It’s Thursday, July 26, 2018. Here are some of the stories we’re talking about on ABC News’ new daily podcast, “Start Here.”
1. Trump and EU agree to work toward zero tariffs
President Donald Trump declared Wednesday a “very big day for free and fair trade,” an apparent truce in the escalating trade battle with the European Union. Standing alongside European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in the Rose Garden, Trump announced that the U.S. and the EU agreed to ease trade tensions and work toward completely eliminating tariffs.
“We will also work to reduce barriers and increase trade in services, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical products, as well as soybeans,” Trump said.
The agreement came a day after the president faced pressure from Republicans for promising a $12 billion bailout to farmers hit hard by tariffs.
ABC News White House Correspondent Tara Palmeri breaks down what happened and whether farmers will feel any relief from this.
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2. Lawmakers grill Pompeo on Russia and foreign policy
More than a week after Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, lawmakers on Wednesday finally were able to ask Secretary of State Mike Pompeo what the two leaders agreed to behind closed doors.
There were verbal tussles between Pompeo and several Democrats as he avoided detailing what happened at the meeting, but it was Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who set the tone for the contentious hearing in his opening remarks.
“You come before a group of senators today who are filled with serious doubts about this White House and its conduct of American foreign policy,” Corker said. “There are a number of reasons to be concerned — among them is the lack of information the administration has provided to members of this committee.”
ABC News’ Megan Hughes, who joins us from the Capitol, saw it all unfold: “A lot of the criticism that we’ve been hearing since the summit is still simmering with some of the Republican members as well as Democrats.”
3. Scientists discover water on Mars
A group of scientists has discovered evidence of an underground body of salt water on Mars, raising the possibility of finding life on the planet. It’s about 12 miles wide, or about the length of Manhattan, according to Dr. Mackenzie Day, an assistant professor at UCLA’s Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences. She tells us about the significance of the findings for those who study Mars.
“NASA’s motto for exploring other places and for thinking about habitability and life on other planets has been ‘follow the water,'” she said. “So that tells you how central water, liquid water is to this life exploration that we’re exploring.”
4. Hospital affiliation in rural areas becoming more religious
As the Senate considers Brett Kavanaugh for a vacant Supreme Court seat, the debate over Roe v. Wade has taken center stage. Would he overturn it, would he not?
But lost in that conversation is the fact that Roe v. Wade isn’t the only case to be made about women’s healthcare. The Supreme Court has been influencing it for years, decision by decision.
When Trump was elected, he told religious conservatives that they had a friend in the White House. And Washington hasn’t noticed this, but patients have. Regular hospitals around the country have been seeing changes.
Anna Maria Barry-Jester from our partners at FiveThirtyEight says it’s becoming more likely that the only hospital available in rural areas will be religiously affiliated.
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