NPR News: 07-29-2026 1PM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh.
What Senate confirmation fight surrounds Todd Blanche and the Attorney General nomination?
Just one or two Republican votes stand between Todd Blanch and his hopes for Senate confirmation as the next U.S. Attorney General. Senator John Cornyn of Texas tells reporters time is running out for the Justice Department's currently interim chief to formally modify a settlement President Trump reached to resolve a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
Well, Senator Grassley tells me that we need to know by 4 o'clock this afternoon whether the markup is still on. So we've still got a little time, and hopefully they now recognize the seriousness of this. I'm not prepared to vote yes. Let me put it that way.
Cornyn wants Blanche to commit to a promise he made earlier this month to ensure the settlement does not include an anti-weaponization fund. Democrats have described it as a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund for Trump's allies. Dr. Anthony Fauci declined to answer any questions before a Senate committee focused on COVID-19. NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports Fauci was subpoenaed to appear by the committee's chairman, Rand Paul of Kentucky.
Why are senators demanding a change to the IRS settlement and what is the 'anti-weaponization' fund controversy?
Dr. Fauci and Senator Paul have long sparred over the coronavirus pandemic. Days before this hearing, Paul released over a thousand pages of Fauci's private writings, accusing him of covering up the origins of COVID-19. Fauci pointed out that he has responded to similar questions in previous testimony. And Fauci accused the senator of being obsessed with trying to get him behind bars.
Although it pains me to do so because of the respect I have for the legislative branch of government, under the advice of my attorneys, I will invoke my right under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution to refrain from answering your questions.
Senator Paul and other lawmakers continued asking questions, and Fauci continued declining to answer. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News.
Major market indices are down sharply ahead of the Federal Reserve's key decision on interest rates that will be announced next hour. The Dow has fallen more than 700 points, or roughly 1.5%. NPR's Scott Horsley reports the Fed meeting wrapping up today is the second being led by the new Fed chair, Kevin Warsh.
President Trump made it clear when he nominated Kevin Warsh that he wanted the Fed to lower interest rates. But that looks unlikely for the time being. Inflation is still well above the Fed's target, thanks in part to a wartime spike in gasoline prices. Forecasters think it's likely the central bank will hold its benchmark interest rates steady today. And there's a possibility it could even push rates higher. Warsh told lawmakers earlier this month he and his colleagues have no tolerance for elevated inflation. The Fed's also keeping a close eye on the job market, but with unemployment running just over 4%, regaining control over prices is the central bank's top priority for now. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
The Dow's down 1.4%. The Nasdaq is down more than 200 points, or nearly 1%. This is NPR News. Glenn Hansard, the Irish singer who won an Oscar for the musical movie Once, died today. He was 56 years old. Hansard's management shared a statement with NPR and confirmed that he died following a motorcycle crash in Dublin. A massive search operation is underway in southwestern Japan, which was struck this week by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake. Local authorities say the quake killed at least 18 people, including a foreign national. Dozens more people were injured. The work of searching for victims in the rubble of homes and damaged shopping mall continues today. China is opposing a Federal Communications Commission ban on foreign-made robots over national security risks.
NPR's Jennifer Pak reports Beijing says the United States is trying to suppress its companies.
The FCC said it would ban new imports of advanced robotics, including foreign-made humanoid robots and robot dogs. While the directive doesn't single out China, China just so happens to make more humanoid robots than the U.S. China's foreign ministry says the U.S.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–0:05
2
What Senate confirmation fight surrounds Todd Blanche and the Attorney General nomination?
0:05–1:09
3
Why are senators demanding a change to the IRS settlement and what is the 'anti-weaponization' fund controversy?
1:09–4:51
4
Why did Dr. Anthony Fauci invoke the Fifth at a Senate COVID-19 hearing and what claims did Rand Paul make?
4:51–5:04