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Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., speaks during a hearing in Washington, DC. Cassidy has proposed sending government funds to Americans’ health savings accounts instead of subsidizing insurance premiums for those on ACA plans. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Sarah Monroe once had a relatively comfortable middle-class life. She and her family lived in a neatly landscaped neighborhood near Cleveland. They had a six-figure income and health insurance through her job. Then, four years ago, when Monroe was pregnant with twin girls, something started to feel off. “I kept having to come into the emergency room for…

FILE – Benin’s President Patrice Talon attends a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at Planalto presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on May 23, 2024. Eraldo Peres/AP hide caption toggle caption Eraldo Peres/AP COTONOU, Benin — A coup that was announced in Benin on Sunday has been “foiled,” the interior minister said in a video on Facebook. “In the early morning of Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilizing the state and its institutions,” Alassane Seidou said. “Faced with this situation, the Beninese Armed Forces and their…

Ad Policy Co-leaders of the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) Alice Weidel (L) and Tino Chrupalla (R) in Berlin on December 5, 2025. (Tobias Schwarz / AFP via Getty Images) Only a few years ago, European elites were patting themselves on the back for fending off the tide of right-wing anti-system parties (often styled as populists). But recent polls in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom show that that the far right is once again gaining traction, thanks in no small part to centrist governments that have demoralized the population and legitimized xenophobia. David Broder, author of Mussolini’s Grandchildren…

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under pressure this week as a Navy admiral faces tough questions from lawmakers about the legality of striking boats allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Members of Congress have now seen the video of U.S. strikes on a boat in the Caribbean. In a few moments, we’ll hear from one of those lawmakers, Democrat Jim Himes.MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: But first, let’s get to what we know. Democrats said they were disturbed by the second hit on a boat allegedly carrying drugs that killed two men after the boat was disabled. Republicans said…

President Trump stands in the presidential box as he tours the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on March 17. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images The Kennedy Center Honors have traditionally been one of Washington’s splashiest affairs. Think Hollywood on the Potomac. Every year, an astonishing number of A-listers come to Washington, D.C., to pay tribute to the honorees with performances and speeches. Think Beyoncé performing for Tina Turner, Audrey Hepburn rhapsodizing about Cary Grant, Rob Reiner praising Norman Lear, Aretha Franklin singing for Carol King,…

Grand Canyon Park Services Ranger Jill Staurowsky looks out from the South Rim while giving a tour to visitors on February 22, 2025 in Grand Canyon, Ariz. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Brandon Bell/Getty Images The Trump administration has removed Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from next year’s calendar of entrance fee-free days for national parks and added President Trump’s birthday to the list, according to the National Park Service, as the administration continues to push back against a reckoning of the country’s racist history on federal lands. In addition to Trump’s birthday — which coincides…

Admiral Rachel L. Levine, pictured at HHS headquarters last year, led the Public Health Corps during the Biden administration. Her official portrait was changed during the government shutdown to her previous name. Maansi Srivastava for NPR hide caption toggle caption Maansi Srivastava for NPR As you walk down a particular hallway on the seventh floor of the Humphrey Building in Washington, D.C., you’ll find a line of photographic portraits of all the people from years past who have led the Public Health Corps at the federal Department of Health and Human Services. Only one of those portraits is of a…

It was a busy week in Washington, from foreign policy to Congressional redistricting and another special election. NPR’s Domenico Montanaro and Tamara Keith break down the big news of the week. JUANA SUMMERS, HOST: It was another busy week in politics. The Supreme Court approved controversial redistricting plans in Texas. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was in hot water in part because of strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats in the Caribbean. Oh, and also, there was another special election. So we’ve asked senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro to join us…

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 2. Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images There was yet another sign this week of a potential 2026 wave that could hand control of the House of Representatives to Democrats. Republicans won a special congressional election in Tennessee, but only by 9 points in a district the Republican candidate last year won by 22 points. That’s in line with the double-digit overperformances by Democrats in elections this year. On average, Democrats have done 14 points better than candidates in 2024 (including comparing the presidential…

Activism / StudentNation / December 5, 2025 While the University of California has often followed Trump’s demands, union organizers have made protecting immigrants a top priority during contract negotiations. Ad Policy University of California workers rallying at UC Berkeley in November 2025.(UAW 4811) This story was produced for StudentNation, a program of the Nation Fund for Independent Journalism, which is dedicated to highlighting the best of student journalism. For more StudentNation, check out our archive or learn more about the program here. StudentNation is made possible through generous funding from The Puffin Foundation. If you’re a student and you have an article idea, please…