White House announces wave of new tariffs on dozens of trading partners
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President Donald Trump said today that a nuclear deal between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia requires the kingdom to normalize relations with Israel.
What to know today
- NEW TARIFFS: The U.S. trade representative announced new tariffs today on dozens of economies to replace Trump’s temporary 10% tariff, which expires at midnight ET. The wave of levies will be enacted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, a different statute from how most Trump tariffs have previously been authorized, an avenue that was struck down in the courts.
- SAUDI NUCLEAR DEAL: Trump said today that the nuclear deal between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia requires the kingdom to normalize relations with Israel — a significant condition not previously mentioned as the deal was announced.
- WAR POWERS VOTE: The House voted 214-208 to pass a war powers resolution that directs the president to remove armed forces from hostilities with Iran. The Senate voted down the resolution in a 49-47 vote. A similar measure, which is nonbinding, passed the Senate 50-48 in June. The vote comes as Iran-backed Houthi militants said today that they struck two tankers in the Red Sea, risking another shipping bottleneck.
Pentagon removes 4 fallen soldiers from database tracking war deaths
The Defense Department today removed the four soldiers killed in attacks by Iran last week from the Pentagon database that tracks casualties in war.
Yesterday, the Defense Casualty Analysis System listed 18 troops who died by both hostile and non-hostile actions since the war began in February.
Today, it lists 14 troop deaths.
Asked why the database changed, the Pentagon cited “temporary data disruptions.”
“The Department of War is aware of temporary data disruptions on the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) website," acting press secretary Joel Valdez said in a statement. "These site anomalies are currently being resolved in coordination with the Military Services."
The New York Times first reported the discrepancy.
Valdez criticized the Times in his statement, calling its article "a non-story."
"We remain committed to ensuring the utmost accuracy of all casualty reporting,” he added.
Wisconsin Dem Crowley reiterates denial of crude posts on ‘Dirt McGirk’ Twitter account
David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive who is running in the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary, said in an interview today that he didn’t write the incendiary social media posts NBC News revealed yesterday in a report about a social account registered to him.
“Anybody who knows me knows that is not a part of my character. That was back in the day when there were a bunch of us. Some of us were immature, some of us still here, some of us gone today,” Crowley told the Milwaukee Courier newspaper today. “They had to dig up 16 year old [tweets] to try and get to me, to try and tear me down. But this race isn’t about old tweets.”
“We’ve addressed the issue head on. We’re not running from it. We’re not lying about anything,” Crowley said. “But now we’re focused on winning the governor’s race.”
NBC News reported yesterday on the existence of a social media account registered to Crowley that was active from 2010 to 2014 and featured incendiary posts about women and race, along with derogatory LGBTQ references.
Crowley’s campaign confirmed he registered the account, which operated under the pseudonym “Dirt McGirk,” but it denied that he wrote any of the controversial posts and said he operated with “10-12 others” to promote a bar and social club.
Federal judges allow new Tennessee congressional map that divides majority-Black district in Memphis
A federal judicial panel has allowed Tennessee to use a new congressional map that breaks apart a majority-Black district in Memphis, providing another legal victory for Republicans who hope to gain an additional seat in this year’s midterm elections.
A three-judge panel today declined to issue a preliminary injunction against the new districts, paving the way for them to be used in the Aug. 6 primary elections. Tennessee had revised its congressional districts in May, shortly after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minorities.
Trump has urged Republican-led states to redraw districts to their advantage to try to hold on to a slim U.S. House majority in the November elections. Tennessee is among eight GOP states to do so since last year. Trump is hoping the mid-decade redistricting can help Republicans buck a historical pattern in which the president’s party typically loses seats in midterms.
Wisconsin Democrats hurtle toward an uncertain finish in topsy-turvy governor primary
Less than three weeks before a critical primary for governor in Wisconsin, Democrats are beginning to panic about the state of their muddled field of candidates.
