NPR News: 07-14-2025 11AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: July 14, 2025, 11 AM EDT

Host: Jael Snyder

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1. Texas Hill Country Faces Severe Flooding

Overview:
Heavy rainfall continues to batter the Texas Hill Country, exacerbating flood concerns in the region. The National Weather Service in Austin reported that up to five inches of rain fell within a few hours overnight, triggering flood warnings and watches across the area.

Community Response:
In Kerrville, a community severely impacted by the flooding, local faith leaders are mobilizing to support residents. Reverend Burt Betts of St. Peter's Episcopal Church emphasized the church's commitment to aiding the community through the prolonged recovery process.

Notable Quote:
“We're not leaving. We're committed to the emotional, spiritual, material, mental needs that will arise. We're not leaving.”
— Reverend Burt Betts [01:01]

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2. White House Addresses War in Ukraine and Shifting Immigration Views

Ukraine Conflict:
President Trump is set to meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to discuss ongoing tensions in Ukraine. Following Trump's statement last night, the administration plans to supply Ukraine with NATO Patriot air defense missiles, indicating a continued military support stance.

Immigration Policy Shifts:
While immigration was a cornerstone of Trump's campaign, recent polling indicates a shift in public opinion. Initially, approximately 55% of Americans favored reducing immigration, according to Gallup a year ago. However, recent surveys by PBS NewsHour and Marist University reveal a significant decline in support, with only 30% now advocating for decreased immigration levels.

Notable Quote:
“Our Polling with PBS NewsHour and Marist, for example, showed Trump with just a 43% approval rating for his handling of immigration. People said that they believed America's openness to immigration is essential to what the country is.”
— Domenico Martino, NPR [01:41]

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3. Trump Administration Defends Deportation Efforts Amid Legal Challenges

The Trump administration is actively defending its enhanced deportation strategies. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has vehemently denied allegations of racial profiling, asserting that the administration will challenge a recent judicial ruling that has temporarily halted these aggressive tactics. A jury trial is scheduled to commence today in a lawsuit against Tesla related to these broader immigration enforcement policies.

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4. Tesla Faces Lawsuit Over Fatal Autopilot Crash

Incident Details:
A jury trial has begun regarding a 2019 crash in Florida where a Tesla vehicle, operating under its Autopilot driver assistance system, collided with a parked SUV. The tragic accident resulted in the death of a 22-year-old woman and critically injured her companion.

Legal Arguments:
Victims' lawyers claim that Tesla overpromoted the capabilities of its Autopilot technology, leading to driver complacency. Conversely, Tesla is expected to argue that the driver was at fault for not paying adequate attention to the road, despite the assistance provided by the technology.

Notable Quote:
“Tesla is expected to argue that the driver is at fault because he wasn't paying attention to the road.”
— Joel Rose, NPR [02:33]

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5. Grand Canyon Wildfires Prompt Governor's Criticism of National Park Service

Wildfire Impact:
Recent wildfires near the Grand Canyon's North Rim have led to the closure of public access for the season. The flames destroyed a historic lodge along with dozens of other structures, including several notable cabins.

Governor's Stance:
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has publicly criticized the National Park Service for its handling of the wildfire response, calling for a thorough investigation into the agency's preparedness and actions during the disaster.

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6. DHS Terminates Temporary Protected Status for Afghans

Policy Change:
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 12,000 Afghans residing in the United States. TPS has previously allowed individuals fleeing persecution in Afghanistan to live and work legally in the U.S. while they await asylum decisions.

Community Impact:
Many of those affected were instrumental in assisting U.S. efforts post-9/11 and now face threats from the Taliban. Abdul Faragi, an investigative journalist from Afghanistan, criticized the Trump administration’s decision, highlighting the unstable economic and security conditions in Afghanistan.

Notable Quote:
“Afghanistan right now, it's kind of a jail for all those people that they are living there.”
— Abdul Faragi, Investigative Journalist [03:53]

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7. House Republicans Propel Cryptocurrency Legislation Forward

Legislative Developments:
This week has been dubbed "Crypto Week" by House Republicans, who are poised to consider three new bills aimed at establishing a clear regulatory framework for the cryptocurrency industry. These measures seek to provide legal clarity and structure to support the growing digital asset market.

