Alex Leff

Death of Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna: RSF welcomes preliminary investigation into Russian prison director On Thursday, 7 August, Ukrainian authorities announced the launch of an investigation into the director of Taganrog prison in Russia for his involvement in the torture of Ukrainian journalist Victoria...

#Ukraine: RSF pays tribute to reporter Victoria Roshchyna, who died in captivity in #Russia & was buried in Kyiv today. Those responsible must be brought to justice. Ukraine's investigation into the director of Taganrog prison, where she was held, is a welcome first step.
rsf.org/en/death-ukr...

Trump says he will host Putin in Alaska next Friday to talk about Ukraine President Trump has been pushing to broker an end to the war in Ukraine since he took office. But it hasn't been quick or easy.

Trump says he'll meet Putin in Alaska in a week.
www.npr.org/2025/08/08/n...

Uganda’s yearly coffee earnings almost double The results were bolstered by global coffee prices hitting record highs this year.

Uganda’s yearly coffee earnings almost double

www.semafor.com/article/08/0...

Pregnant at 13 in 1991, a St. Louis native sent to a maternity home now speaks out Toni Pophum did everything she could to keep her baby. She’s one of several former residents to appear in “Liberty Lost,” a new podcast.

Reporting from listener-supported NPR member station @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/show/st-loui...

Ukraine proposes Zelenskyy, Putin, Trump and Erdogan meet this summer The two sides made little progress toward a ceasefire — despite President Trump's threats of harsh new economic penalties on Moscow should it fail to agree to a deal by early September.

After talks with Russia in Istanbul, Ukraine's delegation head said he proposed a meeting with Zelenskyy, Putin, Trump and Erdogan to take place by end of August. www.npr.org/2025/07/23/n...

🇵🇷 VIDEO: Gentrification in Puerto Rico triggers displacement and anger

Like many Puerto Ricans, Gloria Cuevas was forced out of her rental home in Rincón by the rising cost of living and an explosion of short-term rentals on the Caribbean island.

Marines to leave LA They were sent to LA during anti-ICE protests

Marines to leave LA -
from NPR member @laist.com
laist.com/brief/news/p...

Federal climate spending cuts mean big losses for ag science and the future of farming in Colorado The federal government abruptly canceled funding for Climate Smart Agriculture in April. The move cut millions of dollars for important scientific research into how farmers can adapt to climate change...

Federal climate spending cuts mean big losses for ag science and the future of farming in Colorado - reporting by northern Colorado station KUNC www.kunc.org/news/2025-07...

Zelenskiy / Official Провів зустріч із міністром закордонних справ Франції Жаном-Ноелем Барро. Обговорили оборонну допомогу, особливо потребу в засобах ППО, тренування наших воїнів, результати зустрічей у форматі «Рамшта...

Zelenskyy says French companies will begin manufacturing drones in Ukraine t.me/V_Zelenskiy_...

Louisville Public Media has now raised:

$444,000.

In a little more than one day. Dunno, I’m pretty speechless. And I guess I’ll still be employed here for awhile. Can’t thank everybody enough who donated!

Israel strikes Gaza church, killing 3 and wounding priest who was close to late pope Until his final days, the late Pope Francis had regularly spoken to the priest at Gaza's Catholic church about the situation in the war-ravaged territory.

An Israeli shell slammed into the compound of a Catholic church in Gaza, killing three people and wounding 10 others. Among those injured are the priest who had regular calls with the late Pope Francis until his final days. www.npr.org/2025/07/17/n...

Two-thirds of the DOJ unit defending Trump policies in court have quit The U.S. Justice Department unit charged with defending against legal challenges to signature Trump administration policies - such as restricting birthright citizenship and slashing funding to Harvard University - has lost nearly two-thirds of its staff, according to a list seen by Reuters.

Two-thirds of the DOJ unit defending Trump policies in court have quit @agoudsward.bsky.social www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...

Senators question Trump plan to kill federal funds for PBS, NPR and some foreign aid Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee pushed back against the Trump administration's bid to rescind federal funding for public broadcasting and international aid programs.

Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee pushed back against the Trump administration's bid to kill $9 billion in federal funding that Congress already has approved for public broadcasting and international aid programs.

www.npr.org/2025/06/25/n...

Live Updates: U.S. Moves B-2 Bombers as Iran and Israel Exchange Strikes

“not unusual to shift military assets into position to provide options to president even if they are not ultimately deployed. also possible the US purposely allowed the public to know about movement of the bombers to pressure Iran to come to the negotiating table.” www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06...

Israel vows to intensify attacks after Iranian missile hits major hospital Officials said they were still assessing "extensive damage" at a major hospital in southern Israel after it was struck by an Iranian missile early Thursday.

Iran's foreign minister is due to meet Friday with European countries that helped negotiate the 2015 Iran deal. In a joint statement, France, Germany and the UK called for all sides to show restraint and return to diplomacy.
www.npr.org/2025/06/19/n...

