Gunman Storms Manhattan Skyscraper, and Harvard Considers Potential $500 Million Deal

Summary

The Headlines – July 29, 2025

Host: Tracy Mumford

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Tragic Shootings in New York City and Reno, Nevada

New York City Mass Shooting

At 00:41, a City Official described the recent tragic event: “This is a devastating night for our city, for our police department. Pure evil came to the heart of our city and struck innocent people.” On Monday, a gunman entered a Park Avenue skyscraper at approximately 6:30 PM, wielding an M4 rifle, and opened fire, resulting in the deaths of four individuals.

Key Details:

• Shooter Identification: The Police Spokesperson reported at 01:37 that the shooter is believed to be Shane Tamora, a 27-year-old with a Las Vegas address.
• Motive and Background: Tamora allegedly traveled from Las Vegas to New York over the weekend and possessed a Nevada gun license. Authorities noted his “documented mental health history,” though his exact motives remain unclear.
• Target: The office building housed prominent entities like Blackstone and the NFL, adding to the shock and chaos of the incident.

Reno, Nevada Mass Shooting

In a similar tragic event, Tracy Mumford reported that just yesterday morning, another gunman opened fire outside a casino in Reno, wounding six and killing three people. The assailant, who remains unidentified, was critically injured after an exchange of gunfire with police. The motive behind this second attack is also not yet understood.

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Updates on the Trump Administration

Gaza Starvation Concerns

At 02:43, during a discussion on humanitarian issues, President Trump initially downplayed concerns about starvation in Gaza:
"I don't know. I mean, based on television, I would say not particularly because those children look very hungry."
However, in a notable shift by 03:02, he acknowledged the severity:
"People, I mean, some of those kids are. That's real starvation stuff. I see it, and you can't fake that."
This marks a departure from his earlier stance, where Trump had focused more on the U.S. aid provided and less on the humanitarian crisis, despite rising global concerns.

Impact of the EU Trade Deal on Pharmaceuticals

The administration's recent trade deal with the European Union is now creating significant economic ripples. Implementing a 15% tariff on most EU goods next month will notably impact the pharmaceutical sector. As Tracy Mumford explained at 02:54:

“Nearly all major drug makers have EU factories, and they make more than 40% of brand name drugs Americans use, like Ozempic, Botox, and the cancer drug Keytruda.”

President Trump’s aim to boost domestic drug production faces challenges as these tariffs are expected to increase costs for pharmaceutical companies by billions. Consequently, companies may pass these expenses onto employers, with government programs like Medicare and insurance companies planning premium hikes.

Harvard's Potential $500 Million Deal

Amid escalating tensions between Harvard University and the Trump administration over allegations of antisemitism and broader critiques of higher education, Tracy Mumford reported that Harvard is considering a $500 million expenditure to resolve the standoff. This follows Colombia's agreement to a $200 million fine to ease its own conflicts with the administration. President Trump has notably demanded Harvard to pay more, intensifying the pressure on the prestigious institution.

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Water Crisis in Iran

Severe Water Shortages in Tehran

Iran is grappling with a critical water crisis, with Tehran’s water supply projected to dry up completely within weeks. At 04:15, Tracy Mumford detailed the situation:

“The deepest reservoirs have shrunk to shallow ponds, and residents are scrambling to fill up any containers they can find, all while the temperatures hit 120 degrees or more.”

Contributing Factors:

• Environmental Degradation: An ongoing drought, compounded by overdevelopment, excessive dam construction, and groundwater depletion for agriculture.
• Infrastructure Issues: In Tehran, high-rise buildings are experiencing insufficient water pressure beyond the second floor due to the depleted reservoirs.
• Societal Impact: Parts of the city are sinking at alarming rates—up to 12 inches per year—as water aquifers are exhausted. Additionally, prolonged energy shortages and a 12-day war with Israel have exacerbated the crisis, leading to widespread protests.

Experts attribute the crisis to both natural and human-induced factors, leaving many Iranians feeling their country is "in free fall" and questioning the government's capacity to mitigate the disaster.

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Innovations in Peanut Agriculture by Mars

Addressing Climate Challenges

In a heartening shift from global crises, Tracy Mumford highlighted an innovative agricultural effort by Mars Company. Approximately two decades ago, Mars tackled peanut rancidity by collaborating with the University of Georgia to develop the Georgia 09B peanut, a genetically modified variant that remains fresh longer and meets specific quality standards.

Current Challenge: Fast-changing climate conditions have introduced new threats from diseases and pests, jeopardizing the world’s peanut supply. Mars is once again partnering with the University of Georgia to engineer more resilient peanut varieties.

Open-Source Approach: Unlike many corporations that patent their agricultural advancements, Mars adheres to the founder Forrest Mars Sr.’s philosophy of shared success. The company's discoveries are made open-source, allowing global farmers to benefit by saving millions in lost crops without restrictive patents. This collaborative approach aims to bolster peanut production worldwide, ensuring sustainability and economic benefits for farmers everywhere.

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Conclusion

Today's headlines covered a range of critical issues, from tragic mass shootings in major U.S. cities to significant political and environmental challenges globally. Additionally, innovative strides in agriculture by companies like Mars offer a beacon of hope amidst these adversities. Stay informed with The Headlines for comprehensive insight and analysis on the stories shaping our world.

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For more detailed coverage on President Trump's trade deal with the EU and its repercussions in Europe, stay tuned to our next segment.

Transcript

[Ad Council Representative]

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[Tracy Mumford]

From the New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. Today's Tuesday, July 29th. Here's what we're covering.

[City Official]

This is a devastating night for our city, for our police department. Pure evil came to the heart of our city and struck innocent people.

