NPR News: 07-24-2026 12PM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm.
What major international conflicts are highlighted at the start of the bulletin?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet with President Trump at the White House on Tuesday to discuss the war with Russia, according to a White House official not authorized to speak. Meanwhile, Ukraine launched another wave of drones across Russia overnight, killing at least six people. New airstrikes between the U.S. and Iran are affecting energy prices around the world. The U.S. military struck Iran again last night for the 13th consecutive night. Iran says it hit U.S. targets in Bahrain and Jordan. That briefly sent oil prices higher yesterday. Gas prices in the U.S. hit an average of $4.10 for a gallon of regular today. NPR's Hadel El-Shalchi reports.
Brent crude oil, which is the international standard, jumped over 6% to $100 a barrel. It came after the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The U.S. said last night that it completed a 13th round of strikes in Iran, attacking military command centers, drone storage facilities and coastal surveillance sites. Iranian state media reported explosions in the southwest of the country, where some of Iran's most sensitive military and maritime areas are. Iran retaliated with its own attacks, targeting U.S. bases in Bahrain and Kuwait. Hadil Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Istanbul.
A temporary 10% tariff on U.S. trading partners around the world expired last night. It was promptly replaced by new tariffs on 60 of them. NPR's Daniel Kurtzleben has more.
Yesterday, the administration announced that it is imposing tariffs of 10 to 12.5% on 59 countries, plus the European Union. The administration said it's because those economies are importing goods made with forced labor. And these are blanket tariffs in a sense. The U.S. Trade Representative has said this covers countries responsible for more than 99 percent of U.S. imports. Now, all that said, some big categories like energy and a lot of foods are going to be exempted.
NPR's Danielle Kurtz-Lehman. The number of people enrolled in SNAP, the federal food assistance program, has been falling since July after sweeping changes. NPR's Juliana Kim reports.
SNAP participation dropped by over 4 million people from last July to this April. That's according to the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. It's been particularly drastic in Arizona, where 400,000 fewer people receive the food benefits. St. Mary's Food Bank, which operates across the state, is distributing more food than ever, according to its president, Milt Liu.
Because at the end of the day, these kinds of increases can't be supported by just food banks.
The USDA says the decline in SNAP enrollment isn't representative of any one policy, but it does come as the program undergoes major changes from expanded work requirements to reduced federal funding. Juliana Kim, NPR News.
This is NPR News. Tens of thousands of people have been forced from their homes in France and Spain because of wildfires. Several large fires have erupted in southern Europe this summer.
How are recent U.S.-Iran strikes and retaliations affecting global energy prices?
Scientists say the region has become more vulnerable due to hotter temperatures caused by climate change. The International Energy Agency says renewables are set to overtake coal as electricity source in 2026. NPR's Julia Simon reports.
In their electricity mid-year update, the agency says global renewable energy is forecast to grow 8 percent in 2026. Natural gas output is projected to stay mostly flat. A big part of what's hampering natural gas growth are high prices following the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Five months after the conflict began, European natural gas prices are more than 90% higher. Asian natural gas prices are more than 105% higher. Meanwhile, solar and battery installations are booming around the world. Energy experts say 2026 may go down in history books as the year that the world made a significant pivot away from planet-heating fossil fuels. Julia Simon, NPR News.
The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Fausto is gaining strength in the Pacific Ocean.
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