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Today's top stories
President Trump announced that he signed two executive orders targeting birthright citizenship. The orders come after the Supreme Court's recent ruling affirming that the Constitution grants automatic citizenship for virtually all children born in the United States. Trump's first order aims to restrict who is eligible for birthright citizenship, including babies born to members of foreign terrorist groups or employees of foreign governments. The second order aims to deny visas to pregnant foreigners that the administration believes are coming to the U.S. to engage in "birth tourism" to ensure their children obtain citizenship.
- 🎧 Authorities have cracked down on businesses that coach travelers on how to hide their pregnancies from immigration officials over the years, NPR's Juliana Kim tells Up First. The true scale of birth tourism remains unclear. Estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Center for Immigration Studies indicate that tourist births account for a small fraction of the 3.6 million U.S.-born babies each year. Immigration advocates argue that birth tourism is overstated, Kim says. Like Trump's previous directive aimed at restricting birthright citizenship, legal experts expect Thursday's executive orders to face challenges in court as well.
Iran's parliament is considering an agreement with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The proposal would ban ships connected to the U.S., Israel and other "hostile countries" from the key waterway until Iran receives compensation for war damages. Commercial vessels passing through the strait would be subject to fees of up to 7% of cargo value and a 20% fine for noncompliance. On Wednesday, Iran said it was finalizing a shipping route agreement with Oman, a U.S. ally. The Trump administration disputes Iran's characterization of the agreement, maintaining that the U.S. currently controls the strait through its naval blockade of Iran. Oman has not commented.
- 🎧 Trump's public statements about progress in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran don't seem to align with the reality of what is understood by Iranians, NPR's Franco Ordoñez says. Trump is facing significant pressure to end the war, but Iran remains unyielding despite military pressure from the U.S., and it's making its own demands regarding the Strait. The stalemate has raised concerns from observers that the U.S. may have to accept terms worse than the previous status quo, which was free movement through the Strait. Current negotiations are also focused on the waterway reopening rather than issues like uranium enrichment, which Trump originally cited as justification for the war.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee yesterday voted along party lines to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. The decision comes after Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination during a hearing on the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Justice Department will decide whether to pursue potential criminal prosecution of Fauci. Prosecutions are rare, but two former Trump advisers — Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro — were imprisoned on contempt of Congress charges during President Joe Biden's administration.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced yesterday that he has been discharged from a rehabilitation center after more than 50 days in the hospital. He says he was hospitalized following a fall, and his stay was extended due to pneumonia. The 84-year-old's extended absence sparked conspiracy theories and concerns about his future in office. McConnell's term expires in early January, and the race to succeed him is underway. Republican Rep. Andy Barr will face off against Democratic former Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker in the November midterms. (via Louisville Public Media)
Deep dive
Cambodia has become the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to reach a key United Nations milestone for HIV diagnosis and treatment. In 2020, UNAIDS set an ambitious 95-95-95 target for countries to achieve by 2030. The objective is that within each country, 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95% of HIV-positive people are taking medication that lowers the amount of the virus in their body and 95% of people on those medications have a viral load so low that they have nearly no risk of passing the disease onto others. Only 11 countries in the world have reached this target. Here are some of the ways Cambodia made the list:
- 🇰🇭 In 1999, the country launched a campaign to encourage couples to always use condoms. By the campaign's early years, more than 80% of sex workers reported using them.
- 🇰🇭 In 2003, the Cambodian government made HIV medication free after an international financing group called the Global Fund provided the country with a $11.2 million grant.
- 🇰🇭 Early programs targeted high-risk groups with elevated HIV rates, including the military, police, garment factory workers and sex workers. As HIV rates decreased in the general population, the epidemic became more concentrated among harder-to-reach high-risk groups.
Weekend picks
Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:
🍿 Movies: Olivia Wilde plays a mixed-media artist who engages in a consensual and kinky, but very unprofessional sub/dom relationship with her assistant Elliot in I Want Your Sex. Elliot is enjoying himself, but his life quickly unravels.
📺 TV: Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, a new 10-part HBO Max sequel to The Big Bang Theory, explores the lives of peripheral characters: the local comic book store owner Stuart, his girlfriend Denise and two brainy misfits, Bert and Barry.
📚 Books: This summer's heat makes it a great time to stay indoors or in the shade with new books. This month's new selections feature dogs, Hollywood stars, small towns and characters facing challenges beyond the sweltering weather.
🎵 Music: NPR Music's New Music Friday has pinpointed the best new albums released today. Their starting lineup includes Ravyn Lenae's Blue Island and Overmono's Pure Devotion. Check out the other notable releases that made the list.
🎮 Games: Jimothy the raccoon took over social media because of his unique shape due to a spinal condition. Now, you can play as the short-spined critter in an arcade-style video game.
❓ Quiz: This week's quiz covers a mix of politics, celebrity news and health headlines. Challenge your memory and see how well you score.
3 things to know before you go
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recalled jalapeños linked to hundreds of cases of Salmonella across multiple U.S. states. (via Texas Public Radio)
- In this week's installment of Far-Flung Postcards, NPR's Diaa Hadid visits the Hurulu Eco Park in Sri Lanka, where elephants roam freely. As their habitats get converted to farmland, conflicts with humans have ensued.
- A new study from researchers in Germany reveals how a certain species of snail changes the properties of its mucus to serve different purposes. They say the information could help engineers develop slimes to seal wounds or deliver medications.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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