NPR News: 07-01-2026 6PM EDT

Ryland Barton· Host0:00

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. President Trump says Republicans will hold a midterm convention in Dallas this September. The Texas Newsroom's Blaise Gainey explains it's weeks away from when voters will begin casting ballots for several statewide elections.

Speaker 20:15

Texas has been a red state for all of the 21st century, but polls show the U.S. Senate race at a gridlock between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton. John Taylor is the department chair of political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He believes that contest is playing a big part in why Trump wants to bring the Republican Party to the state.

Speaker 30:38

They've seen the public polls out there, you know, showing Talarico with a slight lead or tie and such like that. My guess, their internal polling is scaring them.

Speaker 20:46

Taylor says the move is a last-ditch effort by Republicans to try and swing things in their favor ahead of a significant midterm election. I'm Blaise Gainey in Austin.

Ryland Barton· Host0:56

The Supreme Court struck down President Trump's efforts to end birthright citizenship. In response, the Justice Department says it's turning its attention to visitors suspected of coming into the country to give birth. NPR's Jacqueline Diaz has more.

Jacqueline Diaz1:09

The U.S. Justice Department wants its prosecutors to go after people taking part in something called birth tourism. In the U.S., that means when a foreign national comes into the country just to give birth and to get their child American citizenship. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is setting his sights on birth tourism operations.

Todd Blanche· Soundbite1:29

It's a