Alex Leff

Jane Arraf and Hadeel Al-Shalchi reported from Amman, Jordan; Daniel Estrin reported from Tel Aviv, Israel; Ruth Sherlock and Durrie Bouscaren from Turkey; Jennifer Pak from Beijing; Tovia Smith from Boston; Julia Simon from San Francisco; Jawad Rizkallah from Beirut; Jackie Northam from Maine; Michele Kelemen, Camila Domonoske, Deepa Shivaram, Ayana Archie and Alex Leff from Washington.

This is @npr.org ❤️

So proud to work for a news organization (WITH NO PAYWALLS!) that is not gutting our Middle East coverage, but expanding it.

📻 🌍 🎧

Satellite images provide view inside Iran at war Satellite images from commercial companies show the extent of U.S. and Israeli strikes, and how Iran is responding.

Commercial satellite images are providing a unique look at the extent of damage being done to Iran's military facilities across the country.
@npr.org's @gbrumfiel.bsky.social
www.npr.org/2026/03/01/n...

Big protest at the Lincoln Monument. Seven D.C. high schools walked out to come here.

OpenAI says it shares Anthropic's 'red lines' over military AI use OpenAI's Sam Altman says he shares the "red lines" set by rival Anthropic restricting how the military uses AI models, amid Anthropic's escalating feud with the Pentagon.

OpenAI's Sam Altman says he shares the "red lines" set by rival Anthropic restricting how the military uses AI models, amid Anthropic's escalating feud with the Pentagon. n.pr/4rO27YE

Here's a quick write-up on Cuban Coast Guard killing 4 and injuring 6 people on a Florida-registered boat:

www.wlrn.org/americas/202...

Summers To Resign From Teaching Appointments, Relinquish University Professorship Over Epstein Ties | News | The Harvard Crimson Former Harvard President Larry Summers will resign from his academic and faculty appointments at Harvard at the end of the academic year, relinquishing his University Professorship — Harvard’s highest...

Larry Summers resignation from Harvard over Epstein ties was first reported by @theharvardcrimson.bsky.social www.thecrimson.com/article/2026..., according to @wbur.org www.wbur.org/news/2026/02...

What's next for Ukraine, 4 years after Russia's invasion European leaders are in Kyiv on Tuesday to show support for Ukraine

Toma Istomina tells @wbur.org US has created a false expectation there's "a peace deal around the corner" and you don't need to follow the news or pay attention to Ukraine anymore "which just couldn't be further away from reality here on the ground" www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2...

Justice Department withheld and removed some Epstein files related to Trump An NPR investigation finds the public database of Epstein files is missing dozens of pages related to sexual abuse accusations against President Trump.

An NPR investigation finds the public database of Epstein files is missing dozens of pages related to sexual abuse accusations against President Trump. n.pr/4qTItsU

'Given a gun and sent to die': Kenyans lured to fight for Russia in Ukraine Kenya's intelligence service warns that over 1,000 citizens may have been recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine, many under false pretenses.

"Given a gun and sent to die": More than 1,000 Kenyans are now believed to have been recruited by Russia to fight in Ukraine — far higher than earlier estimates,
@emmanueligunza.bsky.social reports in Nairobi for @npr.org
www.npr.org/2026/02/21/n...

Ogden, Schumacher grab silver for U.S. in Olympic cross-country team sprint, Diggins falls short U.S. cross-country skiers Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher power to a silver medal in the men's team sprint. U.S. women led by Jessie Diggins finish off the podium.

Wow. www.npr.org/2026/02/18/n...

Lindsey Vonn is in stable condition

Trump officials propose testing a citizenship question amid a push to alter the census The Trump administration proposes to include a question about U.S. citizenship status in this year's field test of the 2030 census, as Republicans push to alter the counts behind voting maps.

My latest @npr.org story: The Trump administration is proposing to include a U.S. citizenship question in this year's field test of the #2030Census in Huntsville, Ala., and Spartanburg, S.C., as Republicans push to alter the counts behind voting maps

With fantastic photos and footage by Valerio Muscella www.instagram.com/valeriomusce...

@npr.org's Ruth Sherlock reports from Cortina, Italy, where environmentalists are worried about the impact of the 2026 Olympics on a UNESCO World Heritage Site www.npr.org/2026/02/05/n...

Greetings from Kyiv, where candles are the last option during wartime blackouts Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world.

