NPR News: 07-10-2025 7AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: July 10, 2025, 7AM EDT

Hosted by NPR

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Flood Risks in Central Texas Exceed Previous Estimates

[00:19] Jeanine Herbst opens the episode with alarming news from Central Texas, where recent floodwaters have been devastating the region. NPR and data scientists have uncovered that at least 17 buildings and cabins at campsites are at greater risk than initially reported. The floods have tragically resulted in over 120 deaths and left more than 160 individuals missing.

Laura Sullivan delves deeper into the issue, explaining that an analysis by climate modeling company First Street revealed significant shortcomings in FEMA's flood risk assessments. "FEMA failed to properly account for the threat from rainfall when developing its maps," Sullivan reports [00:43]. This oversight isn't confined to just Camp Mystic; FEMA's maps undercount the number of homes in danger throughout the country, primarily because the agency has historically focused on tidal surges and river data.

Sullivan highlights that special interest groups, such as Home Builders Associations, have often lobbied against increased funding for FEMA, exacerbating the problem. At Camp Mystic specifically, at least eight buildings, including cabins for younger campers, are situated within a floodway, a high-velocity water zone. "The area was swamped with floodwaters, blamed for at least 120 deaths," Sullivan emphasizes, underscoring the urgent need for more comprehensive flood mapping and preparedness measures.

U.S. Response to Russian Assault on Ukraine

Transitioning to international affairs, Jeanine Herbst reports on another night of Russian bombardment in Ukraine, which has resulted in at least two fatalities. In response, President Trump has announced a 50% tariff on imports from Brazil, marking a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy. However, this move is distinct from recent actions Trump has taken.

Tom Bowman provides further insight [01:27], explaining that Trump’s decision to send additional weapons to Ukraine comes after he overruled Pentagon leaders who had previously announced a pause. "We are going to send more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves," Trump asserted [01:47]. Although the specifics remain unclear, it is expected that Patriot missiles will be among the supplies, with approximately 30 missiles currently held in Poland. These missiles have been instrumental in intercepting incoming Russian threats, according to a U.S. official.

Trump Imposes New Tariffs on Brazil Amid Political Tensions

Back to economic policies, Jeanine Herbst relays that President Trump has imposed a 50% tariff on imports from Brazil, a move that stands out from his other recent tariffs. Daniel Kurtzleben reports [02:23] that unlike Trump's previous letters, which focused solely on trade imbalances, the letter to Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva took on a more political tone.

Trump continued his rhetoric by referencing what he claims is a "witch hunt against former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro", who is currently facing trial for an alleged attempted coup against Lula. Bolsonaro, whom Trump has long supported, lost his bid for re-election in 2022 to Lula. The aftermath saw Bolsonaro's supporters storming the Capitol in Brasilia, drawing parallels to similar events in the United States.

Legal Challenges to Trump's Birthright Citizenship Restrictions

In domestic legal news, Jeanine Herbst highlights that a class-action lawsuit challenging President Trump's restrictions on birthright citizenship will be heard in federal court in New Hampshire today. The ACLU has filed the suit, aiming to block Trump's January order that denies citizenship to babies born to undocumented or temporary residents. The ACLU contends that the 14th Amendment of the Constitution unequivocally guarantees citizenship to individuals born on U.S. soil.

Several federal judges have previously issued injunctions against this order, but the Supreme Court recently limited those rulings, allowing the legal battle to continue across multiple states. This case underscores the ongoing tensions and debates surrounding immigration policies and constitutional rights.

Environmental Concerns: Over 16,000 Chemicals in Plastics Identified

Shifting focus to environmental issues, Will Stone reports on a groundbreaking study that has identified more than 16,000 chemicals present in plastics. This comprehensive review, conducted by scientists from Norway and Switzerland, revealed that a significant portion of these chemicals are considered chemicals of concern due to their potential risks to human health.

Among the identified substances are bisphenols, phthalates, and PFAS (forever chemicals), which are ubiquitous in products ranging from toys and food packaging to tires. Stone notes, "The sheer number of chemicals is far beyond what governments and manufacturers can study to ensure their safety," highlighting the staggering reality that nearly 11,000 out of the 16,000 chemicals lack official hazard classifications. The study, published in the journal Nature, suggests that many of these harmful chemicals could be replaced with safer alternatives, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for environmental and public health.

