--:-- [Theme music fades out]
--:-- Scott Simon: Yesterday, President Joe Biden tackled questions about his candidacy. You're going to drop out. What are you going to do? Here's my answer. I am running and going to win again.
--:-- Aisha Roscoe: I'm Aisha Roscoe, and this is Up First from NPR News.
--:-- Scott Simon: The president was also adamant during an interview with ABC News. If you can be convinced that you cannot defeat Donald Trump, will you stand down?
--:-- Aisha Roscoe: With the defense of the Lord Almighty comes out and tells me that I might do that. Is his resolve enough to tamp down pressure from within his own party?
--:-- Scott Simon: Also, the Kansas Supreme Court reaffirms the right to abortion in that state. And a reformist candidate wins Iran's presidency. Please stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend.
--:-- Scott Simon: This message comes from BetterHelp. It's only human to ask others for advice, like turning to your barista, hairdresser, or a taxi driver for life advice. But when you're looking for help about relationships, anxiety, depression, or other clinical issues, they may not have all the right answers. Instead, get guidance from a licensed therapist online with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com slash NPR for 10% off your first month.
--:-- Aisha Roscoe: This message comes from Lisa. Lisa mattresses are meticulously designed and assembled in the USA for exceptional quality, and each mattress is designed with specific sleep positions and feel preferences in mind. Plus, they back it all up with free shipping, easy returns, and a 100-night sleep trial. Visit lisa.com for 25% off mattresses, plus get an extra $50 off with promo code NPR. That's L-E-E-S-A dot com, promo code NPR.
--:-- Scott Simon: That's Lisa.
--:-- Aisha Roscoe: This message comes from NPR sponsor Adobe. Introducing the all-new Adobe Acrobat Studio, now with AI-powered PDF spaces. Need to turn 100 pages of market research into five insights with a click? Templates for a sales proposal that'll close that deal? Or an AI specialist to tailor the tone of your market report? You can do all that with the all-new Adobe Acrobat Studio. Learn more at adobe.com slash do that with Acrobat.
--:-- Scott Simon: Supporters at a Biden rally in the swing state of Wisconsin yelled, we love you, Joe, as the president made the case for his reelection yesterday. He also sat for an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos. It was widely taken as the president's chance to regain his supporters' confidence after a faltering debate performance against Donald Trump.
--:-- Tamara Keith: Biden says he's not dropping out of the race and that he will defeat Trump in November, just as he did four years ago. And our senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith joins us.
--:-- Scott Simon: Tam, thanks for being with us. Glad to be with you.
--:-- Tamara Keith: What's your assessment? How did the interview go?
--:-- Scott Simon: President Biden was repeatedly pressed on his insistence on staying in the race and whether he might be fooling himself about his ability to win and serve another four years. But he was defiant. He insisted that polls showing him trailing are wrong. And he often pivoted to talk about what he has accomplished and the danger, he says, former President Trump poses.
--:-- Tamara Keith: But at times his answers were also garbled with multiple ideas tumbling out at the same time in a way that made it difficult to fully understand his point. Like when Stephanopoulos asked him whether he realized while the debate was happening how badly it was going.
--:-- Scott Simon: I prepared what I usually would do sitting down as I did come back with foreign leaders or the National Security Council for explicit detail. And I realized about partway through that you know although I get quoted the New York Times had me down at 10 points before the debate nine now or whatever the hell it is
--:-- Tamara Keith: That answer went on a bit longer from there. But then there were other moments that were crystal clear, like when Stephanopoulos asked Biden about his fitness for office.
--:-- Scott Simon: Can I run the 110 flat? No. But I'm still in good shape. Are you more frail? No.
--:-- Tamara Keith: So how sharply did he answer what were some very sharp and real questions about not just debate performance, but fitness to serve?
--:-- Scott Simon: Well, with regards to the debate, he said he was exhausted from foreign travel and then had a bad cold and that it was just an off night.
--:-- Tamara Keith: Stephanopoulos asked him whether he had taken a cognitive exam. And Biden said he hadn't, that no one told him he needed to.
--:-- Scott Simon: And he insisted that he gets a cognitive test every day just doing the job, which has been the White House talking point for some time now.
--:-- Tamara Keith: As a reminder, Trump, who is 78 years old, claims to have taken a cognitive test more than once and insists he has aced them, though a detailed report or really any details have never been released.
--:-- Scott Simon: And these tests are not scored like the SAT.
--:-- Tamara Keith: Coming into this interview, there's been growing consternation among many Democrats and increasingly open conversations from people who feel that the president needs to step aside.
--:-- Scott Simon: Does this interview change anything?
--:-- Tamara Keith: There have been a few supportive tweets, but watching what Democrats say on the Sunday political talk shows will give more clues.
