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🚑 Plus: Death count rises after Texas floods
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PRESIDENT TRUMP on Monday announced plans to slap hefty new tariffs on top U.S. trade partners, although he’s delaying their implementation to provide more time for countries to reach deals with the U.S.
The president announced new 25 percent tariffs on Japan and South Korea that will go into effectAug. 1.
“Please understand this … is far less than what is needed to eliminate the Trade Deficit disparity we have with your Country,” Trump wrote in a letter to both countries.
The president, who has raged against Japan for failing to make a deal, warned that if either nation responded with its own tariffs, the U.S. would increase its tariffs by the same amount.
“As you are aware, there will be no Tariff if Korea, or companies within your Country, decide to build or manufacture product within the United States and, in fact, we will do everything possible to get approvals quickly, professionally, and routinely – in other words, in a matter of weeks,” Trump wrote to South Korea’s president.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said 12 countries will receive their own tariff letters Monday, which Trump will be posting on his social media account. More letters are expected throughout the week.
The new movement on tariffs comes days before the original July 9 deadline for countries to reach a deal with the U.S. or face new “Liberation Day” tariffs.
So far, the U.S. has only announced deals with the United Kingdom and Vietnam.
The “reciprocal” tariffs were first announced April 2 and then paused for 90 days.
With the pause set to expire, Leavitt said Trump will sign an executive order on Monday afternoon delaying all “Liberation Day” tariffs until Aug. 1.
However, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that countries will see their tariff rates “boomerang back” on Aug. 1 to higher levels than those announced three months ago if they don’t make a deal sooner.
TRUMP THREATENS BRICS COUNTRIES WITH NEW LEVIES
Also on Monday, Trump threatened to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on countries “aligning” themselves with the BRICS bloc of nations, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Indonesia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates.
“Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff,” Trump posted on social media. “There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Members of the BRICS group issued a declaration over the weekend condemning U.S. tariffs and the strikes against Iran, although the statement did not mention Trump specifically.
The economy posted strong jobs numbers in June, and inflation has remained in check. However, Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell has refused to cut interest rates over fears of a coming price shock due to uncertainty around Trump’s tariffs.
The major stock market indices were down about 1 percent each in late afternoon trading.
💡Perspectives:
•The Hill: Jerome Powell is competing to be the worst Fed chair in history.
• The Hill: Trump’s trade brinkmanship imperils market stability.
The Department of Homeland Securityannounced Monday that it would rescind protections from deportation for Nicaragua and Honduras.
A 27-year-old man with a rifle and tactical gear was killed Monday morning after ambushing law enforcement officers at a Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas.
The Department of Justice concluded that Jeffrey Epstein killed himself and did not keep a client list, the department determined in a memo released Monday alongside the FBI.
The CIA admittedfor the first time since President Kennedy’s assassination that an officer specializing in psychological warfare ran an operation that came into contact with Lee Harvey Oswald before the Dallas killing.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a new flash flood watch for central Texas through7 p.m. local time Monday, as rescue and recovery efforts continue after the deadly flash flood over the weekend.
“The situation on the ground remains dangerous and there could be additional public safety threats with potential incoming heavy rain,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said at least 91 people are dead, including 28 children. The search is on for 41 people who are known to be missing, including 10 girls from Camp Mystic.
The Christian camp released a statement Monday grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors.
“We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls,” the statement said.
“We ask for your continued prayers, respect and privacy for each of our families affected. May the Lord continue to wrap His presence around all of us.”
President Trumpsigned a disaster declaration and said he’ll visit Texas on Friday, if rescue and recovery efforts allow.
“The entire Trump administration is working hand-in-glove with state and local officials to provide every assistance available,” Leavitt said.
Kerr County experienced about six months worth of rain over the course of four hours Friday, causing the Guadalupe River to rise to the height of a two-story building.
Hundreds were rescued by helicopter, some of them “clinging to trees to save their lives,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said.
Amid the grief, questions are emerging about the preparedness of the NWS and others tasked with preventing casualties from weather events.
“The fact that you have girls asleep in their cabins when the flood waters are rising, something went wrong there,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said on Fox News. “We’ve got to fix that and have a better system of warning to get kids out of harm’s way.”
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), whose district includes Kerr Country, said: “There’s going to be a lot of finger-pointing, a lot of second-guessing and Monday morning quarterbacking. There’s a lot of people saying ‘why’ and ‘how,’ and I understand that.”
