Students at the University of Virginia help eligible voters register to vote in Charlottesville, Va., in 2024. Ryan M. Kelly/AP hide caption
October 28, 2026 • Student voters studying outside their hometown have a right to choose where they register to vote. Advocates say a Montana legal fight is a reminder of a misunderstanding of those students' rights.
October 13, 2026 • Prices can get sticky. That helps explain why recessions hurt so much — and what policymakers can do about them.
In North Braintree, Mass., larger lot sizes imposed decades ago have meant fewer homes, and bigger more expensive ones. Voters will decide whether to force cities to allow smaller homes on smaller lots. Jennifer Ludden/NPR hide caption
October 13, 2026 • Voters in Massachusetts will decide whether to require cities and towns to allow smaller homes on smaller lots. A growing number of states are doing the same to help ease a housing shortage.
A Wake County Board of Elections employee prepares a mail-in ballot to be sent out to a voter in September in Raleigh, N.C. Matt Ramey/AP hide caption
October 9, 2026 • If you're using the U.S. Postal Service to return a ballot close to Election Day, officials recommend getting it postmarked at a post office to avoid getting caught up in mail processing changes.
Revolvers are displayed on a countertop during the NRA conference on April 18 in Houston. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption
September 18, 2026 • A felony conviction usually means losing rights like voting, serving on a jury or owning a gun. But for the first time in decades, the Justice Department is giving ex-felons a chance to get at least one of those rights back: gun ownership.
Macklemore performs in France on Aug. 30. He was later removed from Ed Sheeran's tour after expressing solidarity with people in Gaza. Arnaud Finistre/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
September 17, 2026 • First Macklemore was dropped over Gaza. Then other artists walked. Ed Sheeran has largely stayed out of politics. Now, the empty stage is telling a different story.
August 25, 2026 • President Trump's Education Department is telling schools to stop considering race when it comes to school discipline.
OpenAI and Anthropic say their models broke into other companies' systems during testing, raising security concerns amid a heated debate over how to regulate AI. Imen Ben Youssef/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
August 1, 2026 • OpenAI and Anthropic say their models broke into other companies' systems during testing, raising security concerns amid a heated debate over how to regulate AI.
Students toss their mortarboards in the air at a 2018 commencement ceremony at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images hide caption
June 28, 2026 • The idea that there's a connection between federal student loans and what colleges charge dates back almost four decades. But it's unclear that link can lead to lower costs.
Participants hold their laptops in front of an illuminated wall at the annual Chaos Computer Club (CCC) computer hackers' congress, called 29C3, on December 28, 2012 in Hamburg, Germany. In 2026, open-weight AI models possess advanced capabilities not far behind their proprietary counterparts. Getting rid of open-weight models' guardrails used to take time and deep expertise. But in recent months, that process has become dramatically more accessible and popular. Patrick Lux/Getty Images Europe hide caption
May 31, 2026 • Open-weight AI models with advanced capabilities and no safeguards are becoming much more accessible. While they can be useful, AI safety experts have concerns.
Young boys are being enticed to engage in risky behaviors in pursuit of the perfect body and face, as part of an increasingly popular trend called looksmaxxing. Malte Mueller/Getty Images hide caption
May 1, 2026 • The trend among boys and young men of optimizing their physical appearance includes dangerous practices. Experts offer advice on how to talk to their sons about body image and healthy behaviors.
Members of the U.S. Secret Service counter assault team stand on the stage after a shooting incident outside the ballroom during the White House Correspondents Dinner on April 25 in Washington. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption
April 27, 2026 • Saturday's shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner raised questions about how close the alleged gunman got to the president and what the Secret Service security looked like.
March 30, 2026 • All children, regardless of immigration status, have the right to a free K-12 public education. But without birthright citizenship, access to schools and colleges could get complicated.
Iranian tanker docking at the platform of the oil facility in the Kharg Island, on the shore of the Persian Gulf. The island is responsible for 90% of Iran's oil exports, making it a lifeline for its economy. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
March 19, 2026 • The U.S. has struck Kharg Island a second time, hitting military targets again. If the U.S. were to hit the oil infrastructure there, that would be a serious blow to an already struggling global oil market.
Containers are stacked at the Port of Los Angeles on Friday. Damian Dovarganes/AP hide caption
March 18, 2026 • The Jones Act restricts which ships can carry goods between U.S. ports. Experts say temporarily lifting the act will do little to affect gas prices.
A supporter poses with a picture of Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, during a rally in central Tehran on Monday. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
March 9, 2026 • The second son of the late supreme leader keeps a low profile. But he's long been viewed as wielding his power behind the scenes, from crushing dissent to influencing presidential elections.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a press conference at the end of a Monetary Policy Committee meeting in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 29, 2025. JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
February 10, 2026 • On paper, the Fed chair is just one vote among many. In practice, the job carries far more influence. We analyze what gives the Fed chair power.
Shown from left are Tom Malinowski, Analilia Mejia and Tahesha Way, some of the 11 Democrats on the ballot in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District special primary election on Thursday. Spencer Platt/Getty Images; Alex Wong/Getty Images; Chris Pedota/USA Today Network via Reuters hide caption
February 5, 2026 • The contest is one of the first congressional primaries of the year where we will find out what issues are currently resonating with some Democratic voters. Here are some key things to know.
February 5, 2026 • Cutting back on ready-to-eat meals won't be easy, and whole milk may make a comeback. One thing that's certain: It'll be a while before the new guidelines trickle down to schools.
Law enforcement officers stand amid tear gas at the scene of a shooting Wednesday in Minneapolis. Adam Gray/AP hide caption
January 15, 2026 • As protests grow over violent ICE enforcement actions in Minneapolis, the president said he could invoke a centuries-old law that would give him sweeping powers to deploy the military in U.S. cities.
A Venezuelan supporter of U.S. operations in Venezuela celebrates in front of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on Saturday. John Lamparksi/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
January 5, 2026 • Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is being held in the troubled New York City jail that has housed high-profile defendants like Sean "Diddy" Combs, Ghislaine Maxwell and Honduras' former president.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado speaks during a press conference at the government's representative facilities in Oslo, Norway, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. Stian Lysberg Solum/Pool NTB Scanpix via AP hide caption
January 3, 2026 • The United States has captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Opposition leader María Corina Machado has been one of his biggest critics.