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- [00:01]
Malcolm Gladwell
When Malcolm Gladwell presented NPR's Throughline podcast with a Peabody Award, he praised it for its historical and moral clarity. On Throughline, we take you back in time to the origins of what's in the news, like presidential power, aging and evangelicalism. Time travel with us every week on the Throughline podcast from npr.
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Korva Coleman
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Is testifying before a House committee. He says he needs less money for his agency. Thousands of agency staffers are leaving. Kennedy says core work at the agency will be safe, including at the National Institutes of Health.
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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
We will fund cutting edge research at the NIH while cutting risky or non essential services. That includes ending of gain of function experiments and research based upon radical gender ideology.
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Korva Coleman
Gain of function research involves studying how viruses could cause a pandemic by spreading more easily or causing more more serious illness. There are accusations that COVID 19 was started by a virus created during gain of function research in China. Many other scientists dispute this. They warn that blocking these studies will also block research that could help prevent or respond to the next pandemic. A federal grand jury has indicted a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge. She is accused of helping a man evade immigration authorities. The case has escalated a clash between the Trump administration and local authorities over Trump's sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration. From member station wuwm, Mayon Silver reports.
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Ayan Silver
The grand jury found the prosecution as probable cause to move forward in its charges against Judge Hannah Dugan. She's accused of concealing an individual to prevent arrest and obstructing a proceeding for allegedly directing a Mexican citizen defendant out of her courtroom. As U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement agents tried to arrest him, One of Dugan's lawyers issued a statement on her behalf that she, quote, asserts her innocence and looks forward to being vindicated in court. Dugan will have a preliminary hearing and arraignment Thursday amid growing tensions between President Trump and the judiciary. For NPR News, I'm Ayan Silver in Milwaukee.
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Korva Coleman
President Trump's 90 day tariff pause on Chinese goods could offer American consumers a brief window of price relief. But as NPR's Windsor Johnston reports, that relief may be limited.
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Windsor Johnston
Consumers may see more price stability on goods like electronics, clothing and household items, especially if importers use this window to restock without added costs. Mark Wu is an international trade expert at Harvard University.
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Giles Snyder
Some of the feared price increases may either be delayed or possibly not as large as have been feared, but it still leaves the consumer with quite a bit of uncertainty as to where things may be headed.
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Windsor Johnston
Analysts say the pause in tariffs may not immediately reduce prices. The benefit could be more visible toward the end of the summer, depending on how quickly import patterns adjust. Windsor Johnston, NPR News, Washington.
- [03:18]
Korva Coleman
On Wall street, the dow is down 60 points. You're listening to NPR. President Trump has arrived in Qatar, the next stop on his Mideast trip this week. Earlier today, he met Syria's new interim leader, Ahmad Al Shara. He says his administration is open to normalizing relations with Syria. Yesterday, Trump said the US Would lift sanctions on Syria. The president is not visiting Israel on this trip, but he says his relationship with Mideast countries is good for Israel. In the US Dozens of wildfires are burning in Minnesota. Three of them are blazing out of control in the northeastern part of the state. NPR's Giles Snyder reports. The National Weather Service says there's near critical fire conditions there.
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Tim Walls
Minnesota Governor Tim Walls says the unseasonably high temperatures combined with low humidity and drought conditions are teaming up to create dangerous fire conditions.
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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
I think right now it's important for us to start thinking about the habits we're doing, start thinking about containment and making sure that we're prepared to protect property and, of course, most importantly, protect life.
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Tim Walls
State officials say more than 80 fires have cropped up since Sunday, including the largest. The camphouse fire has destroyed dozens of structures. The early season heat in Minnesota and also in the Dakotas has broken records. But while relief is expected later this week, forecasters say the same weather system will make parts of the south sizzle for the next six to 10 days, especially in parts of Texas and Florida. Giles Snyder, NPR News.
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Korva Coleman
Separately, heavy rain in the mid Atlantic led to flash flooding in parts of western Maryland and in neighboring West Virginia. Some areas got more than 6 inches of rain. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News, in Washington.
- [05:04]
Giles Snyder
Listen to this podcast sponsor, free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast app, by subscribing to NPR news now@plus.npr.org that's plus.nl npr.org.