Three police officers died in an explosion at a training facility in East Los Angeles. The blast happened early Friday morning in the parking area of the Special Enforcement Bureau. Authorities are investigating the cause, and federal agents are at the scene to gather more details.
Key Facts
An explosion killed three police officers in East Los Angeles.
It took place at the Biscailuz Center Academy Training facility.
The incident happened on Friday morning around 07:30 local time.
The explosion occurred in the parking lot of the Special Enforcement Bureau.
Officials, including the US Attorney General and California Governor, are monitoring the situation.
The cause of the explosion is still unknown.
Federal agents are on-site to investigate the incident.
The article highlights several business news stories, focusing on housing, the Post Office scandal, US-UK trade tensions, technological innovations, and significant leadership changes within companies. It covers various events including a spike in the US stock market, the ongoing scrutiny of former Post Office management, and innovations by companies like Ocado and Jaguar.
Key Facts
A couple shared their story about buying a first home with another couple.
Victims of a Post Office scandal are asking for accountability and fair treatment.
The UK plans to maintain existing food standards, affecting imports of certain US meat products.
The S&P 500, a stock market index, rose significantly after a pause on tariffs by the US.
The UK Prime Minister insists on keeping calm to prevent a trade war with the US.
Ex-Post Office chief Paula Vennells answered questions for three days regarding her past role in the wrongful prosecution of sub-postmasters.
Whistleblowers have claimed a Boeing supplier sent faulty parts, raising concerns about airplane safety.
Ocado has incorporated robotic arms in its new warehouse to improve efficiency.
Brazilian federal police have searched former President Jair Bolsonaro's home and headquarters, following a Supreme Court order for him to wear an ankle monitor. The court issued these orders amid fears that Bolsonaro might leave the country during his trial for trying to overturn the 2023 election results. Bolsonaro is also barred from using social media, contacting foreign officials, or approaching embassies.
Key Facts
The Brazilian Supreme Court ordered Jair Bolsonaro to wear an ankle monitor.
Police raided Bolsonaro's home and headquarters.
The raid is linked to an ongoing trial concerning Bolsonaro's alleged efforts to overturn the 2023 election.
Bolsonaro is prohibited from using social media and contacting foreign officials.
The court fears Bolsonaro might flee the country.
Bolsonaro’s son, Eduardo, has been accused of working in Washington, DC on related matters.
Former US President Donald Trump threatened Brazil with tariffs if Bolsonaro doesn’t get legal relief.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva commented on Trump's tariff threat, questioning its reasoning.
A collection of birthday letters gifted to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 reportedly includes a letter signed by then-future U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has denied writing the letter and has called for the release of grand jury testimonies related to the Epstein case.
Key Facts
A 2003 birthday gift to Jeffrey Epstein included letters and notes compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell.
A letter in this collection reportedly bears the signature of Donald Trump.
Trump denies writing the letter and claims it is fake.
He has called for the release of grand jury testimonies related to Epstein.
Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for her role in Epstein's crimes and is serving a 20-year sentence.
Trump and Epstein were known to associate during the 1980s and 1990s, attending social events together.
Trump publicly described Epstein as a friend in a 2002 interview.
An explosion early Friday in East Los Angeles killed three people and is possibly linked to a training accident. Authorities are investigating the incident, which took place at the LA County Sheriff's Special Operations Bureau.
Key Facts
Three people died in an explosion in East Los Angeles on Friday morning.
The explosion is being looked at as a potential training accident.
The incident happened at the LA County Sheriff's Special Operations Bureau.
The explosion site was a parking lot with sheriff patrol cars and box trucks.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department received calls about the explosion around 7:30 a.m.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has not officially confirmed any deaths.
Attorney General Pam Bondi learned about the deaths from U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli’s office.
Governor Gavin Newsom has been informed about the explosion.
A new poll shows that many Americans believe a recent tax and spending law will mostly benefit wealthy people, despite Republican claims that it helps all Americans. Most people think it will not greatly help low-income or middle-class groups, and some fear it could lead to cuts in support programs.
