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Today’s top stories
President Trump yesterday toured the ongoing renovation project at the Federal Reserve headquarters with Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. The construction cost has soared from $1.9 billion to $2.5 billion in recent years, becoming a point of contention for the president. During the visit, Trump waved a document, claiming the cost had now reached $3.1 billion.
President Trump sparred with Jerome Powell over the final cost of the Federal Reserve’s renovations during an unusual visit to the central bank.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America
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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America
- 🎧 Interest rates, which the president has repeatedly said he wants lowered, remained front and center during the tour, NPR’s Tamara Keith tells Up First. Trump seemed to be dissatisfied with the construction project, which is very much over budget, in part due to steel tariffs, COVID, inflation and the challenges of retrofitting historic buildings to modern standards. Keith says the last president to visit the Fed was George W. Bush in 2006, making Trump’s appearance there, scolding Powell, pretty remarkable. The big question is whether the focus on the building could be a justification for potentially firing Powell before his term ends.
House Republicans in key swing states have held telephone town halls this week as questions mount about Jeffrey Epstein. The meetings come after House Speaker Mike Johnson sent lawmakers home early for summer recess after clashes among GOP leaders about releasing records tied to the late sex offender. Epstein’s connection to the president has been a focal point in this discussion, as they used to be friends.
- 🎧 Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., who won his district by 1%, responded to questions about the Epstein files, saying he’s been calling for more details, says Carmen Russell-Sluchansky of NPR network station WHYY. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., provided a similar response. Other states, such as Arizona, have representatives calling for more transparency with the Epstein case. Russell-Sluchansky says we don’t know how constituents reacted to these town halls because they were over the phone. Sam Chen, who has run several Republican congressional campaigns, says that nothing really sticks to the president. Other candidates, however, don’t have the same effect when campaigning, so there is a lot to lose for them.
Ceasefire talks with Israel and the U.S. representatives in Qatar were cut short yesterday, as hunger spreads in Gaza. Over 100 human rights and aid organizations have delivered a statement saying Israel’s siege of Gaza has “created chaos, starvation, and death.”
- 🎧 One of the sticking points in the negotiations is how much of an Israeli military presence will be in Gaza long-term, NPR’s Emily Feng says. Israeli negotiators left Qatar, saying they would need to consult with leaders after hitting a bump in the talks for a 60-day ceasefire. The U.S. team also left, and the Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said Hamas doesn’t appear to be coordinated. The situation in Gaza is dire, with some parents starting to give their children salt water as that’s all they have to provide, according to NPR’s Anas Baba, who has been providing Feng with daily updates.
Living better
A new study shows people in countries with different obesity rates burn about the same number of calories.
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PCH-Vector/iStockphoto/Getty Images
Living Better is a special series about what it takes to stay healthy in America.
Over the last century, obesity has become increasingly common in the U.S. and other industrialized nations, while it remains rare among those who maintain traditional lifestyles. A common explanation is that as societies have developed, people have become less active, so they burn fewer calories each day. However, a new major study published in the journal PNAS challenges that notion.
Duke University professor Herman Pontzer and an international team of collaborators compared the daily total calorie burn of individuals from 34 countries and cultures worldwide. The participants varied in lifestyles, showing strong evidence that diet and not a lack of physical activity is currently a key factor in weight gain and obesity. The study found that people in countries that derive a larger portion of their calories from ultra-processed foods tend to have more obesity and higher body fat percentages. Here’s what else experts say about trying to outrun a bad diet.
Weekend picks
Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic.
20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios
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20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios
Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:
🍿 Movies: The Fantastic Four: First Steps is kicking off the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s “Phase Six,” setting up years of storylines. Here are the other movies hitting theaters this weekend.
📺 TV: NPR critic Linda Holmes says HBO’s two-part documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes highlights Joel’s successful career as a result of his strengths in songwriting, piano playing, and live performance.
📚 Books: Together in Manzanar: The True Story of a Japanese Jewish Family in an American Concentration Camp tells the true story of a family of mixed heritage sent to a Japanese detention facility during World War II.
🎵 Music: Check out some of the top albums out today, with a playlist of some of the best songs released. Don’t know where to start? Our All Songs Considered hosts shared artists similar to the ones featured.
🎮 Gaming: Shadow Labyrinth is a gritty sci-fi reinterpretation of the Pac-Man character, shedding its trademark yellow colors and world. The game remains kid-friendly.
❓ Quiz: Another week of missing only one question. One of these days, I will get a 100%. Can you do as well as me or better? Give it a try.
3 things to know before you go
A portion of Amy Sherald: American Sublime as it currently appears at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.
Tiffany Sage/BFA.com
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Tiffany Sage/BFA.com
- Artist Amy Sherald, known for her colored portraits of the African American experience, is canceling an upcoming show at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery due to a dispute over her painting of a trans woman.
- The Federal Communications Commission has approved Skydance Media’s acquisition of Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company. Skydance has committed to eliminating alleged bias in news coverage and ending diversity programs.
- Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan died yesterday at age 71. Clearwater, Fla., authorities say they responded to a cardiac arrest call.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
