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FILE - A Chinese coast guard ship blocks the way of a Philippine supply boat as it heads towards Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, at the disputed South China Sea on Aug. 22, 2023.

Manila vows to remove barrier placed by China's coast guard at a disputed site

4:28am September 25, 2023

by The Associated Press

Philippine officials vowed Monday to remove a floating barrier placed by China's coast guard to prevent Filipino fishing boats from entering a disputed lagoon in the South China Sea.

Screenwriters on strike protest in front of Paramount Studios on May 2, 2023 in Los Angeles, Calif.

Hollywood writers reach a tentative deal with studios after nearly five month strike

11:04pm September 24, 2023

by Mandalit del Barco

Hollywood production has been halted for months as actors and writers have been on strike. Now, the writers are headed back to work. Actors represented by SAG-AFTRA remain on strike.

The sample return capsule from NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission is seen shortly after touching down in the desert at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range.

Science

NASA asteroid sample lands safely in Utah before being whisked away by helicopter

8:10pm September 24, 2023

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

NASA's Osiris-REx mission has successfully returned a pristine sample of asteroid back to Earth. This cupful-or-so of space rock could shed light on the solar system's origins.

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Palestinians inspect a damaged building following an Israeli army raid in Nour Shams refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. Palestinians said at least two people were killed in the raid, which the army said was carried out to destroy a militant command center and bomb-storage facility in the building.

World News

Israel strikes Gaza for the third straight day as West Bank violence escalates

2:17pm September 24, 2023

by The Associated Press

A series of violent escalations on the border between Israel and Gaza over the past week during a sensitive Jewish holiday period raised the specter of an escalation for the first time since May.

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.

Surfers ride the waves Saturday as the ocean is whipped up by Tropical Storm Ophelia at Wrightsville Beach near Wilmington, N.C. The cyclone weakened to a tropical depression by evening.

National

Ophelia weakens to a tropical depression as it churns across Virginia

10:03pm September 23, 2023

by Juliana Kim

Ophelia could bring up to 5 inches of rain across the Mid-Atlantic region into Sunday. Threats of storm surges have dissipated, but flooding risk remains, even as Ophelia is on track to weaken.

Light shines through new stained-glass windows with a theme of racial justice during an unveiling and dedication ceremony at the Washington National Cathedral for the windows on Saturday, Sept. 23 in Washington.

National Cathedral unveils racial justice-themed windows, replacing Confederate ones

8:11pm September 23, 2023

by Juliana Kim

The windows, titled "Now and Forever," were created by artist Kerry James Marshall. They show a group of protesters holding up large signs that read "Fairness" and "No Foul Play."

With all of this condemnation swirling, it's worth wondering what about enduring monuments like the Rock Hall keeps stirring people up.

Music & Culture

Jann Wenner's Rock Hall is crumbling — is it worth fixing?

6:30pm September 23, 2023

by Sheldon Pearce

Rolling Stone co-founder Jann Wenner was removed from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's board after sexist and racist comments. But he is, and always has been, an avatar for an exclusionary framework.

Horseshoe crabs are bled alive at a facility in Charleston, S.C., in June 2014.

Environment

Vaccines are still tested with horseshoe crab blood. The industry is finally changing

11:00am September 23, 2023

by Chiara Eisner

The horseshoe crab bleeding industry is in transition. One biomedical company agreed to more oversight, and a regulatory group is paving the way for drug companies to use animal-free alternatives.

In The Enchanted Symphony, a young boy named Piccolino harnesses the power of art, nature and community.

Books
Arts

A concert audience of houseplants? A new kids' book tells the surprisingly true tale

9:59am September 23, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

The latest children's book from Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton and illustrator Elly McKay is about the power of nature and music. They discussed their creative process in an interview with NPR.

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