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0:10 Голос 2 Kimberly Adams with the Marketplace Morning Report from APM American Public Media.

0:40 Never run out of places to explore. More at dellandbosssubaru.com. This is KUNC, 91.5 Greeley-Fort Collins, KRNC, 88.5 Steamboat Springs, KENC, 90.7 Estes Park, KVNC, 90.9 Mintern Vale, and KMPB, 90.7 Breckenridge.

1:16 Голос 3 Good morning. Progressive Abdul El-Sayed eked out a primary victory for a Michigan Senate seat. What does he need to do to win it all in a state that voted for President Trump two years ago? We ask strategist David Axelrod on Morning Edition from NPR News.

1:37 Ukraine doesn't have the air defenses to guard against Russia's airstrikes. I'm Leila Faldin. And I'm Michelle Martin.

1:43 Голос 4 Ukraine didn't shoot down any Russian missiles in a recent attack. Its president is calling for more American-made interceptors. Also, how Japan and South Korea are responding to a record heat wave. And actor Brisha Webb used to play a doctor on TV that helped her spot when her mom was having a stroke in real life. She mines that for laughs in her new stand-up special. It's Thursday, August 6th. Actor Leslie Odom Jr. turns 45 years old today.

2:12 News is next.

2:16 Голос 2 Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston.

2:20 Голос 3 Iran says it's close to finalizing a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Officials say the agreement is in its final stages, but still depends on the U.S. meeting Tehran's conditions.

2:32 Голос 2 The announcement comes as diplomatic efforts intensify to end the wider conflict. NPR's Lauren Fair reports British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband met with Secretary of State Margot Rubio in Washington, D.C. yesterday. Miliband and Rubio met briefly at a summit in Asia last month, but this was their first bilateral meeting, and it lasted about 90 minutes. In the past, Miliband called President Trump a, quote, racist, misogynistic, self-confessed groper. But he called his meeting with Trump's top diplomat warm and productive.

3:04 Голос 1 We talked about, yes, about Iran, but about how we can stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine against Russian aggression.

3:11 Голос 2 Hours later, the British government announced fresh sanctions against Russian banks, shadow fleet ships and businesses. Rubio says he also discussed with Miliband what he called Europe's need to take a greater role in its own security. Lauren Freyer, NPR News, London. President Trump used a stop in Las Vegas yesterday to promote his economic agenda. But as NPR's Deva Shivaram reports, some workers say it's not enough to combat rising prices.

3:39 Голос 6 Mario Sandoval has been a server in Las Vegas for 40 years.

3:43 Голос 5 He's a tipped worker, but he says his salary is way down compared to previous years.

3:48 Голос 6 They're not spending or eating like they used to anymore.

3:52 Голос 2 The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority says tourism dipped 7.5% in 2025.

3:58 Голос 6 And that's a big hit for workers who rely on tourism and tips. Trump, meanwhile, continues to argue that his economy is doing great, but a new Reuters-Ipsos poll shows that for the first time in nearly a decade, more Americans prefer Democrats on handling the economy instead of Republicans.

4:14 Голос 2 Deepa Shivaram, NPR News, Las Vegas. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first flu vaccine to use the same mRNA technology as COVID-19 vaccines. NPR's Rob Stein reports. reports. The vaccine is called M-Fluciva. It was developed by Moderna, the same company that

4:35 Голос 1 produced one of the two mRNA COVID shots. Research indicates M-Fluciva may be more protective than

4:42 Голос 6 traditional flu shots. It can also be updated to adapt to new strains and produced much more

4:48 Голос 1 quickly. The fate of the mRNA flu shot had been in doubt because of the Trump administration's

4:54 Голос 4 hostility towards mRNA vaccines in the wake of the pandemic. In fact, the FDA initially refused

5:01 Голос 6 to even consider the vaccine. Moderna says the new shot can now be available for the upcoming

5:08 Голос 1 flu season. Rob Stein, NPR News. This is NPR News in Washington. Local news on KUNC. I'm Marty Lenz. Good morning. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission yesterday took exception to how Excel Xcel argues its rates impact consumers' wallets. Xcel Energy maintains that its rates are affordable, citing its 1.6 million customers on average pay less than 1% of their incomes for electricity, saying it's half the national average. The Colorado Office of the Utility of Consumer Advocate contends that the share is so low because the median Colorado household income between $97,000 and $106,000 a year is among the highest in the country. PUC commissioners had concerns as they analyzed and modified a proposed $225 million electric rate increase that would raise the average monthly bill to nearly $111 a month from $105 a month. Since September of 2023, Xcel Energy's Colorado electricity rates have risen eight times, including the current rate hike, for a total increase of about 22%. Boulder County is updating its local emergency alert and warning system. The Sheriff's Office has been working with other partners on the Front Range to improve communication methods around wildfire or other life-threatening emergencies. A new high-low siren will be deployed on patrol vehicles to alert residents when they need to evacuate.

6:35 The distinct two-tone alert sounds like this. The high-low siren will supplement existing emergency alert systems. It is intended to be reliable on-the-ground options. When residents have lost power or internet, police departments in Boulder, Erie, Longmont, Lafayette, and Louisville are adopting the new siren. All Front Range partners are also updating standard language around evacuations to avoid confusion. And Lafayette's Coal Creek Little League team is headed to California to try to make Colorado baseball history. Colorado, just one of six states that has never sent a team to the Little League World Series. The Coal Creek 12 and under squad captured the state title last month, punching its ticket to this week's Mountain Regional Finals in California. They'll compete in a double elimination tournament with Utah, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming for a spot in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania sports the big club in the majors the Rockies they get swept by the Tampa Bay Rays they lose yesterday for nothing they are now on the road a travel date today and they'll be in St. Louis for a series first game against the Cardinals in St. Louis on Friday Broncos training camp again today at 10 a.m. at their practice facility in the National Women's Soccer League the Denver Summit lose to the North Carolina Courage 2-0 weather for northern Colorado sunny hot and hazy conditions today temperatures peaking at a high near the mid 90s a regional

8:03 front range action day air quality alert remains in effect until at least four o'clock this afternoon more colorado news at kunc.org this is kunc support for npr comes from npr stations other contributors include the wallace foundation an independent non-partisan research foundation Collaborating with grantees and partners in the arts, school leadership, and youth development. More at wallacefoundation.org.

