Prepared for the Office of Public Affairs (OPA)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Editorial Note: The DHS Daily Briefing is a collection of news articles related to Department’s mission. The inclusion of particular stories is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse the political viewpoints or affiliations included in news coverage.

NBC News [7/19/2025 11:40 PM, Dennis Romero, 44540K] reports the number of people reported missing in the wake of historic July 4 flooding in Kerr County, Texas, has dropped from a peak of more than 160 to three, with many now verified as being safe, officials said Saturday. "Extensive follow-up work" and "extraordinary efforts" were credited with the reduction after 173 people statewide were reported missing amid floodwaters two stories deep, officials said in nearly identical statements from Kerr County and the city of Kerrville. "This remarkable progress reflects countless hours of coordinated search and rescue operations, careful investigative work, and an unwavering commitment to bringing clarity and hope to families during an unimaginably difficult time," Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said in the statements. Dozens upon dozens of people reported missing by loved ones were taken off a list of missing persons after their safety was verified, officials said. "Many individuals who were initially reported as missing have been verified as safe and removed from the list," the city and county statements said. "This has been an ongoing effort as investigators worked diligently to verify reports of missing persons and confirm their status. County officials did not immediately respond to a request for more information Saturday. It wasn’t clear if any one factor, such as the return of cellphone service interrupted by the storm, may have been instrumental in locating those initially reported as missing. The process of warning residents is under scrutiny as the federal Integrated Public Alert & Warning System was not used to send Emergency Alert System texts to cellphone users in the region. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, earlier this week called for a formal investigation into the Department of Homeland Security’s response to the flooding. President Donald Trump toured flood-damaged Kerrville last week and defended the stance of his administration, saying the federal response was immediate. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was "there right from the beginning," the president said.State and local officials have also had to grapple with criticism of the lack of timely alerts being sent to residents ahead of the floods. The New York Times [7/20/2025 12:11 AM, Alyce McFadden and Chris Hippensteel, 153395K] reports that a handful more remain unaccounted for in other areas of the Hill Country that were devastated by the disastrous floods, which have killed at least 135 people statewide. Kerr County was the area in the state most affected by the floods, accounting for 107 of the deaths. In a statement on Saturday, officials in Kerrville, the seat of Kerr County, said that “many individuals who were initially reported as missing have been verified as safe.” As of Saturday evening, the death toll in Kerr County had not changed. It is not clear how many of the people previously listed as missing were actually affected by the floods. Some could have been out-of-town vacationers whom the authorities eventually found to be safe back home. Others could have been reported erroneously by worried relatives. The authorities have not publicly released a list of the missing. CBS News [7/19/2025 9:22 PM, Staff, 51860K] reports that the flash floods killed at least 135 people in Texas, with most deaths along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County. The Hill Country is naturally prone to flash flooding because its dry, dirt-packed soil cannot soak up heavy rain. Earlier this week, state officials reduced the number of people unaccounted for from approximately 160 to about 100 in Kerr and other counties. State, federal and international resources were poured into rescue efforts, which were hindered by more rain in mid-July. Kerr County officials also said earlier this week the number of missing people decreased as victims were recovered, contact was made with people who were found safe, and some reports were found to be unsubstantiated or falsified. Also, they said, the missing list fluctuates as reports come into a hotline. The Hill [7/19/2025 11:05 PM, Miriam Waldvogel, 18649K] reports that the natural disaster has prompted questions about the preparedness of local and federal officials. New York Times reported that local authorities had weighed installing a warning system along the banks of the Guadalupe and were particularly concerned about youth camps situated along the river. CNN and Washington Post also reported that the federal government’s response may have been slowed by a policy requiring the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to sign off on contracts or purchases over $100,000. Noem fired back at press reports of a poor response in Texas, saying during a previous "Fox and Friends" appearance that the reports were "fake news" and "absolute trash." Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin also denounced claims of slow response as "lies" and "an unparalleled display of activist journalism" in a previous statement to The Hill.

Reported similarly:
New York Post [7/20/2025 2:42 AM, Anna Young, 49956K]
AP [7/19/2025 11:01 PM, Staff, 56000K]
CBS News [7/20/2025 12:18 AM, Staff, 51860K]
CNN [7/19/2025 8:53 PM, Dalia Faheid and Michelle Watson, 21433K]

NewsMax [7/19/2025 5:29 PM, Staff, 4622K] reports the search for victims of deadly flooding in Texas Hill Country is headed into its third week as officials try to pin down exactly how many people remain missing and lawmakers prepare to discuss authorities’ initial response and providing better warning systems. Flash floods killed at least 135 people in Texas over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, with most deaths along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, about 60 miles northwest of San Antonio. The Hill Country is naturally prone to flash flooding because its dry, dirt-packed soil cannot soak up heavy rain. The Texas Legislature is scheduled to convene Monday for a special session. Gov. Greg Abbott initially called lawmakers back to the Texas State Capitol in Austin for other reasons, but he and legislative leaders have added flooding-related issues to the agenda. State officials had been saying about 160 people were unaccounted for after the flooding in Kerr County alone, but they now say about 100 remain missing in Kerr and other counties. Kerr County officials said the number of missing people decreased as victims were recovered, contact was made with people who were found safe, and some reports were found to be unsubstantiated or falsified. Also, they said, the missing list fluctuates as reports come into a hotline. Abbott called the special session hoping legislators would pass a measure to regulate a booming business in THC products after he vetoed a bill that would have banned them. And since the flooding, President Donald Trump has told the Republicans who control state government to redraw congressional districts to help the GOP’s chances of retaining a U.S. House majority in next year’s midterm elections. The House and Senate have formed special committees on flooding and disaster preparedness, and they’re planning a July 31 visit to Kerrville, the seat of hardest-hit Kerr County, to hear comments from residents. The committees are scheduled to begin with a joint hearing Wednesday to consider the state’s response to the fatal floods; planning for floods; infrastructure for managing floods; and communications among first responders. One bill already introduced by Republican Rep. Don McLaughlin would require the state’s top public health official to set building standards for youth camps in 100-year floodplains — which FEMA defines as a high-risk area with a 1% chance of flooding in any given year. During a recent news conference, Republican state Rep. Drew Darby, a member of the House’s committee, said lawmakers cannot bring back flood victims or undo the flooding. "But what we can do is learn from it," he said.