Liberal Justice Elena Kagan says the Supreme Court isn't a rubber stamp for Trump
The U.S. Supreme Court may be deeply conservative, but it is not simply a rubber stamp for Trump, Justice Elena Kagan said today.
Kagan, one of the court’s three liberal justices, told an audience of lawyers and judges at a judicial conference in Bellevue, Washington, that at significant times, on some big issues, “the court has checked the executive branch.”
The court has sided with the Trump administration in the vast majority of cases to come before it so far, including largely upholding his immigration crackdown and expanding his authority over federal regulatory agencies. But Kagan pointed to key rulings in which he did not get what he sought, such as decisions rejecting Trump’s sweeping tariffs and his efforts to strip birthright citizenship from the children of people who are in the U.S. illegally.
“Is this court very conservative? Does it do a bunch of things that are out of the playbook of the conservative legal movement that I think are deeply wrong? You know, yes,” Kagan said. “But is this court the kind of puppet for the current administration? I think definitely not.”
U.S. sets tariffs at 10% to 12.5% on 60 trade partners to replace expiring tariffs
The U.S. trade representative announced a wave of tariffs today on dozens of economies to replace Trump’s temporary 10% tariff, which expires at midnight ET.
Sixty trading partners, including all of America’s most important ones, will face tariffs of 10% to 12.5%, according to a fact sheet. The new duties will take effect at 12:01 a.m. ET.
Some of the trading partners facing a 10% tariff are Canada, Mexico, India and the United Kingdom.
Bipartisan bill would require companies to tell users when they’re talking to AI
New bipartisan legislation aiming to help aging Americans would require companies to disclose when users are interacting with AI.
Trump given championship ring and jersey during L.A. Dodgers' White House visit
The Los Angeles Dodgers returned to the White House this afternoon to celebrate their 2025 World Series victory.
Trump welcomed the team to the Rose Garden, touting recent upgrades to the area and the construction projects on the White House ballroom and its new helipad.
Trump congratulated the team, who also visited the White House last year after it won the 2024 World Series, and praised a handful of players, including Shohei Ohtani, who won his third consecutive National League MVP award in November.
"This is really a special team. It's special winners. They're champions and just unbelievable. And I wouldn't be surprised to see them back again," Trump said.
The team's owner, Mike Walter, presented Trump with a championship ring and a customized "Trump 47" World Series jersey.
The Dodgers visited as some sports teams have avoided going to the White House during Trump's terms, particularly as he has rebuffed some athletes who spoke out against him.
Two of the Dodgers' players said they would not join the visit today. Mookie Betts told The Orange County Register before the visit that he would not be coming, saying, "Last year, I think I did it, and I realized I didn’t do it for me."
Kiké Hernández, who has been outspoken against Trump's anti-immigration agenda, said he would not attend this year. While Hernández is busy beginning a minor-league rehabilitation assignment, he told NBC Los Angeles that he probably wouldn't have gone back to the White House regardless.
Justice Department agrees to withdraw subpoenas of New York Times journalists over Air Force One reporting
The Justice Department agreed today to withdraw grand jury subpoenas seeking testimony and records from New York Times reporters and their family members after a federal judge repeatedly questioned why prosecutors issued the subpoenas before they pursued alternative investigative steps.
At a hearing today before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan, prosecutor Sean Buckley initially resisted withdrawing the subpoenas, arguing that they should instead be held in abeyance so the government could preserve the records in case they were needed later.
But Subramanian repeatedly pressed Buckley about the distinction, noting that the government could quash the subpoenas and return to court later with new applications if justified.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune pushes back after Karoline Leavitt says Trump's patience is 'running out' on SAVE Act passage
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., pushed back today after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s said Trump’s “patience is running out” over the Senate’s failure to advance the SAVE Act.
President Donald Trump; Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. Getty Images file
“Maybe she or somebody else ought to get on the phone and get the votes. Right? It’s 50 around here,” Thune told reporters when he was asked about Leavitt’s comments.
