NPR Top Stories

Trump claims vandals damaged D.C. Reflecting Pool, and says it will be drained again
The president posted on Truth Social claiming vandals slashed the pool's lining and poured chemicals into the water, saying arrests have been made. He provided no evidence for his claims.
Willem Marx | Jun 21, 2026, 1:46 PM UTC

Colombia runoff vote shaped by security fears and conflict warnings
Voters head to a runoff in Colombia Sunday between candidates offering sharply different approaches to armed groups, with the frontrunner calling for intensified military action over peace talks
John Otis | Jun 21, 2026, 12:06 PM UTC

Adrian Chiarella's "Leviticus" shows that horror's final boys can find love
Homophobia lives, and stalks, in Adrian Chiarella's debut feature.
Ryan Benk | Jun 21, 2026, 12:00 PM UTC

A new survey on dads found that 9 out of 10 had a surprising reaction to fatherhood
Men are traditionally thought of as providers for their children. But a report that interviewed thousands of fathers found them embracing another role.
Kamala Thiagarajan | Jun 21, 2026, 10:38 AM UTC

Cambodia cracked down on scams costing Americans billions. It created a new crisis
Cambodia's crackdown on scam centers has created a secondary crisis: thousands of stranded foreign workers are now roaming the streets of Phnom Penh.
Shibani Mahtani | Jun 21, 2026, 10:00 AM UTC

Want to improve your agility? Try these exercises that combine speed and strength
These simple movements combine speed and strength to train your body's ability to rapidly generate force. They can also help prevent injury and boost agility.

DOJ memo stokes fear among disability advocates of a return to institutionalization
The Justice Department's opinion challenges civil rights protections that have long treated the institutionalization of disabled Americans as a last resort.
Cory Turner | Jun 20, 2026, 8:33 PM UTC

Opinion: Algae doesn't care about our party lines
President Trump's beautification project of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has become plagued with a robust algae bloom, despite a $14 million investment and a coating of "American flag blue."
Scott Simon | Jun 20, 2026, 12:00 PM UTC

Judy Blume says she's done writing: '50 years is enough!'
Judy Blume wrote her last book more than a decade ago. At the Santa Fe International Literary Festival, NPR's Scott Simon talked to Blume about her long career and why she doesn't miss writing.
Scott Simon, Samantha Balaban | Jun 20, 2026, 11:00 AM UTC

JD Vance arrives in Switzerland for talks with Iran over fragile peace deal
JD Vance arrived in Switzerland on Sunday for talks with Iranian officials, hoping to consolidate the fragile interim deal to end the war and kickstart fresh discussions over Tehran's nuclear program.



