It’s Friday - we made it another week! And I’m happy to report that my littlest seems to be fever-free and even slept through the night (thank goodness). It looks like there is set to be a storm risk impacting over 833,000 square miles of our country today, so please stay safe and vigilant! Here’s a map from the weather service, detailing:
Let’s jump into the July 11th installment of the Dawn Dispatch…
Trump Escalates Trade War with 35% Tariffs on Canada
President Trump is escalating his global trade war, threatening new tariffs on several countries starting August 1st, unless deals are struck. The president announced yesterday that Canadian imports will face a 35% tariff in a major escalation. This follows earlier tariff announcements that prompted sharp stock market sell-offs, although Trump had previously backtracked and announced a 90-day pause on some tariffs to allow for trade negotiations.
Via Politico: “A White House official, granted anonymity to discuss the negotiations, said the administration plans to impose the tariff only on goods that do not comply with the 2020 USMCA, though the ultimate details will be up to Trump to decide. In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Mark Carney and shared on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump criticized Canada for what he called its “failure” to prevent drugs from being smuggled into the U.S.”
Deadly Flash Flooding Devastates New Mexico Town
I shared a video about this wild flash flood the other night on social media, and was actually quite surprised that more life wasn’t lost due to the rapidly rising water. Ruidoso, a New Mexico mountain town hit by devastating wildfires last year, saw dangerous flooding Tuesday after heavy rain fell on areas burned in the blazes, officials said. At least three people have died in what officials describe as one of the worst monsoon floods in recent memory. Tragically, two of the victims were identified as children of a Fort Bliss soldier on leave. The flooding was particularly severe in areas previously burned by wildfires, with many of the videos I saw showing homes being easily swept away.
Trump to Visit Texas Today to Survey Flood Damage
President Trump and First Lady Melania are scheduled to visit Texas today to survey damage from devastating flash floods that struck the Hill Country over the July 4th holiday weekend. The flooding killed at least 119 people in what has become one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent Texas history. Governor Greg Abbott has indicated he will likely instruct the Texas Legislature to investigate early warning systems and other governmental responses to the crisis. The President will likely meet with first responders in the area and receive a briefing from local elected officials. In true Trump style, I’m assuming he will also plan to meet with some families who were affected by the flood and hear their stories.
One person close to the WH stated: “It’s a no-brainer – you go out there and you let people know you care about them. President Trump does not want to see things like this happen on his watch. And he views himself as a fixer.”
State Department to Begin Mass Layoffs in Coming Days
The State Department is preparing to lay off hundreds of U.S. staff members in the coming days, according to administration officials. “Once notifications have taken place, the Department will enter the final stage of its reorganization and focus its attention on delivering result-driven diplomacy,” Michael Rigas, the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, stated in an internal memo (seen below). Some 2,000 employees are expected to be laid off as early as today.
A Few More Things…
Yesterday, the CBP Commissioner reported that 10 illegal immigrant children (8 unaccompanied) were found by Federal Agents in Camarillo, California. They were at a cannabis farm, and it is now under investigation for potential child labor violations. Here is the rundown from Fox’s Bill Melugin, which is where I obtained this reporting:
Elon Musk has said that Tesla is expanding its Austin robotaxi service, and they will also be adding Grok to cars (which frightens the heck out of me, tbh.)
Hamas has agreed to release 10 hostages as part of the Gaza ceasefire talks.
Seafarers from a cargo ship that was attacked by Houthis in the Red Sea several days ago have been rescued after 48 hours in the water!
Need more info about Zohran Mamdani or the Epstein file roll-out? Meseidy and I have you covered. Listen here!
Did You Know?
That the “Guinness Book of World Records” book was invented to settle pub fights? Head to the link and learn all about it!
On This Day In History:
1302: Battle of the Golden Spurs - A coalition of Flemish cities defeated the king of France's royal army.
1405: Ming admiral Zheng He set sail to explore the world for the first time, beginning China's great age of maritime exploration.
1789: Jacques Necker was dismissed as France's Finance Minister, sparking the Storming of the Bastille just three days later and igniting the French Revolution.
1796: The United States took possession of Detroit from Great Britain under terms of the Jay Treaty, expanding American sovereignty westward.
1798: The U.S. Marine Corps was formally re-established by a congressional act that also created the U.S. Marine Band.
1804: Vice President Aaron Burr mortally wounded former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton during a pistol duel in Weehawken, New Jersey.
1859: Big Ben, the great bell inside the famous London clock tower, chimed for the first time, becoming an enduring symbol of British parliamentary democracy.
1914: George Herman "Babe" Ruth made his Major League baseball debut, pitching the Boston Red Sox to a 4-3 victory over Cleveland. The Sultan of Swat would go on to become America's greatest baseball legend. (Every time I hear Sultan of Swat, I think of one of our favorite family movies: “The Sandlot”)
1921: A truce in the Irish War of Independence came into effect, and former president William Howard Taft was sworn in as the 10th Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, becoming the only person ever to hold both offices.
1960: Harper Lee's novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" was first published.
1972: The World Chess Championship opened as grandmasters Bobby Fischer of the United States and defending champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union began play in Reykjavik, Iceland.
1979: The abandoned U.S. space station Skylab made a spectacular return to Earth, burning up in the atmosphere and showering debris over the Indian Ocean and Australia.
1995: The U.N.-designated "safe haven" of Srebrenica in Bosnia-Herzegovina fell to Bosnian Serb forces, leading to the massacre of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys.
2010: Spain defeated the Netherlands to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg, in a match that captivated the world. Do you remember watching?!
Alright friends…I hope you have a wonderful weekend, spent with family and friends, and I’ll see you back here, bright and early on Tuesday for another installment of the Dawn Dispatch!
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