
Plus, why the tsunami wasn't bigger.
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Traci Mumford
From the New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Traci Mumford. Today's Thursday, July 31st. Here's what we're covering. There's less than 24 hours to go until President Trump's trade deadline. Earlier this month, he threatened more than a dozen countries, including some of the US's closest allies, with steep tariffs if they didn't strike a deal before August 1st. And with time running out, multiple countries have agreed to new trade terms, some in just the last few hours. US officials said Thailand and Cambodia came in under the wire, though the details haven't been made public. So did South Korea, which will face 15% tariffs, much higher than when Trump took office, but not as crippling as the 25% the president originally threatened. For some other countries, though, Trump's taking an increasingly hostile approach. Yesterday, he singled out India, criticizing the country online for its ties to Russia and China. And he announced that most products from India will face 25% tariffs starting tomorrow.
Alex Trevelli
President Trump's post, the truth Social was like a slap. It was insulting. It was a humiliation to pretty much everyone who's invested a lot in this trade relationship. And people in India this Thursday morning are reeling, trying to figure out how best to adjust and accommodate the new reality.
Traci Mumford
My colleague Alex Trevelli is based in New Delhi. He says it's particularly shocking for major companies like Apple, who've spent the last few years moving their production out of China to India to to try and avoid getting caught up in a trade war.
Alex Trevelli
Suddenly, the supply chain that goes through India looks like one of the riskiest of all.
Traci Mumford
And in another aggressive trade move, Trump followed through on his threat to slap a 50% tariff on Brazil. There are exceptions for some of its key exports, like aircraft and orange juice. The US imports almost all of its fresh orange juice from Brazil, but the move is a sharp escalation of a growing diplomatic crisis between the two countries. In addition to the tariffs, the Trump administration also slapped sanctions on one of Brazil's Supreme Court justices. Trump is targeting Brazil and that judge in particular for what he claims is the political persecution of his ally, the country's former far right president, Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro's been called the Trump of the tropics, and he's about to stand trial on charges that he orchestrated an attempted coup after he lost re election. Trump wants Brazil to drop those charges and has folded that issue into his trade demands. In an interview with the Times, Brazil's current president said, quote, if he wants to talk trade, let's sit down and discuss trade. But you can't mix everything together. Now three more updates out of Washington. The Trump administration has authorized a widespread deployment of the National Guard to support its immigration crackdown. Troops will be deployed in 20 Republican led states where they will help process migrants who are already in custody and set to be deported. The Times obtained a private government memo about the plan. It does not authorize soldiers to participate in immigration raids. Instead, the goal is to have them take on clerical duties, which will free up other authorities to carry out arrests. Also, President Trump's pressure campaign against elite universities has led to another deal, this time with Brown. The White House had threatened to block more than $500 million in federal research funds for the school over allegations the university allowed anti Semitism to go unchecked on campus. That set off a financial panic at Brown and it raced to get massive loans. Now Brown has agreed to pay $50 million and it said it will comply with the Trump administration's vision on policies like restricting trans athletes participation in sports. In exchange, the government will restore federal funding and promised that it will not try to dictate the school's curriculum or quote academic speech measures it's threatened to take at other schools. And today we decided to leave our.
Alex Trevelli
Policy rate where it's been, which I would characterize as modestly restrictive.
Traci Mumford
As expected, the Federal Reserve announced yesterday that it's keeping interest rates steady. That decision, though, was one of the most contentious in decades. The Fed governors that vote on what to do with interest rates were split and two of them opposed the decision. The last time something like that happened was in 1993. The dissenting governors were both appointed to the Fed by Trump. And the rare fracture comes as Trump's been forcefully demanding that the central bank lower rates, which he says will juice the economy. Fed Chair Jerome Powell has held off though, saying that the country's economic indicators on things like jobs and inflation continue to give mixed signals about when lowering rates will be the right move.
Shane Goldmacher
We're more than a year away from the midterm still, but President Trump is already thinking about how to maintain his extremely narrow Republican majority in the House of Representatives.
Traci Mumford
My colleague Shane Goldmacher is covering a growing effort by the White House to pressure Republican led states to redraw their U.S. house district maps to help Republicans win future elections. He's been reporting on the most significant result of that push so far, a new voting map unveiled yesterday by Republicans in Texas.
