NPR News: 07-07-2025 12PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: Summary of Episode Released on July 7, 2025

Host: Lakshmi Singh
Publisher: NPR
Release Date: July 7, 2025

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Central Texas Floods and Political Accountability

Tragic Losses in Central Texas

Central Texas has faced devastating floods over the holiday weekend, resulting in the loss of more than 80 lives, predominantly in Kerr County. The region is still grappling with the aftermath of these catastrophic events.

Political Response and Accountability

• Representative Joaquin Castro's Call for Investigation ([00:15]):

  Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro, representing the affected district, is urging an investigation into the potential impact of GOP-backed budget cuts to the National Weather Service (NWS) on the recent flooding fatalities. "We need to understand if these Doge cuts played a role in the inability to adequately warn and prepare for this disaster," Castro stated.

• Senator Ted Cruz's Rebuttal ([00:47]):

  In response, Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz dismissed Castro's claims as "partisan finger-pointing." He defended the administration's fiscal decisions, emphasizing that the NWS union has publicly maintained that staffing reductions did not hinder their warning capabilities.

• Don Guilene Gonyea's Clarification on NWS Staffing ([00:47]):

  Don Gonyea added context by highlighting that the National Weather Service union has outright denied that the budget cuts affected their operational efficiency. "They have publicly said that they don't believe that the reduction in staffing had any impact whatsoever on their ability to warn of this event," Gonyea explained.

Ongoing Weather Concerns

Lakshmi Singh reported that the National Weather Service is forecasting continued excessive rainfall with a moderate risk of flash floods, which may further strain emergency response efforts in Texas ([01:02]).

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U.S. Trade Policies and Tariff Negotiations

Potential Extension of Tariff Deadlines

The White House has indicated that the deadline for implementing new tariffs could be extended to August 1 for certain countries. This extension comes as negotiations for possible trade deals are still underway. President Trump announced, "Letters informing trading partners of new tariff rates are going out today" ([01:02]).

Analysis of Trump's Tariff Strategy

• Don Gonyea on Tariff Policies ([01:29]):

  Don Gonyea delved into the complexities of President Trump's tariff strategy, noting that tariffs have been the "trade weapon of choice." Since April, the administration has oscillated between imposing steep tariffs and negotiating deals with individual nations, including allies like Japan and the European Union. "That's made the policy difficult to track from negotiators, but also for consumers in the US who will eventually bear the cost," Gonyea remarked.

Implications for International Trade

The fluctuating approach has created uncertainty both for international partners and American consumers, as the inconsistency in policy makes long-term planning challenging.

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Ukraine-Russia Conflict Escalates with Drone Warfare

Recent Drone Attacks and Their Impact

The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has intensified over the weekend with mutual drone attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced new drone production deals with Western allies and a U.S. defense company, signaling increased international support ([02:08]).

• Joanna Kakissis' Report from Kyiv ([02:26]):

  Joanna Kakissis provided detailed coverage from Kyiv, stating that hundreds of Russian flights were delayed due to Ukrainian drone strikes. Additionally, Russia targeted Ukrainian cities, resulting in injuries in Kyiv and Kharkiv, and striking the port of Mykolaiv in the southeast. "The Kremlin has signaled it would keep attacking, dampening hopes for a ceasefire," she reported.

Ukrainian Efforts to Bolster Defense

Zelensky expressed aspirations to receive "hundreds of thousands of drones this year" through production deals, aiming to enhance Ukraine's defensive and offensive capabilities against Russian forces.

U.S. Defense Support

However, the Pentagon faced setbacks as it recently froze air defense munitions intended for Ukraine, adding another layer of complexity to the support dynamics ([02:26]).

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BRICS Summit and U.S. Trade Tensions

BRICS Condemnation of U.S. Policies

At the BRICS summit in Brazil, member countries collectively condemned U.S. tariffs, rates hikes, and actions against Iran. Despite being viewed as a coalition counterbalancing Western influence, the declaration did not specifically name President Trump ([03:09]).

• Trump's Response to BRICS ([03:09]):

  In retaliation, President Trump posted on social media threatening that "any country aligning itself with, quote, anti American policies of BRICS will be hit with a higher tariff." This response underscores the ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and the BRICS nations.

Absence of Key Leaders

Notably, the leaders of China and Russia, both founding members of BRICS, did not attend the summit in person, indicating potential strains within the coalition ([03:09]).

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Health Advisory: CBD Use and Liver Health Concerns

Prevalence of CBD Use

Approximately 20% of U.S. adults utilize CBD or hemp-derived products, commonly for managing sleep issues, anxiety, and pain. However, recent research has raised concerns about the potential impact of CBD on liver health ([03:09]).

