In a sign of Navalny's ability to inspire the public, in 2017 his followers chanted words in Putin's hometown that are among the most dangerous to utter in their country: "Russia without Putin."

Speaking at the White House, Biden said he was "both not surprised and outraged" by the news of Navalny's death and said he had no doubt that Russian President Vladimir Putin was to blame.

Vice President Harris says Russia is responsible for the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, "whatever story they tell," and said it was "a further sign of Putin's brutality."

The Federal Prison Service said in a statement that Navalny felt unwell after a walk on Friday and lost consciousness. The politician's team says it has received no confirmation of his death so far.

The international reaction to the death of the prominent Russian opposition leader was swift, with many blaming the Kremlin.

Vice President Harris is making a major address on Friday at the Munich Security Conference. But European leaders are alarmed at the U.S. failure to keep its promise to continue to back Ukraine.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in prison after losing consciousness after a walk, according to the country's prison service. Israeli troops take over Southern Gaza's largest hospital.

Greece on Thursday became the first Orthodox Christian country to legalize same-sex civil marriage, despite opposition from the influential, socially conservative Greek Church.

For half a century, during the Cold War, every U-S president painted Russia as the dominant threat. America's ideological opposite, a hostile and nuclear-armed power. Ronald Reagan went so far as to call the Soviet Union an Evil Empire.

So the events of recent days have been noteworthy. On top of a holdup of U-S aid for Ukraine, former President Trump said he might NOT come to the defense of a NATO ally who hadn't spent enough on defense.

And Tucker Carlson, the erstwhile Fox news host, flew to Moscow to sit down with Vladimir Putin for more than two hours of mostly softball questions.

Afterward, he pronounced Putin "impressive" on stage at the World Government Summit.

So what gives? Why the romance between the American right and Russia?

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

The raid came a day after the army sought to evacuate thousands of displaced people who had taken shelter at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

A series of deadly strikes on Wednesday and Thursday underscored the risk that daily cross-border skirmishes could quickly escalate and turn the war in Gaza into a broader regional conflict.

Ebola is one of the most feared infectious diseases, with more than half of those infected dying. A vaccine has now been shown to cut that mortality rate in half.

An unmanned lunar spacecraft has captured and transmitted data analyzing lunar rocks, an achievement that could help provide clues about the origin of the moon, a Japan space agency official said

Prabowo, who had been barred from entering the U.S. for two decades for alleged human rights abuses, has the backing of the current president.

Roughly 1.4 million Palestinians sheltering in Rafah are bracing for a potential Israeli assault, but hoping for a diplomatic breakthrough as negotiators work to secure a cease-fire.