8:31 Голос 2 This is NPR.

8:46 Голос 4 It's Morning Edition from NPR News. I'm Michelle Martin.

8:48 Голос 3 And I'm Layla Fawdil. A pivotal race for an open Senate seat in Michigan is now fully underway.

8:55 Голос 4 Progressives are celebrating the narrow primary victory of Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official who campaigned on Medicare for All. In a few minutes, we'll ask former President Barack Obama's chief strategist how he would advise El-Sayed. But first, a preview of what lies ahead as the Michigan Democrat prepares to face former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers.

9:13 Голос 3 Rogers. Colin Jackson of the Michigan Public Radio Network joins us to discuss what's next now that the primary election is over. Good morning, Colin. Good morning. So let's start with why this race is so competitive. Michigan is a swing state. What does that mean for the

9:29 Голос 2 Senate race? You know, well, President Trump won Michigan in 2024, but a Republican hasn't won a U.S. Senate race here since the 90s. You have Democratic strongholds in southeast Michigan,

9:39 Голос 4 you know, think Detroit or Ann Arbor and pockets around college towns and population centers like

9:44 Голос 2 Grand Rapids and Lansing. But West Michigan, Northern Michigan, you know, minus a few places here and there are generally redder. And to borrow a term, El-Sayed will have to lose by less in those

9:55 Голос 3 rural areas to win the state. Tell us how El-Sayed will try to go about doing that.

10:01 Голос 1 During the primary, El-Sayed pushed a populist platform that he often boiled down to, you know, three slogans, money out of politics, Medicare for all, and money in your pocket. He built a

10:10 Голос 2 younger coalition campaigning alongside Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and other progressive voices. And he beat Congresswoman Haley Stevens, a moderate in the primary. And, you know, she relied on a traditional coalition of Black, working class, and Jewish voters. Now, El-Sai is going to have to appeal to those voters. You know, he's already calling for

10:29 Голос 4 Democrats to unite behind him to defeat Mike Rogers. He said that to Michelle yesterday on

10:34 Голос 1 on your show. We also know that what unites us is way bigger than what divides us. We know

10:39 Голос 3 that Trumpism has been just a colossal failure. We know that to defeat Trumpism, we're going to have to defeat Trump's handpicked candidate for U.S. Senate. What messaging are we hearing from Mike Rogers, the Republican? Mike Rogers is an establishment Republican with a long track record in office, but he can also

10:57 Голос 5 appeal to the MAGA base. And Rogers is already trying to paint Al-Sayed, who is Muslim, as a a communist and an extremist. You know, Rogers' reaction statement to the win included some dog

11:07 Голос 2 whistles referencing terrorism and baselessly linking al-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood. You know, al-Sayed, who is the son of Egyptian immigrants, you know, he said he's dealt with

11:17 Голос 4 this his whole life and he considers it baseless fear-mongering. Rogers is also saying that he understands the concerns of blue-collar voters. You know, here he is in an interview on Fox News

11:27 Голос 1 recently. We need a senator to fight for these jobs, to fight for these defense industrial industrial-based jobs. I'm the only guy in the race that actually worked on a car assembly line, Chrysler LeBaron convertible. Who doesn't want one of those? I will tell you that we're feeling pretty good about where we're going. El Sayed does have the UAW endorsement, but blue-collar

11:49 Голос 3 workers are still pretty much a big factor here. Okay, so a lot of fear-mongering around El Sayed's faith. What are some of the main challenges for each campaign to win in November?

11:58 Голос 2 member. Rogers will have to balance appealing to MAGA Republicans, but also not turning off the independents who are largely against Trump here. Meanwhile, El-Sayed is going to need to bring in people that he may have turned off back to his side. You know, think some Oakland County

12:11 Голос 5 Jewish voters in Metro Detroit who have issues with his criticism of Israel. There is establishment

12:16 Голос 2 voters in moderate Dems who do think he's too extreme. And he'll also need to contend with the

12:21 Голос 3 big fundraising gap in the primary race. AIPAC and other outside groups spent over $60 million

12:26 Голос 4 against him. Republican groups are pledging a lot of money against him, too. And AIPAC says it's

12:32 Голос 3 committed to keeping al-Sayed out of office. That's Michigan Public Radio Network's Colin Jackson in Detroit. Thank you, Colin. Thank you. We're going to talk more about this with a

12:41 Голос 4 political advisor to another candidate that some considered a long shot. David Axelrod was a senior advisor to former President Barack Obama and the chief strategist for both of Obama's presidential presidential campaigns. Good morning, Mr. Axelrod. Welcome back.

12:54 Голос 6 Good morning.

12:55 Голос 4 So let's start with Michigan. On Wednesday's All Things Considered, Senator Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont, you might call him the elder statesman of the progressive movement, had this to say about El Sayed's primary win.

13:06 Голос 2 This is the most extraordinary victory in modern American politics. He took on everybody and over $60 million that he won by one vote would have been an extraordinary victory.

13:19 Голос 4 Okay, so let's account for some election night adrenaline spillover, okay? But was it as extraordinary as Senator Sanders says?

