NPR News: 07-28-2026 11PM EDT
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Live from NPR News, I'm Joel Snyder. The Senate has confirmed Jay Clayton to serve as President Trump's new spy chief. NPR's Jenna McLaughlin reports that Clayton's nomination drew criticism from Democrats who fear ongoing politicization of intelligence.
On Tuesday evening, senators voted 51 to 47 to confirm Jake Clayton will be Trump's new director of national intelligence.
Who was confirmed as President Trump's new director of national intelligence and why is it controversial?
Clayton is currently the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Advocates like Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas say that job's intersection with national security, such as the indictment of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, prepared him to lead the intelligence community's 18 agencies. Critics like Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, say Clayton has already shown he won't directly challenge the president's falsehoods.
He is never going to stand up to Donald Trump.
Wyden pointed to Clayton's refusal to say President Biden won the U.S. presidential election in 2020 during his confirmation hearing as one example. Jenna McLaughlin, NPR News.
President Trump had a busy day today. He spoke at the memorial service at Washington National Cathedral. for the late South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham. He also met at the White House with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. NPR's Greg Myrie kept tabs on the Zelensky meeting.
There were no TV cameras this time, so no repeat of that very public Oval Office argument they had early last year. The relationship has steadily recovered and improved. Trump has been treating Zelensky with more respect, and especially as Ukraine has gained the momentum with its long-range drone attacks against Russia. Now, Zelensky took to social media right after the meeting. He said he had a good meeting with Trump, adding, I'm grateful to the United States for its firm support. So the tone keeps improving, but still there's no sign that Trump will send weapons, which he has effectively cut off.
As early in-person voting got underway today in Wisconsin's August 11th primary, officials are threatening to prosecute voters who place bets on the midterm elections.
How did senators and critics describe Jay/Jake Clayton's qualifications and concerns during confirmation?
NPR's Bobby Allen reports that has prompted legal threats from the prediction market company, Kalshi.
Wisconsin is one of 32 states to outlaw election betting. Those state laws will be tested as prediction market sites Kalshi and Polymarket expect November's midterms to see more bets than ever before. UCLA Voting Rights Project Director Matt Barreto says Wisconsin is right to warn voters not to wager on elections.
We should be voting on candidates for their positions and their policies to represent us, not because we can make a buck.
Bredow says poll workers with insider knowledge could rig a market, like undercounting votes for a prediction market payday. Cauchy says poll workers are already banned from betting, and any who try will be caught. Bobby Allen, NPR News.
This is NPR. Rescue work is ongoing in southwestern Japan following Tuesday's powerful earthquake. The quake had a magnitude of 7.1 and struck the southern main island of Kyushu. Japan's self-defense forces have joined rescue workers in search and rescue operations at a badly damaged shopping mall. Japan's prime minister says the death toll has risen to 13. Authorities in Uganda have declared an end to the East African nation's latest Ebola outbreak, as Michael Koloke reports.
In a statement, Uganda's Health Minister, Chris Baryomunsi, said that the announcement follows, quote, the successful completion of the mandatory 42-day monitoring period which began after the discharge of the last Ugandan national. Bario Monsi added that authorities have not detected any new Ebola cases during the monitoring period. Uganda has suffered multiple outbreaks of Ebola since 2000, when it recorded its first epidemic. During the most recent outbreak, which was declared in May this year, the country recorded 20 confirmed cases of the disease, which included two deaths. Both of those who died were from neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.
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