NPR News Now - NPR News: 07-07-2025 1AM EDT

Episode Date: July 7, 2025

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The House of Representatives has approved a White House request to claw back two years of previously approved funding for public media. The rescissions package now moves on to the Senate. This move poses a serious threat to local stations and public media as we know it. Please take a stand for public media today at GoACPR.org. Thank you. Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. Central Texas is expecting more rain overnight and they could make the already dire situation there

even worse. The death toll following Friday's flash floods is now more than 80 and Texas Governor Greg Abbott says more people are still missing. It's important to emphasize this, especially in the Kerrville area. There were so many people who were just camping out, not children in camps, but adults camping out near the river.

People in RVs and things like that. There are people who are missing who are not on the known confirmed missing because we don't yet know who they are. Searchers have now found the bodies of 68 people in Kerr County, which was the hardest hit area. 28 of those were found were children. Texas Public Radio's David Martin Davis reports meanwhile that members of the public are asking if they received adequate warning as the flooding began. On July 3rd, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for the Hill Country, forecasting up to seven inches of rain overnight. Totals reached up to 12 inches

in some areas, far exceeding the initial forecast, resulting in the Guadalupe River rising over 20 feet in under two hours. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the reason for the lack of severe weather alerts before the flash flood was due to the National Weather Service's outdated technology. We know that everybody wants more warning time and that's why we're working to upgrade the technologies have been neglected by far too long. Since President Trump took office the National Weather Service has seen mass layoffs. For NPR News I'm David Martin Davies in San Antonio. Brazil hosted a summit of the BRICS block of developing economies this weekend.

Among the topics that they discussed were Israel's attack on Iran, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the trade tariffs imposed by President Trump. China's President Xi Jinping missed the summit for the first time since becoming his country's leader. The BBC's Mickey Bristo reports on speculation as to why that happens. Beijing has blamed Mr Xi's absence on a scheduling conflict. But that official explanation hasn't satisfied everyone. After all, Mr Xi has consistently stressed the importance of BRICS. Some outside China suggest the no-show means Mr Xi's hold on power is weakening.

That seems a stretch. The BRICS nations are a disparate group that include Russia, India and South Africa. They've struggled to find a coordinated response to President Trump's tariffs and other world events. Mr. Xi might simply want to avoid being locked into positions he doesn't support. That's the BBC's Mickey Bristow. Asian stocks are mostly down at this hour as the Trump administration steps up pressure on trading partners to make new trading deals before a Wednesday tariff deadline.

Japan's Nikkei index has dropped 0.5%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng is down by 0.4%. This is NPR News. President Trump is calling an effort by Elon Musk to start a new national political party ridiculous. Musk announced the plan this weekend in response to Trump's tax cut bill. Musk is calling the political group the American Party, commenting on the president's tax bill. He said when it comes to bankrupting the country with waste and graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Tibetan Buddhism's leader, the Dalai Lama, celebrated his 90th birthday Sunday in India, where he's in exile. As NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports from Beijing,

the spiritual leader said recently that after he dies, he will be reincarnated outside China. In the Indian mountain city of Dharamshala, the Dalai Lama sat on a stage as dancers and musicians performed. Indian and U.S. officials were in attendance, as was the Dalai Lama's longtime follower, Hollywood actor Richard Gere. The Dalai Lama said on July 2 that after he dies, a foundation under his office will handle his succession without any outside interference. China's government insists it has the final say over the Dalai Lama's reincarnation and

is likely to appoint its own successor, possibly leading to two Dalai Lamas, one backed by the Chinese government, the other by the Tibetan government, in exile. Anthony Kuhn in PR News, Beijing. Carlos Alcaraz has stretched his Wimbledon winning streak to 18 matches that follows a win Sunday over number 14 Andre Rublev. Alcaraz is unbeaten in his last 22 matches this season. This latest win moves him to the quarterfinals as he looks for his third title in a row at the All England Club.

I'm Dale Willman, NPR News. Listen to this podcast sponsor free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.