Market Update

Concluding the episode, Jeanine Herbst provides a brief update on the financial markets, mentioning that U.S. futures contracts are trading lower at that hour.

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This summary is intended to provide an overview of the key topics discussed in the NPR News Now episode released on July 10, 2025. For more detailed information, listeners are encouraged to tune into the full episode.

Transcript

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[Jeanine Herbst]

In Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. A new analysis from NPR and data scientists find at least 17 buildings and cabins at campsites in Central Texas were at greater risk than the previously reported. The area was swamped with floodwaters, blamed for at least 120 deaths, with more than 160 others still missing. NPR's Laura Sullivan has more.

[Laura Sullivan]

An analysis by climate modeling company first street found FEMA failed to properly account for the threat from rainfall when developing its maps. It wasn't just a problem at the camp. FEMA's maps undercount the number of homes in danger throughout the country. Data scientists say FEMA relies on tidal surge and river data and the agency lacks funding and a mandate to up NPR found Special interest groups like Home Builders Associations often lobbied to prevent the agency from getting that funding. At Camp Mystic, NPR also found at least eight buildings, including cabins for younger campers located inside the floodway, a dangerous area expected to see high velocity water. Laura Sullivan, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Russia bombarded Ukraine again last night in an hours long assault that left at least two people dead. This has President Trump made an abrupt turnaround on weapons to Ukraine, saying the US Will send additional weapons after a pause by the Pentagon, but it's unclear what will be sent and what might still be on hold. NPR's Tom Bowman has more.

[Tom Bowman]

All we know is that Trump has overruled Pentagon leaders who announced that halt and he said, quote, we're going to send more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. He said this as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was sitting next to him. Now, he wasn't specific and the Pentagon would only say in a statement it was sending additional defensive weapons. And that was all. Now we expect they'll send more Patriot missiles. There are some 30 being held in Poland, according to a US official who was not authorized to speak. And these missiles, of course, have been key in destroying incoming Russian missiles.

[Jeanine Herbst]

NPR's Tom Bowman reporting. President Trump announced a 50% tariff on imports from Brazil. But as NPR's Daniel Kurtzleben reports, the new threat is different from the other ones he made this week.

[Daniel Kurtzleben]

Trump announced the tariff rate by posting a letter to Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva on social media Wednesday, his 22nd letter this week, all of the other letters were similar, telling countries that the new tariffs were being imposed to rectify their trade imbalances with the U.S. but the letter to Brazil was about politics. Trump angrily referenced what he calls a witch hunt against former far right President Jair Bolsonaro, who who is facing trial for an alleged attempted coup against Lula. Trump has long praised the far right Bolsonaro, who lost in a 2022 reelection bid against Lula. Shortly thereafter, Bolsonaro's supporters stormed the Capitol, Brasilia. Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

This is NPR News. A class action lawsuit over President Trump's birthright citizenship restrictions will be heard in federal court in New Hampshire today. The suit filed by the ACLU seeks to block Trump's January order den citizenship to babies born to undocumented or temporary residents. They argue the Constitution's 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to those born in the U.S. several federal judges issued injunctions against the order, but the Supreme Court recently limited those rulings. This says legal battles continue across several states. A new study identified more than 16,000 chemicals in plastic, many of which are considered chemicals of concern because of the risks to human health. Ampere's Will Stone has more.

[Will Stone]

Even though plastic is pervasive in our lives, there are still major gaps in our understanding of their chemical composition. The team of scientists based in Norway and Switzerland did a comprehensive review and identified more than 4,200 chemicals of concern. Bisphenols, phthalates and PFAS, or forever chemicals, are just a few examples. Those can show up everywhere, from toys to food packaging to tires. The results were published in the journal Nature. The authors report the sheer number of chemicals is far beyond what governments and manufacturers can study to ensure their safety. In fact, nearly 11,000 of the 16,000 chemicals identified lack official hazard classifications. The authors say many of these harmful chemicals can be replaced with safer alternatives. Will stone, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

U.S. futures contracts are trading lower at this hour. I'm Jeanine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

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