NPR News: 07-21-2026 3PM EDT

Lakshmi Singh· Host0:02

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The Trump administration says it's again withholding Medicaid funding in California and Minnesota over suspected fraud. Medicaid is provided to low-income households and individuals with disabilities. The affected states are led by Democratic governors. The federal government says the states need to prove the money's being used legitimately. Until then, it will hold back eight hundred sixty-seven million dollars from California and nearly two hundred million from Minnesota. The health policy organization KFF says more than 14 million children and adults are enrolled in California Medicaid. An additional 1 million-plus are enrolled in Minnesota. This hour, members of Congress are weighing a nearly 90 billion dollar budget request, the bulk of which would go to the US war with Iran. They're hearing from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. His testimony comes on the heels of new US military fatalities since Friday. At least 17 American service members have been killed since the US and Israel went to war with Iran in late February. Faced with the prospects of new hefty tariffs from Washington, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had a phone conversation with President Trump this morning. Dan Karpenchuk reports after the call, Carney said he and Trump agreed to intensify trade talks.

Dan Karpenchuk1:26

Trump says the latest fifty percent tariffs against Canada are in response to unfair Canadian