NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-02-2025 11PM EDT

Episode Date: August 3, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. Gaza health officials say Israeli forces opened fire near two aid distribution sites in Gaza today killing at least 10 people. The UN meanwhile says too little aid is reaching more than 2 million people in the enclave, many of whom are facing possible starvation or worse, as NPR's Ayah Batraoui tells us. The UN World Food Program says Israel is only permitting half the number of trucks that they're requesting to enter. And UN-backed experts who do track hunger worldwide said this week there's now mounting

evidence of famine unfolding in Gaza. Hospital records in Gaza show 90 deaths from malnutrition in July. Many of these are babies with mothers who were too malnourished to breastfeed them and who can't find formula. That's NPR's Aya Batraoui. A new order by the U.S. Supreme Court is raising concerns that some conservative justices may be considering striking down a key protection for minority voters under the Federal Voting Rights Act.

NPR's Hansi LeWong reports that the order comes after the court's rare decision to hear more arguments in the case over Louisiana's congressional voting map. To prepare for a second set of oral arguments in this Louisiana redistricting case, the Supreme Court has ordered lawyers to submit legal briefs on a constitutional question. Does the state violate the 14th or 15th Amendment when it intentionally creates a second voting district

in which racial minority voters make up the majority? The lower federal court ordered Louisiana to do that, to get in line with the Voting Rights Act. Because of the state's census results and pattern of racially polarized voting, that court ordered Louisiana to create two out of six districts where black voters have a realistic opportunity of electing their preferred candidates. But some opponents of the Voting Rights Act have argued that it is unconstitutional for Congress to allow race-based redistricting to continue without an end date under the landmark law. Anzhi Lawong, NPR News, Washington.

Smoke from wildfires in Canada is bringing unhealthy air to parts of the Midwestern U.S. this weekend. Air quality alerts are in effect for parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, along with eastern Nebraska, as well as parts of Indiana and Illinois. Stocks fell this week as President Trump announced some higher tariffs and signs grew of a weaker job market. NPR's Scott Horsley reports all of the major stock indexes ended the week in the red. A report from the Labor Department Friday showed a significant

slowdown in the US job market. Employers added just 73,000 jobs in July and revised figures showed next to no job growth in the two previous months. The news came as the Trump administration was rolling out a new round of even higher tariffs, most of which are set to take effect next week. President Trump responded to the disappointing jobs report by calling for the ouster of the Labor Department's top number cruncher. Critics warned that move could undermine faith in official government data. For the week, the NASDAQ fell 2.2 percent, the S&P 500 index fell 2.4 percent, and the

Dow dropped 2.9 percent. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. And you're listening to NPR News. In Rock Hill, South Carolina, almost 5,000 players are competing in this weekend's World Championship of Cornhole. From Ember Station WFAE, Nick Delacanao has more. Alright everybody make some noise! Let's be loud! Cheers fill the Rock Hill Arena, where players toss beanbags at slanted boards in the High Stakes Tournament. Players from 50 states and 10 countries are competing.

Katrina Belac of Croatia says her parents still don't get it. They ask me why are you throwing that bag so much. But says E.J. Von Dren from Germany. Then they see it on TV and they see us and I think they know it's real. The American Cornhole League launched the event in 2016. This year there's $200,000 in prize money. The finals air Sunday on ESPN. For NPR News, I'm Nick Delacanel in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Rescue workers in Chile have found a second body inside a section of a copper mine there

that collapsed on Thursday following a moderate earthquake. The rescuers have been trying to find five mine workers who were trapped by the collapse. Nine other mine workers suffered injuries in the incident, but they were all able to escape. Cameron Young has drawn one round closer to finally being a PGA Tour winner. He ran off four straight birdies at Saturday's event in Greensboro, North Carolina, to finish with a 65 and a five-stroke lead. He had at one point extended that lead to eight strokes. Nico Echeverria is in second while no other golfer is closer than eight strokes.

Young is considered to be the best player without a victory on the main tour. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.