"February ... is sobbing," the Ukrainian poet Iya Kiva wrote of the "damned winter" in 2022, when Russia's full-scale invasion began, "and the candle drips on the table, burning and burning." www.npr.org/2026/02/04/g...

Melinda French Gates reacts to new details about Bill Gates in the Epstein files In an interview on NPR's Wild Card podcast, Melinda French Gates reacts to her ex-husband, Bill Gates, being mentioned in the most recent release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

"We're having a reckoning as a society" related to revelations about Jeffrey Epstein, Melinda French Gates tells @npr.org Rachel Martin www.npr.org/2026/02/03/n...

Paris prosecutors raid X offices as part of investigation into child abuse images The prosecutors raided the offices of X as part of a preliminary investigation into allegations including spreading child sexual abuse images and deepfakes. They also summoned owner Elon Musk for ques...

France is investigating X for alleged complicity in possessing & spreading pornographic images of minors, sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity, among other charges — AP reports www.npr.org/2026/02/03/g...

MPR has been doing fantastic, heartbreaking, necessary reporting.

Local public media will always have my heart.

U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats have done little to stop the flow of illegal drugs Despite dozens of lethal U.S. military strikes on suspected narco-boats, drug flows continue, allies are alarmed, and Caribbean fishermen say their livelihoods are under threat.

Despite dozens of lethal U.S. military strikes on suspected narco-boats, drug flows continue, allies are alarmed, and Caribbean fishermen say their livelihoods are under threat. n.pr/3MbGuBL

Bucking a Global Trend, Spain Offers Undocumented Migrants a Legal Way to Stay

Spain did this when I lived there in the early 00s too. Spain Is Different www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/w...

Here's who's canceled their Kennedy Center performances since Trump took over Renée Fleming is the latest to say they will not perform at the Kennedy Center.

Update: Renée Fleming is the latest to say they will not perform at the Kennedy Center.

Gladys West, mathematician whose work paved the way for GPS, dies at 95 A self-described "little farm girl" in the Jim Crow Era, Gladys West's complex and pioneering work for the U.S. Navy helped to improve billions of lives — and keep us from getting lost.

She navigated segregation to become an esteemed mathematician — and today, her work helps billions of people navigate the world.
www.npr.org/2026/01/23/n...

FBI executes search warrant at Washington Post reporter’s home The search came as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified government materials.

"While it is not unusual for FBI agents to conduct leak investigations of reporters who publish sensitive government information, it is highly unusual and aggressive for law enforcement to conduct a search on a reporter’s home." www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

Latin American left responds to Trump's pledge to take over of Venezuelan oil Latin America's left is in disarray after the seizure of Nicolas Maduro and the U.S.'s pledge to take over Venezuela's oil industry. Many on the left are changing their rhetoric about President Trump.

My colleague Carrie Kahn has this assessment of the state of Latin America's left amid the US takeover in Venezuela and threats elsewhere www.npr.org/2026/01/11/n...

Why Spain’s prime minister is most vociferous EU leader criticising US on Venezuela Pedro Sánchez warns that Donald Trump’s actions push Latin America towards ‘uncertainty, warmongering’

Why Spain's prime minister is the most vociferous EU leader criticizing the US on Venezuela www.irishtimes.com/world/europe...

How a detention center awoke a decades-old environmental fight The fight against the Everglades' immigration detention center is not the first time the land has been at the heart of environmental controversy.

How a detention center awoke a decades-old environmental fight - from @wusf.org
www.wusf.org/everglades

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announces it is shutting down in May The company said it has lost more than $350 million during the past two decades while operating the Post-Gazette.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is shutting down. Condolences to the staff of journalists.
All the more reason to support the local public media in Pittsburgh.
www.wesa.fm/economy-busi...

Mexico becomes crucial fuel supplier to Cuba but pledges no extra shipments after Maduro toppled Mexico has emerged as a key fuel supplier to Havana as the United States prepares to seize control of Venezuelan oil and the administration of U.S.

Mexico becomes crucial fuel supplier to Cuba but pledges no extra shipments after Maduro toppled
apnews.com/article/mexi...

Swiss investigators believe sparkling candles atop wine bottles ignited fatal bar fire Investigators say they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fire at a Swiss ski resort when they came too close to the ceiling of a bar crowded with New Year's Eve revelers. Fo...

Swiss investigators believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited a fatal fire at a Swiss ski resort when they came too close to the ceiling of a bar crowded with New Year's Eve revelers. www.npr.org/2026/01/02/g...

Happy New Year, Oxy