NPR News: 07-18-2025 2PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: July 18, 2025

Host: Lakshmi Singh

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Rural Community Radio Faces Critical Budget Cuts

Timestamp: 00:34

Dozens of rural community radio stations are grappling with significant budget shortfalls following a congressional decision to reduce federal funding. Scott Smith, the general manager of Allegheny Mountain Radio, highlighted the station's reliance on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which accounts for up to 65% of its budget. He emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, “President Trump said he wanted federal funding because he sees NPR and PBS as politically biased, which both organizations deny.” (00:58)

An unnamed expert further underscored the dire circumstances, noting, “You can only continue to operate in the red for so long. At some point that well will run dry.” (00:53) The potential shutdown of Allegheny Mountain Radio, a cooperative of public stations not affiliated with NPR, threatens to eliminate a vital source of local news and information in areas with limited phone and internet access.

Justice Department Seeks Epstein Grand Jury Scripts

Timestamp: 01:19

In ongoing efforts to shed light on the Jeffrey Epstein federal investigations, Attorney General Pambanti announced that the Justice Department will request access to grand jury scripts. President Trump has publicly called on Bondi to release pertinent testimony, provided it receives court approval. This move has garnered support from Democrats on the House floor, including Representative Ro Khanna of California, who urged for the release of all Epstein-related files held by the Justice Department.

However, an unnamed analyst cautioned, “The grand jury testimony is largely about Epstein and Maxwell, not about all the rich and powerful men who abused, assaulted and abandoned young women. Those people are still being protected. And by the way, the courts usually don't release grand jury testimony.” (01:42) This statement highlights the complexities and potential limitations of accessing sensitive legal documents in high-profile cases.

US and EU Intensify Sanctions on Russia Amid Ukraine Conflict

Timestamp: 02:00

A bipartisan coalition of U.S. lawmakers is intensifying efforts to pressure Russia into adhering to President Trump's demands for a ceasefire in the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Trump has threatened “stiffer economic penalties against Moscow,” signaling a potential escalation in economic warfare.

Concurrently, the European Union has sanctioned Russia for the 18th time, aiming to cripple Moscow’s oil revenues and banking sectors. Terry Schultz, reporting from Brussels, detailed the EU's robust measures: “EU governments agreed to what the bloc's foreign policy chief is calling one of its strongest ever packages of penalties against Russia over its war on Ukraine. Kayakala says the aim is to keep raising the costs so stopping the aggression becomes the only path forward for Moscow.” (02:25) Specific sanctions include lowering the oil cap from $60 to just over $47 per barrel and banning the import of any petroleum products derived from Russian crude oil. Additionally, transactions with Russian financial institutions are prohibited to further restrict Moscow’s access to international financial markets and foreign currency.

Brazil's Bolsonaro Under Legal Scrutiny; US Markets Decline

Timestamp: 03:08

In Brazil, former President Jair Bolsonaro is under intense legal scrutiny. Brazilian police recently conducted raids on his home and party headquarters, and he has been mandated by the Supreme Court to wear an ankle monitor amid fears of a potential flight to avoid prosecution. Bolsonaro stands trial for allegedly attempting to orchestrate a coup to overturn his 2022 election defeat, charges he vehemently denies.

In a transatlantic twist, President Trump, who is himself under investigation for attempting to reverse the results of the 2020 U.S. election, has commented on Bolsonaro’s situation, stating, “Bolsonaro's treatment is unjust.” (03:08) These developments come as U.S. stock markets are experiencing a downturn, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping more than 200 points during the hour.

Malaria Outbreaks Linked to Storm Disruptions in Madagascar

Timestamp: 04:01

New research published in the journal Science reveals a concerning link between major storms and spikes in malaria cases. Jonathan Lambert reports that back-to-back cyclones in Madagascar during 2022 and 2023 disrupted crucial malaria prevention programs, including the distribution of preventative drugs and bed nets. As a result, nearly half of all school-aged children contracted malaria in the two months following the storms.

The study highlights the potential of newly available vaccines to mitigate such outbreaks. The researchers found that widespread vaccination prior to storm events could have reduced infections by 50%, offering a more resilient strategy against climate-induced health crises.

