Catherine Osborn

A street vendor sells campaign flags of presidential candidates Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro and current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who is running for reelection in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026.

Picanha, prices and politics: What Brazil's favorite steak says about the election

Catherine Osborn

Lula promised Brazilians four years ago they'd be able to afford picanha again. Now, as he seeks another term, the price of the country's favorite cut of beef is telling a different story.

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As El Niño intensifies, Rio turns to science — and a spiritual adviser

Catherine Osborn

This year's Super El Niño has brought unprecedented weather to Rio de Janeiro. Unaccustomed to tornado-strength winds, the city found an unusual partner to combat the weather: a spiritual adviser.

A man pushes his bicycle along a trash-strewn street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, June 9, 2026.

NPR Headlines

With U.S. doors shutting, Cubans turn to Brazil for asylum

Catherine Osborn

For years, many Cubans hoping to leave the island looked to the United States. Now, with legal pathways largely closed, a growing number are heading to Brazil instead.

Brazil's president accuses U.S. of attempting to interfere with country's election

Catherine Osborn

Brazil's president is accusing the U.S. of trying to interfere in his country's elections — a claim Washington strongly denies.

Bartender Rafaella Demelo adds sugar, 1.5 ounces of Leblon, and half a lime over ice in a shaker while preparing a caipirinha, Brazil's trademark cocktail.

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Trade tensions shake up Brazil's caipirinha spirit

Catherine Osborn

U.S. tariff pressure is pushing Europe and Brazil closer—opening new global doors for everything from aircraft parts to Brazil's cachaça, the base of the caipirinha.

Pelé appears at Pelé: The Collection, presented by Julien's Auctions in London on June 1, 2016.

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Pelé, who made soccer 'The Beautiful Game,' dies at 82

Catherine Osborn

Pelé was one of the world's best soccer players who was the sport's global face for decades. The Brazilian legend was a wizard on the field who dazzled fans, teammates and competitors alike.

Ulisses Xavier, 52, who has worked for 16 years at Nossa Senhora cemetery in Manaus, Brazil, makes wooden crosses to supplement his income. The cemetery has seen a surge in the number of new graves after the outbreak of COVID-19.

NPR Headlines

The Worst Of COVID-19 Should Be Over For 1 Hard-Hit Brazilian City. But It's Not

Catherine Osborn

The jungle metropolis of Manaus had a terrible pandemic spring. A study estimates 76% of residents were exposed to the coronavirus. Researchers thought there couldn't be another surge. And yet...