Month: July 2025

Two children were killed after a large barge hit their sailboat near Hibiscus Island off Miami Beach on Monday morning. Hibiscus Island is a Miami Beach island in Biscayne Bay, across from the Port of Miami.

According to U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg, a third child on the boat was taken to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital and was unresponsive as of Monday afternoon, with a fourth child transported and listed in stable condition.

Lt. Pete Sanchez of Miami Fire Rescue said that a large barge hit the sailboat – part of a sailing camp at the Miami Yacht Club on Watson Island — and capsized around 11:15 a.m. between Monument and Hibiscus islands. Five children and a camp counselor were on board as passengers, with the impact causing the barge to go over the top of the sailboat, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the state police agency investigating the crash.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued the following statement: “On July 28, (FWC) officers responded to a two-vessel boating accident in Miami-Dade County, along with multiple law enforcement partners. Preliminary information indicates that a barge struck a sailing vessel carrying six people near Star Island in Miami Beach. All six victims, an adult female and five juveniles, were recovered from the water and transported to a local hospital for treatment.”

Authorities did not identify the children, but noted that are between the ages of 8 and 12. Paramedics took three of the children to Ryder Trauma Center Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition — two have since died, and the third is not responsive. A fifth was evaluated by paramedics at the Miami Yacht Club on Watson Island, where paramedics determined he did not need further care.

The Miami Yacht Club confirmed the crash on its Instagram account, writing: “The Miami Yacht Club can confirm that an incident occurred earlier today on the water involving participants of the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation. At this time, details are still emerging, and we are actively gathering all available facts.”

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On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced that the United States and the European Union (E.U.) had finalized a trade agreement that lowers tariffs to 15%, resolving months of trade-related uncertainty with the U.S.’s top trading ally.This new rate marks a significant decrease from the 30% tariff Trump threatened to impose on July 12, as well as the 20% he mentioned back in April.

This new arrangement bears strong resemblance to a deal struck with Japan earlier in the week, which also resulted in a 15% import tax—lower than what had previously been suggested by the former president.

During the announcement, Trump stated that the EU had agreed not to place tariffs on American goods. Standing alongside Trump, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that the agreement would foster “stability and predictability”—two elements she said are critical for businesses operating on both sides of the Atlantic.

Negotiations had been ongoing for weeks between EU officials and top U.S. trade figures, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Talks were reportedly nearing completion when Trump abruptly posted on Truth Social, declaring a plan to raise tariffs to 30%.

Following Trump’s surprise statement, von der Leyen warned that such a steep increase would severely disrupt critical transatlantic supply chains, causing harm to industries, consumers, and even healthcare sectors on both continents. The EU reaffirmed its commitment to securing a deal before the self-imposed August 1 deadline. At the same time, officials continued crafting a retaliatory tariff list targeting around $100 billion worth of American goods in case negotiations fell through.

The EU, made up of 27 member nations, remains the United States’ largest source of imported goods. In 2024, the U.S. imported roughly $605 billion worth of goods from the bloc—more than it brought in from Mexico, Canada, or China. Leading those imports were pharmaceutical products, especially from Ireland, followed by automobiles, aircraft, and industrial equipment from countries like Germany and France.

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A suspect has been arrested after stabbing 11 people on Saturday, July 26 at a Walmart in Traverse City, Mich.

Grand Traverse County Sheriff Mike Shea told the Traverse City Record-Eagle that the lone suspect used a folding knife near a checkout counter in what appeared to be a random attack, and that there were no fatalities.

The suspect, a 42-year-old Michigan resident, was subdued by bystanders at the store after the incident. Shea said the actions by the suspect seemed to be random and the victims did not seem to be predetermined. A group of bystanders, including at least one armed with a pistol, confronted the suspect and forced him to drop the knife while awaiting a police response. Shea said the ages of the victims are unknown, and none of the victims seemed to be Walmart employees. The suspect “appears” to be a Michigan resident.

Michigan State Police crime lab investigators are helping to gather and analyze evidence at the crime scene, which is located in the Grand Traverse Crossing mall in the southwestern portion of Traverse City, which is located 150 miles north of Grand Rapids and 255 miles northwest of Detroit.

As of an update on Sunday morning, the conditions of the victims were said to be improving Munson Healthcare in northern Michigan confirmed that “11 victims are being treated at Munson Medical Center” in connection to the incident. As of the morning of Sunday, July 27, four were in serious condition and none were in critical condition, an improvement from Saturday night when six were critical. Three required surgery.

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A federal judge ruled Thursday that the man charged with trying to assassinate President Donald Trump last year at a golf course in South Florida can represent himself during his trial. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on a request from the suspect, Ryan Routh, asking to represent himself during his trial. Cannon however added that court-appointed attorneys need to remain as standby counsel. The move comes after federal public defenders had asked to be taken off the case earlier this week, saying Routh had refused repeated attempts to meet with them.

Routh, 59, is scheduled to stand trial in September, a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted his attempt to shoot Mr. Trump as he played golf at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, FL. Prosecutors say that Routh methodically plotted to kill Mr. Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Mr. Trump played golf on Sept. 15. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Mr. Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot. According to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, Routh was armed with an AK-47-style rifle and was allegedly 300-500 yards away from Mr. Trump when the Secret Service agent spotted his rifle in the tree line.

In a June 29 letter to Judge Cannon, Routh said that he and his attorneys were “a million miles apart” and that they were refusing to answer his questions. He also suggested in the same letter that he could be used in a prisoner exchange with Iran, China, North Korea or Russia: “I could die being of some use and save all this court mess, but no one acts; perhaps you have the power to trade me away,” he wrote.

The federal public defender’s office filed a motion for termination of appointment of counsel on Wednesday, saying “the attorney-client relationship is irreconcilably broken,” and that Routh refused six attempts to meet with their team, including a scheduled in-person meeting Tuesday morning at the federal detention center in Miami: “It is clear that Mr. Routh wishes to represent himself, and he is within his Constitutional rights to make such a demand,” the motion said.

Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations. He has also pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.

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Wrestling legend Terry “Hulk Hogan” Bollea died on Thursday at the age of 71. News of Hogan’s passing was first reported by news outlet TMZ.

According to the Clearwater Fire and Police Departments, a 911 call was made for a person in possible cardiac arrest at Hogan’s Clearwater Beach home. Hogan was treated by fire and rescue crews before being transported to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.  During a news conference Thursday afternoon, Clearwater Police Maj. Nate Burnside said Hulk died at 11:17 AM, adding that there are “no signs of foul play or suspicious activity.”

Hogan’s professional wrestling career began in the late 1970s, but his huge popularity began in the mid-1980s when he helped Vince McMahon turn the WWE (then WWF) into a national brand, and eventually a multi-billion-dollar company. Hogan kickstarted the pop culture phenomenon with “Hulkamania” after defeating the Iron Sheik for the World Heavyweight Championship in 1984, with his signature bandana and handlebar mustache often copied by fans.