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Today β€” 2 August 2025Main stream

Jeannie Seely, soulful country singer behind hits like 'Don't Touch Me,' dies at 85

2 August 2025 at 01:06

Jeannie Seely, the soulful country music singer behind such standards like "Don't Touch Me," has died. She was 85.

Her publicist, Don Murry Grubbs, said she died Friday after succumbing to complications from an intestinal infection.

Known as "Miss Country Soul" for her unique vocal style, Seely was a trailblazer for women in country music, celebrated for her spirited nonconformity and for a string of undeniable hits in the '60s and '70s.

Her second husband, Gene Ward, died in December. In May, Seely revealed that she was in recovery after undergoing multiple back surgeries, two emergency procedures and spending 11 days in the ICU. She also suffered a bout of pneumonia.

"Rehab is pretty tough, but each day is looking brighter and last night, I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. And it was neon, so I knew it was mine!" she said in a statement at the time. "The unsinkable Seely is working her way back."

Seely was born in July 1940, in Titusville, Pennsylvania, about two hours north of Pittsburgh and raised in nearby Townville. Her love of country music was instant; her mother sang, and her father played the banjo. When she was a child, she sang on local radio programs and performed on local television. In her early 20s, she moved to Los Angeles to kick-start a career, taking a job at Liberty and Imperial Records in Hollywood.

She kept writing and recording. Nashville was next: She sang on Porter Wagoner's show; she got a deal with Monument Records. Her greatest hit would arrive soon afterward: "Don't Touch Me," the crossover ballad written by Hank Cochran. The song earned Seely her first and only Grammy Award, for best country & western vocal performance in the female category.

Cochran and Seely were married in 1969 and divorced in 1979.

Seely broke boundaries in her career at a time when country music expected a kind of subservience from its women performers, Seely was a bit of a rebel, known for wearing a miniskirt on the Grand Ole Opry stage when it was still taboo.

And she had a number of country hits in the '60s and '70s, including three Top 10 hits on what is now known as Billboard's hot country songs chart: "Don't Touch Me," 1967's "I'll Love You More (Than You Need)" and 1973's "Can I Sleep In Your Arms?", adapted from the folk song "Can I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister?"

In the years since, Seely continued to release albums, perform, and host, regularly appearing on country music programming. Her songs are considered classics, and have been recorded by everyone from Merle Haggard, Ray Price and Connie Smith to Ernest Tubb, Grandpa Jones, and Little Jimmy Dickens.

And Seely never stopped working in country music. Since 2018, she's hosted the weekly "Sunday's with Seely" on Willie Nelson's Willie's Roadhouse SiriusXM channel. That same year, she was inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame.

She appeared nearly 5,400 times at the Grand Ole Opry, which she has been a member of since 1967. Grubbs said Saturday's Grand Ole Opry show would be dedicated to Seely.

She released her latest song in July 2024, a cover of Dottie West's "Suffertime," recorded at the world-renowned RCA Studio B. She performed it at the Opry the year before.

Trump orders US nuclear subs repositioned over statements from ex-Russian leader Medvedev

1 August 2025 at 19:41

In a warning to Russia, President Donald Trump said Friday he's ordering the repositioning of two U.S. nuclear submarines "based on the highly provocative statements" of the country's former president Dmitry Medvedev.

Trump posted on his social media site that, based on the "highly provocative statements" from Medvedev, he had "ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that."

The president added, "Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances."

It wasn't immediately clear what impact Trump's order would have on U.S. nuclear subs, which are routinely on patrol in the world's hotspots, but it comes at a delicate moment in the Trump administration's relations with Moscow.

Trump has said that special envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to Russia to push Moscow to agree to a ceasefire in its war with Ukraine and has threatened new economic sanctions if progress is not made. He cut his 50-day deadline for action to 10 days, with that window set to expire next week.

The post about the sub repositioning came after Trump, in the wee hours of Thursday morning, had posted that Medvedev was a "failed former President of Russia" and warned him to "watch his words." Medvedev responded hours later by writing, "Russia is right on everything and will continue to go its own way."

Medvedev was president from 2008 to 2012 while Putin was barred from seeking a second consecutive term but stepped aside to let him run again. Now deputy chairman of Russia's National Security Council, which Putin chairs, Medvedev has been known for his provocative and inflammatory statements since the start of the war in 2022, a U-turn from his presidency, when he was seen as liberal and progressive.

He has frequently wielded nuclear threats and lobbed insults at Western leaders on social media. Some observers have argued that with his extravagant rhetoric, Medvedev is seeking to score political points with Putin and Russian military hawks.

Trump and Medvedev have gotten into online spats before.

On July 15, after Trump announced plans to supply Ukraine with more weapons via its NATO allies and threatened additional tariffs against Moscow, Medvedev posted, "Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin. The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn't care."

Earlier this week, he wrote, "Trump's playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10" and added, "He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn't Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country."

Yesterday β€” 1 August 2025Main stream

Tracking Trump's college funding freezes

1 August 2025 at 14:19

Several colleges facing discrimination investigations have struck deals with President Donald Trumps administration to restore withheld federal funding.

Brown University is the latest university to strike a deal, as the administration presses for agreements with others. Brown will pay $50 million to Rhode Island workforce development organizations in a deal with the Trump administration that restores lost federal research funding and ends investigations into alleged discrimination, officials said Wednesday.

The university also agreed to several concessions in line with President Donald Trump's political agenda. Brown will adopt the government's definition of male and female, for example, and must remove any consideration of race from the admissions process.

Brown President Christina H. Paxson said the deal preserves Brown's academic independence. The terms include a clause saying the government cannot dictate curriculum or the content of academic speech at Brown.

The Universitys foremost priority throughout discussions with the government was remaining true to our academic mission, our core values and who we are as a community at Brown, Paxson wrote.

It is the latest deal between an Ivy League school and the Trump administration, which has used its control of federal funding to push for reforms at colleges Trump decries as overrun by liberalism and antisemitism. The administration also has launched investigations into diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, saying they discriminate against white and Asian American students.

The Brown deal has similarities with one signed last week by Columbia University, which the government called a roadmap for other universities. Unlike that agreement, however, Brown's does not include an outside monitor.

The three-year agreement with Brown restores dozens of suspended grants and contracts. It also calls for the federal government to reimburse Brown for $50 million in unpaid federal grant costs.

The settlement puts an end to three federal investigations involving allegations of antisemitism and racial bias in Brown admissions, with no finding of wrongdoing. In a campus letter, Paxson anticipated questions about why the university would settle if it didnt violate the law. She noted Brown has faced financial pressure from federal agencies along with a growing push for government intrusion in academics.

Signing the agreement resolves the governments concerns without sacrificing university values, she said.

We stand solidly behind commitments we repeatedly have affirmed to protect all members of our community from harassment and discrimination, and we protect the ability of our faculty and students to study and learn academic subjects of their choosing, free from censorship, she wrote.

Brown agreed to several measures aimed at addressing allegations of antisemitism on its campus in Providence, Rhode Island. The school said it will renew partnerships with Israeli academics and encourage Jewish day school students to apply to Brown. By the end of this year, Brown must hire an outside organization to be chosen jointly by Brown and the government to conduct a campus survey on the climate for Jewish students.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Brown's deal ensures students will be judged solely on their merits, not their race or sex.

The Trump Administration is successfully reversing the decades-long woke-capture of our nations higher education institutions, McMahon said in a statement.

The settlement requires Brown to disclose a wealth of data on students who apply to and are admitted to the university, with information about their race, grades and standardized test scores. The data will be subject to a comprehensive audit by the government.

