William Brangham:
Authorities rescued him and dozens of others from the burning building.
Meantime, a Massachusetts firefighters union say a lack of staffing hindered the response to the blaze. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Arizona’s governor is calling for a federal investigation into why a wildfire along the Grand Canyon was initially treated as a controlled burn and not immediately put out.
As of this afternoon, the Dragon Bravo Fire had burned around 6,000 acres and was zero percent contained. So far, it’s burned some 80 structures, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge. The blaze was ignited by lightning strikes on the Fourth of July and quickly grew amid hot and dry conditions, prompting officials to close the area to visitors for the rest of the year.
The Supreme Court today cleared the way for the Trump administration to proceed with the dismantling of the Department of Education. The justices paused in order from a judge in Boston who had blocked the firing of nearly 1,400 workers. As is typical with such cases, the order was unsigned and gave no reasoning.
But Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a dissent, joined by the court’s other two liberal members. The order is technically temporary, as appeals make their way through the courts, but it is a major victory for President Trump, who had made the dismantling of that agency one of his signature campaign promises.
Turning to the Middle East, authorities in Gaza say that Israeli strikes killed at least 31 Palestinians across the territory overnight. Hospital officials in the southern city of Khan Yunis said that at least 12 people were killed there, including three who were waiting at an aid distribution center. Israel says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas.
Also today, U.N. agencies are warning that fuel shortages are threatening their humanitarian operations. They say some hospitals have already gone dark.
Separately, Israel says it struck military tanks in Syria today amid new clashes between bedouin groups and local militias. Syrian officials say more than 30 people were killed, though the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights puts the figure much higher. That U.K.-based war monitoring group says the violence erupted after a man from the Druze minority group was kidnapped by members of a bedouin tribe.
Syria then deployed government forces to try and restore order. The clashes underscore the challenges facing Syria’s new government after more than a decade of civil war. Israel has periodically involved itself in support of the Druze in Syria.
Stocks on Wall Street held near record levels today as investors shook off the latest tariff concerns. The Dow Jones industrial average added 88 points on the day. The Nasdaq climbed more than 50 points, or about a quarter of 1 percent. The S&P 500 also ended in positive territory.
And France celebrated Bastille Day today. Air Force jets streamed past the iconic Arc de Triomphe, releasing the colors of the French flag as some 7,000 people marched up the Champs Elysees. The nation’s biggest holiday marks the storming of the Bastille Fortress in 1789, a pivotal moment in the lead-up to the French Revolution.
It also comes amid an increased focus on national defense. A day earlier, President Emmanuel Macron pledged to double France’s military budget by 2027. That’s three years earlier than planned.