Walter

Walter

Fact check: Orban points to Ukraine over pipeline bomb

During Easter, Serbian officials discovered two backpacks containing bombs and detonators near a key gas pipeline that transports Russian gas through the Balkans to Hungary.   "Our ⁠units ⁠found an explosive of devastating power," Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in a post on Instagram.  Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto immediately hinted that

Coachella: History, Criticism and 2026 Sellout

It all started in 1993 when the rock band Pearl Jam were looking for an alternative venue that was not controlled by Ticketmaster, which it was boycotting at the time.  The Empire Polo Club, a desert oasis in the Coachella Valley in California, hosted some 25,000 people for their gig, giving the promoters the inspiration for an outdoor festival at the same site.  

Germany: Fare Evasion Can Lead to Prison

Does everyone who boards a public bus or train in Germany even know that riding without a ticket is a criminal offense that usually results in a €60 ($70) fine? Or that people who don't pay the fine might end up in jail? The somewhat unwieldy German word for this harsh penalty is "Ersatzfreiheitsstrafe" —

Hungary election: How football has helped Orban keep power

Amid the rhetoric and rabble rousing of JD Vance's promotional tour of Budapest in support of the "fantastic" Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the significance of one of the venues may have been lost on many. The US vice president addressed a pre-election rally on Tuesday at the MTK Sportpark in Hungary's capital, Budapest. The venue, opened in 2025

Empty churches, new temples: Germany’s faith shift

In Erlangen, a city of 119,000 residents in northern Bavaria, a great deal is happening at once. Preparations are underway for a new synagogue for which the state of Bavaria has provided a plot of land near the university. The city's two major mosques are planning expansions. And in one of the city's suburbs, an association

Communities Waiting on Billions in FEMA Disaster Funding

The 2021 Caldor fire was a wake-up call for California's El Dorado County. The community is one of hundreds around the country waiting on a backlog at FEMA that's holding up disaster preparation projects. JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images/AFP hide caption toggle caption JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images/AFP Placerville, Calif. bears all the markers of

Women Are Getting Most New Jobs. What About Men?

The Labor Department says the vast majority of new jobs created over the last year went to women, most of them in health care. melitas hide caption toggle caption melitas In December 2016, as Donald Trump was headed to the White House for the first time, Betsey Stevenson offered the incoming president some economic advice.

This week’s quiz reveals a dramatic twist! OR DOES IT?

From left: Arsenio Hall, Stephen Colbert, Zendaya. Kevin Winter/Getty Images; Michael Loccisano/Getty Images; Monica Schipper/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Kevin Winter/Getty Images; Michael Loccisano/Getty Images; Monica Schipper/Getty Images Big news! Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of bitcoin, has — maybe — been unmasked. Coupled with the recent revelation of Banksy's — maybe — true

Republicans brace for fight over Iran war price tag

The U.S. Capitol is visible in the early morning hours on April 2, 2026. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Andrew Harnik/Getty Images As the price tag for the U.S.-Iran war grows by the day, the path to paying for the conflict is paved with political peril for Republicans in control of Washington. The

There’s growing disquiet in the military. The Iran war made it worse

U.S. Army and U.S. Army National Guard/Collage by Emily Bogle/NPR Bill Galvin has spent much of the past month answering the phone. "It's been very, very busy," he says. Galvin is the counseling director at the Center on Conscience and War, which helps run the 24-hour GI Rights Hotline, set up to inform service members
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