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What to know today ...
- RUSSIA TALKS: President Donald Trump could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as next week if Putin agrees to also meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a White House official told NBC News. Trump also told European leaders on a call today that he plans to meet Putin in person soon, a European official briefed on the call told NBC News.
- JEFFREY EPSTEIN: Vice President JD Vance denied reports that he, Attorney General Pam Bondi and other senior Trump administration officials were meeting tonight to discuss the Jeffrey Epstein case. NBC News and other news outlets reported that the meeting would address Epstein and other pressing matters.
- APPLE INVESTMENT: Trump held an event at the White House this afternoon with Apple CEO Tim Cook to announce the company's manufacturing investment in the United States.
- BOMB THREAT: Democratic legislators from Texas who fled the state to block a vote on a GOP redistricting plan were evacuated from their Illinois hotel after it received a bomb threat this morning.
- BLACKBURN RUNNING: Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., announced this morning that she’s running for governor. Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said he is considering running for her Senate seat in light of her announcement.
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New tariffs snap into effect, raising import taxes to highest level since Great Depression
After months of delays and extensions, Trump’s comprehensive and sweeping tariffs slate took effect just after midnight ET, shifting his global trade reset into high gear.
Most imports into the United States will now face a baseline 10% duty, with the overall average effective tariff rate rising to more than 17% — the highest since 1935, during the Great Depression — thanks to higher duties on some of the biggest U.S. trading partners, according to the nonpartisan Yale Budget Lab think tank.
A wide variety of products will be hit. Tariffs will be collected on everything from European Union appliances and Japanese cars to food, furniture and toys from China and TVs from South Korea. Selected oil and gas imports, along with some smartphones and a suite of goods covered by a pre-existing trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, are not affected.
Together, the duties are the most significant move yet by a president set on tilting the global economy even more in favor of the United States.
Trump administration to scale back annual human rights reports
The Trump administration is scaling back the State Department’s annual Human Rights Report and placing a new focus on restrictions on freedom of expression by U.S. allies, as well as adversaries.
The reports, which are widely anticipated and read around the world, have been composed by U.S. diplomats under congressional mandate for almost 50 years as a measure of countries’ adherence to internationally recognized human rights. The report for last year, which normally would have been released in the spring, has already been delayed by months.
“The 2024 Human Rights Report has been restructured in a way that removes redundancies, increases report readability and is more responsive to the legislative mandates that underpin the report,” a senior State Department official said today in a briefing to reporters.
Why redistricting is so important, in 3 charts
Texas Republicans’ move to redraw their congressional map mid-decade and Democrats’ retaliatory redistricting efforts have captured national attention for a very simple reason: How House districts are drawn can shape American politics for years.
Gerrymandering generally reduces the number of competitive races, and it can lock in nearly immovable advantages for one party or another. Under the new map proposed in Texas, no district’s presidential vote would have been decided by single digits in 2024, and Republicans would have a path to pad their narrow congressional majority in the 2026 midterm elections. That means more people could reside in congressional districts under solid control of one party.
NBC News analyzed how the question of who draws the maps — and how they do it — can shape elections for years afterward.
Immigrants seeking green cards may be placed in removal proceedings, USCIS says
Immigrants seeking green cards through marriage could be vulnerable to deportation, according to a new Trump administration policy.
Federal immigration authorities may begin removal proceedings for immigrants who lack legal status and apply to become residents through spouses, according to new guidance U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued Monday. The policy, which went into effect immediately, also applies to immigrants who seek lawful permanent residency through other family members.
Immigrants and the spouses or families who sponsor them “should be aware that a family-based petition accords no immigration status nor does it bar removal,” USCIS’ policy manual said. USCIS said in a statement to NBC News that the change applies both to pending requests and those filed on or after Aug. 1.
GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy criticizes RFK Jr. for canceling $500M in mRNA contracts
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., chided Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tonight for terminating $500 million in government contracts to develop mRNA vaccines.
“It is unfortunate that the Secretary just canceled a half a billion worth of work, wasting the money which is already invested. He has also conceded to China an important technology needed to combat cancer and infectious disease. President Trump wants to Make America Healthy Again and Make America Great Again. This works against both of President Trump’s goals,” Cassidy said on X.
Cassidy, a physician by training, was a key GOP vote to confirm Kennedy as health and human services secretary after Kennedy pledged to protect “the public health benefit of vaccination.”
