NPR News: 07-18-2026 1AM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Ronan.
Why did Israel's Knesset vote to dissolve and when are new elections scheduled?
Israeli lawmakers voted unanimously to end the current session of Knesset and set new elections for the fall. The parliament, with its far-right coalition majority, pushed through a number of laws favoring the ultra-religious, as well as laws the current government has been advocating for. NPR's Kerry Kahn reports.
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.
What controversial laws did Netanyahu's coalition pass before the Knesset dissolved?
Carrie Conn, NPR News, Tel Aviv.
Thick smoke continues to blanket large parts of the Midwest and eastern U.S., leading to unhealthy and potentially dangerous air quality in several states. It's the result of extreme heat and dry conditions in parts of Canada and northern Minnesota, where officials say about 900 wildfires are burning. Some visitors in Washington, D.C. said the smoking conditions are impacting activities. Henry Galdamez is a Maryland resident who was on the National Mall Friday.
Honestly, I just wanted a ride. I haven't rode in like a week, so I'm like, you know what, it's time to get back out here, you know. And then I stepped out of my car, and it smelled kind of smoky.
Because of the heat wave, temperatures in some parts of the upper Midwest and Canada hit the high 90s. There's also been a lack of rain, giving the fires additional fuel. Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan are experiencing some of the worst air quality levels. South Central Texas, it has been drenched by rain, causing historic levels of flooding in multiple communities in the hill country of the state. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a major declaration for the hardest hit communities. He says more assistance is on the way. The newsroom's Blaise Glaney has more on the story.
While the disaster declaration will help unlock federal recovery assistance, officials say the immediate danger isn't over because rivers are forecast to continue rising as floodwaters move downstream. Abbott says people across the state should still be cautious.
Presidents and leaders need to understand the rivers will still rise and still pose... life-threatening danger.
Officials are urging people to stay away from flooded roads as rescue operations continue and communities begin preparing for recovery. For NPR News, I'm Blaze Ganey.
Stocks closed lower on Friday. And from Washington, you're listening to NPR News. A Moscow court has convicted a prominent Russian politician who opposed the war in Ukraine on extremism-related charges. As NPR's Charles Main reports from Moscow, the case has implications for the range of debate when Russians vote in parliamentary elections this September.
Liberal politician Boris Nadezhdin had hoped to run for Russia's parliament, the Duma, on a platform demanding an end to the war in Ukraine. Instead, he was in court defending himself against charges of promoting extremist content on social media, a jailable offense. In finding Nadezhdin guilty, the court imposed just a $13 fine. But the conviction and his designation by the government as a foreign agent earlier this month disqualify him from holding public office. In an interview with NPR ahead of the verdict, Dadezhdin said the legal pressure on him reflected growing pressure inside the Kremlin, as polls show a majority of Russians want the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year, to end. Charles Mainz, NPR News, Moscow.
Wall Street trading firms and other institutions may soon be able to buy special high-speed access to President Trump's Truth Social social media post, a new division it's called Truth PSI.
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