Suck-ups, Lickspittles, and Toadeaters: Words for Flatterers and Sycophants

Oh Merriam-Webster 🤣🤣
"You may have the idea that you know where the word brownnoser comes from, and we regret to inform you that you are probably correct."
www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/suc...

Greetings from Palmyra, Syria, with its once-grand hotel named for a warrior queen Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international correspondents share snapshots of moments from their lives and work around the world.

"Battered and bullet-ridden but still standing! It doesn't look it now, but this was one of the most elegant hotels in the Middle East."
Check out Jane Arraf's postcard from Syria — part of a weekly series at @npr.org
www.npr.org/2025/06/11/g...

Sly Stone, thank you for being yourself.
This song was just piping through the speakers at Athens airport.

A baklava crawl in the Turkish city that's obsessed with the pastry Here's how the Turkish city of Gaziantep became synonymous with baklava, the sweet pastry made of layers of phyllo dough, filled with nuts and soaked in syrup or honey.

@npr.org's Fatma Tanis and Claire Harbage had one of the most enviable assignments: a baklava tour across Gaziantep, Turkey www.npr.org/2025/06/07/n...

A surprise find in Michigan shows the extent of ancient Native American agriculture Hundreds of acres in Michigan are covered in parallel rows of earth that are the remains of an ancient Native American agricultural system. The surprise find has archaeologists amazed.

Archaeologists studying a forested area in northern Michigan say they've uncovered what is likely the largest intact remains of an ancient Native American agricultural site in the eastern half of the US
www.npr.org/2025/06/06/n...

DHS memo details how National Guard troops will be used for immigration enforcement The memo obtained by NPR says troops would be used in activities, including in "night operations and rural interdiction," as well as "guard duty and riot control" inside detention facilities.

National Guard would be used in immigration-enforcement activities including "night operations and rural interdiction," as well as "guard duty and riot control" inside detention facilities, per DHS memo reported by @npr.org's Tom Bowman + @ximenabustillo.bsky.social www.npr.org/2025/06/06/n...

Latest from Willem Marx for @npr.org

things are happening over at ex

Greetings from Afrin, Syria, where Kurds danced their hearts out to celebrate spring Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international correspondents share moments from their lives and work around the world.

You may have heard of a singing telegram. This is a dancing postcard! And so much joy in their celebration. The latest from @npr.org's Far-Flung Postcard series
www.npr.org/2025/05/21/g...

Trump unveils ambitious and expensive plans for 'Golden Dome' missile defense The plan includes a vast array of space-based sensors and interceptors.

Trump says Golden Dome will cost $175 billion and be completed by the end of his term--about 3.5 years form now.

www.npr.org/2025/05/20/n...

Bikes and bakeries are back: War-torn Khartoum struggles to rebuild Government forces retook the capital city from rebel troops in April. Now comes the task of rebuilding what was once a bustling metropolis on the Nile.

Children are playing again on the streets of Khartoum.
A dispatch from @npr.org's Emmanuel Akinwotu in Sudan
www.npr.org/sections/goa...

US overdose deaths fell by 27% last year — the largest one-year decline ever recorded Annual overdose deaths are still higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, says the CDC, which has been collecting comparable data for 45 years.

All but two states saw declines last year, with Nevada and South Dakota seeing small increases.

Some of the biggest drops were in Ohio, West Virginia and other states that have been hard-hit in the nation’s decades-long overdose epidemic.

Greetings from Dharamshala, India, where these Tibetan kids were having the best time Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international correspondents share snapshots capturing moments from their lives and work in places around the world.

The Tibetan diaspora in India is smaller than it was in the days when the Dalai Lama settled there. But this school in Dharamshala continues to take in Tibetan children and teach them about their heritage — @diaahadid.bsky.social explains in @npr.org's new postcard series www.npr.org/2025/05/14/g...

Uruguay's ex-President José Mujica, nicknamed 'world's poorest president,' dies at 89 José Mujica, the charismatic former guerrilla fighter who later went on to lead Uruguay and became known as "the world's poorest president" for his austere lifestyle, has died at 89.

José Mujica, a former guerrilla fighter who became a symbol of national reconciliation after he disarmed and was elected president of Uruguay, and whose frugal living earned him the nickname "the world's poorest president," has died. He was 89. www.npr.org/2025/05/13/n...

Museum opens in Czech Republic at site where Oskar Schindler saved 1,200 Jews The former textile factory in the town of Brněnec was stolen by the Nazis from its Jewish owners in 1938 and turned into a concentration camp. This weekend it welcomed the first visitors to the Museum...

The site, a former textile factory in the town of Brněnec, about 100 miles east of Prague, was stolen by the Nazis from its Jewish owners in 1938 and turned into a concentration camp. This weekend it welcomed the first visitors to the Museum of Survivors - AP www.npr.org/2025/05/12/g...