Politics & Government

Colin Powell, a former secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs, has died at age 84. Above, Powell speaks at eBay headquarters in California in 2010.

Colin Powell, a former secretary of state, dies at 84

5:16pm October 18, 2021

by Scott Neuman

Powell's family said that he died of complications from COVID-19, although he was fully vaccinated. Powell was a former general turned statesman who served as secretary of state under George W. Bush.

The U.S. Supreme Court is seen on Oct. 5, 2021 in Washington, D.C. The court is holding in-person arguments for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Politics & Government

The U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of officers accused of excessive force

5:12pm October 18, 2021

by Becky Sullivan

The controversial legal defense protects police from liability when accused of misconduct. Advocates have called for the court or Congress to reform the doctrine.

Pressure from Trump loyalists is forcing this Texas election official to resign

5:07pm October 18, 2021

Michele Carew's 14-year career as an election administrator is soon ending. Carew resigned after supporters of former president Trump pressured her out of her position with unfounded claims of fraud.

With many veterans waiting for care, the VA may change how it uses outside doctors

5:07pm October 18, 2021

by Quil Lawrence

Veterans, along with the rest of the country, see long waits for mental health and other specialty care. Veterans Affairs has announced it will redesign how it schedules and pays for private care.

Benton Harbor mayor talks about his city's lead water crisis

5:07pm October 18, 2021

Officials have known for years that Benton Harbor, Mich., has high levels of lead in the water. Now, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has set an 18-month goal for replacing the lead pipes throughout the city.

With Biden's climate plan in jeopardy, can America lead on climate change?

5:07pm October 18, 2021

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with environmental policy expert Leah Stokes about what the Democrats' spending plan can achieve on climate, with President Biden's clean electricity performance plan in limbo.

President Biden told Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta that the U.S. would donate 17 million COVID vaccine doses to the African Union. The U.S. is also working to boost production on the continent.

The world needs more COVID vaccines, so the U.S. is helping finance overseas plants

5:07pm October 18, 2021

by Franco Ordoñez

The Biden administration has been criticized for hoarding COVID vaccines when millions of people around the world are unvaccinated. Now they're looking at how to help finance plants overseas.

Colin Powell's former Chief of Staff Bill Smullen on his friend's legacy

4:28pm October 18, 2021

NPR's Sarah McCammon speaks with Colin Powell's former Chief of Staff Col. Bill Smullen about his good friend's career and legacy.

How Dayton, Ohio, spent its COVID money

4:28pm October 18, 2021

by Tamara Keith

Dayton, Ohio, was once desperate for American Rescue Plan money to help with basic services. Now the city finds itself awash in funds, and looking for creative ways to spend the COVID-19 aid largesse.

'Fresh Air' remembers Colin Powell, former secretary of state

1:20pm October 18, 2021

by Terry Gross

The U.S.'s first Black national security advisor, chairman of the Joint Chiefs and secretary of state died on Oct. 18. Powell spoke to Fresh Air in 1995 about how the army had shaped his life.

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