“Instead of pointing the finger at Republicans, they might think about going after the people who are stopping it on the floor, which is the Democrats,” he said. “And if there are Republicans they think are gettable, get on the phone.”
Earlier today, Leavitt said Trump’s patience with Thune’s handling of the SAVE Act was wearing thin after the measure has repeatedly failed to clear the Senate despite multiple votes.
Trump has pressured Senate Republicans to pass the bill, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and photo identification when ballots are cast.
“He wants to see as much as much of the SAVE America [Act] passed as possible by the August recess," Leavitt said. "He knows that’s what the American people want to see passed.”
Trump speaks about 'ratepayer protection pledge' at EPA HQ
In remarks at the Environmental Protection Agency's headquarters, Trump touted his "ratepayer protection pledge," which seeks to make tech companies pay for increased energy costs associated with energy use at data centers, hoping to limit price increases for individual ratepayers and families.
"Data centers and AI are dramatically increasing the demand for electricity. It's only fair that the cost of building the new infrastructure required to meet this demand should be borne by the corporations themselves, not by the American consumers and the American patriots," Trump said.
He added: "Under this groundbreaking plan, America's largest tech companies have formally committed to fund or build all energy infrastructure required to meet the demand they are placing on the grid. So they're going to be funding all of those electric needs, and we're giving them the right to build their own power plants."
‘No one knows her’: Who is Darline Graham, South Carolina’s new senator?
Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., finds herself in a place she never imagined: the white-hot national spotlight that once tracked her brother’s every move.
Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., arrives for a Senate Judiciary Committee markup today. Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
New bill takes aim at Chinese AI companies accused of copying American tech
A bipartisan group of lawmakers said they were introducing legislation today to protect American artificial intelligence companies like OpenAI and Anthropic from Chinese competitors.
Member of Vance’s Secret Service detail removed amid probe into alleged compromise of security information
Aaron Schwartz / AFP via Getty Images file
A member of Vice President JD Vance’s protective detail has been removed pending an investigation into allegations of compromising the vice president’s security, a Secret Service spokesman said today.
CNN first reported the development, citing sources familiar with the matter who told it the agent was suspected of leaking information used in an MS NOW report detailing allegations of Secret Service complaints about Vance’s travel habits.
Senate votes down war powers resolution on Iran
The Senate failed to advance a war powers resolution on the Iran conflict, with 49 senators voting against it and 47 voting in favor.
The resolution aimed to force Trump to seek congressional approval for further military action within or against Iran.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., joined Republicans to vote against the resolution. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, joined Democrats to vote for it.
Republicans Katie Britt of Alabama, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky missed the vote. The resolution needed a simple majority to pass.
Congressman clashes with wealthy businessman in Michigan’s GOP primary for governor
When Rep. John James, R-Mich., launched his campaign for governor last year, Trump didn’t bother to hide his concerns.
Leavitt says Saudi nuclear deal is contingent on nation joining Abraham Accords
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a briefing that the U.S.-Saudi nuclear deal is "contingent" on Saudi Arabia's signing the Abraham Accords, a series of normalization deals between Israel and several Middle Eastern and North African nations that Trump brokered during his first term.
"He wants to see these countries sign the Abraham Accord. It was one of the most historic accomplishments of his first term, and it continues to be a long-term goal of his to expand those accords to ultimately come to a place where the Middle East can be a peaceful and stable region," Leavitt said. "And yes, this deal with Saudi Arabia, the energy deal, is contingent on this condition as far as the president is concerned."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at a news briefing today. Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images
Her remarks echoed Trump's comments earlier today on Truth Social that the deal "is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords.”
The original nations that joined the Abraham Accords alongside Israel were the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, followed by Sudan and Morocco.
Mark Sanford jumps into Senate primary to replace the late Lindsey Graham on the ballot
Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said today that he plans to run for the Senate seat held by Sen. Lindsey Graham until his death earlier this month.
