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by Brittney Melton August 10, 2025 Good morning. This week, a federal judge denied Sean Combs' bail request, Colorado became the first state to require cigarette-style health warnings on gas stoves, and the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the Justice Department for Jeffrey Epstein files.

The stark math for olive oil

by Maria Aspan, NPR financial and business correspondent Olive oil really does taste better in Italy.  At least that was what I kept thinking last month, during a sun-drenched vacation in Umbria and Tuscany. Some of my favorite lunches started with simple bruschetta — bread topped with fresh basil and ripe tomatoes and drizzled with golden olive oil. Often the olive oil had been harvested and milled in-house or very locally, at the wineries, small farms and “agriturismo” restaurants dotting the winding hills near Cortona.  Vikki Colvin By the time I had to leave Italy, I didn’t have room in my suitcase for all of the olive oil and wine I wanted to bring back to New York. But shipping it home was expensive — and is getting more so, thanks to President Trump’s new tariffs on almost everything Americans import, including from the European Union. As a financial and business correspondent for NPR, I’ve spent the past several months covering those new taxes and their fallout for U.S. consumers, businesses and investors. Even when I went on vacation, I couldn’t help wondering how these tariffs were also affecting all the farmers and wineries and other European businesses making food that Americans love.  The math is especially stark for olive oil: Americans consume almost 400,000 tons annually, more than any country other than Italy — but we make very little of it domestically. The United States imports 95% of its olive oil, mostly from Spain and Italy.  Now it’s about to get more expensive. Late last month, Trump seemingly finalized new taxes of 15% on EU imports, including from Italy. Several olive oil industry members told me they expect Americans to start paying more for it — or to switch to cheaper vegetable oils, like sunflower or canola.  "We are woefully dependent on foreign oil," says Joseph R. Profaci, executive director of the North American Olive Oil Association, a trade group representing both domestic and international producers. As I wrapped up my time in Tuscany, I spent a day visiting the olive groves of Olio Piro. Romain Piro has been making small-batch olive oil from these trees for two decades. Six years ago, he convinced his sister, Marie-Charlotte Piro, to go into business with him. Soon, the siblings were shipping their olive oil to the United States, where it’s been a big hit.  “One would be crazy not to export to the U.S., because it's an amazing market," Romain told me. "And I hope it's going to stay this way."  But now the tariffs have changed his plans. As a small startup, Olio Piro has limited resources and ability to withstand financial shocks or trade chaos. So early this year, the Piro siblings moved up their strategy to start exporting to other countries, including Canada, Japan and Germany. "We were always planning to be global, but we were not planning to go global that fast," Marie-Charlotte told me. "The uncertainty was really difficult to handle." Read more about Olio Piro’s story, and how European olive oil producers are responding to U.S. tariffs, here. You can listen to this story here. Check out more great reads from the NPR network you may have missed: Strangers can lurk in online forums to target vulnerable victims and gain clout within toxic networks. Dana discovered this harsh reality when her son Elliott was hospitalized last year after being drawn into these predatory spaces. These forums have a global reach and continue to grow.  Editor's note: This story contains mentions of self harm and suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can dial or text 988 and be connected to help. Funding for FEMA's disaster survivor hotline expired the day after floods devastated the Texas Hill Country, as per contract records and internal FEMA call center logs obtained by NPR. The following day, FEMA staff informed the Department of Homeland Security about the funding lapse. The money didn’t arrive for another five days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be able to fully fund the Overdose Data to Action program before a key budget deadline, according to a CDC senior leader. This comes after NPR reported last month that the Trump administration withheld $140 million from the program. State health departments depend on this money to address overdose deaths from fentanyl and other drugs. The Social Security Administration has acknowledged an issue with its phone service despite previously denying it to NPR and has now announced a solution. NPR reported on Tuesday that some calls were being rerouted to other field offices, often to staffers without jurisdiction over the caller's case. Newsletter continues after sponsor message Did you hear? With federal funding for public media all but eliminated, NPR relies more than ever on support from listeners like you. That’s why we’re inviting you to take part in a special giveaway to help keep public media strong — and maybe win a once-in-a-lifetime trip in the process! One lucky winner (and their guest!) will visit NPR HQ and see a Tiny Desk Concert live in person — and even get to choose from a lineup of upcoming shows. It’s free to enter, but when you donate through this giveaway page, you’ll score exclusive, limited-run merch and boost your chances to win.  Donate for Merch & Extra Entries! Enter for Free ➔

Pod Club

Daniel Mihailescu/AFP via Getty Images Thanks for tuning in last week to the Pop Culture Happy Hour episode “ Our favorite YouTube channels.” The hosts discussed their favorite channels, which cover topics from culinary history to celebrity interviews. NPR listener Jen McGeary, says she found this episode intriguing as she is beginning to use the site more and dive into interesting content creators. “Thanks to this show, I've added Tasting History and City Nerd and am really enjoying these new diversions during this crazy, uncertain time,” she said. Today, we’re listening to Consider This from NPR. The episode “What happens to the internet if no one clicks search links? ” explores Google’s AI Overviews, which can deliver an answer to your burning questions before you click a single link. The rise of AI summaries poses challenges for publishers relying on site visits for ad revenue and has led some smaller ones to close. NPR's John Ruwitch reports on how companies are adapting to these Google search changes. Did the episode make you think differently about AI? If so, click here to tell us why, and your response could be featured in next week’s newsletter. For more great podcast recommendations from the experts at NPR, subscribe to NPR's Pod Club newsletter. In today's episode of The Sunday Story from Up First, explore how technology — from period trackers to AI monitors is changing how parents have babies and raise children.

Critical Thinking Unit

NPR It's time for the Sunday Puzzle! For today’s on-air challenge, the theme is AI. Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase or name in which the first word has a long-A vowel sound and the second word has a long-I vowel sound. For example, if NPR Puzzlemaster Will Shortz gives you the phrase “facial feature indicating insincerity,” the answer would be “fake smile.” (fAYke sm-EYE-le) Test your skills here. Check this page later to hear the answers, or catch them live on Weekend Edition at 8:41 a.m. This week's online challenge comes from Peter Gwinn, who writes for Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!. Name something many hospitals have, in 7 letters. Rearrange the letters to name two things you can get inside a hospital (4 and 3 letters each). Submit your answer here and you could win a chance to play next Sunday's on-air puzzle.  Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from Hawai‘i Public Radio (edit station). This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen. Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can  sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Music, Politics, Health and more!