NPR News: 05-15-2026 11AM EDT

NPR’s latest news roundup covers a striking set of developments: Cuba freed a prominent dissident just as the CIA director arrived for talks; Russia appears to have deliberately targeted a UN vehicle in southern Ukraine; the Supreme Court temporarily allowed abortion pills to be mailed nationwide; and President Trump escalated his rhetoric toward Iran, warning the country to make a deal or face annihilation. Oil prices have risen sharply in response. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Israelis marched through Jerusalem in an annual ultra-nationalist parade marked by anti-Palestinian chants, and the Central Plains face a severe weather threat.

Cuba frees dissident as CIA director visits

The Cuban government released a prominent political dissident after years in prison, and the timing was notable: the CIA director had just flown to Havana for talks. The dissident, identified as Avascal, was arrested in the summer of 2021 after joining thousands of protesters on the streets. According to Avascal, state security agents gave her a choice: go free, but only if she agreed to go into exile. She accepted, and on Thursday she flew to Miami. At a press conference, she said, “My heart is in pieces. It stayed with all my brothers who are still in prison, with those who the government has been unable to silence in their fight against totalitarianism.” The episode also notes that the U.S.