Univision [7/19/2025 4:53 PM, Staff, 4992K] reports the Venezuelan non-governmental organization Foro Penal reported that Venezuela has so far released 12 political prisoners from that country following a prisoner exchange that resulted in the repatriation of more than 200 Venezuelans who were imprisoned in El Salvador. The exchange negotiated between the three countries also resulted in the release of 10 U.S. citizens and permanent residents who had been imprisoned in Venezuela. Among the 10 released was a French-American citizen identified as 37-year-old Lucas Hunter. he Venezuelan non-governmental organization Foro Penal reported that Venezuela has so far released 12 political prisoners from that country following a prisoner exchange that resulted in the repatriation of more than 200 Venezuelans who were imprisoned in El Salvador. The exchange negotiated between the three countries also resulted in the release of 10 U.S. citizens and permanent residents who had been imprisoned in Venezuela. Among the 10 released was a French-American citizen identified as 37-year-old Lucas Hunter. Gonzálo Himiob Santomé, director of Foro Penal, said on his X account that the organization had been able to confirm the release of the 12 political prisoners following the international agreement. "As of this hour, @ForoPenal has been able to confirm the release of 5 Americans, 5 American residents, and 12 Venezuelans. We continue to verify releases," he wrote, mentioning the 10 people who were sent back to the US. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Breitbart [7/19/2025 1:32 PM, Lowell Cauffiel, 3077K] reports ten Americans have headed home to the United States following their release from custody in Venezuela as part of a deal where gang members sent by President Donald Trump to an El Salvador prison served as the critical bargaining chips. The Special Envoy For Hostage Affairs posted a photo of the jubilant former detainees on their flight to freedom, a large American flag spread over the width of the jet’s cabin. Said Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an official statement: Thanks to President [Donald] Trump’s leadership and commitment to the American people, the United States welcomes home ten Americans who were detained in Venezuela. Until today, more Americans were wrongfully held in Venezuela than any other country in the world. It is unacceptable that Venezuelan regime representatives arrested and jailed U.S. nationals under highly questionable circumstances and without proper due process. Every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and back in our homeland. Rubio also credited El Salvador President Nayib Bukele. "I want to thank my team at the State Department, as well as our interagency partners, and especially El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele," he said, "for their work to secure these long-awaited releases and their efforts to ensure the safety of U.S. nationals both at home and abroad.". The freed Americans are part of a prisoner exchange where the El Salvadoran president agreed to free hundreds of Venezuelans being held in a maximum-security prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador, according to news reports. That swap was in return for Salvadoran prisoners being held in Venezuela. As Breitbart News reported, in a highly publicized move condemned by Democrat leaders, the U.S. shipped the Venezuelans to El Salvador earlier this year under the auspices of the in 1798 Alien Enemies Act. It was part of the deportation of alleged Tren de Aragua members and bypassed traditional immigration procedures. Many of the deportees’ families and lawyers denied the gang connections, Fox reported. President Bukele disagreed, posting on X: "Today, we have handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TDA). Many of them face multiple charges of murder, robbery, rape, and other serious crimes.". "This operation is the result of months of negotiations with a tyrannical regime that had long refused to release one of its most valuable bargaining chips: its hostages," he added. Some of the families of the returning Americans released statements, including one who condemned Venezuela’s tyrannical regime. Christian Casteneda, whose brother Wilbert, a Navy SEAL, was arrested in a Caracas hotel room last year, said in a statement: "We have prayed for this day for almost a year. My brother is an innocent man who was used as a political pawn by the Maduro regime.".

New York Times [7/19/2025 4:47 PM, Julie Turkewitz, 138952K] reports a kite surfer on a South American adventure. A Navy SEAL whose family said he had traveled south for romance. A gay makeup artist who fled north for a better life. A man who sold bicycle parts for meager wages in Venezuela, before leaving for the United States. All of these men were part of a large-scale prisoner swap conducted Friday between the United States and Venezuela’s governments. The deal exchanged 10 Americans and U.S. permanent residents seized by the Venezuelan government for 252 Venezuelan immigrants the United States had deported to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. The men came from very different backgrounds. The American kite surfer, Lucas Hunter, 37, worked in finance in London and had gone on vacation in Colombia, where his family says he was nabbed by the Venezuelan authorities near the Colombia-Venezuela border. The Navy SEAL, Wilbert Castañeda, 37, spent his adult life in the U.S. military and had gone to Venezuela to see a romantic partner, according to his brother. The Venezuelans, according to many of their families, had traveled to the United States for far different reasons. Many had trekked from South America through a dangerous jungle called the Darién Gap, seeking to escape an economic crisis and a repressive government. The makeup artist, Andry Hernández Romero, fled persecution for his political opinions and sexual orientation, according to his lawyers. The seller of bicycle parts, Alirio Belloso, 30, left because he could not afford school supplies for his 8-year-old daughter or medicine for his diabetic mother, according to his wife. But the Venezuelan and American men ended up in what some analysts and family members have described as unexpectedly similar circumstances. Over the last year they were detained and accused of trying to destabilize the country they had entered. Then they were incarcerated without due process or contact with their families. In both cases, the leaders who detained the men — Presidents Trump and Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela — said they were trying to protect their countries from foreign invaders. Mr. Trump, who campaigned on a promise to carry out mass deportations, has invoked a wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act, to detain and deport many of the Venezuelan men. Mr. Maduro, meanwhile, wants the United States to lift oil sanctions, and security analysts say he believed seizing Americans could help him persuade Washington to do that.

