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1 President Trump Threatens Russia With Tariffs If No Deal To End Ukraine War Is Reached In 50 Days
President Trump announced yesterday that he will levy a 100-percent “secondary” tariff on any country trading with Russia if Moscow and Kyiv don’t reach a peace agreement within 50 days. The move coincided with a deal to send Patriot missile systems to Ukraine via NATO, funded by European allies. Trump voiced frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s repeated pause-and-strike cycle, saying if words don’t stop the war, sharp penalties must. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called the plan “very big,” describing it as a joint push by Europe and the U.S. for meaningful action. Plans also include diplomatic and congressional backing for legal authority to impose up to 500% tariffs. The announcement signals a more assertive U.S. stance: pairing military aid with trade pressure to counter Russia’s war tactics.
2 Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration To Fire Education Department Employees
The Supreme Court lifted a nationwide injunction on Trump’s executive effort to dismantle the Department of Education. The order allows mass layoffs of about 1,400 workers made earlier this year to proceed and lets the administration reassign functions like student loans to Treasury and workforce grants to Labor, among other federal responsibilities. The three liberal justices on the court dissented, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor warning that the reorganization could harm students and civil rights enforcement. Education Secretary Linda McMahon praised the ruling, framing it as a win for executive authority, while unions and parent groups say it endangers programs, protections, and financial aid. Even though Congress must formally abolish the department, Trump’s team says their moves reflect his campaign promise to return education power to states. Legal challenges continue in lower courts.
3 New Round of Thunderstorms Hampers Rescue Efforts
Another round of storms in central Texas impaired rescue efforts and threatened to bring more hurt to a region slammed by flooding that has killed at least 132 people. The National Weather Service forecast thunderstorms producing "excessive rainfall and potential flooding" Monday and Tuesday. A flood watch was extended through Tuesday morning for more than a dozen counties. Among them: Kerr County, where at least 106 people were killed when the Guadalupe River roared over its banks on the Fourth of July. The number of people missing is down from about 160 to 101, with 97 of those in Kerr County, Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott told reporters. A large percentage of those unaccounted for are likely visitors to the area, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said at a commissioners meeting.