13:30 Голос 6 Yes. No, look, I don't think it was the most extraordinary victory in history and so on. But it was a very, very impressive one in the sense that he was outspent vastly in that race. It may be a commentary on the limits of money in politics, but he survived that. But it was a lot closer than the polls suggested, and I think that he expected. And I, Michelle, think there is virtue in that. There's value in that because one thing that I think El-Sayed needs, he's incredibly talented as a candidate. He's passionate about issues. issues uh but uh you know he is he is very sure of himself uh in ways that can be off-putting and i think there was a humbling element to this for both factions of the democratic party they they need each other uh he did extraordinarily well with you know highly educated uh voters and And with young people, but among rural voters, among African-American voters, not so much. And when you're talking about a working class movement, you've got to bring the working class along with you.

14:48 Голос 4 I'm wondering if you see any comparison to Obama in the sense that Obama's opponents try to tie his name and his background to radical politics, similar to what Republicans are already doing with El-Sayed. Do you see any similarities there that perhaps El-Faed could learn from?

15:05 Голос 6 Well, for sure. I mean, there are similarities. I mean, the difference is that Barack Obama was very much a center-left politician. And he focused on the issues that unified the largest number of people, basic bread-and-butter issues that people were concerned about. And, of course, at that time, the war in Iraq. track. And basically, he did wage war on conventional politics in Washington of both parties. And in that sense, there's a similarity. But what El-Sayed needs to do is focus on the putting money in people's pockets element of his triad there. Because that's what is motivating people very much today. I mean, the cost of things is what's motivating people.

15:58 Голос 4 But you don't think he's doing that?

15:59 Голос 6 And Trump is motivating people.

16:01 Голос 4 But Al-Sayed is emphasizing protecting health care. He is a doctor, strengthening unions, clean air, clean water. You don't think he's doing that? Or do you feel that that part of his message has been subsumed by messaging on ICE and Gaza and so forth? Do you think he's not doing that yet?

16:19 Голос 6 This whole DSA question, he's not a member of the DSA. he takes issue with some of their uh positions you know he does believe that we need you know he has stated in the past that uh he we ought to divert some of the police money to other uh social service kinds of efforts but he doesn't think that you should abolish police he doesn't believe that we don't need any prisons he doesn't believe in open borders he doesn't believe leave. So he needs to separate himself out and focus like a laser on those three things. And he needs to spend time in those communities and listening as well as talking and make people comfortable with him. And he needs to sort of shun some of that other stuff and make clearer the separation. The danger here is these elections, midterm elections are always about up the incumbent president. And we have a very unpopular president, a 35% approval rating in the state of Michigan. What you don't want is for Mike Rogers, who has pledged his fidelity to Trump, to be able to create a distraction by using the DSA and Hassan Piker and some of the more radical elements of your coalition to change the subject.

17:41 Голос 4 project and uh his primary his primary opponent congresswoman hayley stevens and it was a tough race i mean it was hard fought has already endorsed him and says she's going to work as hard as she can to see that he's elected do you is that is that important does does that matter

17:57 Голос 6 i thought it i thought it it was important and i think that symbolically it was important i think I think that he needs to be embracing of that, he did welcome it, but I think he needs to more enthusiastically embrace the elements of the party that are now joining him. Look, there is legitimate doubt about establishment politics because people feel the system has failed them. But that doesn't mean you should push away everyone who wants to help. He needs them all now and that's what a split primary does. A 50-50 primary says we need to bring more people into our coalition and that should be the focus. And she is certainly an ambassador to some of those voters who didn't vote for him.

18:53 Голос 4 From what you've seen so far, is Mr. El-Sayed a skillful enough politician to navigate all the traps that are clearly coming his way, being tied, as you pointed out, to the Democratic Socialists that he doesn't necessarily support, allowing his ethnicity, his heritage to sort of be used against him? Has he demonstrated the political skill to navigate these traps?

19:15 Голос 6 I have no doubt that he has those skills. I think that, you know, there was a, in Britain, there was in the 19th century, someone said about someone else, I wish I was sure of everything, of anything as he is of everything. I mean, there is that element to El-Said. He's a very, very self-assured guy. And you get a sense sometimes that he, that he knows better than, or that he thinks he knows better. And so a little humility, I think, would be, would be good for him. But I do think that he is an adroit politician, and he should make those adaptations. But put the focus on Trump. Put the focus on the cost of things to people. Put the focus on changes that are going to affect that. Okay.

20:01 Голос 4 That is Democratic strategist David Axelrod. David Axelrod, thanks so much for joining us once again.

20:07 Голос 6 Always good to be with you. Thank you.

20:13 Голос 4 This is NPR News.

20:15 Голос 1 You're listening to Morning Edition here on KUNC. Ukrainian officials say the country is low on missile interceptors. NPR is going to be speaking with Oleksandr Merezko, a member of Ukraine's parliament, about their defense capabilities. This is a signal also that Russia gives us that they don't want to stop, that they want to increase escalation using ballistic missiles. That is coming up. Dire need for the defense air missiles. That conversation in 15 minutes as Morning Edition continues here on KUNC.

20:46 Голос 6 There is a lot to Colorado.

20:48 Голос 2 The news is only part of it. Another part, Colorado music.

20:52 Голос 1 To find out what songs are coming out of the centennial state,

20:56 Голос 2 we invite you to tune in KUNC's sister station, the Colorado Sound. It's not just Colorado artists, but music from all over the spectrum and all over the world.

21:07 Голос 3 No commercials, all music.

21:09 Голос 2 Tune in anytime at 105.5 on your radio or stream at coloradosound.org.

