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Episode Date: August 8, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shay Stevens. Democratic legislators who fled Texas to prevent voting on a GOP redistricting plan remain in the Chicago area. Republican Texas Senator John Cornyn says the FBI has agreed to help find them. Democratic Texas legislator Gene Wu says Cornyn is threatening to weaponize the FBI. Our concern here is that they're happy to break the law, to ignore the law, to school around the law because it's convenient and easy for them. We're always concerned about that. Wu says you said the FBI to track down elected officials is illegal. President Trump is calling on the CEO of chipmaker Intel to resign. NPR's John Rewicz reports that Trump is accusing him of

investing in Chinese companies, including some tied to China's military. A truth social, Trump said Intel CEO Liputan is, quote, highly conflicted and should resign immediately. This comes after Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas this week posted a letter online that he wrote to the chairman of Intel's board expressing concern about Tan. Cotton cited news reports that Tan controls dozens of Chinese companies and has stakes in Chinese advanced manufacturing and chip firms, including at least eight with reported ties to the People's Liberation Army. It notes that Tan, who joined Intel in March, was previously CEO of a company called Cadence Design Systems. Last week, Cadence pleaded guilty to selling semiconductor design tools to a blacklisted military university in China.

Intel did not have an immediate response to emailed questions from NPR about Trump's call for Tan to resign. John Rewich, NPR News. Lebanon has ordered its army to draft a plan to disarm the powerful Iranian-backed Hezbollah. The order is part of a U.S. brokered plan to consolidate last year's ceasefire with Israel. Jawad Ruskala has more from Beirut. Lebanon's cabinet endorsed the U.S. proposal and tasked the army with coming up with a plan to disarm Hezbollah by year's end. In return, the deal calls for Israel to halt hostilities.

It's been striking Lebanon almost daily since the November ceasefire, the latest killing six people. The plan also involves an Israeli withdrawal from five occupied border points, a negotiated return of Lebanese prisoners in Israel, and the return of displaced civilians. Hezbollah condemns the decision, calling it a, quote, clear violation of the agreement that ended the Lebanese civil war 35 years ago. The group says that Lebanon has upheld the ceasefire while Israel violated it.

Hundreds of flank-waving Hezbollah supporters protested against the government move. Jouadriss Gullah, NPR News, Beirut. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his security cabinet has approved his plan to take over Gaza's city. Under the plan, Israeli forces will take control while distributing aid to civilians outside of combat zones. Netanyahu says the plan calls for returning all hostages seized during the October 2020. attack that sparked the war in Gaza. This is NPR. Americans are consuming

mostly ultra-processed foods, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From August 2021 until 23, the CDC says more than half the calories for most Americans came from manufactured food. For people 18 and under, the percentage was even higher. The findings are based

on a survey by the National Center for Health Statistics, Health Secretary Robert of Kennedy Jr. blames many chronic diseases on the consumption of ultra-processed foods. The U.S. is warning justices on Brazil's Supreme Court that Washington is, quote, monitoring their conduct. The U.S. has already sanctioned one of the justices for rulings against a far-right ex-president who's charged with plotting a coup. The story from NPR's Gary Kahn. In a post on X, the U.S. Embassy in Brazil says it strongly advises Supreme Court allies, of Justice Alessander de Morais to, quote, not aid and abet his behavior. Morais is overseeing the case against former far-right President Jaire Bolsonaro charged with running a criminal conspiracy to stay in power

after his 2022 election loss. This week, Morice ordered the former leader to house arrest for violating pretrial restrictions. The U.S. has sanctioned Morais and Trump slapped 50 percent tariffs on many Brazilian exports, citing the case. Backers of Bolsonaro staged a third. 30-hour takeover of Brazil's Congress to force a vote on a bill that would grant amnesty for the ex-leader and supporters also facing coup charges. Kerry Kahn, NPR News, Rio de Janeiro. U.S. futures are higher in after-hours trading on Wall Street. This is NPR News.