sadie Culberson

Alt.Latino's best new music roundup: Helado Negro, Gaby Moreno and Ana Tijoux

The show starts 2024 with some great tracks from names you may know and a couple of bands that Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre think deserve wider recognition.

Alt.Latino's best new music roundup: Helado Negro, Gaby Moreno and Ana Tijoux

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197954543/1223869929" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
more from