NPR News: 07-22-2025 12PM EDT

Summary

NPR News: July 22, 2025, 12 PM EDT

Hosted by NPR

In today’s episode of NPR News Now, host Lakshmi Singh delivers a comprehensive briefing on the most pressing issues both domestically and internationally. The episode encapsulates a range of topics from political tensions and international conflicts to public health updates, financial markets, cybersecurity threats, and intriguing scientific research. Below is a detailed summary highlighting each segment, complete with notable quotes and timestamps for reference.

---

1. President Trump's Criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell

Time Stamp: 00:17 – 00:40

The episode opens with President Donald Trump expressing strong disapproval of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's handling of monetary policy. Trump openly criticized Powell for not adhering to his preferences on interest rates, signaling potential political and economic ramifications.

• Trump’s Statement:
  “I think he's doing a bad job, but he's going to be out pretty soon anyway. In eight months, he'll be out.”
  [00:34]

Despite Trump's expectations, Powell has maintained the Fed's strategy of aggressive rate hikes aimed at curbing inflation, which has been gradually approaching the Fed's 2% target. This stance comes amid ongoing economic uncertainties, including the impacts of Trump's tariffs and other policy measures.

---

2. Israeli Military Actions in Gaza and Humanitarian Concerns

Time Stamp: 00:40 – 02:00

The report delves into recent military actions by Israel in central Gaza, highlighting significant humanitarian implications. The World Health Organization and the United Nations have reported that buildings housing their personnel were targeted by Israeli forces.

• Emily Fang’s Reporting:
  “A building sheltering its staff and their families caught fire and its male staff were, 'handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot and screened at gunpoint. And one remains detained.'”
  [01:24]

Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, emphasized the challenges faced by humanitarian organizations in the region:

• Jan Egeland’s Quote:
  “My organization has now had life-saving relief supply ready to go across the border crossings for 145 days, and we've been blocked every single day.”
  [01:48]

The Israeli military asserts that it has maintained communication with international organizations despite the ongoing conflict. However, international agencies report that their efforts to address widespread malnutrition and starvation in Gaza are severely hindered by the blockade.

---

3. Surge in COVID-19 Cases in the United States

Time Stamp: 02:10 – 02:38

NPR’s Rob Stein discusses the uptick in COVID-19 cases across the United States, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The increase is evident in rising virus levels detected in wastewater, higher positive test rates, and more individuals seeking emergency treatment.

• Rob Stein’s Analysis:
  “It's impossible to know how big this summer's wave will be or how long it will last. But many people are susceptible to the virus because it's been so long since they got vaccinated the last time. Last winter's surge was so mild.”
  [02:22]

The resurgence poses significant challenges, especially as immunity from previous vaccinations wanes and populations remain vulnerable.

---

4. Current State of the Financial Markets

Time Stamp: 02:59 – 03:29

The episode provides a snapshot of the Wall Street performance at the time of airing:

• Dow Jones Industrial Average:
  Up 18 points, reaching 44,342.

• Nasdaq:
  Down 86 points.

• S&P 500:
  Off by eight points.

These fluctuations reflect the ongoing volatility and investor sentiment influenced by various economic indicators and global events.

---

5. Microsoft’s Security Vulnerability and Global Cyberattacks

Time Stamp: 03:29 – 04:05

Microsoft is currently addressing an emergency security vulnerability discovered in its SharePoint software platform. This previously unknown flaw has been exploited by hackers globally, raising significant cybersecurity concerns.

• Jenna McLaughlin Reports:
  “Cybersecurity experts are scrambling to deal with the fallout of the discovery of a serious security flaw in Microsoft's locally hosted Software platform called SharePoint.”

• Charles Carmichael, CTO of Mandiant Consulting for Google Cloud:
  “There are now many hacking groups with different motivations making use of the vulnerability.”
  [03:47]

Early attacks suggest a broad exploitation rather than targeted incidents, with links to hacking groups associated with China. The full extent of the vulnerability’s discovery and its initial motives remain unclear, prompting urgent measures from cybersecurity professionals.

---

6. Study on Dogs’ TV Watching Behavior

Time Stamp: 04:05 – 04:53

NPR’s Nate Rott highlights a fascinating study published in Scientific Reports that examines dogs' reactions to television, suggesting a correlation between their viewing habits and personality traits.

• Jeff Katz, Study Co-author and Professor at Auburn University:
  “We found energetic dogs reacted more to other animals. The other personality characteristic that popped out was if you're an anxious dog and you hear a doorbell, you kind of freak out a little bit.”
  [04:39]

Surveying 650 dog owners, the research indicates that dogs' responses to on-screen visuals and sounds vary based on their individual temperaments. Katz expressed an interest in further research to deepen the understanding of canine media preferences and behaviors.

