NPR News: 07-09-2026 2PM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh.
Why did President Trump call Iranian leaders 'scum' after earlier praising them?
In another dramatic shift in tone, President Trump is calling Iranian leaders scum just weeks after praising them as smart and rational. And PR's Frank Ordonez reports on the diplomatic whiplash that has come to define Trump's approach to global affairs.
Three weeks ago, President Trump described the Iranians as brave people who wanted to change the direction of their country for the better.
We're dealing with people that I think are very rational people. I mean, they were nice to deal with. They were strong people, smart people.
But he delivered a much different characterization yesterday at the NATO summit in Turkey.
I don't want to deal with them anymore. They're scum. You know what scum is? They're scum. They're sick people. They're led by sick people.
How does NPR describe the diplomatic 'whiplash' in Trump's foreign policy comments?
It's part of a pattern with the president who often swings between praise and threats in an effort to almost will this war to an end. But you can also hear Trump struggling with that balance, insisting to reporters later that the war will not start again. Franco Ordonez, NPR News.
The state of Maine has become a flashpoint in the Democratic Party's complicated campaign to retake the U.S. Senate. Their hope for flipping a seat long held by Republican Senator Susan Collins was thrown into disarray after progressive nominee Graham Plattner, military veteran and oysterman, was accused of raping a woman he used to date. Plattner denied the allegation, but he dropped out of the race after he lost the backing of major politicians. Maine Public's Kevin Miller has more on a campaign that was overshadowed by multiple controversies.
It wasn't even a triple. It was a steady blow of controversies that kept coming out over and over again. I should say that he was definitely not the party's nominee. This was not the state party that chose him. This was not the national party that chose him. This was... kind of the grassroots, you know, the populist Bernie Sanders-style campaign. And those are the folks that put him forward. So there is some questions about why there wasn't more digging into his background.
Kevin Miller on NPR's Here and Now. The family of an 18-year-old found dead off the Mississippi coast after a Fourth of July weekend trip with friends are demanding answers. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is representing the family. Mississippi Broadcasting's Elise Gregg reports.
Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynn Jr. says the investigation's ongoing, but the body of 18-year-old Nolan Wells has been positively identified.
We were able to confirm that with dental records yesterday that we were able to provide the state medical examiner's office
Park rangers found Wells' body Monday morning on the northwest tip of Horn Island. His mother reported him missing on the night of July 4th after he'd traveled to the island with friends. Crump announced Tuesday that he's representing the family and will conduct an independent review of the circumstances. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is asking for any photos or videos of Wells from July 4th. For NPR News, I'm Elise Gregg in Jackson, Mississippi.
This is NPR News. In Michigan, officials say more than 1,000 people have been diagnosed with a parasitic infection, cyclospora. No deaths have been reported. The source of the infection has not been identified. Investigations are underway into similar illnesses reported in Ohio and more than two dozen other states. Michigan officials first announced the outbreak last week. Testing from Consumer Reports finds dozens of rice products contain arsenic, which can be toxic at certain levels. And here's Maria Godoy with details.
Arsenic occurs naturally in soil and water, and rice plants seem to soak it up from the environment more than other grains. Consumer reports found that in 42% of rice products examined, the average levels of arsenic present were high enough that an adult eating just one serving a day over time would have a significantly increased risk for skin cancer, bladder cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–0:04
2
Why did President Trump call Iranian leaders 'scum' after earlier praising them?
0:04–0:46
3
How does NPR describe the diplomatic 'whiplash' in Trump's foreign policy comments?
0:46–4:46
4
What controversy upended the Democratic effort to flip Susan Collins's Senate seat in Maine?
4:46–5:04