US-Iran War Escalates, Congress To-Do List, UK Has A New Prime Minister
7/20/202614 min
A third U.S. service member has been killed since Friday as the U.S. bombs Iran for a ninth straight night, with Iran vowing not a drop of oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz while the attacks continue.
House Republicans have one week left before the August recess as Speaker Mike Johnson tries to advance defense funding, a stock trading ban for lawmakers, and President Trump’s election integrity bill amid high voter anxiety over the cost of living.
And the United Kingdom has a new prime minister this morning as Andy Burnham replaces Keir Starmer, becoming the country’s seventh leader in just ten years.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tina Kraja, Brett Neely, Tara Neill, Mohamad ElBardicy and Taylor Haney.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas
Our director is Christopher Thomas
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:54) US-Iran War Escalates
(05:24) Congress To-Do List
(09:08) UK Has A New Prime Minister
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsLeila Fadel· Host0:00
[intro music] Three American service members have been killed in the Middle East since Friday.
Michel Martin· Host0:06
The US retaliated with more attacks on Iranian targets, and the war shows no signs of winding down.
Leila Fadel· Host0:12
I'm Leila Fadel, that's Michelle Martin, and this is Up First from NPR News. [music] House Republicans have one week left before they head home for the August recess. Speaker Mike Johnson wants more defense money, a stock trading ban for lawmakers, and President Trump's election bill. But none of these goals address the rising cost of living voters care about most.
Michel Martin· Host0:34
And Andy Burnham is Britain's new prime minister.
Andy Burnham· Soundbite0:37
I am ready.
Michel Martin· Host0:39
He takes over for Keir Starmer after he was pushed out of office. They're both from the same party, so are their policies any different? Stay with us. We'll give you news you need to start your day. [music] 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. One year ago this month, Congress eliminated federal funding for public media. Together, we continue the kind of journalism that we, the public, rely on. Please support this work today at plus.npr.org.
Speaker 41:17
After a DNA test revealed a family secret, questions started swirling.
Terry Gross1:23
Where am I in the universe? And I had a desperate need to find out.
Speaker 41:29
The truth