21:39 across the state more information at coloradolottery.com giving back

21:47 Голос 1 weather for northern colorado today sunny and hot and hazy conditions temperatures peaking at a high we'll say in the mid 90s a regional front range action day air quality alert remains in effect until four this afternoon because of elevated ozone and widespread wildfire smoke smoke that is drifting in from western and northwestern fires. Morning Edition continues here on KUNC. Good morning. I'm Marty Lenz. It's 721. Support for NPR comes from this station

22:18 Голос 2 and from Fidelity Investments. A dedicated advisor can help build a flexible wealth plan. Learn more at fidelity.com slash wealth. Investment minimums apply. Fidelity Brokerage Services, LLC. From Odoo, an all-in-one business management software platform for small or large businesses with the goal of being flexible and scalable. Learn more at odoo.com slash NPR. And from the NPR Wine Club, which has generated over $1.75 million to support NPR programming. Learn more at nprwineclub.org. Available to adults 21 or older. This is NPR.

23:06 Голос 3 This is Morning Edition from NPR News. I'm Laila Faldil. I'm Michelle Martin. And I'm A. Martinez. Actor Brisha Webb fits the classic description of, you know, that woman in that show. You might not know her name, but you might recognize the face. She played Kevin Hart's sister in the movie Night School.

23:24 Голос 5 Pops, those standardized tests are culturally biased. You do know how to spell your name, don't you? T-H-E-R. What? You're wrong.

23:32 Голос 1 Webb was also in the sitcoms Run the World and Marlin.

23:35 Голос 3 She was in Hacks and she played Dr. Laverne St. John on ER.

23:40 Голос 5 But what the hell was last night, huh? Boring. You don't want to see me? Fine. But you still have to teach me.

23:48 Голос 2 Brisha Webb is also a comedian. Her latest stand-up special streams on Hulu and Disney Plus as part of the LOL Live comedy series.

23:57 Голос 5 My other girlfriend, she had a baby and she didn't have a nanny. She was over there just taking motherhood to the face. Poor thing. Walking around looking like Gollum from Lord of the Rings.

24:11 Голос 3 Now, you've had your heart set on being a performer since you were a little girl. I heard you once say that when you were a kid, you wanted to be inside of the television. television, what's it about performing that makes it something that you need to do seemingly?

24:25 Голос 5 I mean, it's just a part of my nature. If I hear a song, I want to sing it full out. You know, if I see something, I want to do it all. You know, I used to watch music videos all the time and I would get up and start learning the music, you know, the dances. That's just a natural thing for me. And then I wanted to do it in front of people. And so my parents just paid attention to that and they just nurtured it when I was about seven or eight years old I was really obsessed with Annie like I really loved Annie you know and it was crazy because they were bringing Annie back to Broadway I was like mom I really want to go and they surprised me and they said we're going to get in the car and we're going to go all the way to New York for your Annie audition I was like like really I walk in and it was then where I realized that um Annie's white most parents

25:18 Голос 2 might say okay well let's give this a shot and if it doesn't work then all of us you know then you

25:23 Голос 6 go you do something more realistic that's what maybe more parents would probably say of course

25:28 Голос 5 but my parents were artists at heart you know we went to church every Sunday my dad was a gospel singer at church. My mom was a dancer. She toured Europe before she had me, you know, so they realized this was, of course we birthed this. Of course we were birthed a creative being. So let's nurture it. I was like, mom, you don't look good. We should call 9-1-1 or call the doctor or something. So I run over to my phone. I call 9-1-1 and I'm like, 9-1-1, you need to get over here stat. at my mother's having a stroke then finally the paramedics run in and they're like ma'am how did you know your mother was having a stroke and i was like i played a doctor on er for two seasons

26:18 Ram. They were like, no, man, we got to get your mom to the hospital. She's having a stroke. I was like, yes, exactly. Call the CDC on the CRT. That might be one of the most Hollywood stories

26:29 Голос 2 I've ever heard in a comedy special. That is so Hollywood. That's really what happened. And so

26:36 Голос 5 in that moment of chaos and anxiety and fear, I can look back and find the levity and find a joke there and make it real and hopefully help someone else to know like if you're going through some stuff maybe there's some things you can laugh about after I've always wondered for an actor

26:55 Голос 2 who plays like you know a doctor or a lawyer on tv how much of the character skill set rubs off

27:00 Голос 5 into real life well it does I remember seeing sometimes I remember I remember things in the oddest times you know and it does rub off you know I I put on the thing and I I talk the talk and sometimes it sticks with you and it did in the right time you know one of the things you get

27:19 Голос 2 into in in your comedy showcase is being a mom you got married three years ago your husband was

27:23 Голос 3 a single dad which made you an instant mom then a year later you gave birth to a daughter one of

27:28 Голос 6 the things that really made me just bust out laughing is when you told your stepdaughter to call you brisha but then your other daughter the one you gave birth to started calling you

27:38 Голос 5 brisha before she even called you mama you know one time she came in my room and she looked up up at me and her eyes were so beautiful and I was like looking at her and she went I said oh are you about to say it you can say it and she said Brisha isn't that a whoopsie you know I thought I was being progressive and this thing just slapped me in the face I was quite embarrassed in the moment and she's up there going Brisha can you pass me this Brisha go get me this I'm like girl no you called your mama since oh now i'm mama now you're mama yeah but thanks to my bonus daughter thanks to her we had to have a conversation i was like i'm gonna need you to help me out and she did what's the biggest difference would you say between doing stand-up and and

28:26 Голос 1 getting up on in front of a camera and and doing some acting i mean well stand-up is full of

28:31 Голос 5 surprises you know you never know what you're gonna get it's a box of chocolates you know know you get up on stage you don't know how the audience is going to be it keeps you on your toes you know um with acting there's a blueprint there's a set there's a stage you know there's a the script you know uh other actors that you yeah you know so you kind of know where you're going with stand-up you could be in the middle of a set and change directions you might come up with a plan and then something happens and it inspires you to go another direction it's like you're you're using all of your senses at one time you know it's kind of an outer body experience you know because you have to be looking at the audience and making sure they're tuned in it definitely gives you what you give it you know and um acting is is equally as difficult because it can surprise you in the same way, but at least you have somebody driving the car. In stand-up, you're driving a car, and you've got a whole bunch of things you've got to get out the way. Like, you know, you've got stoplights, you've got green lights, you've got the crazy person, the passenger walking down the street. You know, you've got all kinds of stuff going on.

