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Donald Trump has shrugged off Elon Musk’s plans for a new political party as “ridiculous” — but the announcement underscored the threat the disaffected former ally poses to US Republicans defending paper-thin congressional majorities.Musk’s weekend launch of the “America Party” came in the wake of Trump signing into law a sprawling domestic policy bill that the tech mogul has slammed over estimates that it will balloon the deficit.Musk has been light on policy detail, but is expected to target a handful of House and Senate seats in next year’s midterm elections where the sitting Republican voted for Trump’s bill after preaching fiscal responsibility.”Elon Musk’s America Party is a wild card that could upend the midterms in 2026, particularly for Republicans,” said political analyst Matt Shoemaker, a former Republican congressional candidate and an ex-intelligence officer.”With bare majorities in Congress, the Republicans should be worried.”Musk, the world’s richest person, had teased the idea of a new party for weeks, running an informal social media poll in June that showed 80 percent support among 5.6 million respondents.Unlike previous third parties, his would have almost limitless resources, and a talisman with a large constituency of young American men who see him as a maverick genius and a superstar.”Musk’s brand appeals to disaffected independents and younger, tech-savvy voters who might otherwise break for Republicans in swing districts,” Shoemaker told AFP. – ‘Balance of power’ -With a personal wealth estimated at $405 billion, Musk has already demonstrated that he is willing to spend big on politics, lavishing $277 million on Trump’s 2024 campaign.Yet a more recent foray into Wisconsin politics — he spent $20 million only to see his candidate for the state supreme court lose handily — has underlined the limits of wealth and celebrity in politics.And then there is the political difficulty of building support in the American heartland, among voters who are not part of Musk’s Silicon Valley “tech bro” bubble. Time magazine’s 2021 Person of the Year was once liked by a broad cross-section of Americans, but he saw his numbers plunge after joining the Trump administration as the president’s costcutter-in-chief.Musk’s net favorability in the most recent rating published by Nate Silver, one of the most respected US pollsters, is underwater at -18.1, compared with a slightly less subaquatic -6.6 for Trump. “While you don’t want to paint with too broad a brush, the Republican base and MAGA movement are fairly inseparable in today’s political climate,” said Flavio Hickel, associate professor of political science at Washington College in Maryland.”And their support for Trump has been unwavering despite recent controversies. It’s hard to imagine any political project associated with Musk siphoning off votes from individuals who approve of Donald Trump.”- ‘Fizzled out’ -While multiple Republicans and Democrats have switched to independent, wins for third parties have been rare in modern US history.The Conservative Party of New York State in the 1970s and the Farmer–Labor Party in the 1930s are the only minor parties to win Senate seats in the last century.Smaller parties saw more success in the House in the early 20th century but have only won one seat since the 1950s. AFP spoke to multiple analysts who pointed to the many hurdles thrown in front of third-party candidates trying to get onto the ballot in a system designed to favor the status quo.These include minimum signature requirements, filing fees and other onerous state-specific regulations on age, residency and citizenship.”Remember in early 2024 the so-called ‘No Labels’ party that was going to chart a middle course for the 2024 elections?” said veteran political strategist Matt Klink.”They fizzled out in epic fashion.”Analysts agree that winning seats in Congress may be a stretch, but say Musk can inflict pain on Trump by syphoning votes from vulnerable sitting Republicans or throwing cash at primary opponents of the president’s preferred candidates.”Elon’s party won’t win seats, but it could cost Republicans plenty,” said Evan Nierman, the founder and CEO of global crisis PR firm Red Banyan.”In tight districts, even a few points siphoned off from the right could flip control.”

