News Wrap: Florida prepares as Idalia expected to strike Gulf Coast as major hurricane

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• Amna Nawaz:

  In the day's other headlines: Dozens of counties in Florida declared emergencies and people began getting ready for the state's first major hurricane this year. Idalia was building from a tropical storm today and heading into the Gulf of Mexico. It could strike Florida's Big Bend region by early Wednesday.

  In Tallahassee, state leaders warned people to remember how Hurricane Ian exploded in size and power last year.

  Kevin Guthrie, Florida Director of Emergency Management: If your community is not in the forecast cone, it does not mean you are clear. Please look at all of the watches and warnings.

  We encourage every Floridian along the Gulf Coast to begin enacting their emergency preparedness plans now. Now is not necessarily the time to write a plan. Now is the time to action a plan.

• Amna Nawaz:

  Meanwhile, in the Atlantic, Franklin intensified into a Category 4 hurricane, with winds near 130 miles an hour. It's expected to pass near Bermuda, but veer away from the U.S. East Coast later this week.

  In Louisiana, crews are still struggling to contain a record number of wildfires in the drought-stricken state. Officials say the Tiger Island Fire doubled in size this weekend, scorching 33,000 heavily wooded acres. It's the largest in the state's history. An entire town has been forced to evacuate, and at least one person has died.

  Hawaiian Electric company is pushing back against a lawsuit blaming it for this month's wildfire disaster. Maui County alleges that the utility's downed power lines sparked the flames that destroyed Lahaina and killed at least 115 people.

  Now Hawaiian Electric has issued a statement that says — quote — "The complaint is factually and legally irresponsible." The company acknowledges its lines sparked an initial fire that was quickly contained. But it says the blaze that consumed Lahaina started after power had been shut off.

  A man whose son allegedly killed seven people at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, will stand trial after all. Robert Crimo Jr. wanted his case dismissed, but a judge in suburban Chicago refused today. Crimo is charged with reckless conduct for helping his son get a gun license after the teen had threatened violence.

  In Beijing today, the U.S. and China held talks on U.S. export controls for sensitive technology, but there were no breakthroughs. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo met with her Chinese counterpart. She said later they agreed to exchange information, but without any concessions.

  Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Commerce: We are not compromising or negotiating in matters of national security, period. But this is meant to be a dialogue where we increase transparency and we are clear about what we are doing as it relates to export control enforcement.

• Amna Nawaz:

  Raimondo's visit is the latest by high-ranking American officials in a bid to ease tensions between the world's two largest economies.

  Also today, China announced it will no longer require incoming travelers to show a negative COVID-19 test result. It's Beijing's latest loosening of pandemic era curbs since a strict zero COVID policy ended in December. The new policy takes effect on Wednesday.

  A breakdown in Britain's air traffic control system today caused major disruptions. Officials say a technical problem prevented automatic processing of flight plans for more than three hours. The glitch grounded scores of flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded or delayed at airports. Disruptions continued for hours after the outage ended.

  Back in this country, Wall Street's week got off to a positive start. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 213 points to close at 34560. The Nasdaq rose 114 points. The S&P 500 added 27.

  And gymnast Simone Biles can celebrate after winning a record eighth U.S. nationals title. Biles vaulted her way to victory over the weekend in San Jose, California. It marked the biggest step yet in her comeback after taking a two-year break from the sport.

  Still to come on the "NewsHour": some lawmakers push to revamp the Endangered Species Act 50 years after it was signed into law; Tamara Keith and Errin Haines break down the latest political headlines; college football season kicks off with shakeups looming for the traditional powerhouse conferences; plus much more.