International regulators probe how DeepSeek is using data. Is the app safe to use? The Chinese chatbot took the world by storm and rattled stock markets. But lost in all the attention was a focus on how the company is collecting and storing data. Read more on NPR

Rats! Climate change is helping increase their populations in cities Winters are getting warmer and shorter as the climate changes. That’s helping rat populations grow in several U.S. cities. Read more on NPR

The D.C.-area crash recalls some of the deadliest aircraft disasters in U.S. history Responders are working to recover the victims of Wednesday night’s midair collision over Washington, D.C. It could be the deadliest crash to occur in U.S. airspace in at least 15 years. Read more on NPR

Costco raises pay above $30 an hour for many, as Teamsters threatens strike Costco is raising pay for most workers as Friday night deadline looms on a new contract with its unionized employees. Read more on NPR

National Science Foundation freezes payments in response to Trump’s executive actions The National Science Foundation’s funding freeze, and wider confusion about the status and future of science funding, is already hampering research. Read more on NPR

Businesses, shoppers brace for higher prices if tariffs on Mexico and Canada imports start Saturday President Trump renewed his threat to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada as early as this weekend. The move could raise prices on everything from gasoline to guacamole. Read more on NPR

Legal questions surround Trump’s federal worker resignation offer More and more questions are being raised about the legality of the Trump administration’s offer to nearly all federal workers to resign now and keep their pay through Sept. 30. Read more on NPR

The tech bro who wasn’t on Trump’s inauguration stage Four things NPR’s Steve Inskeep learned from LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman in their discussion of his latest book, “Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right With Our AI Future?” Read more on NPR

Boston ice skating club reeling after several members killed in D.C.-area plane crash A storied Massachusetts skating club lost several members and coaches to the plane crash near Washington, D.C. The club was also affected by the 1961 crash that killed the U.S. Olympic skating team. Read more on NPR

Investigation into the fatal plane-helicopter crash. And, future of nuclear testing The next steps in the fatal midair plane and helicopter crash investigation. And, why nuclear testing could ramp up in the U.S., as well as a look inside the secret lab where weapons testing happens. Read more on NPR