NPR News: 07-17-2026 1PM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.
How widespread is the smoke from Canadian wildfires affecting the U.S. Midwest and Northeast?
Heavy, thick smoke from wildfires north of the border is spreading across large parts of the Midwestern and Northeastern U.S. this week. Tens of millions of people are breathing in air that ranges from unhealthy to hazardous, given high levels of fine particulate matter. Nearly 200 active wildfires are burning in Ontario as of this morning.
How many wildfires and acres are burning in Ontario and what do officials say?
Premier Doug Ford says so far this year, Canada has experienced more than 3,500 wildfires.
Last year, we had over 600,000 hectares on fire. This year, and it's changing on a daily, hourly basis, it's 650,000 acres already.
Major wildfires are also burning in northern Minnesota. Hundreds of federal border security buoys are floating down the Rio Grande after being swept away by floodwaters near Eagle Pass, Texas. The loose buoys have prompted officials to close some international bridges in south Texas. Texas Public Radio's David Martin-Davies has the latest.
Why are federal border security buoys floating down the Rio Grande and what closures do they cause?
The Department of Homeland Security's river buoys broke loose after massive rainfall and floated downstream. The city of Eagle Pass temporarily closed two international bridges to Mexico as the barriers passed through. Downstream in Laredo, officials have activated the city's operations center and crews are using drones to track the buoys. Officials say the drifting barriers could affect operations at the city's four international bridges. Laredo is one of the nation's busiest inland ports. DHS installed hundreds of miles of a floating border wall in the Rio Grande earlier this year to deter illegal immigration. For NPR News, I'm David Martin Davies in San Antonio.
President Trump's nominee for attorney general, Todd Blanch, met with victims of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The meeting came hours after a key Republican senator demanded Blanch do so as a condition for supporting his nomination. Here's NPR's Ryan Lucas.
The ultimatum that Blanche meet with Epstein survivors came from North Carolina Republican Senator Tom Tillis, whose vote is critical for Blanche's nomination to advance.
What happened when Todd Blanche met with Jeffrey Epstein survivors and why does it matter for his nomination?
Hours later, Blanche found time to sit down with a group of Epstein's victims who had been trying for months to arrange just such a meeting. Afterwards, Tillis commended Blanche for sitting down with the women and his, quote, willingness to directly engage and listen to them, end quote. But Epstein survivors who were in the meeting say Blanche treated it as a check-the-box exercise. One survivor, Annie Farmer, said Blanche was abrasive, condescending, and intentionally noncommittal in the meeting. And she, like other Epstein victims, urged senators to reject Blanche's nomination to lead the Justice Department. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington.
How did Andy Burnham become Britain’s new Labour leader and what could it mean for the prime ministership?
It's NPR. The former mayor of Greater Manchester is a big step closer to becoming the Prime Minister of Britain. Today, Andy Burnham was formally declared head of the governing Labour Party following contests in which he was the only contender. In replacing outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Burnham is positioned to become the fourth Prime Minister in as many years. Israeli lawmakers voted unanimously to end the current session of the Knesset and set new elections for the fall. The parliament, with its far-right coalition majority, pushed through a slew of laws favoring the ultra-religious, as well as laws the current government has been advocating to overhaul Israel's judicial system.
What recent developments led Israel to dissolve the Knesset and call fall elections?
Here's NPR's Carrie Khan.
The vote to dissolve the government occurred early Friday. National elections are set for October 27th. It was the first time in nearly 40 years that an Israeli government completed its entire four-year term. Critics say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu achieved that longevity by placating far-right and ultra-Orthodox coalition partners. A move they say he repeated this week by rushing through laws. They say are anti-democratic, including one that will weaken the power of the attorney general and another giving the government more control over the media. Israel's far-right finance minister also pushed through hundreds of millions of dollars for new settlements and accompanying roads in the occupied West Bank.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–0:06
2
How widespread is the smoke from Canadian wildfires affecting the U.S. Midwest and Northeast?
0:06–0:28
3
How many wildfires and acres are burning in Ontario and what do officials say?
0:28–1:11
4
Why are federal border security buoys floating down the Rio Grande and what closures do they cause?
1:11–2:21
5
What happened when Todd Blanche met with Jeffrey Epstein survivors and why does it matter for his nomination?
2:21–2:58
6
How did Andy Burnham become Britain’s new Labour leader and what could it mean for the prime ministership?
2:58–3:41
7
What recent developments led Israel to dissolve the Knesset and call fall elections?
3:41–4:59