[Tracy Mumford]

In New York City, a gunman walked into a Park Avenue skyscraper on Monday and opened fire, killing four people.

[Police Spokesperson]

Surveillance video shows a male exit a double parked black BMW on Park Avenue between 51st and 52nd Streets carrying an M4 rifle in his right hand.

[Tracy Mumford]

Officials say he entered the lobby around 6:30pm Carrying an assault style rifle. He began shooting, killing a New York City police officer working security and two others. The gunman then walked to an elevator, let a woman step off of it unharmed, and took it up to the offices of the real estate firm that owns the building. There, he shot and killed one more person and then himself.

[Police Spokesperson]

The shooter is believed to be Shane Tamora, a 27 year old male with a Las Vegas address.

[Tracy Mumford]

Police say the man, who they believe acted alone, drove from Las Vegas to New York over the weekend and arrived in the city just hours before the shooting. Officials say he had a gun license in Nevada and that law enforcement there said he had a, quote, documented mental health history. It's unclear what his motive was. The office building he targeted is home to several high powered groups, including the investment giant Blackstone and the NFL. Chaos also broke out at the site of another mass shooting yesterday in Reno, Nevada. Yesterday morning, a gunman opened fire out outside a casino there, wounding six people and killing at least three. Police exchanged fire with the gunman, who officials have yet to identify. They said he was taken to the hospital in critical condition. His motive was also unclear. Now, three quick updates on the Trump administration.

[Police Spokesperson]

Mr. President, Prime Minister Netanyahu said there's.

[Tracy Mumford]

No starvation in Gaza. Do you agree with that assessment?

[President Trump]

I don't know. I mean, based on television, I would say not particularly because those children look very hungry.

[Tracy Mumford]

But yesterday, after largely deflecting on the issue, President Trump acknowledged that people in Gaza are facing starvation.

[President Trump]

People, I mean, some of those kids are. That's real starvation stuff. I see it, and you can't fake that.

[Tracy Mumford]

It was a notable shift from Trump's earlier comments on the war, in which he's complained that he hasn't been thanked enough about aid the US has sent. And he's mostly avoided talking about humanitarian issues, even as global outrage over the hunger crisis has grown. In his remarks on Monday, Trump made a vague promise about opening new food distribution sites in Gaza, but the administration hasn't put forward any specifics. Next on the economic front, the impact of the administration's recent trade deal with Europe is coming into focus. The 15% tariff on most goods from the EU kicks in next month, including on pharmaceuticals, which are Europe's number one export to the U.S. nearly all major drug makers have EU factories, and they make more than 40% of brand name drugs Americans use, like Ozempic, Botox and the cancer drug Keytruda. President Trump has said he wants to boost domestic drug production. In the meantime, the new tariffs will add billions of dollars in expenses for pharmaceutical companies. Many of those companies are expected to try and pass on some of those expenses to employers, and government programs like Medicare and some insurance companies are already planning to raise premiums because of the tariffs. And the Times has learned that Harvard has signaled that it's willing to spend as much as $500 million to end its ongoing standoff with the White House. The school has been under increasing pressure from the government amid the administration's claims of antisemitism on campus and its broader assault on higher education. Last week, Colombia agreed to pay a $200 million fine to defuse its own clash with the administration. President Trump has demanded privately that Harvard pay far more. The country of Iran is in the grips of a water crisis, and officials in Tehran are predicting that the capital city's water supply will run completely dry within weeks. The deepest reservoirs have shrunk to shallow ponds, and residents are scrambling to fill up any containers they can find, all while the temperatures hit 120 degrees or more. One utility company announced that in Tehran, where millions of residents live or work in high rise buildings, there's not enough water pressure for water to get above the second floor. Environmental experts say the crisis stems from an ongoing drought, the worst in decades, but also from overdevelopment, construction of too many dams and draining groundwater for farming. Parts of Iran are actually sinking at alarming rates as water aquifers have been sucked up in Tehran, some areas of the city are sinking 12 inches a year for Iranians, who've also faced a months long energy shortage. With daily power cuts and a 12 day war with Israel this summer, the water shortage feels like the latest blow. In interviews with the Times, some Iranians say it feels like their country is in free fall, and they question the government's ability to reverse that. Across the country, some small protests about the water shortages have broken out. And finally.

[President Trump]

Wait, there's a peanut inside me.

[Mars Company Representative]

Nice.

[Tracy Mumford]

About 20 years ago in the early 2000s, the peanut M and M was in trouble. There was a flood of complaints that the peanuts inside the chocolate candy coating were going rancid. And Mars, the company behind the candy, knew it needed to do something. So it went looking for a new kind of peanut. It backed research at the University of Georgia, where scientists were able to craft one. Drawing on a genetic mutation, they created the Georgia 09B, which stays fresh longer. The peanut also satisfied some of Mars other requests. The company wanted it to be perfectly symmetrical and with just a hint of bitterness, to bounce the sweet of the chocolate. Now Mars has gone back to the university because it has a new problem. The fast changing climate has brought waves of disease and pests that are threatening the world's peanut supply. So the researchers have been tasked with making a more resilient plant. Notably, unlike other food giants whose research into modifying crops stays private and proprietary, Mars takes a different approach. It doesn't lock down its discoveries with things like patents and makes them basically open source. Back in the 1940s, its founder, Forrest Mars Sr. Said the company's success should benefit everyone, and it's kept that as a core principle. So if the new effort works, farmers in the US and around the world could benefit, saving millions on lost crops, even if they aren't specifically growing any of the £300 million of peanuts that Mars buys up every year. Those are the headlines today on the Daily More on President Trump's trade deal with the eu, including the blowback that it's caused in Europe. That's up next. If you're listening in the New York Times app, or you can listen wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Tracy Mumford. We'll be back tomorrow.