NPR News: 07-12-2025 3AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: July 12, 2025 Summary

Released: July 12, 2025

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1. President Trump Inspects Devastating Floods in Central Texas

Timestamp: [00:11]

NPR host Dale Willman reports that President Donald Trump visited Central Texas on Friday to assess the aftermath of catastrophic flooding that struck the region a week prior. The disaster has tragically resulted in the deaths of 120 people.

President Trump's Remarks:

• [00:25] "The extent of the loss here is overwhelming."
• [00:29] "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."

When questioned about whether earlier alerts could have mitigated the loss of life, Trump responded defensively:

• [00:44] "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."

However, he later conceded the necessity for improved alert systems:

• [00:58] "An alert system needs to be put in place to make sure a similar tragedy doesn't happen again."

Steve Futterman concludes from Kerrville, Texas: "For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Kerrville, Texas."

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2. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries Condemns Medicaid Cuts

Timestamp: [01:10]

In New Orleans, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries addressed the community at Crescent Care, a federally qualified health center, to protest the extensive Medicaid reductions embedded in President Trump's recently signed budget bill.

Key Points from Jeffries:

• [01:40] "The one big ugly bill that has been jammed down the throats of the American people represents the largest assault on Medicaid and health care in American history."
• [01:53] "The law includes over a trillion dollars in health care cuts. Nationally, 17 million people could lose coverage, and clinics like Crescent Care say they'll be forced to do more with less."

Jeffries emphasized the detrimental impact on uninsured Americans, while Republicans argue the cuts aim to "reduce waste and fraud."

Reporter Drew Hawkins reports from New Orleans: "For NPR News, I'm Drew Hawkins in New Orleans."

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3. White House Pushes to Control the Federal Reserve

Timestamp: [02:11]

Russell Vogt, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, defended President Trump's initiative to assert control over the Federal Reserve during a press briefing.

Vogt's Statements:

• [02:24] "I think the question is immaterial. The president has a policy view with regard to we need lower rates. He has a policy view with regard to the fact that Jerome Powell has been late repeatedly. The Fed has been mismanaged."

Despite Trump's desire for Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to lower interest rates, Powell maintains that such actions could trigger significantly higher inflation.

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4. Federal Judge Orders End to Indiscriminate Immigration Stops in Southern California

Timestamp: [02:37]

A federal judge has mandated the Trump administration to cease its broad immigration stops and arrests across seven Southern California counties, including Los Angeles. This jurisdiction has recently been marred by numerous protests against these practices.

Immigrant advocacy groups filed the lawsuit, alleging that the administration's immigration sweeps disproportionately targeted individuals with brown skin, sparking widespread criticism and civil unrest.

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5. France Identifies Russia as Its Principal Military Threat

Timestamp: [03:25]

During a rare news conference, General Thierry Burkhardt, Head of France's Armed Forces, identified Russia as the foremost military threat to France and Western Europe.

General Burkhardt's Insights:

• [03:25] "Russia is the largest, closest long-term threat we face by far. The threat from Russia is multi-pronged. From terrorism to disinformation campaigns."

Burkhardt's statement came just days before Bastille Day celebrations, highlighting heightened security concerns. In response to the escalating conflict in Ukraine and the U.S.'s reduced role in European defense, European nations are bolstering their defense budgets and issuing increased warnings to their populations.

Eleanor Beardsley reports from Paris: "For NPR News, I'm Eleanor Beardsley in Paris."

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6. El Chapo's Son Pleads Guilty to U.S. Drug Trafficking Charges

Timestamp: [04:07]

Ovidio Guzmán López, son of notorious Mexican cartel leader El Chapo, has entered a plea deal, admitting to charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearms offenses. He is the first of El Chapo's sons to make such a plea, with another sibling facing similar allegations.

Prosecutors contend that the brothers led a faction of the Sinaloa cartel responsible for exporting fentanyl into the United States, exacerbating the ongoing opioid crisis.

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7. Passing of Political Strategist David Gergen

Timestamp: [04:07]

NPR mourns the loss of David Gergen, a distinguished political centrist who served four U.S. presidents—Republicans Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and Democrat Bill Clinton. Gergen, aged 83, succumbed to Lewy body dementia.

Beyond his political advisory roles, Gergen was a respected journalist and commentator, contributing numerous articles and providing insightful analyses on American politics.

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This summary provides an overview of the key news topics discussed in the NPR News Now episode released on July 12, 2025. For more detailed coverage, listeners are encouraged to tune into the full episode.

Transcript

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[Dale Willman]

[e-mail] Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman. President Trump was in Central Texas Friday, where he surveyed the destruction left behind by catastrophic flooding there a week ago. Steve Futterman reports.

[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.

[Dale Willman]

The death toll from the flooding, meanwhile, has now reached 120 people. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was in New Orleans on Friday. He spoke at a community health clinic to rally against sweeping Medicaid cuts included in the recently signed Trump budget bill. As the Gulf States Newsroom's Drew Hawkins reports, Jeffries says more hospitals and clinics will struggle to treat the uninsured.

[Hakeem Jeffries]

Speaking at Crescent Care, a federally qualified health center in New Orleans, Jeffries said the newly signed law represents a massive rollback of public health coverage.

The one big ugly bill that has been jammed down the throats of the American people represents the largest assault on Medicaid and health care in American history.

The law includes over a trillion dollars in health care cuts. Nationally, 17 million people could lose coverage, and clinics like Crescent Care say they'll be forced to do more with less. Republicans say the intent is to reduce waste and fraud. For NPR News, I'm Drew Hawkins in New Orleans.

[Dale Willman]

Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vogt is defending President Trump's efforts to to take control of the Federal Reserve. Speaking with reporters on Friday, he refused to say whether the Fed should remain independence.

[Russell Vogt]

I think the question is immaterial. The president has a policy view with regard to we need lower rates. He has a policy view with regard to the fact that Jerome Powell has been late repeatedly. The Fed has been mismanaged.

[Dale Willman]

Trump wants Federate Chairman Jerome Powell to lower interest rates, but Powell insists that doing so will would risk much higher inflation. A federal judge is ordering the Trump administration to end what she calls indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in seven Southern California counties. That area includes the city of Los Angeles, which has been the scene of numerous protests over the stops in the past few weeks. Immigrant advocacy groups had filed the suit, claiming the administration is targeting brown skinned people in its immigration sweeps. You're listening to NPR News. The head of France's armed forces says the biggest military threat the country faces now is Russia, as NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports, his words of warning came in a rare news conference.

[Thierry Burkhardt]

Speaking to the media Friday, General Thierry Burkhardt, le chef d' etat Major des Armee, said France is actually Russia's main target in Western Europe. The threat from Russia is multi pronged, he said. From terrorism to disinformation campaigns, Russia is the largest, closest long term threat we face by far. The general spoke just days ahead of Bastille Day celebrations with its annual military parade in Paris. European nations are increasing defense spending and issuing more warnings to their populations as the war in Ukraine intensifies and the US Steps steps back from European defense. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris.

[Dale Willman]

The son of Mexican kingpin El Chapo has pleaded guilty to US Drug trafficking charges. Ovidio Guzman Lopez is the first of El Chapo's sons to enter a plea deal. Another faces similar charges. Prosecutors allege the two brothers ran a faction of the Sinaloa cartel that exported fentanyl to the US Ovidio Guzman Lopez pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, money laundering and and firearms charges. David Gergen has died of Lewy body dementia. He was 83 years old. Gergen served four presidents as a political centrist. He worked for Republicans Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, as well as Democrat Bill Clinton. He was also a journalist, both writing articles and serving as a political commentator. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.

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