“President Donald Trump said he will impose tariffs ranging from a minimum rate of 15% to a clip as high as 50% as his Aug. 1 deadline looms. ‘We’ll have a straight, simple tariff of anywhere between 15% and 50%,’ Trump said Wednesday at an artificial intelligence summit in Washington, DC. Trump’s latest tariff salvo was aimed at[American buyers of goods from] countries that have not yet secured bilateral trade frameworks with Washington. … While his team has previously floated rates between 10% and 15%, Wednesday’s remarks indicate that the baseline is now expected to begin at 15%, with significantly higher rates for [American buyers of goods from] countries with strained relations with the US.” (07/24/25)
“Members of the Irish-language rap group Kneecap were banned from entering Hungary ahead of their scheduled performance at the popular Sziget Festival as authorities argued the musicians’ presence in the country would constitute a risk to national security. The Belfast trio, scheduled to play on Sziget’s closing day on Aug. 11, is known for anarchic energy, satirical lyrics and use of symbolism associated with the Irish republican movement, which seeks to unite Northern Ireland, currently part of the U.K., with the Republic of Ireland. The group has faced criticism for lyrics laden with expletives and drug references and for political statements seeming to glorify militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.” (07/24/25)
“The Pentagon has suspended participation in all think tank and research events until further notice, according to an email sent Thursday to staff and obtained by POLITICO, a major shift in engagement from the country’s largest federal agency. The decision comes a week after the Defense Department pulled out of the high-profile Aspen Security Forum citing ‘the evil of globalism’ and indicating the event did not align with the Trump administration’s defense policies. The Pentagon’s public affairs office is also reviewing the agency’s participation in other top security conferences, according to the email.” (07/24/25)
“Kenya’s police watchdog has accused officers of using ‘disproportionate force’ to quell a recent series of protests during which 65 people died. In a report released on Thursday, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) linked most of the deaths to actions by the police. It also highlighted the role of opportunists who infiltrated the protests – described as ‘goons’ – who ‘undermined the principles of peaceful assembly.’ Over the past six weeks, there have been four separate days of demonstrations which were called over police brutality and anger at government policies.” (07/24/25)
“US home prices hit a record high in June, even as sales dropped more than expected with prospective buyers put off by stubbornly high mortgage rates and persistent economic uncertainty. The median price of a previously owned home climbed to $435,300 in June, 2 per cent higher than the same period in 2024, the National Association of Realtors said on Wednesday. Sales fell 2.7 per cent month on month to an annualised rate of 3.9mn units, the slowest pace since September.” (07/23/25)
“Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley intends to run for Senate in North Carolina and would have the White House’s full support, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News. President Donald Trump conveyed to Whatley in a direct discussion this week that he supported him for the seat, a separate source familiar with the matter said . President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who was considered a top potential contender, also announced Thursday morning that she would not run for the seat.” (07/24/25)
“The man charged with trying to assassinate President Donald Trump at one of his Florida golf courses last year was given clearance by a federal judge Thursday to represent himself in his upcoming trial. Ryan Routh appeared in front of U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon in Fort Pierce a day after his court-appointed attorneys asked to be removed from the case. However, Cannon ruled that Routh’s attorneys must remain on standby and denied their request to be withdrawn. … Routh is charged with attempting to assassinate Donald Trump, assaulting a federal officer and multiple firearms violations for the Sept. 15, 2024 incident in Florida, the second attempted assassination plot against Trump in a matter of months. He has pleaded not guilty.” (07/24/25)
“Hamas'[s] latest response to a U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire proposal is ‘currently being reviewed’ by Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Thursday. Hamas announced Wednesday night it had submitted to mediators a response to the ceasefire deal currently on the table. The details of Hamas'[s] response were not immediately made public. Sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News that a trilateral meeting in Italy between top Israeli, Qatari and American officials is slated to discuss Hamas’s response as early as today. The U.S. State Department said Wednesday President Trump’s Mideast Envoy was traveling to Italy to meet with top officials regarding a Gaza ceasefire.” (07/24/25)
“Terry “Hulk Hogan” Bollea died on Thursday, sources confirmed to Uncrowned. He was 71 years old. News of Hogan’s passing was initially reported by TMZ. Per the outlet, medical personnel were called to Hogan’s Florida home for a ‘cardiac arrest.’ … Although Hogan’s professional wrestling career began in the late 1970s, his true explosion on the scene didn’t come until the mid-1980s, when he helped Vince McMahon turn the then-WWF from primarily a northeast-based wrestling territory into a national brand, and eventually a multi-billion-dollar company. … Influential as a professional wrestler, Hogan utilized his status to cross over into Hollywood on several occasions.” (07/24/25)
“A Florida company is voluntarily recalling over 100,000 cases of ice cream bars sold in multiple states, including California, due to concerns that the bars could be contaminated with potentially dangerous bacteria. The Rich Ice Cream Company, headquartered in Palm Beach, is voluntarily recalling 110,292 cases of ice cream bars over concerns they could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The company announced the recall on June 27 and issued an updated alert on July 17. The report did not mention any cases of disease related to the recall, which covered 10 flavors, with distribution in 23 states.” (07/23/25)
