NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-03-2025 1PM EDT

Episode Date: August 3, 2025

NPR News: 08-03-2025 1PM 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 Rahm Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noor Rahm. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he's reached out to the International

Red Cross, asking for help in getting food and medical care to the hostages held in Gaza. Videos released by Hamas showed two Israeli hostages in horrific physical and psychological condition. This has sparked larger than usual protests calling for an end to the war in Gaza. NPR's Atay Stern reports. Tens of thousands gathered in a public plaza in Tel Aviv demanding an end to the war and the return of the 50 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. One of the videos shows an emaciated hostage saying Hamas is forcing him to dig his own grave. Steve Witkoff, President Trump's envoy to the Middle East, met with the families of the hostages

this weekend. Protester Gilly Dekel says the war must end now. I hope that the world, the nations, the presidents, the leaders of the world will apply much more pressure on Israel. They need to be extreme. Because she says Israel's extreme government will not stop on its own. Itai Stern, NPR News, Tel Aviv. Ukraine and Russia traded long-distance airstrikes overnight, with both sides inflicting damage on the other. A Ukrainian drone hit a large fuel storage tank and ignited a huge blaze in the southern Russian city of Sochi on the Black Sea coast.

The U.S. Senate has shut down for its August recess. As NPR's Luke Garrett reports, President Trump had wanted the Senate to quickly advance dozens of his nominees this summer, but Democrats and Republicans couldn't reach a deal on how to accomplish that. President Trump lashed out at Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, telling him to go to hell. In a social media post, Trump blamed Schumer for political extortion and blocking his nominees. Schumer celebrated Democrats for delaying the confirmations

of what he called flawed and unqualified executive and judicial nominees. So far, Democrats have not allowed for quick confirmations of Trump's nominees. Without a deal, Republicans say they may change Senate rules to make for a swifter confirmation process. Before leaving for their recess, Republicans confirmed former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as U as US attorney for Washington, DC. Pirro was named in a lawsuit against Fox for false 2020 election claims. Luke Garrett, NPR News, Washington. A manhunt in a mountainous area of western Montana is now in its third day. Police are looking for a suspect who opened fire in a bar in the town of Anaconda Friday, killing four people. Montana State Attorney General Austin Knutson says

police believe he's still in the area. We believe he's on foot somewhere in the mountains. We've got assets in the air. We're looking for him with infrared. They describe him as a military veteran who's armed and dangerous. His family says he has a history of mental illness. This is NPR News.

The Office of Special Counsel confirms it's open an investigation into former special counsel Jack Smith, who had brought two criminal cases against Donald Trump before Trump's election last year. It's looking into whether Smith had engaged in partisan political activity. Smith dropped both cases after Trump won the election, citing a Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president.

Silverware, owned by the groundbreaking 18th century lesbian couple memorialized in the period drama, Gentleman Jack, is going up for auction. Vicki Barker reports from London. They were known as the Ladies of Langolin, a reference to the stately home in Wales where Lady Eleanor Butler and her lover Sarah Ponsonby entertained such guests as Lord Byron and William Wordsworth. Unable to marry, they nevertheless had some of their china and cutlery inscribed with their intertwined initials, considered such an important turning point in queer history that two of their chocolate cups are held by the British Museum. Now, 33 of their monogrammed silver forks and spoons are up for auction for the first time since the estate sale of

1832 that followed their deaths. Estimated price, $1,100 to $1,700. For NPR News, I'm Vicki Barker in London. Several towns in eastern Australia are digging out from snow. Meteorologists say as much as 16 inches of snow fell yesterday. They say climate change has made Australia's weather more volatile in recent years.

I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News in Washington.