NPR News: 08-06-2026 7PM EDT
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. President Trump has signed two new executive orders targeting birthright citizenship. NPR's Franco Ordonez reports the signing comes a month after the Supreme Court rejected his earlier order aimed at ending the practice.
Earlier this summer, the Supreme Court rejected President Trump's previous attempts to stop birthright citizenship. Ruling the executive order ran afoul of the 14th Amendment, which has long been interpreted to give birthright citizenship to almost anyone born in the U.S. In signing the orders, Trump charged that the high court's decision hurt the country.
We had a very unfortunate decision in the Supreme Court concerning birthright. It was close, but a very, very unfortunate decision. So we're... making adjustments.
One order takes aim at what he calls birth tourism, which is a form of visa fraud that's already illegal. And like the previous effort, these new executive actions are expected to be challenged in the courts on similar grounds. Franco Ordonez, NPR News, the White House.
A Senate committee voted this morning to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. The vote came after Fauci declined to answer questions about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic in a hearing last week. NPR's Rachel Carlson has more.
This morning's vote happened along party lines. Republicans led by Senator Rand Paul suggested Fauci needed to be held accountable for his role in the pandemic response. But committee Democrats called the investigation one-sided. And some public health experts say the attacks on Fauci ultimately erode future pandemic preparation. Dr. Georges Benjamin is CEO of the American Public Health Association.
This will trickle down to the local level, too, where public health officials will not necessarily give you their best advice if they're afraid that their best advice will be misused against them.
As for Fauci, it will ultimately be up to the Justice Department to decide whether to pursue criminal prosecution. Rachel Carlson, NPR News.
Ford's developing a new smaller electric pickup that's essential for the automaker's EV ambitions. And here's Willa Rubin reports.
The Fathom is Ford's second and now only electric truck. They say the price will start at about $28,000. That would make it one of the cheapest electric trucks around. Now, Ford discontinued the Lightning, its all-electric F-150, last year after struggling to make a profit. The Fathom will be smaller, about the size of a Ford Maverick. And it's part of the company's pivot away from big, expensive EVs to smaller, cheaper ones. And with the U.S. being behind on EV adoption generally, plus the Trump administration's efforts to roll back EV-promoting policies, Ford and the American car industry have a lot riding on this truck. Willa Rubin, NPR News.
You're listening to NPR News from Washington. For fans of the Grateful Dead, this week is special. That's because it marks the days between the anniversaries of the birth and death of the band's guitarist, Jerry Garcia. In anticipation, NPR Music has been talking to devoted Deadheads about how they connect the music and the culture. NPR's Isabella Gomez-Sarmiento has more.
The Grateful Dead famously believed that their audience, the fans, were their peers on a spiritual and creative quest. That ethos helped the Dead build one of the most unique fan bases in rock and roll. Musician Don Wise says it's unlike any other audience he's played for before.
The sense of community is really tightly woven. It reminds me a little bit of a family.
Deadhead Mark Pearl from Santa Rosa, California, agrees.
To me, the people are more important than the music. We're here for the people.
Even without original members touring for the first time in decades, The Deadheads keep the band's long, strange trip going. Isabella Gomez-Serviento, NPR News.
Republican Senator Mitch McConnell says in a statement he's been discharged from a rehab hospital and will continue his recovery from a fall in June at home. The 84-year-old didn't provide a timeline on when he would return to the Senate, but questions have been raised about his health after McConnell has been seen since the accident.
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