NPR News Now - NPR News: 07-01-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: July 1, 2025

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Terri Gross, Host of Fresh Air. Hey, take a break from the 24-hour news cycle with us and listen to long-form interviews with your favorite authors, actors, filmmakers, comedians, and musicians, the people making the art that nourishes us and speaks to our times. So listen to the Fresh Air podcast from NPR and WHYY. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens. White House officials say they're confident that Congress will send a final tax and spending package to President Trump this week.

Senate lawmakers remain in a marathon session to work on debate and Democratic amendments. Kansas Republican Roger Marshall says that anyone who voted for Trump should endorse his domestic policies. I sure think we do have the votes. I think we cannot let this moment pass to have the largest tax savings in American history. The average American family back home is going to save $1,000 a month when this bill passes. We're going to secure the border. Look, this is President Trump's legacy.

Democrats, including Mark Kelly of Arizona, oppose the measure. This is going to kick 17 million people off of their health care to give a big, giant tax cut to the wealthiest Americans. We're literally going to take money from people that don't have it, that's used to pay a doctor or a hospital when they're sick. And that money is going to be transferred to the richest people in our country. And that's wrong. If approved, the massive bill will be sent to the House.

President Trump is lifting sanctions on Syria to help promote stability in the region following years of dictatorship, civil war, and economic turmoil. NPR's Michelle Kelleyman has more. President Trump announced back in May that he would be lifting sanctions on Syria to give the country's interim president, a former al-Qaeda militant, a chance to turn the page. Administration officials say that his latest executive order follows through on that pledge, dismantling the Syria sanctions program while keeping in place sanctions on former President Bashar al-Assad and his

associates. White House press secretary Caroline Levitt says President Trump is committed to supporting a Syria that is, quote, stable, unified, and at peace with itself and its neighbors. She wouldn't comment on efforts to get Syria to accept a plea deal. The man charged with murders of four University of Idaho students is expected to be in court Wednesday to accept a plea deal. Northwest Public Broadcasting's Lauren Patterson reports. Brian Coburger was a criminal justice graduate student at Washington State University when

he was arrested and charged with the fatal stabbings of four University of Idaho students in 2022. It's been years of court hearings, trial delays, and a slow drip of evidence against Coburger in court documents. His murder trial was set to begin in August, but now there might not be a trial at all. Multiple outlets are reporting that Coburger is taking a plea deal. The family of victim Kaylee Gonzalez confirmed the deal in a Facebook post, saying it was unexpected and that the state of Idaho failed the family.

Multiple media reports say the deal with prosecutors would allow Koberger to avoid the death penalty. For NPR News, I'm Lauren Patterson in Moscow. US futures are flat in after-hours trading. This is NPR. More than 170 Environmental Protection Agency workers have published a declaration of dissent opposing the agency's policies. They're criticizing cuts to the EPA and climate and environmental programs. In a statement, the agency says that the changes were made following a briefing by career professionals. A statement also criticizes Biden administration

policies that targeted industries relying on fossil fuels. Many parts of southern Europe remain under heat advisories as some parts of the region brace for record highs. NPR's Miguel Macias reports that the southern region of Spain is experiencing the brunt of the heat wave. The sounds of waves, that's what many in Andalusia, the southern region of Spain, have been dreaming of these days. The coast is a common refuge for Andalusians during heat waves. Well, this past weekend there was nowhere to hide, with temperatures reaching 100 degrees

in coastal towns like this one, Natalascañas, in the region of Huelva. In other cities, like Seville, temperatures were closer to 110 degrees. This heat is not uncommon in Andalusia. People simply avoid going out when it's this hot. But on Saturday, a record temperature of nearly 115 degrees was recorded in the region of Huelva. It's safe to say that Andalusians are bracing for a tough summer. This could be only the beginning.

Miguel Macías, NPR News, Matalascañas, Spain. Wimbledon has implemented its heat rule for the 2025 championship. The rule allows 10-minute breaks when the mercury reaches a certain high. It was nearly 86 degrees by midday Monday at the All England Club in London where the match is played. This is NPR News.