NPR Staff

Every April, in honor of National Poetry Month, we call on our audience (yes, you!) to help us celebrate the art of the verse.

Keeping with NPR tradition, we're asking for your original poems: haiku, couplets, free form, you name it. This year — our spoken wordsmiths may be pleased to know — we're adding TikTok to the mix.

How to share your poem

On Twitter: Tweet your poem, in 140 characters or less, with the hashtag #NPRpoetry.

President Biden is holding his first news conference on Thursday and is expected to field questions on a wide range of topics, from the coronavirus to the influx of migrants at the border and his upcoming infrastructure effort. The event is expected to start at 1pm. You can watch it live here. You can also listen live on 88.1 WVPE.

As the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines unfolds in the U.S., numerous questions around distribution, supply, hesitancy and efficacy persist. The stakes are high, as numbers of deaths and cases break records. A panel of experts from Harvard and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tackles questions about COVID-19 vaccination. Live coverage is expected to begin at noon. 

Update at 2 p.m. ET: NPR special audio coverage of the inauguration has ended. Watch the livestream below. Follow updates in our liveblog.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are being sworn in as the president and vice president of the United States. Watch the ceremony, inaugural address and other celebratory events throughout the day. Live coverage can be watched here starting at 11am. You can also listen to live coverage on 88.1 WVPE from 11am-2pm. 

Updated at 12:22 p.m. ET

Joe Biden addressed the nation for the first time as its 46th president on Wednesday. Biden spoke at a scaled-down event before a divided nation still reeling from the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and from the coronavirus pandemic that has now killed more than 400,000 Americans.

But his remarks were ones of hope.

Retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin is appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on his nomination to be President-elect Joe Biden's defense secretary. Austin, who previously led U.S. Central Command, will require a waiver for his confirmation as he's only been retired from active duty for four years. Watch the hearing live.

Alejandro Mayorkas, President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for homeland security secretary, is testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The nomination comes at a crucial time for national security in the wake of the deadly riot on the U.S. Capitol. Watch the hearing live.

President-elect Joe Biden is outlining his COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan in Wilmington, Del. Biden has been critical of the current administration's effort and is seeking to speed up the process. The announcement comes a day after Biden proposed a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. Watch his remarks live.  

President-elect Joe Biden is addressing the country from Wilmington, Del., Wednesday afternoon.

Georgians voted in two Senate runoff elections on Tuesday. Incumbent Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue face Democratic challengers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. The races were too close to call in November and now their outcome determines the balance of power in the Senate. One race has been called in Warnock's favor while Ossoff is currently leading in his race against Perdue which remains too close to call as of Wednesday morning. Follow the results live. 

President-elect Joe Biden is introducing key members of his incoming economic team. The nominees and appointees include former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, and others who worked in earlier Democratic administrations. The announcement is expected to start at 12:30pm. 

Updated at 5:16 p.m. ET

President Trump says an emergency use authorization for Pfizer's promising new COVID-19 vaccine will come "extremely soon," delivering his first public remarks since Joe Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election last Saturday.

"Right away, millions of doses will soon be going out the door" after final approval arrives, Trump said, giving an update on his administration's efforts to accelerate coronavirus vaccine development and distribution.

President Trump is expected to give an update on the coronavirus pandemic at 4pm. He will be speaking for the first time since Joe Biden became president-elect. Trump has been falsely claiming on Twitter that he won, and his campaign launched a slew of lawsuits challenging the legitimacy of the results and baselessly alleging widespread voter fraud. Watch his remarks live.

Joe Biden is addressing the American people as president-elect after a win in Pennsylvania put him over the 270 electoral-vote threshold needed on Saturday. Watch his remarks live.

View live results for the 2020 United States Senate and House elections as it pertains to the balance of power in Congress.

Loading...

View live results for Michigan's 2020 presidential, governor, Senate and House races.

Loading...

View live results for Indiana's 2020 presidential, governor, Senate and House races.

Loading...

View live election results for the 2020 governor races.

Loading...

View live results for the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections.

Loading...

View live results for the 2020 United States Senate elections.

Loading...

Follow NPR’s live coverage of the election as the presidential race has been called. 

Loading...

Listen tonight at 9pm on 88.1 WVPE as NPR explores an extraordinary electoral season that’s coincided with the global pandemic. With early voting now underway, hosts Scott Detrow and Juana Summers report on how to navigate unprecedented challenges to casting a ballot this year. We’ll also hear about long-existing impediments to voting and how they’ve been exacerbated this year. And we’ll help listeners prepare for November 3rd, with some tips on avoiding misinformation as the votes are counted.

Join 88.1 WVPE tonight at 9pm for a special hour from NPR and StoryCorps. At one of the most divided times in American history, StoryCorps and NPR Member stations around the country are inviting people to take One Small Step to better understand those with whom they disagree. One Small Step pairs people of differing political views to have conversations with one another out of respect and recognition of their shared humanity.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding hearings on President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Barrett would fill the seat left vacant with the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Watch the hearings live.

Vice President Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris are debating in Salt Lake City. Their only face-off of the 2020 campaign comes with a wave of uncertainty with President Trump undergoing treatment for COVID-19. Follow live updates and fact-checks on the debate.

Loading...

The 2020 election is going to be different from any election in American history. Experts are anticipating record-high levels of people choosing to cast their ballots by mail because of concerns over the coronavirus.