NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-02-2025 2PM EDT

Episode Date: August 2, 2025

NPR News: 08-02-2025 2PM EDTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This summer on Planet Money Summer School, we're learning about political economy. We're getting into the nitty-gritty of what government does with things like trade, taxes, immigration, and healthcare. So politics and economics, which are taught separately, they shouldn't be separated at all. I think you have to understand one to really appreciate the other. So what is the right amount of government in our lives? Tune into Planet Money Summer School from NPR, wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noor Rahm.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals says immigration and customs enforcement agents in Southern California must continue to establish probable cause before detaining people in immigration raids. Steve Vutterman reports. Steve Vutterman The decision by a three-judge panel upholds a lower court ruling that said many of the detainments were based on a person's appearance, language or job. Many officials here have complained about the way the arrests have taken place, including

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. A car will pull up, men will jump out, completely mask, pull guns on whoever it is and take them away. In their ruling, the judge has said the arrests appear to be taking place without reasonable suspicion. A lawyer for the Trump administration argued that they were based on individualized assessments. The Trump administration could now ask for the entire Ninth Circuit to review the case or try to take it to the Supreme Court.

For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles. This week, President Trump announced he's imposing tariffs on many of the nation's trading partners of varying lengths and start dates. He's giving Mexico another 90 days to negotiate a new agreement. Trump is raising tariffs on Canada from 25% to 35%. NPR's Jackie Northam has more. Canada, one of the U.S.'s largest trading partners, wasn't spared from this latest

round of tariffs. Trump ratcheted up levies on many goods to 35%, citing what he called a flood of fentanyl crossing the border, despite many sources disputing that claim, including U.S. customs and border protection. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was elected about three months ago largely on the belief he could wrangle Trump, said he was disappointed, but that Canada will continue to negotiate with the U.S. on the trading relationship. NPR's Jackie Northam. Palestinians say far too little aid is getting into Gaza after almost 22 months of war.

The group Human Rights Watch calls the food distribution points run by Israeli troops and U.S. private contractors a militarized death trap. NPR's Eleanor Bursley reports. In a new report, Human Rights Watch says the militarized food delivery system has turned food distribution into, quote, a regular blood bath. Prominent Israeli newspaper columnist Gideon Levy says the goal goes beyond starving people. GIDEON LEVY, CALLING FOR A RECONNECTED CLEAN-UP, GIZZARD STREET, GIZZARD STREET, GIZZARD STREET The goal is a total ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip. And the plan is very, very clear.

And the evidences are very clear. The destruction is systematic. You see that they erase all villages, towns, neighborhoods. The columnist for newspaper Haaretz says the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu wants to make Gaza unlivable. Israel's government says they are stepping up aid efforts as it faces mounting international criticism. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Tel Aviv. This is NPR News. An AXI group for the Bureau of Labor Statistics is calling on Congress to investigate yesterday's

firing of the head of the bureau. President Trump ordered that Erica McIntarfer be fired after her agency released a report that the job market is slowing down. Trump said, without evidence, the numbers were rigged to make him look bad. The group Friends of VLS say that these baseless claim undermines the credibility of federal economic statistics. Cat lovers rejoice. Cat Video Fest is playing in more than 200 independent theaters across North America starting this weekend. It's an annual compilation of the Internet's best cat videos.

NPR's Ava Pukash reports a portion of the proceeds will go to local shelters and welfare organizations. The feature-length compilation Cat Video Fest featuring the Internet's latest and greatest cat videos is curated by Seattle-based filmmaker Will Braden. He combs through thousands of videos, including fan submissions, animations, music videos, and viral internet sensations. Last year's feline flick grossed more than a million dollars at the global box office and since its inception hundreds of thousands have been raised for local cats in need as independent theaters partner with local shelters and charities donating portions

of ticket proceeds back into the community. Eva Pukac, NPR News. And for the dog lovers, today is the World Dog Surfing Championships at Pacific State Beach outside of San Francisco. It bills itself as the premier dog surfing event in the world. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News. There's a lot of news happening. You want to understand it better, but let's be honest. event in the world. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News.