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NPR News: 07-22-2026 4AM EDT

July 22, 2026

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5 min read

“As each hour of the school day ticks by, kids tend to get scormier.” That line from a new study in Developmental Psychology captures something every teacher knows intuitively, but the research adds a sharp edge: the kids who get the scormiest—most fidgety and unable to sit still—tend to have lower academic scores later in life, while those who self-regulate through the school day are about 20% more likely to finish a four-year degree. The study tracked children from around the country and found that as mental exhaustion builds hour by hour, physical movement increases. But the researchers also caution that not all wiggles are distraction; sometimes movement helps kids process and learn. That finding, reported by NPR’s Janaki Mehta, was one of several developments in Tuesday’s news cycle, which was dominated by a tense Pentagon budget hearing and a new grim milestone in the Iran War.

Defense Secretary Hegseth Faces Senate Grilling on Iran War Costs

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:21) **Defense Secretary Hegseth Testifies on Capitol Hill** - Hegseth asks Congress for tens of billions amid the Iran War, but senators criticize him for dodging questions on casualties and a proposed toll on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
  • 2 (01:22) **Third U.S. Service Member Identified in Jordan Attack** - The military confirms remains of a third service member killed in a base attack in Jordan, bringing the death toll to 18 since the Iran War began.
  • 3 (01:35) **Medicaid Payments Paused for Minnesota and California** - The Trump administration pauses $1 billion in federal Medicaid payments over alleged fraud; Minnesota officials say they received no explanation for the calculation.
  • 4 (02:44) **Appeals Court Rules Against Green Card Holder Mahmoud Khalil** - The Second Circuit says a lower court lacked jurisdiction in Khalil's case, ruling it should have gone to an immigration judge; Khalil calls the decision a "grave setback."
  • 5 (03:19) **Arizona Primary Sets Key House Races for Midterms** - Voters advance Trump's preferred nominees, with Rep. Von Siscavani and former NFL kicker Jay Feely winning GOP nominations.
  • 6 (03:54) **Study: Kids' Fidgeting Tied to Academic Success** - New research in *Developmental Psychology* finds that students who get more fidgety as the school day progresses tend to have lower long-term academic scores.
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NPR News: 07-22-2026 4AM EDT

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