It bars Brown from giving preference to applicants because of their race. A 2023 Supreme Court decision already forbids such consideration, but the deal appears to go further, stopping Brown from using any proxy for racial admission, including personal statements or diversity narratives.

The $50 million in payments to local workforce development organizations agreed to by Brown are to be paid over 10 years.

That's a step forward from paying a fine to the government, as Columbia agreed to do, said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, an organization of major universities. Still, Mitchell said, it remains unclear whether Brown and other universities are clear of governmental pressure.

Lets remember, these are deals. These are not policies, Mitchell said. I had hoped that the Trump administration, when it came in, was going to be interested in having serious policy discussions about the future of higher education. Theyve yet to do that.

Columbia last week agreed to pay $200 million to the government as part of its settlement. In negotiations with Harvard, the Trump administration has been pressing for the Cambridge, Massachusetts, school to pay far more.

In another agreement, the University of Pennsylvania pledged to modify school records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, a deal that included no fine.

Associated Press writer Cheyanne Mumphrey contributed to this report.

US employers added just 73,000 jobs in July as labor market weakens

1 August 2025 at 12:48

U.S. employers added just 73,000 jobs last month and Labor Department revisions showed that hiring was much weaker than previously reported in May and June. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2%.

The unexpectedly weak report raises questions about the health of the job market and the economy as President Donald Trump pushes forward with a radical and erratic overhaul of American trade policy, imposing hefty tariffs on imports from almost every country on earth.

The Labor Department reported Friday that revisions shaved a stunning 258,000 jobs off May and June payrolls.

The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2% last month from 4.1% in June. The number of people in the labor force those working and looking for work fell modestly last month, and the ranks of the unemployed rose by 221,000.

Manufacturers cut 11,000 jobs last month after shedding 15,000 in June and 11,000 in May. The federal government, where employment has been targeted by the Trump administration, lost 12,000 jobs. Jobs in administration and support fell by nearly 20,000.

RELATED STORY | Laid-off workers encounter new employment challenges amid hiring slowdown

Healthcare companies added 55,400 jobs last month accounting for 76% of the jobs added in July and offering another sign that recent job gains have been narrowly concentrated.

The stock market tumbled on the news.

The current situation is a sharp reversal from the hiring boom of just three years ago when desperate employers were handing out signing bonuses and introducing perks such as Fridays off, fertility benefits and even pet insurance to recruit and keep workers.

Weighing on the job market are the lingering effects of higher interest rates that were used by the Federal Reserve to fight inflation; Trumps massive import taxes and the costs and uncertainty they are imposing on businesses; and an anticipated drop in foreign workers as the presidents massive deportation plans move forward.

The rate of people quitting their jobs a sign theyre confident they can land something better has fallen from the record heights of 2021 and 2022 and is now below where it stood before the pandemic.

US childhood vaccination rates fall again as exemptions set another record

1 August 2025 at 12:29

U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates inched down again last year and the share of children with exemptions rose to an all-time high, according to federal data posted Thursday.

The fraction of kids exempted from vaccine requirements rose to 4.1%, up from 3.7% the year before. It's the third record-breaking year in a row for the exemption rate, and the vast majority are parents withholding shots for nonmedical reasons.

Meanwhile, 92.5% of 2024-25 kindergartners got their required measles-mumps-rubella shots, down slightly from the previous year. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the vaccination rate was 95% the level that makes it unlikely that a single infection will spark a disease cluster or outbreak.

RELATED STORY |Β Kennedy names 8 vaccine committee replacements, including COVID shot critic

The vaccination numbers were posted as the U.S. experiences its worst year for measles spread in more than three decades, with more than 1,300 cases so far.

The concern, of course, is that with a further dip in the (vaccination) coverage, were going to see even more measles in the coming months, said Dr. Sean OLeary, of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

It's possible that this year's outbreaks may spur more parents to get their children vaccinated before they go to school, said O'Leary, a University of Colorado pediatric infectious diseases specialist.

But Dr. Philip Huang isn't optimistic. Texas was particularly hard hits by measles this year, with more than half of the cases reported nationally. Despite that, the state passed a law making it easier for parents to get school vaccine exemptions for their kids.

It's crazy, said Huang, Dallas County's health director.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention traditionally releases the vaccination coverage data in its flagship publication, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. CDC officials usually speak to the trends and possible explanations, and stress the importance of vaccinations. This year, the agency quietly posted the data online and when asked about it emailed a statement.

The decision to vaccinate is a personal one. Parents should consult their health care providers on options for their families, the statement said, adding; Vaccination remains the most effective way to protect children from serious diseases like measles and whooping cough, which can lead to hospitalization and long-term health complications.

RELATED STORY |'More people are going to die': A former CDC official's warning as new vaccine advisory panel meets

The wording is more ambivalent about the importance of vaccinations than in the past. That is in keeping with communications from U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading voice in the anti-vaccine movement before President Donald Trump put him in charge of federal health agencies.

O'Leary noted the changes in the CDC messaging, which places personal choice before community protection.

To sort of weaken the language or weaken the messaging that they're sending is very concerning, because what they say does matter, he said.

Public health officials focus on vaccination rates for kindergartners because schools can be cauldrons for germs and launching pads for community outbreaks.

For years, those rates were high, thanks largely to school attendance mandates that required key vaccinations. All U.S. states and territories require that children attending child care centers and schools be vaccinated against a number of diseases, including, measles, mumps, polio, tetanus, whooping cough and chickenpox.

All states allow exemptions for children with medical conditions that prevent them from receiving certain vaccines. And most also permit exemptions for religious or other nonmedical reasons.

In the last decade, the percentage of kindergartners with medical exemptions has held steady, at about 0.2%. But the percentage with nonmedical exemptions has risen.

The rates can be influenced by policies that make it harder or easier to obtain exemptions, and by local attitudes among families and doctors about the need to get children vaccinated. Online misinformation and the political divide that emerged around COVID-19 vaccines have led more parents to question routine childhood vaccinations, experts say.

According to the CDC data, 15.4% of kindergartners had an exemption to one or more vaccines in Idaho in the last school year. But fewer than 0.5% did in Connecticut.

Its good news that the vast majority of parents continue to get their kids vaccinated, OLeary said. And its noteworthy that there is a gap between the percentage vaccinated and the percentage who are exempted meaning there likely are unmet access issues, he added.

Trump signs order imposing new tariffs on a number of trading partners that go into effect in 7 days

1 August 2025 at 01:33

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order that set new tariffs on a wide swath of U.S. trading partners to go into effect on Aug. 7 the next step in his trade agenda that will test the global economy and sturdiness of American alliances built up over decades.

The order was issued shortly after 7 p.m. on Thursday. It came after a flurry of tariff-related activity in the last several days, as the White House announced agreements with various nations and blocs ahead of the president's self-imposed Friday deadline. The tariffs are being implemented at a later date in order for the rates schedule to be harmonized, according to a senior administration official who spoke to reporters on a call on the condition of anonymity.

After initially threatening the African nation of Lesotho with a 50% tariff, the country's goods will now be taxed at 15%. Taiwan will have tariffs set at 20%, Pakistan at 19% and Israel, Iceland, Norway, Fiji, Ghana, Guyana and Ecuador among the countries with imported goods taxed at 15%. Switzerland would be tariffed at 39%.

Trump had announced a 50% tariff on goods from Brazil, but the order was only 10% as the other 40% were part of a separate measure approved by Trump on Wednesday.

