NPR Staff

Trevor Bedford is a computational virologist and professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle who has devoted his professional life to the pandemic for nearly two years.

On February 29, 2020, he used Twitter to report that the genome of a COVID-19 case reported in Washington state showed the first known community transmission in the U.S. "There are some enormous implications here," he wrote. His prior work to track the evolution and spread of other viruses has been critical in understanding this global pandemic.

Charlie Watts, the unshakeable drummer for The Rolling Stones, died this morning. According to a publicist, he died in a hospital in London, surrounded by family. No cause of death was given. He was 80 years old.

Richard Trumka, the longtime head of the powerful AFL-CIO and a close ally of Democratic Party leaders, has died. He was 72.

Speaking before a White House event Thursday, President Biden said that Trumka died of a heart attack while on a camping trip with family.

"He wasn't just a great labor leader, he was a friend," Biden said. "He was someone I could confide in. You knew whatever he said he'd do, he would do."

Across the country people have been experiencing hazy skies from big wildfires in Western states. More than 3 million acres have already burned, and fire experts say this is just the beginning. A historic drought and heatwave have primed forests to burn big this year, just like they did last year.

Thomas Barrack, a longtime friend of Donald Trump's who chaired the former president's inauguration committee, was arrested Tuesday on federal charges that he acted as an agent of a foreign government.

Prosecutors said Barrack, 74, parlayed his close ties to the Trump White House to advance the interests of the United Arab Emirates.

President Biden says there are several areas of humanitarian aid he would consider for the people of Cuba, which has seen recent protests against the authoritarian regime, if he had assurances that the government would not intercept the assistance.

Biden on Thursday cited the ability for people to send remittances back to those in Cuba, and doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

Britney Spears is asking a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to end her 13-year conservatorship, saying she is being exploited, bullied and feeling "left out and alone."

Benjamin Netanyahu was Israel's longest-serving prime minister, in office uninterrupted for 12 years before parliament ousted him on Sunday.

NPR's Daniel Estrin has covered Netanyahu's prime ministership, traveled with him and chronicled how Israel changed under his leadership. From Jerusalem, he spoke with All Things Considered co-host Ari Shapiro ahead of the vote that removed Netanyahu from office. Here are excerpts from that conversation.

Tensions boil over in Jerusalem. Hamas fires rockets from Gaza into Israel. Israel unleashes its heavy firepower, causing casualties and destruction. Then it all repeats again and again. It is a familiar, devastating cycle of violence that has prompted protests around the world.

On Thursday, Israel's government announced a cease-fire after 11 days of fighting with Hamas. If the agreement holds, it will end the heaviest round of fighting since 2014.

Rep. Val Demings, a rising Florida Democrat who was on President Biden's shortlist for a running mate in last year's presidential election, announced Wednesday that she's seeking to oust Republican Sen. Marco Rubio in 2022.

If you're fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (as in, you've gotten all your shots and waited two weeks), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday, you can mostly go ahead and stop wearing your mask and stop social distancing — inside and out.

"America is on the move again," President Biden said in his first joint address to Congress Wednesday night, remarks given amid the coronavirus pandemic.

On Thursday, Earth Day, President Biden is holding a global summit on climate — aiming for the U.S. to cut greenhouse gasses to half of their 2005 levels by the end of the 2020s.

Meanwhile at NPR, we want to share some ways we have connected with our Mother Earth via the arts. So, here are some of our favorite Earth-related media — from books to movies to songs — ones that might just give you something to think about and celebrate this Earth Day. (After you go for a walk or plant some flowers in your garden.)

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

We asked for your original poems: haiku, couplets, free form, you name it. This year we added TikTok to the mix.

National Poetry Month is over for this year, but the poems shall live on. Here are the submissions that caught the eyes of professional poets over the last month, who joined All Things Considered to talk about them.

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.