NPR News: 07-17-2025 5AM EDT

Summary

NPR News: July 17, 2025 | 5 AM EDT

Hosted by NPR

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Foreign Aid Cuts Approved by the Senate

In a significant move, the Senate has approved a Trump administration request to reduce foreign aid and funding by $9 billion. Amy Held reports:

"Senators held a rapid fire run through of amendments to the package of cuts known as rescission that the White House sent to Congress last month." [00:32]

The proposed amendments by Democrats, which aimed to preserve funds for public broadcasting, were largely rejected along party lines. Notably, the Senate removed cuts to PEPFAR (the George W. Bush-era U.S. AIDS Relief Program), ensuring continued support for combating AIDS globally. This decision sends the bill back to the House for a final vote before the Friday deadline.

Bipartisan Legislation to Assist Veterans Facing Foreclosure

Highlighting a rare instance of bipartisan cooperation, Congress has passed new legislation aimed at preventing thousands of veterans from losing their homes to foreclosure. Amy Held introduces the segment, with Chris Arnold providing detailed insights:

"The bill, which is expected to be signed by President Trump, directs the VA to stand up a safety net for vets who've fallen behind on their mortgages." [01:21]

Under this legislation, eligible veterans can defer missed mortgage payments, placing them at the end of their loan terms. This measure addresses previous inconsistencies where veterans with VA loans lacked access to such relief options, especially following a 2022 mishap by the Biden administration that left many veterans at risk. Industry and housing groups have expressed relief, anticipating that the new law will safeguard thousands of veterans against foreclosure.

Weather and Natural Disasters

Flood Watch Issued for Southern Louisiana

A tropical storm system approaching the Gulf Coast has triggered a flood watch for southern Louisiana. Amy Held updates listeners on the situation:

"Thousands of sandbags are being distributed in New Orleans, where Mayor Latoya Cantrell says the flood risk goes on into the weekend." [02:06]

Mayor Latoya Cantrell emphasized the ongoing threat:

"I have been seeing firsthand… how other cities have been impacted by rainfall just in the past couple of days." [02:20]

Residents are urged to remain vigilant and prepare for potential flooding through the weekend.

Wildfires Rage in Oregon and Arizona

Oregon's Governor Tina Kotek has declared a state of emergency as wildfires continue to devastate the region:

"The fire risk is only increasing amid hot and dry weather." [02:38]

A particularly destructive wildfire in Arizona has consumed over 11,000 acres, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, and remains entirely uncontained. Nationwide, more than 100 large fires are actively burning without containment, exacerbating concerns over air quality and safety.

Lightning Strikes Claim Lives in New Jersey

Tragic incidents involving lightning strikes have occurred recently in New Jersey. Amy Held reports:

A 61-year-old man was killed, and 13 others were injured during a lightning strike at an archery club in southern New Jersey. Jackson Township police noted that approximately half of the injured were children from a scout group. Additionally, a 28-year-old succumbed to injuries from a lightning strike at a northern New Jersey golf tournament held the previous week. The National Weather Service states that the U.S. averages over 19 lightning fatalities annually. Officials advise seeking shelter when caught outdoors during thunderstorms, as lightning strikes are more prevalent during the warmer summer months.

British Scientists Achieve Breakthrough with Three-Parent Babies

In groundbreaking research, British scientists have successfully created "three-parent babies" to prevent severe inherited mitochondrial disorders. Rob Stein elaborates:

"Doctors at Newcastle University say they helped families plagued by rare but often terrible inherited diseases known as mitochondrial disorders give birth to eight apparently healthy babies." [04:02]

The technique involves combining most of the parents' genes with a small amount of healthy mitochondrial DNA from a donor egg, resulting in a healthy child with genetic material from three individuals. While hailed as a significant advancement in preventing inherited diseases, some critics express concerns about the potential for "designer babies" and ethical implications surrounding genetic modifications.