---

This episode of NPR News Now provides listeners with a well-rounded overview of critical issues shaping the current landscape, from high-stakes political and humanitarian developments to public health trends, financial market movements, cybersecurity threats, and intriguing scientific discoveries.

---

Transcript

[Progressive Insurance]

This message comes from Progressive Insurance. Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump says the chair of the Federal Reserve is a, quote, numbskull for not cutting interest rates. Speaking to reporters today, Trump described Jerome Powell's days as Fed chair as numbered.

[Donald Trump]

I think he's doing a bad job, but he's going to be out pretty soon anyway. In eight months, he'll be out.

[Lakshmi Singh]

President Trump selected Powell in his first term under the central bank's aggressive campaign of rate hikes, inflation has continued to cool toward the Fed's 2% target. The Fed's opted not to lower rates as Trump wants as economic uncertainty persists over the impact of Trump's tariffs and other other conditions. Trump is addressing reporters today as he welcomed the head of the Philippines to the White House. The World Health Organization and the United nations say buildings they operate in central Gaza were struck by the Israeli military. Israel's forces say they ordered evacuations in the area on Sunday and said it was responding to gunfire directed toward it. NPR's Emily Fang has the latest.

[Emily Fang]

Who said in a statement that a building sheltering its staff and their families caught fire and its male staff were, quote, handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot and screened at gunpoint. And one remains detained. International agencies say their ability to treat now widespread malnutrition and starvation in Gaza has been crippled. Jan Egeland heads the Norwegian Refugee Council.

[Jan Egeland]

My organization has now had life saving relief supply ready to go across the border crossings for 145 days, days and we've been blocked every single day.

[Emily Fang]

Israel's military says it has continued to be in contact with international organizations in Gaza. Emily Feng, NPR News, Tel aviv.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Cases of COVID 19 appear to be surging in the United States. NPR's Rob Stein reports. That is according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Covid has surged.

[Rob Stein]

Every winter and summer since the pandemic began. And this summer looks no different. The amount of virus showing up in wastewater and the number of people testing positive and showing up in emergency rooms to get treated for Covid have been increasing now for weeks in some bellwether parts of the country like the south and the West. It's impossible to know how big this summer's wave will be or how long it will last. But many people are susceptible to the virus because it's been so long since they got vaccinated the last time. And last winter surged was so mild. Rob Stein, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

At last check on Wall street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 18 points at 44,342. The Nasdaq was down 86 points. The S&P off eight. You're listening to NPR News. Microsoft has been working to release emergency patches for previously unknown security vulnerability in one of its software products. Meanwhile, hackers from around the globe are taking advantage. Here's NPR's Jenna McLaughlin.

[Jenna McLaughlin]

Cybersecurity experts are scrambling to deal with the fallout of the discovery of a serious security flaw in Microsoft's locally hosted Software platform called SharePoint. According to Google's Mandiant, one of the earliest hacking groups responsible for exploiting the vulnerability is linked to China. It's unclear who initially discovered it or what their main goal was given that early attacks have been widespread rather than targeted. Charles Carmichael is the chief technology officer of Mandiant Consulting for Google Cloud. He says there are now many hacking groups with different motivations making use of the vulnerability. Jen McLaughlin, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

A new study on dogs takes a look at their TV watching behavior. NPR's Nate Rott reports. The research says a dog's reaction to TV can say something about their personality.

[Nate Rott]

We all know that all dogs go to heaven, but not all dogs watch tv. The new study in the journal Scientific Reports focuses on dogs that do, surveying six hundred and fifty dog owners to see what kinds of on screen visuals and noises dogs reacted to. Jeff Katz, the study's co author and a professor of psychological sciences at Auburn University, says they found energetic dogs reacted more to other animals.

[Jeff Katz]

The other personality characteristic that popped out was was if you're an anxious dog and you hear a doorbell, you kind of freak out a little bit.

[Nate Rott]

Kat says he's hoping to do more research to better understand what dogs like to watch. Nate Rutt, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

It's npr.

[Ritual Vitamins]

This message comes from Ritual. What makes Ritual vitamins different? Ritual vitamins are made with bioavailable, clinically studied key ingredients and a patented nutrient delivery system that aims to help your body use the nutrients you're getting. Ritual's essential multivitamins are made with you and your body in mind and backed by scientific research, filled with key ingredients as well as the essence of mint so you can enjoy taking your vitamins. Get 25% off your first purchase when you visit ritual. Com, NPR.