Jeffrey Epstein was not murdered, did not blackmail prominent figures and did not keep a “client list,” the FBI and Justice Department said Monday, debunking notable conspiracy theories about the disgraced US financier.The conclusions came after an “exhaustive review” of the evidence amassed against Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019 after being charged with sex trafficking, the agencies said in a joint memorandum.Six years later, questions continue to swirl around Epstein’s life and death and the multi-millionaire hedge fund manager’s connections to wealthy and powerful individuals.The memo, first reported by Axios, squarely rejected one of the leading conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein — that he did not commit suicide but was murdered while being held in jail.”After a thorough investigation, FBI investigators concluded that Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide in his cell,” it said.Video footage from the area where he was being held did not show anyone entering or attempting to enter his cell from the time at night when he was locked in till when his body was found the next morning, it said.Extensive digital and physical searches turned up a large volume of images and videos of Epstein’s victims, many of them underage girls, the memo said.”This review confirmed that Epstein harmed over one thousand victims,” it said, but did not reveal any illegal wrongdoing by “third-parties.””This systematic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list,'” the memo said. “There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions.”Epstein’s former assistant, Ghislaine Maxwell, is the only former associate of his who has been criminally charged in connection with his activities.Maxwell, the daughter of British media baron Robert Maxwell, is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in New York in 2021 of child sex trafficking and other crimes.- Trump-Musk feud -Among those with connections to Epstein was Britain’s Prince Andrew, who settled a US civil case in February 2022 brought by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed he sexually assaulted her when she was 17.Giuffre, who accused Epstein of using her as a sex slave, committed suicide at her home in Australia in April.Billionaire Elon Musk accused President Donald Trump on X last month of being in the “Epstein files” after the pair had a falling out, but he later deleted his posts.Trump was named in a trove of depositions and statements linked to Epstein that were unsealed by a New York judge in early 2024, but the president has not been accused of any wrongdoing.Supporters on the conspiratorial end of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” base allege that Epstein’s associates had their roles in his crimes covered up by government officials and others.They point the finger at Democrats and Hollywood celebrities, although not at Trump himself.Prior to the release of the memo, Trump’s FBI director, Kash Patel, and the FBI’s deputy director, Dan Bongino, had been among the most prominent peddlers of conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein.

US President Donald Trump unveiled higher tariffs for Japan, South Korea and a dozen other countries in a push for new trade deals Monday — but extended the deadline for the steeper levies to kick in until August.Trump issued similar letters to countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Africa and Malaysia, saying he would slap duties on their products ranging from 25 percent to 40 percent.These mark a step up from the 10 percent levy the president earlier imposed on almost all trading partners.But the starting date of August 1 marks a delay in Trump’s reimposition of higher duties, originally due Wednesday.In near-identically worded letters to Japanese and South Korean leaders, Trump said US tariff hikes to 25 percent came as their trading relationships with Washington were “unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.”He warned of further escalation if there was retaliation against the levies.But the president said he was ready to lower the new levels if partners changed their trade policies: “We will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter.”Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Sunday that he “won’t easily compromise” in trade talks with Washington.Trump originally announced sweeping tariffs on world economies during what he called “Liberation Day” on April 2, claiming the United States was being “ripped off.”Amid market turmoil, he then suspended higher duties affecting dozens of economies for 90 days, a deadline that would have expired Wednesday.On Monday, Trump signed an order formally extending the Wednesday deadline, postponing it to August 1.With the delay, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that Trump would set out the “reciprocal tariff rate” for partners in the coming month as negotiations continue.According to letters posted to Trump’s Truth Social platform, products from Indonesia will face a 32 percent tariff, while the level for Bangladesh is 35 percent and Thailand, 36 percent.Most countries receiving letters so far had duties similar or unchanged from threatened rates in April, although some like Laos and Cambodia see notably lower levels.While the Trump administration had signaled hopes of striking dozens of deals by July, there have been limited results so far.Washington has unveiled pacts with only Britain and Vietnam, while the United States and China agreed to temporarily lower tariff levels on each other’s products that earlier reached three-digits.- ‘Change their tune’ -Asked why Trump opted to start with South Korea, Leavitt said: “It’s the President’s prerogative, and those are the countries he chose.””This announcement will send a chilling message to others,” said Asia Society Policy Institute Vice President Wendy Cutler, referring to Trump’s initial letters to Tokyo and Seoul.”Both have been close partners on economic security matters,” she said, adding that companies from Japan and South Korea have made “significant manufacturing investments in the US in recent years.”US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that there would be more deals coming up: “We are going to have several announcements in the next 48 hours.””We’ve had a lot of people change their tune in terms of negotiations. So my mailbox was full last night with a lot of new offers,” Bessent told CNBC.He added that he would meet with his Chinese counterpart in the coming weeks.Both sides have so far held high-level talks in Geneva and London. But Washington and Beijing’s pause on higher tit-for-tat tariffs is due to expire in mid-August.Major US stock indexes fell from records Monday on Trump’s fresh threats. The Nasdaq tumbled 0.9 percent and the S&P 500 lost 0.8 percent.Trump has also threatened another 10 percent tariff on countries aligning themselves with the emerging BRICS nations, accusing them of “Anti-American policies” after they slammed his duties at a summit.But partners are still rushing to avert Trump’s tariffs altogether.The European Commission said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had a “good exchange” with Trump on trade when the pair spoke Sunday.

