NPR News: 08-04-2026 7AM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Duahli Saikautau.
What are Michigan Democrats debating in the open Senate primary today?
Michigan Democrats are voting today for an open Senate seat that could signal the future direction of the party and possibly shape the battle for control of the chamber this fall. NPR's Sam Greenglass reports the primary is seen as a test of how farther left-leaning candidates looking to disrupt the status quo will fare in a battleground state.
Epidemiologist Abdul El-Sayed has the backing of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who won the Michigan primary in 2016. El-Sayed has made criticism of corporate money and politics central. Problem too often with the Democratic Party is that we have an instinct to say the right thing, but we're bought off by the people who are on the side of doing the wrong thing. Congresswoman Haley Stevens got late endorsements from Michigan heavyweights like Governor Gretchen Whitmer and retiring Senator Gary Peters.
You know, I'm just beating MAGA four times in my congressional races and I'm passing laws and I'm doing damn good work.
Whoever wins will face former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers this fall. Sam Greenglass, NPR News, Farmington Hills, Michigan.
Senate Democrats are releasing a report this morning suggesting that big U.S. banks had concerns for years about money moves made by suspected sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. But NPR's Scott Horsley reports the banks are accused of keeping those worries to themselves until after Epstein was arrested.
The report from Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee says more than a dozen bankers at JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Deutsche Bank raised red flags about the money that Epstein was moving around the world. But in most cases, bankers failed to alert the Treasury Department until Epstein was charged with sex trafficking in 2019. Under the Bank Secrecy Act, bankers are supposed to notify the government whenever they suspect a client is moving funds to launder money or carry out other illegal activities. Committee Democrats want the Justice Department to investigate why suspicious activity reports were not filed about Epstein in a more timely manner. They also want to tighten reporting requirements in the future.
Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
The U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, met with President Trump at the White House yesterday, shortly after he told reporters that he was unhappy with her decision to drop charges against a former Olympic athlete accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool.
We weren't necessarily thrilled with the contractor, but they did a job and they were fixing any problems possible. But then I got carried away because the judge was extremely unfriendly to Jeanine. And frankly, I think she choked.
Pirro's decision put her at odds against Trump, a longtime political ally and Trump appointee.
Who are the leading Senate candidates and what do they stand for in Michigan?
The president has not said if he would remove her for Friday's court filing. You're listening to NPR News from New York City. An Israeli official is rejecting criticism from President Trump's Board of Peace envoy, saying Israel must continue to attack Hamas during what was supposed to be a 10-month ceasefire. NPR's Frank Lengfitt has the latest from Tel Aviv.
Board of Peace envoy Nikolai Mladenov wrote the following on X on Sunday. Quote, two days of strikes across Gaza have killed civilians and destroyed medical supplies that people depend on, end quote. But Aaron Spielman, the Israeli prime minister's office spokesman, said Israel must keep attacking Hamas to weaken it further.
Just like in any country when they're facing war, an enemy who wants to kill them. The very first step is removing the ability of that enemy to harm you.
The disagreement highlights the different goals of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump, who's seeking a rapid end to the war. More than 73,000 people have been killed in Gaza during the fighting, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Frank Langford, NPR News, Tel Aviv.
The highest temperature documented in the last 122 years of South Korean history was recorded this past Sunday in the city of Yangsan.
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