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NASA's New Horizons spacecraft captured this high-resolution enhanced color view of Pluto on July 14, 2015. The image combines blue, red and infrared images taken by the Ralph/Multispectral Visual Imaging Camera.

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft captured this high-resolution enhanced color view of Pluto on July 14, 2015. The image combines blue, red and infrared images taken by the Ralph/Multispectral Visual Imaging Camera. NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI hide caption

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NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI

Short Wave: Space Camp

Pluto isn’t a planet — but it gives us clues for how the solar system formed

Though Pluto has formally been considered a dwarf planet for almost two decades, it still has many lessons left for planetary scientists — including hints about how the solar system formed.

Pluto isn't a planet — but it gives us clues on how the solar system formed

Chicago Sky's Angel Reese is pictured during a WNBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Sparks last month in Chicago.

Chicago Sky's Angel Reese looks to pass during the team's WNBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday, May 30, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Charles Rex Arbogast/AP hide caption

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Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

Sports

WNBA rookie Angel Reese makes double-double history

The "Double-Double Queen" is living up to her name early in her pro career. The Chicago Sky forward earned her seventh consecutive double-double in a win over Dallas — a league record for a rookie.
Sabrina Carpenter performs during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, on April 12, 2024.

A new article in Slate takes a closer look at Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso" and the long-lost genre it represents. Above, Carpenter performs during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, on April 12, 2024. Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and listening

Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: A closer look at Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso," the series Jamtara, and the movie Ghostlight.

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Brittney Spencer: Tiny Desk Concert

The boundary-pushing singer-songwriter brings her country sensibility to the Tiny Desk.
Arnold meets with a patient for a pelvic exam. On any given day she will see patients dealing with chronic conditions, sleep apnea, a suspected yeast infection, and an abortion. “It’s a little bit of everything, which is very typical of family medicine,” she says.

Arnold meets with a patient for a pelvic exam. On any given day she will see patients dealing with chronic conditions, sleep apnea, a suspected yeast infection, and an abortion. “It’s a little bit of everything, which is very typical of family medicine,” she says. Elissa Nadworny/NPR hide caption

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Elissa Nadworny/NPR

Shots - Health News

Abortion is becoming more common in primary care clinics as doctors challenge stigma

More family medicine and primary care doctors are doing abortions and questioning why it’s been separated from other care for decades.

Abortion As Primary Care, I

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A man affected by the scorching heat is helped by another Muslim pilgrim and a police officer during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mina on June 16.

A man affected by the scorching heat is helped by another Muslim pilgrim and a police officer during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mina on June 16. Fadel Senna/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Fadel Senna/AFP via Getty Images

Middle East

Hundreds of Muslim pilgrims died in heat-stricken Hajj

Collective prayers and struggles are core to Islam's Hajj, but heat took a toll this year: Hundreds died and thousands sought treatment for heat exhaustion.

Hundreds of Muslim pilgrims died in heat-stricken Hajj to Mecca

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BRONX, NY - 1968: Reggie Jackson of the Oakland Athletics poses an action portrait at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York in 1968. (Photo by Louis Requena /MLB via Getty Images)

BRONX, NY - 1968: Reggie Jackson of the Oakland Athletics poses an action portrait at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York in 1968. (Photo by Louis Requena /MLB via Getty Images) (Photo by Louis Requena /MLB via Getty Images) hide caption

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(Photo by Louis Requena /MLB via Getty Images)

National

Baseball great Reggie Jackson opens up on TV about racism he faced as a player

The baseball Hall of Famer spoke on a panel for a Negro League tribute game, saying he wouldn't wish his racism experiences on anyone. “They would point at me and say 'the n***** can't eat here.’ ”
Police prepare to open fire with tear gas and non-lethal rounds on a group of protestors.

