Emergency rescues and international news stories

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Yesterday, the president brought his trade war to Latin America's largest economy. Until now, Brazil had largely avoided Trump's trade measures, but Trump said a massive tariff would take effect on August 1st. Trump cited what he called a witch hunt against Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's former president. Bolsonaro faces decades in prison over his alleged role in a plot to retain power by military force following his election loss in 2022. The current Brazilian president rebutted all of Trump's claims on Wednesday and threatened to retaliate against any new tariffs. Meanwhile, Trump hosted a lunch with African leaders at the White House yesterday. After a presentation by Liberia's president, Trump responded with this. Well thank you. It's such good English. Such beautiful. Where did you where did you learn to speak so beautifully? Where where were you educated where? In Liberia. Well, that's very interesting. That's beautiful English. Trump appeared to be unaware that English is Liberia's official language. Federal workers fear Trump will fire them after a Supreme Court ruling this week. That's number two I told you yesterday that the Supreme Court had stepped into the Trump administration's efforts to fire thousands of federal workers. In a ruling on Tuesday, justices said officials can move forward with their plans. That set off panic among federal workers . Some rushed to signal group chats and made anxious phone calls, trying to figure out what it meant for them. But few details about the full impact are known. It's unclear exactly how many federal employees Trump officials are hoping to expel, and litigation will continue as layoffs proceed at 19 agencies. Justices did not rule on whether the layoffs are leg al. Regardless, some federal workers have vowed to fight on. They said they're determined to hang on to the government jobs they took because they wanted to serve the American public . Number three. Trump and other top Republicans are changing course on Ukraine. For half a year , the White House has expressed skepticism toward Kyiv and friendliness toward Moscow. But the situation is quickly changing. The White House is preparing to send additional weaponry to Ukraine and Congress is moving to enact tough new sanctions on Russia. Trump has become increasingly frustrated by Russian President Vladimir Putin's unwillingness to engage seriously in talks to end the war . During his presidential campaign last year, Trump vowed he would move quickly to halt the conflict, but so far he's been unsuccessful. Dozens of workers were rescued after a tunnel collapsed in Los Angeles. That's number four. Last night, a municipal wastewater management tunnel that was under construction collapsed, trapping 27 industrial workers. More than a hundred emergency responders scrambled to join the rescue effort, and four workers who were at the scene voluntarily entered the tunnel to help their trapped co-workers after the collapse. Their efforts were successful. All 31 people escaped the tunnel. Mayor K aren Bass spoke about the rescue at a news conference. And I just have to tell you that we're all blessed today in Los Angeles. No one injured, everyone safe, and uh I am feeling very , very good that this is a great outcome in what started as a very scary evening. Medical evaluations of all 31 people from the tunnel are ongoing. Number 5. The search for those missing in the Texas floods continu es . At least 1 73 people are still missing as authorities and volunteers scour the Guadalupe River for survivors and remains. The Texas floods have amplified concerns that many communities, especially in rural areas, don't have good warning systems to keep people out of harm's way when sudden storms send walls of water down normally calm creeks and streams. Experts say it's extremely difficult to anticipate exactly where a flood will strike. Weather models have steadily improved over time, but if rain shifts a few miles in any direction, especially in hilly areas with many streams, creeks, and valleys, it can completely change which waterways will flood. We'll share a link to a story on the elements of the best flood warning systems in today's newsletter. Just follow the link in our show notes . The CEO of Elon Musk's ex stepped down yesterday. That's number six . Linda Yaccarino did not give a reason for her decision, but it came a day after Grok , the social media platform's AI chatbot, went on an anti-Semitic tirade and invoked Adolf Hitler. Yakarino led X through a tumultuous period as Musk remade Twitter in his vision. That included loosening content rules and reinstating previously banned accounts that spread misinformation and conspiracy theories. In other tech news, Trump's social media company launched a streaming platform this week. It's called Truth Plus, and it will air content from the Trump-friendly cable network Newsmax. The deal that got us here links a company whose largest shareholder is the sitting president with a conservative media ally that regularly covers and supports him. Critics say it's unethical . And at number seven, a man became a French national hero after saving a family from a fire . Before Fuséno Samba Sisse became a national hero, he was a caretaker for public middle schools in Paris. On Friday, he came home from a week of work exhausted and ready to rest. But when he heard a nearby fire alarm, he went to investigate. And he saw a woman and children trapped by flames in their apartment, desperately calling for help through the window. He jumped into action, climbing onto a ledge on the sixth floor of the building, where he was able to grab the children from the window of the burning apartment and pass them to safety. Here's how an onlooker reacted. CSA helped save the lives of six people that day, two adults and four children, including two infants. He told Radio France he felt proud of what he did, and that in the moment, he didn't hesitate. He said he only realized afterward the potential danger he had faced. French President Emmanuel Macron called CISA on Tuesday to invite him as a guest of honor to the upcoming Bastille Day Parade on July 14th.