29:45 Голос 2 Bresha Webb's Comedy Showcase on LOL Live is streaming on Hulu.

29:49 Bresha.

30:12 Голос 3 This is NPR News.

30:15 Голос 2 New federal data shows the vast majority of people with serious addictions still are not getting treatment. Critics say there are low-cost medications proven to treat addiction and save lives, but most doctors don't prescribe them.

30:37 Голос 1 I'm Elsa Chang. That's on All Things Considered from NPR News. You can listen to All Things Considered starting at 3.30 with Nicole Robinson Carroll right here on KUNC. You know, some days are just better with a little bit of music, but some radio stations play the same thing over and over. And that's why our sister station, 105.5, the Colorado Sound, is so fantastic. You'll get pop, reggae, folk, jazz, and great a mix with super hosts and the 5th Annual Colorado Sound Music Awards. It's coming up. Spend some time getting to know this year's incredible nominees. Find the list of nominees at 105.5 or at thecoloradosound.org. It's 7.30. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly. A short time ago on Capitol Hill, the Senate Homeland Security Committee voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. The vote was along party lines. It follows last week's committee hearing, where Fauci declined to answer questions from lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats, about the federal government's response to the COVID pandemic. Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times.

31:48 Голос 2 Iran says it's close to a deal to allow commercial ship traffic to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

31:54 Голос 1 The foreign ministry in Tehran says an agreement is being finalized following talks with Oman. Reporter Samir Hasmi in Dubai says Iran denies it's negotiating with the U.S. Iran says it's directly negotiating with Oman and it's not talking to the United States.

32:13 Голос 2 However, we heard from President Trump earlier this week saying that the U.S. was in talks with Iran

32:18 Голос 4 and they were also discussing the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

32:22 Голос 3 And he also threatened that this was Tehran's last chance for a deal, otherwise the U.S. would strike them again.

32:27 Голос 2 and he also said yesterday that he expects the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to be announced

32:33 Голос 5 soon in the next few days and the talks have made progress. At the same time the U.S. Navy

32:39 Голос 1 is continuing its blockade of Iranian ports. This is NPR News. It's 7.31 local news here on KUNC. I'm Marty Lenz. Cases of cyclospora in Colorado have nearly tripled since last month. KUNC's

32:55 Голос 5 is Emma Vanden Heide reports. The diarrhea inducing bug is driving outbreaks across the country. Colorado's Department of Public Health and Environment reported 241 cases earlier this

33:06 Голос 3 week compared with 95 in July. State epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy says this could be the result of more people getting tested. This is not uncommon during outbreaks that testing increases because Because people are aware, they're more likely to ask about testing for a particular pathogen. Herlihy says the state also usually sees an increase in cyclospora cases in the summer, though they're not entirely sure why.

33:34 Голос 2 Health officials believe they'll start to drop off soon.

33:37 Голос 5 There's still no evidence to link the outbreak to a source in Colorado.

33:41 Голос 2 The majority of interviews conducted with people suffering from the bug show they likely got it from international travel.

33:47 Голос 5 Emma Vanden Heide, KUNC.

33:49 Голос 1 A wolf in Grand County connected to several cattle deaths has been lethally removed by state wildlife officials. The action was taken after four confirmed depredation events in Jackson and Grand County. Officials say ranchers used multiple non-lethal tools to try to deter the wolf but were unsuccessful. This is the second wolf that's been removed this year due to conflicts with livestock. CPW recently reported that the state's wolf population is growing. growing. A new pack formed and three existing packs added pups. A so-called ghost sign in Lafayette is getting some attention. The historic Pat and Gar's Highway Bar mural will be preserved under a plan approved by the city council. A community initiative raised about $126,000 to help and the city chipped in around $10,000. The Coca-Cola section of the mural will be removed and replaced with rotating art celebrating Lafayette's history, culture, and community identity. New murals will be commissioned every three to five years through a public artist selection process. The Coca-Cola sign dates to the mid-1900s when it was painted on the former Pat and Gar Highway Bar. In 2015, workers removing exterior siding unexpectedly uncovered the painted Coca-Cola advertisement. Weather? Sunny, hot, and hazy conditions today. Temperatures peaking in the mid-90s. We do have a Front Range Action Day air quality alert in effect till 4. Local, Colorado, and regional news, this is KUNC.

35:15 Голос 2 Support for NPR comes from this station. And from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, investing in creative thinkers and problem solvers who help people, communities, and the planet flourish. More information is available at hewlett.org. From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, RWJF is a national philanthropy working toward a future where health is no longer a privilege but a right. Learn more at rwjf.org. And from the Doris Duke Foundation.

35:51 Голос 3 This is Morning Edition from NPR News. I'm Leila Faldin.

35:54 Голос 4 And I'm Michelle Martin. Ukraine needs more interceptor missiles. That's the message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after Russia launched an attack on Ukraine's capital this week and Ukraine was not able to shoot down any of its missiles. Zelensky met with defense officials on Wednesday after he said Ukraine's supply of air defense missiles has fallen by two-thirds in the first half of this year when compared to last year. Let's ask Oleksandr Merezhko how Ukraine is dealing with this. He's a member of Ukraine's parliament and the chairman of its committee on foreign policy. He joins us from Kiev, Ukraine's capital.

37:21 Голос 1 Because, unfortunately, we cannot counter, we cannot repel the Russian ballistic missiles.

