National

French President Emmanuel Macron, pictured in July in Paris, says France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country after its democratically elected president was deposed in a coup.

France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador, Macron says

4:12pm September 24, 2023

by The Associated Press

The change comes after Niger's democratically elected president was deposed in a coup. French troops pulled out of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years after coups there.

Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead serves as Maryland's 31st adjutant general — making her the only Black woman who leads a state military in the U.S. Here, Birckhead sits inside NPR's studios for an interview with NPR's Jonathan Franklin.

She's currently the only Black woman leading a state military. Here's how it happened

2:02pm September 24, 2023

Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead of Maryland only became a soldier to help pay for college. Three decades later, she's risen to the top military position in Maryland, leading a force of 4,600 soldiers.

Usher will headline the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show in Las Vegas

11:06am September 24, 2023

by The Associated Press

"It's an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list," the music megastar said of his appearance at the Feb. 11, 2024 game.

Dried Psilocybe mushrooms on a glass plate.

As psychedelic-assisted therapy grows, so does interest from a new group: chaplains

11:04am September 24, 2023

by Deena Prichep

Chaplains provide spiritual counsel at some of life's most raw moments. With psychedelic legalization spreading, some chaplains think this role should include facilitating psychedelic trips.

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National

An annual survey from the Census Bureau aims for better data on the LGBTQ+ population

9:06am September 24, 2023

The Census Bureau wants to use an annual survey to ask people over the age of 15 about their sexual orientation and gender identity. This data could help enforce civil rights laws.

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National

NYC drivers are attaching fake license plates to their cars to evade speeding cameras

8:23am September 24, 2023

by Ayesha Rascoe

Thousands of New Yorkers alter or obscure their license plates to fake-out license plate readers used for toll collection and speeding cameras.

National

Gen. C.Q. Brown prepares to step into the role of top military officer role

8:23am September 24, 2023

Gen. C.Q. Brown is poised to become the top U.S. military officer in a few days. One challenge he faces was on full display this week: Ukraine's visiting president requested more military assistance.

Pentagon files NPR obtained in its investigation of casualties in the Baghdadi raid

8:01am September 24, 2023

by Daniel Estrin

An NPR investigation found flaws in the Pentagon's claim that deadly airstrikes did not hit civilians. These are the documents NPR obtained from the Pentagon.

Protestors in Florida read from banned books, defying the state's education policies

8:00am September 24, 2023

by Will Brown

Academics, activists and Black history advocates were in Jacksonville, Fla. last week where they showed defiance of educational policies that ban books and discourage knowledge about Black history.

EIS officer Arran Hamlet walks into the Government Meadows site to conduct environmental sampling for norovirus.

Norovirus in the wilderness? How an outbreak spread on the Pacific Crest Trail

5:00am September 24, 2023

by Pien Huang

Having this virus is bad enough at home, where you might spend hours hugging the toilet. Imagine having it out camping. Investigators wanted to find out how backpackers were getting and spreading it.