AP [7/19/2025 2:24 PM, Staff, 56000K] reports Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appeared triumphant on Friday, celebrating the return to Venezuela of migrants held in El Salvador after being deported from the U.S., after Venezuela released 10 jailed Americans on Friday in exchange. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Wall Street Journal [7/19/2025 4:49 PM, Michelle Hackman and Elizabeth Findell, 646K] reports with an overnight tripling of its annual budget and intensifying pressure to increase deportations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is racing to expand its detention space with temporary tentlike structures, despite safety warnings. Trump administration officials have identified limited detention space as one of the major chokepoints preventing them from stepping up deportations as quickly as President Trump has promised. They hope a new $45 billion for detention through the end of his term will help them get to 100,000 beds by the end of the year, up from roughly 40,000 when Trump took office. ICE’s plan was laid out in several internal documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal and described by administration officials familiar with the effort. The infusion of cash came as part of the Republican tax-and-spending package passed by Congress this month. Congress gave ICE $74 billion to spend by 2029, more than tripling its current $8.7 billion annual budget and making it the highest-funded law enforcement agency in the federal government. So far, the plans have given priority to erecting thousands of tents, or “hardened soft-sided facilities,” as quickly as possible to expand detention capacity quickly at U.S. military bases and adjoining bricks-and-mortar ICE jails, the documents show. Officials said they prefer this approach for now because it allows them to create large numbers of new beds concentrated in a few locations, rather than finding smaller numbers of jail cells scattered around the country. Top officials at the Department of Homeland Security, including Secretary Kristi Noem and her top adviser, Corey Lewandowski, have expressed a preference for detention centers run by Republican states and local governments rather than private prison companies, according to people familiar with their thinking. “No one has to be arrested or held in a detention center,” said DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin. “They have a choice. If they are in this country illegally they can take their $1,000, a free flight home and leave now,” she added, referring to the administration’s self-deportation program. DHS has told state officials they have $600 million in unused Federal Emergency Management Agency money, originally earmarked for migrant shelters, which they can use to reimburse states for their costs.

Reported similarly:
Reuters [7/19/2025 9:56 AM, Rajveer Singh Pardesi, 51390K]

New York Post [7/19/2025 7:46 PM, Shane Galvin, 49956K] reports the Trump administration is planning to use a New Jersey military base to house immigrant detainees in a move that is drawing ire from Democratic Garden State lawmakers. Portions of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County will be used as "temporary soft-sided holding facilities," the Department of Defense told Fox News. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the housing of illegal aliens "will not negatively affect military training, operations readiness, or other military requirements, according to a letter addressed to Democratic Representative Herb Conway. The decision was blasted by national lawmakers from New Jersey who issued a joint statement excoriating the Trump administration for its alleged loose use of military resources. "This is an inappropriate use of our national defense system and militarizes a radical immigration policy that has resulted in the inhumane treatment of undocumented immigrants and unlawful deportation of U.S. citizens, including children, across the country," the joint statement read. "Using our country’s military to detain and hold undocumented immigrants jeopardizes military preparedness and paves the way for ICE immigration raids in every New Jersey community," the statement said. "We have the greatest military in the world and using it as a domestic political tool is unacceptable and shameful." The statement was signed by Reps. Conway, LaMonica McIver, Donald Norcross, Rob Menendez, Frank Pallone, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Josh Gottheimer and Nellie Pou as well as Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim — all of whom are Democrats. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also announced that parts of Indiana’s Camp Atterbury will be converted into migrant facilities.

FOX News [7/19/2025 8:37 AM, Michael Dorgan Fox, 46878K] reports military bases in both New Jersey and Indiana will soon be used by Homeland Security to house illegal immigrants, drawing a furious response from Democratic lawmakers. Parts of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and Camp Atterbury in Indiana will be repurposed and used as "temporary soft-sided holding facilities," the Defense Department told Fox News Digital, citing a decision by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. New Jersey Democrats blasted the decision, warning it would harm military readiness and urging Republicans to join them in helping reverse it. Both bases were previously used to house thousands of Afghan refugees following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. "This is an inappropriate use of our national defense system and militarizes a radical immigration policy that has resulted in the inhumane treatment of undocumented immigrants and unlawful deportation of U.S. citizens, including children, across the country," the group of Democrats said in a joint statement. "Using our country’s military to detain and hold undocumented immigrants jeopardizes military preparedness and paves the way for ICE immigration raids in every New Jersey community. We have the greatest military in the world and using it as a domestic political tool is unacceptable and shameful.". The statement was made by Reps. Herb Conaway, LaMonica McIver, Donald Norcross, Rob Menendez, Frank Pallone, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Josh Gottheimer and Nellie Pou as well as Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim. It is unclear when either site will open and a decision will depend on operational requirements and coordination with Homeland Security, the Defense Department said. Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is a joint military base operated by U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy — the only tri-service base in the country. Spanning 42,00 acres, it’s home to 45,000 military and civilian personnel, making it one of the largest and most strategically important on the East Coast. Camp Atterbury is an Army and Air National Guard base near Edinburgh that spans 34,000 acres and has been used for training brigades and hosting large-scale operations. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [7/19/2025 10:50 AM, Staff, 46878K] reports retired ICE special agent Victor Avila weighs in on the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown during an appearance on ‘Fox & Friends Weekend.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NPR [7/19/2025 1:25 PM, Staff, 37958K] Audio: HERE reports NPR correspondent Jasmine Garsd has taken several reporting trips to Florida recently, a state seeing some of the most aggressive immigration enforcement since President Trump took office again in January. She’s spoken with children separated from their parents and reported on a new massive detention center in the state. For our weekly Reporter’s Notebook series Garsd talks about how Florida is key to understanding what the future of immigration enforcement may look like.

