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While recent research shows the night sky is getting brighter every year across North America, the Big Bend area in Texas has fended off the light glow that washes out starry nights.

(Image credit: Paul Ratje/Paul Ratje for NPR)

Seventy-six percent of Americans think that democracy is under a serious threat, according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll. And their faith in political leadership in the White House and Congress is low.

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The California legislature wants doctors to get more educated about menopause symptoms and treatment. It's one of a number of states passing menopause-related legislation.

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A new federal survey - taken after every major election - shows in 2024, mail-in voting was down but early, in-person voting was up. And, a shortage of poll workers is a looming problem.

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New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani discusses his vision for the city and his surprise win in last week's Democratic primary on Morning Edition.

Paetongtarn has faced growing dissatisfaction over her handling of the latest border dispute with Cambodia, involving an armed confrontation on May 28 in which one Cambodian soldier was killed.

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The cafe, one of the few businesses to continue operating during the 20-month war, was a gathering spot for residents seeking internet access and a place to charge their phones.

(Image credit: Jehad Alshrafi)

A bloody war for control between two factions of the powerful Sinaloa Cartel has turned the city of Culiacan into an epicenter of cartel violence.

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The massive budget bill that Senate Republicans are debating pays for some of its tax cuts by slashing hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicaid spending. The latest report from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates nearly 12 million people will lose health insurance if the Senate version of the bill becomes law.

Trump insists the cuts come from eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. Democrats have said they break Trump's promise not to touch Medicaid — and over the weekend, Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina agreed. "What do I tell 663,000 people in two years or three years when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off of Medicaid because the funding's not there anymore?"

We asked Sarah Jane Tribble, the chief rural correspondent for KFF Health News, what the cuts will mean for rural residents of states like North Carolina — and the hospitals that serve them.

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The court closed its latest term on Friday, but it will still be working on a steady stream of emergency appeals in the coming weeks and months.

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Russia attacked Ukraine with over 500 drones and missiles over the weekend, it was the largest air assault since the Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine over three years ago. The barrage included targets in Western Ukraine, a region far from the front lines that doesn't often see bombardments. We get the latest from our correspondent in Kyiv.

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The Justice Department announced charges in what officials describe as the largest health care fraud bust in DOJ history.

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As the Senate debates the giant tax and spending bill, lawmakers are weighing a Sept. 30 end date for the EV tax credits. The bill still needs to pass the Senate and then go through reconciliation.

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British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan led chants against the Israeli military in a live BBC broadcast on Saturday. Irish-language rappers Kneecap also are being investigated.

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The DNA data of millions of people who used 23andMe's services won't be sold to a pharmaceutical company. A bankruptcy judge greenlighted the sale of the remnants of the firm, including its wealth of genetic data, to a nonprofit led by co-founder Anne Wojcicki.

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Two firefighters were killed and a third wounded in northern Idaho, police say, when an armed man ambushed them after intentionally setting a brush fire to lure them to the scene.

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The Trump administration has issued a notice of violation accusing Harvard University of "deliberate indifference" toward Jewish and Israeli students.

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Canada scrapped a digital services tax that would have hit U.S. tech companies such as Google and Amazon after President Trump halted trade talks and threatened higher tariffs on Canadian imports.

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The WNBA is adding three new teams: Cleveland will join in 2028, Detroit begins play in 2029 and Philadelphia will be added to the roster in 2030. This will bring the league to a record 18 teams.

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The Trump administration is developing a searchable national citizenship data system, worrying some officials. And, the Senate focuses on the sweeping Republican tax and spending bill.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)