Key Facts
A survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center found that about two-thirds of U.S. adults think the new tax law will benefit the rich.
About 6 in 10 people believe it will hurt rather than help low-income individuals.
Around half of the survey respondents feel the law will harm middle-class people.
Republicans are promoting the law as a tax cut for everyone, mentioning new deductions for tips and overtime.
Democrats argue that the law mainly benefits the wealthy, pointing to cuts in Medicaid and food assistance.
President Trump's approval rating on government spending has dropped, with many Americans feeling the government spends too much.
Two-thirds of Americans have heard a lot or some information about the new law, and those informed tend to see it as favoring the wealthy.
Half of Republicans think the law primarily helps wealthy individuals, while around 4 in 10 expect it to benefit low-income people.
US President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a vein condition called chronic venous insufficiency. This condition is common and usually not serious, especially in older adults. Trump's condition does not involve other serious health issues, and he remains in good health according to his doctor.
Key Facts
Trump has chronic venous insufficiency, a vein condition where blood does not flow well from the legs to the heart.
The condition was diagnosed after Trump noticed swelling in his legs.
Trump's age, as he is 79, makes him more likely to develop this condition.
The condition is common and considered not serious by medical experts.
Tests showed no signs of more serious conditions like deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease.
Trump's doctor reported his heart and other organs are functioning normally, and he has no signs of heart failure.
The bruising on Trump's hand is not related to this vein condition and is due to handshaking and aspirin use.
Trump remains in good health and takes medication for cholesterol and other health maintenance.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed three bills related to cryptocurrency regulation aiming to strengthen the industry's framework. These bills include measures for stablecoin regulation, market structure for cryptocurrencies, and a prohibition against a central bank digital currency. The bills are now at different stages in the legislative process, with some still needing Senate approval.
Key Facts
The House passed three cryptocurrency-related bills to improve industry regulations.
One of the bills focuses on regulating stablecoins, which are cryptocurrencies tied to stable assets like the U.S. dollar to prevent price swings.
The stablecoin regulation bill has already passed the Senate with strong support from both political parties.
The other two bills cover creating a new market structure for cryptocurrency and banning a central bank digital currency by the U.S.
The stablecoin bill requires issuers to follow anti-money laundering laws and hold reserves.
The broader market structure bill aims to clarify which cryptocurrencies are regulated as securities or commodities.
The third bill passed narrowly and seeks to prevent the U.S. from creating its own digital currency.
The cryptocurrency industry has pushed for these changes, citing unclear existing laws and the Biden administration's enforcement approach.
President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell have had disagreements over interest rates and the cost of renovating the Federal Reserve's headquarters. The renovation includes a lot of marble, which some Trump appointees supported, and has contributed to increased costs. This situation has led to investigations into Powell’s management of the renovation project.
Key Facts
President Trump has considered firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell over disagreements and renovation costs.
The Federal Reserve headquarters renovation includes extensive use of marble, which some Trump appointees supported.
The renovation has resulted in cost overruns, now totaling $2.5 billion, including added marble, an underground parking garage, and new glass structures.
Trump and his advisers argue that the renovation is overly expensive and have raised questions about Powell’s management.
Powell stated that domestic marble use was a response to concerns raised by review agencies.
The National Capital Planning Commission is investigating Powell's oversight of the renovation.
Disagreements over the renovation could lead to legal challenges regarding Trump's ability to fire Powell.
The disagreement partly concerns whether the renovation changes were made with the necessary approvals.
Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner died in a paragliding accident in Porto Sant’Elipido, Italy. Baumgartner was known for breaking the sound barrier in a skydive in 2012. Investigators are looking into whether he was ill during the flight when he crashed near a swimming pool.
Key Facts
Felix Baumgartner died when his paraglider crashed in Porto Sant’Elipido, Italy.
Baumgartner was 56 years old and known for his 2012 jump, where he broke the sound barrier.