NewsMax [7/19/2025 6:35 PM, James Morley III, 4622K] reports the Florida holding center for illegal aliens has come under fire from detainees who have spoken out about the facilities’ poor conditions, Newsweek reported. The newly renovated detention center for illegal migrants has been nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz" due to its isolated location within the Florida Everglades. Attorneys and relatives of those held in the 17,000-acre Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport detailed the physical and mental anguish endured by those in facility. Attorney Phillip Arroyo said his client was denied medical care after falling ill, despite being a longtime U.S. resident and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient. Kimberly Gibson, the mother of Shaunti Gibson, whose friend Braydon Cash-Brow is also being housed there, said Cash-Brown was held for hours without food or water only to become sick when he drank tainted water. "When he was taken inside, he said the toilets weren’t flushing, it was hot, and the lights were flickering off and on because the generators weren’t working properly. He was then given a half cup of water. That’s it," Gibson told the outlet. Others have spoken of rancid food infested with insects, overflowing toilets, and verbal intimidation from guards. To mitigate the mass influx of prisoners, the Pentagon said roughly 70 Florida National Guard troops were conducting base security at the detention center. Democrats have cried foul on both the use the National Guard and the holding center based in the unforgiving environment of the Everglades. Thomas Kennedy of the Florida Immigration Coalition slammed the administration’s maneuver to use Guard members. "National Guard members are being deputized to serve as immigration judges in this Everglades detention camp," Kennedy posted on X. "This is intended to strip due process from those detained there.".

Daily Wire [7/19/2025 4:14 PM, Virginia Kruta, 3816K] reports President Donald Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan made it clear that he was not impressed with Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), referring to him as a "buffoon" and suggesting that he was feigning ignorance of the massive uptick in violent assaults against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Nadler was one of several lawmakers whose comments were featured on Fox News’ "Jesse Watters Primetime," and he suggested to correspondent Johnny Belisario that he was unaware of any attacks against agents. Belisario spoke to Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) first, who attempted to turn the question on its head but suggesting that ICE agents were to blame because they were "terrorizing" people. Nadler pretends to have never heard of the violent attacks on ICE agents: "What attacks on ICE agents?" pic.twitter.com/2TOLbHjaB0. Whan Belisario got to Nadler, the New York Congressman responded by asking, "What attacks on ICE agents?". Homan fired back at Nadler, saying that there was no way he could not be aware of the attacks — and that Democrats were the ones "encouraging" them. "This buffoon knows exactly what attacks — his party is the one encouraging them. ICE agents are facing an 830% increase in assaults because of smears from the left. Their words have consequences. We won’t let them pretend they don’t.". This buffoon knows exactly what attacks — his party is the one encouraging them. ICE agents are facing an 830% increase in assaults because of smears from the left. Their words have consequences. We won’t let them pretend they don’t. https://t.co/wxWbnxKhuu. Trump’s Rapid Response Team shared a lengthy thread on X several days earlier, blaming the uptick in assaults and attacks — some violent — on the rhetoric often employed by elected Democrats. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin shared the staggering statistic along with a statement, saying, "Brave ICE law enforcement are risking their lives every day to keep our communities safe from the worst of the worst criminals. ICE law enforcement are succeeding to remove terrorists, murderers, pedophiles and the most depraved among us from America’s communities, even as crazed rhetoric from gutter politicians are inspiring a massive increase in assaults against them. It is reprehensible that our officers are facing this threat while simply doing their jobs and enforcing the law.".

Reported similarly:
The Hill [7/19/2025 7:49 PM, Miriam Waldvogel, 18649K]

Los Angeles Times [7/19/2025 3:52 PM, Trân Nguyễn and Devi Shastri, 14672K] reports that, for nearly 20 years, Maria would call her sister — a nurse in Mexico — for advice on how to manage her asthma and control her husband’s diabetes instead of going to the doctor in California. She didn’t have legal status, so she couldn’t get health insurance and skipped routine exams, relying instead on home remedies and, at times, getting inhalers from Mexico. She insisted on using only her first name for fear of deportation. Things changed for Maria and many others in recent years when some Democratic-led states opened up their health insurance programs to low-income immigrants regardless of their legal status. Maria and her husband signed up the day the program began last year. "It changed immensely, like from Earth to the heavens," Maria said in Spanish of Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program. "Having the peace of mind of getting insurance leads me to getting sick less.". At least seven states and the District of Columbia have offered coverage for immigrants, mostly since 2020. But three of them have done an about-face, ending or limiting coverage for hundreds of thousands of immigrants who aren’t in the U.S. legally — California, Illinois and Minnesota. The programs cost much more than officials had projected at a time when the states are facing multibillion-dollar deficits now and in the future. In Illinois, adult immigrants ages 42 to 64 without legal status have lost their healthcare to save an estimated $404 million. All adult immigrants in Minnesota no longer have access to the state program, saving nearly $57 million. In California, no one will automatically lose coverage, but new enrollments for adults will stop in 2026 to save more than $3 billion over several years. Cuts in all three states were backed by Democratic governors who once championed expanding health coverage to immigrants. The Trump administration this week shared the home addresses, ethnicities and personal data of all Medicaid recipients with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. Twenty states, including California, Illinois and Minnesota, have sued. Healthcare providers told the Associated Press that all of those factors, especially the fear of being arrested or deported, are having a chilling effect on people seeking care. And states may have to spend more money down the road because immigrants will avoid preventive healthcare and end up needing to go to safety-net hospitals. "I feel like they continue to squeeze you more and more to the point where you’ll burst," Maria said, referencing all the uncertainties for people who are in the U.S. without legal permission.

