Wednesday morning news: July 30, 202

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Trump touts trade deals » Air Force One touched down near the nation’s capital Tuesday. President Trump returning from a fruitful trip to Scotland, where he sealed a new trade deal with the European Union.

TRUMP:  We just signed a very big deal, as you know, with the, uh, European Union, but also with the United Kingdom. Uh, the United Kingdom was a week before and it's a very big deal and a great deal for the country.

But Democrats in Washington slammed the new trade deal with the EU, which will see a 15% tariff on most European imports. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer:

SCHUMER:  When you raise tariffs, the American families pay for it. $90 billion tax on American families.

Numerous other countries have now worked out new trade deals with the US, including Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

But to many other countries, the Trump administration has been sending out letters, letting each of them know what the new tariff rate will soon be on products they sell in the US. That is, if they don’t strike a deal by the Friday deadline.

That rate will be set individually between 15 and 50 percent.

US-China talks » And in Sweden, US and Chinese officials met once again Tuesday to talk trade. Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent:

BESSENT:  Here you have the, the two largest economies in negotiation. And as I've said before, and we reiterated to them, we don't want to decouple, we just need to de-risk with certain, uh, strategic industries.

Beijing’s top trade official says that the two sides have agreed to work on extending a trade truce that’s set to expire in less than two weeks. That would buy more time to try and reach a larger deal.

US officials say they talked about an extension, but nothing’s been decided just yet.

Bessent added that the US raised its top trade concerns with China once more.

BESSENT:  We expressed our concern about Chinese over capacity globally and what that might mean, uh, for this year, for the next few years.

Washington says China is flooding the market with overproduction of things like electric vehicles, solar products, and steel, throwing off the balance of global trade.

Beijing is demanding, among other things, looser US exports controls on high-tech items.

NYC shooting update » Bagpipes heard in the streets of New York City as the remains of NYPD Officer Didarul Islam were transported for burial.

He was one of four people killed when a gunman opened fire in a Manhattan skyscraper Monday before taking his own life.

The officer was off duty, working security at the time.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the 27-year-old suspect, Shane Tamura, left a suicide note suggesting he targeted the building because the NFL’s headquarters are located there.

TISCH:  Mr. Tamura claimed to be suffering from CTE, possibly from playing high school football, and he blamed the NFL. He also writes, study my brain.

CTE is a degenerative brain disease that has been linked to concussions and other repeated head trauma common in contact sports like football.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams says investigators believe the gunman wanted to target the NFL's offices, but entered the wrong elevator.

FDA takes action on 7OH » The FDA is warning parents, school boards and others about a synthetic opioid being sold across the country in things like specialized sodas and gummies, even in products easily available to kids.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said he has visited vape shops to see firsthand products containing a substance known as 7OH sold over the counter.

MAKARY: I've been surprised at the candies and gummies and drinks and ice cream cones. Here's one drink with seven oh h in it. Do we understand what 7OH is at Public Health Scale?

7OH is a byproduct of the Kratom leaf but a synthetic version is being added to products.

It is already illegal to add the substance to food or supplements under existing FDA rules. But the agency now wants to classify it as a schedule-I illicit substance.

Extreme heat » Extreme heat is scorching the Southeastern US, breaking at least one record, with Tampa International Airport hitting 100 degrees for the first time.

Peter Mullinax with the National Weather Service says the heat wave is carving a large path.

MULINAX:  From New Orleans on North, even as far north as St. Louis down through northern Florida. Also places like the, uh, Tampa Bay Metro in Orlando metro areas.

Authorities are urging residents to limit time outside if possible and to stay well hydrated.

The heat is expected to let up, at least to some extent, heading into the weekend. Rain in the forecast today in some parts of the region could provide some welcomed relief.

SCOTUS Monk petition » A nonprofit law firm is asking the US Supreme Court to take up the case of a Christian monk who was jailed for silently praying outside of a Michigan abortion facility. WORLD’s Christina Grube has more.

CHRISTINA GRUBE: Matthew Connolly is serving nearly three months in jail on top of fine.

His crime was silently praying on public property outside of an abortion facility that bars—quote—“annoying” public behavior.

And local authorities said Connolly violated that ordinance by kneeling in prayer near the facility.

The nonprofit law firm Advocates for Faith & Freedom are now petitioning the Supreme Court to step in.

The firm argues that the ordinance’s language criminalizing unspecified “annoying” behavior is unconstitutionally vague.

For WORLD, I’m Christina Grube.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Washington Wednesday with Hunter Baker. Plus, a special report on Christians in Iran.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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