Hamas-Israel deal; Todd Blanche; U.S. economic system : NPR

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In the present day’s high tales

President Trump is claiming that Hamas will utterly disarm and Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza beneath a brand new groundbreaking deal. However a senior official from the Palestinian militant group advised NPR they might solely surrender their weapons if Israel withdraws from Gaza first, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has but to reply. The president mentioned that his Board of Peace agreed to the plan with the help of mediators from Egypt, Turkey and Qatar. The announcement comes greater than 9 months after a U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire was signed.

President Trump speaks at a podium on the White Home.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Photographs

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Andrew Harnik/Getty Photographs

• 🎧 The deal faces hurdles over whether or not the Israeli or Hamas portion of the settlement ought to happen first, NPR’s Franco Ordoñez tells Up First. Trump wants a win with Gaza, veteran Republican strategist Alex Conant says, with the midterm elections simply over three months away. Conant warns of political penalties if the Iran warfare continues and fuel costs maintain rising.

Trump is contemplating withdrawing his nomination of Performing Legal professional Normal Todd Blanche to formally take over the function. Two Republican senators are withholding their help for Blanche because of the Division of Justice’s take care of the president to finish his IRS lawsuit. Trump says the withdrawal could possibly be non permanent till these two senators, John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, depart workplace in January.

• 🎧 The senators are requesting written assurances from the Justice Division that each the settlement and the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund are off the desk, NPR’s Ryan Lucas says. Cornyn and Tillis additionally need readability on the tax immunity deal for Trump, his household and his companies. Lucas says the underside line is that Trump would somewhat withdraw Blanche’s nomination than present senators with ensures of offers that favor him.

The U.S. economic system has largely managed the impression of rising power prices ensuing from the warfare with Iran, in keeping with a current Commerce Division report. From April to June, the U.S. gross home product elevated at an annual price of 1.5%, a slight slowdown from the primary quarter of 2026, when GDP grew by 2.1%. A lot of the change stems from a lower in authorities spending and a surge in imports.

• 🎧 A progress price of 1.5% appears extra promising than a recession when the economic system shrinks, however the progress is slower than final 12 months, NPR’s Scott Horsley says. Shopper spending, the principle driver of the economic system, remained sturdy regardless of hovering gasoline costs. Some analysts say a lot of the spending progress comes from upper-income households who really feel rich at the moment as a consequence of a booming inventory market and rising house costs. Horsley says a downturn within the inventory market might trigger them to chop again on spending.