History

National

Fossilized Human Trackway Discovered At White Sands National Park

4:59pm October 16, 2020

The longest fossilized human trackway has been discovered at White Sands National Park in New Mexico. Details of this discovery will be informing history for generations, archaeologists say.

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National

A Professor On Why It Is Important To Highlight Roles Of Native Americans In History

6:32pm October 12, 2020

by Carrie Jung

A growing number of history and civics educators are trying to highlight the roles of Native Americans in U.S. history. For one professor in Massachusetts, that effort is personal.

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National

What Did Chicano Moratorium Of 1970 Mean For Chicano Activists?

4:11pm October 09, 2020

by Andrea Gutierrez

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium — a day when Mexican Americans in Los Angeles marched to protest the Vietnam War. It influenced a generation of Chicano activists.

National

News From 4 Years Ago: Russian Hacking, 'Access Hollywood,' John Podesta's Emails

4:08pm October 07, 2020

Four years ago, the U.S. government accused Russia of hacking Democratic National Committee emails, the Access Hollywood tape surfaced and WikiLeaks released some of John Podesta's emails.

National

History Of Employer-Based Health Insurance In The U.S.

4:08pm October 07, 2020

As more Americans lose their jobs due to the pandemic, they also lose their health insurance tied to their employment. NPR dives into the origins of employer-based health insurance in the U.S.

Science

Scientists Find Proof Early Humans Could Control Fire Temperature In Tempering Tools

4:08pm October 06, 2020

Early humans may have controlled fire temperature in tempering their stone tools, according to an analysis of 300,000-year-old artifacts found in a cave in Israel.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., addresses the media on Jan. 21, 2019, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., after announcing earlier in the day that she is seeking to become the first African American woman to hold the office of U.S. president.

Where Kamala Harris Studied Economics

2:18pm October 06, 2020

by Greg Rosalsky

Kamala Harris has called her time at Howard University "one of the most important aspects of my life." Much of that time was spent studying economics.

Ethan Hawke plays abolitionist John Brown in The Good Lord Bird, a new Showtime series based on the novel by James McBride.

Arts

Ethan Hawke On Playing John Brown, Early Fame, And Making A Friend Of Fear

1:04pm October 05, 2020

by Dave Davies

Hawke plays the 19th-century abolitionist in the new Showtime series, The Good Lord Bird. He explains why early success isn't always a blessing, and describes the anxiety he's faced later in life.

President Trump exits Marine One at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday in Bethesda, Md. He is staying at the hospital while receiving treatment for the coronavirus.

Politics & Government

Trump's COVID-19 Diagnosis Recalls History Of Secrecy On Presidential Health

5:05am October 05, 2020

by Ron Elving

Few occasions of historical importance have been so shrouded in mystery — and even outright deception — as the health emergencies of world leaders. Here are some of the more egregious examples.

National

History Of How The Tax Code Allowed Businesses To Carry Their Losses Forward

4:12pm October 02, 2020

by Sarah Gonzalez

Losing a lot of money is one way to avoid paying taxes. The tax code rewards losses, which become gifts that keep on giving for years. NPR explores the history of this practice and how it evolved.