When you walk into NPR headquarters, one of the first things you see is a big map of the country covered with little blue dots.

Each dot represents a local public radio station. That's the NPR network.

I'm Catherine Marr, CEO of NPR.

With federal funding for public media eliminated, your network is under serious threat.

Help us plan for the road ahead at donate.npr.org.

Hi, this is Rebecca. And this is Paul. We're from Falls Church, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C.

But right now we are sitting on a terrace in Umbria, Italy. This podcast was recorded at

106 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, July 25th, 2025.

So things may have changed by the time you hear this.

But we will still be enjoying the view of the medieval town of Toadie

while drinking a glass of Rosato.

Enjoy the show. Sante!

Sante! Music Enjoy the show. Sontay. So jealous.

Cheers.

How is the weather there, guys?

Because here it's like 105 feels like temperature.

Then it's going to rain when we get to go to the pool if we ever leave work.

That sounds better than suburban D.C., I have to say.

Take me with you, man.

Hey there, it's the NPR Politics Podcast. I'm Sarah McCammon. I cover politics. I'm Tamara Keith. I cover

the White House. And I'm Deirdre Walsh. I cover Congress. Today on the show, does Congress still have

its power of the purse? The House has left town for its summer break, but before they left, Congress passed a $9 billion rescissions package requested by the White House, which canceled funding that Congress had previously approved.

...