NPR News: 07-30-2026 10PM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton.
Why might President Trump withdraw his nomination of Todd Blanche?
President Trump says he may temporarily pull his nomination of Todd Blanche to be attorney general. It comes after a pair of Republican senators sought assurances over a deal providing IRS immunity for Trump and a slush fund for his political allies. NPR's Ryan Lucas explains.
The president posted on social media. He offered a lot of praise for Blanche, called him a star, and he also took a couple of swipes at Cornyn and Tillis. Trump mentioned that he refused to endorse either of them. He said their political careers may have been ended because of that. I will add that Trump endorsed Cornyn's primary challenger this year.
How did Republican senators react to the IRS immunity and slush fund allegations?
That was a big blow to Cornyn's bid for another term. Cornyn is leaving Congress at the end of the year. Tillis did not run for re-election. He is retiring at the end of the year.
NPR's Ryan Lucas reporting. Mortgage rates are at their highest level in a year. NPR's Stephen Basaja has more.
Mortgage rates were falling the first few months of the year. Then the war against Iran started, driving up the bond market and with it mortgage rates. Kate Wood is NerdWallet's housing expert, and she says the direction of mortgage rates have been directly tied to the war.
Every single time, you know, since basically the onset of the war, that we have seen fighting intensify. We've seen essentially investors freaking out about inflation.
The investor freakout was magnified after the Federal Reserve Wednesday signaled that an interest rate hike could be coming in the near future. The latest average for the 30-year fixed mortgage jumped nearly a tenth of a percentage point from the previous week, the highest jump in about four months. Stephen Basaja, NPR News.
Under President Trump's Freedom Haulers initiative, anyone who has driven a truck for the military would automatically be eligible for a commercial driver's license. Trump says he wants to replace immigrant truck drivers with veterans.
As we get illegal aliens off the roads today, we're also taking action to replace these unqualified migrant truck drivers with highly qualified American veterans.
Immigrants account for about 20 percent of U.S. truck drivers. Elon Musk's company XAI is suing the state of Minnesota over a law that prohibits technology that nudifies someone without their consent. That's to say it generates a realistic image of them naked, even though the photo is fake. Minnesota Public Radio's Dana Ferguson reports.
The law would let those portrayed in AI deepfakes sue the companies that generated them, and the state could fine the companies half a million dollars for each illegal use. State Senator Erin May Quaid says it's important to stop AI platforms from creating the images before they can be shared.
This technology will be illegal in Minnesota, and the big tech corporations that profit off of image-based sexual abuse will be held accountable.
XAI is suing to stop the law from taking effect on Saturday. It argues the law is unconstitutional and overly broad, forcing the company to limit functions on its tool, Grok. The state says it will defend the law.
Dana Ferguson reporting. It's NPR. Trump-branded passports will soon become available to Americans outside Washington, D.C. Starting next month, the department's 27 passport agencies around the nation will start one-day events offering the so-called Patriot passports that feature a stern portrait of Trump. Those wanting a traditional passport should avoid the one-day events. In an unprecedented step, European nations said they are boycotting the World Cup unless FIFA abandons a deal to sell stakes in the marquee soccer tournament to private investors. NPR's Raphael Nam has more.
UEFA, the body that governs European soccer, said all 55 member nations will be boycotting the men's as well as the women's World Cup, which is set to take place in Brazil next year. That boycott, UEFA says, will remain unless FIFA abandons a plan to create a new company to handle the commercial interests.
Why are mortgage rates rising and how is the war with Iran a factor?
of the World Cup and other tournaments.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:04
2
Why might President Trump withdraw his nomination of Todd Blanche?
0:04–0:38
3
How did Republican senators react to the IRS immunity and slush fund allegations?
0:38–3:53
4
Why are mortgage rates rising and how is the war with Iran a factor?
3:53–5:03