The order capped off a hectic Thursday as nations sought to continue negotiating with Trump. It set the rates for 68 countries and the 27-member European Union, with a baseline 10% rate to be charged on countries not listed in the order. The senior administration official said the rates were based on trade imbalance with the U.S. and regional economic profiles.

On Thursday morning, Trump engaged in a phone conversation with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on trade. As a result of the conversation, the U.S. president said he would enter into a 90-day negotiating period with Mexico, one of the nation's largest trading partners. The current 25% tariff rates are staying in place, down from the 30% he had threatened earlier.

We avoided the tariff increase announced for tomorrow and we got 90 days to build a long-term agreement through dialogue, Sheinbaum wrote on X after a call with Trump that he referred to as very successful in terms of the leaders getting to know each other better.

RELATED STORY | Are Trumps sweeping reciprocal tariffs legal? Appeals court will decide

The unknowns created a sense of drama that has defined Trump's rollout of tariffs over several months. However, the one consistency is his desire to levy the import taxes that most economists say will ultimately be borne to some degree by U.S. consumers and businesses.

We have made a few deals today that are excellent deals for the country, Trump told reporters on Thursday afternoon, without detailing the terms of those agreements or the nations involved. The senior administration official declined to reveal the nations that have new deals during the call with reporters.

Trump said that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had called ahead of 35% tariffs being imposed on many of his nation's goods, but we havent spoken to Canada today.

Trump imposed the Friday deadline after his previous Liberation Day tariffs in April resulted in a stock market panic. His unusually high tariff rates, unveiled in April, led to recession fears prompting Trump to impose a 90-day negotiating period. When he was unable to create enough trade deals with other countries, he extended the timeline and sent out letters to world leaders that simply listed rates, prompting a slew of hasty deals.

Trump reached a deal with South Korea on Wednesday, and earlier with the European Union, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. His commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, said on Fox News Channel's Hannity that there were agreements with Cambodia and Thailand after they had agreed to a ceasefire to their border conflict.

Going into Thursday, wealthy Switzerland and Norway were still uncertain about their tariff rates. EU officials were waiting to complete a crucial document outlining how the framework to tax imported autos and other goods from the 27-member state bloc would operate. Trump had announced a deal on Sunday while he was in Scotland.

Trump said as part of the agreement with Mexico that goods imported into the U.S. would continue to face a 25% tariff that he has ostensibly linked to fentanyl trafficking. He said autos would face a 25% tariff, while copper, aluminum and steel would be taxed at 50% during the negotiating period.

He said Mexico would end its Non Tariff Trade Barriers, but he didnt provide specifics.

Some goods continue to be protected from the tariffs by the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, which Trump negotiated during his first term.

But Trump appeared to have soured on that deal, which is up for renegotiation next year. One of his first significant moves as president was to impose tariffs on goods from both Mexico and Canada earlier this year.

U.S. Census Bureau figures show that the U.S. ran a $171.5 billion trade deficit with Mexico last year. That means the U.S. bought more goods from Mexico than it sold to the country.

The imbalance with Mexico has grown in the aftermath of the USMCA, as it was only $63.3 billion in 2016, the year before Trump started his first term in office.

RELATED STORY | How tariffs on EU goods could affect US consumers

White House announces new $200M ballroom as part of Trump's latest makeover of 'The People's House'

31 July 2025 at 23:57

The White House on Thursday announced that construction on a massive, new $200 million ballroom will begin in September and be ready before President Donald Trump's term ends in early 2029.

It will be the latest change introduced to what's known as The People's House since the Republican president returned to office in January. It also will be the first structural change to the Executive Mansion itself since the addition of the Truman balcony in 1948.

Trump has substantially redecorated the Oval Office through the addition of golden flourishes and cherubs, presidential portraits and other items, and installed massive flagpoles on the north and south lawns to fly the American flag. Workers are currently finishing up a project to replace the lawn in the Rose Garden with stone.

Trump for months has been promising to build a ballroom, saying the White House doesn't have space big enough for large events and scoffing at the notion of hosting heads of state and other guests in tents on the lawn as past administrations have done for state dinners attended by hundreds of guests.

The East Room, the largest room in the the White House, can accommodate about 200 people.

Trump said he's been planning the construction for some time.

Theyve wanted a ballroom at the White House for more than 150 years but theres never been a president that was good at ballrooms, Trump told reporters Thursday. I'm good at building things and were going to build quickly and on time. Itll be beautiful, top, top of the line.

He said the new ballroom would not interfere with the mansion itself.

It'll be near it but not touching it and pays total respect to the existing building, which Im the biggest fan of, he said of the White House. "Its my favorite. Its my favorite place. I love it.

Trump said the ballroom will serve administrations to come.

It'll be a great legacy project, he said. I think it will be really beautiful.

The 90,000-square-foot ballroom will be built where the East Wing sits with a seated capacity of 650 people. The East Wing houses several offices, including the first ladys. Those offices will be temporarily relocated during construction and that wing of the building will be modernized and renovated, said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Nothing will be torn down, she said.

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White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said the president, whose early career was in real estate and construction, and his White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserve the mansion's special history.

President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail, Wiles said in a statement.

Leavitt said at her briefing Thursday that Trump and other donors have committed to raising the approximately $200 million in construction costs. She did not name any of the other donors.

Renderings of what the future ballroom will look like were posted on the White House website.

The president chose McCrery Architects, based in Washington, as lead architect on the project. The construction team will be led by Clark Construction. Engineering will be provided by AECOM.

Trump also has another project in mind. He told NBC News in an interview that he intends to replace what he said was a terribly remodeled bathroom in the famous Lincoln Bedroom with one that is closer in style to the 19th century.

A key US inflation gauge rose last month as Trump's tariffs lifted goods prices

31 July 2025 at 23:41

The Federal Reserves preferred inflation gauge ticked higher last month in a sign that President Donald Trumps broad-based tariffs are starting to lift prices for many goods.

Prices rose 2.6% in June compared with a year ago, the Commerce Department said Thursday, up from an annual pace of 2.4% in May. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices rose 2.8% in the past year, the same as the previous month, which was revised higher. The figures are above the Feds 2% goal.

The uptick in prices helps explain the central banks reluctance to cut its key interest rate this week, despite repeated demands from Trump that it do so. On Wednesday, the Fed left its key rate unchanged at 4.3%, and Chair Fed Powell suggested it could take months for the central bank to determine whether the import duties will cause just a one-time rise in prices, or a more persistent increase in inflation.

Trump has attacked Powell personally and repeatedly, and did so again on Thursday for the Fed's reluctance to cut rates, calling him TOO ANGRY, TOO STUPID, & TOO POLITICAL, to have the job of Fed Chair."

On a monthly basis, prices ticked up 0.3% from May to June, while core prices also rose 0.3%. Both figures are higher than consistent with the 2% target.

The above-target rise in core prices in June, upward revisions to previous months data and the sharp rise in core goods inflation will do little to ease the Feds concerns about tariff-driven inflation, said Harry Chambers, assistant economist at Capital Economics, a forecasting firm. If these pressures persist, as we expect, a September cut looks unlikely.

The government's measure of gas prices jumped 0.9% from May to June, while grocery costs rose 0.3%. Many longer-lasting goods that are heavily imported saw clear price increases, with furniture prices up 1.3% just last month, appliances up 1.9%, and computers up 1.4%.

The cost of some services fell dramatically last month, offsetting some of the price pressures from goods. Air fares dropped 0.7% from May to June, while the cost of hotel rooms plunged 3.6% just in one month.

