NPR News: 08-07-2026 6PM EDT
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Why is President Trump threatening to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herst. President Trump is once again threatening to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over unproven allegations of mortgage fraud. NPR Scott Horsley reports the move comes just over a month after the Supreme Court blocked Trump's earlier bid to remove Cook.
The White House is demanding that Lisa Cook respond to allegations that she made false statements on mortgage applications. Those charges were first raised by Trump ally William Poulty, who oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mack. Cook has denied any wrongdoing, and her attorney says the allegations are baseless and promise to fight them in court. Trump's earlier effort to ouse Cook came at a time when the president was waging a wider campaign to pressure the Fed to lower interest rates. By design, the central bank's supposed to be insulated from that kind of pressure. The Supreme Court ruled five to four back in June.
How are Maine women voters influencing the Collins vs. Jackson Senate race?
The presidents can only remove Fed governors for cause, a test the White House has yet to meet. Scott Horsley, MPR News, Washington.
The race for US Senate in Maine is poised to be one of the most competitive of the midterms. It's a choice between incumbent Republican Susan Collins and Democrat Troy Jackson. But as MPR's Elena Moore reports, to win in November, candidates need the support of one especially powerful voting block, Maine women.
Maine voters have a history of splitting their tickets. Susan Collins is proof of that, winning in years where Democrats have also carried the state. Emily Kane is a former Democratic state lawmaker and says women are often the deciders there. Women voters in Maine are the majority of voters.
What does the FCC’s vote to remove local‑TV ownership limits mean for media diversity?
And so you have to take them seriously. Both sides are targeting this group. Republicans are spending millions on ads trying to link Troy Jackson with Graham Plattner, the former Democratic nominee who dropped out over rape allegations that Plattner denies. But Democrats are also hitting Collins hard on her abortion record, highlighting key votes to confirm multiple Supreme Court justices who went on to overturn Roe v. Wade. Elena Moore, NPR News.
The Federal Communications Commission has voted to wipe away limits on how many Americans any one company can reach through the local TV stations it owns. Congress set a limit at 39% of Americans to preserve a range of editorial voices and sensibilities in local TV, and Piers David Folkenflick reports.
The vote on limits fell two to one along party lines.
Why did the latest jobs report show unexpected job losses and a slower economy?
The Lone Democrat on the commission says the vote was illegal, that only Congress can change or erase those limits. But executives at Nextstar hailed the decision. Nextar owns more TV stations than anyone. Its acquisition of a big rival would let it reach 80% of the nation, but that takeover is on hold as a major antitrust lawsuit plays out. David Folkenflick and PR News.
You're listening to NPR News in Washington. The economy unexpectedly lost twenty three thousand jobs last month. The cuts came in restaurants and retail shops along with local governments in July. The Labor Department says the unemployment rate dropped slightly to four point one percent as more than two hundred sixty thousand people simply stopped looking for work.
How did a French Riviera court rule on the Burkini ban and what are the broader implications?
It's the second month in a row that the jobs report was weaker than economists were expecting, suggesting sluggish economic growth and rising prices are taking a toll on the labor market. Cameron Hamilton has been confirmed as head of FEMA, the agency the former Navy SEAL briefly led last year. FEMA's future has been uncertain since President Trump threatened to eliminate it. Democrats accuse the Republican president of politicizing disaster aid. A regional court on the French Riviera has struck down a town's attempt to ban the body covering swimsuit often worn out of modesty by Muslim women known as the Burkini. And Pierce Eleanor Beardsley reports the judge says the measure violated basic freedoms and was out of touch with reality today.
The judge said the attempted ban violated people's liberty of religious belief and personal freedom to dress and come and go as they please.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
Why is President Trump threatening to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook?
0:00–0:50
2
How are Maine women voters influencing the Collins vs. Jackson Senate race?
0:50–1:32
3
What does the FCC’s vote to remove local‑TV ownership limits mean for media diversity?
1:32–2:35
4
Why did the latest jobs report show unexpected job losses and a slower economy?
2:35–3:17
5
How did a French Riviera court rule on the Burkini ban and what are the broader implications?
3:17–4:30
6
What does Abdul El‑Sayyed’s Michigan Senate primary win signal for the upcoming midterms?
4:30–5:03