Weather: The New York Metro area and other parts of the northeast get a slight break in the heat wave today while the south heats up. Philadelphia yesterday set a new record of 98 degrees, breaking the record of 97 degrees set in 1888. Dallas and Little Rock are expected to go over 100 today. Flooding has hit northern Iowa, southern South Dakota, eastern Nebraska and northern Missouri and Kansas.
Israel-Hamas war: In an interview on Israeli television, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he would not agree to a permanent end to the fighting with Hamas. However, he said he would be willing to make what he called a partial deal that would temporarily end the fighting and allow for release of the hostages still held by Hamas. Netanyahu’s position differs sharply from the position taken by the Biden Administration, which has been seeking a permanent peace in the Middle East.
Housing plan: U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen is today announcing new efforts by the Treasury Department using its existing authorities to increase the supply of housing. In announcing these new initiatives, Secretary Yellen says that “given the scale of the challenge, we must and will continue to do more.” The new moves include a new Treasury program that will provide an additional $100 million over the next three years to support the financing of affordable housing; a call to action for the Federal Home Loan Banks to increase their spending on housing programs; and a new “How-To Guide” to support state and local governments in using recovery funds provided by the Treasury to construct housing.
Trump hearing: Federal Judge Aileen Cannon, who is presiding in the Donald Trump classified documents case, is being asked by Special Counsel Jack Smith to impose a gag order on Trump to prevent him from saying things that the government says threaten the lives of FBI agents. The gag order request comes in the second of three days of hearings during which Trump’s attorneys are trying to convince Cannon to throw out the documents case the government brought. The government alleges that Trump stole classified documents and refused to return them to the government.
Battery fire: At least 22 people are reported to be dead following today’s explosion and fire at a lithium-ion battery plant in South Korea about 30 miles from the capital city Seoul. The factory had more than 35,000 batteries that were being inspected and packaged. The cause of the initial battery explosion was not immediately known. Firefighters were remaining on-scene in case the batteries reignited.
Terrorist attacks: Russian officials say terrorist gunman staged attacks in the province of Dagestan that killed at least 15 policemen and four civilians. The attacks took place in Orthodox churches and synagogues. A priest was among the dead. The Russian Jewish Committee said that Molotov cocktails were used to set fire to a synagogue. There previously have been antisemitic demonstrations by mobs in the territory where the attacks took place.
