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Korva Coleman
Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. Congress has approved a bill to compel the Justice Department to release all its files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. As NPR's Claudia Grizales reports, the measure cleared the Senate on a voice vote.
Claudia Grizales
In an extremely rare scene in Republican controlled Washington, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer moved to approve the bipartisan bill under a voice vote with no objections.
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The Senate has now passed the Epstein bill as soon as it comes over from the House.
Claudia Grizales
House Republican leaders said they voted to approve the plan with the expectation the Senate would amend it to address their concerns. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thun after the overwhelming House vote of 427 to 1 that was no longer necessary and this way the senators did not have to have their votes recorded. In a major reversal, Trump in recent days said he'd sign the bill when it reaches his desk. Claudia Gonzalez, NPR News, the Capitol.
Korva Coleman
President Trump will attend the U S Saudi Investment Forum in Washington today. He'll be joined by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Trump and the Saudi crown prince say they've reached several deals. Trump says that the US Is now giving Saudi Arabia a special new status.
Donald Trump
I'm pleased to announce that we are taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non NATO ally.
Korva Coleman
During his White House visit yesterday, the Saudi crown prince faced questions from journalists. US Intelligence have found he approved the operation that led to the killing and dismemberment of Washington Post journalist jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Trump dismissed the reporter's question as embarrassing to the crown prince, who has denied involvement. Khashoggi's widow has criticized Trump's comment yesterday. Drug maker Purdue Pharma will cease to exist under a Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan that has been approved by a federal bankruptcy court judge. NPR's Sidney Lupkin reports that the OxyContin maker and the company owners, the Sackler family, have been at the center of the nation's opioid crisis.
Sidney Lupkin
The new restructuring plan replaces one the supreme court rejected in 2024, finding that it would have shielded the Sackler family from future lawsuits. This time around, members of the family can still be sued in civil court. The Sackler family will pay up to $7 billion to produce creditors as part of the plan the arrangement will also provide a pool of up to $865 million to compensate individ. The plan was approved by Judge Shawn Lane of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Purdue will dissolve and emerge as a new company, NOAA Pharma. Its focus will include overdose reversal medicines, and it will not involve the Sacklers. Sydney Lupkin, NPR News.
Korva Coleman
On Wall street, in premarket trading, Dow futures are higher. This is npr. A California judge has ordered the man accused in one of the deadly Los Angeles wildfires to stay jailed while he waits for trial. Prosecutors say Jonathan Rindernecht is considered a flight risk. He's accused of starting the Palisades fire last New Year's Day. He pleaded not guilty. The fire killed 12 people and destroyed nearly 7,000 structures. A new study finds ultra processed foods are a key driver of chronic disease around the world and governments need to act now to reduce their consumption. That's the conclusion of an expansive new series of papers, but published by an international team of health researchers. NPR's Maria Godoy has more.
Maria Godoy
The papers reviewed years worth of evidence linking ultra processed foods to poor health outcomes, including an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, Crohn's disease and dying prematurely. The researchers say ultra processed foods have been shown to harm nearly all the organ systems in the human body. These foods have rapidly displaced fresh foods and traditional diets around the world, even as diet related diseases have been rising. The authors say government policies like soda taxes, warning labels and limiting these foods in school meals are urgently needed. The papers appear in the medical journal the Lancet. Maria Godoy, NPR News.
Korva Coleman
Officials in Venice, Italy, say a bottlenose dolphin is swimming in city canals. He's been there for months, but Venice authorities want him to swim away because he may have been injured by a boat propeller. They'll try to move the dolphin to open water.
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This episode of NPR News Now delivers the latest headlines in U.S. politics, global diplomacy, legal developments, public health, and an unusual story out of Venice, Italy—all in a rapid-fire five-minute format. The episode provides updates on the Epstein files bill, U.S.–Saudi Arabia relations, Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy resolution, wildfire legal proceedings in California, new research on ultra-processed foods, and a dolphin in Venice’s canals.
Reported by Claudia Grizales
Approval Details:
“In an extremely rare scene in Republican controlled Washington, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer moved to approve the bipartisan bill under a voice vote with no objections.” —Claudia Grizales [00:31]
House Dynamics:
Presidential Reversal:
Hosted by Korva Coleman, quoting President Trump
Event:
Designation Announcement:
“I'm pleased to announce that we are taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non NATO ally.” —Donald Trump [01:36]
Controversy:
Reported by Sidney Lupkin
Background:
Resolution:
Notable Moment:
“The plan was approved by Judge Shawn Lane of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Purdue will dissolve and emerge as a new company, NOAA Pharma. Its focus will include overdose reversal medicines, and it will not involve the Sacklers.” —Sidney Lupkin [02:30]
Reported by Korva Coleman
Reported by Maria Godoy
New Study Findings:
Policy Recommendations:
Notable Quote:
“The researchers say ultra processed foods have been shown to harm nearly all the organ systems in the human body.” —Maria Godoy [03:57]
Reported by Korva Coleman
On Epstein Files Bill:
“In an extremely rare scene in Republican controlled Washington, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer moved to approve the bipartisan bill under a voice vote with no objections.”
—Claudia Grizales [00:31]
On U.S.–Saudi Relations:
“I'm pleased to announce that we are taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non NATO ally.”
—Donald Trump [01:36]
On Ultra-Processed Foods:
“The researchers say ultra processed foods have been shown to harm nearly all the organ systems in the human body.”
—Maria Godoy [03:57]
This episode covers major developments on Capitol Hill, international diplomacy, corporate legal outcomes, public health warnings, and an offbeat story from Italy, providing a concise yet wide-ranging snapshot of the day’s top stories.