NPR News: 07-22-2026 10PM 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 are the national security concerns about the U.S.–Saudi nuclear cooperation agreement?
The Trump administration and Saudi Arabia signed a nuclear power cooperation agreement that the Energy Department says could lead to the kingdom enriching its own fuel for nuclear reactors. That has some in Congress worried that the Saudis could use the fuel for weapons. Matthew Bunn, a former advisor in the Clinton administration, has more on why the Saudis would want a civilian program.
They say that they would like to make nuclear energy to cover their domestic needs so they can export more of their oil and make more money. But they also want want to provide the foundation over time for having more options to move toward nuclear weapons should they feel the need.
Speaking there on NPR's All Things Considered, President Trump will have to make the case to Congress that giving a different deal to Saudi, an ally that Iran doesn't get, is a good strategy. This as the U.S. and Iran continue to trade attacks. President Trump started the war in February. At least 18 U.S. service members have been killed. The ex-wife of the ICE officer who fatally shot a man in Maine last week alleges that he had a history of domestic violence and racist comments. As NPR's Meg Anderson reports, ICE is in the midst of a hiring surge, and some worry that they could be cutting corners in vetting new hires.
The details about the ICE officer's past should have raised red flags. That's according to Kenneth Corey, who spent more than three decades with the New York City police.
You want to make sure that the people that you're hiring have the temperament and disposition necessary to do the job.
At the NYPD, he says, recruits go through a background check and psychological tests. And the agency also interviews neighbors and former employers and looks up school records and police reports.
Why do experts say Saudi Arabia might pursue a civilian nuclear program that could enable weapons development?
All that takes time. ICE has hired more than 12,000 officers in less than a year. In a statement, DHS says it applies all the, quote, proper personnel vetting regulations, but did not provide specifics. Meg Anderson, NPR News.
The U.S. is reporting the highest number of measles cases since 1991, nearly 2,300, according to a tracker from Johns Hopkins. NPR's Maria Godoy reports.
Here's another way to put it. The U.S. has reported more measles cases in the last 18 months than in the previous 24 years combined. Last year, the case count broke 2,000, a number not seen since 1992. The resurgence of measles comes amid falling vaccination rates, Dr. William Moss of Johns Hopkins says large outbreaks in South Carolina and Utah drove up case counts earlier this year.
And then we've continued to have smaller outbreaks in other areas. So currently over the past two weeks where we've largely seen cases is in central Virginia and in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, many local health departments are grappling with staff and funding cuts. Maria Godoy, NPR News. You're listening to NPR News from Washington.
The House today approved legislation barring members of Congress from buying individual stock. That advances a bipartisan ethics proposal both sides have supported but have failed to enact. But the bill would exempt the president from the trading ban, and its future in the Senate is uncertain. Critics say it falls short of a true stock trading ban because it would let lawmakers keep stocks they already own and continue selling them. This has House lawmakers prepared to leave for a month-long recess. One of an internet-famous pair of bald eagles known as Jackie and Shadow that live high above Big Bear Lake in California may be in critical condition. That's according to a wildlife rescue group. From member station KVCR, Madison Aument has more.
The Ojai Raptor Center said in an Instagram post that the eagle believed to be Jackie has severe anemia and kidney issues and that veterinarians are trying to determine the cause. The eagle was brought to them after it was seen fighting with two younger eagles last Friday. Friends of Big Bear Valley, which operates the 24-7 live stream of the eagle's nest, says Jackie has not been seen in several days.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:05
2
What are the national security concerns about the U.S.–Saudi nuclear cooperation agreement?
0:05–1:48
3
Why do experts say Saudi Arabia might pursue a civilian nuclear program that could enable weapons development?
1:48–4:31
4
How has the U.S.–Iran conflict and recent casualties shaped Congressional debate?
4:31–5:00
5
Could rapid ICE hiring be compromising background checks after a fatal shooting in Maine?
5:00–5:04