Reported similarly:
AP [7/19/2025 2:27 PM, Trân Nguyễn and Devi Shastri]

AP [7/19/2025 2:27 PM, Trân Nguyễn and Devi Shastri] reports at least seven states and the District of Columbia have offered coverage for immigrants since mostly 2020. But three of them have done an about-face, ending or limiting coverage for hundreds of thousands of immigrants who aren’t in the U.S. legally in California, Illinois and Minnesota. The programs cost way more than officials had projected at a time when the states are facing multibillion-dollar deficits now and in the future. Cuts in all three states were backed by Democratic governors who once championed expanding health coverage to immigrants. The Trump administration this week shared the home addresses, ethnicities and personal data of all Medicaid recipients with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. Twenty states, including California, Illinois and Minnesota, have sued. Health care providers told The Associated Press that everything, especially the fear of being arrested or deported, is having a chilling effect on people seeking care. And states may have to spend more money down the road because immigrants will avoid preventive health care and end up needing to go to safety-net hospitals.

Blaze [7/19/2025 6:10 PM, Cooper Williamson, 1805K] reports that, since around 2020, Washington, D.C., and seven states have opened their health care programs to illegal aliens. However, since President Trump’s administration began, some states have abruptly changed their policy positions. According to the Associated Press, California, Illinois, and Minnesota, all heavily Democrat-run states, have announced that they will be scaling back or ending their Medicaid programs for illegal aliens. ‘When we looked at the state budget, the dollars were not there to support what was passed and what was being spent.’. Illinois will begin slashing its Medicaid availability immediately for illegal immigrants ages 42-64 for an estimated $404 million in savings. Minnesota likewise will be ending the program for adult illegal immigrants immediately. It is estimated that the state will save $57 million with this policy change. Minnesota Speaker Lisa Demuth (R) said that the health care program was not sustainable in her state. "It wasn’t about trying to be non-compassionate or not caring about people," she said, according to the AP. "When we looked at the state budget, the dollars were not there to support what was passed and what was being spent.". Illegal alien adults in Minnesota will still have the option of purchasing health insurance, Demuth said. California, on the other hand, will stop enrolling adult illegal immigrants into its program in 2026, which will save the state more than $3 billion over several years. Health officials estimate that roughly 200,000 illegal aliens will lose health coverage in California when the program cuts take effect next year. However, Governor Gavin Newsom (D) reportedly maintains that the state still provides the most expansive health care coverage for poor adults. Health care providers have pointed to the increasing number of immigration raids by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency as a contributing factor of changing patient behavior. Fears of deportation have decreased the number of regular health care visits from illegal aliens. This change in policy in blue states comes in light of the broader deportation efforts by the Trump administration, which has reversed many of the immigration policies of the Biden administration.

Reuters [7/19/2025 3:46 PM, Staff, 51390K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is racing to build migrant tent camps nationwide after receiving $45 billion in new funding, aiming to expand detention capacity from 40,000 to 100,000 beds by year-end, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. The agency is prioritizing large-scale tent facilities at military bases and ICE jails, including a 5,000-bed site at Fort Bliss in Texas and others in Colorado, Indiana, and New Jersey, the report added, citing documents seen by WSJ. "ICE is pursuing all available options to expand bedspace capacity," a senior ICE official told Reuters, adding that the "process does include housing detainees at certain military bases." Top U.S. officials at Homeland Security, including U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have expressed a preference for detention centers run by Republican states and local governments rather than private prison companies, the report said. The agency declined to confirm the specifics of the plan to expand detention capacity.

NewsMax [7/19/2025 3:16 PM, Sandy Fitzgerald, 4622K] reports Democrats are taking the side of "the worst of the worst" immigrants by fighting back against Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who are trying to do their jobs, ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan told Newsmax Saturday. "We’re seeing this huge increase of violence against ICE officers, Sheahan said on Newsmax’s "Saturday Agenda." "This is consistent across the country. The Democrats are supplying this violent rhetoric to their party in a small minority, who continues to choose to go after ICE officers to put the worst of the worst first over the American people.". But, she added, "These are murderers, these are rapists, these are traffickers, and the Democrats continue to take their side when the men and women of ICE, in law enforcement, are out enforcing immigration laws as written and going after the worst of the worst in this country." Meanwhile, the rhetoric that is being used is "very dangerous" for ICE agents, their families, and everyone around them, Sheahan said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Axios [7/19/2025 7:30 AM, Russell Contreras, 13599K] reports a growing number of Democratic-leaning states and cities are weighing proposals to ban federal immigration agents from wearing masks and require them to display IDs when making arrests. Images of masked, armed agents in plain clothes grabbing people off the streets and rushing them into unmarked vehicles have alarmed many Americans — and put pressure on lawmakers to respond. The proposals could set up another constitutional showdown between states and the federal government over immigration enforcement and civil liberties, as the Trump administration pushes mass deportations. Just as conservative-leaning states enacted their own tougher immigration measures during the Biden administration, blue-leaning states and cities now want guardrails in place to check some of the Trump administration’s tactics. Democrat-led state legislatures in California, New York and Massachusetts are discussing or have introduced bills that would ban federal agents from wearing masks in most operations. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, says any state and local restrictions on ICE agents would "demonize" the agents. McLaughlin claims there was an 830% increase in assaults on ICE officials from Jan. 21 to July 14 compared with the same period in 2024 — a stat that immigrant rights advocates have disputed. "States can’t regulate what federal law enforcement wears," U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon posted on X.

