NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-07-2025 1PM EDT

Episode Date: August 7, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. President Trump is calling for an unprecedented change to who is counted in the U.S. Census. NPR's Hansi Lowong reports those figures influence elections for presidents and the House of Representatives. Preparations for the 2030 census are already underway, but in a social media post, President Trump says he has instructed his administration to immediately begin work on a new census. that excludes people living in the states without legal status. The 14th Amendment requires the, quote, whole number of persons in each state to be counted in the 2030 census numbers

set to be used to determine each state's share of congressional seats. And the Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the final authority over the census. Decades ago, Congress passed a federal law allowing a mid-decade census in 2025, but the results cannot be used for redistributing House seats. Last month, Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor-Green of Georgia introduced a bill that tries to change that and calls for a new census and congressional redistricting before next year's midterm election. On Zilawang, NPR News, Washington. Russian President Vladimir Putin says he hopes to meet with President Trump next week,

possibly in the United Arab Emirates. The announcement comes just ahead of a White House deadline for Moscow to show progress in ending the war in Ukraine. A face-to-face meeting could mark a key moment in Trump's continued push to broker a peace deal. Israeli lawmakers, are expected to vote tonight on whether to fully take military control of the Gaza Strip. The prospect of escalating the war has deeply divided Israeli society, as NPR's Emily Fang reports from Tel Aviv. Israel's chief of staff of the military, Lieutenant General Ayl Zemir, was quoted by Israel's military on X, the social media site, saying that debate is, quote, an inseparable part of the history of the Jewish people and a, quote, vital component of the military's culture. Zemir, the statement said, would share positions, quote, without fear,

alluding to widespread reports in Israeli media that he disagrees strongly with Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, over the course of the war. Israeli media has been reporting that Netanyahu wants to ramp up military pressure on Hamas and Gaza, even as hundreds of former senior defense and intelligence officials have spoken up in opposition to continuing the war, because it potentially endangers 20 hostages who are still alive and held in Gaza. Emily Fang and Peer News Tel Aviv. Texas Senator John Cornyn says the FBI is stepping in to help track down Democratic lawmakers who fled the state. They left to avoid a vote on new redistricting maps, a plan pushed by President Trump to give Republicans more seats in the U.S. House.

Cornyn accuses Democrats of dodging their constitutional duties. Democrats argue the maps are unfairly drawn to favor the GOP. The FBI declined comment on any details. This is NPR News. The State Attorney General in Oklahoma has joined with the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice to file a federal lawsuit. It seeks to stop offers of in-station tuition for Oklahoma students without legal immigration status. Lionel Ramos from Member Station KOSU reports. In their complaint, the agencies note that federal law prohibits students who are in the U.S. illegally from getting in-state cost.

tuition that's denied to out-of-state students who are U.S. citizens. Oklahoma statutes allow for migrants without legal status to enroll and pay in state tuition, as long as they can show proof that they've applied for permanent residency. But court documents show that Oklahoma's Attorney General Gettner Drummond agrees with the plaintiffs, that federal law preempts state statutes in this matter. According to the complaint, the goal is to end state educational support for such migrants, quote, no exceptions. For NPR news, I'm Lion O'Ramos in Oklahoma City. A relentless wave of wildfires is fueling alarm across the western U.S. The Dragon Bravo fire burning at the Grand Canyon in Arizona has now burned more than 130,000 acres and is

29% contained. In California, the Gifford Fire is now the state's largest blaze this year, burning more than 96,000 acres and threatening hundreds of structures. Forecasters say hot, dry, and windy conditions could fuel the blaze. Stocks are trading mixed on Wall Street at the hour. The Dow is down 335 points. The NASDAQ up 31. This is NPR News in Washington.