Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Trump slaps tariff on 80 countries as the former tariffs expire; West Virginia shores up resources for domestic violence response; Michigan groups urge Congress to continue EV charging investments; Just like other vital organs, the heart does not like smoky air.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast, July 24, 2026.

I'm Mike Clifford. 80 countries around the globe once again face tariffs, starting at around 10% by President Donald Trump.

The New York Times notes tariffs will range from 10 to 12.5% and take effect at 12.01 a.m. Friday.

That replaces a global 10% duty set to lapse at the same time.

Trump issued the earlier tariff in February after the Supreme Court struck down duties he imposed last year.

The Times adds over the past 17 months the Trump administration has cycled through trade law after trade law as it tries to build a system to shield the U.S. economy from foreign competition.

Meantime, counties in West Virginia will soon be receiving extra support for training domestic violence specialists primarily in rural areas.

Arnady Aramlagan reports through a $186,000 grant from the state.

The West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence is providing technical assistance and skill development to people working in family services and in shelters.

They'll also receive training on the safer model of crisis intervention, explains Joyce Yadlowski with the coalition.

This is a way of interviewing victims and collecting information and providing recommendations for assessing how children are impacted by a domestic violence offender's behaviors.

Earlier this year, Governor Patrick Morrissey signed the Joanna Phillips Domestic Violence Prevention Act into law, which increases penalties for some of the most dangerous forms of abuse, including strangulation.

Experts say strangulation is often a warning sign of escalating violence.

The law also clarifies the legal definition of domestic violence and makes changes to how cases involving domestic violence are handled in the criminal justice system.

The state also awarded more than $500,000 in grant funding to four other advocacy groups.

And as the Congress prepares work on the next federal highway bill, supporters of electric infrastructure say continued investment will be critical to Michigan's auto industry.

The Great Lakes state has more than 1,600 fast chargers and over 4,300 Level 2 chargers already in place.

However, EB backers warn that proposed cuts to federal charging programs could slow the state's progress.

At a recent news conference, Aaron Viles with the Electrification Coalition said the next federal highway bill could determine the future of EV growth in Michigan and help shape the state's economy.

These vehicles do more with studies finding that installing EV chargers boosts nearby businesses' revenue by up to $1,500 a year.

More important, EV chargers are investments in the grid, helping drive electricity prices down across the state.

Federal programs have funded fast charging stations along Michigan highways and awarded Lansing an $8 million grant to expand public charging across the region.

With negotiations ongoing, Congress is expected to pass a short-term extension before current highway funding expires September 30th.

Crystal Blair reporting.

This is Public News Service.

You don't need to remind folks in Minnesota, but researchers say smoky air from wildfires is becoming more of a widespread public health issue.

A local cardiologist says next time air quality worsens, heart risks need to be taken seriously.

As the Midwest sees more waves of smoke-filled air, experts say people should know it's not just something that impacts your lungs.

Minnesota-based cardiologist Dr. Robin Germany says if particulates enter the bloodstream, other problems begin to surface.

And that causes, as you can imagine, inflammation and real stress on the heart.

And difficulty breathing in and of itself can cause that same problem.

She says prolonged exposure could trigger a cardiac scare, especially if you have pre-existing conditions like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and asthma.

Just like the rest of the population, Germany says staying indoors when the air quality is poor, with the windows and doors shut, and the air conditioning turned on, is one of the best approaches to protect your heart and the rest of your health.

I'm Mike Moen.

On this website, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency provides updates and outlooks regarding the state's air quality.

And a good chunk of New Mexico is desert, which explains why the state ranks fourth in the U.S. for dust storms.

The annual dust bulletin compiled by the World Meteorological Organization shows how many sand and dust storms the planet experienced in 2025 and their danger to air quality, health, and the environment.

Scientist Daniel Tong developed a windblown dust emission model used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to forecast dust storms across North America and globally.

We are seeing this increasing trend over the U.S.

It has already a lot of alarming impacts on human health, transportation safety, and renewable energy generation.

NOAA reports there were 50 reported events in New Mexico between January and March of 2025.

I'm Roz Brown.

Finally, North Dakotans facing housing discrimination issues could be met with even less resources because of a lag in federal funding.

The High Plains Fair Housing Center is the sole organization in North Dakota that helps marginalized clients who claim unfair treatment by a housing provider.

Executive Director Michelle Ridd says about 75 percent of their operations are supported by federal grant funding.

She says they've been waiting on the last installment of nearly half a million dollars from a three-year Department of Housing and Urban Development grant.

The last communication they received from HUD was in May.

So for the last two months, we've been in this gap.

And as a small organization, we can just no longer continue without that third year.

And so we have to lay off staff at the end of the month.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

This is Mike Clifford, and thank you for wrapping up your week with Public News Service.

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