37:26 Голос 4 And it's a matter of life and death for our civilian population.

37:30 Голос 6 Of course, everyone knows about this.

37:32 Голос 4 And what about Ukraine's defense against drones and other kinds of weapons?

37:37 Голос 1 Around 90% of Russian drones and also Iranian drones, of course, are being intercepted.

37:44 Голос 6 Even more than 90%.

37:46 Голос 4 So we have managed to develop a very effective system against drones. But ballistic missiles remain the major issue. Your country has asked in particular for more U.S.-made Patriot interceptors. President Trump seems to have walked back a promise to give Ukraine the licenses to build its own Patriot missile systems. Do you have any idea why that happened? Well, it's hard to say. To me, honestly, it looks strange because you represent the biggest democracy and you know your word matters a lot. And if you made a promise, you're supposed to follow through. Otherwise, you undermine credibility, you as a president and your country. And when President Trump has backtracked on his promise, to me it looked, I don't understand this, honestly. Other countries in Europe also have stockpiles of Patriot missiles. If you're unable to get the technology from the U.S., is there any opportunity to get more missiles from European allies?

38:38 Голос 6 The biggest supplier in this regard remains the United States. Yes, but we get some help from our European allies.

38:45 Голос 4 we have even formed a special so-called anti-ballistic coalition. Germany and Poland

38:51 Голос 6 have provided their missiles, but they themselves lack them. They need more also.

38:58 Голос 4 Forgive me, it's a difficult question, but do you think that this is a matter of the United States being concerned about its own stockpiles because of this war with Iran, which has lasted much longer than the president seems to have thought that it would? Or do you think that this is in in fact a tactic to pressure to pressure ukraine well i'm trying it's really hard to say because recently there was a statement made in ukraine by the president himself that he hinted sort of in a delicate kind of diplomatic way that maybe someone in the world wants to make us more

39:33 Голос 6 submissive uh to to absurd demands of russia i don't know i don't have answer to that but

39:39 Голос 4 But, you know, I do hope that American people remain to be on the side of Ukraine and your leadership also. What do you think about your president Zelensky's decision to fire both the minister of defense and the head of the armed forces a few weeks ago after they couldn't seem to agree on strategy? How does that decision look now? The parliament will be considering in a week or so the candidacy of a new minister of defense.

40:33 Голос 6 And we continue to push for this. Yeah, but we're doing everything what we can under the circumstances.

40:41 Голос 4 That was Oleksandr Mareschko. He's a member of Ukraine's parliament. Mr. Mareschko, thank you so much for your time. Thank you.

40:48 Голос 3 Now to East Asia, where many countries are sweltering under record temperatures. The heat is especially risky for rapidly aging societies in South Korea and Japan. pan. Governments there treat heat waves as natural disasters and are mobilizing resources to beat the heat. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports from Seoul. A deafening crescendo of cicadas cuts through the

41:16 Голос 1 midday heat. Over the weekend, the mercury hit 108 degrees in the city of Yangsan, the hottest in

41:22 Голос 4 over a century of weather records in South Korea. 21 people have died from heat-related illnesses

41:27 Голос 1 in South Korea. In Japan, the heat wave complicated the response to an earthquake that killed 38

41:32 Голос 6 people and displaced thousands in Kumamoto Prefecture. In Seoul, residents

41:37 Голос 1 dabble their feet in Cheonggyecheon, a natural stream that the city turned into a downtown park. Seven-year-old Summer Han is back from Seattle to visit family.

41:46 Голос 3 Me and my grandma, it's so hot, so we only keep inside. It's so hot.

41:54 Голос 2 Summer's mother, Mijin Jeong, says she's concerned about her parents.

42:02 Голос 3 I am extremely worried because the air conditioning is hard for them to endure in small enclosed Korean homes.

42:08 Голос 5 So even if it's hot, we try to find a place like Cheonggyecheon or a valley stream to dip our feet in.

42:14 Голос 1 Heat waves claim far more lives every year in South Korea and Japan than other natural disasters.

42:20 Голос 6 Most of the victims are elderly.

42:22 Голос 1 President Lee Jae-myung told his aides that the government must quickly adapt to the new normal and protect citizens' lives. lives.

42:31 We are effectively facing a national climate disaster, he said. We must respond with greater urgency than ever before, maximizing the level, scope and speed of our policy responses.

42:42 Голос 6 That includes everything from ensuring water and power supplies to checking up on elderly residents.

42:48 Голос 3 Back at the stream, Mijin Cheong says she uses some of the same tricks to keep her kids

42:52 Голос 1 It's cool that her parents used on her.

42:59 Голос 3 I find it fascinating that some of the old ways still apply to our modern society. My back feels cool after eating something like mango shaved ice. And the kids say, ah, I feel like my head just froze.

43:12 Голос 2 Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul.

43:42 Голос 3 This is NPR News.

43:45 Голос 1 You're listening to Morning Edition right here on KUNC. To devotees of the Grateful Dead, the first nine days of August are known as the Days Between. This annual celebration commemorates the birth and death of guitarist Jerry Garcia. That story in moments as KUNC continues and Morning Edition as well right here on KUNC. It's 743.

44:17 Голос 2 Between AI and social media and misinformation, it's good to be skeptical of what you hear.

44:22 Голос 1 On Morning Edition from NPR News, you get independent reporting.

44:25 Голос 4 And tell us what NPR has learned about these back-channel efforts.

44:29 Голос 3 Driven by curiosity, not an agenda.

44:31 Голос 2 Oh, that part is news to me. What's going on here?

44:35 Голос 1 Get the facts every weekday.

44:37 Голос 3 Listen right here on 91.5 KUNC.

