What’s worse for disease spread: animal loss, climate change or urbanization? Scientists are looking at the ways humans change the planet– and the impact that has on the spread of infectious disease. You might be surprised at some of their conclusions. Read more on NPR

Slovakia’s populist prime minister is shot and wounded Prime Minister Robert Fico was taken to hospital, and a suspect detained. The incident comes three weeks ahead of European Parliament elections, in which populist parties appear poised to make gains. Read more on NPR

U.S. drug deaths declined slightly in 2023 but remained at crisis levels Powerful synthetic opioids and drugs like meth and cocaine still flood U.S. communities, fueling historically high overdose deaths. Read more on NPR

Biden proposes debates in June and September, and names terms. Trump says yes President Biden’s team says he won’t be part of the Commission on Presidential Debates plan. But he said he would be open to two televised debates, in June and September. Read more on NPR

Americans are struggling to pay off credit card debt; Tiny Desk Contest’s 2024 winner Nearly 1 in 5 Americans have maxed out their credit card borrowing, according to the Federal Reserve Bank in New York. Tiny Desk Contest crowns its 10th anniversary winner. Read more on NPR

Two new novels investigate what makes magic, what is real and imagined Both of these novels, Pages of Mourning and The Cemetery of Untold Stories, from an emerging writer and a long-celebrated one, respectively, walk an open road of remembering love, grief, and fate. Read more on NPR