Democrats are calling for an investigation into the possible role of staffing cuts at the NWS.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-Texas) sent a letter to the acting Inspector General at the Department of Commerceseeking an inquiry into “whether staffing shortages at key local NWS stations contributed to the catastrophic loss of life and property during the deadly flooding.”
The White House is seething at the allegation, which has also been raised by some news outlets.
“Unfortunately, in the wake of this once in a generation natural disaster, we have seen many falsehoods pushed by Democrats… and some members of the media,” Leavitt said. “Blaming President Trump for this flood is a depraved lie and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning.”
Leavitt said that NWS was adequately staffed and that some branches were overstaffed, pointing to flash flood warnings that went out hours before the weather event.
“The NWS did its job,” Leavitt said.
Meteorologists have noted the rare combination of elements, including the ferocity of the overnight surge, the tricky Hill Country terrain and the great number of people out in nature for the national holiday.
DHS released a thread on X saying the “mainstream media is deliberately lying about the events leading up to the catastrophic flooding in Texas.”
“The National Weather Service executed timely, precise forecasting and warnings, despite unprecedented rainfall overwhelming the region,” DHS said, adding a detailed timeline of when warnings and alerts went out ahead of the flash flood.
Trump said there’s no evidence to suggest staffing cuts had anything to do with the tragedy, calling it “a horrible thing” that “happened in seconds.”
“I would just say this is a 100-year catastrophe, and it’s just so horrible for all,” Trump added.
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) was asked on CNN about concerns over NWS staffing: “I don’t want to sit here and say conclusively that that was the case, but I do think that it should be investigated.”
President Trump will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House this evening to discuss Gaza, Iran and trade.
It’s Netanyahu’s third visit to the White House so far this year, and the first since the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran’s nuclear program and military infrastructure.
Israel sent a negotiating team to Qatar on Sunday for “proximity talks” with Hamas about a potential ceasefire in Gaza, although both sides have rejected proposed to changes to an initial framework.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, will travel to Qatar this week to participate in those negotiations.
“The utmost priority for the president right now in the Middle East is to end the war in Gaza and to return all of the hostages,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Trump said over the weekend he’s “very optimistic” the two sides will achieve a deal this week.
MEANWHILE…
Russia and Ukraine continue to exchange drone strikes, with no peace deal in sight.
Trump said over the weekend he was “very disappointed” after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who described their conversation as “very important and fruitful,” despite the U.S. pausing some shipments of artillery and munitions.
“We’ve given so many weapons,” Trump said, adding that “we are working with them and trying to help them.”
•Biden aides pushed for early debate with Trump: Memo.
Trump, Musk feud escalates with third-party threat
President Trump and Elon Musk are at it again after the world’s richest man announced the launch of his “America Party,” aimed at giving voters an option other than Republicans or Democrats.
“When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,” Musk posted on X. “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”
Trump fired back over Truth Social:
“I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks,” Trump said.
“He even wants to start a Third Political Party, despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States – The System seems not designed for them,” he added. “The one thing Third Parties are good for is the creation of Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS, and we have enough of that with the Radical Left Democrats, who have lost their confidence and their minds!”
Musk has been battling Trump since leaving his post as a special adviser overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has seethed over the Trump agenda bill, which was signed into law on July 4, characterizing it as a boondoggle that increases the national deficit through wasteful spending.
The billionaire has promised to back primary challenges against all the Republicans who voted for it, while Trump has said he’ll target some subsidies utilized by Musk’s companies, including by Tesla.
Musk, meanwhile, trolled Trump after the FBI and Department of Justice concluded there is no evidence that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had kept a “client list” to blackmail powerful figures.
“This is the final straw,” Musk responded to a post knocking the Trump administration for its handling of information pertaining to the Epstein case.
Musk had previously alleged that Trump sought to keep the alleged client list private because he was complicit in Epstein’s crimes.
ELSEWHERE…
• Democrats plan to put the Trump agenda bill front and center in their quest to reclaim the House and Senate during the 2026 midterm elections.
Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D), who’s considering running for president, said Democrats would be “fools” if they didn’t make the bill “the centerpiece” of their 2026 messaging.
Democratic political strategist James Carville predicted the bill would be a “mass extinction event” for Republicans seeking reelection.
• Retiring Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), a centrist representing a blue district, is open to a potential presidential run.
• Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) is considering running for president in 2028, saying he’s concerned about future generations living in a “broken country.” Beshear said he needs to consider if he’s the right person to “bring people back together.”
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