44:46 Голос 2 KUNC is supported by your sustaining membership. And by the Walton Family Foundation, dedicated to bringing together diverse partners and developing innovative solutions that support healthy rivers, clean drinking water, thriving farms and ranches, and sustained Colorado. And by Theatre Silco in Silverthorne, presenting Tenderly, a soulful musical about Rosemary Clooney that traces her journey from small-town girl to international star. More at thesilco.org.

45:17 Голос 1 Northern Colorado weather, front range as well. Sunny, hot, and hazy conditions. Temperatures peaking right around the mid-90s. There is a regional front range action day air quality alert in effect until 4 this afternoon because of elevated ozone and widespread wildfire smoke drifting in from those western and northwestern fires. It is 744 as Morning Edition continues here on KUNC.

46:39 Голос 2 Learn more at JoyceFDN.org And from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation at MacFound.org

46:51 Голос 3 It's Morning Edition from NPR News. I'm Laila Fadil.

46:54 Голос 4 And I'm Michelle Martin. Followers of the Grateful Dead call this week the Days Between, that is, the days between the anniversaries of the birth and death of guitarist Jerry Garcia. Musicians who have played with or followed in the footsteps of the Grateful Dead are among the many who observe. As part of a series from NPR Music about the Dead's legacy, Felix Contreras spoke with some of them.

47:15 Голос 1 Some people are born deadheads and some have to find their way to the band. On paper, you'd assume that Jim James would be the lifelong sort of fan.

47:24 Голос 5 His band, My Morning Jacket, is known for a quirky, twangy sound rooted in folk and sprinkled with psychedelia. Except for a long time, he hated the Grateful Dead. But his mind began to change when he started listening to the dead's acoustic songs like candy man

47:39 Голос 6 Which he covered on a massive

47:41 Голос 1 2016 tribute album to the band called day of the dead

47:52 Голос 4 There's a beautiful bravery and freedom in the dead. Because sometimes they don't do a good job. Sometimes it's a mess.

47:58 Голос 6 You're in bad notes and they're lost for a while. And then they find it again or whatever.

48:02 Голос 4 And that's life.

48:04 Голос 5 Jeff Tweedy's band Wilco also contributed a cover to that tribute album.

48:08 Голос 6 A fiery early dead jam called St. Stephen.

48:12 Голос 2 They performed it with dead guitarist Bob Weir.

48:22 Голос 5 as a musician tweedy says he's fascinated by the idea that if you consider the band's individual

48:27 Голос 6 parts the whole of the grateful dead should not have worked it really is kind of a miracle

48:34 Голос 4 you know that it would work that a bass player not consistently interested in the root note would work with a guy that cut his teeth playing bluegrass and different types of music and then a

48:47 Голос 3 a young kid that seems to know every chord voicing in the world.

48:51 Голос 1 Another miracle many have learned from?

48:53 Голос 5 The Dead's improv skills.

48:55 Голос 1 In 2018, Weir handpicked the veteran producer and musician Don Woz

49:00 Голос 5 to play bass in his trio called The Wolf Bros.

49:03 Голос 6 My first thought was, I'm going to take a master class

49:06 Голос 2 from this fearless improviser,

49:08 Голос 6 and I'm going to learn how to stop thinking so much, and I'm going to learn how to not be afraid to take a leap with things and then I'm going to apply that to every aspect of my life.

49:31 Голос 5 Graham Lesh was literally born into the Grateful Dead life. His father was Phil Lesh, the band's founding bassist. His dad died in 2024, and Graham now plays the Dead songs with his own band.

49:43 Голос 4 What Phil Lesh taught his son is a lesson that applies to anyone who plays the music of the Dead,

49:49 Голос 1 whether you're on the front porch with your kids or on a stage in front of thousands.

49:53 Голос 4 My folks described the Grateful Dead as a big old oak tree.

49:57 Голос 2 The roots were like the jazz and the blues, and the trunk is the band members. and the branches and the leaves are everyone inspired by them that's what i am all of us and it'll grow and grow and not every tree lives forever but outlives all of

50:48 Голос 4 This is NPR News.

50:51 Голос 1 You're listening to KUNC Morning Edition. We'll continue momentarily. In fact, in 18 minutes, Iran says it's close to a deal with Oman over navigation of the Strait of Hormuz and the latest effort to end U.S.-Iran conflict. NPR's Michelle Martin will talk with Michael Singh, a Middle East advisor, a former one, about that to see what are next steps. That in 18 minutes here as Morning Edition continues on KUNC.

51:16 Голос 2 soon we yearn to get back to a time when we worked with our hands but what era are we actually talking about is there something really positive and radical here or is it's going to start with just something that's possibly reactionary the centuries-old longing to get back to the good old days of craftsmanship and how that can go awry that's next time on think join us at one o'clock

51:41 Голос 3 and eight o'clock for think here on 91.5 kunc

51:47 Голос 2 KUNC is supported by your sustaining membership. And by Puder Pet and Feed, celebrating 37 years of serving northern Colorado. Featuring pet food and feed, toys, treats, and more. Two-day delivery available in good or bad weather. PuderFeed.com And by the Moths Denver Grand Slam, September 25th at Newman Center for the Performing Arts. Story Slam champs compete with tails on the theme, Should Have Known. Tickets at themoth.org slash events.

52:14 Голос 1 As NPR continues in Morning Edition, NPR's Leila Fadal will ask the chair of the U.N. Commission about a report alleging that Israel targets Palestinian children, which Israel denies, that in mere moments on KUNC. As Morning Edition continues here, I'm Marty Lentz. Good morning.

52:46 Голос 4 This is Morning Edition from NPR News. I'm Michelle Martin.

52:49 Голос 3 And I'm Leila Fadil. Palestinian health authorities say the Israeli military has killed at least 260 Palestinian children since the ceasefire in Gaza last October. An independent UN commission concluded that Israel has been deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, killing at least 20,000 children in the last two and a half years. Israel denies it's targeting children.

