Accessibility links
U.S. News and National Top Stories NPR coverage of national news, U.S. politics, elections, business, arts, culture, health and science, and technology. Subscribe to the NPR Nation RSS feed.

National

FBI director says the threat from China is 'more brazen' than ever before

FBI Director Christopher Wray, seen here speaking at a news conference in November, accused Beijing of stealing American ideas and innovation and launching massive hacking operations. Andrew Harnik/AP file photo hide caption

toggle caption
Andrew Harnik/AP file photo

National Security

FBI director says the threat from China is 'more brazen' than ever before

FBI Director Christopher Wray said the bureau is opening new cases to counter Chinese intelligence operations every 12 hours or so.

California universal health care bill dies without a vote

Supporters of single-payer health care march to the California capitol in 2017. On Monday, the author of a universal health care bill in the legislature didn't bring the measure up for a vote on the final day it couldn't be considered because he didn't think it would pass. Rich Pedroncelli/AP file photo hide caption

toggle caption
Rich Pedroncelli/AP file photo

California universal health care bill dies without a vote

The bill had to pass by midnight on Monday to have a chance at becoming law this year but its Democratic author didn't put it up for a vote when he realized it wouldn't pass.

New Orleans will be the first major school district to mandate COVID vaccinations

Sandra Castro vaccinates first-grader Kristen Cruz, 6, at KIPP Believe Charter School in New Orleans last week ahead of Tuesday's deadline for all students in the city's school system to be vaccinated. Ted Jackson/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Ted Jackson/AP

Coronavirus Updates

New Orleans will be the first major school district to mandate COVID vaccinations

Waivers for those opposed to vaccination are easy to obtain under state regulations, and schools will work with students who aren't inoculated, the district's superintendent said.

Georgia district attorney calls for FBI security help after Trump's rally comments

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Conroe, Texas, on Saturday. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Politics

Georgia district attorney calls for FBI security help after Trump's rally comments

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has asked the FBI to conduct a security check on the county courthouse and government center after Trump over the weekend decried investigations of him.

NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins will be the first Black woman to spend months in space

NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins waves at the audience during the astronaut graduation ceremony at Johnson Space Center in Houston Texas, on January 10, 2020. Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images

Black History Month 2022

NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins will be the first Black woman to spend months in space

Watkins is among the four astronauts who SpaceX launched as part of NASA's Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station.

NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins will be the first Black woman to spend months in space

Listen · 6:42
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1077009955/1077015666" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Judge rejects hate crime plea deal for man convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery

A federal judge has rejected the hate crime charge against Travis McMichael, one of the white men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery.

Judge rejects hate crime plea deal for man convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery

Listen · 4:00
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1077064944/1077064945" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

World

Global culture wars: Some far right groups in the U.S. are taking a pro-Russia stance

Even as the U.S. opposes Russian aggression into Ukraine, some Americans' attitudes are softening toward Russia — particularly on the far right.

Global culture wars: Some far right groups in the U.S. are taking a pro-Russia stance

Listen · 4:04
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1077064951/1077064952" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Technology

Why the music industry is paying close attention to TikTok

User-generated content specific to TikTok has propelled songs old and new to viral success. That's left the record labels looking to the app for their next stars.

Why the music industry is paying close attention to TikTok

Listen · 8:00
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1077064958/1077064959" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Media

Writer Jon Ronson wants to find out where 'things fell apart' with our culture wars

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with author Jon Ronson about his new podcast, Things Fell Apart. In each episode, he goes back in time to a starting point in the culture wars.

Writer Jon Ronson wants to find out where 'things fell apart' with our culture wars

Listen · 7:44
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1077064923/1077064924" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

World

U.S. and Russia clashed over the Ukraine crisis at the U.N. Security Council meeting

The U.N. Security Council had a contentious session on Russia's pressure campaign against Ukraine. Most council members are urging Russia to take a diplomatic path.

U.S. and Russia clashed over the Ukraine crisis at the U.N. Security Council meeting

Listen · 3:38
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1077064916/1077064917" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Animals

These song sparrows like to keep their playlists fresh

Song sparrows have a wide repertoire of tunes — and seem to be judicious about not repeating a certain song too often. Rather than sing the same playlist every time, they hit shuffle.

These song sparrows like to keep their playlists fresh

Listen · 2:48
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1077064902/1077064903" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Children's Health

Debate rages over whether kids should wear masks at school

Should we put KN95 masks on children or take all masks off? A new camp of parents, doctors and advocates who are pro-vaccine but against mask mandates for children is getting louder.

Debate rages over whether kids should wear masks at school

Listen · 4:57
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1077064895/1077064896" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

World

Ukrainian foreign minister says global democratic order at stake in Russia standoff

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Dmytro Kuleba, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, about the global stakes of Ukraine's standoff with Russia and his call for U.S. support.

Ukrainian foreign minister says global democratic order at stake in Russia standoff

Listen · 8:06
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1077064888/1077064889" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
New bomb threats disrupt campus activities at several HBCUs

Howard University in Washington, D.C., is one of at least six historically Black colleges and universities that received bomb threats on Monday. It received a second threat on Tuesday. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Education

New bomb threats disrupt campus activities at several HBCUs

Howard University received a second bomb threat on Tuesday — part of a recent pattern of violent threats against historically Black colleges and universities.