News from NPR

With the nation’s debt at more than $33 trillion, there’s a new push in Congress for a bipartisan debt commission to come up with reforms for mandatory spending and the tax system. Read More at NPR

With four Republican candidates planning to debate at the University of Alabama on Wednesday evening, presidential hopefuls try to stand out in the countdown to the Iowa Caucus. Read More at NPR

Three university presidents defended their responses to rising antisemitism in a House committee hearing Tuesday. Many have faced scrutiny as they struggle to balance free speech with student safety. (Image credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) Read More at NPR

NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly talks with former CIA official Robert Baer about the case of Manuel Rocha, a longtime U.S. diplomat charged with being a spy for Cuba. Read More at NPR

House Speaker Mike Johnson is set to keynote an event for lawmakers who promote conservative Christian dominance — the latest connection illustrating his close relationship with Christian extremists. Read More at NPR

Middle school is often a challenging time for students. One Massachusetts school trying to put its credo into every day action: Let go and move on. Students and teachers alike say it’s helping. Read More at NPR

The first results are in from a charity experiment in Kenya. Those who got a lump sum of money were far more likely to start a business — and earn more — compared to those who got monthly payments. Read More at NPR

NPR’s Ari Shapiro talks with author Samantha Harvey about her new book Orbital, which examines the fascinating mundane-ness of outer space from the perspective of an international space station. Read More at NPR

Alabama GOP leaders hope Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate gives viewers a broader image of their state beyond the recent headlines about Sen. Tuberville’s hold on some military nominations. Read More at NPR

A decade after the death of Nelson Mandela, many South Africans are asking what the anti-apartheid icon would have thought of the current state of the country and the direction it’s heading in. Read More at NPR