NPR News: 07-11-2025 7PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: July 11, 2025, 7 PM EDT

Hosted by NPR

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1. Air India Boeing 787 Crash Investigation

At [00:11], Windsor Johnston introduces a harrowing update on the Air India crash that resulted in the tragic loss of 260 lives. NPR’s Joel Rose provides a preliminary report on the investigation into the disaster:

• Engine Fuel Cut-Off: Investigators in India have determined that the fuel supply to the aircraft's engines was abruptly cut moments after liftoff. Specifically, two switches controlling the fuel supply were flipped from "run" to "cutoff" approximately three seconds post-takeoff, leading to engine starvation, loss of thrust, and subsequent altitude decline.

• Mystery Behind the Switches: The reasoning behind the simultaneous flipping of these switches remains unclear. The cockpit voice recordings reveal a tense exchange between the pilots:

  "Why did you cut off?" asked one pilot.
  "I did not do so," responded the other.
  — [00:35] Joel Rose

This incident marks one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India's history, with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashing shortly after departing from Ahmedabad en route to London.

2. Catastrophic Flooding in Central Texas

Moving to natural disasters, Windsor Johnston updates listeners on the devastating floods in central Texas, as reported by Steve Futterman at [01:15]:

• Scale of the Tragedy: President Donald Trump visited the flood-stricken areas, where the death toll has tragically risen to at least 120. Trump described the situation as:

  "The extent of the loss here is overwhelming."
  — [01:26] Donald Trump

• Emotional Toll: Delving deeper into the personal losses, Trump remarked:

  "Dozens and dozens of precious children taken from us with such ... I looked at the pictures of almost all of them and it's terrible."
  — [01:30] Donald Trump

• Response to Criticism: When questioned about the potential effectiveness of earlier alerts, Trump responded defensively:

  "Only a bad person would ask a question like that. It's easy to sit back and say, oh, what could have happened here or there? You know, maybe we could have done something differently."
  — [01:40] Donald Trump

However, later statements acknowledge the necessity for improved alert systems to prevent future calamities.

3. Trump Administration's State Department Layoffs

In a significant development concerning U.S. foreign affairs, Windsor Johnston reports at [02:11] on substantial layoffs within the State Department:

• Extent of Layoffs: Over 1,300 State Department employees have been dismissed as part of a "well thought out reorganization plan" announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

• Union and Talent Impact: Michelle Kellerman highlights the union leader Tom Yasgardi's concerns:

  "One who's going out to be DCM deputy chief of mission was RIF'd. You know, decades of experience, language, ability, know how in the Foreign Service."
  — [02:37] Michelle Kellerman

• Reduction Strategy: Secretary Rubio targeted a 15% reduction of headquarters staff, achieving this through layoffs and encouraging early retirement. However, Senate Democrats caution that diminishing diplomatic resources may embolden adversaries like China to extend their diplomatic influence.

4. International Effort to Disrupt Global Human Trafficking Ring

At [03:07], Windsor Johnston introduces a monumental international crackdown on human trafficking, detailed by Terry Schultz:

• Global Collaboration: Over 15,000 officials from more than two dozen countries collaborated in an operation named "Global Chain," led by Austria and Romania.

• Operation Details: The extensive effort involved various agencies, including law enforcement, border guards, labor inspectors, and tax and customs authorities. The coordinated action spanned continents, with operational headquarters based in Warsaw, Poland.

• Rescues and Arrests: The operation successfully rescued over 1,100 victims, many of whom were minors coerced into commercial sex, begging, and other criminal activities like pickpocketing. The majority hailed from countries including China, Colombia, Hungary, Romania, and Ukraine. Additionally, 158 suspects were apprehended, leading to further investigations and the identification of additional criminal networks.

  "More than 1,100 believed victims were rescued, many of them underage."
  — [03:27] Terry Schultz

5. Immigration Raid on Cannabis Farm in Southern California

Concluding the evening’s broadcasts, Windsor Johnston reports at [04:12] on a contentious immigration enforcement action:

• Operation Details: Federal agents conducted a raid on a cannabis farm in Ventura County, Southern California. The Department of Homeland Security executed the operation under a warrant.

