NPR News: 07-21-2026 10PM EDT

Ryland Barton· Host0:00

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. The Pentagon has now confirmed a total of 18 U.S. troops killed in action during the Iran war since February. Four soldiers died since last Friday. One was on a U.S. base in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq during a detonation of a downed Iranian drone. The other three died on a joint U.S. airbase in Jordan. The current Pentagon tally for wounded personnel in the war is 482, 100 of which occurred in the past two weeks. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says troop training would have to be cut back if the Pentagon doesn't get the $67 billion in supplemental funds it's requesting from Congress. He also raised concerns about troop pay and weapons that defend against enemy drones and missiles.

Pete Hegseth· Soundbite0:45

Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls that threaten our ability to also simply pay our service members, rapidly replenish equipment and munitions, and sustain vital operations without disruption.

Ryland Barton· Host0:58

Republicans are trying to pass the budget package before lawmakers take a month-long break to campaign for the midterm elections. Later this week, the Senate will consider another war powers resolution limiting President Trump's ability to unilaterally wage war. Most Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the conflict as gas prices spike again. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has formally approved a plan to stop collecting demographic data from employers. For six decades, the data's been used to help fight discrimination on the job, as NPR's Andrea Hsu reports.