Police prepare to open fire with tear gas and non-lethal rounds on a group of demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd on May 29, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Scott Olson/Getty Images North America hide caption

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Scott Olson/Getty Images North America

National

A journalist shot by police while covering the 2020 protests is dying of her injuries

Linda Tirado, 42, lost her eye and suffered a brain injury after being shot by Minneapolis police in 2020. The National Press Club said she developed dementia as a result and "is at life's end."
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen unveiled sanctions against members and affiliates of a Mexican drug cartel during a visit to Atlanta on Thursday.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen unveiled sanctions against members and affiliates of a Mexican drug cartel during a visit to Atlanta on Thursday. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption

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Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Law

The U.S. goes after Mexican cartel leaders' drug profits in the fight against fentanyl

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen unveiled new financial sanctions against La Nueva Familia Michoacana, part of a Biden administration effort to target and seize fentanyl profits.

New sanctions are expected to be announced against those involved in fentanyl traffic

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The U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in a major gun-rights case.

The U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in a major gun-rights case. Al Drago/Getty Images hide caption

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Al Drago/Getty Images

Law

The Supreme Court upholds a federal ban on guns for domestic abusers

The decision was the first major gun ruling since 2022, when the high court broke sharply with the way gun laws had previously been handled by the courts.

Supreme Court upholds federal ban on guns for domestic abusers

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Customers walk-in to Olfactory NYC at their Georgetown location on Thursday May 16, 2024.

Customers walk-in to Olfactory NYC at their Georgetown location on Thursday May 16, 2024. Zayrha Rodriguez/NPR hide caption

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Zayrha Rodriguez/NPR

Culture

We designed a 'Morning Edition' fragrance – and learned why perfume sales are up

We visited Olfactory NYC to design a scent and to learn why perfume sales are up since 2018.

What’s drawing Gen Z into the world of perfume?

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Amber and Devon Weise of Platteville, WI, in Madison, WI.

It wasn't until after Amber and Devon Weise married that they learned Supplemental Security Income, the federal benefits program Amber relies upon, penalizes couples who marry. Amber lost her monthly SSI income check and, even more vital, her access to health insurance. Narayan Mahon for NPR hide caption

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Narayan Mahon for NPR

Investigations

Couples say they can't get married because of this government program's outdated rules

Social Security's SSI program for people with disabilities requires couples to have no more than $3,000 in assets

How an outdated Social Security policy is preventing couples from marrying

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Jesse Plemons plays three different characters in Kinds of Kindness — an effort that won him the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Jesse Plemons plays three different characters in Kinds of Kindness — an effort that won him the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival. Atsushi Nishijima/Searchlight Pictures hide caption

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Atsushi Nishijima/Searchlight Pictures

Review

Movie Reviews

Yorgos Lanthimos exhausts his ideas, and his audience, in 'Kinds of Kindness'

Fresh off of Poor Things, director Lanthimos' three-part dark comedy about domination and free will feels like a lazy and self-admiring riff — punctuated by the occasional crude shock.

Yorgos Lanthimos exhausts his ideas, and his audience, in 'Kinds of Kindness'

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Migrants and asylum seekers wait to be processed by the Border Patrol between fences at the US-Mexico border seen from Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico, on June 5, 2024.

Migrants and asylum seekers wait to be processed by the Border Patrol between fences at the US-Mexico border seen from Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico, on June 5, 2024. GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images/AFP hide caption

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GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images/AFP

National

Encounters at the U.S. border dropped 9% in May, before new asylum restrictions kicked in

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports declining number of migrants attempting to cross the border since an all-time high in December
Shaina Taub of Suffs, Team USA's Jamal Hill, former President George Washington

Shaina Taub of Suffs, Team USA's Jamal Hill, former President George Washington Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions; Charles Sykes/Invision/AP; Three Lions/Getty Images hide caption

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Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions; Charles Sykes/Invision/AP; Three Lions/Getty Images

The NPR news quiz

Which celebrity's mugshot set the internet ablaze this week? Find out in the quiz

This week, there were Tony Award wins and new Team USA outfits dropped. Something pretty great was found at George Washington's old home, too. Did you follow all the news?
Viktoria Kitsenko poses for a portrait in front of Epicenter, the hardware superstore where she was working when it was hit with a Russian missile, killing 19 people in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on May 26.

