NPR News Headlines

As voters in the key swing state of Pennsylvania start receiving mail ballots, multiple legal fights over how the ballots of mail-in voters should be counted are still playing out in the courts.

(Image credit: Matt Slocum)

This week, a zoo said it would send its pandas packing, a fabled game character finally got her chance to shine, and a mayor was indicted. Were you paying attention?

Japan's ruling party on Friday picked former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba as leader, setting him up to become prime minister next week.

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Alabama used nitrogen gas Thursday to execute a man convicted of killing three people, the second time the method that has generated debate about its humaneness has been used in the country.

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Smartmatic sued Newsmax for defamation over false claims related to the 2020 presidential election. The trial was supposed to begin next week.

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With Israel and Hezbollah locked in the fiercest fighting in decades, many Lebanese have taken refuge in schools, hotels and other shelters.

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The Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve KarXT, the first new type of drug for schizophrenia in decades. It appears to be effective, but its main advantage is milder side effects.

The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza approaches the one year mark. Violence between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon continues to escalate. And there are fears that Iran will get deeply involved with these conflicts. In a volatile moment in the region, Jordan balances a unique set of relationships with all these countries. We hear from Ayman Safadi, who is Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, about what he thinks it will take to end the conflicts.

For more coverage of differing views on these conflicts, go to npr.org/mideastupdates

Lewisburg federal prison, a facility located in central Pennsylvania where thousands of inmates often pass through on their way to other federal institutions, was found to have problems with addressing mental health risks, healthcare quality, leaking infrastructure and employee conduct.

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The Republican congressman has been criticized for amplifying false claims about Haitian immigrants. "You never want to intentionally hurt someone’s feelings," he apologized in part on Thursday.

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A new study shows 3D imaging found potentially serious cancers earlier and reduced the need for callback for further screening.

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New Yorker writer Andrew Marantz visited Michigan to understand the uncommitted movement, a group of pro-Palestinian, anti-war activists and voters who emerged during the 2024 Democratic primary.

In an extraordinary operation, federal agents descended upon the mayor's home early Thursday morning.

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Hurricane Helene continues to strengthen as it approaches the Florida coast. Member stations across the NPR network are covering the local impact as Helene barrels through the southeast U.S.

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Researchers with the Trevor Project analyzed data from 61,000 transgender and nonbinary young people. They found that after states passed anti-LGBTQ+ laws, young people in those states were more like to attempt suicide.

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Helene strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane as it nears northwest Florida, where it is poised to make landfall late Thursday. It's forecast to bring heavy wind and rain hundreds of miles inland.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal charges after a corruption probe into his administration. And, Hurricane Helene is projected to reach a catastrophic Category 4.

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As the homelessness crisis grows, it’s common for the public and politicians to conflate homeless encampments and criminal activity. But how much do these camps really affect crime in cities?

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RT was long known to be a source of Russian propaganda. But a recent indictment of two employees for covertly funneling $10 million to pro-Trump influencers shines a light on its covert activities.

(Image credit: YURI KADOBNOV/AFP via Getty Images)

Oklahoma’s governor waited until the day of Emmanuel Littlejohn’s execution to announce whether he would grant the prisoner clemency. Littlejohn spoke to NPR.

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