Three of the Pentagon projects surveyed by GAO included weapons for counter-camouflage (upper image) and target recognition (lower images). Government Accountability Office/GAO hide caption
October 23, 2026 • The Pentagon is building weapons and projects with AI capabilities that officials say don't always closely adhere to the agency's own guidelines for AI, according to a congressional watchdog report published in October.
A car is set ablaze during demonstrations on Saturday in Paris. Carl Court/Getty Images hide caption
October 22, 2026 • France has been rocked by protests and riots. The far-right is on the rise across Europe. All while, the United States is backing away from Ukraine. President Trump has been trying to obliterate the post-WWII order since his first term … is he finally succeeding?
The CIA symbol is shown on the floor of CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Mark Wilson/Getty Images hide caption
October 21, 2026 • Advancements in technology have changed the nature of economic espionage. David Cohen, the former deputy director of the CIA, says that the United States should break with years of protocol and take a more proactive approach to protect American companies.
The U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, where Nidal Malik Hasan is being held on death row, is seen in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images hide caption
October 16, 2026 • A majority of Americans support the death penalty for people convicted of murder, but support becomes more divided when questions vary.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sits down for an interview with NPR in Kyiv. Svet Jacqueline for NPR hide caption
October 15, 2026 • A crucial military communication system was disrupted in Ukraine this week, as Russian attacks pounded energy sites.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks at the Association of the United States Army 2026 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 14. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
October 15, 2026 • Defense Secretary Hegseth's announcement of a livestreamed execution elicited reactions of disgust and condemnation from some faith leaders and politicians. But within his church, it's not an outlier.
President Trump stops to speak to members of the media as he departs the White House on Oct. 13, 2026. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption
October 13, 2026 • Six Democratic and six Republican senators wrote a letter calling on President Trump to withdraw from his recent deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Sailors wave aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier as it returns to Naval Air Station North Island after deployment Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Coronado, Calif. Gregory Bull/AP hide caption
October 8, 2026 • The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier has returned home after a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea supporting the Iran war. The extended deployment drew attention following reports of crew stress and supply shortages.
The former head of the BND, Germany's foreign intelligence service, was arrested on charges of treasonous espionage this week. Steffi Loos/Getty Images hide caption
October 8, 2026 • A German spy chief is arrested for treasonous espionage. What exactly is he accused of doing? Also, two tech billionaires are leading the Pentagon’s future of war project. Is that a problem?
This image provided by U.S. Department of Justice, and contained in a court filing, shows gold bars and cash that was seized from a David J. Rush's home, during a search on May 19, 2026, in Ashburn, Va. U.S. Dept. of Justice via AP hide caption
October 7, 2026 • A former senior CIA official pleaded guilty Tuesday to a charge that he abused his position to enrich himself by acquiring Florida real estate and hundreds of gold bars worth over $40 million.
Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced "Project Meridian: The Future of Warfare," a study of automated and AI-powered weaponry. Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press hide caption
October 6, 2026 • Musk's company, SpaceX, and Luckey's company Anduril, could potentially benefit from recommendations made in the study about future autonomous weapon systems.
FBI Director Kash Patel testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in September 2026 in Washington, D.C. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption
October 6, 2026 • The cuts come as a consequence of President Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel's focus on violent crime and immigration, leaving other priorities understaffed.
A U.S. military plane prepares for takeoff from Camp Victory on the outskirts of Baghdad International Airport in the final days of U.S. operations in Iraq. Ammar Karim/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
October 1, 2026 • For the second time since the 2003 invasion, the last American troops have left Iraq.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gives a "State of the Force" address at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Wednesday in Quantico, Va. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption
September 30, 2026 • Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told hundreds of junior military officers and enlisted leaders on Wednesday that the Trump administration has achieved a cultural shift in the military.
The J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building is seen on Sept. 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Samuel Corum/Getty Images hide caption
September 30, 2026 • The FBI says it's addressing a massive data breach, vowing to go after the hackers it believes are responsible.
Vehicles drive past a billboard carrying the Arabic slogan "Reclaiming the decision and building the home," at Saadoun Square in Baghdad on Tuesday. Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
September 30, 2026 • 23 years after the United States military invaded Iraq, sparking an insurgency and a civil war, the U.S. has withdrawn its forces, as the country still tries to combat Iranian influence.
Jaimie Bethea, a 21-year-old mass communication specialist, had been deployed on the USS Fort Lauderdale for more than 11 months. She died by suicide in June, a month before the ship finally returned to Norfolk, Va. Arianna Calderon hide caption
September 29, 2026 • Jaimie Bethea, a 21-year-old mass communication specialist, had been deployed on the USS Fort Lauderdale for more than 11 months. She died by suicide in June.
FILE - The OpenAI logo is displayed on a cell phone in front of an image generated by ChatGPT's Dall-E text-to-image model, Dec. 8, 2023, in Boston. Michael Dwyer/AP hide caption
September 26, 2026 • The disclosure is the latest in a string of incidents in which the AI platform has been caught going rogue. OpenAI says it is reviewing the findings.
President Donald Trump's speech Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly in New York was an assault on the core ideas of the U.N. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption
September 24, 2026 • President Trump used his speech at the United Nations General Assembly to attack the principles the organization is built on. Does the U.N. stand a chance in a new era of great power rivalry?
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks to the press during a press conference in the gardens of the Prime Minister's Chancellery building in Warsaw on July 3. Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
September 18, 2026 • Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that these potential strikes "intend to paralyze NATO" in an attempt to demonstrate that Article 5 "exists only in theory."
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei issued a call for a slowdown of frontier AI research over the weekend. Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images hide caption
September 17, 2026 • All a sudden everyone is talking about the risk of an AI catastrophe or, in the case of President Trump, an AI "hoax."
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche delivers remarks during a press briefing in the Rose Garden of the White House on Tuesday. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images hide caption
September 16, 2026 • The indictment says the defendants belong to a network that "is one arm of the Russian Federation's apparatus used to carry out external attacks" worldwide.
Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink speaks during the United States Air Force Academy Graduation Ceremony at Falcon Stadium, Thursday, May 28, 2026, at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. Matt Rourke//Pool AP via AP hide caption
September 16, 2026 • The remarkable revelation comes after previous warnings about countries such as Russia possibly weaponizing a global frontier long agreed in treaties to be used for only peaceful purposes.
S. was born in Pakistan to Somali parents and raised in Canada. She joined ISIS as a young woman and eventually escaped, becoming an informant against the group. Illustration by Hanna Barczyk for NPR hide caption
September 13, 2026 • A young Canadian mother shares her memories of being an ISIS bride, and her harrowing escape from the extremist group.
