NPR News: 07-26-2026 11PM EDT

NPR News: 07-26-2026 11PM EDT

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey crossed $640 million worldwide in just 10 days — a faster pace than Oppenheimer — while a shooter wounded several people near Seattle's Space Needle at a food festival.

Jul 27, 2026 4:59 Difficulty: Beginner Played

TL;DR

Breaking news from NPR's 11PM bulletin: a shooting near Seattle's Space Needle at the Bite of Seattle festival injures several people. Israeli PM Netanyahu heads to Washington to meet President Trump on Tuesday, with Iran war strategy and a U.S.-Saudi nuclear energy deal on the agenda. Pacific Northwest wildfires — fueled by record-low winter snowfall — are forcing thousands to evacuate and straining firefighting resources. Christopher Nolan's *The Odyssey* races past $640 million worldwide in just 10 days, on pace to become his third $1.2 billion film.

#Seattle shooting #Netanyahu-Trump summit #Iran war #U.S.-Saudi nuclear deal #midterm elections #Pacific Northwest wildfires #Oregon drought #wildfire evacuations #The Odyssey box office #Christopher Nolan #PGA Tour #Jackson Koivun #NPR #news #Space Needle #Netanyahu #Trump #midterms #wildfires #Oregon #The Odyssey #box office #PGA golf

NPR's late-night bulletin covers five stories: a shooting near Seattle's Space Needle at the Bite of Seattle food festival; Israeli PM Netanyahu's trip to Washington for a Trump summit focused on the Iran war and a U.S.-Saudi nuclear deal; the 100-day midterm countdown with Hakeem Jeffries rallying Pennsylvania Democrats; Pacific Northwest wildfires driven by record-low snowfall; Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey shattering box office records; and PGA rookie Jackson Koivun's record-breaking tournament win.

Chapter list
  • The bulletin leads with urgent breaking news out of Seattle. Multiple people have been shot near the iconic Space Needle at a venue hosting the Bite of Seattle food festival — one of the city's most popular summer events. Police have sealed off the area and are urging the public to stay well clear. The circumstances of the shooting were not yet known at the time of the broadcast. The story would be revisited at the close of the bulletin, underscoring its significance as the night's top breaking story.

  • NPR's Emily Feng reports from Tel Aviv that Netanyahu convened a cabinet meeting before boarding his flight to the United States, where he will first attend the funeral of the late Senator Lindsey Graham — a staunch ally of Israel — before sitting down with President Trump on Tuesday. The bilateral agenda is dense: front and center is the ongoing war with Iran, during which the U.S. has paused its own strikes for two days, though Israel has signalled its readiness to re-engage. Iran's military spokesperson fired back, accusing Israel of engineering a scenario designed to pull the U.S. into an expanded conflict. Complicating matters further, Netanyahu is alarmed by a newly signed U.S.-Saudi nuclear energy agreement, which Israel has historically opposed on the grounds that it could one day give the kingdom a pathway to nuclear weapons. An Israeli poll found that more than 90% of Israelis believed the abandoned ceasefire had favored Iranian interests — a striking indicator of Israeli public opinion heading into the Washington talks.

  • Dale Willman marks the 100-day countdown to November's midterm elections, where both chambers of Congress and multiple governorships are up for grabs. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries joined Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro at a rally in Bethlehem, PA, to make the Democratic case to working-class voters. Jeffries delivered a sharp-edged indictment of Republican priorities, arguing that MAGA Republicans have found money for Trump's war in Iran, for what he called a 'king-like ballroom,' and for ICE enforcement against immigrant families, but have left the cupboard bare when it comes to easing the cost of living for ordinary Americans. His closing line — 'the cookie jar is empty' — is designed to cut through as a midterm campaign rallying cry.

  • Oregon Public Broadcasting's Joni Audenland reports from Portland on a wildfire crisis that has been building all week. The root cause: Oregon's record-low snowfall this past winter left the landscape parched and primed to burn. The Bench Fire, which erupted Saturday night, quickly forced thousands to flee the Warm Springs tribal community in central Oregon. Parts of central and eastern Oregon are now blanketed in hazardous wildfire smoke, creating dangerous air quality conditions for residents who haven't evacuated. Perhaps most alarming, the Oregon Department of Forestry's Jessica Newyer candidly acknowledged that there simply aren't enough firefighters on the ground — crews are being forced to prioritize which fires receive full staffing, a triage approach that signals just how badly resources are stretched.

