1A

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Israel this week to reaffirm U.S. support for the country's war against Hamas. He told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that America would 'always be there' for Israel at a joint press conference.

House Republicans are beginning to coalesce around Majority Leader Steve Scalise as their pick to succeed Rep. Kevin McCarthy has the chamber's speaker. However, Scalise faces an uphill battle to obtain the 217 votes he'll need to be confirmed in the role.

The Gaza Strip is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis after the Israeli government ordered a complete siege of the territory. Israeli authorities are cutting off access to food, power, and water.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohamed bin-Salman discussed the "need to end war crimes in Palestine" in one of their first calls since restoring diplomatic relations between their two countries.

Afghanistan was hit by a large earthquake in its western region mere days after two other quakes killed more than 1,000 people. So far, authorities have announced that 100 are injured and at least one person was killed.

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A report from Common Sense Media found that teens get over 230 of these distracting notifications each day. Some get over four thousand. But teens aren't the only ones inundated.

According to market research company Insider Intelligence, American adults spend four and a half hours a day on their phones. Smartphones and social media apps are lauded by their industries for their addictive design.

Now, lawmakers in Utah, New Jersey, and North Carolina are taking action to protect kids from the reach of social media.

We discuss how our phones' constant presence affects us and what we can do to claim back our focus.

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While Shakespeare is long gone, but theater – and thus playwriting – is very much alive.

Theater, in contrast to television or film, offers a unique chance for audiences to come together and experience a one-of-a-kind production. Playwrights, in collaboration with actors, directors, and stage crew work, are chiefly responsible for bringing that magic to life.

For this installment of our "Ask A" series – where we talk to interesting people about what they do and why it matters – we speak to a group of playwrights about the power of storytelling on stage.

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It's been over three years since "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" was released. It became one of the best-selling video games of the year — moving over 42 million copies, almost four times as much as the previous edition of the game.

It also renewed interest in a video game trend known for finding magic in mundane tasks: cozy gaming. Games like "Stardew Valley," "Harvest Moon," and "Unpacking," where the objective is less about shooting, fighting, or space colonization and more about gentle verbs — tending, farming, and homemaking.

And the video game industry is taking notice.

We discuss the impact and popularity of cozy gaming.

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Israel has not suffered a blow like this in 50 years.

Death tolls are hard to verify. But Israeli officials say more than 600 Israelis have been killed in attacks from Gaza since Saturday. As many as 100 Israeli soldiers and civilians were kidnapped when Palestinian militants crossed the border and raided communities.

Retaliatory Israeli air strikes have killed more than 400 people in the Gaza Strip, with 2,300 wounded, Palestinian officials say.

We get the latest and hear how the U.S. and the world are responding.

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Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy lost his position this week as eight Republicans joined House Democrats in stripping him of his title. The House will now have to vote for a new Speaker.

Migrant deaths have more than doubled at the border in El Paso, Texas, this year as scorching heat has made conditions for crossings incredibly dangerous. The toll of 148 deaths is a record high.

Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine continues as some analysts suggest global support for Volodymyr Zelenskyy's forces is waning.

And U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is calling for continental solutions as migrants continue to make their way to the borders of the European Union.

We cover all this and more during the News Roundup.

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Climate records have been broken non-stop this year.

2023 saw the earth's hottest summer on record. The record-breaking heat continued into September. The year also saw extreme weather including the Canadian wildfires that scorched 37 million acres of land, roughly the size of the state of New York.

News like this can be disheartening. But we've heard from many of you about springing into action to fight climate change, even if it's cautiously optimistic.

We discuss what can be done at home, in your community, and on a larger scale through policy and industry action to fight climate change.

This conversation is part of NPR's Climate Week which puts a spotlight on solutions.

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For the first time in the franchise's 21-year history, ABC's "The Bachelor" is surprising viewers with "The Golden Bachelor", where all the contestants are over 60.

And the bachelor himself is 72.

Whether you're a fan of the show or not, the series is airing at a time when many older Americans are finding themselves single.

According to a new analysis by Bowling Green State University's National Center for Family and Marriage Research, divorce rates among people 65 and older tripled between 1990 and 2021. And roughly half of women over 65 are un-partnered. That's according to a Pew Research survey from 2020.

We discuss what it's like to try and find love in your later years.

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The American Library Association found that the number of books facing challenges for censorship is up 20 percent for the first eight months of this year compared to 2022. That includes more than 800 books in school districts across 37 states.

More than 300 books were removed from Florida schools last year, according to a list released by the Florida Department of Education. Some of those books, written by author Carl Hiaasen, who knows this landscape too well.

The longtime Miami Herald national columnist and author has witnessed several of his books be removed from schools, prisons, and libraries. He's already had several events canceled on the nationwide tour of his latest young adult book, "Wrecker."

We discuss the banned book environment, and the impact these bans have on students and libraries nationwide.

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Joy Milne met her husband Les in high school. Nearly 15 years after they met, Joy smelled something different about Les. The scent wouldn't go away, and a decade later, Les was diagnosed with Parkinson's. It turned out, Joy's nose was detecting the disease, long before doctors could.

Joy's hyperosmia, or super-smelling ability, helped develop a non-invasive swab test for Parkinson's. Hers is one of many stories in the new book "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: The Astonishing New Science of the Senses."

Author Maureen Seaberg is a super sensor too. She joins us to discuss why some of us have superior senses, and how we can all harness that power.

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