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Live from NPR News, I'm Korva Coleman. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has finished a news conference at the Pentagon. He and the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff discussed the U.S. military strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites last weekend. The CIA has released a new report that aligns with President Trump's declaration the main site at Fordow was obliterated.
Another intelligence assessment that came to light earlier this week suggested the damage was minimal. Hegseth says that the Trump administration's view is supported by others. Here's the head of the U.N. Atomic Energy Agency this morning, Rafael Grossi.
U.S. and Israeli strikes caused enormous damage to Iran's nuclear sites. However, Hegseth said he is unaware of any intelligence that Iran moved uranium out of the sites ahead of the U.S. strikes.
At Turkey's eastern border with Iran, people continue to cross into the city of Van. They're not always fleeing a single moment of crisis, but a sense that life at home is no longer sustainable. Reporter Gurcha Saracholu has more from Van, Turkey. Iranians of all ages arrive quietly, carrying what they can, but more often bringing uncertainty than luggage. Farhad, who is 25, came from Tehran.
He only shared his first name out of fear of government retaliation. I don't know if my house was bombed. He left behind his parents in a generational divide. His mother still supports Iran's clerical regime and it won't be enough for him to return home even if peace holds. Nothing could make me happier than that. It's really hard to know because if the war stops, you'll be living under this regime that has been
plundering the country's wealth and youth and time and everything. For now, Ferhat hopes to stay in Istanbul for a few months. For NPR News, Gökçe Sarıçoğlu in Van, Turkey. President Trump's budget director, Russell Vogt, is defending the administration's request to claw back more than $9 billion in foreign aid and funding for public media. NPR's Deirdre Walsh reports on the next steps in the Senate.
Senators from both parties pressed vote about the impact the administration's $1 billion cut for public media would have for emergency services and local news, especially in rural states. Chair Susan Collins says she shares the administration's concerns that some content is ideologically biased, but pointed out most of the money goes to local stations.
There are, however, more targeted approaches to addressing that bias at NPR than rescinding all of the funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The House narrowly approved the administration's request and the Senate has until July 18th to vote. If it fails to approve it, the administration must release the funds for the targeted programs.
Deirdre Walsh, NPR News, the Capitol. You're listening to NPR News. This message comes from the Nature Conservancy. Nature is common ground for everyone, and uniting to protect nature can help solve today's challenges and create a thriving tomorrow for future generations. Discover why at nature.org slash NPR.