Tuesday morning news: July 15, 2025

Editor's note: The following text is a transcript of a podcast story. To listen to the story, click on the arrow beneath the headline above.

Russia-Ukraine latest » President Trump is throwing down the gauntlet on Russia's war with Ukraine.

Speaking from the Oval Office yesterday, the president said Russia has 50 days to agree to a peace deal with Kyiv, or the United States will target Moscow's trading partners with heavy tariffs.

TRUMP: We’re gonna be doing secondary tariffs if we don't have a deal in 50 days. It's very simple. And they'll be at 100 percent.

Hitting those who do business with Russia with heavy tariffs could further isolate Moscow or perhaps motivate its trading partners to turn up pressure on Putin to end the war.

Trump said Putin's words aren't matching his actions.

TRUMP: I speak to him a lot about getting this thing done. And I always hang up and say, well, that was a nice phone call, and then missiles are launched into Kyiv or some other city. And I said, strange. And after that happens three or four times, you say, the talk doesn't mean anything.

In Kyiv:

ZELENSKYY: [In Ukrainian]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked President Trump during his nightly address.

SCOTUS on Education Department » The Supreme Court has cleared the way for President Trump’s plan to scale back the U.S. Department of Education.

In a 6-to-3 decision, the justices on Monday paused a lower court order that had temporarily blocked the administration from laying off nearly 1,400 employees.

Trump’s Education Secretary Linda McMahon says the move is about de-centralizing control outside of Washington.

MCMAHON:  This, um, lifts the handcuffs off of what we've been trying to do, which really is to get education back to the states where the president believes it does belong. The best education is that closest to the student.

The ruling allows the White House to move forward with efforts to wind down the department—one of Trump’s major campaign promises.

The administration says the department’s core responsibilities, like managing federal student loans, could be shifted to other agencies.

The court’s three liberal justices dissented, saying only Congress can eliminate the department, and the judiciary has a duty to check lawlessness, not expedite it.

One year after Butler, lawmakers call for protection » One year after an attempt on Donald Trump’s life on the campaign trail in Butler, Pennsylvania, some lawmakers say there are still too many unanswered questions. GOP Sen. Dave McCormick:

MCCORMICK:  I still feel very unsatisfied with the, with the lack of clarity on how this could possibly have happened.

The Pennsylvania senator was at the rally that day when a gunman grazed Trump’s ear with a bullet and killed a man seated behind the then-former and future president.

Some on Capitol Hill say it’s also time to consider protection for members of Congress. Republican Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene:

GREENE:  All of my colleagues here can tell you all of their personal stories of death threats they've dealt with. Um, and, and I think we do need, we do need protection and, and we, we don't have any.

Democratic Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was shot and critically wounded in 2011. Six years later, Republican Steve Scalise, who was then the House Majority Whip was also critically wounded by gunman.

Texas flood update » In Central Texas, crews on Monday resumed their search for victims of recent catastrophic flooding, with at least 130 dead and more than 160 still missing.

More heavy rain forced them to pause the search over the weekend.

Silvia Carranza is with Operation Blessing and says volunteers are pitching in from all over the world.

CARRANZA: We come from all over. I'm from Mexico, I came from Mexico. We have people from Honduras, Chile. Someone's coming from Costa Rica.

On the ground, residents who lost their homes and loved ones say the support they’ve received has made all the difference.

Colleen Lucas’ home was not insured against flooding.

LUCAS: It's really emotional. It's been a blessing. God has watched over us through this whole ordeal. And I cannot express how much I appreciate everything that they have done for us.

Gov. Greg Abbott is calling on lawmakers to review flood warning systems, emergency communications protocols, and recovery efforts.

He added four flood-related agenda items to the state legislature’s special session next week.

Assisted living fire » Meantime in Massachusetts, at least nine people were killed, when flames ripped through an assisted-living facility.

One survivor said she was trapped inside the building as smoke filled her room.

AUDIO:  The sprinkler system was burning hot water on my back. I went into the bathroom, filled with smoke. I opened the window as far as I could, and then I hung out the window yelling, help, help second floor, and someone above me was yelling, help. Help.

Another 30 people were injured in the incident.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey called the tragedy heartbreaking but added that given all of the factors involved, it’s miraculous that even more lives were not lost.

HEALEY:  Many were in wheelchairs. Many were immobile, many had oxygen tanks. They were severely compromised individuals in this assisted living facility, which made it all the more challenging.

The fire broke out at the Gabriel House facility in Fall River, about 50 miles south of Boston.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze.

John MacArthur obit » John MacArthur has died. The longtime pastor and author died Monday after battling pneumonia.

A passionate Bible teacher, he led Grace Community Church in Sun Valley California… from 1969 until the time of his death.

His Grace to You radio ministry began in 1977 and eventually reached listeners worldwide.

MacArthur wrote nearly 400 books and study guides, including the bestselling MacArthur Study Bible.

He devoted his life to— as he put it—“unleashing God’s truth, one verse at a time.”

John MacArthur was 86 years old.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: evaluating the Central Texas Flood Alert warning system. Plus, what’s really happening in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

This is The World and Everything in It.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.