10 things you need to know today: July 29, 2019

1. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats to step down

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats is resigning, effective Aug. 15, President Trump tweeted Sunday. Trump thanked Coats for his "great service to our Country," and said an acting director would be named soon. He also revealed that he intended to nominate Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) to replace Coats. First elected to Congress in 2014, Ratcliffe is a Trump loyalist and skeptic of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Coats is a former Republican senator from Indiana, who was often at odds with Trump on important matters like whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will ever give up his nuclear weapons.

CNN

2. Several people killed in shooting at California food festival

A gunman opened fire with an assault-style rifle at a California food festival on Sunday, killing three people. A 6-year-old boy was among the dead. Police shot and killed a fourth person, identified as the suspect. People attending the Gilroy Garlic Festival — an annual event with food, live entertainment, and cooking competitions 30 miles southeast of San Jose — scrambled for cover. "People were throwing tables and cutting fences to get out," Evenny Reyes, 13, told the San Jose Mercury News. Police officers killed the suspect, who reportedly got into the festival by cutting through a security fence, within a minute. Witnesses said the attacker had an accomplice, and police searched for the person through the night.

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San Jose Mercury News Reuters

3. Trump steps up attacks, calls Cummings 'racist'

President Trump on Sunday escalated his attacks on Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), calling the African-American chair of one of the House committees investigating the administration a "racist." Trump provided no justification for the charge. Trump has been facing allegations of racism from Democrats over tweets in which he called Cummings' majority-black Baltimore-area district a "rodent-infested mess" where "no human being would want to live." Trump's weekend Twitter tirade marked the second time in three weeks he has gone after prominent minority Democrats, following his attacks on four progressive minority first-term women in Congress — Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Minn.), and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.).

The Associated Press The Hill

4. Iran and world powers recommit to saving nuclear deal

Diplomats from Iran and five world powers met Sunday and renewed their commitment to salvaging a landmark 2015 agreement exchanging curbs to Tehran's nuclear program for sanctions relief. Iran has loosened its compliance with the deal in order to pressure European nations to do more to counteract sanctions reimposed by the U.S. since President Trump withdrew from the accord. "The atmosphere was constructive, and the discussions were good," Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said after the meeting in Vienna with representatives from Germany, France, Britain, China, Russia, and the European Union. "I cannot say that we resolved everything," he added, but all sides remained "determined to save this deal."

The Associated Press

5. Slain Italian officer honored as American teens face murder charges

Mourners gathered at a Rome church on Sunday to honor Carabinieri police officer Mario Cerciello Rega, who police say was stabbed to death by two young Americans vacationing in the Italian capital. Police arrested the two Americans, Finnegan Lee Elder, 19, and Gabriel Natale Hjorth, 18, in their hotel room. Investigators said the teens, both from San Francisco, stole a backpack from a man after he allegedly sold them crushed aspirin he claimed was cocaine. Police said the Americans assaulted Rega and other officers when they showed up to retrieve the bag. An Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera, published a leaked photo showing one of the teens blindfolded in police custody.

CNN

6. Official set to become Puerto Rico governor doesn't want job

Puerto Rico Justice Secretary Wanda Vázquez Garced, who is in line to replace outgoing scandal-tainted Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, said Sunday that she does not want the post. Vázquez was reluctant from the moment Rosselló announced last week that he was stepping down after two weeks of protests over corruption allegations and the surfacing of misogynistic and homophobic chat messages exchanged between him and members of his inner circle. "I reiterate, I have no interest in occupying the position of Governor," Vázquez tweeted. Protesters, too, have called for someone else to take over. Vázquez has been investigated for suspicion of favoring family members in a possible criminal dispute, and criticized for failing to get to the bottom of allegations of corruption related to Hurricane Maria relief money.

USA Today

7. Boko Haram suspected in Nigeria attack that killed 60

Suspected Boko Haram extremists attacked people leaving a funeral in a northeast Nigeria village, killing more than 60 people, The Associated Press reported Sunday, citing a local official. Eleven others were wounded in the Saturday attack. A witness said the gunmen drove up on motorcycles and opened fire on the mourners. The official, Nganzai local council leader Muhammad Bulama, said the attack was retaliation for a skirmish in which villagers and civilian self-defense forces repelled an ambush and killed 11 extremists. The 10-year-old Boko Haram insurgency aims to impose a strict version of Islamic law in the region.

USA Today

8. Tropical Storm Erick expected to become hurricane as it heads toward Hawaii

Now more than 1,000 miles southwest of Baja California, Tropical Storm Erick will likely strengthen into a hurricane by late Monday, forecasters said Sunday. The National Hurricane Center said maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph, and should Erick become a hurricane as expected, it will continue picking up steam through Tuesday. While Erick appears to be headed toward Hawaii, it's still "almost a week out, so there's a lot of uncertainty on the exact track," Accuweather senior meteorologist Alan Reppert told USA Today. "Any slight change in that track could really affect any rainfall we see in Hawaii."

USA Today

9. Lion King continues its box office domination

The Lion King led the weekend box office for the second straight week, bringing in $75 million in North America, according to studio estimates released on Sunday. With a total haul of $350 million so far, the Disney photorealistic remake of the animated original is now the fourth highest grossing movie of the year. Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood came in second with $40 million on its debut weekend. The Sony film had the edgy director's biggest opening ever, topping his 2009 film Inglourious Basterds by about $2 million. The new film has a more high-powered cast than Tarantino's previous eight movies, featuring stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie.

The Associated Press

10. Egan Bernal becomes 1st Colombian to win the Tour de France

Egan Bernal, 22, won the Tour de France on Sunday, becoming the first cyclist from Colombia — and South America — to do so. He's also the youngest champion of the famous race since World War II. "I am the most happy guy in the world," he said from the winner's podium. "I just won the Tour de France and yeah, I can't believe it." Organizers said that this year, just one minute and 31 seconds separated first and third places. The Tour de France started July 6 and covered 2,092 miles. French rider Julian Alaphilippe held the iconic yellow jersey for 14 days, vying to become the first French champion since 1985 until Bernal surged into the lead two days before the final ride into Paris.

The Associated Press