All posts tagged: NPR

‘Algorithm’ comes from the name of a Uzbek mathematician : NPR

‘Algorithm’ comes from the name of a Uzbek mathematician : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

The first microcomputer named “Micral N” was created by the French engineer Francois Gernelle in 1973, five years before Apple and 3 years before IBM. Guillaume Souvant/AFP hide caption toggle caption Guillaume Souvant/AFP It’s a simple word that has developed a sinister connotation: algorithm. For many of us, algorithms help determine what we watch, read and listen to — in the process, confirming our tastes and biases, and creating ideological echo chambers. The word might not seem like one that would get much consideration from the Holy See. But last month in his first encyclical, Pope Leo XIV addressed the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. The word “algorithm” came up 19 times. Pope Leo XIV waves as he leaves after his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. Alessandra Tarantino/AP hide caption toggle caption Alessandra Tarantino/AP As part of NPR’s “Word of the Week” series, we’re looking at the history of the word that’s defined much of modern life — and in the process, we’ll blow the dust …

From neon mosquitoes to winged migrations, top images captured by scientists : NPR

From neon mosquitoes to winged migrations, top images captured by scientists : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Lee Haines, a vector biologist at the University of Notre Dame peers into a microscope at a mosquito. “It looks like I’m traveling through space, doesn’t it?” she asks of the photo, a winning image in the Scientists at Work photo contest. Shayanta Chowdhury hide caption toggle caption Shayanta Chowdhury For new discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines, follow NPR’s Short Wave podcast . The mood was tense one fall morning in a village in Spain. A conservation and research group called Waldrappteam was nearing the end of a remarkable undertaking — escorting a flock of 36 northern bald ibises along their migratory route from southeastern Germany to the highlands of southern Spain. The northern bald ibis has a ruddy bill and a crest of feathers that look like an intermittent mohawk. It disappeared from Europe some 400 years ago due to overhunting. But, says Gunnar Hartmann, an undergraduate majoring in biogeoscience at the University of Koblenz in Germany, another population of the ibises was found living in Syria and Morocco a century …

Police blast water cannons at Belfast protesters amid unrest : NPR

Police blast water cannons at Belfast protesters amid unrest : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Police fire a water cannon towards rioters after they set fire to wheelie bins and removed a garden fence to use as a shield against the water cannon in Newtownabbey, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Wednesday June 10, 2026. PA/via AP hide caption toggle caption PA/via AP BELFAST, Northern Ireland — Police blasted water cannons Wednesday at protesters in Northern Ireland who set small fires and hurled bricks, rocks and bottles at them during a second night of violence over a brutal stabbing on a Belfast street. Demonstrators wearing masks tore bricks from the walls outside homes and smashed sidewalks with sledgehammers to toss at riot police. In one place, the unruly crowd used sections of a dismantled a picket fence to take cover on the street. The clashes with police came several hours after a 30-year-old man from Sudan appeared in a Belfast court charged with attempted murder in a stabbing attack that left a man seriously injured and triggered anti-immigrant violence. Hadi Alodid, 30, was ordered held in jail after appearing by video in Belfast …

Knicks complete record rally from 29 points down : NPR

Knicks complete record rally from 29 points down : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) and guard Josh Hart (3) celebrate after Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the San Antonio Spurs, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in New York. Ross D. Franklin/AP hide caption toggle caption Ross D. Franklin/AP NEW YORK — The New York Knicks made a record comeback from 29 points down and moved to the brink of their first championship since 1973 by beating the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 on Wednesday night. OG Anunoby tipped in the miss of Jalen Brunson’s long 3-point attempt with 1.2 seconds remaining to complete the rally, giving the Knicks a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals and three chances to win the title. It looked impossible early, when the Spurs rolled to a 27-point halftime lead. But Brunson helped bring the Knicks back with 36 points and Anunoby finished with 33, swooping in as Brunson’s shot bounced softly off the front of the rim and stretching high with his right hand to tap it in. “I told OG as big, as …

Tech moguls claim China funds U.S. data center opposition : NPR

Tech moguls claim China funds U.S. data center opposition : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Protesters hold signs in front the of the Utah State Capitol building to oppose the construction of the Stratos data center in Box Elder County on May 23, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Tech millionaires claim China is behind a wave of local opposition to U.S. data centers, while providing little direct evidence. Natalie Behring/Getty Images North America hide caption toggle caption Natalie Behring/Getty Images North America Speaking at an event titled “Harnessing American Power” last month, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum expressed dismay at what he saw as a new wave of local opposition to data centers in America. What’s more, he claimed, not everything was as it seemed. “It’s not organic and local, some of this is foreign-sourced dark money,” he told the crowd. He isn’t alone in his suspicions. Over on the podcast All-In, which is hosted by a group of tech multimillionaires who call each other “besties,” there was also talk of foreign influence, specifically from China. “It is starting to feel or seem like there might be a CCP-funded campaign,” …

