NPR News: 07-20-2025 9PM EDT
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What are the key issues Texas lawmakers are addressing in the special flood session?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. Texas lawmakers start a thirty-day special session tomorrow on several topics, including disaster relief and preparedness following flash floods earlier this month that left at least one hundred and thirty five people dead. The Texas newsroom's Blaze Gainey reports there's no quick fix.
Kerr County suffered the most devastating effects of the flooding, but Texas has more than fifty billion dollars worth of flood related plans all around the state. As lawmakers try to find a way forward, a new flood committee will look over dozens of bills. Republican State Senator Drew Darby is on the committee and says problems with the state's emergency alert system are not new.
This disaster has reinforced the critical need to address this problem.
One bill would increase flood safety standards at youth camps, thirty girls and counselors died at Camp Mystic in Kerr County. For NPR News, I'm Blaze Ganey in Austin.
How is the new U.S. Postmaster General planning to keep the USPS independent and avoid privatization?
Some US Postal Service union leaders tell NPR they welcome the new postmaster general speaking out against privatizing the country's mail service. As NPR's Hansilo Wong reports, the comments come amid questions about the future of the USPS.
David Steiner officially succeeded Lewis DeJoy this month as a new head of the U.S. Postal Postal Service, which is a financial supporter of NPR. In his first message to Postal Workers, Steiner said he believes in keeping USPS as an independent government agency mostly funded through stamp and other service fees.
I do not believe that the Postal Service should be privatized or that it should become an appropriated part of the federal government.
Steiner's comments come after talk by the Trump administration of attempting to overhaul USPS. Don Mastin leads the National Rural Letter Carriers Association and tells MPR he'll be watching what Steiner does after speaking against privatizing the postal service.
The words are what we wanna hear.
Which major companies' earnings and housing data are investors watching this week?
The actions will speak for themselves, I guess.
USB S says Steiner is in the process of divesting from stocks he has owned in companies that could present a financial conflict of interest. Those include shares in FedEx, where he previously served as a board member, Anzi LeWong, NPR News.
On Wall Street, investors are bracing for a new set of earnings this week, including from Tesla, and as MPR's Rafael Nam reports, new housing data is also expected.
Both the Nasdaq and the S P five hundred have been hitting records lately despite the threat of more tariffs from President Trump. Some big earnings could test that. A big one will be Tesla, which is set to report quarterly results on Wednesday. The automaker has been reeling from falling global sales, in part over controversies surrounding CEO Elon Musk. Earnings are also on tap from
Why is President Trump threatening to block the Washington Commanders stadium over the team’s name?
From Coca Cola and Alphabet, the parent company of Google, and investors will keep an eye on new data on the housing sector. We'll get data on existing home sales on Wednesday and new home sales on Thursday. Rafael Num NPR News.
US futures contracts are trading higher at this hour. All three major indices are up about one tenth of a percent. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. President Trump is threatening to block a deal to build a more than three billion dollar stadium for the Washington Commanders if they don't change their name back to a term offensive to indigenous people. The NFL team selected their new name three years ago after almost a century of being the Redskins, which many indigenous viewed as both a slur and a disparaging stereotype. Trump calls the new name ridiculous.
What impact could Brazil’s fast‑track infrastructure bill have on Amazon deforestation and the upcoming climate summit?
Last year, Congress agreed to transfer federal land to DC in a long term lease to enable the city to build that new stadium. Trump also wants the Cleveland Guardians to change their name back to the Indians. They made the change after similar criticism from Native Americans. Environmentalists say a new law passed by Brazil's Congress will lead to widespread deforestation in the Amazon.
Brazil's
influential environment minister has spoken out against the bill that allows fast tracking of some infrastructure projects.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What are the key issues Texas lawmakers are addressing in the special flood session?
0:00–0:57
2
How is the new U.S. Postmaster General planning to keep the USPS independent and avoid privatization?
0:57–1:46
3
Which major companies' earnings and housing data are investors watching this week?
1:46–2:34
4
Why is President Trump threatening to block the Washington Commanders stadium over the team’s name?
2:34–3:25
5
What impact could Brazil’s fast‑track infrastructure bill have on Amazon deforestation and the upcoming climate summit?
3:25–4:39