Viktoria Kitsenko poses for a portrait in front of Epicenter, the hardware superstore where she was working when it was hit with a Russian missile, killing 19 people in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on May 26. Laurel Chor for NPR hide caption

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Laurel Chor for NPR

Ukraine invasion — explained

Ukraine's Kharkiv has withstood Russia's relentless strikes. Locals fear what's next

While some have fled Ukraine's second-largest city, others remain, even performing a classical music festival in defiance of the war.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a joint news conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department, Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in Washington.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a joint news conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department, Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in Washington. Mark Schiefelbein/AP/AP hide caption

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Mark Schiefelbein/AP/AP

World

The outgoing NATO chief says ‘unity’ is the key as a full-scale war continues in Ukraine

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg about his decade in office and the challenges faced by the North Atlantic alliance.

Jens Stoltenberg steps down after a decade as NATO Secretary-General

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Asteroid moonlet Dimorphos as seen by NASA's DART spacecraft 11 seconds before the impact that shifted its path through space, in the first test of asteroid deflection.

Asteroid moonlet Dimorphos as seen by NASA's DART spacecraft 11 seconds before the impact that shifted its path through space, in the first test of asteroid deflection. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/NASA hide caption

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Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/NASA

Morning Edition

An asteroid headed toward Earth? A NASA simulation explores how the nation might respond

NASA and other federal agencies recently did a tabletop simulation of an Earth-threatening asteroid to see how they'd handle it

NASA asteroid simulation

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New York Rep. Ritchie Torres, seen here at Equality PAC’s National Pride Gala on June 13 at Union Station in Washington, D.C., is working to increase LGBTQ representation on Capitol Hill.

New York Rep. Ritchie Torres, seen here at Equality PAC’s National Pride Gala on June 13 at Union Station in Washington, D.C., is working to increase LGBTQ representation on Capitol Hill. Jon Fleming Photography provided by Equality PAC hide caption

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Jon Fleming Photography provided by Equality PAC

Politics

Equality PAC raises millions to boost LGBTQ representation in Congress

As pride month celebrations continue, LGBTQ lawmakers are working to expand their ranks in D.C. next year. The Equality PAC — the political arm of the Equality Caucus in the U.S. Congress — is raising millions to boost representation on Capitol Hill.

Equality PAC raises millions to boost LGBTQ representation in Congress

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The incoming editor of The Washington Post, Robert Winnett, has withdrawn from the job and will remain in the U.K.

The incoming editor of The Washington Post, Robert Winnett, has withdrawn from the job and will remain in the U.K. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption

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Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The 'Washington Post' in crisis

After an uproar over ethics, an announced 'Washington Post' editor won't take the job

Washington Post Chief Executive and Publisher Will Lewis' pick to be its lead editor has withdrawn from the job. Robert Winnett of the U.K.'s Telegraph was scheduled to start after the U.S. elections.

Drama compounds at The Post's highest ranks as new editor declines job

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Boxes are stacked high in a California warehouse. A small tractor carries some down a wide aisle.

Warehouses in California can get dangerously hot. The state just passed a rule protecting people who work indoors in industries like warehousing, restaurants, or manufacturing from excessive heat. Virginie Goubier/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Virginie Goubier/AFP via Getty Images

Climate

New rules will protect California workers from dangerous heat indoors

The state estimates the new rule will apply to about 1.4 million people who work indoors in conditions that can easily become dangerously hot.
In this file photo from 2022, Libertarian Chase Oliver, then a candidate for Georgia's U.S. Senate seat, listens during a debate in Atlanta, Ga. The Libertarian Party nominated party activist Oliver for president as the party's candidate in the 202, rejecting former President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after they each spoke at the party's convention. (AP Photo/Ben Gray, File)

In this file photo from 2022, Libertarian Chase Oliver, then a candidate for Georgia's U.S. Senate seat, listens during a debate in Atlanta, Ga. The Libertarian Party nominated party activist Oliver for president as the party's candidate in the 2024 election, rejecting former President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after they each spoke at the party's convention. (AP Photo/Ben Gray, File) Ben Gray/AP hide caption

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Ben Gray/AP

As voters suffer presidential election deja vu, Chase Oliver wants to be another option

Libertarian presidential nominee Chase Oliver wants to take on the two-party system. But before he can appeal to outside voters, he’s got to convince members of his own party to support him.
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