NPR News: 07-09-2025 9AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: July 9, 2025, 9 AM EDT

Host: Kristen Wright
Producer: NPR
Release Date: July 9, 2025

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Devastating Floods in Texas and New Mexico

Kerr County Searches Continue Amid Ongoing Floods

At 9:11 AM, Kristen Wright reported on the severe flooding in Kerr County, Texas, where Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that 161 people remain missing six days after the catastrophic flash floods. The death toll has risen to 109, highlighting the disaster's profound impact on the Texas hill country.

Mayor Joe Herring Jr. expressed the community's anguish, stating, "I wish to God there was a way we could have warned them" (01:08).

In response to the devastation, Kerrville held its first City Council meeting since the floods, where officials renewed the disaster declaration and initiated discussions on cleanup efforts. Assistant City Manager Michael Horness detailed the city's plans to repurpose 28 acres of soccer fields for accumulating tree debris, emphasizing the immense scale of the cleanup required.

President Trump and First Lady to Visit Flood-Affected Texas

By 9:33 AM, the podcast shifted focus to national relief efforts. President Trump and the First Lady announced their plans to visit Texas on Friday to oversee the ongoing recovery operations.

Simultaneously, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency in Ruidoso following devastating flash flooding that resulted in three fatalities, including two young children.

Governor Lujan Grisham underscored the urgency of the situation: "Ruidoso deserves the same urgent response as Texas received for its devastating flooding" (01:50).

Emergency crews have conducted over 50 swiftwater rescues, and the governor emphasized the need for federal support to effectively manage the crisis.

Justice Department Report Highlights Shackling Violations in Federal Prisons

At 2:15 AM, attention turned to the federal prison system. A Justice Department report revealed that federal prison officials have been violating regulations by shackling inmates to beds and chairs for extended periods—sometimes days.

Joe Shapiro reported, "One prisoner was kept in restraints for 12 days, then 30 days and 29 days. Another prisoner died after being pepper sprayed, then put in restraints, and the third was injured, requiring an amputation" (02:27).

The report, originating from the Office of the Inspector General, found that restraints are only permissible for short durations when an inmate poses a significant risk. In response, the Federal Bureau of Prisons acknowledged the findings and committed to ceasing long-term restraint use, implementing more rigorous checks on inmates held in restraints.

Environmental Concerns Over Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells

At 3:10 AM, the discussion shifted to environmental issues surrounding America's abandoned oil and gas wells. These wells pose significant risks by potentially leaking hazardous chemicals into the environment if not properly sealed.

Ted Bettner, a researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute, highlighted the escalating problem: "The status quo is just to keep on drilling more wells than we're plugging, and that liability is just going to continue to grow and grow and grow" (03:40).

Camila Domonosky reported that properly plugging an old well can cost between five to six figures each, and with millions of wells drilled, the financial burden is substantial. Although the federal government has allocated billions of dollars to address these issues, advocates like Bettner argue that the oil industry should bear the financial responsibility for remediation efforts.

End of Philadelphia Sanitation Workers’ Strike

By 4:01 AM, NPR News covered the resolution of the strike by Philadelphia's sanitation and municipal workers. The union and city leaders reached a tentative agreement, ending a week-long strike that had led to accumulating trash across the city.

Union President Greg Bulware expressed his sentiments, saying, "We did the best we could with the circumstances we had in front of us" (04:16).

The agreement includes a 14% pay increase over the next four years and incorporates AI protections. Additionally, there is anticipation surrounding the Screen Actors Guild's decision on a tentative contract with major game makers, which, if ratified, will formally conclude the strike.

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Notable Quotes:

• Mayor Joe Herring Jr.: "I wish to God there was a way we could have warned them." (01:08)
• Governor Lujan Grisham: "Ruidoso deserves the same urgent response as Texas received for its devastating flooding." (01:50)
• Ted Bettner: "The status quo is just to keep on drilling more wells than we're plugging, and that liability is just going to continue to grow and grow and grow." (03:40)
• Union President Greg Bulware: "We did the best we could with the circumstances we had in front of us." (04:16)

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This summary encapsulates the key discussions and developments presented in the July 9, 2025, episode of NPR News Now. From the harrowing floods in Texas and New Mexico to critical investigations into federal prison practices, environmental challenges with abandoned wells, and the resolution of a major city workers' strike, the episode delivered a comprehensive overview of pressing national issues.

Transcript

[Capital One Representative]

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[Kristen Wright]

[e-mail] Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Kristen Wright. Texas Governor Greg Abbott says at least 161 people are known to be missing in the Kerr county area. Officials say they'll keep searching for the missing even as the days pass. Today is day six since devastating flash.

