NPR News: 07-21-2026 10AM EDT

Jeanine Herbst· Host0:00

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. A federal appeals court is clearing the way for the release of recorded interviews of former President Biden. NPR's Carrie Johnson reports the conservative Heritage Foundation had sued for access to the recordings.

Carrie Johnson0:16

The years-old audio recordings contain interviews of Joe Biden by the man who helped ghostwrite his memoir. A prosecutor who investigated Biden's alleged mishandling of classified information later obtained the recordings. That prosecutor, Rob Hur, declined to charge Biden with wrongdoing, saying his age and faulty memory would be obstacles in any criminal case. The Heritage Foundation has been pushing for access to the tapes, and a federal appeals court has found there's a substantial public interest in the recordings. The appeals court in D.C. gave the former president until early August to pursue any additional legal steps. Biden had argued to release the tapes would violate his privacy. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

Jeanine Herbst· Host1:01

President Trump is meeting with Lebanon's president today in Washington as the State Department tries to push forward a peace process between Israel and Lebanon. As NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports, the U.S. is trying to give Lebanon's president a boost.

Michelle Kellerman1:17

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he thinks it will be a good meeting at the White House, and President Joseph Aoun will be able to return to Lebanon and say he's getting real results for his people, not Hezbollah or Iran.