RELATED STORY | US economy rebounds in Q2, but signs of strain emerge

Thursday's report also showed that consumer spending rose 0.3% from May to June, a modest rise that suggests Americans are still spending cautiously. Adjusted for inflation, the increase was just 0.1%, the government said.

Americans' incomes also picked up just modestly, rising 0.3% last month, a rebound after a 0.4% drop in May. But adjusted for inflation and taxes, incomes were flat in June.

Consumers have been cautious all year. On Wednesday, the government said the economy expanded at a 3% annual rate in the second quarter, a solid showing but one that masked some red flags. Consumer spending, for example, rose at a lackluster 1.4% pace, after an even smaller gain of 0.5% in the first three months of the year. A sharp drop in imports in the April-June quarter, which followed a surge in the first quarter, provided a big lift to the governments calculation of U.S. gross domestic product.

Earlier this month, the government reported that its more closely-watched consumer price index, its primary inflation measure, also ticked higher in June as the cost of heavily-imported items such as appliances, furniture, and toys increased.

Before yesterdayMain stream

Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has dinner with singer Katy Perry in Montreal

30 July 2025 at 14:43

Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry had dinner together in Montreal this week.

A communications consultant for the restaurant Le Violon confirmed Tuesday that the former prime minister and the singer spent about two hours at the fine-dining spot Monday evening. Photos of the meetup published by TMZ sparked speculation of a budding romance.

Samantha Jin said the pair kept to themselves and neither the staff nor other patrons approached them for a photo. We kind of got the vibe that they were a little more chill, she said.

Jin added that there was no indication of romance in the air, noting: No visual signs of PDA or anything.

The report about the dinner first appeared on TMZ, which posted video of Trudeau and Perry in animated conversation at the eatery.

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Perry recently split from longtime partner Orlando Bloom and is on tour with stops including Ottawa on Tuesday, Montreal on Wednesday, Quebec City on Friday, and two dates in Toronto next week.

Trudeau and his ex-wife Sophie Grgoire separated in 2023.

During the meal, Jin said security watched from the bar as the pair noshed on a chefs menu featuring a range of appetizers including tuna, beef tartare, lobster and asparagus, with lamb as their main course.

Jin said Chef Danny Smiles stopped by their table to say hello, and before heading out, they came into the kitchen to thank the team.

RELATED STORY | Trudeau caught on hot mic: Trump serious about annexing Canada as the 51st state

A spokeswoman for Trudeau didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

A spokeswoman for Perry wasn't immediately available for comment.

Trudeau announced his resignation earlier this year after nearly a decade in power. His father, late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, was a bachelor when he became prime minister. He dated actresses Barbra Streisand and Kim Cattrall and married a 22-year-old woman while in office at age 51.

Born and raised in California, Perry is a 13-time Grammy Award nominee. She helped usher in the sound of 00s pop, quickly becoming one of the bestselling artists of all time for her campy, big, belting anthems. She has released seven studio albums, most notably 2010s sugar-sweet Teenage Dream. The album produced five No. 1s that tied a record set by Michael Jacksons 1987 album Bad.

What to know about the brain-eating amoeba that killed a child swimming in a South Carolina lake

30 July 2025 at 14:24

A 12-year-old boy died from a brain-eating amoeba two weeks after a holiday weekend on a popular South Carolina lake.

The brain-eating amoeba enters the body when water is forced up the nose, like when someone jumps or dives in the water.

It causes an infection that swells the brain and destroys tissue. Fewer than 10 cases are reported each year in the U.S., but almost all are fatal.

Here are some things to know about the amoeba, its latest victim and other dangers on freshwater lakes:

What is the brain-eating amoeba?

The amoeba's scientific name is Naegleria fowleri, and it is most dangerous in water that stays for a while over 77 degrees Fahrenheit, including in lakes and rivers in the U.S. and other places with hot, sometimes dry summers like Pakistan and Australia. Infections have been reported in 26 U.S. states as far north as Minnesota.

The amoeba enters the brain through the olfactory nerve in the nose. Once inside, it causes an infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis.

Symptoms start as a fairly standard headache and nausea. By the time the pain becomes severe, it is almost always too late to save the infected person. Of the 167 cases reported in the U.S. between 1962 and 2024, only four people have survived, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of the deaths happened within five days of getting sick, according to the CDC.

One infection in a body of water doesn't increase the chances of another infection in the same body of water, the agency said. The amoeba cannot move from one person to another.

It was the first death from the amoeba in South Carolina since 2016, the CDC said.

What happened?

Jaysen Carr went swimming at Lake Murray about 15 miles west of Columbia over the July Fourth weekend.

He got sick several days later and died on July 18.

His father and mother had never heard of the amoeba before a doctor in tears told them what tests of his spinal fluid had found.

Clarence Carr said he was shocked to learn South Carolina, like most other U.S. states, has no law requiring public reporting of deaths or infections from the amoeba. The lake wasn't closed and no water testing was performed.

"My son was a very smart individual. If he had one warning, he would have thought swimming in the lake was a bad idea," Carr said.

The amoeba is common but infections are rare

The amoeba is fairly common and is most dangerous when the water is warm.

There is no science-based threshold for what level of the organism in the water would be safe or unsafe, and it would be difficult to test water regularly, the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services said in a statement.

Researchers are trying to figure out why the infections are so rare. Some people have been found to have had antibodies, signaling they may have survived exposure. Others may die from brain swelling and other problems without the amoeba ever being detected.

"My son lost his life swimming. We assumed it was safe," Carr said.

Last year, the CDC started a pilot program of giving infected patients an antibiotic approved for use in Europe that has killed the amoeba in lab studies

The amoeba can show up in hot springs, rivers and, on rare occasions, in tap water. That's why doctors recommend using sterile water for cleaning nasal passages with a neti pot.

The only way to be completely safe is to not swim in lakes or rivers and, if you do, keep your head above water. Pinching your nose or using nose clips when diving or swimming can keep water out of your nose.

Other dangers lurking in lakes and rivers

There are other dangers in swimming in lakes and rivers instead of pools, where chemicals can kill off dangerous bacteria and other organisms.

A mouthful of water could contain E.coli bacteria. And while the bacteria normally live in the intestines of healthy people and animals, some strains can cause a range of conditions, including urinary tract infection, cystitis, intestinal infection and vomiting, with the worst cases leading to life-threatening blood poisoning, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Algae can also cause illnesses. Cyanobacteria also referred to as blue-green algae are plant-like organisms that live in water.

The algae can look like foam, scum, mats, or paint on the surface of the water and can grow underneath it.

The organisms can quickly grow out of control, or "bloom," in warm weather, helped along by excessive nutrients in fertilizers and pet waste carried along by stormwater.

Some of the algae produce toxins that can cause symptoms including skin irritation, stomach cramps, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, fever, sore throat, headache, muscle and joint pain, mouth blisters, seizures, and acute liver damage, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Victims of New York City shooting include a police officer and an executive at investment firm

30 July 2025 at 00:40

He came to New York City as an immigrant from Bangladesh and worked his way up the nations largest police force.

Didarul Islam had worked as a school safety agent before becoming a patrol officer less than four years ago. But on Monday, that promising career was cut short.

While working a uniformed security assignment, Islam was killed in a midtown Manhattan skyscraper by a gunman targeting the NFL, whose headquarters are in the Park Avenue tower.

The 36-year-old Bronx officer was the first of four people killed in the attack, including a security guard, real estate firm employee and investment firm executive.

