July 14, 2025

MIDDLE EAST | Update from regional conflicts:

• Palestinian health officials say the Gaza death toll from the 21-month-old war between Israel and Hamas has surpassed 58,000. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,236 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

• Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, is in Kyiv today following President Donald Trump's announcement yesterday that the U.S. is sending badly needed U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine and ahead of what Trump has said is a major statement on Russia, which is expected sometime today. [more]

U.S. GUN VIOLENCE | Two women were killed, and a state police officer was wounded, yesterday when a gunman opened fire at a church in Lexington, Kentucky, to which he had fled after stealing a car. The yet-unidentified gunman was shot and killed at the scene. [more]

U.S. TARIFFS | President Donald Trump has announced a series of new trade tariffs over the past several days, including 30% tariffs on goods from the European Union, which is the world's largest trading bloc and America's largest trading partner. Other tariffs announced include a 30% rate on products from Mexico and a 50% rate on those from Brazil. Trump said that all of the new import duties are to take effect August 1. [more]

U.S. IMMIGRATION | Amidst heightened federal immigration enforcement in Southern California, U.S. District Court Maame E. Frimpong, in response to a lawsuit alleging the systematic targeting of brown-skinned people, ordered federal agencies Friday to halt indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in seven California counties and to ensure access to attorneys for immigration detainees. [more]

U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT | Reuters cites Justice Department data and unnamed sources as saying that nearly two-thirds of personnel in the department's unit charged with defending against legal challenges to signature Trump administration policies have resigned or announced plans to leave since President Donald Trump's election in November. According to the report, unit attorneys cited a punishing workload and the need to defend policies that some felt were not legally justifiable as among the key reasons for the wave of departures. [more]

TEXAS | Efforts to locate victims of the recent floods in central Texas are set to resume today after heavy rains and potential flooding prompted a temporary pause in search and rescue operations yesterday. [more]

ARIZONA | Park officials say the historic Grand Canyon Lodge - the only lodging inside Grand Canyon National Park on the North Rim - was destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire over the weekend. Dozens of other structures were also destroyed by the fire, which was sparked by lightning on July 4. [more]

NATO | NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is in Washington, DC, for two days of talks during which he is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The meetings follow last week's announcement by Trump that the U.S. will sell weapons to NATO allies that can then be passed on to Ukraine. [more]

AUSTRALIA | More than 35,000 military personnel from 19 nations are taking part in this year's Talisman Sabre military exercises in Australia, which began today and are expected to last about three weeks. [more]

FRANCE | President Emmanuel Macron announced yesterday that France will spend an extra 6.5 billion euros on defense and military needs over the next two years. Macron cited unprecedented threats, including Russia, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, and online attacks, as reasons for the increased spending. [more]

VIETNAM | State media reports that Vietnam, as part of efforts to curb air pollution, will ban fossil-fuel motorcycles and mopeds in the center of the capital city of Hanoi starting in July 2026. Reports note that motorcycles are the main mode of transport for most of Hanoi’s 8 million residents. [more]

SOUTH AFRICA | President Cyril Ramaphosa suspended South African Police Minister Senzo Mchunu yesterday and announced an investigation into allegations that Mchunu has colluded with criminal syndicates. [more]

CHINA | Bolstered by increased orders linked to a temporary reprieve in U.S. tariffs, Chinese exports rose in June – up 5.8% from the year-ago period and up 4.8% from May. [more]

SOCCER | Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain, 3-0, yesterday to win the FIFA Club World Cup. Cole Palmer was named the player of the match and received the Golden Ball award as the top player in the tournament. [more]

TENNIS | Jannik Sinner beat two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz yesterday to win the men's 2025 Wimbledon tennis tournament. In women's play, Iga Swiatek beat Amanda Anisimova on Saturday to win the tournament's women's title. [more]

BASEBALL | With the No. 1 pick in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft yesterday, the Washington Nationals selected 17-year-old Oklahoma high school shortstop Eli Willits. [full draft] [more]

WEEKEND MOVIES | "Superman" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $122 million in receipts, followed by "Jurassic World Rebirth" and "F1: The Movie." [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 2016, In France's third major terrorist attack in 18 months, a man drove a truck through a crowd of revelers celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, France, killing more than 80 people and injuring hundreds of others. [more history]