Washington Post [7/20/2025 5:02 AM, Robert Klemko, 32099K] reports two decades ago, Sherman Austin decided the life of an internet activist was no longer worth the trouble. He’d landed in federal prison at 20 years old after investigators found instructions on how to make a bomb on a website he hosted. After a year behind bars, Austin retired his self-taught coding skills. He found work as a low-voltage electrician in Long Beach, trained in mixed martial arts and started a family. Then President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign roiled the Los Angeles region. Austin thought of his high school-aged children and the prospect of masked, anonymous federal officers entering their school to make arrests. The community would need to be alerted if that happened, he thought, so undocumented people could escape and less vulnerable people might show up and protest. After several late-night coding marathons, Austin launched StopICE.net, which invites people to report sightings of suspected federal officers and notifies users who sign up for alerts. The network now boasts over 470,000 subscribers nationwide. It is one of dozens of sites that have launched in recent months as both undocumented immigrants and many U.S. citizens grow alarmed at the scale of Trump’s deportation campaign and the aggressive tactics officers are using to detain people. Government officials including Attorney General Pam Bondi contend the websites are endangering the lives of officers and their families and effectively mobilizing communities to attack officers at work. The Department of Homeland Security says Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are increasingly being assaulted on the job; at least 79 officers have allegedly been attacked since Trump took office, compared to 10 over the same period in 2024, according to agency figures. “It very much bothers me, a lot of the comments referring to my people as the Gestapo or Nazis,” said Jeremy O’Hara, a 15-year ICE agent who serves as the ICE agency president for the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. “We’re only enforcing the laws on the books. And these laws are not new.” Officers, O’Hara said, are trying to avoid an appearance on sites like ICE List, which seeks to identify federal officers using publicly available information and user tips. The site was launched this spring by Dominick Skinner, a man in the Netherlands, and has been taken down twice by web hosts. Skinner said he believes the hosts acted after being contacted by U.S. officials. Skinner’s own name recently appeared widely online after he was identified in a story published by Glenn Beck’s Blaze media. In the piece, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin promised to “prosecute those who dox ICE agents to the fullest extent of the law. These criminals are taking the side of vicious cartels and human traffickers. We won’t allow it in America.”

Breitbart [7/19/2025 4:52 PM, Bob Price, 3077K] reports the Trump administration is reportedly offering former ICE agents "reinlistment" bonuses of up to $50,000 if they come back to the agency. Many ICE agents and officers left the organization during the chaos of the prior administration. "You served the United States of America with distinction and honor. Now, your country calls upon you to serve once more," ICE officials wrote in an email obtained and published by the New York Post. "By returning to ICE, you are providing an honorable, indispensable service to our nation.". Funding for the bonuses is coming from the recently passed "One Big Beautiful Bill Act (BBB)," the Post states. ICE is offering a signing bonus of $10,000 upon returning to service; another $10,000 bonus for those who submit applications by Aug. 1; and annual $10,000 bonuses, for up to three years, for those who take part in Operation Return to Service. The agency will also reportedly allow returning employees to retain their pension payments and benefits if they return to "active duty.". The BBB provided ICE with an additional $75B in funding for the expanded deportation mission that is currently underway across the nation. During the BBB signing ceremony, Trump said the bill allows ICE to "significantly"expand its team. Part of this expansion will start "with bringing back our former colleagues," the president said. The agency established a "Return to Mission" website to provide information to former employees who may be interested in rejoining the agency. "Your country is calling upon you to serve. Due to the prior administration’s disastrous immigration policies, the men and women of ICE now face unprecedented challenges," the website states. "You are critically needed to secure our communities and uphold our laws.". The offer is extended to Enforcement and Removal Operations deportation officers and Homeland Security Investigations special agents.

NPR [7/19/2025 4:56 PM, Scott Detrow, Jasmine Garsd, and Kira Wakeam, 37958K] Audio HERE reports behind the scenes with NPR’s reporting on how Florida has become the scene of some of the Trump administration’s most aggressive immigration enforcement efforts. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Washington Post [7/19/2025 2:54 PM, Gaya Gupta, 32099K] reports Parisa Firouzabadi and Pouria Pourhosseinhendabad were drinking tea on a warm Sunday evening in June when they heard a knock at their apartment door in Baton Rouge. According to court documents, two police officers said they were there to discuss a hit-and-run accident that the married couple had reported weeks earlier — might they see the damage on the car?
The couple, immigrants from Iran studying at Louisiana State University, led the officers to their apartment’s parking lot. Then, without knowing why, their lawyers say, the two were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. After nearly a month in custody and two petitions challenging their detainment, a magistrate judge this week ordered that Firouzabadi, 30, and Pourhosseinhendabad, 29, be released and that all removal proceedings against them be dismissed. Norah Ahmed, one of their attorneys and legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union in Louisiana, said the case illustrates the risks immigrants face in their everyday lives under President Donald Trump’s push to increase deportations. "There is a broader narrative out there that somehow the mass deportation efforts underway are somehow related to ‘criminals,’ right?" Ahmed said. "The reality is you’re taking two PhD students at LSU. ... You’re taking in our friends, family, neighbors and loved ones — these are the people in these immigration jails." The charges centered on their visa statuses after they were enrolled as students at LSU. The two arrived in the United States in 2023, when Firouzabadi, then 28, was accepted into a graduate program at LSU and granted an international student visa known as an F-1, according to court documents. Pourhosseinhendabad initially came to the U.S. on an F-2 visa, meant for spouses of international students, but was granted an F-1 visa earlier this year after he was accepted into LSU’s PhD program in mechanical engineering, according to court documents. The U.S. revoked Firouzabadi’s visa in late September 2024, and when she was notified roughly a week later, school officials told her that her studies would remain unaffected, though she could not leave and re-enter the country, according to court documents. Both she and her husband applied for asylum; their application is still pending. The DHS said the arrests reflected its "commitment to keeping known and suspected terrorists out of American communities," and it issued a news release on June 24 identifying 11 Iranian men it had arrested. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the department had "been full throttle on identifying and arresting known or suspected terrorists and violent extremists that illegally entered this country."

