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Today’s top stories
President Trump has sent additional letters to foreign leaders informing them of the tariff rates he intends to impose on their countries’ goods on Aug. 1. Among the targets is Mexico, one of the U.S.’ most important trading partners. Trump has criticized Mexico for not doing enough to combat the fentanyl trade. The president also issued a letter to the European Union, promising a tariff and demanding changes to European trade policies. Here’s a list of Trump’s tariff letters and threatened rates so far.
- 🎧 European leaders were stunned by Trump’s announcement, NPR’s Eleanor Beardsley tells Up First. The EU-U.S. trade is worth around a trillion dollars a year. This could be upended if 30% tariffs go into effect. Retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods were scheduled to take effect today, but have been suspended in hopes of reaching a trade deal by the end of the month. Beardsley has been speaking with winemakers in Burgundy, France, who say they have had zero tariffs for decades. Winemaker Pierre-Vincent Girardin says his relationship with the U.S., his biggest market, could soon be over due to Trump’s actions.
NATO’s secretary-general is expected to meet with Trump today in Washington. The meeting comes as the president has expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the continued war in Ukraine. Trump stated that he cut a deal in which NATO will purchase American weapons for Ukraine, including Patriot Missile Systems, to help Ukraine defend itself.
- 🎧 Trump seemed convinced before that he could leverage his personal relationship with Putin to secure a peace agreement. But Putin wanted more, rejecting Trump’s efforts for even a temporary ceasefire, says NPR’s Charles Maynes. Moscow is potentially waiting to find out whether the U.S. arms deliveries through NATO include more offensive weapons that could strike inside Russia. It is also watching for whether the U.S. includes new sanctions in an announcement expected from Trump today.
Officials suspended the search for additional victims from the floods in Kerr County, Texas, yesterday because of another flash flood emergency along the Guadalupe River. Currently, the death toll from the July 4 floods has reached at least 132 people, with over 160 people listed as missing.
- 🎧 Yesterday’s storms dumped up to 10 inches of rain on parts of the Texas Hill Country — a stark reminder of what just happened there, says NPR’s Frank Morris. Kerrville County Commission is expected to meet this morning with a lot on its agenda, including the water supply. Kerrville gets most of its drinking water from a reservoir on the Guadalupe River. Former Kerrville Mayor Judy Eychner says the flood dumped all kinds of stuff in the lake, and it will eventually have to be dredged.
Life advice
NPR’s Sam Sanders helps Chloe Schofield, a busy special education teacher, transform her weekend into a relaxing mini-vacation at Huntington Dog Beach in Huntington Beach, Calif.
Morgan Walker for NPR
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Morgan Walker for NPR
NPR’s Sam Sanders helps Chloe Schofield, a busy special education teacher, transform her weekend into a relaxing mini-vacation at Huntington Dog Beach in Huntington Beach, Calif.
Morgan Walker for NPR
Many of us fill our weekends with chores, errands and catching up on sleep. But treating your Saturday and Sunday like a mini-vacation can make your Mondays happier, according to a 2020 study. Participants who adopted this mindset stayed in bed a little longer, spent less time on housework work and were more connected to the present moment. To feel the benefit of treating your weekend like a vacation, Cassie Mogilner Holmes and Anna Borges, author of The “More or Less” Definitive Guide to Self-Care, gave advice to Life Kit on how to spend your time away from work.
- 🏖️ Stop viewing hangouts with friends and loved ones as opportunities to rehash the work week. Instead, learn new things about them.
- 🏖️ Create rules for phone use over your weekend. This could mean checking your texts or emails only once an hour instead of constantly.
- 🏖️ Avoid “Sunday scaries” by planning something fun for the last thing you will do on the weekend. Try to do your weekend chores at another point earlier.
For more guidance on how to treat your weekend like a vacation, listen to this episode of NPR’s Life Kit. Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.
Picture show
Jamilah McBryde works up a sweat to cut weight in preparation for the 2025 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Women’s Wrestling National Championship, hosted in Wichita, Kan., in March.
Geoff Stellfox for NPR
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Geoff Stellfox for NPR
Jamilah, Zaynah, and Latifah McBryde are sisters from Buffalo, N.Y., who grew up wrestling each other. They never expected to become college athletes. Although coaches recognized their talent as teenagers, they faced challenges wearing the required wrestling singlet due to their Muslim faith. However, their passion for the sport and determination led to changes in the rules, allowing Muslim women to compete in full-body uniforms at both collegiate and national levels. Their uniforms have evolved over the years and now include Velcro to keep their shirts tucked into their pants and tape to secure their hijabs. While these modest uniforms honor their faith, they have also sparked controversy throughout their journey in the sport. Read more and see photos of how the sisters have helped change the sport.
3 things to know before you go
Italy’s Jannik Sinner celebrates after victory against Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon, southwest London, on Sunday.
Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images
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Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images
- Jannik Sinner, a 23-year-old from Italy, won the men’s singles championship at Wimbledon yesterday. The victory marks the country’s first singles champion at the tournament.
- Grand Canyon National Park officials say the fast-moving Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed the historic lodge on the North Rim, along with several other structures, over the weekend. (via KNAU)
- Nigeria’s former president Muhammadu Buhari has died at a hospital in London at the age of 82, a spokesperson confirmed yesterday.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