A local mother witnessed the crash with her children and described seeing people trying to help Baumgartner after the crash.
The city’s mayor suggested Baumgartner might have been ill during the flight.
No beach resort guests were injured, though an employee was slightly hurt.
Baumgartner’s achievements include a skydive from over 24 miles above Earth in 2012 and crossing the English Channel with a carbon fiber wing.
He was a former Austrian military parachutist and performed as a stunt pilot with Red Bull’s aviation team.
Snoop Dogg has become a co-owner of Swansea City, an English football club, joining alongside Luka Modric. Swansea hopes Snoop Dogg's vast social media following will help boost the club's profile and financial success as they aim to return to the Premier League.
Key Facts
Snoop Dogg, at 53 years old, became a co-owner of Swansea City, a football club in England.
Luka Modric, a former Real Madrid player and World Cup finalist, also holds a stake in the club.
Snoop Dogg's real name is Calvin Broadus, and he is a famous rap artist with over 100 million social media followers.
Swansea aims to use these followers to enhance the club's image and generate more revenue.
The club's new ownership, including American businessmen Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen, began last November.
Swansea City's stadium holds 21,000 people and the club wants to return to the Premier League.
President Donald Trump has given mixed signals about possibly firing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Powell over interest rate policies and concerns about the rising costs of a Federal Reserve building renovation project. The legality of firing Powell is unclear, as Federal Reserve chairs are appointed by the President but cannot be easily removed.
Key Facts
Trump has expressed both uncertainty and consideration about firing Powell.
Trump cited concerns about a high-cost building renovation at the Federal Reserve.
The renovation project’s cost increased due to necessary design changes and unexpected conditions like extra asbestos.
Trump’s administration claimed the project might violate a federal planning law.
Trump has criticized Powell in the past for not lowering interest rates.
Trump appointed Powell as the Federal Reserve Chair in 2017.
Federal Reserve chairs are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
The controversy over how President Donald Trump handled records connected to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation is growing. Trump denied writing a letter linked to him that was reportedly included in a gift to Epstein and has promised to sue The Wall Street Journal for publishing the story. Despite earlier promises to release documents related to the case, Trump’s administration is facing criticism for not doing so.
Key Facts
President Trump is involved in a controversy over records from the Jeffrey Epstein case.
The Wall Street Journal reported on a letter with Trump’s name, included in a birthday album for Epstein.
Trump denied writing the letter and criticized the newspaper’s report.
Trump planned to sue the newspaper over the story about the letter.
Trump ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek permission to release some documents from the Epstein case.
A judge must approve the release of grand jury information that Bondi aims to make public.
There is frustration because documents linked to the Epstein investigation remain unreleased despite earlier promises from Trump’s administration.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been ordered by a court to wear an ankle monitor. Federal police searched his home and party headquarters as part of a Supreme Court investigation into his alleged role in a coup attempt to challenge the 2022 election results.
Key Facts
A court ordered Jair Bolsonaro to wear an ankle monitor.
Federal police searched Bolsonaro's home and his party's headquarters in Brasília.
Bolsonaro is not allowed to use social media or contact others under investigation, including his son, Eduardo, who is in the U.S.
Bolsonaro's trial is about his alleged involvement in a coup attempt after he lost the 2022 election.
Local media reported live footage of police at Bolsonaro’s home.
Bolsonaro’s party leader, Sóstenes Cavalcante, criticized the police actions.
The Brazilian Prosecutor-General stated there is clear evidence of Bolsonaro inciting unrest.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly supported Bolsonaro, calling the trial a "witch hunt."
The House approved President Trump's request to cut about $9 billion from public broadcasting and foreign aid. The Senate had already passed the measure, and now it awaits Trump's signature. The cuts include $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and nearly $8 billion from foreign aid programs.
Key Facts
The House vote was 216-213 in favor of the cuts.
This rescission is the first successful request of its kind in decades.
The proposal includes cutting $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Nearly $8 billion will be cut from foreign aid programs.
No Democrats supported the bill in the Senate, which passed it with a 51-48 vote.
