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Canadian PM Trudeau Apologizes For Brownface Costume At 2001 Party

By Richard Gonzales • 5 hours ago

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is apologizing for having worn brownface makeup at a 2001 costume party.

"I should have known better then, but I didn't and I did it and I'm deeply sorry," he said to reporters in his campaign plane in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

California Governor Signs Law Protecting Gig Economy Workers

By Richard Gonzales • 8 hours ago

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping new labor law Wednesday extending wage and benefit protections to about a million workers and aimed primarily at drivers contracted by ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft.

Newsom had argued that when workers are misclassified as independent contractors rather than as employees, they lose basic benefits such as minimum wage, paid sick days, and health insurance.

Lawmakers Hear Emotional Stories From 'Forgotten Crisis' Of Military Domestic Violence

By Jessica Taylor • 8 hours ago

Former wives and partners of servicemen who survived domestic abuse told their harrowing stories before the House Armed Services military preparedness subcommittee as they pressed for more attention to and resources for the growing problem within the armed forces.

"We are here today because domestic violence has become a forgotten crisis in our military," chairwoman Jackie Speier, D-Calif., said in her opening remarks before the military preparedness subcommittee.

Attacks On Saudi Oil Facilities Pose Quandary For Trump Administration

By David Welna • 9 hours ago

American military and intelligence officials say they are accumulating a growing mound of evidence that Iran launched the airstrikes that idled about half of Saudi Arabia's oil production capacity over the weekend. But the Trump administration has been slow to respond to those attacks.

New Mexico Unveils Plan To Give Students Free College Tuition Regardless Of Income

By Bobby Allyn • 9 hours ago

New Mexico has announced a plan to make public college and university free for all residents in the state, a proposal considered one of the most ambitious attempts to make higher education more accessible.

Once A 'Rocket Ship,' National Security Council Now Avoided By Government Pros

By Franco Ordoñez • 10 hours ago

Updated at 6:16 p.m. ET

President Trump's brand-new national security adviser, Robert O'Brien, will inherit a National Security Council struggling to attract talent, current and former U.S. officials tell NPR.

California AG Discusses Fuel Standards Fight With Trump Administration

By editor • 10 hours ago

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

For decades, California has had a powerful tool in its fight against air pollution.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Tracking The Sackler Family's Hidden Assets

By editor • 10 hours ago

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

President Trump has named Robert O'Brien to be his fourth national security adviser. O'Brien is taking over one of the most important foreign policy jobs in Washington. The president praised his new national security adviser for his work as a State Department hostage envoy.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: He's worked with me for quite awhile now on hostages. And we've had a tremendous track record with respect to hostages.

Federal Reserve Cuts Interest Rates A Quarter-Point

By Scott Horsley • 10 hours ago

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

President Trump has named Robert O'Brien to be his fourth national security adviser. O'Brien is taking over one of the most important foreign policy jobs in Washington. The president praised his new national security adviser for his work as a State Department hostage envoy.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: He's worked with me for quite awhile now on hostages. And we've had a tremendous track record with respect to hostages.

Ohio Mayor Hopes A Strike Will Lead To GM's Return

By editor • 10 hours ago

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

President Trump has named Robert O'Brien to be his fourth national security adviser. O'Brien is taking over one of the most important foreign policy jobs in Washington. The president praised his new national security adviser for his work as a State Department hostage envoy.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: He's worked with me for quite awhile now on hostages. And we've had a tremendous track record with respect to hostages.

New Mexico Proposes Free Tuition For All State Colleges

By Elissa Nadworny • 10 hours ago

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

President Trump has named Robert O'Brien to be his fourth national security adviser. O'Brien is taking over one of the most important foreign policy jobs in Washington. The president praised his new national security adviser for his work as a State Department hostage envoy.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: He's worked with me for quite awhile now on hostages. And we've had a tremendous track record with respect to hostages.

Trump's Evolving Relationship With Saudi Arabia

By Jackie Northam • 10 hours ago

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Robert O'Brien, Trump's New National Security Adviser

By Greg Myre • 10 hours ago

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

President Trump has named Robert O'Brien to be his fourth national security adviser. O'Brien is taking over one of the most important foreign policy jobs in Washington. The president praised his new national security adviser for his work as a State Department hostage envoy.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: He's worked with me for quite awhile now on hostages. And we've had a tremendous track record with respect to hostages.

Saudi Arabia Says Iran 'Unquestionably Sponsored' Attack On Oil Facilities

By Bill Chappell • 11 hours ago

Saudi Arabia's military displayed pieces of missiles and drones Wednesday, saying the wreckage is proof that the recent attack that crippled Saudi oil production was "unquestionably" sponsored by Iran.

At a news conference in Riyadh, the capital, a Saudi military spokesman, Col. Turki al-Malki, said Saturday's strike came from the north — not from Yemen, where Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for the attack. Both Iran and Iraq are to the north of Saudi Arabia.

India Announces Widespread Ban Of E-Cigarettes

By Paolo Zialcita • 11 hours ago

The Indian government announced Wednesday a sweeping ban on electronic cigarette products. The decision was made with the intention of protecting young people from becoming addicted to nicotine.

The Cabinet approved the ordinance, which prohibits the manufacture, sale, storage and advertisement of all e-cigarette products.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, called the ban a "quantum jump towards healthy living."

