Wednesday morning news: July 16, 2025

Michael Waltz confirmation hearing » Senate Republicans are hoping to fill the last remaining major vacancy in the Trump administration.

AUDIO: [gavel] The United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee will come to order.

Members on Tuesday grilled former National Security advisor Mike Waltz … who is now President Trump’s pick for ambassador to the United Nations.

The nominee said the UN is a body in need of reform. And he said nowhere is that more evident that with what he said is a clear anti-Israel bias.

WALTZ:  From 2015 to 2023, the general assembly passed 154 resolutions against Israel versus 71 against all other nations combined.

But Democratic Senator Jean Shaheen voiced concern over proposed US funding cuts to the UN.

SHAHEEN:  If we walk away from international bodies like the un, the result won't be reforms that advance American interests. The result will be that international bodies become increasingly dependent on China.

But Waltz countered that even with those cuts, the U.S. would remain the UN’s largest financial backer, covering more than a quarter of its budget. And that, he argued … gives the U.S. real leverage to push for reform.

Michael Waltz was removed as Trump’s national security adviser in May … weeks after a journalist was mistakenly looped into a sensitive conversation between top security officials … about U.S. airstrikes in Yemen. Waltz accepted the blame for that … but insisted no classified information was divulged.

SOUND: [Demonstrators in Tel Aviv]

Israel-Gaza latest » Israeli demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv yesterday...once again calling for an end to Israel's war with the terror group Hamas.

But there are no signs that the war is nearing its end. In Gaza…

SOUND: [Artillery fire]

...the sound of Israeli artillery fire...as the Israeli army warned residents of Gaza City to evacuate ahead of its advance.

This comes as negotiators in Qatar continue to work urgently … to try and broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and the Hamas terror group.

Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid al-Ansari:

AL-ANSARI: Our efforts are relentless in getting an agreement in place at the soonest possible time, regardless of any political posturing around it.

He said negotiators are working round the clock.

Inflation report » A new government report shows US inflation heated up in the month of June.

Prices climbed 2.7 percent last month as compared to one year ago. On a month to month basis, prices were up 0.3% from where they were in May.

President Trump reacted Tuesday, telling reporters …

TRUMP:  Very slight, uh, essentially, uh, they were exactly as anticipated, very low inflation.

Economist Ellen Zentner with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management said with the new numbers “Inflation has begun to show the first signs” that the cost of President Trump’s tariffs are passing through to consumers.

Analysts say it’s starting to show up in costs for things like sneakers, furniture and appliances.

The president says the new tariffs are needed to leverage better trade deals for the U.S. … and to rebuild America’s manufacturing capacity.

Spending cut legislation » This week the Senate is expected to take up a House-passed bill that would claw back 9-billion dollars in federal spending.

GOP Sen. John Kennedy:

KENNEDY:  The president's asking us to reduce spending by $9 billion. Yeah, that's a lot of money, but that's one 10th of 1% of the budget.

The Department of Government Efficiency had recommended those cuts.

The legislation would cut more than a billion dollars for NPR and PBS. Republicans say taxpayers should no longer be forced to help foot the bill for those media groups.

But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says that would have a—quote—“devastating” impact for …

SCHUMER:  Local news throughout the country, including in rural areas that lack broadband and other options.

The bill would also cut nearly $8-billion for foreign aid programs … that the Trump administration says do not serve American interests.

Senate republicans are hoping to pass it through reconciliation, which only requires a one-vote majority … meaning Democrats could not filibuster the bill.

Flooding in Northeast » Authorities say two people in New Jersey were killed when floodwaters swept away their vehicle … during a storm that pounded northeastern states Monday night and Tuesday morning.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy:

MURPHY:    Six inches of rain in under two and a half hours in two waves. Uh, importantly, one wave sort of knocked a lot of these communities a little bit off kilter. The second one came in for the, for the kill.

Some roads in New Jersey and Pennsylvania remained closed Tuesday … and severe weather triggered hundreds of flight delays and cancellations.

Texas mail abortions » A New York county clerk is refusing once more … to enforce a fine against an abortionist levied by the state of Texas. WORLD’s Benjamin Eicher has more:

BENJAMIN EICHER: Ulster County’s acting clerk, Taylor Bruck, this week refused for a second time … to file a Texas‑issued judgment against Margaret Carpenter.

A Texas judge had fined her just over $100,000 for prescribing abortion pills via telehealth to a woman in Texas.

Bruck cited New York’s “shield law,” which blocks enforcement of out‑of‑state abortion rulings.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton the New York clerk has a duty under civil‑procedure rules.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul also declined Louisiana’s request to extradite Carpenter on felony charges related to abortion drugs.

The clash highlights growing tension between blue‑state protections for abortionists … and red‑state protections for the unborn.

The legal battle could ultimately land at the steps of the US Supreme Court.

For WORLD, I’m Benjamin Eicher.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Hunter Baker joins us for Washington Wednesday. Plus, the death of pastor John MacArthur.

This is The World and Everything in It.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.