NPR News: 07-16-2026 9PM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Libby Casey.
What is President Trump’s primetime speech about and which networks declined to air it live?
President Trump is delivering a primetime speech to the nation at this hour. The White House pressed networks to air it live. NBC, ABC and CNN are not running it on their main channels. NPR's Franco Ordonez reports.
President Trump is expected to use the coveted time to speak about the 2020 election, an election that he refuses to acknowledge he lost. Critics worry that a speech rehashing old claims about foreign interference and voting machines could sow distrust of the election system ahead of the upcoming midterms. Press Secretary Caroline Levin was asked about concerns from some Republicans that Trump is focusing too much on the past and not enough on current kitchen table issues like the economy ahead of the midterms.
I think the American people will be relieved to hear what they are hearing from the president of the United States and his commitment to transparency and the focus on the integrity of our elections tonight.
Levitt said Trump will likely also talk about the economy as well as Iran. Franco Ordonez, NPR News.
Federal transportation officials have removed a set of road safety recommendations from a key government website. NPR's Joel Rose reports safety advocates warn the change could make roads less safe.
The Federal Highway Administration has quietly cut its list of proven safety countermeasures, basically a collection of best practices that have been shown to make roads safer. Gone are bike lanes, speed cameras, and several other strategies to make drivers slow down. The Federal Highway Administration says it's getting back to basics and putting safety first. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was more blunt.
How might Trump’s speech about election integrity affect voter trust ahead of the midterms?
In a post on X last week, Duffy wrote that the Biden administration, quote, used your money for DEI bike lanes and climate change, unquote, and said that would stop. Safety advocates say the administration is undercutting proven strategies to reduce crashes and save lives. Joel Rose, NPR News.
The dismissal of Ukraine's tech-savvy defense minister has sparked protests around the country that are expected to continue on Friday. NPR's Joanna Kakissas reports from Kyiv, the outgoing defense minister's tenure coincided with a dramatic shift in Ukraine's favor on the battlefield.
Mikhailo Fedorov, who is 35, had been in the defense job just six months. Speaking to reporters, Fedorov said he struggled to work with Ukraine's old-school military chief, Oleksandr Sirski. Fedorov said Sirski blocked attempts at innovation. Instead of figuring out how to defeat Russia asymmetrically, Fedorov said, the commander of Ukraine's forces has figured out how to divide the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy removed Fedorov from the post as part of a government reshuffle. The dismissal sparked demonstrations in Ukrainian cities. Protesters demand that Fedorov be reinstated. Joanna Kakisis, NPR News, Kyiv.
This is NPR News. A Japanese parliamentary committee approved revisions to a law governing who can become emperor. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports that the country faces a succession crisis with only one young heir to the throne remaining.
A special committee of Japan's upper house of parliament approved revisions to the imperial house law. The revisions include allowing princesses to remain in the imperial family after marriage. and allowing male descendants from former branches of the imperial family to be adopted back into the family. Critics note that the revisions leave out the possibility of female emperors. But polls show 60 to 90 percent of Japanese like that idea, especially if the female emperor could be Princess Aiko, Emperor Naruhito's 24-year-old daughter. Japan's constitution says that the emperor's authority derives from the will of the people. The ruling coalition is pushing to have the upper house pass the revisions by Friday.
Anthony Kuhn, NPR News.
U.S. aviation experts have taken over the investigation into what caused a window to dislodge on a Ryan Air flight going from Greece to Germany last Friday.
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