NPR News: 07-25-2025 3AM EDT
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Why did President Trump confront Fed Chairman Jerome Powell at the Federal Reserve headquarters?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. President Trump toured the headquarters of the Federal Reserve with Fed Chairman Jerome Powell Thursday. In a tense exchange, Trump accused the central bank of mismanaging costs for a major renovation project, prompting Powell to correct him, as NPR's Tamara Keith reports.
It was part of a relentless pressure campaign aimed at Powell. Trump picked Powell to be Fed chairman during his first term, but has turned on him in a big way. However, Powell's term doesn't end until next year. And Trump would have a very hard time firing him because of legal protections meant to protect the Fed from political interference. That is, unless there's cause like fraud. And so Trump has keyed in on this project. He even interrogated Powell about it in front of cameras.
How is the USDA planning to relocate its Washington staff and what impact will it have on jobs?
NPR's Tamara Keith. The Agriculture Department says it will relocate more than half of its Washington, D.C. staff to other parts of the country. As NPR's Andrea Hsu tells us, the reorganization plan does not include large-scale layoffs.
In a video posted to YouTube, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the goal was to locate staff closer to the people they serve and to lower costs. Approximately 2,600 positions will be moved to five different hubs, including Kansas City, Missouri, Fort Collins, Colorado, and Salt Lake City. Rollins says no more than 2,000 jobs will remain in D.C. The department will vacate a number of buildings in the D.C. area but maintain its headquarters and one other building on the National Mall. Some 15,000 USDA employees, about 15 percent of the total workforce, have already left the department through the Trump administration's deferred resignation program.
What are the consequences of President Trump's tariffs on Brazilian beef for U.S. consumers and exporters?
Andrea Hsu, NPR News.
Brazilian beef exports to the United States are plummeting as prices in U.S. markets rise. President Trump levied tariffs on Brazilian beef back in April and threatens to raise them even further by August 1st. More from NPR's Gary Kahn.
Beef exports were already falling since April when Trump slapped a 10% tariff on Brazilian goods. But in recent months, as the 50% deadline nears, meat supplies to the U.S. have plummeted. According to Brazil's Meat Exporter Association, sales dropped nearly 80%. Prices have jumped by 12%.
How did the FCC approve the $8 billion sale of Paramount Global to Skydance Media and what does it mean for the media landscape?
Beef exporters are urging negotiations. Meanwhile, many are postponing shipments and exploring new markets. A quarter of Brazil's beef goes to the U.S. President Trump threatened a high tariff because of the, quote, unfair prosecution of Brazil's ex-president, a political ally. The former Brazilian leader is facing charges of plotting a coup to stay in power after his 2022 election defeat. Carrie Khan, NPR News, Rio de Janeiro.
U.S. futures are higher in after-hours trading on Wall Street. On Asia Pacific market, shares are mostly lower, down 1% in Hong Kong. This is NPR.
Why did Thailand close its land borders with Cambodia and what are the implications of the recent clashes?
The Federal Communications Commission has approved the $8 billion sale of CBS parent Paramount Global to Skydance Media. The deal follows changes at CBS, including a pledge not to adopt any policies calling for diversity, equity, and inclusion. It also comes after CBS agreed to to a settlement of a lawsuit by President Trump. Thailand has sealed its land borders and urges its citizens to leave neighboring Cambodia, this after the Thai and Cambodian armies traded airstrikes that are blamed for the deaths of at least 14 people, most of them civilians. Each side is blaming the other for the clashes. The journal Science is retracting a paper that claimed to find a new form of life in a California lake.
As NPR's Jeff Brumfield reports, the retraction comes 15 years after the paper's original publication.
In the 2010 study, NASA scientists claimed to have discovered a bacteria that did not need the element phosphorus to survive. Instead, they said it used arsenic.
What led the journal Science to retract the controversial arsenic‑based life paper after 15 years?
Arsenic is highly toxic to virtually all forms of life. This new bacteria species might have demonstrated a life form that could inhabit other worlds. But follow-up studies found the bacteria still needed phosphorus and was just resistant to arsenic.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
Why did President Trump confront Fed Chairman Jerome Powell at the Federal Reserve headquarters?
0:01–0:54
2
How is the USDA planning to relocate its Washington staff and what impact will it have on jobs?
0:54–1:47
3
What are the consequences of President Trump's tariffs on Brazilian beef for U.S. consumers and exporters?
1:47–2:24
4
How did the FCC approve the $8 billion sale of Paramount Global to Skydance Media and what does it mean for the media landscape?
2:24–3:01
5
Why did Thailand close its land borders with Cambodia and what are the implications of the recent clashes?
3:01–4:00
6
What led the journal Science to retract the controversial arsenic‑based life paper after 15 years?
4:00–4:39