53:17 Голос 4 We've interviewed witnesses, victims, and sometimes children in person.

53:22 Голос 5 And we've got a wide array of sources.

53:24 Голос 4 And we subject all of them to rigorous scientific analysis.

53:28 Голос 3 That's Sreenivasan Marlidar, the chair of the commission and one of India's most respected jurists. We reached him in Chennai, India. And as you continue listening, I do want to tell you that he and others describe in graphic detail the killing of children.

53:43 Голос 4 Israeli soldiers have themselves admitted on camera how for them it was like a game.

53:49 Голос 6 And they were also vying with each other for more and more targets of children.

53:53 Голос 5 One of them says how his commander complimented him when he killed a child,

53:58 Голос 4 which is why we know that children were deliberately targeted.

54:01 Голос 3 The report is nearly 100 pages. The team verified cases of children targeted by precision weapons like quadcopters.

54:37 Голос 5 The breastfeeding mother is unharmed. There have been numerous other instances we've recorded where the child is accompanying the adult. The child is shot, the adult is unharmed.

54:48 Голос 3 Testimonies they collected from doctors who worked in Gaza are posted publicly online, including this from Dr. Mimi Syed, who leads an emergency department in Washington state. Here, she's describing treating children.

54:59 Голос 2 And almost all of the cases that I saw, witnesses said that they were shot by quadcopters outside playing by themselves. They were single shots to the head, to the neck, and to the abdomen. I saw that both times when I was in Gaza. And it's hard to say that these are not intentional.

55:15 Голос 3 And this from Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan, a pediatric intensive care doctor who practices in Philadelphia.

55:21 Голос 5 I even remember one mass casualty in 2025 where all we received was children.

55:27 Голос 3 The commission also gathered a series of public statements by Israeli politicians that seem to be encouraging the killing of Palestinian children. Here's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gavir at a press conference in the spring of 2024. I appreciate him, he says, praising a soldier for killing a child Ben-Gavir referred to as a 12-year-old terrorist. And here's former Israeli parliament member Moshe Feiglin last year. Every child, every baby in Gaza is an enemy, he said on Israel's Channel 14. Here's Merlodar again.

56:06 Голос 6 The team go over the same pieces of video clips and audio messages and these photographs over and over again

56:13 Голос 4 because they don't want me found making a mistake.

56:16 Голос 2 We were anticipating the casual accusation that Israeli authorities make that this is a propaganda. And so they take that extra precaution of looking at that same video again and again.

56:28 Голос 6 And it is very draining emotionally.

56:31 Голос 3 Israel has lambasted the report's findings and the commission as a sham. Among the accusations, the commission relied on unverified testimony. It has a bias against Israel and that it minimized Hamas's role in the harming of Palestinian children by operating in civilian areas. I put that to Merladar. Now, Israel has issued a rebuttal to your report, saying...

56:53 Голос 6 Yeah, it's an 18-page rebuttal.

56:54 Голос 3 18-page. They call your report a blood libel that is based on flawed methodology. How do you respond to that?

57:03 Голос 4 Israel instructs its citizens not to engage with the commission. It's a very specific instruction. They accuse this commission of relying entirely on evidence produced by Hamas. Now, I want to categorically deny this. we choose not to take on board submissions made to us by Hamas or Hamas affiliated organizations so we don't engage with them at all we do metadata extraction we do geolocation we use satellite imagery we never ever rely on any single source of evidence and for this report on top of all of this

57:35 Голос 5 we have Israeli soldiers who have themselves filmed their violent acts spoken about it we have

57:42 Голос 2 have all this evidence with us. So I'm very confident, whatever Israel might say,

57:48 Голос 3 this report is based on solid evidence. The Israeli government's 18-page rebuttal acknowledges its refusal to engage with the commission, calling it a principled position over what Israel sees as the commission's bias. Morlidar also says the evidence they gathered bolsters the charge of genocide against Israel, the intentional destruction of a people in whole or in part it's a charge that leading human rights organizations in and outside israel have made along with leading genocide scholars israel has repeatedly denied this accusation the charge of genocide that hinges on intent yes what evidence is there of that children constitute

58:26 Голос 4 the social and biological continuity of a people the deliberate targeting of children is to ensure that there is no continuity of the palestinian people and we have said that in so many words

58:37 Голос 3 You've briefed leaders of lots of countries on these findings of this report. Are any of them suggesting that they might take action based on what you found?

58:47 Голос 4 They don't want to be committing themselves to any such statement formally to us. We've listed out 11 battalions, divisions and units of the Israeli Defense Forces and linked each of them to the particular incident of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.

59:03 Голос 2 side. There are many nationals of other countries who are serving on the Israeli defense forces.

59:09 Голос 3 As in dual nationals, Israeli and something else.

59:12 Голос 1 Yes, there are over 12,000 Americans serving on the Israeli defense forces,

59:16 Голос 4 over 700 Australians, 6,000 French. About 17 country nationals are serving on the Israeli defense forces. And those countries, many of them are treaty ratifying members of several

59:27 Голос 6 multilateral conventions. It could be the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It It could be the International Criminal Court. Now, these countries have an obligation in international human rights law.

59:37 Голос 5 They first have to investigate their role.

59:40 Голос 4 They should prosecute them and try them.

59:42 Голос 3 That was Srinivasan Muralidhar, chair of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. We offered interviews for this piece to the Israeli military and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Neither made anyone available in time for air. The ministry spokesman provided a previously released statement calling the report a propaganda piece.

60:20 Голос 1 You're enjoying Morning Edition on KUNC. I'm Marty Lenz. Good morning. During World War II, the U.S. Army built a unique training ground in the mountains near Leadville. Thousands of soldiers