These are the headlines you Need2Know:
* **Extreme Weather Continues Nationwide:**
As torrential rains drench the East, excessive heat engulfs the West. Dangerous wildfires have forced officials to close Yosemite Park, which will remain shuttered until at least Sunday. More on SoCal weather from the [LA Times](http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-socal-heat-wave-20180724-story.html).
* **Another Bailout?**
As trade tensions escalate, farmers may get some relief. The Trump administration announced a new aid package Tuesday to ease damages caused by the latest trade policies. Through the plan, affected farmers of crops like soybeans, cotton, and dairy would be issued a collective $12 billion in aid. Reuters with [the full story](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-farmers/trump-to-give-farmers-billions-in-aid-politico-idUSKBN1KE1YE).
* **Trump-Cohen Recordings Released:**
CNN obtained and released on Tuesday the much-discussed secret recordings of Donald Trump and former attorney Michael Cohen. In the tapes, recorded in 2016, the pair addresses Trump’s payoff of an ex-Playboy model who claimed she had an affair with the president. More at [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/07/24/cohen-trump-audio-recording-cuomo-vpx.cnn).
* **Demi Lovato Reportedly in Stable Condition:**
Treated with the opioid suppresant-Narcan after an overdose Tuesday, the singer, flanked by friends and family, is stable. Many celebrities took to Twitter to wish Lovato the best in her battle with sobriety. In the past, Lovato has been open about her struggle with drugs and alcohol. People [with more](https://people.com/music/demi-lovato-overdose-hospitalized-stable/).
Cheddar's Jill Wagner gets into the latest.
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With House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's latest funding plan in ruins and lawmakers leaving town for the weekend, there's no endgame in sight as hard-right Republicans push dangerously closer to a disruptive federal shutdown.
A judge rejected Hunter Biden's request to attend his next court hearing virtually.
Free Covid tests are making a return thanks to the federal government.
The Biden administration said it's allowing about 100,000 Venezuelan migrants already in the U.S. to work and live legally in the country.
The U.S. sent two prototype drone ships to Japan to start testing surveillance and possible attacks against China.
A judge rejected Hunter Biden's request to appear virtually at his next court hearing.
House Republicans clashed with Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday, accusing him and the Justice Department of the “weaponization” of the department's work in favor of President Joe Biden 's son Hunter.
The Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday for the second time in its past three meetings, a sign that it’s moderating its fight against inflation as price pressures have eased. But Fed officials also signaled that they expect to raise rates once more this year.
The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is providing $600 million in funding to produce new at-home COVID-19 tests and is restarting a website allowing Americans to again order up to four free tests per household — aiming to prevent possible shortages during a rise in coronavirus cases that has typically come during colder months.
The Pentagon began a new effort Wednesday to contact former service members who may have been forced out of the military and deprived of years of benefits due to policies targeting their sexual orientation, starting with those who served under “Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