Several leading medical groups filed suit against US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday, accusing him of endangering public health with new Covid-19 vaccine recommendations.At the end of May, Kennedy announced via social media that federal authorities would no longer recommend Covid-19 vaccines for children and pregnant women, resulting in blowback from health experts.In the lawsuit, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Physicians (ACP) and other leading medical groups are calling on the court to stop Kennedy’s “unilateral, unscientific” directive and restore the Covid-19 vaccine to immunization schedules.”It is really unconscionable to take away a parent’s ability and choice to protect their children through vaccination,” said Tina Tan, a pediatrician and president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, one of the plaintiffs. Since taking office, Kennedy — who spent decades spreading vaccine misinformation before becoming President Donald Trump’s top health official — has worked to overhaul American vaccination policies.In June, he fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and appointed his own panelists, under the banner of “Make America Healthy Again.”Monday’s complaint also highlighted the controversial new appointees to ACIP.”We are on a dangerous path,” warned Susan Kressly of the AAP, denouncing what she described as misinformation spread by Kennedy while citing the concerns of her peers and parents of patients. “Pediatricians cannot stay silent as the system we rely on to support life-saving vaccines is chiseled away piece by piece, with Secretary Kennedy leading efforts to sow doubt and distrust in the American success story of vaccines,” Kressly said.The problem isn’t limited to parents and children, as misinformation about vaccines undermines a long-standing trust between doctor and patient.Increasingly, medical professionals are finding that adult patients are “hesitant to get their vaccines. They are not trusting the system anymore,” said Jason Goldman, president of the ACP.The issue of vaccines extends beyond Covid-19 in the US. Johns Hopkins University released a count Monday finding the US has recorded its worst measles epidemic in more than 30 years, with 1,277 cases confirmed since the beginning of 2025, and illness recorded in 40 of 50 states.The total US figure is the highest since 1992.The joint complaint was filed in Massachusetts, a northeastern US state.Federal health officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will make his first trip to Asia since taking up his post, traveling this week to Malaysia for meetings with ASEAN allies, his office said Monday.The trip, starting Tuesday, will see Rubio, who is also President Donald Trump’s national security advisor, focus on US policy in Asia after months of Washington concentrating on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.”In his first trip to Asia as Secretary of State, Secretary Rubio is focused on reaffirming the United States’ commitment to advancing a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region,” spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement, using Washington’s traditional wording aimed at curbing China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region.Prioritizing and reaffirming Washington’s commitment to East Asia and Southeast Asia “is in America’s interest,” a senior State Department official told reporters on condition of anonymity. “It promotes American prosperity and promotes American security,” the official added.As with any trip to Asia by a US official, China will be the elephant in the room amid concerns over its expansionary behavior in the South China Sea, which the United States deems to be provocative.The visit also comes as many countries around the world are waiting for the next step in Trump’s tariff wars. Sweeping levies announced in April were mostly suspended, as Washington engages in negotiations with friends and foes alike.  On Monday, Trump said he would impose 25 percent tariffs on key US allies Japan and South Korea and a handful of others, including Southeast Asian nations Malaysia (25 percent) and Laos (40 percent), as of August 1. Export-dependent Vietnam, which like Malaysia and Laos is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), is one of the few countries to already reach a tentative agreement with Washington that spares it the high level of levies that Trump had threatened.At a summit in late May, Southeast Asian leaders expressed their deep concern at Trump’s protectionist offensive.The senior US official said the issue was expected to be raised, and that Rubio would likely tell ASEAN that the United States wants to “rebalance” its trade relationships.A deadline on the tariffs is due to expire on Wednesday, with Trump suggesting elevated levies would snap back into place on August 1 for any trading partners who do not make a deal.Rubio’s visit to Kuala Lumpur Thursday and Friday coincides with that of his Russian and Chinese counterparts, Sergei Lavrov and Wang Yi.While there, Rubio is scheduled to attend a meeting with his counterparts from ASEAN and with a gathering of both ASEAN and East Asian foreign ministers.   Last week, Rubio welcomed foreign ministers from Australia, India and Japan to Washington, where they pledged to work together to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals.China’s domination of such resources — essential to new technologies — is causing increasing concern in western Europe and the United States.

