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What we call sex work — and what it says about society

"Lalun is a member of the most ancient profession in the world." With that line, written in his 1888 short story "On the City Wall," English author Rudyard Kipling helped popularize one of the most enduring euphemisms for sex work — a phrase often repeated since, despite its historical ambiguity. Rather than naming the work

Nearly Every Chile Pepper Farmer Here Is a Woman

Rajeshwari, 44, grades the chiles she has picked in the fields. Her sharp eyes spot the pale white pods in the sea of red: "The ones with the rich red color are the best, but even though the paler ones are of poorer quality, we can still sell these at the market." Viraj Nayar for

U.S.-Iran ceasefire expires this week with no deal in sight

The sun rises behind a tanker anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, Saturday, April 18, 2026. Asghar Besharati/AP hide caption toggle caption Asghar Besharati/AP After briefly reopening the vital economic waterway, Iran has again closed the Strait of Hormuz, saying it will restrict ships from passing through as

This tariff-refund portal is about to be America’s hottest website

On Monday, the U.S. Customs portal will start accepting refund requests from businesses that paid President Trump's tariffs before the Supreme Court ruled them unconstitutional. Nickolai Hammar/NPR hide caption toggle caption Nickolai Hammar/NPR After weeks of waiting to hear how — or whether — the U.S. government might refund the tariffs struck down by the

She no longer remembers her birthday; he bought a gift

My wife's birthday was a few weeks away. Should I buy her a present? The reason I asked that question is that my wife has dementia. She is now in a stage where she cannot summon up words, where she doesn't always seem to respond to my visits. And even if I were to tell

School choice is booming in Iowa. Are students better off?

Principal Condra Allred visits a third grade class at Cleveland Elementary School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in April. Soon, Allred expects to hear for certain if her school will close. Cliff Jette for NPR hide caption toggle caption Cliff Jette for NPR On an unseasonably warm February morning, Principal Condra Allred walked the hallways of

Voyager 1: Why NASA Shut Down Part of It

FILE - This illustration provided by NASA depicts Voyager 1. NASA/AP hide caption toggle caption NASA/AP Nearly half a century ago, a spacecraft roughly the size of a small car set off from the Florida coast atop a rocket to begin what was supposed to be a five-year journey. This week, NASA announced it had

North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward sea

FILE - In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, center, visits to observe the test launches of missiles at an undisclosed place in North Korea Sunday, April 12, 2026. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean

Coast Guard Spots Overturned Vessel Near Saipan

A U.S. Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplane crew assigned to Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point flies over an overturned vessel offshore Saipan, Saturday, April 18, 2026, while searching for a missing vessel, the Mariana, that experienced an engine failure April 15. AP/U.S. Coast Guard/Air Station Bar hide caption toggle caption AP/U.S. Coast Guard/Air Station
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