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Franco Ordoñez Franco Ordoñez is an NPR White House correspondent.
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Franco Ordoñez

U.S. adviser tries to talk Mexican president out of skipping Summit of the Americas

U.S. President Joe Biden, second from right, meets with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, second from left, in the Oval Office of the White House on Nov. 18, 2021. Doug Mills/Pool/Getty Images hide caption

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Doug Mills/Pool/Getty Images

Politics

U.S. adviser tries to talk Mexican president out of skipping Summit of the Americas

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador threatened to skip this year's summit in the United States if Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua are excluded.

U.S. adviser tries to talk Mexican president out of skipping Summit of the Americas

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Biden eases restrictions on Cuban travel and remittances

Holding a sign reading "No negotiation with terrorists," Cuba supporters protest in Miami ahead of bilateral talks between the U.S. and Cuba in Washington in April. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Politics

Biden eases restrictions on Cuban travel and remittances

The White House plans to make it easier for families to visit relatives in Cuba and increase visa processing on the island, reversing some of former President Trump's policies.

Russians wreak havoc on Ukrainian farms, mining fields and stealing equipment

Anatolii Kulibaba, 70, discusses challenges getting his farm in Bilka, Ukraine working again after Russians occupied on April 19, 2022. Franco Ordoñez /NPR hide caption

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Franco Ordoñez /NPR

Ukraine invasion — explained

Russians wreak havoc on Ukrainian farms, mining fields and stealing equipment

Ukraine is one of the world's biggest producers of wheat, corn and sunflower oil. Officials say 30% of farmland is now occupied or unsafe. "My fields were destroyed by the shelling," one farmer says.

Russians wreak havoc on Ukrainian farms, mining fields and stealing equipment

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The complex effort to hold Vladimir Putin accountable for war crimes

Father Oleksandr Yarmolchyk stands inside the demolished nave of his Orthodox church in Peremoha, Ukraine on April 17. He says the Russians bombed his church and held him against his will. Franco Ordoñez /NPR hide caption

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Franco Ordoñez /NPR

Ukraine invasion — explained

The complex effort to hold Vladimir Putin accountable for war crimes

Ukrainian and international experts believe it will take years, if not decades, to build cases and prosecute people. Ukraine's prosecutor general's office has opened more than 9,000 investigations.

The complex effort to hold Vladimir Putin accountable for war crimes

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Europe

Ukraine's prosecutor general is determined to hold Russia accountable for atrocities

Ukraine's prosecutor general, Iryna Venediktova, is determined to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable for what she says are war crimes. Reviewing the evidence has taken a toll on her.

Ukraine's prosecutor general is determined to hold Russia accountable for atrocities

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Ukrainian doctors describe delivering babies as Russia shelled the hospital

A man pushes his bike through mud and debris past a destroyed Russian tank as he surveys damage in front of the central train station that was used as a Russian base, on March 30, in Trostyanets, Ukraine. Chris McGrath/Getty Images hide caption

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Ukraine invasion — explained

Ukrainian doctors describe delivering babies as Russia shelled the hospital

Residents in the small Ukrainian town of Trostyanets — the first to be liberated — detail some of the hardships they endured during the Russian invasion.

Ukrainian doctors describe delivering babies as Russia shelled the hospital

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2 U.S. Cabinet officials will meet with Zelenskyy in Kyiv

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced plans to meet on Sunday with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images

Europe

2 U.S. Cabinet officials will meet with Zelenskyy in Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Sunday. The State Department declined to comment to NPR.

2 U.S. Cabinet officials will meet with Zelenskyy in Kyiv

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World

The latest on the probe into atrocities committed by Russian forces around Kyiv

Russian forces pulling out of the area surrounding Kyiv left behind evidence of atrocities committed against civilians. The effort is now to try to build a war crimes case against the perpetrators.

The latest on the probe into atrocities committed by Russian forces around Kyiv

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Europe

Overnight missile strikes have killed at least 7 in Lviv, Ukraine

Missiles struck cities all across Ukraine overnight, including in the western city of Lviv, where at least 7 people were killed. The town had been relatively peaceful for weeks.

Overnight missile strikes have killed at least 7 in Lviv, Ukraine

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War crystalizes young Ukrainian leaders' calls for a future aligned with Europe

Alyona Shkrum, a 34-year-old member of parliament, is among a new class of Ukrainian leaders who are pushing their country to a more Europe-focused future. Franco Ordoñez /NPR hide caption

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Franco Ordoñez /NPR

Europe

War crystalizes young Ukrainian leaders' calls for a future aligned with Europe

These young politicians have few memories of life under Soviet rule — and they say the war has accelerated their efforts to push for a more Europe-focused future.

War crystalizes young Ukrainian leaders' calls for a future aligned with Europe

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Even with ties, Ukrainian families struggle to reach the United States

Olena Kopchak, her husband, Albert Kodua, and their eight-year-old daughter, Yana, are staying in a small 250-square-foot apartment in Warsaw, Poland. They hope to make it to the United States. Franco Ordoñez /NPR hide caption

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Europe

Even with ties, Ukrainian families struggle to reach the United States

Olena Kopchak, her husband and their 8-year-old daughter, Yana, are among the growing number of Ukrainians who are trying to make it to the United States — and confronting obstacles.

Even with ties, Ukrainian families struggle to reach the United States

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Biden promises Western allies would respond if Russia uses chemical weapons

President Biden attends a G7 leaders meeting during a NATO summit on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, on Thursday. Henry Nicholls/Pool/Getty Images hide caption

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Henry Nicholls/Pool/Getty Images

Politics

Biden promises Western allies would respond if Russia uses chemical weapons

Western allies would respond if Russia uses chemical weapons against Ukraine, President Biden said after an emergency meeting with NATO allies. "It would trigger a response in-kind," he said.

Politics

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, tests positive again for COVID

President Biden's press secretary Jen Psaki has COVID-19 again. It's the second time a positive test will keep her from going on a foreign trip with Biden. He tested negative and will carry on.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, tests positive again for COVID

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Politics

Politics chat: Biden travels to Brussels; Supreme Court confirmation hearings start

President Biden is planning to travel to Brussels this week to meet with fellow NATO leaders. Also, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson begins her Supreme Court confirmation hearings Monday.

Politics chat: Biden travels to Brussels; Supreme Court confirmation hearings start

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