FOX News [7/19/2025 6:55 PM, Staff, 46878K] reports an Ohio man was arrested for allegedly making terroristic threats against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and a federal official, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official announced Saturday. Anthony Kelly of Cincinnati will face federal charges for allegedly threatening to kidnap, assault and murder a U.S. official, according to Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS. "Thank you to our law enforcement," McLaughlin said in a post on X. "These threats will not be tolerated. You will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." In the X post, McLaughlin attached several photos of social media posts from an account seemingly linked to Kelly that threatened to shoot and kill ICE agents. The user also discussed plans to buy a gun. Replying to a post on X about ICE officials, the user said, "You come here for me, you’re getting shot. … I’m shooting for the kill. I won’t give a f--- about your names, who you are or anything else." In another post on X responding to a post about DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the user wrote, "The shotgun is being bought later on this week … you’re also invited b-----." Replying to a post on X about Trump border czar Tom Homan, the user seemingly referred to ICE agents when he wrote, "Thanks for giving We The People permission to shoot …" During a search of Kelly’s home in Cincinnati, authorities found one gun and ammunition, McLaughlin said. "We will prosecute those who dox ICE agents to the fullest extent of the law. These criminals are taking the side of vicious cartels and human traffickers," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in the memo. "We won’t allow it in America."

Los Angeles Times [7/19/2025 12:41 PM, John Seewer, 14672K] reports police in Cincinnati arrested at least 13 people, including two journalists, after demonstrators protesting the immigration detention of a former hospital chaplain blocked a two-lane bridge carrying traffic over the Ohio River. A reporter and a photography intern who were arrested while covering the protest for CityBeat, a Cincinnati news and entertainment outlet, were among those arraigned Friday morning in a Kentucky court. Other journalists reporting on protests around the U.S. have been arrested and injured this year. More than two dozen were hurt or roughed up while covering protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles. A Spanish-language journalist was arrested in June while covering a "No Kings" protest against President Trump near Atlanta. Police initially charged Mario Guevara, a native of El Salvador, with unlawful assembly, obstruction of police and being a pedestrian on or along the roadway. A prosecutor dropped the charges, but Guevara had already been turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is being held in a south Georgia immigration detention center. His lawyers say he has been authorized to work and remain in the country, but ICE is trying to deport him. Video from the demonstration in Cincinnati on Thursday night shows several tense moments, including when an officer punches a protester several times as police wrestle him to the ground. Earlier, a black SUV drove slowly onto the Roebling Bridge while protesters walked along the roadway that connects Cincinnati with Covington, Ky. Another video shows a person in a neon-colored vest pushing against the SUV. Police in Covington said those arrested had refused to comply with orders to disperse. The department said in a statement that officers who initially attempted to talk with the protest’s organizer were threatened and met with hostility. Among the charges filed against those arrested were rioting, failing to disperse, obstructing emergency responders, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. Reporter Madeline Fening and photo intern Lucas Griffith were charged with felony rioting and several other charges, said Ashley Moor, the editor in chief of CityBeat. A judge on Friday set a $2,500 bond for each of those arrested. The arrests happened during a protest in support of Ayman Soliman, an Egyptian immigrant who worked as a chaplain at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. He was detained last week after he showed up for a routine check-in with ICE officials at its office near Cincinnati.

New York Post [7/19/2025 5:55 PM, Chris Harris, 49956K] reports a 32-year-old mom-of-seven has been accused of sex trafficking in Indiana, where authorities allege she tried selling her baby daughter to a man for $400. Morgan Stapp allegedly used Snapchat to arrange the shocking sexual assault of her 7-month-old daughter, according to People.com. Stapp sent a message to a man back on Nov. 1, 2024, explaining he could rape her baby girl for $400. The message was flagged by Snapchat and shared with FBI agents, who set up a meeting with Stapp at her Indianapolis residence. Stapp was nabbed July 8 and is being charged with attempt to commit child sex trafficking. She is being held on $100,000 bond.

FOX News [7/19/2025 7:23 PM, Alexandra Koch , Bill Melugin, 46878K] reports immigration authorities in Chicago arrested a Mexican illegal immigrant accused of decapitating a missing Illinois woman and storing her body in a storage container filled with bleach. Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez, 52, of Waukegan, Illinois, was arrested in April and charged with concealing a corpse, abusing a corpse and obstruction of justice, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Immediately after his first court appearance, Lake County Judge Randie Bruno released Mendoza-Gonzalez from custody. He was arrested again Saturday afternoon at a market in Chicago by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and remains in ICE custody, according to DHS. In April, police in Waukegan, Illinois, found the body of 37-year-old Megan Bos, who was reported missing March 9, in a container in Mendoza-Gonzalez’s yard. She disappeared in February, according to family members. Mendoza-Gonzalez was accused of keeping Bos’ body in his yard for nearly two months and abusing her corpse. DHS officials told FOX News Bos’ body had been decapitated, and she was found in a bleach-filled storage container. "It is absolutely repulsive this monster walked free on Illinois’ streets after allegedly committing such a heinous crime," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News. "Megan Bos and her family will have justice.". After Mendoza-Gonzalez’s release in April, Antioch Mayor Scott Gartner criticized laws that allowed the suspected criminal alien to be released, according to a report from affiliate FOX 32 Chicago. "I was shocked to find out literally the next day that the person that they had arrested for this had been released from prison under the SAFE-T Act less than, detained less, I think, than 48 hours," Gartner said. "There’s other extenuating circumstances in this case. Not only the type of crime, how long the crime was concealed, the fact that the person that was arrested for this is not a U.S. citizen, and, you know, can maybe [flee] the country.". Mendoza-Gonzalez allegedly told authorities Bos overdosed at his house and, instead of calling 911, he broke her phone and kept her body in the basement for two days before moving it outside, according to the report. Republican state Rep. Tom Weber expressed concern about Mendoza-Gonzalez’s release in April. "Someone that hid their body in a garbage can for 51 days after leaving it in the basement for two days, after not calling 911 [and] breaking a phone. Is this a non-detainable offense?" Weber said. "Should we not find out, wait for a toxicology report, anything?" [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Telemundo [7/19/2025 11:45 AM, Ruby Guzmán and José Alberto Colón-Rodríguezand, 103K] reports a mother who is just days away from giving birth is experiencing, in her words, “the worst nightmare of her life.” The woman, identified as Jennifer Garcia, exclusively reported to Telemundo that immigration agents arrived at her home in the Greenspoint area, north of Houston , Texas, and violently detained her partner, Jose Osman Gutierrez, 29, originally from Honduras. The arrest occurred around 7:00 a.m. as Gutiérrez was getting ready for work. According to García, immigration agents entered despite the pleas of her four children and her delicate pregnancy. “They dragged him, they grabbed him by the neck… it was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced,” said the mother through tears, who fears facing the birth of her fifth child alone. García claims that her partner has no criminal record and has been working in the United States for more than seven years to support his family. "They don’t catch criminals, they catch humble people who go out to work ," he complained. The family claims to have received no explanation from authorities. Telemundo formally requested information from ICE regarding this arrest, and they indicated that the detention was handled by Customs and Border Protection (CBP). [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Univision [7/19/2025 5:15 PM, Staff, 4992K] reports a wave of fear and uncertainty is sweeping through migrant communities in the United States following the release of an internal memorandum from Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ), ordering the detention without bail of millions of people who entered the country illegally, including Cubans on I-220A parole. The directive was issued by the acting director of ICE and sent to his subordinates. It instructs that anyone detained for illegal entry must remain in custody throughout their immigration process, regardless of how long they have been in the country or the circumstances of their arrest. “ All of us I-220As are afraid, and today more than ever, “ expressed one affected immigrant. This decision represents a radical change from the usual practice, under which detainees could request bail from an immigration judge while their legal proceedings proceeded. Now, that option is void, according to immigration attorneys. The change is based on the ruling in the Q. Li case , which ICE has cited as a precedent to justify further detentions, even of people who had already been released after crossing the border. "It’s a measure that directly affects the preparation of cases, because without freedom, there are no adequate conditions for an effective legal defense," attorney Ludmila Armas Marcelo said in an interview.

