NPR News: 07-21-2026 12PM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh.
Who was the soldier killed during the controlled drone detonation in Iraq?
The Defense Department is identifying another soldier killed in connection with the U.S.-led war in Iran. Sergeant Michael Emanuel Swinton of Fayetteville, North Carolina, died during a controlled detonation of a drone in northern Iraq July 19. He was 30 years old. In all, at least 17 U.S. service members have died since the war began late February. Lawmakers will have questions for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth when he testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee today. NPR's Quill Lawrence reports the White House is asking Congress for a nearly $90 billion funding boost, most of it for the war.
U.S. forces have bombed Iranian military and infrastructure targets for 10 days running and have reinstated a naval blockade on Iran's ports and coastline. Iranian media reports scores of casualties. Iran has attacked U.S. bases around the region with missiles and drones, killing at least three U.S. service members since Friday. This week, the Department of Defense divulged that at least 100 U.S. troops have been injured in the last two weeks, most of whom returned to service. Pentagon hasn't briefed the press since May, and the hearing today will be the first chance for senators from both parties to ask Hegseth publicly about the depletion of U.S. military munitions, safety of troops in the region, and how the U.S.
plans to resolve the war. Quill Lawrence, NPR News.
Against the backdrop of a war that also involved fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, the president of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, is the first head of state from his country to visit the White House since 2009. In this exchange with reporters, President Trump was asked when Israeli forces will leave Lebanon.
They're in the process of redeploying to other sections. And again, they get along very well. That was a great agreement they signed with Lebanon.
What will senators ask Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about U.S. military readiness?
And they're redeploying.
But Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen say they plan to blockade the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a critical route for Saudi Arabia's oil exports on the Red Sea. A federal appeals court is clearing the way for the release of recorded interviews of former President Joe Biden. NPR's Kerry 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. 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.
It's NPR.
A federal investigation continues today on the source of a cyclospora outbreak in multiple states. Officials are focused on lettuce supplier Taylor Farms.
How are U.S. strikes and Iranian counterattacks affecting regional naval operations?
Meanwhile, this week, Michigan reported 6,148 cases linked to the outbreak statewide. Latest update, health officials said more than 100 people were hospitalized for the diarrhea-causing parasitic infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked the outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell restaurants in Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. New research from the American Heart Association looks at how many cups of coffee are safe to drink every day. Here's NPR's Mary Godoy.
In a new scientific statement, the AHA says drinking up to five 8-ounce cups of coffee per day, or about 400 milligrams of caffeine. is generally safe for most adults. It also appears to be linked to a lower risk of several cardiovascular conditions including heart failure, heart disease, and stroke in some people.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–0:05
2
Who was the soldier killed during the controlled drone detonation in Iraq?
0:05–1:51
3
What will senators ask Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about U.S. military readiness?
1:51–3:11
4
How are U.S. strikes and Iranian counterattacks affecting regional naval operations?
3:11–5:01