NPR News: 07-16-2025 11AM EDT
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Why is House Speaker Mike Johnson demanding the release of Jeffrey Epstein’s client list?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Kristen Wright. House Speaker Mike Johnson is the latest Republican to call for the Trump administration to release more information about Jeffrey Epstein. Johnson singled out Attorney General Pam Bondi, who told Fox News in February. that Epstein's alleged client list was on her desk for review. Now the administration says there is no client list. NPR's Shannon Bond says Johnson says everything should be put out there.
Mike Johnson said Bondi needs to, quote, come forward and explain that to everybody. Now, Bondi has brushed off questions about her handling of this material. And so far, Trump is defending her.
What are the implications of the HHS reduction‑in‑force for federal workers?
Yesterday, the president said she's been handling this all quite well. But he also said, quote, whatever she thinks is credible, she should release. which sounds a lot like what many of his supporters have been calling for.
Epstein was a convicted sex offender and financier known in some celebrity and political circles. He died by suicide in jail. This week, some federal workers at the Department of Health and Human Services were notified they'd been fired. NPR's Selina Simmons-Duffin reports they're part of the reduction in force that began in April but had been paused by the courts.
The email from HHS Human Resources explained that the Supreme Court had cleared the way for HHS to move forward with its reduction in force and said recipients were officially separated at close of business that day. Anthony Lee works at the Food and Drug Administration and is president of Chapter 282 of the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents thousands of FDA employees.
How are Texas communities coping with the deadly flood‑risk crossings?
Getting inundated with a lot of questions about what does this mean? Can the agency do this?
He says employees weren't told anything about their severance or benefits like health insurance.
So they are really left in the dark.
HHS confirmed to NPR that employees were terminated this week but declined to provide the number. Selina Simmons-Duffin, NPR News.
Many are still missing today in central Texas. The flood disaster there is prompting cities to take a closer look at readiness plans. Nathan Bernier from member station KUT reports one of the most common flood dangers in Texas may take generations to fix.
Who are the candidates in Arizona’s 7th congressional district special election?
Texas already led the nation in flood deaths even before the recent storms claimed more than 130 lives. One of the most deadly flood risks is when fast-moving water flows over the road. So when it comes, it comes fast. We've been up to our knees or our thighs on this road. It's just pouring. Brent and Katie Johnson live next to a low-water crossing in northwest Austin. The city has nearly 70 of them. At the current pace, Austin is fixing about one low-water crossing every three years. That means it could take 200 years to fix them all.
What prompted Israel’s recent airstrikes on Damascus and what are the expected consequences?
And across central Texas, there are hundreds more. I'm Nathan Bernier in Austin, Texas.
This is NPR News in Washington. Voters in southern Arizona have chosen the congressional candidates who will square off in a special election this September, as NPR's Giles Snyder reports.
Voters in Arizona's 7th congressional district will choose between Democrat Adelita Grijalva and Republican Daniel Gutierrez in the special election. Grijalva is the daughter of the late Congressman Raul Grijalva, who held the seat for more than 20 years. His death in March triggered the special election for the remainder of his two-year term. Adelita Grijalva is a progressive who saw four challenges for the Democratic nomination and is now the likely frontrunner. The 7th District, which includes parts of Tucson, is heavily Democratic.
Why is the volcano in Grindavík, Iceland erupting again and how are authorities responding?
Her Republican challenger ran against her father last year. This time around, Daniel Gutierrez won the GOP nomination over two other candidates. Israel
has conducted airstrikes on targets in downtown Damascus. The Israeli military confirms they struck the Syrian military compound and the area around the Syrian presidential palace. On X, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote that painful strikes have begun. In a separate post, Katz wrote, the signals to Damascus are over.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
Why is House Speaker Mike Johnson demanding the release of Jeffrey Epstein’s client list?
0:02–0:38
2
What are the implications of the HHS reduction‑in‑force for federal workers?
0:38–1:37
3
How are Texas communities coping with the deadly flood‑risk crossings?
1:37–2:16
4
Who are the candidates in Arizona’s 7th congressional district special election?
2:16–2:50
5
What prompted Israel’s recent airstrikes on Damascus and what are the expected consequences?
2:50–3:41
6
Why is the volcano in Grindavík, Iceland erupting again and how are authorities responding?
3:41–4:37