NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-02-2025 7AM EDT

Episode Date: August 2, 2025

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Giles Snyder Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. President Trump's move to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics is raising concerns about political interference with how the government produces statistics on the U.S. economy. The monthly jobs report for July showed the country added 73,000 jobs last month and was weaker in April and May than previously reported. In Piers Daniel, Kurt Slavin reports on Trump's reaction. Piers Daniel Rather than address the slowing job growth, he instead just decided to attack the messenger. He went on social media and posted that he was firing Dr. Erica McIntarfer. She's the commissioner of labor statistics. Now, she

was a Biden appointee, and he accuses her, therefore, of manipulating the jobs numbers to hurt him and Republicans. And really, this is an astounding moment. Now, first of all, we've seen no evidence that she manipulated anything. But furthermore, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it's just staffed by numbers people. And PR's Danielle Kurtzleben reporting that jobs report and Trump's latest tariff rollout led Wall Street to fall the most since May. South Africa says it still hopes to negotiate down the 30% tariffs imposed by the US ahead of

President Trump's new deadline but the South African government is also working to diversify its export markets as Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg reports. The government is now scrambling to make a deal before the 30% tariffs come into effect on August 7th. South African officials suggested earlier this week that the US leaders' dislike of

the country's affirmative action policies had been an impediment in negotiations. President Trump has had South Africa in his crosshairs this year, falsely accusing the government of persecuting the white minority. The administration has also criticized South Africa's case against Israel at The Hague. Some South African exports, like copper, are exempt from the tariffs, but the automotive and agricultural industries would be hard hit. For NPR News, I'm Kate Butler in Johannesburg. Hospitals across the country dropping care for transgender minors had trend happening

as the Trump administration asks hospitals to align with the federal report calling treatments like puberty-bockers experimental or lose funding. Montana Public Radio's Aaron Bolton reports. Community Medical Center in Missoula, Montana closed its gender clinic for minors in June. It was the last hospital in the state offering that care. E said her transgender daughter didn't understand why, because gender-affirming care is permanently protected in Montana. She was like, no, well, I'm a girl,

so when I go through puberty, I'm going through girl puberty. We're using E's middle initial because she worries about violence against her family. Hospitals in Virginia, California, and Colorado are also dropping this care as the Trump administration threatens to pull funding for NPR News. I'm Aaron Bolton in Columbia Falls, Montana. And from Washington you're listening to NPR News. The National Assembly of El Salvador has

given more power to President Nayib Bukele. Bukele's political party approved constitutional changes that would allow the self-proclaimed world's coolest dictator to reelect himself indefinitely, as Andrea Salcedo reports. With 57 votes in favor, El Salvador's New Ideas Party approved the reform, clearing the political landscape for President Nayib Bukele to seek indefinite reelection. Only three lawmakers voted against the measure. The move also extends El Salvador's presidential term from five to six years, and seeks to end Bukele's term ahead of time to change the country's elections calendar.

Lawmaker Ana Fierroa from the New Ideas Party and the proponent of the law says the move gives the Salvadorian people the absolute power to decide. Lawmaker Marcela Villatoro of the Nationalist Republican Alliance, ARENA, told her colleagues on the floor that democracy in El Salvador has died. For NPR News, I'm Andrea Salcedo in Panama City. A manhunt is ongoing in western Montana where police say a gunman opened fire in a bar near the small town of Anaconda, killing four people. Authorities have identified the suspect as a 45-year-old military veteran. They say he should be considered armed and dangerous.

A local fire chief in Pennsylvania says he found out Friday morning that hot dogs are very slippery. A tractor trailer carrying a load of hot dogs crashed on Interstate 83 a few miles north of the Maryland line, briefly delaying traffic in the area in both directions, Chief says four people require medical attention. I'm Jyle Snyder, NPR News.