NPR is reporting that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has downlisted the razorback sucker from an endangered species to a threatened one. It also said the Justice Department dropped subpoenas demanding grand jury testimony from New York Times journalists. Additionally, NPR reported the Kansas City Chiefs unveiled the design for their $3 billion domed stadium.
NPR's "Planet Money Summer School: World Tour" is exploring international economics, examining why countries differ in areas like healthcare, infrastructure and exchange rates. The annual series combines archival excerpts with current commentary from guest professors, acting as a study abroad trip across seven continents over eight weeks.
The series will visit Australia to discuss water rights, New Zealand for inflation strategies and Kenya to study developmental economics, aid and HIV prevention. It will also explore China's rapid economic growth and its potential downsides, and Norway's efforts to avoid the "resource curse" after discovering oil.
NPR also highlighted a growing trend of men entering the nursing profession. It said that while nursing is the largest healthcare profession in the U.S., only about one in eight nurses are men, a number that has doubled in recent decades. Schools like the University of Alabama at Birmingham are actively recruiting men, as the field offers a stable career path amid declining opportunities in traditionally male-dominated sectors.
In other news, NPR reported on the shooting death of Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent two months into President Donald J Trump's second term. His mother, Rachel Reyes, continues to seek justice, noting that immigration agents have shot at civilians in 29 additional instances since Martinez's death, resulting in at least seven fatalities.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool's renovation has become a public spectacle, with people following updates as if it were a reality TV show, NPR said. What began as a two-week, $2 million facelift has evolved into a monthslong drama, sparking memes and becoming a popular topic for Washington, D.C., bloggers and influencers.
Finally, NPR's Newsmakers podcast recently featured interviews with influential figures including Pastor Doug Wilson, comedian Bill Maher and former President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden.