The briefing for Tuesday, July 21.

President Trump on Monday imposed 50% tariffs on a wide range of Canadian imports, citing disputes over automobiles, dairy products, and alcohol. The duties take effect in 30 days and exclude energy, potash, critical minerals, and fish, but apply to goods previously protected under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The White House invoked Section 338 of the 1930 Tariff Act, which covers trade discrimination rather than national emergencies.

The tariffs target everything from consumer items like wine and hockey sticks to industrial goods such as commercial cement. Trump's administration accuses Canada of unfairly discriminating against U.S. cars through non-USMCA taxes, maintaining its supply management system that limits dairy imports with tariffs exceeding 300%, and allowing provincial boycotts of American alcohol. These longstanding irritants had been subject to negotiations that appear to have broken down.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged Canada to respond 'tariff for tariff, dollar for dollar' if the duties proceed. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce called the move regrettable but urged officials to make meaningful progress in the 30-day window before tariffs take effect. The decision comes months after the Supreme Court struck down Trump's previous emergency tariffs, forcing the administration to use different legal mechanisms for imposing import taxes.

The U.S. military launched its tenth consecutive night of strikes against Iran on Monday as President Trump vowed retaliation for the deaths of American soldiers. Two more service members killed in recent attacks were identified: First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii, who was killed in Jordan, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas, who died in Iraq. The U.S. death toll now stands at 17, including a Navy pilot previously declared dead after going missing.

U.S. Central Command said the latest strikes targeted Iran's military and communications sites to 'further degrade' its ability to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media reported hits on multiple cities including Tabriz, Chabahar, and Bandar Mahshahr. Iran has responded by targeting sites in Bahrain, Jordan, and Syria, with President Masoud Pezeshkian declaring Iran is fighting a 'full-scale war' with the U.S. Jordan's military shot down three Iranian missiles late Monday as sirens sounded across the country.

The escalation follows attacks on U.S. positions in Jordan and Iraq that killed multiple service members, including an attack involving unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone. Both sides have been accused of striking critical infrastructure in recent days. Iran's health ministry reports at least 50 people killed and more than 500 injured in U.S. strikes over the past three weeks. Despite the military confrontation, Tehran says diplomatic messages are still being exchanged through intermediaries.

A federal judge on Monday temporarily halted the proposed $110 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery, granting a restraining order requested by 12 states challenging the deal. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín issued a 14-day injunction preventing the companies from finalizing the transaction, with a hearing on a longer preliminary injunction scheduled for August 3.

The state coalition, led by California and New York, argues the merger would 'extinguish competition' in Hollywood and harm movie theaters, cable distributors, and consumers nationwide. Prosecutors contend combining two of the five remaining legacy studios would reduce choices for audiences and lead to higher prices. The deal would bring together Warner's HBO Max, CNN, and franchises like 'Harry Potter' with Paramount's CBS, movies like 'Top Gun,' and the Paramount+ streaming service.

Judge Martínez-Olguín noted that the states raised 'serious questions' about the deal's impact on movie distribution and warned that allowing the merger to proceed would make it 'extraordinarily difficult to unscramble the egg' if blocked later. Paramount, which was acquired by Skydance last year, maintains the states' complaint is 'wrong on both the facts and the law' and has vowed to vigorously defend the acquisition. The company argues the merger would strengthen competition against larger entertainment rivals and points to regulatory approvals received from the Trump administration.

Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, the 76-year-old co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, was sentenced to life in prison by a Brooklyn federal judge on Monday, two years after being captured in an elaborate sting operation. U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan also ordered Zambada to pay $15 billion in drug-trafficking profits from his role as principal leader of the criminal enterprise. The sentence follows a plea deal in which Zambada admitted to drug smuggling and conspiracy charges in exchange for avoiding the death penalty.

Zambada apologized in court through a Spanish translator, saying he was sorry 'for the harm I caused and for the example I set.' He called on future generations to 'choose a different path' and declared that 'the violence must end.' The cartel leader, who co-founded the organization with Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzmán in the late 1980s, was captured in July 2024 when El Chapo's son lured him onto a plane that landed in Texas instead of northern Mexico as planned.

Prosecutors described Zambada as 'one of the most prolific and powerful narcotraffickers in the world,' responsible for sending vast quantities of cocaine into the U.S. over nearly four decades. The Sinaloa Cartel has been wracked by internal warfare since his capture, with hundreds reported missing in fighting between rival factions. Zambada has requested placement in a prison hospital due to age-related health issues, but federal prosecutors are seeking higher-level incarceration, arguing he still poses a security threat and could potentially direct operations from behind bars.

Hamas elected Khalil al-Hayya as its new overall leader following a divisive election that required two rounds of voting, according to a statement from the Palestinian armed group. The 65-year-old replaces Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in October 2024. Al-Hayya, who already headed Hamas in Gaza from exile, is widely seen as representing the movement's hardline faction that emerged from the devastating war with Israel.

The election exposed deep strategic divisions within Hamas over its future direction. The first round was inconclusive, with former political bureau chief Khaled Meshaal narrowly winning more votes than al-Hayya but failing to reach the required threshold of 36 votes from the 69-member electoral college. Al-Hayya's supporters successfully argued that Gaza's leadership, having borne the brunt of the conflict, should now lead the movement and remain firm against pressure to disarm without guaranteed paths to Palestinian statehood.

As Hamas's chief negotiator, al-Hayya gained international prominence leading delegations at indirect ceasefire talks with mediators in Egypt and Qatar. He survived an Israeli airstrike in Doha in September 2025 that killed five Hamas members and one of his sons, though he has lost three other sons in Israeli strikes. Hamas has refused to give up weapons since agreeing to a ceasefire with Israel last October, demanding security guarantees and a political path to self-determination before any demilitarization. More than 73,280 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began following Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel.

Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega declared on Sunday that his country will not hold elections 'anytime soon,' effectively canceling the vote originally scheduled for November 2027. Speaking at the anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution, Ortega said 'never, never, never' to future elections, stating that parties 'put in place by the Yankees' would not return to power. The announcement represents a significant escalation as the strongman extends his nearly 20-year rule.

The move dashes opposition hopes for democratic elections after the government-controlled Congress voted in January 2025 to extend the five-year presidential term by one year. Ortega has systematically consolidated power since returning to the presidency in 2007, rewriting the constitution, crushing political opposition, and controlling virtually all branches of government. He declared himself winner of the 2021 election after jailing all candidates who could have challenged him, a vote the international community widely viewed as illegitimate.

Opposition leaders and rights groups warn the announcement signals potentially higher repression against those demanding government removal or elections. At least 46 people remain imprisoned for political reasons, according to monitoring groups, though Nicaragua denies holding political prisoners. Since 2018, the Ortega-Murillo government has shuttered more than 5,000 organizations and forced thousands to flee the country, while releasing hundreds of imprisoned activists to the U.S. and Guatemala after stripping them of citizenship.