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For more detailed coverage, listeners are encouraged to tune into NPR News Now.

Transcript

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[Jael Snyder]

[e-mail] Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jael Snyder. More rain in the Texas Hill country is leading to more concern about flooding. The National Weather Service in Austin says up to 5 inches fell in a few hours overnight, leading to flood warnings and watches. James Hartley of member station KE reports that many in the faith community in hard hit Kerrville are preparing for a lengthy Recovery.

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Parishioners at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Kerrville huddled together under umbrellas and stepped through puddles on their way inside as a downpour drenched the Texas Hill Country Sunday. Just nine days earlier, another storm assaulted this region of Central Texas and led the Guadalupe river to overflow. Reverend Burt Betts is the rector at St Peter's he said his parish is here to support the community for the long haul.

[Reverend Burt Betts]

We're not leaving. We're committed to the emotional, spiritual, material, mental needs that will arise. We're not leaving.

[Capital One Ad]

Betts said the people of Kerrville will need to support each other for months, and his parish will provide anything it can. For NPR News, I'm James Hartley in Kerrville.

[Jael Snyder]

War in Ukraine on the agenda at the White House, President Trump meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The meeting comes after Trump said last night that he will send Ukraine through NATO Patriot air defense missiles. Immigration was the issues that won President Trump a second term, but fresh polling shows some American attitudes are changing. Here's NPR's Domenico Martino.

[Reverend Burt Betts]

When Trump first took office, immigration was one of his strengths. And a year ago In Gallup's polling, 55% of people said that they wanted immigration decreased. But that trend toward a harder line on immigration has sharply reversed. Our Polling with PBS NewsHour and Marist, for example, showed Trump with just a 43% approval rating for his handling of immigration. People said that they believed America's openness to immigration is essential to what the country is. And that question about whether people wanted immigration decreased. Gallup now finds that just 30% say that they want to do that.

[Jael Snyder]

The Trump administration is defending its deportation efforts. And Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem denies racial profiling, says the administration will appeal a judge's ruling that halts more aggressive tactics. Jury trial is set to begin today. In a lawsuit against Tesla, NPR's Joel Rose reports a case stems from a crash that happened in Florida in 2019.

[Joel Rose]

Tesla has been sued before when its cars are involved in crashes, but it's rare for a jury to consider arguments about the driver assistance technology that the company calls autopilot. The case centers on a crash near Key Largo, Florida, more than six years ago when a Tesla slammed into a parked SUV, killing a 22 year old woman and critically injuring her companion. The driver of the Tesla had engaged Autopilot, which can steer and brake the car on its own, but in this case, it did not. Lawyers for the victims accused Tesla of exaggerating what the technology can do. Tesla is expected to argue that the driver is at fault because he wasn't paying attention to the road. Joel Rose, NPR News.

[Jael Snyder]

This is NPR News. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs is questioning the National Park Service's response to wildfires at the Grand Canyon. She's calling for an investigation. Park officials say public access to an area around the North Rim is closed for the season because of two wildfires. Flame destroyed a historic lodge and dozens of other structures, including notable cabins. An important protection for Afghans in the US Ends today. The Department of Homeland Security has terminated Temporary Protected Status, or tps, a program that allowed people fleeing persecution in Afghanistan to stay and work in the U.S. legally as they applied for asylum. NPR's Monica Stoutieva reports.

[Monika Evstatieva]

DHS estimates there are approximately 12,000 Afghans on TPS in the United States. Many of them are part of a group that helped the US after 911 and are now being hunted by the Taliban. They say going back is not an option. Afghanistan right now, it's kind of a jail for all those people that they are living there. Abdul Faragi is an investigative journalist from Afghanistan. He disagrees with the Trump administration's claims that the country's economy and security situation are stabilizing and warns that terminating TPS not only ignores the reality on the ground, but also the growing threat of terrorism. Monika Evstatieva, NPR News.

[Jael Snyder]

House Republicans are calling this week crypto week. The House expected to begin considering a series of three cryptocurrency bills aimed at giving the digital asset industry a clear regulatory framework. I'm Giles Snyder. This is NPR News.

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