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Episode Date: August 8, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington on Corva Coleman, Israel's security cabinet has approved a plan to expand the war in Gaza and take control of Gaza's city. It's one of the last areas of the territory not already under Israeli control. Public opinion inside Israel is divided over whether to end the war in Gaza. But this decision has prompted criticism from human rights groups and some of Israel's closest allies. NPR's Lauren Freire has more from London. British Prime Minister Kier Starmar says Israel's decision to take over Gaza is wrong and will only bring more bloodshed. In a statement from his office, Starmor says he's urging the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reconsider, saying the prospect of peace is, quote, vanishing before our eyes. Polos show Britons are increasingly critical of Israel's actions in Gaza.

Starrmer plans to recognize a Palestinian state next month if Israel does not agree to a ceasefire in other conditions. All of this is likely to be on the agenda as the British Foreign Secretary David Lammy hosts Vice President J.D. Vance at his country estate near London this weekend. Lauren Freyer and PR News London. Transgender people serving in the U.S. Air Force have been denied requests for early retirement after the Trump administration ordered them to leave the service. NPR's Quill Lawrence reports. About a dozen trans service members with 15 to 18 years in were permitted to apply for early retirement.

with full benefits after the executive order that banned trans troops from serving openly. But according to an Air Force spokesperson, all of those applications have been denied. Despite their many years of service, they now have the same options as thousands of other trans troops either quit or be kicked out without the significant financial benefits they'd have earned with retirement at 20 years. And may the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration's ban on trans people in the military to go forward, though the Pentagon has offered no evidence that their service hurt, readiness or good order and discipline. Quill Lawrence NPR News. Indiana Governor Mike Braun is partnering with the Department of Homeland Security. Their joint effort will house a thousand migrants facing

deportation in an Indiana state prison. From member station WFIU, Ethan Sandwise, has more. The state and DHS aren't planning to expand the jail. They will utilize unused beds. Miami Prison currently runs at partial capacity and has struggled to keep staff who have described the prison as out of control. State data from June shows 185 staff vacancies. Jim Woodward, a resident of nearby Peru, Indiana, supports using the prison. They broke the law to get here. And you break the law, there's consequences to her. But Peru native Joseph Hiles doesn't see it that way. They ain't guilty really in nothing. Like, so they really ain't supposed to be. I don't think they should be locking them up like that. Other locals say they support Trump's policies, but don't want a

detention center in their backyard. For NPR news, I'm Ethan Sandwise. You're listening. to NPR. Today is President Trump's deadline for Russia to halt its war in Ukraine. He's threatened economic penalties if the Kremlin fails. Trump also says India's decision to buy cheap Russian oil helps pay for the war in Ukraine. He's raised tariffs on India. Separately, Trump says he'll welcome the leaders of the warring nations of Armenia and Azerbaijan to the White House today. He says they will sign a peace agreement. The Trump administration says it's offering $50 million for the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He says he collaborates with Latin American drug cartels and gangs.

A new study suggests that our ability to communicate using words and gestures may go back further than we thought. Ari Daniel reports. A record of human communication doesn't show up in the fossil record, so researchers look to other species like chimpanzees. The idea is the traits we share with chimps today, could go back to at least when our ancestors diverged. University of Wren biologist Joseph Mine looked at the vocal and non-vocal behaviors of mature chimps in Uganda. The result?

If your mother tends to gesticulate a lot while vocalizing, then you're also likely to do so. But not so with the father. A chimp grows up mostly with its mom, not its dad. So these verbal, non-verbal combos are likely learned, not inherited, suggesting the ability to acquire parts of our communication, communication socially may be an ancient trait dating back at least six to eight million

years. For NPR News, I'm R.A. Daniel. You're listening to NPR News from Washington.