"Our country is at a financial tipping point, and I can’t sit on the sidelines while Washington adds a trillion dollars to the debt every 100 days," Sanford, also a former congressman, said in a post on X. "I’ve spent my entire time in politics fighting this fight, and I’m running for U.S. Senate to keep the American dream alive for our sons, my grandson, and those you love."
Sanford joins Rep. Russell Fry and Sen. Darline Graham, each of whom declared their intention to run for the seat earlier this week, in a special GOP primary that will take place on Aug. 11.
Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham's sister, was appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster after Lindsey Graham's death to serve out the rest of his term. Days later, President Donald Trump publicly urged Darline Graham to run for a full term, offering her his endorsement.
House approves war powers resolution
The House approved a Democratic war powers resolution that directs the president to remove armed forces from hostilities with Iran.
The vote was 214-208. Four Republicans joined all Democrats in voting for the measure: Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.
U.S. service members aboard amphibious assault ship USS Boxer support flight operations day and night from the Arabian Sea as CENTCOM enforces the naval blockade against Iran. @CENTCOM / via X
The measure now heads to the Senate. But as a concurrent resolution, it would not go to the president for his signature and would not have the force of law.
The House now heads out on its summer recess and will return Aug. 31.
The House approved a similar war powers resolution in early June on a 215-208 vote, with the same Republicans supporting it who voted for the measure today. The Senate later passed the same nonbinding measure.
The Supreme Court in its 1983 INS v. Chadha ruling “found simple and concurrent resolutions that approve or disapprove of executive action to be unconstitutional because they did not require presentation to the President,” according to the Congressional Research Service.
That ruling prompted the Senate to update its fast-track procedures to consider war powers resolutions as bills or joint resolutions, which would be subject to the president’s signature. But the House does not have a way for members to expedite consideration of war powers bills or joint resolutions.
Tension between Mullin and White House appears to be growing, sources say
Only four months into his role heading the Department of Homeland Security, there appears to be growing tension between Markwayne Mullin and the White House after some early missteps, according to a senior Trump administration official and a senior DHS official.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Jim Lo Scalzo / Bloomberg via Getty Images
Senate to vote on another war powers resolution
The Senate will vote today at 11:30 a.m. on another war powers resolution related to the Iran war.
The resolution, which was introduced by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., “directs the President to remove the United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or a specific authorization for use of military force.”
The resolution would only need a simple majority to pass, and we’re watching to see if enough Republicans join Democrats to vote to pass it.
Some Republican senators, such as Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., have been willing to switch their votes from yes to no to give Trump more time to negotiate during the ceasefire, but now that that’s over, we’re watching them particularly to see if they’ll vote for the resolution.
Speeches on the Senate floor related to the resolution are expected around 11:10 a.m.
Oil surges to $100 per barrel after Red Sea attacks
Oil prices rose today to their highest level since early June after the latest Iran war escalation threatened severe new disruption to global supplies.
Brent crude oil, one of two key global benchmarks, rose more than 6% to more than $100 per barrel in early trading. That is its highest level in eight weeks, since the end of May.
U.S. crude oil also jumped for a second straight day, rising more than 5% to almost $92 per barrel — its highest level since June 11.
The new surge in prices comes after Tehran-backed Houthi rebels claimed attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, following their announcement of a naval blockade on the kingdom.
Trump says Saudi Arabia must normalize Israel ties before nuclear deal is approved
Trump said today that the nuclear deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia requires the kingdom to normalize relations with Israel — a significant condition not previously mentioned as the deal was announced.
There will be “no enrichment of material” under the agreement, he wrote on Truth Social, adding that the deal signed a day earlier “pertains only to non-military use.” Lawmakers and experts have raised concerns that the civil nuclear agreement could fuel nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.
Trump added that the deal “is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords.”
The U.S.-brokered agreements aimed at normalizing relations with Israel were forged during Trump’s first term, and signed by several majority Muslim countries including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and later Sudan and Morocco. Their expansion across the Middle East has been a long-standing objective for Trump in his second term.
