STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Today is July 31, which is the end of the month. And it is hard to believe how much has happened since July 1.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
So we're going to hear now some newsmakers and some of our own reporting of the past 30 days. At the start of this month, Americans were still processing a presidential debate.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: And I'm going to continue to move until we get the total ban on the total initiative relative to what we're going to do with more border patrol and more asylum officers.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: President Trump?
DONALD TRUMP: I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence.
MARTÍNEZ: It feels like the news hasn't stopped since then. So we're going to spend the next couple of minutes going back and listening to July in sound.
(SOUNDBITE OF MONTAGE)
BIDEN: For all practical purposes, today's decision almost certainly means that there are virtually no limits on the president can do.
NANCY PELOSI: Is this an episode or is this a condition?
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: He had a cold and a bad night. I would not see this as an episode.
LLOYD DOGGETT: We could lose not only the presidency, but the House and the Senate.
BIDEN: We're on the cusp of getting so much done.
PELOSI: It's up to the president to decide if he is going to run.
SCOTT DETROW: On the line, our reporter at the rally, Danielle (ph). It's good to hear you. Tell us what you saw.
DANIELLE KURTZLEBEN: Yeah. So I didn't see the shots happen. There was a series of pops. I'd say maybe half a dozen, pop-pop-pop-pop-pop. I saw Secret Service agents swarmed around the former president, and I saw Donald Trump put his fist in the air, and the crowd cheered for him.
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Chanting) USA, USA, USA.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: Hello.
SACHA PFEIFFER, BYLINE: American pop culture lost three household names over the weekend.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
RICHARD SIMMONS: Inhale. Up. Oh. Welcome to the disco.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
RUTH WESTHEIMER: Good evening. This is Dr. Ruth Westheimer.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "BEVERLY HILLS, 90210")
SHANNEN DOHERTY: (As Brenda) Now, I'm going upstairs, and I'm going to pack, and then I'm leaving this house.
NICK BAILEY: We've had five prime ministers in 14 years.
PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER: Change begins now.
MARTÍNEZ: Hurricane Beryl turned the lights out on Houston.
MICHAEL WEBBER: There's also California, the heat and wildfires and tornadoes and heat wave in New York.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #4: Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike had a software update go awry.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #5: Airlines, 911 calls - businesses have to close.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GOD BLESS THE USA")
LEE GREENWOOD: (Singing) God bless the USA.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TRUMP: JD Vance and his incredible wife, Usha.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: America and Israel must stand together.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
BIDEN: So I've decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation.
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent.
(SOUNDBITE OF BERLIN PHILHARMONIC AND JOHN WILLIAMS' "OLYMPIC FANFARE AND THEME")
MARY LOUISE KELLY, BYLINE: With the U.S. gold medal in the women's gymnastics team all-around final today, Biles has won eight Olympic medals, five of them gold.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
SIMONE BILES: After I finished vault, I was relieved. I was like, whew, because at least no flashbacks or anything. And as soon as I landed vault, I was like, oh, yeah, I'm definitely - we're going to do this.
INSKEEP: Wow. Those are all news events that took place during the month of July, just one month at home and abroad. And on this final day of the month, we are also following huge news from Iran and Lebanon - strikes that killed leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas.
MARTÍNEZ: Still a few more hours left to go in this very wild month of July 2024. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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