  • Dale Willman tosses to NPR film critic Bob Mondello for a remarkable box office story. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey — an epic adaptation of the ancient Greek tale — zipped past the $500 million mark on Friday, and is on course to end its first full 10 days with approximately $640 million worldwide. The key metric is the second-weekend drop: while most blockbusters shed around 50% of their opening, The Odyssey fell by just 19%, a figure that signals what the film industry calls 'legs.' Mondello notes this is a faster pace than any previous Nolan film, surpassing benchmarks set by Oppenheimer and the Batman franchise. Current projections put The Odyssey on a trajectory to become the third Nolan film to surpass $1.2 billion in total ticket sales — a rarefied achievement for any filmmaker.

  • The bulletin closes the sports segment with a stunning golf story. Jackson Koivun, competing in only his third professional event, claimed victory at the PGA Tournament in Minnesota with a closing 5-under 66, finishing at a tournament-record 25-under 259 total. The achievement is all the more striking given his opponent: world number one Scottie Scheffler, who began Sunday buried in the pack but fired a blistering 63 to climb to second place — only to find himself three strokes short of a player who is barely out of his rookie season. Koivun's win marks a significant moment in professional golf, raising immediate questions about whether a new star has arrived on the tour.

  • Returning to the evening's most urgent story, Dale Willman repeats the breaking news alert about the shooting near Seattle's Space Needle at the Bite of Seattle food festival, reminding listeners that several people have been injured and that police are urging the public to avoid the area. After the sign-off, an NPR announcer delivers a brief promotional note: Amazon Prime members can access NPR News Now without sponsor breaks through Amazon Music, or listeners can support NPR's journalism by subscribing to NPR+ at plus.npr.org.

legs
Film industry term for a movie that maintains strong ticket sales over multiple weeks rather than dropping sharply after opening weekend.
ceasefire
A temporary agreement between warring parties to stop fighting; here referring to the now-abandoned U.S.-Iran pause in hostilities.
ICE
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. federal agency responsible for immigration law enforcement and border control.
MAGA
Acronym for 'Make America Great Again,' the political slogan and movement associated with Donald Trump and his Republican base.
5-under 66
Golf scoring term meaning a player completed the round five strokes below par, with a raw score of 66.
25-under 259
Golf cumulative scoring term meaning a player finished the tournament 25 strokes below par with a total score of 259.
tribal community
A federally recognized Native American community with its own governance; here referring to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in Oregon.
blockbuster
A film that achieves massive commercial success; in the film industry, typically refers to a major studio release with very high box office earnings.

Chapter 1 · 00:00

Breaking News: Shooting Near Seattle's Space Needle

The bulletin leads with urgent breaking news out of Seattle. Multiple people have been shot near the iconic Space Needle at a venue hosting the Bite of Seattle food festival — one of the city's most popular summer events. Police have sealed off the area and are urging the public to stay well clear. The circumstances of the shooting were not yet known at the time of the broadcast. The story would be revisited at the close of the bulletin, underscoring its significance as the night's top breaking story.

Chapter 2 · 00:34

Netanyahu Flies to Washington: Iran War and Saudi Nuclear Deal

NPR's Emily Feng reports from Tel Aviv that Netanyahu convened a cabinet meeting before boarding his flight to the United States, where he will first attend the funeral of the late Senator Lindsey Graham — a staunch ally of Israel — before sitting down with President Trump on Tuesday. The bilateral agenda is dense: front and center is the ongoing war with Iran, during which the U.S. has paused its own strikes for two days, though Israel has signalled its readiness to re-engage. Iran's military spokesperson fired back, accusing Israel of engineering a scenario designed to pull the U.S. into an expanded conflict. Complicating matters further, Netanyahu is alarmed by a newly signed U.S.-Saudi nuclear energy agreement, which Israel has historically opposed on the grounds that it could one day give the kingdom a pathway to nuclear weapons. An Israeli poll found that more than 90% of Israelis believed the abandoned ceasefire had favored Iranian interests — a striking indicator of Israeli public opinion heading into the Washington talks.

Chapter 3 · 01:16

100 Days to Midterms: Jeffries Rallies Pennsylvania Democrats

Dale Willman marks the 100-day countdown to November's midterm elections, where both chambers of Congress and multiple governorships are up for grabs. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries joined Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro at a rally in Bethlehem, PA, to make the Democratic case to working-class voters. Jeffries delivered a sharp-edged indictment of Republican priorities, arguing that MAGA Republicans have found money for Trump's war in Iran, for what he called a 'king-like ballroom,' and for ICE enforcement against immigrant families, but have left the cupboard bare when it comes to easing the cost of living for ordinary Americans. His closing line — 'the cookie jar is empty' — is designed to cut through as a midterm campaign rallying cry.