Some Republicans expressed discomfort but still backed the cuts to align with Trump's agenda.
The Congressional Budget Office predicts this will increase U.S. debt by $3.3 trillion over ten years due to related tax and spending cuts.
Concerns were raised about losing funding for critical services provided by local public stations, especially in rural areas.
United States President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a condition affecting leg veins, after experiencing leg swelling and hand bruising. His doctor confirmed that the condition is mild, and there is no sign of more serious issues such as deep vein thrombosis. All test results were normal, and treatment typically includes methods like compression therapy.
Key Facts
President Trump showed signs of leg swelling and hand bruising before the diagnosis.
His doctor ruled out deep vein thrombosis and arterial disease, which are more serious conditions.
CVI develops when leg veins do not function properly, causing blood to pool.
Symptoms of CVI can include leg swelling, aching, and varicose veins.
CVI mainly affects adults over 50 and becomes more common with age.
The condition itself is usually mild but can lead to more serious problems if untreated.
Treatment options like compression therapy can help manage symptoms.
Hand bruising in Trump was attributed to frequent handshaking and regular aspirin use.
Large protests occurred at over 1,600 sites across the United States against President Donald Trump's policies on deportation, health insurance cuts, and social welfare reductions. The protests were tied to the late civil rights leader John Lewis, and emphasized peaceful assembly on the anniversary of his death.
Key Facts
Protests took place at more than 1,600 locations in the U.S. against Trump’s policies.
The demonstrations were called “Good Trouble Lives On,” inspired by civil rights leader John Lewis.
John Lewis was known for leading peaceful protests and civil rights activism.
Protests opposed policies like mass deportations and cuts to health insurance programs.
Trump’s administration aimed to deport immigrants and refugees, involving countries like Eswatini and South Sudan.
The term “One Big, Beautiful Bill” refers to proposed cuts of $930 billion from health programs like Medicare.
Organizers promoted peaceful protests on the anniversary of John Lewis's death.
Protests linked Trump to authoritarianism and lawlessness, challenging U.S. democratic values.
The UK government is increasing defence spending, which is expected to create hundreds of jobs in companies that supply the military, like Leonardo Helicopters. While these companies are waiting for final government contracts, they are already hiring new apprentices and engineers to prepare for the anticipated increase in work.
Key Facts
Leonardo has hired 450 apprentices and graduates in the past year for its helicopter factory in Yeovil, Somerset.
Government spending on defence is expected to create or secure over 3,000 jobs at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil.
The company is waiting for approval on a £1 billion contract to provide the RAF with more than 20 new helicopters.
The Royal International Air Tattoo in Gloucestershire is the largest military airshow worldwide.
Over 40,000 people work in defence sector companies in the South West of the UK, many relying on Ministry of Defence contracts.
The company representatives believe more work will come from increased government defence spending, although it takes time to see results.
Defence budgets are rising not only in the UK but also across Europe.
Congress has decided to cut $9 billion from public media funding and foreign aid. Former President Trump has threatened to sue the Wall Street Journal over an article about Epstein links and has been diagnosed with a common circulatory condition.
Key Facts
Congress reduced the funding for public media and foreign aid by $9 billion.
Former President Trump plans to sue the Wall Street Journal over an article about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump was diagnosed with a common circulatory condition.
The news was discussed in a morning edition program on July 18, 2025.
The report was given by Steve Inskeep and Michel Martin on NPR.
U.S. politicians are interested in bringing manufacturing jobs back to the country, a process called "reshoring." The idea is that this could help boost economic growth, especially in central parts of the U.S.
Key Facts
Reshoring means moving manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. from other countries.
Politicians believe reshoring could revitalize economically struggling areas in the U.S.
The idea is to strengthen the U.S. economy by creating more local jobs.
NPR's Planet Money team explored the economic theories supporting this idea.
Central regions, often referred to as the "heartland," are a focus for potential job growth.
The discussion includes looking at the benefits and challenges of resuming manufacturing domestically.
