NPR News: 07-31-2026 8AM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst.
What did President Trump announce about a deal to disarm Hamas in Gaza?
President Trump says his Board of Peace has reached a deal, on what he calls a historic one, for the complete disarmament of the militant group Hamas in Gaza. But some of those groups are already pushing back against his claims. NPR's Frank Langfitt has more.
Now, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, it's the second largest group in Gaza. They sent out a statement saying the agreement that Trump is touting is inaccurate and that the group has reservations as it's currently written. And for the militant groups, I think it's really important for people to remember giving up weapons could be seen as tantamount to surrender.
and Pierce Frank Langfitt. It comes nearly nine months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire was signed between Israel and Hamas, which has been deadlocked. This as the U.S. and Israel's war on Iran continues. Todd Blanch's confirmation to be Attorney General It's on hold over the $1.8 billion fund for Trump's allies who say they've been victimized by the government. Blanch says the fund no longer exists, but two outgoing Republican senators are refusing to advance him until they get that in writing. NPR's Eric McDaniel reports Trump says he may try to wait them out.
Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Tom Tillis of North Carolina are using their leverage to make sure that the fund, which Trump has suggested could be used to make payments to Capitol rioters, is kaput, as the Justice Department has claimed. In response, Trump posted, quote, Cornyn tweeted in reply that the president is mistaken if he believes concerns about the fund are limited to himself and Senator Tillis, suggesting they're speaking on behalf of other Senate Republicans. Either way, Blanche, who was already confirmed to a lower DOJ post, can remain acting attorney general. Eric McDaniel, NPR News, the Capitol.
How are Palestinian militant groups responding to the claimed disarmament deal?
The Transportation Department has approved the driverless vehicle company Zoox to start offering rides to paying customers. Federal regulators also say they'll begin gathering data to inform a future national standard for safety for autonomous vehicles.
Zoox, a California-based company owned by Amazon, has been testing its driverless electric vehicle with free rides. Now it has approval to commercially deploy up to 5,000 vehicles total over the next two years, starting in Las Vegas. Unlike Google's Waymo, which adds driverless technology to existing vehicles, Zoox uses a purpose-built driverless vehicle. It looks like a box on wheels and doesn't have any steering wheel or pedals. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also says it's launching a new consortium to gather data on autonomous vehicles to eventually inform the country's first nationwide safety standards for driverless cars. Camila Dominovsky, NPR News.
U.S. futures contracts are trading higher this morning. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Seattle's police chief, Sean Barnes, has resigned days after a deadly shooting at a food festival that left three people dead, four others injured. This after critics complained about a delay in the release of information after the shooting and the status of the number of suspects. Barnes says Mayor Katie Wilson requested his resignation this week during a meeting. But nearly half the city's council released a joint statement slamming his ouster. Investigators arrested a 15-year-old and say another 19-year-old man believed to have been involved has died. There's no word yet on a motive. Hurricane Genevieve off Mexico's west coast is sending powerful waves to Southern California.
Carl Kay of member station KPBS has more.
Huge swells are pummeling Southern California, and Hurricane Genevieve is cranking up the power. At the same time, a heat wave is rolling through the region. Meteorologist Alex Tardy says temperatures could set records.
We're talking maybe 115 in our deserts, perhaps even 120, hitting 120 in Palm Springs.
The heat may bring big crowds to beaches. That means more people may be taking a dip in dangerous waters.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:04
2
What did President Trump announce about a deal to disarm Hamas in Gaza?
0:04–1:54
3
How are Palestinian militant groups responding to the claimed disarmament deal?
1:54–4:37
4
Why is Todd Blanche's Attorney General confirmation on hold over a $1.8 billion fund?
4:37–5:04