Officer Islams death was yet another reminder of everything you risk just by showing up to work, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Tuesday. He knew that risk. He embraced it. He understood what it meant to put the safety of others above his own.

Blackstone, one of the worlds largest investment firms, confirmed that Wesley LePatner, a senior managing director specializing in real estate, was among those fatally shot.

Security officer Aland Etienne was also killed, his labor union said.

The Rudin family, which owns the building and Rudin Management, said in a statement that one of their employees was a victim of the shootings but did not disclose the persons name at the request of relatives. Police officials said a woman was found dead on the building's 33rd floor in Rudin's offices.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a memo to staff that an employee at the league's headquarters was seriously wounded but in stable condition at a hospital. He did not name the person. All other league workers were safe, Goodell said.

Mayor Eric Adams said police found a note suggesting the shooter, Shane Tamura, 27, of Las Vegas, was convinced he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease that has been linked to concussions in contact sports but can't be diagnosed until death. He had played high school football in California about a decade ago.

Police officer's body returned to Bronx neighborhood

Islams flag-draped body was solemnly escorted to a Bronx mosque Tuesday in preparation for his burial. Hundreds of his colleagues lined the street.

Mourners recalled his work ethic and deep faith and generosity in the Muslim community.

Islam was married with two young sons and a third child on the way. He had been a New York City police officer for 3 1/2 years and worked out of a Bronx precinct.

Well-wishers visiting Islams home brought food for relatives gathered inside. Across the street, a public school where one or more of Islams children attended displayed a poster praising him as a loving parent and NYPD hero.

He was a very friendly guy and a hardworking guy, said Tanjim Talukdar, who remembered Islam from Friday prayers at the mosque. Whenever I see him or he sees me he says, How are you, my brother?

Sgt. Mohammad Islam, who is not related, said he saw himself in his fallen comrade, as a fellow father and an immigrant from Bangladesh. Both, he said, achieved the American dream by entering public service.

Family remembers fallen security guard as light in our lives

Aland Etienne, an unarmed building guard, was shot as he manned the lobby security desk where he kept watch over the elevator bank to the upper floors.

His brother said the family was reeling from the shocking loss.

He was more than a brotherhe was a father, a son, and a light in our lives, Gathmand Etienne wrote on Facebook. Our hearts are shattered, and were asking for your prayers and strength as we navigate this painful time.

The president of the union representing security officers hailed Etienne as a New York hero whose untimely death was a grim reminder of the sacrifice and risk his job entailed.

Etienne had been a licensed unarmed security guard since 2017 and had worked at the building since 2019, with a prior stint in 2017, according to the union.

Every time a security officer puts on their uniform, they put their lives on the line, said Manny Pastreich, president of Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union. Their contributions to our city are essential, though often unappreciated.

RELATED STORY | Coach reflects on former high school football player behind deadly NYC shooting

Blackstone executive was Yale graduate who specialized in real estate

LePatner, 43, was Blackstones global head of core plus real estate and chief executive officer of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, the firm said. She joined the company in 2014 after working for more than a decade at Goldman Sachs, where she also handled real estate.

She graduated summa cum laude from Yale University in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in history and served on the boards of several organizations, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the firm said. A company statement said executives and other employees were devastated by her death and described her as brilliant, passionate, warm, generous and deeply respected.

LePatners family said their hearts were broken and asked that their privacy be respected as they mourn. They also offered condolences to other families who lost loved ones in the shooting.

We cannot properly express the grief we feel upon the sudden and tragic loss of Wesley, they said in a statement. She was the most loving wife, mother, daughter, sister and relative, who enriched our lives in every way imaginable.

Author Bruce Feiler said in a Facebook post that he was shocked, saddened and furious over LePatner's death. He said they served together on a board at Yale.

At 43, she was the most effortless and impressive person you wanted to follow her wherever she went, he wrote. A mentor to young women and generous friend to everyone who knew her, she was on the board of her childrens Jewish day school, recently joined the board of The Met, and just felt in every way like the kind of leader we all want and need in these unsettling times.

Tea app takes messaging system offline after second security issue reported

29 July 2025 at 19:29

Tea, a dating discussion app that recently suffered a high-profile cybersecurity breach, announced late Monday that some direct messages were also accessed in the incident.

The app designed to let women safely discuss men they date rocketed to the top of the U.S. Apple App Store last week but then confirmed on Friday that thousands of selfies and photo IDs of registered users were exposed in a digital security breach.

404 Media was the first to report on this second security issue, citing an independent security researcher who found it was possible for hackers to access messages between users discussing abortions, cheating partners, and phone numbers.

In a statement posted on its social media accounts, Tea said it "recently learned that some direct messages (DMs) were accessed as part of the initial incident."

RELATED STORY | Tea, an app for women to safely talk about men they date, has been breached, user IDs exposed

"Out of an abundance of caution, we have taken the affected system offline," the app said. "At this time, we have found no evidence of access to other parts of our environment."

It is currently unknown how many messages were left exposed by the vulnerability. Tea said it is "working to identify any users whose personal information was involved and will be offering free identity protection services to those individuals." The company said Tuesday it will share more information as it becomes available.

Because of the nature of the app which allows women to anonymously discuss sensitive information about the men they date users may be particularly vulnerable to malicious actors who try to expose their real-life identities.

Mary Ann Miller, vice president of client experience at identity verification company Prove, said the women who may have had their information compromised should consider making sure they have real-life security precautions in place such as cameras, locks and "common sense things that you and I think about to be safe and secure in our own home."

"The average citizen puts more out there in a public-facing view that can put their safety at risk. And I think it's time for all of us to think about that more carefully," she said. Companies, meanwhile, "should look for technology that utilizes other forms (besides) IDs to verify an identity" and only store essential data and discard, securely, verification data that's no longer needed once a person is verified.

Tea has said about 72,000 images were leaked online in the initial incident, including 13,000 images of selfies or selfies featuring a photo identification that users submitted during account verification. Another 59,000 images publicly viewable in the app from posts, comments and direct messages were also accessed without authorization, a spokesperson said last week.

No email addresses or phone numbers were accessed, the company said, and the breach only affects users who signed up before February 2024.

Tariffs on South Korea's products threaten the 'K-beauty' boom in the US

29 July 2025 at 17:56

When Amrita Bhasin, 24, learned that products from South Korea might be subject to a new tax when they entered the United States, she decided to stock up on the sheet masks from Korean brands like U-Need and MediHeal she uses a few times a week.

"I did a recent haul to stockpile," she said. "I bought 50 in bulk, which should last me a few months."

South Korea is one of the countries that hopes to secure a trade deal before the Aug. 1 date President Donald Trump set for enforcing nation-specific tariffs. A not-insignificant slice of the U.S. population has skin in the game when it comes to Seoul avoiding a 25% duty on its exports.

Asian skin care has been a booming global business for more than a decade, with consumers in Europe, North and South America, and increasingly the Middle East, snapping up creams, serums and balms from South Korea, Japan and China.

In the United States and elsewhere, Korean cosmetics, or K-beauty for short, have dominated the trend. A craze for all-in-one "BB creams" a combination of moisturizer, foundation and sunscreen morphed into a fascination with 10-step rituals and ingredients like snail mucin, heartleaf and rice water.

Vehicles and electronics may be South Korea's top exports to the U.S. by value, but the country shipped more skin care and cosmetics to the U.S. than any other last year, according to data from market research company Euromonitor. France, with storied beauty brands like L'Oreal and Chanel, was second, Euromonitor said.

