NPR News Now - NPR News: 07-07-2025 8PM EDT

Episode Date: July 8, 2025

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You have your job, but you also have a life. And you're not just one thing. Neither is the Here and Now Anytime podcast. Every weekday, we break down the biggest story of the day and something else, like a new trend everyone's talking about. It's Here and Now Anytime, a daily podcast from NPR and WBUR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Search and rescue operations continue in central Texas following catastrophic flooding that has left more than 100 people dead.

Dalton Rice is the city manager of Kerrville, one of the hardest hit areas. He says first responders are facing a number of technical challenges. Terrain, with water, even potentially with weather in the rising fields, volunteers stay out of the way because if we start getting weather reports and all the other complications that are out there, we then have to pull off of those search and rescue missions. With more rain in the forecast, officials warned that search and recovery efforts could be hampered and the death toll may climb even higher.

President Trump has declared a disaster declaration for Kerr County and is expected to visit the region on Friday. City officials in Los Angeles are blasting federal officials for an incident involving federal immigration agents at the city's major downtown park today. Steve Futterman reports. It happened in the late morning. Dozens of federal immigration agents, some of them heavily

armed, some in armored vehicles, others on horseback, suddenly swept into MacArthur Park in the heart of L.A.'s immigration population. Mayor Karen Bass immediately showed up. After around an hour, the agents left. Bass blasted what she called an act of intimidation. It's to say to immigrants that they need to stay home. They shouldn't go to work. They shouldn't go to school because we're coming after you. Among those in the park, according to the mayor, was a group of children attending summer camp. On Fox News, a Customs and Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino said, L.A. should get used to this because it's going to, quote, be normal very soon. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles.

The Justice Department and the FBI say they have found no evidence that Jeffrey Epstein had a client list. They also say there's no evidence that Epstein, a convicted sex offender, blackmailed prominent associates. NPR's Ryan Lucas has more. Those are some of the conclusions contained in an unsigned two-page memo outlining the quote-unquote exhaustive review the department conducted of the Epstein files in its possession. The memo also states that Epstein died by suicide, which aligns with previous department findings. Epstein died in its possession. The memo also states that Epstein died by suicide,

which aligns with previous department findings. Epstein died at a federal lockup in New York City in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death fueled conspiracy theories, in large part because of his ties to the rich and powerful. It's unclear whether the DOJ review and its conclusions will tamp down those theories, particularly since Attorney General Pam Bondi said when asked in February about an alleged Epstein client list that, quote, it's sitting on my desk right now to review. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington. At the close on Wall Street, the Dow was down 422 points.

This is NPR News. The number of measles cases in the U.S. has hit its highest level since the virus was declared eliminated 25 years ago. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more than 1,200 confirmed cases of the virus this year. There's currently a measles outbreak in Kentucky and in several other states. One of the most iconic cultural landmarks in Haiti has been destroyed in the latest wave of gang violence. Harold Isaac reports from Port-au-Prince.

The Hotel Olive Sun, a 19th century gingerbread mansion and long-time gathering place for high-profile artists, writers, and diplomats was burned to the ground over the weekend by members of the Vive Ensemble gang coalition. Richard Morse, who ran the hotel for nearly four decades, confirmed the blaze. Once a setting for Graham Greene's novel The Comedians, the Olufsen had become a symbol of Haitian resilience. Now it's the latest casualty in a capital nearly overrun by gangs, with violence displacing thousands and torching pieces of history, four years to the day after the assassination of then-president Jovenel Muise.

For NPR News, I'm Harold Isaac in Port-au-Prince. Tropical Depression, Chantal, is moving across parts of southern and eastern Virginia. Heavy rain is expected there and in parts of Delaware and southern New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The National Weather Service says there's a threat of flash flooding. I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News from Washington. It is so hot outside. Why not chill out with a nice breezy book? Spencer Johnston, NPR News from Washington.