Trump announces trade deal with Japan and tributes to Ozzy Osbourne pour in: Morning Rundown

NBC News

23-07-2025

Allegations of inhumane conditions at Florida's Alligator Alcatraz prompts calls for the center's closure. Donald Trump announces the U.S. has reached a trade deal with Japan. And a look at the life and legacy of Ozzy Osbourne.
Here's what to know today.
Detainees at Alligator Alcatraz describe inhumane conditions
As allegations mount of human rights violations at Florida's Alligator Alcatraz detention center, legal advocates and relatives of those held in the centers are speaking out to demand its closure. While NBC News has reported on similar allegations of hunger, food shortages and sickness at facilities, concerns intensified this week with the release of a report from the Human Rights Watch, which documented 'abusive practices' at three Florida detention centers over the past six months.
Rafael Collado, who has been held at Alligator Alcatraz over the past two weeks, described his experience via a phone call at a news conference outside the facility yesterday. His wife, Sonia Vichara, held her phone up to a microphone as Collado described in his native Spanish the conditions. 'It's like a dog cage,' he said, adding that a combination of floodwater, limited access to showers and poor sanitation has caused him to get fungus in his feet. Detainees are stripped naked every time they are moved to a different cell, he said. And there's not enough time to take his blood pressure medication.
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Other detainees have also called the conditions torturous, saying the facility is full of mosquitoes and where fluorescent lights shine bright on them at all times.
The Trump administration's push to quickly ramp up immigration arrests has led to overcrowding at ICE facilities. However, a DHS spokesperson denied all allegations of inhumane conditions at Alligator Alcatraz and at immigration centers across the country.
Trump announces 15% tariff rate on Japan
President Donald Trump said his administration has reached a deal with Japan to lower its tariff rate to 15% — lower than the 24% that Trump threatened the country with on April 2 and the 25% he threatened in a letter on July 7. But before Trump's current term, the effective U.S. tariff rate on Japanese imports was less than 2%, according to World Bank data.
As part of the agreement, Trump said on Truth Social that Japan would also 'invest, at my direction, $550 Billion Dollars into the United States.' Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba confirmed the agreement. Read the full story here.
Trump also announced yesterday that he was lowering a planned tariff on imports from the Philippines from 20% to 19%, with U.S. firms able to export their goods tariff-free. Several hours later, Trump said he struck an agreement with Indonesia that also puts a 19% tax on products imported from that country and eliminates 99% of duties on U.S. imports.
More politics news:
Former President Barack Obama's office issued a rare rebuke after Trump accused him of having committed 'treason' and rigging the 2016 and 2020 elections.
The House will break for the summer recess a day early because of the ongoing fight over the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Attorney General Pam Bondi fired a federal prosecutor on the same day the prosecutor was named to replace Alina Habba, the interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey and a Trump ally.
Gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey are offering an early test of how Republicans and Democrats are talking about Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' on the campaign trail.
Increased right-wing talk about stripping New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani of his citizenship is sparking fears about how far the Trump administration could go to target its opponents.
Remembering Ozzy Osbourne, heavy metal's 'Prince of Darkness'
Ozzy Osbourne, who took the 'Crazy Train' from a bleak childhood in working-class England to heavy metal stardom, has died. He was 76 years old. 'It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,' his family said in a statement. 'He was with his family and surrounded by love.'
Osbourne has been open about his battles with Parkinson's disease and repeated spinal surgeries. His wife, TV personality Sharon Osbourne, revealed this year that the disease left Osbourne unable to walk but it 'doesn't affect his voice.'
Black Sabbath, the band that began Osbourne's journey to rock-and-roll royalty, posted a simple two-word tribute on its Facebook page: 'Ozzy Forever.' Just a few weeks ago, the rocker reunited with his original bandmates for a triumphant final show at a stadium in Birmingham, England, packed with thousands of fans. 'You've got no idea how I feel,' Osbourne told the crowd. 'Thank you from the bottom of my heart.' Read more here from senior reporter Alexander Smith's dispatch from the concert.
Early in Osbourne's career, critics were not kind, with some dismissing Black Sabbath as 'Satanic claptrap.' But at the final performance, it was clear Osbourne had long garnered the respect from critics and other naysayers who underestimated him. Read the full story here.
More on Ozzy Osbourne's life and legacy:
Musicians from Elton John and Rod Stewart to Flavor Flav and T-Pain posted their own heartfelt tributes to 'The Prince of Darkness.'
Kiss frontman Gene Simmons recalled his longtime friendship with Osbourne. Watch the full interview.
See Osbourne's life in photos.
Read All About It
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's podcast interview with the Nelk Boys, a group of influencers known for their vlogs and prank videos, has drawn widespread criticism.
A man who authorities said intentionally drove a car into a crowd of people outside of a Los Angeles nightclub was charged with 37 counts of attempted murder.
The Covid pandemic sped up brain aging even among those who didn't get the virus, a new study suggests.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee updated its policies to say it would comply with Trump's executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in women's sports.
Coca-Cola said it will launch a version of its signature soda made with cane sugar after Donald Trump's urging.
Staff Pick: The country the MLB is scouting for fresh talent — and fans
Baseball is already a huge deal in the U.S., Japan, Korea and across Latin America but MLB has its sights set on a new location: India. With 1.46 billion people in the country, it's a potential hotbed for both fans and players. It's already off to a great start, with 19-year-old Arjun Nimmala, the top prospect for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Producer Sam Siegel spoke with MLB about its plans to increase the popularity of baseball in a country already obsessed with another sport involving a bat and ball. 'If we can get baseball to the scale of cricket, it would be a huge penetration into that market,' said Chris Marinak, MLB Chief Operations and Strategy Officer. 'It would look a lot like what you see in Japan (and the) United States. It can be done.' — Greg Rosenstein, sports editor
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