Statistics compiled by the U.S. International Trade Commission, an independent federal agency, show the U.S. imported $1.7 billion worth of South Korean cosmetics in 2024, a 54% increase from a year earlier.

"Korean beauty products not only add a lot of variety and choice for Americans, they really embraced them because they were offering something different for American consumers," Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said.

Along with media offerings such as "Parasite" and "Squid Games," and the popularity of K-pop bands like BTS, K-beauty has helped boost South Korea's profile globally, she said.

"It's all part and parcel really of the same thing," Lovely said. "And it can't be completely stopped by a 25% tariff, but it's hard to see how it won't influence how much is sold in the U.S. And I think what we're hearing from producers is that it also really decreases the number of products they want to offer in this market."

Senti Senti, a retailer that sells international beauty products at two New York boutiques and through an e-commerce site, saw a bit of "panic buying" by customers when Trump first imposed punitive tariffs on goods from specific countries, manager Winnie Zhong said.

The rush slowed down after the president paused the new duties for 90 days and hasn't picked up again, Zhong said, even with Trump saying on July 7 that a 25% tax on imports from Japan and South Korea would go into effect on Aug. 1.

Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia subsequently reached agreements with the Trump administration that lowered the tariff rates their exported goods faced in Japan's case, from 25% to 15% still higher than the current baseline of 10% tariff.

But South Korea has yet to clinch an agreement, despite having a free trade agreement since 2012 that allowed cosmetics and most other consumer goods to enter the U.S. tax-free.

Since the first store owned by Senti Senti opened 16 years ago, beauty products from Japan and South Korea became more of a focus and now account for 90% of the stock. The business hasn't had to pass on any tariff-related costs to customers yet, but that won't be possible if the products are subject to a 25% import tax, Zhong said.

"I'm not really sure where the direction of K-beauty will go to with the tariffs in place, because one of the things with K-beauty or Asian beauty is that it's supposed to be accessible pricing," she said.

Devoted fans of Asian cosmetics will often buy direct from Asia and wait weeks for their packages to arrive because the products typically cost less than they do in American stores. Rather than stocking up on their favorite sunscreens, lip tints and toners, some shoppers are taking a pause due to the tariff uncertainty.

Los Angeles resident Jen Chae, a content creator with over 1.2 million YouTube subscribers, has explored Korean and Japanese beauty products and became personally intrigued by Chinese beauty brands over the last year.

When the tariffs were first announced, Chae temporarily paused ordering from sites such as YesStyle.com, a shopping platform owned by an e-commerce company based in Hong Kong. She did not know if she would have to pay customs duties on the products she bought or the ones brands sent to her as a creator.

"I wasn't sure if those would automatically charge the entire package with a blanket tariff cost, or if it was just on certain items," Chae said. On its website, YesStyle says it will give customers store credit to reimburse them for import charges.

At Ohlolly, an online store focused on Korean products, owners Sue Greene and Herra Namhie are taking a similar pause.

They purchase direct from South Korea and from licensed wholesalers in the U.S., and store their inventory in a warehouse in Ontario, California. After years of no duties, a 25% import tax would create a "huge increase in costs to us," Namhie said.

She and Greene made two recent orders to replenish their stock when the tariffs were at 10%. But they have put further restocks on hold "because I don't think we can handle 25%," Namhie said. They'd have to raise prices, and then shoppers might go elsewhere.

The business owners and sisters are holding out on hope the U.S. and Korea settle on a lower tariff or carve out exceptions for smaller ticket items like beauty products. But they only have two to four months of inventory in their warehouse. They say that in a month they'll have to make a decision on what products to order, what to discontinue and what prices will have to increase.

Rachel Weingarten, a former makeup artist who writes a daily beauty newsletter called "Hello Gorgeous!," said while she's devoted to K-beauty products like lip masks and toner pads, she doesn't think stockpiling is a sound practice.

"Maybe one or two products, but natural oils, vulnerable packaging and expiration dates mean that your products could go rancid before you can get to them," she said.

Weingarten said she'll still buy Korean products if prices go up, but that the beauty world is bigger than one country. "I'd still indulge in my favorites, but am always looking for great products in general," she said.

Bhasin, in Menlo Park, California, plans to keep buying her face masks too, even if the price goes up, because she likes the quality of Korean masks.

"If prices will go up, I will not shift to U.S. products," she said. "For face masks, I feel there are not a ton of solid and reliable substitutes in the U.S."

Starmer says UK will recognize Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to ceasefire

29 July 2025 at 17:11

The U.K. will recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza, allows the U.N. to bring in aid and takes other steps toward long-term peace, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Tuesday.

Starmer called ministers together for a rare summertime Cabinet meeting to discuss the situation in Gaza.

WATCH | PM Starmer addresses Israeli conflict in Gaza

UK announces it will recognize Palestinian state if conditions aren't met by Israel

He told them that Britain will recognize a state of Palestine before the United Nations General Assembly, unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, reaches a ceasefire, makes clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank, and commits to a long-term peace process that delivers a two state solution."

He also said Hamas must release all the hostages it holds, agree to a ceasefire, accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza, and commit to disarmament.

Starmer said in a televised statement that his government will assess in September how far the parties have met these steps before making a final decision on recognition.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | French President Macron says France will recognize Palestine as a state

Britain has long supported the idea of an independent Palestinian state existing alongside Israel, but has said recognition should come as part of a negotiated two-state solution to the conflict.

Pressure to formally recognize Palestinian statehood has mounted since French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country will become the first major Western power to recognize a Palestinian state in September.

More than 250 of the 650 lawmakers in the House of Commons have signed a letter urging the government to recognize a Palestinian state.

Starmer said that despite the set of conditions he set out, Britain believes that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people.

2 kids killed at Miami sailing camp after barge collides with their boat

29 July 2025 at 16:35

Two children were killed and two more are in critical condition after a barge struck and sunk their boat, sending them overboard during a sailing camp in Miami on Monday, authorities said.

All six people on the sailing boat were pulled from the water by responders, and four kids were rushed to a nearby hospital where two were pronounced dead upon arrival, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg, a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard.

Two of the six who were rescued were in good condition, Strasburg said.

The six one adult and five kids were in their last week of the sailing camp for children aged 7 to 15, according to the Miami Yacht Club.

The entire MYC family is devastated by this terrible tragedy, said Emily Copeland, the commodore of the yacht club, in a statement.

RELATED STORY | Boat racers turn viral crash into philanthropic gold, raising money for charity

The sailing boat remained submerged beneath the barge in Biscayne Bay a body of water sandwiched between Miami and Miami Beach where there are several small islands, including Star Island, peppered with ritzy mansions.

Across the U.S. last year, there were over 550 deaths in recreational boating, but only a sliver of those 43 were caused by vessels crashing into each other, according to Coast Guard statistics.

The Coast Guard will conduct a thorough investigation, said Capt. Frank Florio, who heads the Coast Guards Miami sector, in a statement. We remain steadfast in our commitment to accountability, improvement, and the shared responsibility of ensuring safety at sea."

Local television stations showed first responders, some in scuba diving gear, in boats around what appears to be a barge. The Coast Guard is investigating the crash.

Trump administration moves to repeal key finding that allows climate regulation

29 July 2025 at 16:16

President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday proposed revoking a scientific finding that has long been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.

The proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule would rescind a 2009 declaration that determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare.

The "endangerment finding" is the legal underpinning of a host of climate regulations under the Clean Air Act for motor vehicles, power plants and other pollution sources that are heating the planet.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the proposed rule change on a podcast ahead of an official announcement set for Tuesday in Indiana.

