Protests in Bangladesh over air force plane crash

From NPR. Protests have broken out today in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka. That comes after a Bangladeshi Air Force plane crashed into a school campus yesterday. At least 31 people were killed, most of them children. The student protestors are demanding more official information about the crash. Bangladesh military said the jet experienced a “technical malfunction”…

Public media needs your help #npr

From NPR. Congress has decided to claw back previously approved funding for public media. This decision hurts people in communities across the country, but it has only strengthened our resolve to keep Americans informed and connected. It’s time to join our community of supporters. Please donate today—not just for yourself, but for the millions who…

Largest Mars rock on Earth sold for $5.3m

From NPR. The biggest meteorite from Mars ever found on Earth sold at auction in New York yesterday for $5.3 million. Sotheby’s says the martian rock, which weighs more than 54 pounds and is 15 inches long, broke off from the surface of Mars after an asteroid strike. Then, after traveling some 140 million miles…

How could Ukraine meet the needs of so many veterans?

From NPR. It could be nearly impossible for Ukraine to meet the need of all of their veterans, so organizations are working to equip civilians with information that will help them support returning vets. —————————————————— Follow NPR elsewhere, too: • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/npr/ • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@npr • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NPR

Icelandic volcano erupts near Grindavik

From NPR. A volcano in Iceland is erupting — again — forcing the evacuations of people in the town Grindavik, as well as guests at the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. Officials say the flowing lava isn’t threatening infrastructure. The area has seen a series of volcanic eruptions in recent years. —————————————————— Follow NPR elsewhere, too:…

Pentagon awards $200M contracts to AI firms

From NPR. The Pentagon is awarding multimillion dollar contracts to leading artificial intelligence firms, including ChatGPT’s parent company, OpenAI as the Department of Defense seeks to accelerate the use of AI to help address critical national security challenges. The contracts were awarded to Anthropic, Google, OpenAI and Elon Musk’s xAI, each with a ceiling of…

Grand Canyon fire prompts calls for an investigation

From NPR. In Arizona, state officials are demanding an investigation as parts of Grand Canyon National Park have been evacuated and a historic lodge has been destroyed by an out of control, 5,000-acre fire. The wind-driven Dragon Bravo Fire jumped containment lines on the Park’s North Rim over the weekend. On Saturday night, it grew…

Mahmoud Khalil sues Trump administration for $20M over ICE arrest

From NPR. Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil is seeking $20 million in damages against the Trump administration over the alleged harm caused by his arrest and detention. Mahmoud Khalil claims he experienced lasting harm while in immigration detention. Khalil is one of the first students arrested in the Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists.…

IRS: Churches can now endorse political candidates

From NPR. In a departure from decades of precedent, the IRS now says religious groups may endorse political candidates. Since 1954, a provision of the federal tax code has barred houses of worship from endorsing candidates. Any that did so risked losing their tax-exempt status. But this week, the IRS told two Texas churches and…

At least 3 people dead in New Mexico flash flooding

From NPR. New Mexico’s governor has declared a state of emergency after the city of Ruidoso was hit by devastating flash flooding Tuesday. Fatalities include a man in his 40s, a 4-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy who were caught in rushing floodwaters. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing. The flash flooding began Tuesday afternoon…

Volunteers continue to search for the missing in Texas flood

From NPR. On Tuesday, Volunteers — along with local, state and federal emergency responders — comb through fallen trees, brush and other debris along the Guadalupe River in Center Point, Texas — all with the hope of finding survivors. The catastrophic floodThe death toll in Central Texas continues to rise after one of the deadliest…

Trash piles up in Philly as municipal workers’ strike continues

From NPR. Trash continues to pile up in Philadelphia. Municipal workers have been on strike for a week now. The union represents about 9,000 city workers who want better pay. Negotiations are supposed to resume today. The city has set up temporary drop-off trash sites, but it’s having trouble with people dumping all kinds of…

The perilous journey to find food in Gaza

From NPR. In recent weeks, hundreds of people have been killed by Israeli troops at food distribution sites set up in Gaza by the U.S. and Israel, according to health officials and international medical teams in Gaza. The United Nations says that aid distribution in Gaza has become a death trap. U.S. officials have accused…

Pamplona’s annual bull run begins in Spain

From NPR. The running of the bulls is underway in Pamplona, Spain. A stampede of bulls opened the festival today pounding along cobblestone streets with thousands of runners. Spectators who prefer to be on the sidelines are watching from behind street barricades and up on balconies. Animal rights activists are there too — marching through…

Stalled bill aims to curb brutal underground market for primate pets

From NPR. A coalition of accredited zoos and animal welfare groups are seeking support in Congress for a proposed measure that they say would help slow the brutal pet primate trade in the United States. For every monkey, chimpanzee and other primate smuggled into the U.S. to be an exotic pet, advocates say countless others…

Waffle House drops its egg surcharge as egg prices fall

From NPR. Diners at Waffle House no longer have to pay extra when they order eggs — the 24-hour breakfast chain is dropping its egg surcharge in a sign that egg supplies are rebounding. Waffle House imposed the 50-cent-per egg surcharge back in February, when a widespread outbreak of avian flu forced the culling of…

Hamas considers proposed ceasefire talks with Israel

From NPR. Gaza hospital officials report more than 90 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire overnight as Israel intensifies its offensive in Gaza. Israel’s military did not immediately comment on the strikes. That’s as Hamas says it is studying a proposal for new ceasefire talks with Israel. Officials from both Hamas and Israel say there…