National News

National News

Retired Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. is set to receive the Medal of Honor from President Biden. CREDIT: Sgt. Henry Villarama/U.S. Army

He Risked His Life For His Platoon In Korea. At 94, He Will Get A Medal Of Honor

Col. Ralph Puckett, Jr. will be honored at the White House on Friday and awarded the Medal of Honor for his acts of “conspicuous gallantry” during the Korean War. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who will be in town to conduct diplomacy talks with President Biden, will attend the ceremony. Continue Reading He Risked His Life For His Platoon In Korea. At 94, He Will Get A Medal Of Honor

Read More »
A worker operates a forklift to move household waste at a facility that stores recyclable materials in Seoul, South Korea. In 2019, more than 130 million metric tons of single-use plastics were thrown away, according to a new report. CREDIT: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

Half Of The World’s Single-Use Plastic Waste Is From Just 20 Companies, Says A Study

In 2019, more than 130 million metric tons of single-use plastics were thrown away, with most of that waste burned, buried in a landfill or dumped directly into the ocean or onto land. Now, a new report finds that just 20 companies account for more than half of all single-use plastic waste generated worldwide. Continue Reading Half Of The World’s Single-Use Plastic Waste Is From Just 20 Companies, Says A Study

Read More »
Bob Garfield speaks onstage at a 2016 event. Bob Garfield speaks onstage at a 2016 event. Bob Garfield speaks onstage at a 2016 event. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Advertising Week New York

WNYC Fires ‘On The Media’ Co-Host Bob Garfield For Alleged Bullying

Bob Garfield, host of the public radio show and podcast On The Media, has been fired. According to a statement from New York Public Radio, an outside investigation found that Garfield violated the company’s anti-bullying policy. Garfield was the subject of a similar investigation in 2020 that resulted in, “disciplinary action and a warning about consequences if the behavior continued.” Continue Reading WNYC Fires ‘On The Media’ Co-Host Bob Garfield For Alleged Bullying

Read More »
File photo, March 2, 2020: Farmer Ben DuVal with his wife, Erika, and their daughters, Hannah, third from left, and Helena, fourth from left, stand near a canal for collecting run-off water near their property in Tulelake, Calif. Federal officials announced in April 2021 that farmers who rely on a massive irrigation project spanning the Oregon-California border will get 8% of the deliveries they need amid a severe drought. CREDIT: Gillian Flaccus/AP

A Dangerous Fire Season Is Looming As The Drought-Stricken West Heads Toward Water Crisis

Just about every indicator of drought is flashing red across the western U.S. after a dry winter and warm early spring. The snowpack is at less than half of normal in much of the region. Reservoirs are being drawn down, river levels are dropping and soils are drying out. Continue Reading A Dangerous Fire Season Is Looming As The Drought-Stricken West Heads Toward Water Crisis

Read More »
Protesters gesture to U.S. Capitol Police in the hallway outside of the Senate chamber inside the Capitol on Wednesday. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

Kevin McCarthy, Top House Republican, Opposes Bipartisan Commission To Probe U.S. Capitol Attack

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy came out Tuesday against a bipartisan proposal to establish a 9/11-style commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The announcement comes a day before the House of Representatives is slated to vote on the legislation. Continue Reading Kevin McCarthy, Top House Republican, Opposes Bipartisan Commission To Probe U.S. Capitol Attack

Read More »
Bill Gates

Microsoft Board Investigated Bill Gates’ Relationship With Employee, Deemed It ‘Inappropriate’

Microsoft’s board of directors hired a private law firm to investigate a decades-old “intimate relationship” Bill Gates had with a company employee. The investigation, according to a company spokesman, took place in the months before the billionaire resigned from the board last year. Continue Reading Microsoft Board Investigated Bill Gates’ Relationship With Employee, Deemed It ‘Inappropriate’

Read More »
A discarded disposable face mask on a storm sewer grate along with other detritus on Penn Ave in West Reading September 14, 2020. (Photo by Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images)

Confused By CDC’s Latest Mask Guidance? Here’s What We’ve Learned

The shift in guidance was a dramatic reversal from the country’s top public health agency, which has been criticized for being too conservative (and convoluted) in its earlier guidelines for those who are vaccinated. The latest changes have left a lot of people with a lot of questions, which NPR’s science, health and education reporters are here to answer. Continue Reading Confused By CDC’s Latest Mask Guidance? Here’s What We’ve Learned

Read More »