NPR News: 06-29-2026 5PM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton.
What recent Supreme Court rulings affect mail-in voting laws?
The Supreme Court rejected President Trump's attacks on state laws regarding mail-in ballots. The decision leaves in place laws in more than half of states and the District of Columbia that permit mailed ballots to be counted after the election, as long as they're postmarked by Election Day. Trump says mail-in voting breeds fraud, despite strong evidence to the contrary. And President Trump boasted of a new Supreme Court ruling today that gives him greater executive power over independent agencies.
How does the Supreme Court ruling impact executive power over independent agencies?
NPR's Franco Ordonez reports the high court ruled Trump can fire certain independent regulators.
The ruling overturns an almost 100-year-old previous court ruling that provided greater protections for certain agencies to maintain their independence. In a social media post, Trump wrote that it was an honor to be the, quote, sitting president who won this historic and unprecedented ruling.
What changes has the Justice Department made to its environmental division?
The case centered on Trump's right to fire a member of the Federal Trade Commission, but the ruling has much deeper implications and could serve as precedent for more than two dozen independent agencies across the federal government. including the National Labor Relations Board and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. But the court also ruled that Trump cannot immediately fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. Franco, Ordonez, NPR News, the White House.
What tragic incident occurred involving firefighters in Colorado?
The Justice Department is changing the name of a division that focuses on environmental litigation and enforcement. NPR's Jacqueline Diaz has more.
The new name for the DOJ's Environmental and Natural Resources Division emphasizes the agency's work on energy security. That's according to DOJ leadership, who announced the change in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. The division will now be called the Energy and Natural Resources Division. The DOJ says it's being done to highlight tech advances in the production and use of domestic energy. But the agency also says the name change does not affect the division's work to defend the environment. Jacqueline Diaz, NPR News.
The Interior Department has released the names of three firefighters who were killed by a fast-moving wildfire in western Colorado on Saturday.
How are officials preparing for extreme temperatures during Independence Day celebrations?
NPR's Nate Rott reports.
The U.S. Wildland Fire Service says the three firefighters were assigned to a helicopter crew and working to contain a fire on the Colorado-Utah border when they were overtaken by flames. They were identified as Emily Barker, a 38-year-old from Michigan, Nick Hutcherson, a 27-year-old from Arizona, and Sydney Watson, a 27-year-old from Alabama. Two other firefighters were injured and are getting medical care. A dry winter has left many parts of the western U.S. parched. That dry vegetation, combined with strong winds and high temperatures, fueled explosive fire growth on a number of wildfires over the weekend. The Interior Department says an investigation into the burn-over incident is ongoing. Nate Rott, NPR News.
U.S. stocks rose today and recovered some of their losses from last week. The Nasdaq rose more than 2 percent. This is NPR. New federal figures show that about 3 million fewer people had Affordable Care Act health insurance plans in February compared to the same time last year. The Department of Health and Human Services says the 13 percent drop is due to a federal crackdown on fraudulent enrollment. But many health analysts say it's more likely related to the expiration of federal subsidies on January 1st that has caused a surge in costs. Healthcare research nonprofit KFF says it expects the number of people in the government healthcare program to continue to decline throughout the year. Washington, D.C.
leaders are warning of record high temperatures for this year's Independence Day celebrations. WAMU's Alex Coma has more.
D.C. officials are preparing for up to 150,000 people to attend the flyovers and fireworks displays on the National Mall. Clint Osborne, the head of D.C. 's Homeland Security Agency, says the city will be taking extra precautions to keep attendees cool, especially since the fireworks aren't set to start until 10.30 p.m.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:03
2
What recent Supreme Court rulings affect mail-in voting laws?
0:03–0:31
3
How does the Supreme Court ruling impact executive power over independent agencies?
0:31–0:53
4
What changes has the Justice Department made to its environmental division?
0:53–1:21
5
What tragic incident occurred involving firefighters in Colorado?
1:21–2:07
6
How are officials preparing for extreme temperatures during Independence Day celebrations?
2:07–4:19
7
What new privacy features are coming to WhatsApp for users?
4:19–5:03