News

Built to spill: The life of a crash test dummy

Automotive crash test dummies are born in Ohio, brought to "life" near Detroit, and then sent around the world to make cars safer.

Teachers are using software to see if students used AI. What happens when it’s wrong?

School districts from Utah to Ohio to Alabama are spending thousands of dollars on these tools, despite research showing the technology is far from reliable.

Chain restaurants are hit by tariffs and inflation. How do they control costs?

Inflation, rising food prices and the high cost of living has been top of mind for consumers all year. But then Olive Garden offers an unlimited pasta meal or a chain steakhouse restaurant sells a steak dinner with two sides for less than 30 bucks. So, how are chains are able to keep prices as low as they do in this economy?

Republicans divided on policy toward Afghan immigrants after shooting

The signs of Republican pushback come as President Trump has pursued a campaign of mass deportations and crackdown on migration from certain countries.

Mahmood Mamdani on how Uganda’s history shaped his belonging — and his son’s moment

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Professor Mahmood Mamdani about his new book, "Slow Poison." The book is a firsthand report on the tragic unraveling of Uganda's struggle for independence.

U.S. military says strikes on 3 boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean kill 8 people

The U.S. military said Monday that it attacked three boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing a total of eight people as scrutiny is intensifying in Congress.

Retailers didn’t pull ByHeart baby formula fast enough after botulism recall, FDA says

The FDA says four major retailers including Walmart, Target, Kroger and Albertsons continued to sell ByHeart baby formula products for days or weeks after the Nov. 11 recall.

‘General Hospital’ star Anthony Geary of Luke and Laura fame dies at 78

Anthony Geary, who rose to fame in the 1970s and '80s as half the daytime TV super couple Luke and Laura on "General Hospital," has died. He was 78.

Trump sues BBC for $10 billion, accusing it of defamation over Jan. 6 speech edit

The British broadcaster apologized to Trump last month, calling the edit an "error of judgment," but denies its reporting was defamatory.

Australian police say Bondi Beach mass shooting was inspired by Islamic State group

A mass shooting in which 15 people were killed during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach was "a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State," Australia's police said Tuesday.

Trump designates street fentanyl as WMD, escalating militarization of drug war

Trump has already declared the drug cartels terrorist organizations and ordered military strikes against suspected drug boats. Now he's declaring fentanyl a WMD. Experts on street drugs and fentanyl are skeptical these moves will reduce the supply of fentanyl on America's streets or reduce overdose deaths.

Ford pulls the plug on the F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck

Ford says it is "following the customer" in discontinuing its large electric pickup, which was well-received but never profitable. Ford will keep the Lightning name alive as a plug-in hybrid.

Australia announces strict new gun laws. Here’s how it can act so swiftly

Less than 48 hours after the deadly attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach that left more than a dozen dead, Australian authorities announced proposals for sweeping new gun laws.

An Alabama woman is among two who died in the Brown campus shooting

Mountain Brook-native Ella Cook's life was cut short Saturday when a gunman opened fire inside a classroom in the engineering building.

Executions nearly double in 2025 due to dramatic rise in Florida

This year, 48 people are expected to be executed in the U.S. Meanwhile, fewer new death sentences are being issued, and public support for the death penalty is at its lowest point in over 50 years.

Brian Walshe, who searched for crime tips online, is convicted of his wife’s murder

Walshe said his wife left town for a work emergency in January 2023. Investigators found items like a hacksaw, bloody rugs and her COVID vaccine card in dumpsters — and chilling searches on his devices.

ACA shoppers face sticker shock as Congress dithers on health care

With subsidies that help consumers pay their health insurance premiums set to expire, health care shoppers face staggering prices. Lawmakers are running out of time to agree on a solution.

Roomba maker files for bankruptcy, weighed down by debt and tariffs

iRobot, the U.S. firm that had robots vacuuming homes, will be taken over by its China-based supplier. It's assuring owners that devices will keep working as usual.

Trump says Rob Reiner had ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ in post on his death

Officials are investigating the death of the Hollywood director as a homicide.

Professors, students appeal ruling on Alabama law banning DEI initiatives at public universities

The Alabama measure, which took effect in October 2024, is part of a wave of proposals from Republican lawmakers across the country taking aim at DEI programs on college campuses.

Rob Reiner and his wife found dead in Los Angeles home

Director-actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead Sunday at Reiner's Los Angeles home, according to a law enforcement official.

GOP Rep. says ACA subsidy users shouldn’t ‘pay the price for congressional inaction’

Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley of California says a health care proposal from House Speaker Mike Johnson — which is expected to get a vote this week — was "hastily thrown together."

For Americans, the love for chain restaurants runs deep

Some of the nation's largest restaurants boast of decades-long survival through economic downturns, stiffer competition, and changing American palates. And we still love them anyway. Why?

What’s behind the wellness claims for the synthetic dye methylene blue?

Taking drops of a medical dye is trending in wellness and biohacking circles. Some influencers claim it boosts longevity and brain health. Scientists say the hype has gotten ahead of the research.

Houses floated away in this Alaska Native village. Now residents want to move

Kwigillingok, Alaska, has long grappled with erosion and flooding. Residents want to move to higher ground, further inland, especially after the remnants of Typhoon Halong damaged nearly every house.

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and mogul Jimmy Lai sentenced

The business mogul and activist has been in ailing health and has already spent more than 1,800 days in solitary confinement in Hong Kong before his verdict.

Chile shifts sharply right as José Antonio Kast wins Presidency

José Antonio Kast, a far-right politician who has praised Chile's former dictatorship, has won the presidency, signaling a sharp rightward shift fueled by fears over crime, migration and the economy.

Bystander hailed as a hero for disarming Sydney gunman

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns on Sunday praised the man's actions, calling it "the most unbelievable scene."

The cookies that fueled votes for women

Suffragists didn't just march. They baked, held bake sales and sold cookbooks to raise money for the cause of equality.

Voices of experience and hope soar in a song to prevent suicide

"Hold the Hope" was sparked by one woman's experience as a caregiver to someone who survived suicidal struggles. It started as a poem that has become a film, a song and even a dance.

Tanning bed users are at higher risk of skin cancer, especially in unusual places

Indoor tanning is trending among Gen Z. A new study finds tanning bed users not only have a much higher risk of melanoma, they also have DNA damage linked to cancer across nearly their entire skin.

Gunmen kill 9 people at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, injuring 11 others

Two gunmen have shot dead nine people at Sydney's Bondi Beach, with eleven wounded, including two police officers. Police shot dead one gunman, second was arrested in critical condition.