Shane Goldmacher
Redistricting normally happens once a decade after the census, but this is something entirely different. A mid decade redistricting for pretty explicit partisan gains, a gerrymander to install more Republicans and fewer Democrats in one of the biggest states in the country.
Traci Mumford
Shane says that the proposed map still needs to be greenlit by Texas lawmakers and approved by the governor, but if it goes through, it could give Republicans the chance to gain five House seats on Capitol Hill. Texas Democrats, however, have called the move outrageous and are expected to challenge the map in court if it's approved. Meanwhile, other states are watching closely. The Democratic governors of California, Illinois and New York have suggested that they could respond to any new map in Texas by redrawing their own state's maps to help more Democrats win foreign and finally, a huge chunk of the world from Japan to Alaska was on edge yesterday for tsunami warnings triggered by the massive earthquake near Russia. There were sirens, evacuations, people were braced for massive damage, but the big waves never really showed. And while there was some flooding so far there are no reports of casualties. So the question is, how did such a powerful earthquake produce such a weak tsunami? As one geophysicist told the Times, there's big and then there's really, really, really big. The earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 8.7 or 8.8. By contrast, quakes that triggered catastrophic tsunamis in the past, like the ones that hit Indonesia in 2004 or Japan in 2011, were a 9. Those numbers seem close, 8.79, but because the scale that scientists use to measure quakes is logarithmic, there's actually a significant difference. A magnitude 9 has about 10 times the energy of an 8.7. There could be other factors at play, too. Not all earthquakes and tsunamis are created equal. What was notable this time, though, is how the early warning system has developed. An earthquake struck in almost the exact same spot back in 1952 that triggered a 12 foot wave that reached Hawaii with almost no warning. This time. People had several hours heads up. It's kind of a better safe than sorry situation, the geologist told the Times. Quote, warnings went out. This is a big success. Those are the headlines today on the Daily A look at the Trump administration's most aggressive push yet to end the fight against climate change. That's up next. If you're listening in our New York Times app, or you can listen wherever you get your podcasts, I'M Tracy Mumford. We'll be back tomorrow.
The Headlines: A Trade Deadline Frenzy, and Trump’s Push to Redraw Congressional Maps
Episode Release Date: July 31, 2025 | Host: Traci Mumford | The New York Times
In this episode of The Headlines, host Traci Mumford delves into a series of pressing global and domestic issues, predominantly focusing on President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies, his administration's strategic maneuvers within the U.S., and significant international events. Here's a detailed breakdown of the key topics discussed:
As the trade deadline looms less than 24 hours away, President Trump has escalated his efforts to secure favorable trade deals. Earlier in the month, Trump issued stern warnings to over a dozen countries, including key U.S. allies, threatening steep tariffs if agreements weren’t reached by August 1st.
Despite these concessions, Trump's stance has grown increasingly antagonistic towards certain nations. Most notably, India has been singled out for criticism due to its ties with Russia and China.
In a continuation of his hardline trade tactics, Trump has imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports, excluding key exports such as aircraft and orange juice. This move exacerbates an already tense diplomatic relationship between the U.S. and Brazil.
Sanctions and Political Pressure:
Brazil's Response:
The Trump administration has authorized deploying the National Guard across 20 Republican-led states to bolster its immigration enforcement efforts.
Operational Details:
Objective:
President Trump's administration has intensified its scrutiny of elite academic institutions, particularly targeting universities over alleged lapses in handling anti-Semitism on campuses.
The Brown University Deal:
Federal Funding Restored:
The Federal Reserve’s recent decision to maintain interest rates amidst mixed economic signals has stirred significant debate.
Decision Dynamics:
Trump’s Pressure vs. Fed’s Stance:
With the midterm elections over a year away, Trump is strategically aiming to secure his narrow Republican majority in the House by influencing congressional redistricting.
Texas’ New Voting Map:
Potential Impact and Reactions:
A powerful earthquake near Russia triggered widespread tsunami warnings across regions from Japan to Alaska, though the anticipated devastation was far less severe than expected.
Earthquake Details:
Tsunami Outcome:
Enhanced Early Warning Systems:
This episode of The Headlines provides a comprehensive overview of President Trump’s assertive policies affecting international trade, domestic politics, and social institutions, alongside significant natural events and their management. Through expert analysis and on-ground reports, The New York Times offers listeners an in-depth understanding of the multifaceted challenges shaping today’s global and national landscape.