• Study Findings by Will Stone ([04:07]):

  Will Stone reported on a randomized control trial conducted by the Food and Drug Administration involving around 200 healthy adults. Participants were divided into two groups: one took CBD twice daily for four weeks, and the other received a placebo.

  The study found that just over 5% of those using CBD experienced liver enzyme levels elevated three times above the normal upper limit. Fortunately, none of the participants showed significant symptoms of liver dysfunction, and enzyme levels returned to normal within one to two weeks after discontinuing CBD use. "The results underscore one safety concern for a widely used and unregulated product," Stone noted.

Medical Recommendations

The study's authors advise that healthcare professionals should consider these findings, especially when treating patients with preexisting liver conditions or those taking other medications metabolized by the liver. This precaution is crucial given the unregulated nature of CBD products and their widespread use ([04:07]).

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Closing Remarks

Lakshmi Singh concluded the episode by reaffirming the commitment to delivering timely and comprehensive news coverage ([04:51]).

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Note: This summary excludes all advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content segments as per the guidelines.

Transcript

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[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi singh. More than 80 lives in Central Texas are lost, the vast majority in Kerr county, as a result of floods over the holiday weekend. Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro, whose district is still recovering from deadly floods a few weeks ago, is calling for an investigation into the role that GOP backed Doge cuts that the National Weather Service might have played in the recent flooding deaths. Today, Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz denounced that as partisan finger pointing.

[Don Gonyea]

I also think it's worth noting that the National Weather Service union, which has been very critical of the Doge cuts, has publicly said that they don't believe that the reduction in staffing had any impact whatsoever on their ability to warn of this event.

[Lakshmi Singh]

The National Weather Service forecasts more excessive rainfall and a moderate risk of flash floods that could complicate emergency response in Texas. The White House says this Wednesday's tariff deadline could be extended to August 1 for some countries as negotiations on possible deals continue. The president says letters informing trading partners of new tariff rates are going out today. Here's NPR's Don Gagne.

[Don Gonyea]

Tariffs have been Trump's trade weapon of choice. A few months ago, he famously imposed steep and wide ranging tariffs on imports from more than 100 nations, including close allies like Japan and the European Union. But since that day in April, the president has taken an on again, off again approach with some individual nations. That's made the policy difficult to track from negotiators, but also for consumers in the US who will eventually bear the cost. Still, a deadline for countries to reach an agreement with the Trump White House looms. Don Gonyea, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Ukraine and Russia traded drone attacks over the weekend, the president of Ukraine announced drone production deals with Western allies and a U.S. defense company. NPR's Joanna Kissis reports from Kyiv that hopes for a ceasefire have faded after the Kremlin signaled it would keep attacking.

[Joanna Kakissis]

Hundreds of flights at Russian airports were delayed this weekend due to Ukrainian drone strikes. Russia also attacked Ukrainian cities with drones, causing injuries in the capital, Kyiv, and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, and also hitting the port of Mykolaiv in the southeast. In a video addressed this weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he hopes his country will receive hundreds of thousands of drones this year in production deals with Western allies. Russia has stepped up drone and missile attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks. Last week, the Pentagon suddenly froze air defense munitions headed to Ukraine. Joanna Kakissis, NPR News, Kyiv.

[Lakshmi Singh]

From Washington, this is NPR. Countries attending the BRICS summit in Brazil are condemning U.S. tariffs, hikes and attacks on Iran. However, the group, which is viewed as a counterweight to Western influence, did not specifically call out President Trump in its declaration. Last night, Trump posted on social media that any country aligning itself with, quote, anti American policies of brics will be hit with a higher tariff. The leaders of China and Russia, meanwhile, two of the group's founding members, that is, did not attend in person. An estimated 20% of US adults use CBD or other products derived from hemp. Often, people say they help with sleep and anxiety and pain. But new research raises questions about the impact of CBD on liver health. And Pierre Zwoll Stone has more.

[Will Stone]

Researchers at the Food and Drug Administration conducted a randomized control trial with about 200 healthy adults. One group in the study took CBD twice a day for four weeks. The other had a placebo after about three weeks. Just over 5% of those used CBD had liver enzymes elevated three times above the upper limit of normal. None had significant symptoms indicating problems with liver function, and the levels returned to normal within a week or two of stopping cbd. Still, the study's authors say the results underscore one safety concern for a widely used and unregulated product, and the doctors should keep the findings in mind, especially for patients who have pre existing liver conditions or take other medications metabolized by the liver. Will Stone, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

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