Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noraram.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is scheduled to meet with President Trump at the White
“House on Tuesday to discuss the war with Russia, according to a White House official”
not authorized to speak. Meanwhile, Ukraine launched another wave of drones across Russia overnight, killing at least six people. New air strikes between the U.S. and Iran are affecting energy prices around the world. The U.S. military struck Iran again last night for the 13th consecutive night.
Iran says it hit U.S. targets in Bahrain and Jordan. That briefly sent oil prices higher yesterday. Gas prices in the U.S. hit an average of $4.10 for a gallon of regular today. NPR's Hadell Al-Shelchee reports. Brand crude oil, which is the international standard, jumped over 6% to $100 a barrel.
It came after the Iran backed Yemeni Houthi's attack to Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The U.S. said last night that it completed a 13th round of strikes in Iran, attacking military command centers, drone storage facilities, and coastal surveillance sites.
“Iranian state media reported explosions in the southwest of the country, where some of Iran's”
most sensitive military and maritime areas are. Iran retaliated with its own attacks targeting U.S. bases in Bahrain and Kuwait. The U.S., Al-Shelchee, NPR News, Istanbul. A temporary 10% tariff on U.S. trading partners around the world, expired last night. It was promptly replaced by new tariffs on 60 of them, and P.R.'s Daniel Kurtz-Labin
has more. Yesterday, the administration announced that it is imposing tariffs of 10 to 12.5% on 59 countries, plus the European Union. The administration said it's because those economies are importing goods made with forced labor.
And these are blanket tariffs in a sense. The U.S. trade representative has said this covers countries responsible for more than 99% of U.S. imports. Now, all that said, some big categories like energy and a lot of foods are going to be exempted.
“NPR's Daniel Kurtz-Labin, the number of people enrolled in SNAP, the federal food assistance”
program, has been falling since July. After sweeping changes, NPR's july on a cam reports.
SNAP participation dropped by over 4 million people from last July to this April.
That's according to the left-leaning center on budget and policy priorities. It's been particularly drastic in Arizona, where 400,000 fewer people receive the food benefits. St. Mary's Food Bank, which operates across the state, is distributing more food than ever according to its President-Milt Lou.
Because at the end of the day, these kinds of increases can't be supported by just food banks. FDA says the decline in SNAP enrollment isn't representative of anyone policy, but it does come as the program undergoes major changes from expanded work requirements to reduced federal funding, july on a cam NPR news.
This is NPR News. Tens of thousands of people have been forced from their homes and France and Spain because of wildfires. Several large fires have erupted in southern Europe this summer, scientists say the region has become more vulnerable due to hotter temperatures caused by climate change.
The international energy agency says renewables are set to overtake coal as electricity source in 2026, NPR's july assignment reports. In their electricity mid-year update, the agency says global renewable energy is forecast to grow 8% in 2026. Natural gas output is projected to stay mostly flat.
A big part of what's hampering natural gas growth are high prices, falling the US is really war with Iran. Five months after the conflict began, European natural gas prices are more than 90% higher. Asian natural gas prices are more than 105% higher. Meanwhile, solar and battery installations are booming around the world.
Energy experts say 2026 may go down in history books, as the year that the world made a significant pivot away from planet heating fossil fuels, july assignment and tear news. The National Hurricane Center says hurricane Fausto is gaining strength in the Pacific Ocean. It's now a category two storm. It's expected to approach the Hawaiian Islands next week.
Meteorologists say it's too early to determine the exact location or its size. Meanwhile, along the Gulf Coast, Bertha is no longer a tropical storm. It's been a week and last night after bringing some flooding and heavy surf to Louisiana and Texas. I'm Nora Rom, NPR News in Washington.
The NPR network has always been powered by the people it serves, not by shareholders
or special interests, but by people like you and me who believe in a free and independent press. We just passed the one year marks in Congress eliminated federal funding for public media. Please make your gift before the end of the month at Donate.npr.org.