US President Donald Trump’s decision to hit “anti-American” BRICS nations — including China and India — with an extra 10 percent trade tariff roiled the final day of the bloc’s summit in Rio de Janeiro Monday.Trump threatened the 11-nation grouping — which includes some of the world’s fastest-emerging economies — late on Sunday, after they warned against his “indiscriminate,” damaging and illegal tariff hikes. “Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff,” Trump wrote on social media.BRICS members account for about half the world’s population and 40 percent of global economic output.Members China, Russia and South Africa responded coolly to Trump’s latest verbal barrage, insisting the bloc was not seeking confrontation with Washington.But host Brazil’s leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was less diplomatic.”We are sovereign nations,” Lula said. “We don’t want an emperor.”Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, BRICS has come to be seen as a Chinese-driven effort to curb US global influence. But it is a quickly expanding and often divergent grouping — bringing together arch US foes like Iran and Russia, with some of Washington’s closest allies in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Some US allies inside the bloc had tried to blunt criticism of Trump by not mentioning him or the United States by name in the summit statement.  Saudi Arabia — one of the biggest purchasers of US high-tech weapons — even kept its foreign minister away from Sunday’s talks and a BRICS group photo, seemingly to avoid Washington’s ire.But such diplomatic gestures were lost on the US president who said “there will be no exceptions to this policy.” – No shows -In April, Trump threatened a slew of punitive duties on dozens of economies, before backing off in the face of a fierce market sell-off.Now he is threatening to impose unilateral levies on trading partners unless they reach “deals” by August 1, with BRICS nations seemingly faced with higher tariffs than planned. It cannot have helped that BRICS leaders also condemned the recent US and Israeli bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities — a show of solidarity with fellow member Iran. Beijing on Monday insisted BRICS was not seeking confrontation with the United States. “China has repeatedly stated its position that trade and tariff wars have no winners and protectionism offers no way forward,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.Beijing also defended the bloc as “an important platform for cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries.” “It advocates openness, inclusivity, and win-win cooperation,” Mao said. “It does not engage in camp confrontation and is not targeted at any country,” she added. The Kremlin echoed that message with spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling Russian media that BRICS cooperation “has never been and will never be directed against third countries.”The political punch of this year’s summit has been depleted by the absence of China’s Xi Jinping, who skipped the meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president.The Chinese leader is not the only notable absentee. Russian President Vladimir Putin, charged with war crimes in Ukraine, also opted to stay away, participating via video link.He told counterparts that BRICS had become a key player in global governance.

President Donald Trump announced tariffs of 25 percent on Japan and South Korea on Monday, stepping up pressure on the two key US allies and a dozen other economies to reach trade deals with Washington.Trump issued similar letters to South Africa, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Kazakhstan, saying he would slap duties on their products ranging from 25 percent to 40 percent.The president had said at the weekend that, starting from Monday, he would send a first batch of letters to countries informing them that he would reimpose harsh levies earlier postponed in April.In near-identically worded letters to Japanese and South Korean leaders, Trump said the tariff hikes came as their trading relationships with Washington were “unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.”The tariffs set out in Trump’s latest letters are due to take effect August 1. He warned of further escalation if the countries involved retaliated against the duties.Currently, the affected countries have been hit with a 10 percent levy Trump imposed on almost all trading partners.But Trump said he was ready to lower the new levels if countries changed their trade policies: “We will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter.”Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Sunday that he “won’t easily compromise” in trade talks with Washington.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday that Trump would sign an order later in the day to delay his original July 9 deadline for steeper tariffs to take effect — postponing their imposition to August 1.She added that besides Japan and South Korea, there would be approximately 12 other partners receiving letters from Trump soon.With the deadline extension, Leavitt noted that Trump would set out the “reciprocal tariff rate” for partners in the coming month as negotiations continue.Trump originally announced sweeping tariffs on world economies on what he called “Liberation Day” on April 2, claiming the United States was being “ripped off.”Amid market turmoil, he then suspended the initial tariffs for 90 days, a deadline that would have expired Wednesday without the latest extension.While the Trump administration had signaled hopes of striking dozens of deals by July — at one point boasting of “90 deals in 90 days” — there have been limited results so far.Washington has unveiled pacts with only Britain and Vietnam, while the United States and China agreed to temporarily lower tariff levels on each other’s products that earlier reached three-digits.- ‘Change their tune’ -Asked why Trump opted to start with South Korea, Leavitt said: “It’s the President’s prerogative, and those are the countries he chose.””This announcement will send a chilling message to others,” said Asia Society Policy Institute Vice President Wendy Cutler, referring to Trump’s initial announcements on Tokyo and Seoul.”Both have been close partners on economic security matters,” she said, adding that companies from Japan and South Korea have made “significant manufacturing investments in the US in recent years.”US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that there would be a number of deals coming up: “We are going to have several announcements in the next 48 hours.””We’ve had a lot of people change their tune in terms of negotiations. So my mailbox was full last night with a lot of new offers, a lot of new proposals,” Bessent told CNBC.He added that he would meet with his Chinese counterpart in the coming weeks.The two sides have so far held high-level talks in Geneva and London. But Washington and Beijing’s pause on tit-for-tat tariffs is due to expire in mid-August.On whether he was disappointed in the number of trade deals achieved so far, Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro maintained that he is “happy with the progress we’ve had.”Trump has also threatened another 10 percent tariff on countries aligning themselves with the emerging BRICS nations, accusing them of “Anti-American policies” after they slammed his duties at a summit.For now, partners are still rushing to avert Trump’s tariffs altogether.The European Commission said that EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had a “good exchange” with Trump on trade when the pair spoke Sunday.