[Dan Katz]

FL upended life in central Texas.

[Kristen Wright]

The death toll is now at 109. In the Texas hill Country, Kerrville held its first City Council meeting since the floods.

[Dan Katz]

Texas Public Radio's Dan Katz reports the.

[Kristen Wright]

City renewed its disaster declaration and began discussing cleanup.

[Michael Horness]

The city of Kerrville plans to use 28 acres of soccer fields to pile up tree debris. Here's Assistant City Manager Michael Horness.

[Joe Herring Jr.]

We need a massive amount of space. I'm not sure exactly the numbers of, but it's in the millions of cubic yards and it's kind of an unimaginable concept.

[Michael Horness]

The city will also need to figure out what to do with other debris, like metal down chain link fences are scattered everywhere. The city has a water plant to repair, as well as repairs to bridges and sidewalks. But first, the search operation continues into a sixth day to find all who went missing when a historic flood changed this community forever. Mayor Joe Herring Jr. Said, quote, I wish to God there was a way we could have warned them. For NPR News, I'm Dan Katz.

[Dan Katz]

President Trump and the first lady plan.

[Kristen Wright]

To travel to Texas on Friday. New Mexico's governor has declared a state of emergency after the city of Ruidoso was hit by devastating flash flooding.

[Dan Katz]

NPR's Rylan Barton reports. Three people were killed.

[Kristen Wright]

Two of them are young children.

[Rylan Barton]

The flash flooding began Tuesday afternoon when heavy rain fell on burned areas from last year's wildfires. Emergency crews conducted over 50 swiftwater rescues. Governor Lujan Grisham said the state is mobilizing every resource it has and will need federal support. She added that Ruidoso deserves the same urgent response as Texas received for its devastating flooding that killed over 100 people last week. Rylan Barton, NPR News.

[Dan Katz]

A Justice Department report finds federal prison officials are violating their own rules, shackling.

[Kristen Wright]

Inmates to beds and chairs for hours.

[Dan Katz]

Or sometimes days using restraints. NPR's Joe Shapiro reports.

[Joe Shapiro]

Prisoners can't be put in restraints as punishment, but the report from the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General found numerous cases. One prisoner was kept in restraints for 12 days, then 30 days and 29 days. Another prisoner died after being pepper sprayed, then put in restraints, and the third was injured, requiring an amputation. Restraints are allowed for short periods of time when a prisoner's behavior presents a risk. The Federal Bureau of Prisons agreed with the report's conclusions and said it will stop using restraint for long periods of time and it will require more checks of prisoners when they are held in restraints.

[Kristen Wright]

This is npr. The nation's abandoned oil and gas wells.

[Dan Katz]

Can pose a problem.

[Kristen Wright]

The wells can leak dangerous chemicals into.

[Dan Katz]

The environment if a plug isn't properly secured. NPR's Camila Dominosky reports. It's an expensive problem to address.

[Camila Domonosky]

Properly plugging an old well by filling it with cement carries a five or six figure price tag per well, and the US has drilled millions of wells. Ted Bettner is a researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute.

[Ted Bettner]

The status quo is just to keep on drilling more wells than we're plugging, and that liability is just going to continue to grow and grow and grow.

[Camila Domonosky]

The federal government has designated billions of dollars to address these old wells, but it's a fraction of the need. And advocates like Bettner argue the oil should be footing the bill. Camila Domonosky, NPR News.

[Kristen Wright]

Philadelphia's sanitation and municipal workers strike is over. The union and city leaders say they've reached a tentative agreement.

[Dan Katz]

The strike lasted a week and trash was piling up all over the city. Workers wanted higher pay.

[Kristen Wright]

Union president Greg Bulware says he's not happy.

[Greg Bulware]

We did the best we could with the circumstances we had in front of us.

[Dan Katz]

Mayor Cherelle Parker says the contract increased worker pay by 14% over the next four years. Video game performance performers have voted on a tentative contract with major game makers. Results are expected later today. If the Screen Actors Guild ratifies the contract, the strike would formally end the agreement. The strike would formally end.

[Kristen Wright]

The agreement includes AI protections and pay raises.

[Dan Katz]

And a note. Many NPR employees are also SAG members, but in a different contract.

[Kristen Wright]

This is NPR News from Washington.

[Capital One Representative]

Listen to this podcast sponsor, free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast app by subscribing to NPR newspaper newsnowplus@ +npr.org. that's +npr.org.