• Clash with Protesters: The raid incited protests, leading to confrontations between demonstrators and federal agents. In an attempt to disperse the crowd, agents deployed smoke canisters, escalating tensions.

• Market Reaction: In unrelated financial news, the stock market experienced declines, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling by 279 points, the NASDAQ composite down 45 points, and the S&P 500 slipping by 20 points as reported at [04:37].

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Transcript

[Narrator]

This message comes from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment presenting Jane Austen wrecked My Life. Critics call it a delectable modern ROM com and brimming with charm. Watch at home on Digital today.

[Windsor Johnston]

Rated R. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. A preliminary report into the Air India crash that killed 260 people last month shows that fuel to the engines was cut off Moments after liftoff. NPR's Joel Rose reports. Two switches that control the fuel supply were flipped almost simultaneously.

[Joel Rose]

Investigators in India say the switches that control the fuel supply to the engines were flipped from run to cutoff about three seconds after liftoff. That starved the engines of fuel, causing the plane to lose thrust and altitude. But it's not clear why those switches were flipped. In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots can be heard asking the other, why did he cut off, according to the preliminary report, while the other pilot responded that he did not do so. 260 people were killed when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after it took off from Ahmedabad on its way to London, one of the worst aviation disasters in the history of India. Joel Rose, NPR News.

[Windsor Johnston]

President Trump surveyed the destruction left behind by catastrophic flooding in central Texas today. Steve Futterman reports. The death toll has risen to at least 120.

[Donald Trump]

The President said the extent of the loss here is overwhelming.

Dozens and dozens of precious children taken from us with such. I looked at the pictures of almost all of them and it's terrible.

But he got angry when a reporter asked whether earlier alerts might have saved lives.

Only a bad person would ask a question like that. It's easy to sit back and say, oh, what could have happened here or there? You know, maybe we could have done something differently. This was a, a thing that has never happened before.

Later, however, Trump did acknowledge that an alert system needs to be put in place to make sure a similar tragedy doesn't happen again. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Kerrville, Texas.

[Windsor Johnston]

The Trump administration has laid off more than 1300 workers at the State Department. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says this is part of a well thought out reorganization plan. But, but as NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports, he's getting a lot of criticism for it.

[Michelle Kellerman]

The head of the State Department's union, Tom Yasgardi, is seeing a lot of talent walk out the door in this reduction of forces by the Trump administration.

[Donald Trump]

One who's going out to be DCM deputy chief of mission was RIF'd. You know, decades of experience, language, ability, know how in the Foreign Service.

[Michelle Kellerman]

Secretary Rubio decided to cut 15% of the staff based at headquarters, and his aides say they have now reached that goal with the rifts and early retirement. Senate Democrats warn that as the US Cuts its diplomatic service, adversaries like China are expanding their diplomatic reach. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department.

[Windsor Johnston]

You're listening to NPR News in Washington. More than 15,000 officials from dozens of countries joined efforts to break up a criminal ring that trafficked people worldwide. Terry Schultz reports. The operation, named Global Chain, was led by Austria and Romania.

[Terry Schultz]

The crackdown involved law enforcement, border guards, labor law inspectors and tax and customs authorities. More than 1100 believed victims were rescued, many of them underage. The European police network Europol says they'd been trafficked across borders and even continents to be forced into commercial sex, begging and criminality, such as pickpocketing. The majority of victims came from China, Colombia, Hungary, Romania and Ukraine. To coordinate the global effort that reached as far as Thailand and Brazil, an operational headquarters was run out of Warsaw, Poland, staffed by officials from almost three dozen countries. 158 suspects were arrested, some of whom led to further investigations and the identification of other criminal gangs. For NPR News, I'm Terri Schultz.

[Windsor Johnston]

Federal agents and protesters clashed at an immigration raid on a cannabis farm in Southern California yesterday. The operation in Ventura county drew demonstrators, and as the confrontation erupted, agents set off canisters that sprayed smoke into the air to disperse crowds. The Department of Homeland Security says it was carrying out a warrant. Stocks traded lower today on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial Average was down 279 points at the close. The NASDAQ composite was down 45. The S&P 500 fell 20 points. I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News, in Washington.

[Narrator]

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