--:-- Scott Simon: Biden's performance in this interview was pretty standard Biden circa 2024. He stumbled, but he also smiled his big toothy smile and had the look of someone ready to prove all the doubters wrong.
--:-- Tamara Keith: Before the interview, I spoke with Democratic Congresswoman Nakeema Williams, who's also the chair of the Georgia Democratic Party, and she couched it this way.
--:-- Nakeema Williams: Members of Congress want to make sure that we are putting the best person forward. Right now at the top of our ticket is President Biden. And I think once we're able to get out of this being the main story, then members of Congress are going to reflect where their voters are. And that is who is going to deliver for the American people because that's what we want.
--:-- Tamara Keith: And what happens next, Tam?
--:-- Scott Simon: I was up all night refining that question. Yesterday, certainly bought some time for Biden to keep campaigning. Sunday, he heads to Pennsylvania.
--:-- Tamara Keith: I'll be tagging along for that one. Biden is set to hold a solo press conference during the NATO summit in Washington, D.C. next week. That will be another test of his ability to think on his feet.
--:-- Scott Simon: Members of Congress who have been out on recess return on Monday, and we'll see how loud the cries get.
--:-- Tamara Keith: And Pierce Tamara Keith, thanks so much.
--:-- Tamara Keith: You're welcome.
--:-- Scott Simon: The Kansas Supreme Court has ruled against two laws restricting abortion. That's a big deal because Kansas has experienced an influx of people seeking abortions from surrounding states with more restrictive laws.
--:-- Rose Conlon: We're joined now by Rose Conlon with member station KMUW in Wichita. Rose, thanks for being with us.
--:-- Scott Simon: Hi, thanks for having me.
--:-- Rose Conlon: Please tell us about the laws the court struck down. One law banned a common second trimester abortion method called dilation and evacuation. And the second one imposed extra licensure restrictions on clinics and doctors that provide abortions that go above and beyond restrictions on other medical providers.
--:-- Scott Simon: Neither law was in effect Both had been blocked by lower courts but the decision could affect future rulings on abortion in the state And the Kansas Republican Attorney General had asked the state Supreme Court to overturn those lower decisions and reinstate the laws
--:-- Rose Conlon: Now, I understand the court found that both laws violated the Kansas state constitution. How so?
--:-- Scott Simon: Yeah, so the majority opinion said that the restrictions violate the constitution's quote, fundamental right to personal autonomy, which includes a pregnant person's right to terminate a pregnancy.
--:-- Rose Conlon: That interpretation actually goes back to a ruling from 2019 when the Kansas Supreme Court upheld a temporary block on the dilation and evacuation ban. Yesterday, they said they stand by it.
--:-- Scott Simon: And for advocates, that's giving them some hope that the court might look more critically at other anti-abortion laws that they're currently challenging. So that includes a 24-hour waiting period and a requirement that providers give patients misinformation about abortions, like disproven claims that abortion increases the risk of breast cancer and future premature deliveries.
--:-- Rose Conlon: Rose, why is this ruling so significant both for Kansans and for people who live in nearby states?
--:-- Scott Simon: It's a big deal because so many people are traveling to Kansas for abortions in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme court's Dobbs decision. So, you know, the state has emerged as a leading abortion access point for people living in states with severe abortion restrictions and bans.
--:-- Rose Conlon: Over two-thirds of patients at Kansas clinics are from other states, and over half are from Texas alone. And just to put this in perspective, the Guttmacher Institute, which studies abortion access, recently reported that about 20,000 abortions were performed in Kansas last year, and that's over 150 percent increase from 2020.
--:-- Scott Simon: Rose, what's been the reaction from people on all sides of the question?
--:-- Rose Conlon: So reproductive rights groups are breathing a sigh of relief. They weren't necessarily expecting the court to rule against them, but if that had happened, it would have signaled that the Republican-controlled Kansas legislature might be able to do more to restrict abortion rights going forward.
--:-- Scott Simon: Abortion opponents are not happy. They say the opinions overturn, quote, basic health and safety standards for abortion facilities, which isn't true but is a recurring concern that they've raised.
--:-- Rose Conlon: And they also see the state's role as what they call an abortion destination as really harmful and an existential threat to their values.
--:-- Scott Simon: Rose Conlin with KMUW in Wichita, thanks so much for being with us.
--:-- Rose Conlon: Thank you.
--:-- Scott Simon: Iran has a new president-elect. Voters in the runoff election handed a decisive victory to the reformist candidate, sending a veteran hardline conservative down in defeat.
--:-- Peter Kenyon: And Pierce Peter Kenyon is following the story from Istanbul. Peter, thanks for being with us.
--:-- Scott Simon: Hi, Scott. Was this a surprise? What happened?
