Author: rpnadmin

President Donald Trump poses with a recently signed executive order classifying fentanyl as a “weapon of mass destruction,” during a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House on December 15, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images In his first year back in office, President Trump reshaped U.S. drug policy and the response to fentanyl deaths in sweeping, often chaotic fashion, rapidly dismantling efforts launched by the Biden administration aimed at expanding drug treatment. Many experts credit Biden-era public health policies with saving tens of thousands of lives. But with new…

We’re outside of Jacksonville, Fla., flying with the Coast Guard’s Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron, or HITRON, as they chase down a speedboat simulating drug-runners at sea. These are the counterdrug cops of the high seas. They intercept suspicious boats, seize illegal narcotics and arrest suspected drug smugglers to try to bring them to justice. The gunner aims for the engines. “We don’t intentionally shoot to hurt, kill, injure anybody. Our primary target is going to be the engine.” Today, they’re practicing on a common smugglers’ tactic, using their bodies to shield the motors from gunfire. They do this because they…

State Sen. Michelle Benson reacts at a news conference on April 10, 2019, at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul to a report by the state’s legislative auditor on combatting fraud in Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program. Steve Karnowski/AP hide caption toggle caption Steve Karnowski/AP President Trump’s administration announced on Tuesday that it’s freezing child care funds to Minnesota after a series of fraud schemes in recent years. Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill said on the social platform X that the step is in response to “blatant fraud that appears to be rampant in Minnesota…

A view of the Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse in Manhattan, N.Y., where the Second Circuit Court of Appeals is seated, from 2020. Mark Lennihan/AP hide caption toggle caption Mark Lennihan/AP A nonprofit group that advocates for law clerks has taken the rare step of filing a misconduct complaint against a federal appeals court judge, alleging she bullies and mistreats law clerks and that the courts’ process for fielding such claims is broken. The complaint from the Legal Accountability Project against Judge Sarah Merriam of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit states that it is based on conversations…

The Care Can’t Wait coalition has advocated for federal support for family caregivers, including advocating for the Build Back Better bill in 2021. Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Unbendable Media/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Unbendable Media/Getty Images In early December, Andy Kim walked onto the Senate floor to give his first solo speech. By tradition, this is a formal introduction, the chance for a new Congressperson to announce what he stands for. Kim, a Democrat from New Jersey, told the story of his father’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease just a few weeks prior. After the appointment,…

President Trump began the year with huge plans and a GOP in lockstep, but heading into 2026 there are cracks in his support that could affect how much his administration gets done. SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Of course, 2026 is just days away – a time to look backward at the year that was and forward to the year to come. NPR senior contributor Ron Elving has been thinking about the state of U.S. politics since President Donald Trump returned to power. And, of course, Ron is completely up to the task of looking both backward and forward. Ron, thanks so…

President Trump is meeting with Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy today and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tomorrow. DANIEL ESTRIN, HOST: Two world leaders involved in two major conflicts are meeting President Trump this week. In a few minutes, we’ll hear about what the Israeli prime minister may have planned for the president tomorrow. Today, Trump meets Ukraine’s leader, and this time, not in the Oval Office. NPR White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben joins us now. Good morning, Danielle.DANIELLE KURTZLEBEN, BYLINE: Good morning, Daniel.ESTRIN: So this afternoon, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet President Trump in Florida. That’s where Trump…

Paul B. Miller shops at The Market food pantry in Logan, Ohio on Dec. 9. Food aid was just one of many services offered here that faced disruption in 2025. Rich-Joseph Facun for NPR hide caption toggle caption Rich-Joseph Facun for NPR LOGAN, Ohio – Before dawn, in a cold, blustery drizzle, a line forms outside a small, squat building on an open stretch of road on the outskirts of town. “My heater quit working in my car,” Scott Skinner says good-naturedly to the next man in line. “Man, what kinda luck am I having.” The building is called “The…

Paintings and gold trim are visible behind reporters as U.S. President Donald Trump holds a swearing in ceremony. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images North America hide caption toggle caption Andrew Harnik/Getty Images North America It is well known that President Trump was a real-estate developer before descending his golden escalator and entering politics. And in his first term, he didn’t really flex those muscles. But since returning to the White House, Trump has been on a remodeling spree. “I have two jobs,” Trump said recently. Commander in chief is one, but his real passion appears to be the second. “I have a…

In this time of unrelenting, often unprecedented cruelty and lawlessness, I’m grateful for Nation readers like you.  So many of you have taken to the streets, organized in your neighborhood and with your union, and showed up at the ballot box to vote for progressive candidates. You’re proving that it is possible—to paraphrase the legendary Patti Smith—to redeem the work of the fools running our government. And as we head into 2026, I promise that The Nation will fight like never before for justice, humanity, and dignity in these United States.  At a time when most news organizations are either…