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Today's top stories
The United Kingdom has signaled that it will recognize the State of Palestine by September unless Israel commits to peace in the Gaza Strip, stops the annexation of the West Bank and takes other actions. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's announcement yesterday comes after French President Emmanuel Macron stated last week that France has plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September. Both countries add to the global pressure mounting on Israel to ease its restrictions on aid into Gaza, as experts warn of famine.
- 🎧 The recognition of a Palestinian state by France and the U.K., and possibly other countries to come, carries weight but does little to change what is happening on the ground, NPR's Aya Batrawy tells Up First. Hunger is worse than at any other point in the war, with a significant spike in hunger-related deaths this month. An Israeli blockade on all food entering Gaza has only slightly eased in recent weeks. NPR producer Anas Baba, who is in Gaza, reports that markets are bare and gangs are selling stolen aid at inflated prices. Anas found a merchant yesterday selling two pounds of apples for $180.
The Trump administration announced yesterday plans to overturn a key 2009 Environmental Protection Agency finding regarding climate change. The EPA finding determined that pollutants generated by the development of combustion and fossil fuels, such as methane and carbon dioxide, should be regulated because they are harmful to human health. The move to reverse this determination has huge implications for regulations that push automakers to produce cleaner cars.
- 🎧 The administration claims that the EPA doesn't have the authority to regulate greenhouse gases and that there is no compelling reason to do so, says NPR's Camila Domonoske. This conclusion is partly based on a report from five scientists who reject the scientific consensus on climate change. Automakers had warned that the current rules were not achievable. They are likely to take advantage of this change by making fewer EVs. It's unlikely they will abandon EVs altogether, however, as consumers enjoy getting good gas mileage or having the option of skipping gas. Domonoske says it's a big setback for efforts to fight climate change, as transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. U.S. health advocates tell her it could mean worse air quality, which hurts health.
Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, informed lawmakers she would speak with them in exchange for immunity. Reporters questioned President Trump about his relationship with Epstein as he returned from Scotland yesterday. Trump informed them of his and Epstein's falling out about two decades ago and how he kicked Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago for stealing employees from the club spa.
- 🎧 Republicans are eager to put Epstein in the rearview mirror, and they hope new efforts like the Maxwell interview will appease calls for a forced vote on the issue. However, the subpoena for Maxwell to testify has also come with internal turmoil within the Republican Party, NPR's Claudia Grisales notes. Trump said yesterday that the young women Epstein took were spa workers. He added that Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein's more high-profile victims, may have been one of those women. Giuffre escaped and fought Epstein in the courts, advocating for sex trafficking victims. She died by suicide earlier this year. This is the first time Trump confirmed the connection between Giuffre and Epstein.
Deep dive
When will tariffs start affecting American consumers? Shoppers have been informed by manufacturers and retailers that Trump's new tariffs on nearly all imports would significantly impact their wallets. But that impact has not materialized yet, and the full blow has yet to land. Here's what we know about why that is:
- 💵 Some companies began stockpiling goods as early as last winter in hopes of avoiding new import taxes for an extended period.
- 💵 Many importers have responded to the president's tariff announcements by canceling shipments or holding them abroad until the plan becomes clearer.
- 💵 Some suppliers and retailers who are facing higher tariffs are absorbing the new tariffs as a hit to their profits because they don't want to pass the full cost on to shoppers.
- 💵 Trump's 90-day summer pause has provided importers a new window to stockpile. Some stores are using this period to load up on goods for the holiday season to avoid painful price hikes.
Today's listen
After a hiatus, Roséwave is back by popular demand. That's no joke. Many diehard fans of the series sent messages to All Songs Considered asking for its return. For those fans, congrats; your hard work has paid off. For those who aren't quite as familiar, this summer playlist series has sweet songs that provide a summer-y feel and chill vibe as you escape into the tunes. The hosts go through songs of different genres and styles to provide the perfect simple pleasures playlist. In this episode, they take the series name seriously as they crack open a bottle of rosé to discuss the music. Listen to their selections and check out a six-hour playlist of additional on-theme jams.
3 things to know before you
- This year's longlist for the Booker Prize was announced yesterday. Among the 13 books on the list for this prestigious award are two debut novelists.
- Tennessee leaders announced Monday that Elon Musk's Boring Company has plans for an underground passageway that would transport people from downtown Nashville to Nashville International Airport more quickly. (via WPLN)
- Fleetwood Mac fans, listen up! Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham are revisiting their root by reissuing Buckingham Nicks, the only studio album they recorded as a duo of the same name.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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