--:-- Peter Kenyon: Well, certainly it was a surprisingly resounding win for this reformist and for the moderates who supported him. The winner, his name is Masoud Pazeshkian. He's a former health minister, a lawmaker, and he was squared off against a somewhat better known hardline conservative, a former nuclear negotiator named Saeed Jalili.
--:-- Scott Simon: And since the first round of voting saw a record low 40 percent of eligible voters turn out, no one was sure what to expect.
--:-- Peter Kenyon: But analysts say Iranians took a good look at these two very different contenders and gave Pazeshkian more than 2.8 million more votes than Jalili, so a decisive win.
--:-- Scott Simon: And what was the turnout like this time?
--:-- Peter Kenyon: We ought to note that there were not internationally recognized monitors for this election. That's quite true. And it would be hard to imagine turnout getting much worse than the first round in which none of four candidates managed to achieve an outright victory Pizeshkian and Jalili were the ones who advanced to the runoff This time turnout was a bit larger but still below 50 percent of eligible voters That low for Iran.
--:-- Scott Simon: It's a clear message voters preferred the reform candidate, but many still see no reason to vote.
--:-- Peter Kenyon: What do we know about the president-elect? How is he likely to govern compared with his predecessor?
--:-- Scott Simon: Well, there will definitely be a contrast between Pazeshkian and the late hardline President, Abraham Raisi. He was killed in a helicopter crash resulting in the snap election, but perhaps not quite as dramatic as some Iranians might hope.
--:-- Peter Kenyon: During the campaign, Bezeshgin laid out a very modest agenda, avoiding any major changes. When he met with student groups, for instance, they were definitely not very impressed.
--:-- Scott Simon: He has, though, promised to engage more with the outside world, which the hardliners were loath to do, and he's likely to appoint moderate cabinet ministers.
--:-- Peter Kenyon: And we should note that Iranian president has certain powers, but all the important matters of state, economic, political, military, they're decided by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
--:-- Scott Simon: Pazeskian recently told a reporter he wants to elevate the country, have people working together, not competing, fairly generic stuff.
--:-- Peter Kenyon: Now, I asked Sanam Bakil, she's Iran analyst at the Chatham House think tank in London, what Pazeskian might actually accomplish.
--:-- Sanam Bakil: Maybe a more relaxed approach to social norms like dress codes, things like that.
--:-- Peter Kenyon: But she cautioned against being over optimistic. Here's how she put it.
--:-- Sanam Bakil: You know, these are his ideas. It's very unclear if he will be able to push them through and affect change ultimately because the Iranian president on his own doesn't have that much independent autonomy.
--:-- Scott Simon: And of course, the new president takes office at a time of sharp tensions between Iran and the West.
--:-- Peter Kenyon: How do we assess that now?
--:-- Scott Simon: Well, yes, tensions over Iran's insistence on violating the limits in the 2015 nuclear agreement have only gotten worse over time. Iran began violating the accord after then-President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out in 2018.
--:-- Peter Kenyon: Tensions haven't eased under President Joe Biden. And of course, Trump is considered the presumptive Republican candidate in the upcoming election. So the prospects for improvement are unclear, to say the least.
--:-- Scott Simon: And here's Peter Kenyon in Istanbul. Thanks so much.
--:-- Peter Kenyon: Thanks, Scott.
--:-- [Closing music starts]
--:-- Scott Simon: And that's up first for Saturday, July 6, 2024. I'm Scott Simon. And I'm Aisha Roscoe.
--:-- Aisha Roscoe: Danny Hensel produced today's episode with help from Gabe O'Connor and Elena Torek. Michael Radcliffe directed this podcast, and he's awesome.
--:-- Scott Simon: Our editors are the magnificent half dozen. Roberta Rampton, Ryland Barton, Don Clyde, Matthew Sherman, Samantha Balaban, and Melissa Gray.
--:-- Aisha Roscoe: Our engineers are also magnificent. Our technical director is Hannah Glovna, and we had engineering support from Nisha Highness, Arthur Halliday-Lorent, Tom Marquito, and David Melmer.
--:-- Scott Simon: And the parade of magnificence doesn't stop. Evie Stone, our senior supervising editor. Sarah Lucy Oliver, our executive producer. And Jim Cain, our deputy managing editor. He's omnipresent.
--:-- Aisha Roscoe: Tomorrow on the Sunday Story podcast, what's it like when one political party has near complete control of a state? We hear how three conservative mothers in Tennessee learn to navigate their Republican-controlled state legislature over the course of a year.
--:-- Scott Simon: And you can listen to more news, interviews, sports, entertainment, whatever you want all weekend long on your NPR station. You can find it by going to stations.npr.org. It's available all the time.
--:-- Aisha Roscoe: Yeah, I mean, you and I aren't, right?
--:-- Scott Simon: No, no, we're not. Well, pretty much. You're the mother of three. Yes, of course. Thank you.
