NPR News: 07-21-2026 1AM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder.
How is New Orleans preparing for Tropical Storm Bertha and who is coordinating the response?
New Orleans is getting ready for Tropical Storm Bertha.
We take all events seriously and are prepared to enhance staffing levels across the utility to ensure that all teams are coordinated, positioned, and equipped to respond. as conditions evolve.
Randy Heyman is the executive director of the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board. He spoke Monday night as Bertha strengthened into a tropical storm about 100 miles south of the Florida coast. Forecasters expect Bertha to bring heavy rains to the Gulf Coast and could make landfall south of New Orleans late Wednesday or early Thursday morning. The White House says the newest plane to serve as Air Force One will soon be sent away for upgrades. And PRS Joel Rose has more on renewed questions about the security features of the jet that was donated by Qatar.
President Trump flew back to Washington on the new Air Force One on Sunday evening.
Why is the new donated Boeing jet being sent for Air Force One security upgrades?
He was asked why he was flying in an airplane that lacks anti-missile defense systems. Trump said the plane does have, quote, a lot of capability, but also added this.
In about a month or so, they're going to send it to have it be maxed out.
In a statement, the White House later said the jet is perfectly safe for the president's travels, but will receive, quote, upgrades and enhancements, unquote, in the fall. The Boeing luxury jet was donated by Qatar last year. It was retrofitted so quickly that some experts say it may not be as secure as the other Air Force One jets that preceded it. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington.
Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have announced a blockade on Saudi Arabia, potentially deepening turmoil in global energy markets.
What did the Houthis announce about a blockade and how could it affect global energy routes?
This comes as fighting between Iran and the U.S. escalated to levels not seen since the war started in February. NPR's Hadil Al-Shalji reports.
In a video statement, a Houthi spokesperson said the blockade was in retaliation for recent Saudi attacks on the capital's airport and a siege on Yemen. The spokesperson said the blockade on Saudi ships was, quote, an equation of an eye for an eye. The Houthis said they would blockade the Bab al-Madab Strait, a waterway that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. A blockade would rattle energy markets as Saudi Arabia relies on Bab al-Madab to export millions of barrels of oil and fuel a day. The Houthis attacked ships in the Red Sea during the war in Gaza, forcing companies to divert their cargo and increasing shipping costs. Hadil Al-Shalji, NPR News, Istanbul.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard claiming responsibility for an attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and at least one other attack on a ship.
Which recent maritime attacks did Iran's Revolutionary Guard claim and what are the U.S. military responses?
The British military's Maritime Trade Operations Center says the attack forced the crew to abandon ship. The latest Iranian attacks came as the U.S. military said it has completed a 10th consecutive night of strikes on Iranian targets. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is to appear before a Senate panel on Tuesday to ask for billions in war funding. This is NPR. New tariffs on Canada are set to take effect in 30 days. A Trump administration announced Monday 50% tariffs on a wide range of Canadian imports using Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which permits a president to impose punitive tariffs against trading partners who are deemed to have unfairly discriminated against American products. The move is believed to be the law's first known usage in nearly a century.
What new tariffs on Canada were announced and what law is being used to impose them?
Multiple forest fires burning in Oregon after almost 10,000 lightning strikes hit the state last week. Catherine Steyer-Martinez has the latest.
There are 25 large fires burning almost 375,000 acres across Oregon, and most of the activity is in central and northeastern parts of the state, says Jessica Newyear with the Oregon Department of Forestry.
We are essentially going into our new normal of more active seasons, more active fire behavior.
She says this year is shaping up similar to 2024's record-breaking season when more than 1.9 million acres burned. Whitney Thayer, a public information officer working on the Akawa Butte fire, a top priority fire in central Oregon, says it feels like the state could be in for a marathon of a fire season.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:04
2
How is New Orleans preparing for Tropical Storm Bertha and who is coordinating the response?
0:04–0:58
3
Why is the new donated Boeing jet being sent for Air Force One security upgrades?
0:58–1:41
4
What did the Houthis announce about a blockade and how could it affect global energy routes?
1:41–2:38
5
Which recent maritime attacks did Iran's Revolutionary Guard claim and what are the U.S. military responses?
2:38–3:30
6
What new tariffs on Canada were announced and what law is being used to impose them?
3:30–4:15
7
How are widespread Oregon wildfires developing after nearly 10,000 lightning strikes?
4:15–5:04