Good morning. It’s Friday, July 31, and we’re impressed by Ben Affleck’s million-dollar game show win, although we’d also fancy our chances with help from a “Jeopardy!” champ. Let’s catch up.
President Donald Trump claimed a major breakthrough in Gaza peace talks.
According to U.S. officials: Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed to disarm in exchange for an eventual Israeli pullout from Gaza. Neither Hamas nor Israel has confirmed.
After nearly three years of conflict: Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble. If Hamas and Israel proceed with the deal, it would be a key step toward its eventual rebuilding.
In other administration news: The U.S. delegation at a global AIDS conference displayed a map of Africa that was so inaccurate that the State Department had to issue an apology.
One more thing: More passports featuring Trump’s face are coming soon.
Airports, nursing homes and schools face disruption without Haitian workers.
This week: The Trump administration said it ended humanitarian protections for 350,000 Haitian immigrants. Now, mass layoffs are threatening to cause chaos for all kinds of industries.
What else to know: ICE is expanding arrests at airports to new targets, lawyers say. And thousands of immigrant children may soon lose legal representation and have to face judges alone.
This month will probably become the country’s warmest on record.
National temperatures for July have been about 2.5 degrees above average across the contiguous states. (Ben Noll/The Post; PRISM/Oregon State University)
Sweltering summer: National temperatures for July are on track to break a record set in July 2012, pending final data. This month is also set to have the highest humidity level on record.
And the heat isn’t over yet: Another heat dome will bring record-breaking temperatures to the West this weekend. The hottest parts of Death Valley, California, could hit 127 degrees.
Scrolling on your phone to unwind could be making you more stressed.
In a new study: People whose internet use was deemed problematic had lower moods and ended up neglecting other important activities such as work, studies and hygiene.
Take action: There are more tools than ever to help people who want to spend less time online. Experts recommend following these three steps to cut back on your internet use.
Die-hard Taco Bell fans appear undeterred by the risk of explosive diarrhea.
Taco Bell said it has completed a removal of affected Taylor Farms lettuce. (Maxine Wallace/The Post)
A tough time for Taco Bell: Greens served at the chain were linked to the cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of Americans. (Keep yourself safe with this expert advice.)
We visited a D.C. branch: Surprisingly, business was booming. Taco Bell regulars told reporter Taylor Swinton that it will take more than a parasitic outbreak to turn them off their chalupas.
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