Taiwan has been important to the U.S. Here’s why
U.S. support for Taiwan has ebbed and flowed throughout the decades. Here’s what’s at stake as Trump rewrites the rules of diplomacy.
Russia and Ukraine trade strikes and Fed unlikely to change interest rate: Morning Rundown
Russia and Ukraine trade strikes. Fed’s anticipated interest rate decision amid market turmoil. Do judges have too much power? SEC dominates March Madness.
After party rift on shutdown, California Democrats try to refocus budget fight on Medicaid
Democrats do not want to repeat the mistakes of last week, when they split over the GOP’s stopgap measure to avoid a federal government shutdown.
One country is celebrating the ‘world’s ugliest animal’
The blobfish, a deep-sea creature that has been described as the world’s ugliest animal, was named New Zealand’s Fish of the Year.
These chemicals may lurk in your personal care products
Ever scan the ingredient list of your favorite personal care products like shampoos or lotions and think, what are these complicated chemicals? And are any of them bad for me? We definitely have. And our colleagues at NPR’s Life Kit did one step better: They parlayed their anxiety spiral into a helpful guide on the safety of personal care products. So today, Gina talks to Life Kit’s Marielle Segarra about some of the top chemicals of concern, including parabens and phthalates. Click here to hear the full Life Kit guide — including how to audit your go-to products. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave .
Measles is spreading. Are you safe?
Measles continues to spread in West Texas and New Mexico. About 300 cases have been reported, since the outbreak began in January – but the actual number is likely higher. The communities where measles continues to spread people are largely unvaccinated. At the same time some isolated measles cases have been reported in a dozen other states – largely linked to international travel. In most of the U.S., vaccination rates are still high enough to stop a major outbreak. But if they continue to fall, we could see long-term consequences of measles in the future. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org. (Image credit: Bilanol)
2 NASA astronauts return to Earth after an unexpectedly long mission in space
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were on the International Space Station more than nine months, despite launching into space in June for what was expected to be an eight-day mission. (Image credit: AP)
3/18: CBS Evening News Plus
Chief Justice Roberts rebukes impeaching judges over disagreement; Reporter’s Notebook: We can we learn from astronauts’ extended stay in space?
Teslas in Las Vegas set on fire in “targeted attack,” police say
At least five Tesla vehicles in Las Vegas were damaged Tuesday following a string of violence at Tesla facilities nationwide over Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration.
Djokovic-led tennis players’ union files lawsuit against professional tours
The PTPA accuses the ATP, WTA, ITF and the ITIA of exploiting tennis players and jeopardising their health and safety.
Trump releases more than 2,000 new JFK assassination files: What we know
More than 60,000 new pages are now accessible. But historians are trying to answer whether they tell us anything new.
Afghans in Pakistan face ‘intensified abusive tactics,’ report says, as deportation deadline looms
A new report says that Afghan refugees are facing “intensified abusive tactics” in Pakistan amid ongoing pressure for deportation of illegal foreigners and Afghan citizen card holders.
In South Africa, Russia’s ‘anti-colonial’ narrative sways public opinion
Sympathy towards wartime Russia has deep historical roots, back to the Cold War era and earlier.
U.S. officials cracking down on people trying to bring valuable eggs across the border
Officials made 3,254 egg-related seizures in January and February 2025, according to new data released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). That’s more than twice as many egg seizures compared to the 1,508 events the same two months a year ago.