NPR News: 07-15-2026 11AM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston.
What issues are raised at Todd Blanche's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about Epstein survivors?
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch is facing pointed questions on Capitol Hill at this hour as his confirmation hearing gets underway before the Senate Judiciary Committee. One of the sharpest exchanges came as Illinois Senator Dick Durbin questioned Blanch about the department's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and its response to survivors.
I have never said I will not meet with survivors. Will you meet with these 10 survivors? I'm asking you on the record. If they have lawyers, as you know, I'm prohibited from meeting directly with them. I have met with counsel for survivors, as has many people in the Department of Justice, over 30. But if they are represented by counsel, we will work with their counsel. If they don't have a lawyer... I will certainly make arrangements to make sure the right people at the Department of Justice meet with them.
How did Senators press Blanche on investigations of President Trump and his family?
Absolutely. Will you get it done within the next 30 days? I will get it done today if that's necessary.
Senators are also pressing Blanche over accusations the department has targeted President Trump's political opponents and decisions involving investigations of the president and his family. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from denying visas to or seeking to deport non-citizens working on or studying online content moderation. NPR's Shannon Bond reports the judge says the policy likely violates the First Amendment.
Why did a judge block the State Department visa policy for online content moderators?
The State Department has said the visa ban targets foreign nationals it says are, quote, complicit in censoring Americans. In March, a group of independent tech researchers sued the administration, saying the visa policy itself is an attempt to silence views the government doesn't like. In a new order, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg says the plaintiff's arguments are likely to succeed, so the policy will be put on hold while the lawsuit proceeds. The State Department didn't respond to a request for comment. The coalition of researchers who brought the lawsuit said it welcomed the judge's decision. Shannon Bond, NPR News.
TrumpRx is a key component of the president's push to lower prescription drug prices. NPR's Cindy Lepkin reports 17 drug makers agreed to offer their medications on the website at a discount.
TrumpRx now lists 92 brand-name drugs available at a discount for people not using their insurance. They're a fraction of the more than 800 drugs that these companies have on the market. Two companies, Gilead and Regeneron, haven't added drugs yet and say they will add one drug each. Dr. Ben Roem does health policy research at Harvard Medical School.
What does the TrumpRx prescription site include and who benefits from it?
Most of these companies are doing this for a small number of products in a limited setting. They're not engaging to do this on like large scale.
Some people can benefit if they need medicines that are not covered by their health insurance, like drugs for IVF. But for people with insurance coverage, the best deal, Rome says, is to stick to your insurance copay. Sydney Lepkin, NPR News.
You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The Writers Guild of America is challenging Paramount's $81 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The Guild filed a lawsuit on Tuesday seeking to block the merger, arguing it would hurt movie and television writers.
Why are writers and states suing to block the Paramount–Warner Bros. merger?
A coalition of 12 states, led by California, filed a separate lawsuit Monday to stop the deal. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer chaired his final cabinet meeting today. He also appeared before Parliament for his last PMQs, or Prime Minister's Questions. Those are the boisterous parliamentary sessions where opposition parties berate the Prime Minister. But as NPR's Lauren Frere reports, the mood was different this time.
It was a change from the normally adversarial vibe. Instead of shouting at the prime minister or booing him, the opposition leader, Kemi Badenoch, paid tribute to him.
As Starmer acknowledged, This is the end of my political journey.
Starmer led his centre-left Labour Party to a landslide win two years ago, but his personal approval ratings dwindled.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:05
2
What issues are raised at Todd Blanche's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about Epstein survivors?
0:05–0:50
3
How did Senators press Blanche on investigations of President Trump and his family?
0:50–1:25
4
Why did a judge block the State Department visa policy for online content moderators?
1:25–2:34
5
What does the TrumpRx prescription site include and who benefits from it?
2:34–3:16
6
Why are writers and states suing to block the Paramount–Warner Bros. merger?
3:16–4:07
7
What led to Keir Starmer's final PMQs and what comes next for U.K. leadership?
4:07–5:02