California Pushes Back On Trump Administration Over Emissions Standards

By editor • 12 hours ago

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

President Trump has named Robert O'Brien to be his fourth national security adviser. O'Brien is taking over one of the most important foreign policy jobs in Washington. The president praised his new national security adviser for his work as a State Department hostage envoy.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: He's worked with me for quite awhile now on hostages. And we've had a tremendous track record with respect to hostages.

Hearing On Military Domestic Violence

By editor • 12 hours ago

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

President Trump has named Robert O'Brien to be his fourth national security adviser. O'Brien is taking over one of the most important foreign policy jobs in Washington. The president praised his new national security adviser for his work as a State Department hostage envoy.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: He's worked with me for quite awhile now on hostages. And we've had a tremendous track record with respect to hostages.

Book: 'Juliet Takes A Breath'

By editor • 12 hours ago

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

President Trump has named Robert O'Brien to be his fourth national security adviser. O'Brien is taking over one of the most important foreign policy jobs in Washington. The president praised his new national security adviser for his work as a State Department hostage envoy.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: He's worked with me for quite awhile now on hostages. And we've had a tremendous track record with respect to hostages.

New York City Debates Repealing Conversion Therapy Ban

By editor • 12 hours ago

The New York City Council is considering a repeal of a 2017 law that banned conversion therapy, the strongly-condemned practice of attempting to change a person's sexual orientation or gender.

Frank Lloyd Wright, But DIY: A Rare 'Usonian Automatic' House Is For Sale

By editor • 12 hours ago

The famed architect conceived a number of dwellings for the mass market to be made from concrete blocks. The idea never took off. But in New Hampshire, one such building is now hitting the market.

The Battle Over Fish Farming In The Open Ocean Heats Up, As EPA Permit Looms

By Leah Douglas • 12 hours ago

A diver maintains an open-water cage where tuna are being farmed in Izmir, Turkey.

Israel Goes To The Polls Again

By editor • 13 hours ago

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the political fight of his life. Israel held its second national election in six months and the polling for it is too close to call.

Journalist Andrea Mitchell: Asking Tough Questions Is 'Very Empowering'

By Terry Gross • 13 hours ago

TERRY GROSS, HOST:

This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross. My guest, Andrea Mitchell, will receive an Emmy for lifetime achievement next Tuesday at the News and Documentary Emmy ceremony. She is NBC's chief foreign affairs correspondent and anchor of MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports." Over the years, she's covered Congress, the White House, presidential campaigns, the State Department. She's reported from around the world, including war zones. She's asked tough questions to presidents and dictators. And various powerful people have tried to get her fired.

Racial Tensions Complicate The Search For A Missing Child In 'Heaven, My Home'

By John Powers • 13 hours ago

TERRY GROSS, HOST:

This is FRESH AIR. "Heaven, My Home" is the latest crime novel by Attica Locke, a prize-winning novelist also known for her television work, which includes writing for the hit series "Empire" and the recent Netflix mini series "When They See Us." This new book is the second in a series about an African American Texas ranger. And our critic-at-large John Powers says that Locke knows how to write a mystery novel that stings.

Storm Updates: Imelda Drenches Texas As Humberto Menaces Bermuda

By Bill Chappell • 14 hours ago

Updated at 11:20 p.m. ET

Heavy rains are triggering flash floods in eastern Texas from Tropical Depression Imelda — one of several large storms that forecasters have been watching. In the Atlantic, Bermuda is under a hurricane warning as the core of Hurricane Humberto passes north of the island as a Category 3 storm.

Deadly Brain Cancers Act Like 'Vampires' By Hijacking Normal Cells To Grow

By Jon Hamilton • 14 hours ago

Researchers are beginning to understand why certain brain cancers are so hard to stop.

Three studies published Wednesday in the journal Nature found that these deadly tumors integrate themselves into the brain's electrical network and then hijack signals from healthy nerve cells to fuel their own growth.

Pennsylvania State Senator Resigns After Arrest On Child Porn Charges

By Bobby Allyn & Paolo Zialcita • 15 hours ago

Updated 1:35 p.m. ET

A Pennsylvania state senator has stepped down following his arrest on charges of possession of child pornography.

Sen. Mike Folmer submitted his letter of resignation on Wednesday to Republican colleagues in Harrisburg, according to leadership in the state chamber.

What Robert O'Brien May Mean For National Security Policy And Foreign Relations

By Greg Myre & David Greene • 16 hours ago

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

President Trump has named Robert O'Brien to be his fourth national security adviser. O'Brien is taking over one of the most important foreign policy jobs in Washington. The president praised his new national security adviser for his work as a State Department hostage envoy.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: He's worked with me for quite awhile now on hostages. And we've had a tremendous track record with respect to hostages.

Brittany Howard Makes Her Declaration As A Solo Star

By Noel King & Sydney Harper • 17 hours ago

As lead singer and guitarist of Alabama Shakes, Brittany Howard has earned her accolades and then some. Since 2009, the band has won four Grammys, performed at the White House and heralded some of roots rock's biggest hits this decade. Still, Howard feels the urge to try something new every few years.

Democratic Donor Ed Buck Accused Of Running A Drug Den After A 3rd Man ODs

By Bill Chappell • 17 hours ago

Updated at 11:40 a.m. ET

Los Angeles County prosecutors say they have charged Democratic donor and LGBTQ activist Ed Buck with running a drug house and other crimes after a man overdosed on methamphetamine at Buck's apartment last week. The man survived, but two other men have died from overdoses at Buck's apartment in the past two years.

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