Chapter 4 · 01:58

Pacific Northwest Wildfire Emergency: Evacuations and Firefighter Shortage

Oregon Public Broadcasting's Joni Audenland reports from Portland on a wildfire crisis that has been building all week. The root cause: Oregon's record-low snowfall this past winter left the landscape parched and primed to burn. The Bench Fire, which erupted Saturday night, quickly forced thousands to flee the Warm Springs tribal community in central Oregon. Parts of central and eastern Oregon are now blanketed in hazardous wildfire smoke, creating dangerous air quality conditions for residents who haven't evacuated. Perhaps most alarming, the Oregon Department of Forestry's Jessica Newyer candidly acknowledged that there simply aren't enough firefighters on the ground — crews are being forced to prioritize which fires receive full staffing, a triage approach that signals just how badly resources are stretched.

Chapter 5 · 02:56

The Odyssey Smashes Box Office Records for Christopher Nolan

Dale Willman tosses to NPR film critic Bob Mondello for a remarkable box office story. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey — an epic adaptation of the ancient Greek tale — zipped past the $500 million mark on Friday, and is on course to end its first full 10 days with approximately $640 million worldwide. The key metric is the second-weekend drop: while most blockbusters shed around 50% of their opening, The Odyssey fell by just 19%, a figure that signals what the film industry calls 'legs.' Mondello notes this is a faster pace than any previous Nolan film, surpassing benchmarks set by Oppenheimer and the Batman franchise. Current projections put The Odyssey on a trajectory to become the third Nolan film to surpass $1.2 billion in total ticket sales — a rarefied achievement for any filmmaker.

Chapter 6 · 04:00

PGA Recap: Koivun Sets Tournament Record, Edges World No. 1 Scheffler

The bulletin closes the sports segment with a stunning golf story. Jackson Koivun, competing in only his third professional event, claimed victory at the PGA Tournament in Minnesota with a closing 5-under 66, finishing at a tournament-record 25-under 259 total. The achievement is all the more striking given his opponent: world number one Scottie Scheffler, who began Sunday buried in the pack but fired a blistering 63 to climb to second place — only to find himself three strokes short of a player who is barely out of his rookie season. Koivun's win marks a significant moment in professional golf, raising immediate questions about whether a new star has arrived on the tour.

No indexed bits in this chapter.

Show stoppers

Snapshots ()

Key Quotes ()

This episode

Claims & Sources

1 / 12 cited (8%)

Factual claims made this episode, and whether a source was named.

More than 90% of Israelis believed the now-abandoned U.S.-Iran ceasefire favored Iranian interests, according to an Israeli poll conducted last month.

Emily Feng Israeli poll (last month, unspecified pollster)

Oregon had record-low snowfall this past winter, contributing to the outbreak of wildfires.

Joni Audenland no source cited

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey passed $500 million in ticket sales within its first 10 days in theaters.

Dale Willman no source cited

Most blockbusters drop by about 50% in their second weekend, but The Odyssey dropped by only 19%.

Bob Mondello no source cited

The Odyssey is expected to earn $87 million in North America and $128 million overseas in its second weekend.

Bob Mondello no source cited

The Odyssey will end its first 10 days with a worldwide total of nearly $640 million.

Bob Mondello no source cited

The Odyssey's box office pace is faster than any previous Christopher Nolan film, including Oppenheimer and the Batman films.

Bob Mondello no source cited

The Odyssey is projected to become Christopher Nolan's third film to top $1.2 billion in total ticket sales.

Bob Mondello no source cited

Jackson Koivun won the PGA Tournament in Minnesota with a tournament-record 25-under 259 total.

Dale Willman no source cited

Jackson Koivun's PGA Tournament win came in only his third start as a professional golfer.

Dale Willman no source cited

Scottie Scheffler finished with a 63 on Sunday at the PGA Tournament in Minnesota, placing him second, three strokes behind Koivun.

Dale Willman no source cited

There are just 100 days left until November's midterm elections as of July 26, 2026.

Dale Willman no source cited

This episode

Cast

Stats

Episode stats

Insight Overview

insights
chapters

Insight distribution

Sub-Categories

Speaker breakdown

Talk Time