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Randee Noggle stands in front of her home in Taylor, Mich. on June 30, 2024. She bought the house in 2018 using money she inherited from her grandmother.

Randee Noggle stands in front of her home in Taylor, Mich. on June 30, 2024. She bought the house in 2018 using money she inherited from her grandmother. Sylvia Jarrus for NPR hide caption

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Sylvia Jarrus for NPR

Investigations

Courts, regulators tackle whether “sale-leaseback” deals are actually loans

Courts are tackling the question of whether sale-leaseback deals function more like a mortgage than an outright sale – and therefore should be regulated like a loan.

Joey Chestnut (right) holds a gold belt after winning the Fort Bliss hot dog contest, as the Impossible Foods CEO holds a giant check onstage.

Joey Chestnut (right) won a hot dog-eating contest against soldiers at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, on Thursday, with Impossible Foods pledging to donate $1,000 in support of military families for each hot dog downed. Impossible Foods hide caption

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Impossible Foods

National

Joey Chestnut, banned from Coney Island, takes his hot dog-eating skills to Fort Bliss

Chestnut ate 57 hot dogs in five minutes, beating a team of four soldiers who downed 49 total. He not only broke his own record, but nearly tied the Coney Island winner, who ate 58 dogs in 10 minutes.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos speaks at an event unveiling the Kindle 2.0 in 2009. Bezos founded the company in his Bellevue, Wash. garage 30 years ago on July 5, 1995.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos speaks at an event unveiling the Kindle 2.0 in 2009. Bezos founded the company in his Bellevue, Wash. garage 30 years ago on July 5, 1995. Mario Tama/Getty Images/Getty Images North America hide caption

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Mario Tama/Getty Images/Getty Images North America

Business

Amazon is 30. Here's how a book store gobbled up all of e-commerce

Jeff Bezos founded the e-commerce giant in his garage 30 years ago. NPR's Andrew Mambo talks with business reporter Alina Selyukh about how Bezos built an empire and what's next for the company.

Amazon is 30. Here's how a book store gobbled up all of e-commerce

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The Chinese and the Olympic flag wave during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. The World Anti-Doping Agency cleared 23 Chinese swimmers of doping allegations despite positive tests for banned substances, allowing them to compete in the 2021 Tokyo Games.

The Chinese and the Olympic flag wave during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. The World Anti-Doping Agency cleared 23 Chinese swimmers of doping allegations despite positive tests for banned substances, allowing them to compete in the 2021 Tokyo Games. Petr David Josek/AP hide caption

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Petr David Josek/AP

Sports

Justice Department opens a criminal probe of the Chinese Olympic doping scandal

One focus of the probe appears to be on the World Anti-Doping Agency, which reviewed repeated positive drug tests by elite Chinese swimmers.

Justice Department opens a criminal probe of the Chinese Olympic doping scandal

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A Cal Fire OV-10 air tactical aircraft releases a puff of smoke while guiding a fire retardant drop during the Thompson Fire in Oroville, Calif., on Wednesday.

A Cal Fire OV-10 air tactical aircraft releases a puff of smoke while guiding a fire retardant drop during the Thompson Fire in Oroville, Calif., on Wednesday. Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle/AP hide caption

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Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle/AP

National

Firefighters make progress against California fire, but heat risks grow in the West

Containment of the wildfire that had triggered extensive evacuations rose Friday to 46%, and most evacuation orders were lifted. But forecasters say heat and fire risk are expanding on the West Coast.

These are some of the prominent Democratic leaders who are viewed as potential future presidential contenders: Vice President Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

These are some of the prominent Democratic leaders who are viewed as potential future presidential contenders: Vice President Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images; Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images; Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Tierny L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
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Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images; Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images; Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Tierny L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Up First Newsletter

These Democrats could replace Biden. And, Labour wins U.K. election

Biden says he's staying in the 2024 race. If he changes his mind, these Democrats could be potential candidates, this year or in 2028. And, Labour gets a historic victory in the U.K. elections.

UK Election Results, Colorado River Crisis, Florida Climate Change

Labour Leader Keir Starmer celebrates winning the 2024 general election with a speech at Tate Modern on Friday in London.

Labour Leader Keir Starmer celebrates winning the 2024 general election with a speech at Tate Modern in London on Friday. Ricky Vigil/Getty Images Europe hide caption

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Ricky Vigil/Getty Images Europe

Year of Global Elections

Britain swings to the center-left in a historic U.K. election landslide

After 14 years of Conservative rule, Britons elected a new prime minister, Keir Starmer, and Parliament dominated by the Labour Party, which hadn't won a national election since Tony Blair, nearly 20 years.

The U.K. has a new government with Sir Keir Starmer at the helm

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A person looks at an election poster board for Tokyo gubernatorial election Monday, July 1, 2024, in Tokyo.

