NPR News Now - NPR News: 07-12-2025 1PM EDT

Episode Date: July 12, 2025

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There have been many Supermans, Supermen, and now after much anticipation, there is another. And the new Superman movie is pretty great, and it's bringing exactly what we are looking for, hope. We'll tell you why on Pop Culture Happy Hour. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noraor Ram. In Kerrville, Texas, the church for people still missing after the Guadalupe River flooded is now in its second week. There are more than 170 people who still have not been accounted for. The fatalities include at least 120 people. Last night, several hundred people came together for a vigil. Steve Futterman

reports. The vigil took place here in front of the makeshift memorial that has been put up on a stretch of chain link fence, a mixture of flowers, pictures of those who died, and heartfelt notes. One of those speaking was Michelle McGuire, a survivor who was swept away when the flood came through her home.

Thank God I'm a decent swimmer. I got to a tree, I got to a wall. I held on for a couple hours in a tree. The search for the missing goes on. Although there is little hope of finding anyone alive, a number of funerals are taking place this weekend. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Kerrville, Texas. The European Union warns President Trump the bloc is ready to hit back against his plan to impose 30 percent tariffs on EU imports. The U.S. Senate and the U.S. Senate have been negotiating for months but have not come up

with a solution to Trump's deep dissatisfaction with the trade imbalance in Europe's favor. EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says she's still ready to continue working toward an agreement by August 1st because, she says in a statement, the threatened measures would disrupt essential transatlantic supply chains to the detriment of businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic. But she emphasizes that Brussels will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required. The EU has drawn up lists of US goods that will be hit with tariffs,

once the US imposes them on Europe. For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz in Brussels. President Trump today released a letter he sent to the EU saying he's imposing a 30 percent tariff because the trade deficit with the EU is too high. He sent a similar letter to the president of Mexico, saying that country hasn't done enough to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. A rally was held outside the State Department yesterday to show support for recently fired employees. Robert Blake, the former U.S. ambassador to Indonesia,

says the cutbacks come at a challenging time. I just think it's a sad time for our institution at a time when, if anything, the State Department is needed more than ever to advance our interests around the world and to compete with China and other countries to stop wars and support President Trump's agenda. The layoffs began yesterday, affecting more than 1,300 people.

You're listening to NPR News in Washington. Authorities in India released a preliminary report today on last month's plane crash in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad. The Air India flight went down shortly after takeoff, killing at least 260 people. Investigators say the fuel control switches had moved to the cut-off position, depriving the engines of fuel. The cockpit voice recorder revealed one pilot had asked the other why he cut off the fuel and he replied that he hadn't.

The state of Virginia is looking to artificial intelligence for help in reducing regulations. As Jack Kalil from member station VPM reports, Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin says it's the first type of program of its kind in the country. Earlier this week, Youngkin was touting reducing 25 percent of Virginia's regulations. He also pointed out that artificial intelligence played a role in helping. Now he's ordered Virginia's regulatory office to issue AI-generated reports on all of Virginia's regulations. State employees are supposed to use AI to do a legal review and look at nearby states in an effort to compete for new business. Just reducing the number of words and guidance is a goal too. Executive agencies will have eight weeks from receiving the report to start implementing recommendations.

This is Jankos last year in office and he wants to reduce regulations by more than a third by the time he leaves in January. For NPR News, I'm Jad Kalil in Richmond. And women's tennis, Ega Sviatnick of Poland won the Wimbledon Championship today. She beat American Amanda Anisimova. Her victory took just 57 minutes and is the sixth grand slam title of her career. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News in Washington. Do you ever look at political headlines and go, huh? Well, that's exactly why the NPR Politics Podcast exists. We're experts not just on politics, but in making politics make sense. Every episode, we decode everything that happened in Washington and help you figure out what it all means.

Give politics a chance with the NPR Politics Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.