Trump Flip-Flops on Strait of Hormuz Plan, and U.S. Cyclospora Outbreak Spreads

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[instrumental music] From The New York Times, it's the Headlines.

I'm Tracy Mumford.

Today is Wednesday, July 15th.

Here's what we're covering.

After announcing a drastic plan for the US to charge ships a fee to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump quickly backtracked on his own proposal yesterday.

Frankly, it's better, 'cause I don't like the idea of a fee.

It's gotta remain free, because other- otherwise others will do the same thing.

And he returned to the approach he had at the start of the war, that the US will strike Iran, quote, "very hard" until the country agrees to make a peace deal.

US forces carried out a new round of attacks overnight that stretched for seven hours.

The only way you can negotiate with these people is through strength, and the only strength is military strength.

Analysts say the abrupt flip-flop underscores how much Trump seems to be relying on impulse and improvisation as he tries to confront an adversary that is not bending.

He has pivoted between tactics, at times contradicting his own administration and himself.

One expert on Iran told The Times, "On the one hand, he keeps saying, 'We wanna make a deal with you guys and make Iran a thriving economy,' and on the other hand, he says, 'I'm going to obliterate your civilization.'" Another analyst said that much of the president's foreign policy this term, whether it's tariffs or the US's new role in running Venezuela, has depended on the willingness of other countries to make concessions.

But with Iran, quote, "He's encountered a country that is not willing to play by his set of rules." The Iranian military launched its own strikes overnight, targeting US military facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan.

Officials in all three countries said the attacks were being intercepted.

Meanwhile, new federal data released yesterday showed that in June, when the ceasefire was still in place, inflation slowed, with the pause in hostilities helping bring down oil prices.

Ben CasselmanCorrespondent2:32

We've seen oil prices come down over the last few weeks, and that has flowed through to gas prices.

Ben CasselmanCorrespondent2:40

But we also saw a broader improvement.

Ben CasselmanCorrespondent2:43

Even when you strip out energy, we saw slower inflation in June.

Ben CasselmanCorrespondent2:47

And so that's an encouraging sign that we might see some continued progress on inflation as the year goes on.

Ben Casselman is The Times' Chief Economics Correspondent.

Ben CasselmanCorrespondent2:57

The big caveat, of course, is that oil prices have been rising again.

Ben CasselmanCorrespondent3:01

This data was from June.

Ben CasselmanCorrespondent3:03

That was before the ceasefire began to break down.

Ben CasselmanCorrespondent3:08

And so as oil prices rise, that's going to affect prices in July and August and going forward.

Now, a few other quick updates on the Trump administration, starting with the immigration crackdown.

I think it's gonna be a short, uh, pause, and, uh, I'm confident that ICE is well-trained in vehicle stops, and you're gonna see us keep moving forward.

But this is a-

As of yesterday, ICE officers have been ordered not to carry out most traffic stops following back-to-back deadly shootings in Texas and Maine, where agents fired on drivers after pursuing their vehicles.

In an interview on Fox News, White House border czar Tom Homan said the order is not a policy change, but a temporary pause, quote, "to make sure we're doing the right thing." Since Trump returned to office and pushed for more aggressive immigration enforcement, 22 people have been fired on by federal agents, nearly all of them while in vehicles.

Beyond questions about traffic stops, the recent shootings have also highlighted the slow rollout of body cameras to ICE agents.

Earlier this year, DHS pledged that the government would, quote, "rapidly acquire and deploy the technology," but currently only about half of ICE field offices have body cameras, and none of the agents involved in the two recent shootings were wearing them.

Also, in Washington today, Todd Blanche, the acting US Attorney General, will face a crucial Senate hearing as he tries to get confirmed to the role.

Blanche, who used to be Trump's personal defense lawyer, is expected to face sharp questions about his role in some of the DOJ's controversial actions over the last 18 months.

That includes the government's handling of the Epstein files, mass firings at the DOJ, and politically motivated prosecutions of the president's perceived enemies.

We've had powerful attorneys general, but this is an entirely different situation.

This view that Trump has of the Justice Department being an extension of his will and Blanche's essential acquiescence to that model are completely new in terms of the annals of the department.

My colleague Glenn Thrush says today's hearing could be a big rebuke of how the White House has eroded the traditional independence of the DOJ.

But it may also end up being largely symbolic because Blanche could continue to serve in an acting capacity even if he doesn't get confirmed.

Glenn has more on today's episode of The Daily.

And last update: according to online court records, President Trump has paid the writer E. Jean Carroll $5.6 million, the amount, with interest, that a jury awarded her back in 2023 after it found Trump liable for sexually abusing her in a Manhattan department store in the '90s, then defaming her by calling her accusation a hoax and a lie.

Trump had been trying to appeal the verdict, going all the way to the Supreme Court.

But after the justices declined to review the case, a lower court judge ordered Trump to make the payment.

[instrumental music] Around the US, the number of confirmed cyclospora infections has nearly doubled in a matter of days as officials race to identify what's behind the rise in cases, which can cause severe diarrhea.

People have gotten sick from the parasite in more than thirty states.

Michigan's been the hardest hit with more than three thousand reported cases, up from an average of just forty to fifty in a typical year.

Cyclospora infections often come from eating contaminated produce.

But unlike many other foodborne illnesses, it can take weeks before you start feeling sick.

That makes it harder to track for public health experts who have to try and interview people about everything they've had to eat or drink over that period.

Those tracing programs have also been severely underfunded.

And last summer, the CDC quietly scaled back the country's most comprehensive system for tracking foodborne illness outbreaks.

One expert in infectious diseases told The Times that as a result, the US is probably missing a lot of cases.

But, quote, "We will never know because we don't have the surveillance system in place to really look for it." [instrumental music] In the past, cyclospora outbreaks have been linked to fresh fruits and vegetables, including lettuce, raspberries, and other foods.

And experts say rinsing produce before eating it can reduce your risk of getting sick.

[instrumental music] And finally, the burrito chain Chipotle is celebrating a grand opening this week in a place it sees as an untapped market.

We believe, you know, Mexico is a really important milestone for our great brand, and, uh, we believe what we do and what we offer will really resonate with the Mexican community.

The company's CEO has been talking up its south of the border expansion.

The first-ever Chipotle in Mexico will open in Monterrey tomorrow, and it has plans for more.

Now, there are plenty of valid questions about whether there's gonna be a market in Mexico for an American spin on Mexican food.

One restaurant industry analyst told The Times that Chipotle's burrito bowls could help them out there.

The heaping customizable bowls are the company's best-selling item in the US and could bring a bit of novelty.

The expert made a comparison between Chipotle's ambitions and how Starbucks in the late nineties expanded into Europe.

Famous for its cafe culture, initially it was not seen as a market that needed another place to buy a cappuccino, and look at it now.

But bringing Mexican-inspired food back to its roots could be a bit more fraught.

Just ask Taco Bell, the chain tried to open locations in Mexico twice, once in the nineties and again in two thousand and seven.

Those locations have since closed.

[instrumental music] Those are the headlines.

I'm Tracy Mumford.

We'll be back tomorrow.

[instrumental music]