Trump Targets Late-Night Hosts as Colbert’s Show Faces Cancellation

Timestamp: 04:35

On Truth Social, President Trump criticized major late-night hosts from ABC, NBC, and CBS. This comes in light of the network’s decision to cancel the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” scheduled for next May. Lakshmi Singh reported, “Trump has often been the target of criticism in Colbert's comedic monologues.” (04:35) The cancellation may reflect broader tensions between political figures and media personalities who engage in satirical commentary.

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Note: This summary excludes promotional content and focuses solely on the news segments presented in the episode.

Transcript

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[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Dozens of rural community radio stations are facing big holes in their budgets and after Congress voted to slash federal funding this week. NPR's Frank Lankfit reports.

[Scott Smith]

Allegheny Mountain Radio provides everything from local government news to information about lost pets in an area where phone and Internet is sometimes non existent. It also gets up to 65% of its budget from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Scott Smith is Allegheny Mountain's general manager. He says the cuts could prove existential.

[Unnamed Expert]

You can only continue to operate in the red for so long. At some point that well will run dry.

[Scott Smith]

President Trump said he wanted to federal funding because he sees NPR and PBS as politically biased, which both organizations deny. Allegheny Mountain Radio is a cooperative of public radio stations, but not an NPR member. Local listeners say they will lose a crucial source of community news if the stations close. Frank Lankford, NPR News, Dunmore, West Virginia.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Attorney General Pambanti says the Justice Department will request grand jury scripts linked to the Jeffrey Epstein federal investigations. President Trump is calling on Bondi to produce relevant testimony related to the case as long as it's court approved. On the House floor last night, Democrats including Representative Ro Khanna of California called for the release of the Epstein files in the Justice Department's possession.

[Unnamed Analyst]

The grand jury testimony is largely about Epstein and Maxwell, not about all the rich and powerful men who abused, assaulted and abandoned young women. Those people are still being protected. And by the way, the courts usually don't release grand jury testimony.

[Lakshmi Singh]

A bipartisan coalition of US Lawmakers is working to dial up pressure on Russia to heed President Trump's demands and reach a ceasefire with Ukraine. Trump's threatened stiffer economic penalties against Moscow. Meanwhile, the European Union has agreed on its 18th round of sanctions against Russia. Terry Schultz reports the measures are aimed primarily at reducing Moscow's oil revenues and banking capabilities.

[Terry Schultz]

EU governments agreed to what the bloc's foreign policy chief is calling one of its strongest ever packages of penalties against Russia over its war on Ukraine. Kayakala says the aim is to keep raising the costs so stopping the aggression becomes the only path forward for Moscow. Measures include a lowering from $60 to just over $47 of the so called oil cap, the price per barrel at which Russia is allowed to legally transport and sell crude oil to EU Customers. Any petroleum product made from Russian crude oil is now banned from being imported into and there can be no transactions with Russian financial institutions in an effort to further restrict Moscow's access to international financial markets and foreign currency. For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz in Brussels.

[Lakshmi Singh]

U.S. stocks are trading lower this hour. The Dow is down more than 200 points. This is NPR News. Brazilian police have raided former President Jair Bolsonaro's home and party headquarters. He's also under order by his country's Supreme Court to wear an ankle monitor amid concerns he might flee the country. Bolsonaro's on trial for allegedly trying to stage a coup to overturn his 2022 election loss. He denies wrongdoing. President Trump, who also came under investigation over his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the US says Bolsonaro's treatment is unjust. New research in the journal Science finds that malaria cases can spike after major storms as health systems get disrupted. NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports recently available vaccines could provide some storm proof protection.

[Jonathan Lambert]

Madagascar got slammed with back to back cyclones in 2022 and 2023. The storms upended many local malaria prevention programs that distributed things like preventative drugs and bed nets to keep mosquitoes out. In some areas, those disruptions contributed to nearly half of all school aged children getting malaria during the two months after the storms hit. But newly available vaccines could have helped fill those gaps. If the population had been vaccinated beforehand, the researchers say, only half as many kids would have been infected. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

On Truth Social, Trump railed against major late night hosts on abc, NBC and cbs, which has decided to cancel the Late show with Stephen Colbert next May. Trump has often been the target of criticism in Colbert's comedic monologues. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News, in Washington.

[Carvana Representative]

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