Author: rpnadmin

NPR’s Steve Inskeep speaks with Sen. Chris Coons, D- Del., about the ongoing government shutdown and what he’s hearing from federal workers in his state. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: We’ve been reaching out to members of both parties about what it will take to get a funding bill passed. And this morning, we speak with Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat who sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee. Senator, welcome back.CHRIS COONS: Thanks, Steve. Great to be on with you.INSKEEP: What are you hearing from federal workers in your state now that we’re this far in?COONS: I’m hearing alarm that they’re not…

On October 9, 2025, I returned to New York City alongside eight other members of the US delegation for the Global Sumud Flotilla—an international, civil society–led maritime mission that had aimed to open a humanitarian corridor to deliver aid to the people of Gaza. Two days before, on October 7, we were released from Israel’s Ktzi’ot prison, an internment camp where we were unjustly detained without charges and treated to abusive prison conditions.The flotilla set out for Gaza from a Barcelona port on August 31, and across 31 days, eventually over 40 boats, with over 500 people, sailed together across…

President Trump speaks at the Justice Department on March 14. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Andrew Harnik/Getty Images This year, President Trump has been calling on the Department of Justice to prosecute his perceived enemies — and the DOJ seems to be taking direction. In the last few weeks alone, prosecutors secured indictments against former FBI Director Jim Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The White House has signaled more cases may be on the way. For those defendants, the costs of fighting criminal charges in a high-profile case are enormous, and they can reverberate for…

Politics / October 15, 2025 Understanding Indigenous Coyote stories will help you grasp the appeal of Donald Trump. Ad Policy Donald Trump, a trickster president, smirks at a golf club on July 28, 2025, in Turnberry, Scotland.(Andrew Harnik / Getty Images) For thousands of years, my people, the Secwepemc and St’at’imc, have told stories about our trickster ancestor Coyote. The Creator sent Coyote to earth to set the world in order. A shapeshifter who possessed awe-inspiring supernatural powers, Coyote did much good. He filled the rivers with salmon, populated the lands with descendants, taught the cannibals not to eat men,…

A “Closed Do Not Enter” sign at the entrance to Muir Woods National Monument in Mill Valley, Calif., on Oct. 3. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images The government shutdown has lasted 15 days — and counting. Republicans and Democrats appear no closer to an agreement to reopen it. The Senate again tried — and failed — Wednesday to advance a bill to reopen the government. It was the chamber’s ninth attempt since the shutdown began on Oct. 1 to vote on a short-term funding bill passed by the House.…

Economy / October 15, 2025 The administration’s decision to fast-track a bunch of changes to food stamps—including new work requirements—is as stupid as it is cruel. Ad Policy Donald Trump, joined by Republican lawmakers, signs the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law.(Samuel Corum / Getty Images) Donald Trump and the Republican Party have long been at war with poor people. It’s a weird enemy for the allegedly Christian leaders of the white wing to pick, but I guess MAGA Jesus is only capable of turning bread into bullets. In July, Trump’s Dumb Cruel Bill cut over $1 trillion from…

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Sept. 30, in Quantico, Va. In an unprecedented gathering, almost 800 generals, admirals and their senior enlisted leaders have been ordered into one location from around the world on short notice. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is ordering troops to watch or read his speech last month at Quantico, Va., when he declared the “woke” military is gone, decried “fat generals” and ordered women in the military to meet the “highest male standards” for physical fitness.…

October 15, 2025 Amid a spiraling political crisis, France’s president is being forced to retreat on his signature reform. Ad Policy French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu and President Emmanuel Macron, stand at attention during an August 17, 2025, ceremony in southeastern France marking the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Bormes-les-Mimosas during World War II.(Miguel Medina / Getty Images) France’s political crisis has seen many dramatic twists and turns in the last 12 months, but the instability reached new heights this past week with the sudden resignation and reinstatement of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. It all began on the morning…

Demonstrators holding signs in support of minority voting rights gather outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR A major redistricting case returning to the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday could not only determine the fate of the federal Voting Rights Act, but also unlock a path for Republicans to pick up a slew of additional congressional seats. If the high court overturns the act’s Section 2 — a provision that bans racial discrimination in voting — GOP-controlled states could redraw at least 19 more voting districts for the House…

Feature / October 15, 2025 The influential group of lawmakers has damaged its reputation as “conscience of the Congress” by staying silent on the Gaza genocide. Illustration by Adrià Fruitós. This article appears in the November 2025 issue, with the headline “When Conscience Disappears.” More than a year has passed since the International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ highest judicial body, issued its first order in the landmark case brought against Israel by South Africa, which contends that Israel has been committing acts of genocide in its war in Gaza. The ICJ found that “with respect to the right…