NPR News: 07-23-2026 9PM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. The U.S.
What escalated the U.S. strikes against Iran and how are shipping routes affected?
military announced a 13th night of strikes against Iran as clashes escalate over shipping routes. U.S. Central Command say the strikes are designed to degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial vessels. President Trump announced today the U.S. would pay for any Iranian attacks on cargo ships by using frozen Iranian assets. Earlier, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, potentially widening the conflict. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have signed an agreement that would allow U.S. companies to build and run nuclear power plants on Saudi soil. But just hours after that deal, President Trump wrote on social media that Saudi Arabia would first need to join the Abraham Accords, normalizing ties with Israel.
Still, the development is worrying many Israelis, as NPR's Emily Feng reports.
There was shock when this agreement was announced, even horror. Israel, I should know, is widely believed to have nuclear weapons already itself, but it's never confirmed its nuclear arsenal and they don't want other countries around it to have a nuclear weapon. They're worried that this slightly more flexible conditions of the U.S.-Saudi agreement could set off a nuclear arms race across the region.
NPR's Emily Fang reporting. The World Bank says last month's earthquakes in Venezuela caused $19.6 billion in damage. NPR's Michelle Kellerman has more.
In a statement, the World Bank says that the earthquakes disrupted lives, damaged critical infrastructure, and created new challenges for Venezuela's economic recovery. It says it could take more than 10 years to rebuild unless there's more public and private investment to speed that up. The World Bank says that 47% of the total damage occurred in residential buildings, so getting temporary housing for Venezuelans is a priority for the early recovery. There was also damage to infrastructure and non-residential buildings. The coastal city of La Guerra was the hardest hit, with buildings flattened along miles of coastline. The official death toll is well above 5,000. and still going up. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department.
The man who admitted to shooting and killing a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband has received two life sentences plus 40 years. Minnesota Public Radio's Kate Kelly reports.
Vance Belter murdered former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. Belter also shot and injured a state senator and his wife and planned attacks on more Democratic lawmakers. The courtroom was packed.
How could the U.S.-Saudi nuclear plant agreement influence Israel and regional proliferation concerns?
Some members of the public and the press cried during testimony. Melissa Hortman's mother, Linda Halipsuk, says Minnesota lost a leader and she lost her baby. It's over, but it's never over. She was a force, and her husband was a wonderful man, and the world is a poorer place without them both. Belter pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty. For NPR News, I'm Kate Kelly in Minneapolis.
This is NPR News. Recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian warehouses have targeted Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer. Ukraine alleges it supplies gear to Russia's military, although the Kremlin denies it. The attacks are estimated to have severely affected small businesses, which use Wildberries' storage and distribution network to sell their goods across Russia. Advisors to the FDA are backing popular peptide therapies. The panel of experts met today to consider lifting restrictions on some of the experimental compounds. NPR's Will Stone has more.
These peptides are promoted widely for longevity, injury recovery, muscle growth, and more. Many of them are not allowed to be made in the U.S. except for research purposes, and they are not FDA-approved drugs. But skyrocketing demand and the growth of an illicit market has led the federal government to reconsider the restrictions. In a series of narrow votes, the committee recommended the FDA allow specialized pharmacies to make a number of the compounds, including BPC-157 and TB-500.
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