Year: 2025

President Trump says the administration’s takeover of DC is making life safer. But many of the city’s residents and business owners are questioning the administration’s moves?  So what exactly is the goal of the federal takeover in DC?
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This episode was produced by Avery Keatley and Megan Lim, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Courtney Dorning.

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Anna Corrigan grew up in Dublin, Ireland. She thought she was an only child, until she was in her 50s and discovered a family secret. Corrigan found documents showing her mother had spent time in one of Ireland’s so-called mother and baby homes — places where single women went to give birth. And that she had given birth to two sons there. Two brothers that Corrigan never knew she had.

It’s part of a sad history in Ireland that is now being unearthed, literally. Scientists believe that nearly 800 babies and children are buried in a mass grave behind one former mother and baby home in Tuam, Ireland.

NPR’s Lauren Frayer reports on the work that forensic scientists are now doing to bring those remains to light.

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This episode was produced by Emma Klein and Michael Levitt. It was edited by William Troop and Nick Spicer. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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In the last few days, President Donald Trump has met separately with the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, in an attempt to break the deadlock and end the war. 

Today’s meeting at the White House between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy seemed to go much better than last time, when Zelenskyy left early after a heated argument in the Oval Office. In fact, Zelenskyy hailed today’s meeting as “the best one” yet. 

Even so, the next steps to ending the war are unclear. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy still haven’t met face-to-face to negotiate, and it’s not certain whether they will be able to find common ground. 

NPR White House Correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben gives an update on the day’s events, and former national security advisor Susan Rice gives her perspective on the likelihood of a deal.

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It was edited by Christopher Intagliata, Andrew Sussman, Tara Neill and Nadia Lancy.

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President Trump turned to the Heritage Foundation help pick his appointee to lead a traditionally non-partisan agency. NPR’s Scott Detrow speaks with political science professor E.J. Fagan, author of “The Thinkers: The Rise of Partisan Think Tanks and the Polarization of American Politics” to understand why Trump’s close relationship with the conservative think tank matters.

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This episode was produced by Jordan-Marie Smith. It was edited by Tinbete Ermyas. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Paris has increasingly found itself on the frontline of the climate crisis and covering the city and the rest of France now means regularly reporting on deadly climate events. NPR’s Scott Detrow speaks with Eleanor Beardsley about how climate has become core to the Paris beat.

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This episode was produced by Noah Caldwell and Jonaki Mehta. It was edited by Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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This summer, the island of Puerto Rico has been under the thrall of Bad Bunny.

His 30-concert residency at a stadium in San Juan is a homecoming for the global superstar.

It’s also a homecoming for many thousands of people who left home – but are flocking back for the shows.

NPR’s Adrian Florido reports on how the concerts are resonating with Puerto Ricans on and off the island.

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This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink, Elena Burnett, Liz Baker and Marc Rivers. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Gigi Douban. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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American Presidents have been trying to manage Russian President Vladimir Putin since the beginning of this century.

There was George W. Bush, who met with Putin 28 times.

Barack Obama and Putin sat down together 9 times.

Joe Biden met with Putin only once.

Past presidents had hoped to strike deals and push Russia toward a more democratic society.

Instead, Russia started wars and tried to expand its borders.

Soon, President Trump heads here to Alaska for his seventh meeting with Putin – and like his predecessors – he’s trying to get something out of Putin.

This time he’s hoping to finally end the war in Ukraine.

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”The global trading system as we have known it is dead.”

Those are the words of former US Trade Representative Michael Froman.

He’s now President of the Council on Foreign Relations.

If the era of global free trade is over, the question is…what comes next? 

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Two minutes —

That’s how long President Donald Trump says it will take him to figure out whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about finding a way to end his war with Ukraine.

Details are still scarce — but Putin and Trump are set to meet Friday in Alaska.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wasn’t invited.

What does Trump hope to achieve, and can he get it from Putin?  Ambassador John Bolton, Trump’s national security advisor in his first term, was with Trump the last time Trump met with Putin. Bolton weighs in.

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President Trump said he’s taking over Washington and announced he’s deploying the national guard to the city.

And he made another big promise: that his administration would take control of the DC police.

The President also mentioned other cities across the country with what he says are high levels of crime. 

As President Trump pledges to use his executive authority to control law enforcement in the crime in the nation’s capital — there are questions about what happens now. And – what this might mean for other cities across the country.

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