A person looks at an election poster board for Tokyo gubernatorial election Monday, July 1, 2024, in Tokyo. Tokyo elects a new governor on Sunday but residents say personal publicity stunts have overtaken serious campaigning — there are nearly nude women in suggestive poses, pets, an AI character and a man practicing his golf swing. Eugene Hoshiko/AP hide caption

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Eugene Hoshiko/AP

Year of Global Elections

With suggestive poses and pets, 'wacky' election campaigning tests Tokyo's patience

This year's wackiness — notably from non-candidates renting campaign billboard space — is proving exceptional, and residents have flooded election offices with angry calls and messages.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrives to take part in a Ukraine peace summit near Lucerne, Switzerland, on June 15.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrives to take part in a Ukraine peace summit near Lucerne, Switzerland, on June 15. Mitsotakis' administration says making six days of work mandatory is necessary due to a shrinking population and a shortage of skilled workers. Denis Balibouse/POOL/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Denis Balibouse/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Business

Greece's new 6-day workweek law takes effect, bucking a trend

An employee who must work on a sixth day would be paid 40% overtime, according to the new law.

Tourists are seen photographing an eruption of Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park in this 2011 file photo. On Thursday, a man was killed in an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement park rangers after he was reported to have a weapon and issuing threats, according to the National Park Service.

Tourists are seen photographing an eruption of Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park in this 2011 file photo. On Thursday, a man was killed in an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement park rangers after he was reported to have a weapon and issuing threats, according to the National Park Service. Julie Jacobson/AP hide caption

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Julie Jacobson/AP

National

A person is dead after a shootout with park rangers at Yellowstone

Park rangers said the individual, who has not been identified, opened fire after being confronted over reports that they were armed and making threats.

In this photo made available by Iranian state-run TV, IRIB, Iranian presidential candidate Saeed Jalili, left, a hard-line former nuclear negotiator, and reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian greet one another at the conclusion of a debate at the TV studio in Tehran, Iran, on June 1, 2024.

In this photo made available by Iranian state-run TV, IRIB, Iranian presidential candidate Saeed Jalili, left, a hard-line former nuclear negotiator, and reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian greet one another at the conclusion of a debate at the TV studio in Tehran, Iran, on June 1, 2024. Morteza Fakhri Nezhad/AP/IRIB hide caption

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Morteza Fakhri Nezhad/AP/IRIB

Year of Global Elections

Iran holds runoff presidential vote pitting hard-liner against reformist

An initial round of voting June 28 saw no candidate get over 50% of the vote, forcing the runoff. The candidates are running to replace the late president, who was killed in a helicopter crash.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden met Hawaii Gov. Josh Green in August 2023 after devastating wildfires struck Maui Green was one of the Democratic governors who met with Biden to talk about the presidential campaign. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden met Hawaii Gov. Josh Green in August 2023 after devastating wildfires struck Maui. Green was one of the Democratic governors who sat down with Biden to talk about the presidential campaign. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption

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Evan Vucci/AP

Politics

Biden is still weighing whether to stay in the race, Hawaii governor says

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat and a close ally of President Biden, says it's still unclear whether Biden will maintain his bid for a second term. "The president has to make this decision," Green told NPR.

JOSH GREEN

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Britain's Labour Party leader Keir Starmer gives a thumbs up to his supporters after he was elected for the Holborn and St Pancras constituency, in London on Friday.

Britain's Labour Party leader Keir Starmer gives a thumbs up to his supporters after he was elected for the Holborn and St Pancras constituency in London on Friday. Kin Cheung/AP hide caption

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Kin Cheung/AP

Europe

U.K. Labour Party sweeps to power in historic election win

Labour leader Keir Starmer will officially become prime minister later in the day, leading his party back to government less than five years after it suffered its worst defeat in almost a century.

D.C.'s east cornerstone, located at the city's easternmost point, is hidden in a small patch of woods in a residential neighborhood.

D.C.'s east cornerstone, located at the city's easternmost point, is hidden in a small patch of woods in a residential neighborhood. Jacob Fenston/For NPR hide caption

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Jacob Fenston/For NPR

National

Hunt for the nation's oldest monuments, and prepare to get muddy

A series of small sandstone monuments marked the boundaries of the nation's capital in the 1700s. Most are still there, but they don't get a lot of visitors.

DC's FOUNDING BOUNDARY STONES

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Marvin Cox, community outreach director with the Metropolitan Action Commission on June 25, in Nashville. As temperatures reached into the upper 90s, the Metro Action Commission was offering free window AC units to seniors, families with young children and people with medical conditions.

Marvin Cox, community outreach director with the Metropolitan Action Commission on June 25, in Nashville. As temperatures reached into the upper 90s, the Metro Action Commission was offering free window AC units to seniors, families with young children and people with medical conditions. Mark Humphrey/AP hide caption

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Mark Humphrey/AP

National

As heat waves intensify, more public housing residents may get help with AC bills

For decades, public housing providers could subsidize heating bills but not air-conditioning. New Biden administration guidance changes that, but critics say it doesn’t go far enough.

Public housing buildings can now pay for residents' ACs, providing relief to many

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  • Transcript
Miki Sudo (right) and Mayoi Ebihara compete in the women's division of Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Sudo won by eating a record 51 hot dogs.

Miki Sudo (right) and Mayoi Ebihara compete in the women's division of Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Sudo won by eating a record 51 hot dogs. Julia Nikhinson/AP hide caption

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Julia Nikhinson/AP

National

Miki Sudo sets record for hot dog eating and Patrick Bertoletti wins men’s contest

The previous men's champ, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, didn’t attend the competition this year over a sponsorship tiff.

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