NPR News: 07-21-2026 10AM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst.
What did the D.C. appeals court decide about releasing Biden's recorded interviews?
A federal appeals court is clearing the way for the release of recorded interviews of former President Biden. And Pierce Carey Johnson reports the Conservative Heritage Foundation had sued for access to the recordings.
The years-old audio recordings contain interviews of Joe Biden by the man who helped ghostwrite his memoir.
Who recorded the years-old Biden interviews and why were they obtained by prosecutors?
A prosecutor who investigated Biden's alleged mishandling of classified information later obtained the recordings. That prosecutor, Rob Herr, declined to charge Biden with wrongdoing, saying his age and faulty memory would be obstacles in any criminal case. The Heritage Foundation has been pushing for access to the tapes, and a federal appeals court has found there's a substantial public interest in the recordings. The appeals court in D.C. gave the former president until early August to pursue any additional legal steps. Biden had argued to release the tapes would violate his privacy. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.
President Trump is meeting with Lebanon's president today in Washington as the State Department tries to push forward a peace process between Israel and Lebanon. As NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports, the U.S. is trying to give Lebanon's president a boost.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he thinks it will be a good meeting at the White House and President Joseph Aoun will be able to return to Lebanon tomorrow. and say he's getting real results for his people, not Hezbollah or Iran. At the moment, Israel controls much of southern Lebanon as it battles the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which has been firing rockets across the border into Israel. The U.S. has negotiated what are called pilot zones to allow Lebanon to reestablish sovereignty in several areas in the south. Rubio says the U.S. is also talking to Lebanon about international investments and resuming flights from the U.S., Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department.
The White House says the newest jet to serve as Air Force One will be taken out of service to undergo upgrades.
What arguments did Biden make to prevent the tapes' release and what deadline was set?
And Pierce Joel Rose reports aviation experts question whether one month is enough time for significant changes.
The White House says the newest Air Force One will be out of service for about a month in the fall while it receives, quote, upgrades and enhancements. The Boeing luxury jet was donated by Qatar last year. It was retrofitted so quickly that some aerospace experts say it is not as secure as other Air Force One jets. Richard Aboulafia with Aerodynamic Advisory says one month isn't enough time to change that. The idea that anything meaningful could be accomplished in this limited amount of time is somewhat ridiculous. I mean, this is a multi-year process. Aboulafia and others say they were surprised to see the president fly in this plane to a meeting in Turkey earlier this month. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington.
On Wall Street, the Dow is up 232 points, the Nasdaq up 195, S&P 500 up 35. You're listening to NPR News. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is slamming President Trump's imposition of an additional 50 percent tariff on a range of Canadian goods. Trump says Canada unfairly discriminates against American autos, dairy and alcohol. The tariffs go into effect in 30 days and range from Canadian wine to hockey sticks to cement. Carney says that violates the U.S.-MCA trade agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Earlier this year, Trump said he wouldn't renew that trade agreement. North Korea's foreign minister met with Russia's Vladimir Putin and vowed to further strengthen their alliance. This as Russia and North Korea are growing increasingly critical of the U.S.
and its Asian allies. NPR's Se-Woon Gong has more from Seoul.
Foreign Minister Choi Sun-hee said her country will continue to steadfastly support Russia, calling Putin the closest and dearest friend of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. North Korean state media said the two countries discussed key international affairs of mutual interest, and added they were aligned on all issues.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:04
2
What did the D.C. appeals court decide about releasing Biden's recorded interviews?
0:04–0:23
3
Who recorded the years-old Biden interviews and why were they obtained by prosecutors?
0:23–2:05
4
What arguments did Biden make to prevent the tapes' release and what deadline was set?
2:05–5:03