Repealing the endangerment finding "will be the largest deregulatory action in the history of America," Zeldin said on the Ruthless podcast.

"There are people who, in the name of climate change, are willing to bankrupt the country," Zeldin said. "They created this endangerment finding and then they are able to put all these regulations on vehicles, on airplanes, on stationary sources, to basically regulate out of existence, in many cases, a lot of segments of our economy. And it cost Americans a lot of money."

The EPA proposal must go through a lengthy review process, including public comment, before it is finalized, likely next year. Environmental groups are likely to challenge the rule change in court.

Zeldin called for a rewrite of the endangerment finding in March as part of a series of environmental rollbacks announced at the same time in what he said was "the greatest day of deregulation in American history.'' A total of 31 key environmental rules on topics from clean air to clean water and climate change would be rolled back or repealed under Zeldin's plan.

He singled out the endangerment finding as "the Holy Grail of the climate change religion" and said he was thrilled to end it "as the EPA does its part to usher in the Golden Age of American success.''

RELATED STORY | International Court says countries must address climate crisis in landmark opinion

Tailpipe emission limits also targeted

The EPA also is expected to call for rescinding limits on tailpipe emissions that were designed to encourage automakers to build and sell more electric vehicles. The transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.

Environmental groups said Zeldin's action denies reality as weather disasters exacerbated by climate change continue in the U.S. and around the world.

"As Americans reel from deadly floods and heat waves, the Trump administration is trying to argue that the emissions turbocharging these disasters are not a threat,'' said Christy Goldfuss, executive director of the Natural Resources Defense Council. "It boggles the mind and endangers the nation's safety and welfare."

Under Zeldin and Trump, "the EPA wants to shirk its responsibility to protect us from climate pollution, but science and the law say otherwise,'' she added. "If EPA finalizes this illegal and cynical approach, we will see them in court."

Three former EPA leaders have also criticized Zeldin, saying his March announcement targeting the endangerment finding and other rules imperiled the lives of millions of Americans and abandoned the agency's dual mission to protect the environment and human health.

"If there's an endangerment finding to be found anywhere, it should be found on this administration because what they're doing is so contrary to what the Environmental Protection Agency is about," Christine Todd Whitman, who led EPA under Republican President George W. Bush, said after Zeldin's plan was made public.

The EPA proposal follows an executive order from Trump that directed the agency to submit a report "on the legality and continuing applicability" of the endangerment finding.

Conservatives and some congressional Republicans hailed the initial plan, calling it a way to undo economically damaging rules to regulate greenhouse gases.

But environmental groups, legal experts and Democrats said any attempt to repeal or roll back the endangerment finding would be an uphill task with slim chance of success. The finding came two years after a 2007 Supreme Court ruling holding that the EPA has authority to regulate greenhouse gases as air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

Passing court muster could be an issue

David Doniger, a climate expert at the NRDC, accused Trump's Republican administration of using potential repeal of the endangerment finding as a "kill shot'' that would allow him to make all climate regulations invalid. If finalized, repeal of the endangerment finding would erase current limits on greenhouse gas pollution from cars, factories, power plants and other sources and could prevent future administrations from proposing rules to tackle climate change.

"The Endangerment Finding is the legal foundation that underpins vital protections for millions of people from the severe threats of climate change, and the Clean Car and Truck Standards are among the most important and effective protections to address the largest U.S. source of climate-causing pollution,'' said Peter Zalzal, associate vice president of the Environmental Defense Fund.

"Attacking these safeguards is manifestly inconsistent with EPA's responsibility to protect Americans' health and well-being,'' he said. "It is callous, dangerous and a breach of our government's responsibility to protect the American people from this devastating pollution."

Conrad Schneider, a senior director at the Clean Air Task Force, said the Trump administration "is using pollution regulations as a scapegoat in its flawed approach to energy affordability" and reliability.

He and other advocates "are dismayed that an administration that claims it cares about cleaner, healthier and safer air is seeking to dismantle the very protections that are required for those conditions," Schneider said.

Over 60,000 Palestinians killed in the 21-month Israel-Hamas war, Gaza’s Health Ministry says

29 July 2025 at 13:47

Over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in the 21-month Israel-Hamas war, Gazas Health Ministry said Tuesday. At least 77 were killed over the past 24 hours, most while seeking food.

Israels offensive, launched in response to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, has destroyed vast areas of Gaza, displaced around 90% of the population and fueled a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

Experts warned Tuesday that the territory of some 2 million Palestinians is on the brink of famine, as Israeli restrictions and a breakdown of security have made it nearly impossible to safely deliver aid.

The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, said the death toll has climbed to 60,034, with 145,870 others wounded since the war started. The deaths include 18,592 children and 9,782 women. Together, they make up nearly half the dead.

RELATED STORY | UN pushes for two-state solution in Gaza, but US and Israel aren't attending the meeting

The ministry is staffed by medical professionals. The United Nations and other independent experts view its figures as the most reliable count of casualties. Israel has disputed its figures but has not provided its own account of casualties.

At least 77 Palestinians killed in past day

Israeli strikes overnight and into Tuesday killed at least 77 Palestinians, according to local hospitals. More than half were killed while attempting to access aid, health officials said.

Hospitals said they received the bodies of an additional 33 people who were killed by gunfire around an aid convoy in southern Gaza on Monday, bringing the toll to 58. Witnesses said Israeli forces fired toward the crowd. The Israeli military did not comment on the shooting.

Over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire while seeking aid since May, according to witnesses, health officials and the U.N. human rights office. Israel, which controls large areas of Gaza where aid is distributed, says it has only fired warning shots at those who approach its forces.

An additional 14 Palestinians were killed while attempting to access aid near an American and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund site in central Gaza, according to local hospitals.

GHF said there were no violent incidents near its sites on Tuesday.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the shooting.

Air strikes also targeted tents housing displaced people in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp, killing 30 people, including 12 children and 14 women, according to Al-Awda hospital.

The military said it targeted Hamas military infrastructure over the past day, including rocket launchers, weapons storage facilities and tunnels.

RELATED STORY |Β French President Macron says France will recognize Palestine as a state

Israel says it only targets militants and tries to avoid harming civilians, and blames civilian deaths on Hamas, saying the militants operate in populated areas

Hunger crisis has dramatically worsened

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, the foremost international authority on food crises, said Gaza has teetered on the brink of famine for two years. But it said recent developments, including strict Israeli restrictions, have dramatically worsened the situation.

Under mounting international pressure, Israel announced a series of measures over the weekend to increase the flow of aid, including expanded humanitarian corridors and international aid drops. U.N. officials say there has so far been little change on the ground and far more is needed.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Tuesday denied Israel was deliberately starving Gaza and said the focus on hunger was part of a distorted campaign of international pressure.

This pressure is directly sabotaging the chances for a ceasefire and hostage deal. It is only pushing towards military escalation by hardening Hamass stance, he said.

The U.S. and Israel have both recalled their negotiating teams over the past week as long-running negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage release seem to have stalled.

Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the attack that sparked the war, and abducted another 251. They are still holding 50 captives, around 20 believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals.

The war took a major turn in early March when Israel imposed a complete 2 month blockade, barring the entry of all food, medicine, fuel and other goods. Weeks later, Israel ended a ceasefire with a surprise bombardment and began seizing large areas of Gaza, measures it said were aimed at pressuring Hamas to release more hostages.

At least 8,867 Palestinians have been killed since then.