Rescuers in Texas searched Monday for bodies swept away by flash floods that killed more than 90 people, including 27 girls and counselors at a summer camp destroyed by torrents of water.The United States was shocked at the disaster over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, and forecasters warned of more flooding as rain falls on saturated ground.”Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,” Camp Mystic said in a statement confirming the 27 deaths at the all-girls camp, located next to a river.The White House on Monday put the overall number of dead from the flooding at 91, while Texas Senator Ted Cruz told reporters that the toll was continuing to rise.”Texas is grieving right now — the pain, the shock of what has transpired these last few days has broken the heart of our state,” Cruz told reporters.”The children, little girls, who were lost at Camp Mystic, that’s every parent’s nightmare.”Camps are a beloved tradition in the long US summer holidays, with children often staying in woods, parks and other rural areas.Cruz described them as a chance to make “lifetime friends — and then suddenly it turns to tragedy.”- Grim search -President Donald Trump is planning to visit Texas on Friday, the White House said, as it slammed critics claiming his cuts to weather agencies had weakened warning systems.”Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday.She said the National Weather Service, which the New York Times reported had several key roles in Texas unfilled before the floods, issued “timely and precise forecasts and warnings.”Trump has described the floods in the early hours of Friday as a “100-year catastrophe” that “nobody expected.”The president, who previously said disaster relief should be handled at the state level, has signed a major disaster declaration, activating fresh federal funds and freeing up resources.- ‘Flash Flood Alley’ -Helicopters and boats were taking part in the grim search across an area popular with tourists as well as summer camps.Camp Mystic was a Christian camp where about 750 people had been staying when the floodwaters struck.In a terrifying display of nature’s power, the rain-swollen waters of the Guadalupe River reached treetops and the roofs of cabins as girls at the camp slept.Blankets, teddy bears and other belongings were caked in mud. Windows in the cabins were shattered, apparently by the force of the water.Months’ worth of rain fell in a matter of hours on Thursday night into Friday, and rain has continued in bouts since then.The Guadalupe surged around 26 feet (eight meters) — more than a two-story building — in just 45 minutes.Flash floods, which occur when the ground is unable to absorb torrential rainfall, are not unusual in this region of south and central Texas, known colloquially as “Flash Flood Alley.”Human-driven climate change has made extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and heat waves more frequent and more intense in recent years.