Taiwan drills with U.S. rocket system, firing in China’s direction : NPR

Taiwan drills with U.S. rocket system, firing in China’s direction : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

A rocket is launched from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) during a military live-fire shooting training in Taichung City, Taiwan, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. Chiang Ying-ying/AP hide caption toggle caption Chiang Ying-ying/AP TAICHUNG, Taiwan — Taiwan’s military fired rockets in China’s direction from “shoot-and-scoot” mobile launchers on Wednesday in a demonstration of how it might try to repel a Chinese attack. While the U.S.-supplied system known as HIMARS has been tested before, the latest live-fire exercise was the first time its rockets were fired into the waters of the narrow Taiwan Strait that separates the self-governing island from China. “Due to the current enemy threat, we will continue HIMARS training with unwavering determination to protect Taiwan as the nation’s strongest force,” army Sgt. Wang Ming-hui said. The military said it used reduced-range practice rockets that don’t fly very far from the coast before falling into the water. China views Taiwan as a renegade province and says it must come under its control at some point in the future. It sends warships and planes …

Inflation tops 4% for the first time in 3 years on spike in gasoline prices : NPR

Inflation tops 4% for the first time in 3 years on spike in gasoline prices : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Energy costs accounted for more than 60% of the monthly rise in the consumer price index in May. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Stay up to date with our Up First newsletter, sent every weekday morning. Soaring gasoline prices, triggered by the U.S. war with Iran, have pushed inflation to its highest level in more than three years. A report from the Labor Department on Wednesday showed consumer prices in May were up 4.2% from a year ago. That’s the biggest annual increase since April of 2023. By contrast, the Labor Department says average wages have risen only 3.4% over the last year, so workers’ real spending power has declined. Prices rose 0.5% between April and May, with higher energy costs accounting for more than 60% of that monthly increase. Gas prices have jumped by well over a dollar a gallon since the war began, strangling shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz — a critical pathway for much of the world’s oil supply. Higher fuel costs also pushed up airfares in …

Student loan options change July 1. What you need to know : NPR

Student loan options change July 1. What you need to know : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

On July 1, a host of new student loan changes from last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act will kick in, including the end of a short-lived Biden-era repayment plan, the start of two Republican-designed repayment plans and strict new borrowing limits for some students. There’s a lot to parse, and not every change will impact every borrower. So we’ve designed this story to make it easy to find the guidance that does apply to you, or to the borrower in your life. To get started, click on the student loan status that best describes your situation below: You’re enrolled in the SAVE repayment plan After a few contentious years of paused payments and a legal battle that made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Biden-era Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan is officially ending. If you’re one of the more than 7 million borrowers still enrolled in SAVE — the most flexible and generous income-driven repayment plan — you may have already gotten a notice from the U.S. Department …

U.S.-Iran strikes; Primaries; ICE funds; Bill Gates : NPR

U.S.-Iran strikes; Primaries; ICE funds; Bill Gates : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Good morning. You’re reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Today’s top stories The U.S. conducted strikes on Iran last night after an American helicopter was downed near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. President Trump blamed Iran for the incident. Starting at 5 p.m., the U.S. strikes targeted “Iranian air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz,” the U.S. Central Command said. CENTCOM described the action as a “proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression,” and added that U.S. forces remain vigilant and ready to defend against any further Iranian threats. Trump said it was necessary to retaliate against Iran to uphold U.S. credibility. Iranian officials say they did not target the U.S. helicopter and suggested it went down in an accident. The troops on the downed helicopter were unharmed. President Trump speaks to the press before boarding Air Force One prior to departure from John F. Kennedy International …

China re‑centers North Korea ties as nuclear silence reshapes balance : NPR

China re‑centers North Korea ties as nuclear silence reshapes balance : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, Chinese President Xi Jinping (center left) shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (center right) during a welcome ceremony in Pyongyang on Monday. 朝鮮通信社/KCNA via KNS via AP hide caption toggle caption 朝鮮通信社/KCNA via KNS via AP SEOUL/SHANGHAI — The leaders of China and North Korea reaffirmed their alliance this week in Pyongyang, emphasizing strategic cooperation while avoiding public discussion of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. The two-day trip — President Xi Jinping’s first to North Korea in nearly seven years — comes shortly after his summit with President Trump in Beijing, where the White House said both sides agreed on the shared goal of denuclearizing North Korea. Beijing did not publicly echo Washington’s claim. And this week in Pyongyang, Xi made no public mention of denuclearization. Instead, Xi focused on China’s “firm commitment to safeguarding the shared interests of the two countries and preserving a favorable strategic environment,” according to Chinese state media. North Korea’s state media, meanwhile, quoted leader Kim Jong Un …