Israel eased the blockade in May, but U.N. agencies say it hasnt allowed nearly enough aid to enter and that they have struggled to deliver it because of Israeli restrictions and the breakdown of law and order. An alternative Israeli-backed system run by GHF has been marred by violence and controversy.

The World Health Organization says more than 60 people have died this month from malnutrition-related causes, including 24 children under five. Overall, 88 children died of causes related to malnutrition since the start of the war, while 58 adults died this month from malnutrition-related causes, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

During hunger crises, people can die from malnutrition or from common illnesses or injuries that the body is not strong enough to fight. The ministry doesnt include hunger-related deaths in its overall toll.

Union Pacific announces $20 billion bid for Norfolk Southern to create transcontinental railroad

29 July 2025 at 12:15

Union Pacific is seeking to buy Norfolk Southern in a deal valued at $85 billion in a merger that could trigger the final wave of railroad mergers across the country.

The deal would create the first transcontinental railroad in the United States worth more than $200 billion, combining Union Pacifics rail network in the West with Norfolks rails that snake across Eastern states.

The railroads said the tie-up would streamline deliveries of raw materials and goods across the country.

Any deal would be closely scrutinized by antitrust regulators that have set a very high bar for railroad deals after previous consolidation in the industry led to massive backups and snarled traffic.

But if the deal is approved, the two remaining major American railroads BNSF and CSX will face tremendous pressure to merge so they can compete. The continents two other major railroads Canadian National and CPKC may also get involved.

Union Pacific is offering $20 billion cash and one share of its stock to complete the deal. Norfolk Southern shareholders would receive one UP share and $88.82 in cash for each one of their shares as part of the deal that values NS at roughly $320 per share. Norfolk Southern closed at just over $260 a share earlier this month before the first reports speculating about a deal.

Union Pacific's stock was up nearly 2% at $231.03 in premarket trading after the announcement while Norfolk Southern's stock dipped more than 2% to $280.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Norfolk Southern and East Palestine announce $22 million settlement after 2023 derailment

Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena, who has been championing the potential benefits of a rail merger, said this deal could make it possible for lumber from the Pacific Northwest and plastics produced on the Gulf Coast and steel made in Pittsburgh to all reach their destinations more seamlessly.

Railroads have been an integral part of building America since the Industrial Revolution, and this transaction is the next step in advancing the industry, Vena said.

The merged railroads would have an advantage over the other US railroads because they wont have to hand off shipments in the middle of the country anymore, enabling them to make deliveries more quickly and likely at a lower rate.

Past rail mergers have also triggered additional consolidation in the industry. There used to be more than 30 major freight railroads in the early 1980s but the industry has consolidated down to six major railroads that handle the majority of shipments nationwide.

If BNSF is forced into the role of the acquirer, it will have resources to work with because Warren Buffett is sitting on more than $348 billion cash at Berkshire Hathaway that owns the railroad, and he could be interested in completing one last major deal before he gives up his CEO title at the end of the year.

Last week Buffett threw cool water on reports that he had enlisted Goldman Sachs to advise him on a potential rail deal in an interview with CNBC, but given that he rarely uses investment bankers that doesnt mean that he and his successor, Greg Abel, arent considering the options. After all, Buffett reached the agreement to buy the rest of BNSF for $26.3 billion in a private meeting with the CEO in 2009.

But theres widespread debate over whether a major rail merger would be approved by the STB, which has established a high bar for consolidation in the crucial industry.

Thats largely because of the aftermath of an industry consolidation nearly 30 years ago that involved Union Pacific. Union Pacific merged with Southern Pacific in 1996 and the tie-up led to an extended period of snarled traffic on U.S. rails. Three years later, Conrail was divvied up by Norfolk Southern and CSX, which led to more backups on rails in the East.

FROM THE ARCHIVES | First major US railroad merger in 2 decades will go forward

However, just two years ago, the STB approved the first major rail merger in more than two decades. In that deal, which was supported by big shippers, Canadian Pacific acquired Kansas City Southern for $31 billion to create the CPKC railroad.

But there were some unique factors in that CPKC deal that combined the two smallest major freight railroads. The combined railroad, regulators reasoned, would benefit trade across North America.

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern said they expect to submit their application for approval within the next six months and hope the deal would get approved by early 2027.

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe found guilty in bribery trial that threatens his legacy

29 July 2025 at 11:48

Former Colombian President lvaro Uribe was convicted of witness tampering and bribery Monday in a historic trial that gripped the South American nation and threatened to tarnish the conservative strongmans legacy.

The ruling followed a nearly six-month trial in which prosecutors presented evidence that Uribe attempted to influence witnesses who accused the law-and-order leader of having links to a paramilitary group founded by ranchers in the 1990s.

Uribe, 73, was not in court in the capital, Bogota, for the verdict as the judge has so far not ordered his arrest. He followed the ruling from his home outside Medellin but did not immediately speak about it.

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Uribe faces up to 12 years in prison but a sentencing will be delivered in a separate hearing. He is expected to appeal the ruling.

The former president, who governed from 2002 to 2010 with strong support from the United States, is a polarizing figure in Colombia, where many credit him for saving the country from becoming a failed state, while others associate him with human rights violations and the rise of paramilitary groups in the 1990s.

While the ruling was read, Uribe's opponents clashed briefly with his supporters outside the courthouse.

In a ruling that lasted more than 10 hours, Judge Sandra Heredia said there was enough evidence to determine that Uribe conspired with a lawyer to coax three former members of paramilitary groups who were in prison into changing testimony they had provided to Ivan Cepeda, a left-wing senator who had launched an investigation into Uribes alleged ties to a paramilitary group.

The case dates to 2012, when Uribe filed a libel suit against Cepeda with the Supreme Court. But in a twist, the high court dismissed the charges against Cepeda and began investigating Uribe in 2018.

During Uribe's presidency, Colombias military attained some of its biggest battlefield victories against Latin Americas oldest leftist insurgency, pushing the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia into remote pockets and forcing the groups leadership into peace talks that led to the disarmament of more than 13,000 fighters in 2016.

Known for his tireless work ethic and short temper, Uribe still has legions of followers in Colombia and is one of the fiercest opponents of the current president, former leftist guerrilla Gustavo Petro.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reacted to the ruling, as it became evident that Judge Heredia was going to find the former president guilty of bribery.

Uribes only crime has been to tirelessly fight and defend his homeland Rubio wrote on Monday on X. The weaponization of Colombias judicial branch by radical judges has now set a worrisome precedent.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro defended the ruling, writing on X that a strong justice system will enable Colombia to emerge from violence. He added in another message that Rubio was interfering with Colombia's sovereignty.

The world must respect the judges of Colombia" Petro wrote.

Heredia said that her ruling should not be interpreted as a victory for anyone but as an act of justice.

Critics also blame Uribe for state crimes. According to a truth commission created in 2017, more than 6,400 civilians were executed by the Colombian military and identified as members of rebel groups by soldiers seeking promotions during the conflict, in a phenomenon that peaked during the Uribe administration.

Prosecutors accused Uribe of sending lawyers to meet with imprisoned former paramilitary henchmen and pressure them to drop testimony that they had provided to Senator Cepeda.

During the trial, Uribe denied trying to flip witnesses but acknowledged seeking interviews with the men as part of his preparation for trial and to verify testimonies that were also being used in a murder trial against his brother, Santiago Uribe, who was also accused of ties to the armed paramilitaries.

Cepeda spoke to journalists after the ruling, and said that he would continue to fight for truth and justice" for victims of Colombia's conflict. No one can defy and taint the rule of law, he said.

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