US President Donald Trump said Monday he was slapping 25 percent tariffs on Japan and South Korea, in his first letters to trading partners ahead of a deadline to reach a deal with Washington.Trump had said at the weekend that starting from Monday he would send a first batch of up to 15 letters to countries informing them that he would reimpose harsh levies that he had postponed in April.In near-identically worded letters to the Japanese and South Korean leaders, Trump said the tariffs would apply from August 1 because their trading relationships with Washington were “unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.”Trump warned the countries, both key US allies in East Asia, of an escalation if they responded to the new US tariffs. But he also said he was ready to modify levies “downwards” if Japan and South Korea changed their trade policies.Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Sunday that he “won’t easily compromise” in trade talks with Washington.Trump originally announced sweeping tariffs on world economies on what he called “Liberation Day” on April 2, claiming the United States was being “ripped off.”Amid market turmoil, Trump then suspended the initial tariffs for 90 days, a deadline that expires on Wednesday.  But the Trump administration has said that the duties will not “boomerang” back until August 1, apparently extending the deadline despite denials from officials.While the Trump administration has signaled hopes of striking dozens of deals by early July — at one point boasting of “90 deals in 90 days” — there have been limited results so far.Washington has unveiled pacts with only Britain and Vietnam, while the United States and China agreed to temporarily lower tariff levels on each other’s products that earlier reached three-digits.- ‘Change their tune’ -Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said there would be a number of deals coming up.”We are going to have several announcements in the next 48 hours,” Bessent told CNBC in an interview Monday.”We’ve had a lot of people change their tune in terms of negotiations. So my mailbox was full last night with a lot of new offers, a lot of new proposals,” Bessent said.There was no immediate response from the White House on whether Trump would formally extend the Wednesday deadline for the tariffs to snap back.Asked about Trump’s letters, Bessent said these would inform partners of the tariff rate their products face when trading with the United States, unless they want to “come back and try to negotiate.”Bessent told CNBC Monday that he would “be meeting with my Chinese counterpart sometime in the next couple of weeks.”The two sides have so far held high-level talks in Geneva and London.But Washington and Beijing’s pause on tit-for-tat tariffs is due to expire in mid-August.On whether he was disappointed in the number of trade deals achieved so far, Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro maintained that he is “happy with the progress we’ve had.””Every country that we run a major deficit with is fully engaged,” he told CNBC on Monday.Trump has also threatened another 10 percent tariff on countries aligning themselves with the emerging BRICS nations, accusing them of “Anti-American policies” after they slammed his duties at a summit.For now, partners are still rushing to avert Trump’s tariffs altogether.The European Commission said that EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had a “good exchange” with Trump on trade when the pair spoke Sunday.

Rescuers in Texas searched Monday for bodies swept away by flash floods that killed almost 90 people, including 27 girls and counselors at a summer camp that was destroyed by torrents of water.The United States was shocked at the disaster over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, and forecasters warned of more flooding as rain falls on saturated ground.”Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,” Camp Mystic said in a statement confirming the 27 deaths at the all-girls camp that was located next to a river.State officials on Monday put the overall number of dead from the flooding at 88, and Texas Senator Ted Cruz told reporters that the toll was continuing to rise.”Texas is grieving right now — the pain, the shock of what has transpired these last few days has broken the heart of our state,” Cruz told reporters.”The children, little girls, who were lost at Camp Mystic, that’s every parent’s nightmare.”Camps are a beloved tradition in the long US summer holidays, with children often staying in woods, parks and other rural areas.Cruz described them as a chance to make “lifetime friends — and then suddenly it turns to tragedy.”President Donald Trump has said he may visit Texas later this week, but brushed off concerns his cuts to weather forecasting and related federal agencies had weakened warning systems.Instead, he described the floods in the early hours of Friday as a “100-year catastrophe” that “nobody expected.”- Grim search -Trump, who previously said disaster relief should be handled at the state level, signed a major disaster declaration, activating fresh federal funds and freeing up resources.Helicopters and boats were taking part in the search across an area popular with tourists as well as summer camps.Camp Mystic was an all-girl Christian camp where about 750 people had been staying when the floodwaters struck.In a terrifying display of nature’s power, the rain-swollen waters of the Guadalupe River reached treetops and the roofs of cabins as girls at the camp slept.Blankets, teddy bears and other belongings were caked in mud. Windows in the cabins were shattered, apparently by the force of the water.”We’ve recovered 75 deceased bodies here in Kerr County, including 48 adults and 27 children,” County Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters Monday. At least 13 other deaths were confirmed in the state.Texas Governor Greg Abbott warned that more heavy rainfall could bring further flooding, as officials cautioned people to avoid still-raging rivers.- ‘Flash Flood Alley’ -Months’ worth of rain fell in a matter of hours on Thursday night into Friday, and rain has continued in bouts since then.The Guadalupe surged around 26 feet (eight meters) — more than a two-story building — in just 45 minutes.Flash floods, which occur when the ground is unable to absorb torrential rainfall, are not unusual in this region of south and central Texas, known colloquially as “Flash Flood Alley.”Human-driven climate change has made extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and heat waves more frequent and more intense in recent years.”There’s debris all over the place that makes roads impassable, that makes reconstruction projects unachievable,” Abbott said.People from elsewhere in the state converged on Kerr County to help look for the missing.Some residents also flew personal drones to help look, but officials urged them to stop, citing a danger to rescue aircraft.