Cassidy lambasted Kennedy in June after he dismantled a vaccine advisory committee that he replaced with new members, including vaccine skeptics.
Texas AG Ken Paxton announces investigation into Beto O'Rourke's PAC over funding Texas Dems' scatter
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, announced today that his office has launched an investigation into Democratic former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s group Powered by People over work to finance state Democrats’ trip to Illinois in an effort to break a quorum in the state House.
Paxton said he will investigate the group for “unlawful activity, including potentially operating an illegal financial influence scheme to bribe runaway Democrats who fled Texas to break quorum.”
He further alleged that the group “may have violated bribery laws” by providing the lawmakers with funds to leave the state and “may have also violated other Texas laws, including, but not limited to, those governing campaign or officeholder contributions and expenditures, coercion of a public servant, and abuse of office.” His office has filed a request demanding documents and communications from the group related to the Democrats’ exit.
Paxton announced a run for Senate in April, in which he seeks to win the GOP nomination over Sen. John Cornyn.
O’Rourke reacted to Paxton’s investigation on social media, referring to Paxton’s 2023 impeachment by the Texas state House.
“The guy impeached for bribery is going after the folks trying to stop the theft of five Congressional seats,” he wrote. “Let’s stop these thugs before they steal our country.”
Congress doesn’t want to talk to Alex Acosta, Epstein’s ‘sweetheart deal’ maker
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform yesterday listed former attorneys general, a former FBI director, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as people all subject to subpoenas for matters tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
However, not named in the news release was Alex Acosta — who was the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida whose secret non-prosecution agreement with Epstein created a spark that has turned into an inferno of controversy nearly 20 years later.
Acosta also was Trump’s labor secretary during his first term. Acosta left the role in 2019 after he faced scrutiny over the Epstein plea agreement.
Victims of Epstein’s sexual abuse are unhappy that Acosta was not among those subpoenaed.
Tulsi Gabbard declassified documents over objections from CIA, sources say
National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard decided to declassify a document on Russia’s interference in the 2016 election last month over the objections of CIA officials who argued that more details should remain secret to protect sensitive spying sources and methods, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter.
The Washington Post first reported the disagreement.
Some former intelligence officers said they were alarmed at the detail revealed in the declassified document. The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, of Virginia, has warned that the move could put intelligence-gathering efforts at risk.
The intelligence director’s office and the CIA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Protesters asked to leave Rep. Nancy Mace's town hall in South Carolina
Protesters at a town hall tonight for Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., were asked to leave the event.
Attendees with anti-Trump signs said they were asked to leave, with a protester wearing a shirt with the words “love is love” saying she was asked to leave, as well.
Two people, Kathi Hunt and David Hunt, told NBC News they left of their own accord because they did not think the town hall was a space to disagree with Mace or the crowd, which they described as seemingly being in agreement with Mace.
The event, held outside Mace’s district in Myrtle Beach, is nominally a town hall — but it has assumed the feel of a campaign event as Mace stands at the podium with signs that read “Nancy Mace for Governor.”
Mace announced her intention to seek the governor’s office this week.
Mace said she will take questions from the packed room for only 10 minutes but vowed to stay to shake everyone’s hands.
“Even if you’re a Democrat in the room, I will take your question. Just don’t tackle me. I’ll take any question,” she said.
Trump says he may bring National Guard into D.C.
Trump told reporters he's weighing taking over the Washington, D.C., police and said he could also bring in the National Guard.
"We’re considering it, yeah, because the crime is ridiculous,” Trump said when he was asked whether he planned to take control of the police department.
"We have a capital that's very unsafe," Trump said, pointing to the recent assault of "a beautiful, handsome guy who had the hell knocked out of him." Trump appeared to be referring to Edward Coristine, an original DOGE staffer known for his online name, “Big Balls.” "I'm going to call him now," Trump said.
"He went through a bad situation," and there's "too much of it. We're going to do something about it," such as "federalize" the city, he said.
"We're going to beautify the city," Trump said, before he again complained about the crime rate. "We're not going to let it — that includes bringing in the National Guard, too, maybe very quickly," he said.
"This has to be the best-run place in the country, not the worst-run place in the country."
The remarks come one day after Trump posted on social media, “If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run.”
