NPR News

Pope Leo XIV delivers the Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026.

Pope Leo XIV to undergo lung surgery this week

Ava Pukatch

Pope Leo XIV said he would undergo surgery after doctors found a "localized nodule" in his lung.

Workers place sandbags outside a restaurant as Hurricane Simon approaches Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.

Hurricane Simon nears Mexico with 155 mph winds and flooding fears

The Associated Press

The eye of Hurricane Simon was just off the Pacific coast of Mexico early Sunday and was expected to move inland later in the day as an extremely powerful storm.

How Trump reshaped the DOJ's Civil Rights Division to serve his agenda

Ryan Lucas, Ayesha Rascoe

The Civil Rights Division, long the crown jewel of the Justice Department, has been radically reshaped under President Trump, using its enforcement powers to pursue the president's MAGA agenda.

The gates to Markoff's Haunted Forest in Dickerson, Maryland, is reminiscent of folk horror classics like "The Wicker Man."

Don't be scared: Being afraid is outright fun, and maybe useful

Ryan Benk, Ayesha Rascoe

Listeners of NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday may already know that host Ayesha Rascoe loves horror. But why do scream queens (and kings) like her like what's frightening? The answer may surprise you.

Jyoti Kumari holds a photo of her dad, Mohan Paswan. She became a global celebrity after news spread of her 700-mile bicycle ride, carrying her injured father on her bicycle, to get him to their village. Promises were made to reward her heroic feat. Were they kept?

She was a global star: Teen bikes 700 miles carrying injured dad. Where is she now?

Kamala Thiagarajan

Her epic ride — carrying her injured dad on her $20 hot pink bicycle — made headlines. Promises were made — financial help, training for a cycling career, even a movie deal. Were any of them kept?

Sauna scientists Dr. Hans Hägglund (from left), Earric Lee and Ashley Mason take a steam in the Japanese sauna at The Well in Oslo, Norway. They are part of a group of international researchers studying the potential health benefits of sauna and other heat therapies.

Sweating the details: Sauna's potential health benefits draw scientists' interest

Will Stone

A group of international researchers is pushing to rigorously study the potential health benefits of sauna and other heat therapies. They hope to bring scientific legitimacy to the age-old practices.

Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the US Department of Justice, during an interview in Washington, D.C., in August 2026.

Reshaped civil rights mission at Justice Department transforms its work, workforce

Ryan Lucas

Harmeet Dhillon has pushed out hundreds of longtime attorneys, replaced many with inexperienced ideological allies, and used the division's enforcement powers to pursue the president's agenda.

In a sluggish hiring environment, people who are unemployed are taking longer to find new jobs. In many cases, unemployment benefits run out long before people return to work.

It's taking longer to find a new job after losing one

Scott Horsley

People who lose their jobs in this economy are taking longer to find new work. Nearly four in ten people exhaust their unemployment benefits before they land a new job.

In this file photo, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) listens at a House Appropriations Committee hearing on July 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. Gluesenkamp Perez is seeking reelection in one of the most competitive seats in the country.

In one of the country's most competitive districts, a Democrat tries to keep her seat

Saige Miller

In a highly competitive Washington congressional race, the incumbent Democrat has angered part of her party base and the Trump-backed Republican challenger faces backlash against the party in power.

This image from video obtained and verified by AP shows thick black smoke and flames rising from a fire at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

Attack on Riyadh airport killed 12 people and wounded over 300 more, Saudi authorities say

The Associated Press

Saudi authorities say the latest attack on the international airport in the capital, Riyadh, has killed 12 people and injured over 300. Their statement says the dead on Saturday included four Saudi citizens as well as two Bangladeshi nationals, a Palestinian, a U.S. citizen, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian and a Sudanese. It said some of those injured were in critical condition. The attack — the latest of several in the past week on King Khalid International Airport — is expected to increase Saudi pressure on allies including the United States to provide military support for the kingdom.