News

Politics & Government

Why The Rate Of Congressional Confirmations Are Down Under The Trump Administration

5:31pm April 18, 2018

The Trump Administration is frustrated with what it says is the obstruction of nominees in Congress. NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Marc Short, White House Legislative Affairs Director, about why the rate of confirmations is down.

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Politics & Government

Senate Majority Leader Says Law To Protect Special Counsel Mueller Isn't Necessary

5:31pm April 18, 2018

by Kelsey Snell

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has squashed the idea of a vote on a bill that would protect special counsel Robert Mueller from being fired by President Trump.

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Senators Have More Questions For CIA Director Mike Pompeo After North Korea Trip

5:31pm April 18, 2018

by Michele Kelemen

CIA director Mike Pompeo made a secret trip to North Korea and met with the country's leader Kim Jong Un. He's also trying to get confirmed as Secretary of State, the nation's top diplomat.

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How do we make sense of all that chatter?

How People Learned To Recognize Monkey Calls Reveals How We All Make Sense Of Sound

5:31pm April 18, 2018

by Jon Hamilton

A brain imaging study of grown-ups hints at how children learn that "dog" and "fog" have different meanings, even though they sound so much alike.

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A member of the Victorville public works team clears tumbleweeds from homes in Victorville, Calif., on Monday.

National

'Houses Disappeared' When Tumbleweeds Rolled Into This California City

5:08pm April 18, 2018

by Amy Held

A resident of Victorville, Calif., says tumbleweeds roll in whenever a strong wind kicks up but that this latest round felt "like we were being invaded."

World News

Cuba Will Soon Be Led By Someone Who Is Not A Castro

5:06pm April 18, 2018

by Carrie Kahn

For the first time since 1959, the communist island of Cuba will not be run by a Castro. On Thursday, Raúl Castro will hand the presidency over to a successor, widely believed to be First Vice President Miguel Díaz-Canel.

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Asylum-seeker Allan Monga, 19, won Maine's Poetry Out Loud competition in March. But he's been barred from the national competition because he's not a citizen or permanent resident.

Maine Asylum-Seeker Fights For His Right To Poetry

5:00pm April 18, 2018

by Robbie Feinberg

Allan Monga won Maine's Poetry Out Loud competition last month, but the NEA barred him from the national stage because of his immigration status. Now he's suing for his right to participate.

The Thomas Fire advanced toward Santa Barbara County on Dec. 10, 2017 in Carpinteria, Calif.

As Climate Costs Grow, Some See A Moneymaking Opportunity

4:59pm April 18, 2018

by Christopher Joyce

Extreme weather cost Americans over $300 billion last year. Scientists say climate change will bring more of that. Entrepreneurs and businesses see a new market in gauging risk.

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A Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd. C919 aircraft stands under assembly in Shanghai in 2017. Proposed U.S. tariffs take special aim at the "Made in China 2025" plan, which supports development of advanced technologies in fields such as artificial in

World News

Beijing Forges Ahead With 'Made In China' Policy, Targeted By Proposed U.S. Tariffs

4:59pm April 18, 2018

by Anthony Kuhn

"Why should one country take aim at another country's policy to develop its own economy?" a Chinese auto industry leader says of U.S. threats and tariffs. "Just mind your own business."

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There are variations in the appearance of severely bleached corals. Here, the coral displays pink fluorescing tissue signalling heat stress.

Science

Climate Change Is Killing Coral On The Great Barrier Reef

4:46pm April 18, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

The ecosystem has collapsed for 29 percent of the 3,863 reefs in the giant coral reef system, according to new research. Scientists are learning which corals are the "winners" and "losers."