Good morning. We’re covering Trump’s new tariff threats and harrowing rescue stories from the Texas floods. Plus, the beautiful chaos of Rio’s beaches.
Trump announced 25% tariffs on Japan and South KoreaPresident Trump said yesterday that South Korea and Japan would face a new 25 percent tariff on their exports as of Aug. 1. He also extended to Aug. 1 a pause on steeper tariffs against dozens of other nations that was set to take effect tomorrow. Markets dropped on the news, as investors seemed to view the rates as punishingly high for two of America’s biggest trading partners. Trump also posted several letters to social media detailing higher tariffs on other countries: 40 percent for Myanmar and Laos, 30 percent for South Africa, and 25 percent for Kazakhstan and Malaysia. Here’s a full list of the president’s tariff threats. Background: For the last 90 days, the administration has been trying to reach trade deals with more than a dozen countries. So far, the U.S. has preliminary deals only with Britain and Vietnam. Context: Negotiations with Japan and South Korea have been proceeding slower than those with other countries, in part because both countries have held elections and because Trump has continued to impose or threaten other tariffs on their major exports, including cars, steel and electronics. Japan and South Korea have been hesitant to strike a deal with the Trump administration, worried that they will be hit by more tariffs down the road. For more: Read Trump's letter to President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea.
A harrowing 48 hours for rescuers and survivors in TexasThe floods in Texas have become one of the deadliest flooding disasters in the U.S. in the past 100 years. The death toll rose to at least 95 people yesterday. Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp caught in the surging waters, said that at least 27 young campers and staff members had died. Here’s the latest. As search efforts entered their fourth day, more rain was forecast. Many rescue stories over the past 48 hours have been harrowing. We spoke with a Coast Guard rescuer who saved 165 people at Camp Mystic. A 22-year-old woman was rescued after clinging to a tree overnight. A young girl was found after floating on a mattress for hours. Officials faced more questions about whether more should have been done to give warnings and to evacuate areas around the river. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said there would be a “careful examination of what happened.” Kerr County, the hardest hit area, discussed buying water gauges and sirens in 2017, but the plan was rejected as too expensive. The floodwaters rose fast: Torrential rains turned the Guadalupe River from a small stream into a raging, destructive force in less than 10 hours, a Times analysis shows. About 120,000 cubic feet of water per second came rushing downstream. That’s greater than the average flow rate across Niagara Falls.
Israel and Hamas held a second day of truce talksWhile Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington yesterday for talks with the Trump administration, Israel and Hamas appeared to be closer to a cease-fire in Gaza than in recent weeks, but they were still wrangling over the terms of a deal that would see the release of hostages. Officials from Israel and Hamas were holding talks in Doha, Qatar, on ending the war. Hamas has insisted that any deal must pave a path to a complete and lasting end to the fighting. Netanyahu was set to meet President Trump at the White House in the coming hours. Here’s what’s at stake.
On the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, just about anything you need comes to you. Vendors sell chairs and umbrellas, grilled meat and beer, soccer balls and swimsuits. Now, the mayor wants to bring some order to a sometimes chaotic scene, with rules that could force many vendors out of business. Some residents fear that the change will spoil the vibrant culture that they cherish.
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Menopause mythsThere are lots of misconceptions out there about menopause: inescapable hot flashes, hormonal chaos, sexless partnerships. These stereotypes are deeply ingrained and few are fully accurate. One of the biggest myths suggests that women just need to tough it out, but experts say that doing so could lead to serious problems. For example, women who have frequent or severe hot flashes can develop cardiovascular disease, but treatment can reduce the risk. Another falsehood is that menopause is a time of decline and loss. For some women, it can be freeing. Read more.
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