Trump says he will hold Iran responsible for future Houthi strikes
Trump said in a Truth Social post that the U.S. would hold Iran responsible if the Houthi militants target ships transiting nearby waterways.
The Houthis "have acted very responsibly" during the war with Iran, Trump wrote, adding, "Unfortunately, now they are starting up again, shooting at two Saudi Arabian ships last night."
Houthi militants, who control part of Yemen, said today that they hit two tankers in the Red Sea.
Trump wrote in his post, "Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if they do this again, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves, who I am very disappointed with in that they have, until now, acted very professionally and smart."
Trump attends dignified transfer of 4 troops killed in Iran attacks
The United States carried out a 12th straight night of airstrikes just hours after Trump attended the dignified transfer of four American service members killed in Iran attacks. With negotiations to end the war stalled, Trump has threatened to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants each time it attacks a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. NBC’s Garrett Haake reports for "TODAY."
U.S. committed to helping end Ukraine war but no quick deal, Rubio says after meeting with Russia’s Lavrov
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said today the Trump administration is poised to help end the “senseless war” in Ukraine but acknowledged there is no quick path to a deal, saying diplomacy will require sustained effort and new ideas.
Rubio, who earlier held talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, said Moscow and Kyiv should have the incentive to end a “very blood war” that devastated both sides.
Rep. Jim Jordan formally asks DOJ to prosecute Jack Smith over congressional testimony
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to the Justice Department yesterday requesting a criminal investigation of former special counsel Jack Smith, alleging he made false statements during a congressional deposition last year.
Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, wrote in a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche that Smith “seemingly made willfully and intentionally false statements of material fact that contradict new documents” the Senate Judiciary Committee obtained this month.
In a letter to Jordan and Blanche, attorneys for Smith denied that he made any false statements during his deposition, writing that he “provided truthful, responsive answers and candidly discussed his work as Special Counsel.”
‘Off the charts’: Secret Service describes rising threats to protectees
The Secret Service has opened more than 10,000 investigations this year into threats against people it protects, a 40% rise over the same period last year, officials said yesterday.
Director Sean Curran told reporters at a briefing that the volatile political climate has reached a new level that he has not seen in his 24-year career.
He said the threat numbers are “off the charts.”
Oil tankers attacked as Iran threatens to turn second trade route into a ‘Gate of Tears’
Far from easing the crisis over a key global trade route, Iran has now moved to create another critical chokepoint. Iran-backed Houthi militants said today that they had struck two tankers in the Red Sea, risking another bottleneck that could further disrupt global energy supplies, spike prices and heap domestic political pressure on Trump.
Sen. Tina Smith endorses Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan Senate race
Michigan progressive Abdul El-Sayed is picking up another endorsement for Senate, with Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., announcing that she is backing him.
Smith, whose endorsement was shared first with NBC News, is part of a group of Democratic senators who have been weighing in key primaries and have been critical of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s approach to intraparty contests.
“I’ve been in Washington for nearly nine years, and I’ve seen two kinds of senators. There are those that go along to get along, hoard their power, and pacify big money. And then there are the fighters willing to challenge the status quo to make this country better for working people,” Smith said in a statement. “Abdul is a fighter, and that’s why I’m endorsing him to be the next United States Senator for Michigan.”
Smith, who is retiring, went on to say that the nation’s capital needs leaders “with bold ideas for how to help Americans afford their lives and fix an economic system that’s rigged to benefit the wealthiest and biggest corporations while regular people struggle to pay for rent and groceries, let alone save a little for a vacation or their retirement.”
Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., has endorsed progressive Abdul El-Sayed for Senate in Michigan. Getty Images
Smith joins fellow Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and fellow Democrats Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland in backing El-Sayed, who is facing Rep. Haley Stevens in the Aug. 4 primary.
Stevens has been endorsed by Schumer, retiring Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and former Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