Market Update

Asian stock markets show mixed performance, while European markets are trading on a higher note. Amy Held provides a brief overview:

"Asian shares are mixed, European markets trading higher." [04:50]

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This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the NPR News Now episode released on July 17, 2025. For the latest updates, continue listening to NPR.

Transcript

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[Amy Held]

In Washington, I'm Amy Held. The Senate overnight has approved a Trump administration request to cut $9 billion in foreign aid and funding. For NPR, PBS and their member stations, NPR's Scott New reports.

[Scott Newman]

Senators held a rapid fire run through of amendments to the package of cuts known as recision that the White House sent to Congress last month. The changes proposed by Democrats, including several aimed at saving public broadcasting funds, failed on largely party line votes. Senators stripped out cuts to PEPFAR, the George W. Bush era U.S. aIDS Relief Program. That change means the bill goes back to the House for a final vote before a Friday deadline. Scott Newman, NPR News, Washington.

[Amy Held]

In a rare act of bipartisanship, Congress has passed new legislation to help rescue thousands of veterans from foreclosure. As NPR's Chris Arnold reports, it's the latest move in a saga that has whiplashed veterans between enacted and canceled programs and left many in fear of losing their homes.

[Chris Arnold]

The bill, which is expected to be signed by President Trump, directs the VA to stand up a safety net for vets who've fallen behind on their mortgages. Vets who qualify. I'll be able to move their missed payments to the back of their loan term so they can get current and start paying their loans again. Most American homeowners have affordable options like this if they fall behind, but lately not veterans with VA loans first. In 2022, a misstep by the Biden VA stranded thousands of vets. After an NPR investigation, the VA rolled out a rescue program, but then the Trump administration shut that down without first replacing it with anything else. Industry and housing groups are now relieved and say that the new meas should help thousands of veterans avoid foreclosure. Chris Arnold, NPR News.

[Amy Held]

A tropical storm system along the Gulf coast has led to a flood watch in southern Louisiana. Thousands of sandbags are being distributed in New Orleans, where Mayor Latoya Cantrell says the flood risk goes on into the weekend.

[Latoya Cantrell]

Listen, I have been seeing firsthand, I would say, how other cities have been impacted by rainfall just in the past couple of days. And again, that should just be something that we be mindful as we prepare right here at home in the city of New Orleans.

[Amy Held]

In Texas, the death toll from Fourth of July flooding has topped 130. Oregon's governor has declared a state of emergency. As a wildfire burns tens of thousands of acres and the air in the central part of the state grows smoky, Governor Tina Kotek says the fire risk is only increasing amid hot and dry weather. In Arizona, a wildfire that destroyed a historic Grand Canyon Lodge has consumed more than 11,000 acres and is 0% contained. Across the country, more than 100 large fires are burning uncontained. This is NPR News. A 61 year old man was killed and 13 others injured in a lightning strike last night at an archery club in southern New Jersey. Jackson Township police say roughly half of those hurt were children with a scout group. Separately, a 28 year old died yesterday after being struck by lightning at a golf tournament last week in northern New Jersey. The U.S. averages more than 19 lightning fatalities per year, according to the National Weather Service. If caught outdoors during thunder, officials advise seeking shelter. Strikes are more common during the warm summer months. British scientists are reporting they can safely prevent certain devastating inherited disorders by creating three parent babies. NPR's Rob Stein reports.

[Rob Stein]

Doctors at Newcastle University say they helped families plagued by rare but often terrible inherited diseases known as mitochondrial disorders give birth to eight apparently healthy babies. They did it by mixing most of the genes of the parents who want healthy children into an egg containing a small amount of healthy DNA from another woman to produce a healthy baby with genetic material from three different people. The research is being hailed as a breakthrough in the quest to use new genetic technologies to prevent inherited diseases. But some worry the work could lead to troubling consequences, including so called designer babies. Rob Stein and Pure News.

[Amy Held]

Asian shares are mixed, European markets trading higher. And you're listening to NPR News.

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