AP [7/19/2025 9:09 AM, Claire Rush, 56000K] reports parents at a preschool in a Portland suburb are reeling after immigration officers arrested a father in front of the school during morning drop-off hours, breaking his car window to detain him in front of children, families and staffers. “I feel like a day care, which is where young children are taken care of, should be a safe place,” Natalie Berning said after dropping off her daughter at the Montessori in Beaverton on Friday morning. “Not only is it traumatizing for the family, it’s traumatizing for all the other children as well.” Mahdi Khanbabazadeh, a 38-year-old chiropractor and citizen of Iran, was initially pulled over by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, while driving his child to the school Tuesday. After asking if he could drop off the child first, he continued driving and called his wife to tell her what happened, according to his wife, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to privacy concerns for her and her young child. His wife rushed to the school, took their child from his car and brought him inside. Khanbabazadeh stayed in the vehicle in the parking lot and asked if he could move somewhere not on school grounds out of consideration for the children and families, his wife said. He pulled out of the lot and onto the street and began to open the car door to step out when agents broke the window and took him into custody, according to his wife. Kellie Burns, who has two children attending the preschool, said her husband was there and heard the glass shatter. “More than anything we want to express how unnecessarily violent and inhumane this was,” she said. “Everyone felt helpless. Everyone was scared.” ICE said it detained Khanbabazadeh because he overstayed his visa, which his wife disputes. “Officers attempted to arrest Khanbabazadeh during a traffic stop when he requested permission to drop his child off at daycare,” ICE said in a statement. “Officers allowed him to proceed to the daycare parking lot where he stopped cooperating, resisted arrest and refused to exit his vehicle, resulting in ICE officers making entry by breaking one of the windows to complete the arrest.” Immigration officials have dramatically ramped up arrests across the country since May. Shortly after President Donald Trump took office in January, his administration lifted restrictions on making immigration arrests at schools, health care facilities and places of worship, stirring fears about going to places once considered safe spaces. After U.S. military strikes on Iran in June, officials trumpeted immigration arrests of Iranians, some of whom settled in the United States long ago. Khanbabazadeh’s wife said he has always maintained lawful status. After he arrived on a valid student visa and they subsequently married, she said, they submitted all required paperwork to adjust his status and were waiting for a final decision following their green card interview months ago. Khanbabazadeh is being held at the ICE detention facility in Tacoma, Washington, she said.

Reported similarly:
NewsMax [7/19/2025 9:58 AM, Staff, 4622K]

San Francisco Chronicle [7/19/2025 6:41 PM, Jessica Flores, 4120K] reports hundreds of protesters gathered Saturday at a park in Dublin to oppose the possibility of Immigration and Customs Enforcement reopening the nearby federal prison into an immigrant detention center. Drivers passing by the family-friendly protest at Don Biddle Community Park honked their horns in support of the demonstrators holding signs that read, "Keep ICE out of Dublin." There were designated art tables where children could color, and attendees could pick up screen-printed posters that read, "Hands off our immigrant neighbors." The protest was organized by Tsuru for Solidarity, ICE Out of Dublin Coalition, several labor unions and other organizations. Tsuru for Solidarity, a Japanese American social justice advocacy group that seeks to end detention sites, organized the rally in solidarity with immigrant communities and to protest detention centers from opening in the Bay Area, specifically the scandal-plagued former women’s prison in Dublin that shuttered last year.

Washington Examiner [7/19/2025 12:08 PM, Mia Cathell, 1934K] reports an illegal immigrant from Mexico has been accused by federal authorities of orchestrating a fake Immigration and Customs Enforcement "kidnapping," allegedly to generate public sympathy and solicit donations. Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, a 41-year-old Mexican national living in South Los Angeles, was federally charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers, according to a Department of Justice press release issued Thursday. According to a criminal complaint charging Calderon, the entire story was fabricated. On July 3, when she was still purportedly missing, concerns mounted after federal agents confirmed that Calderon was not in immigration custody. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) started searching for Calderon over the holiday weekend. Calderon allegedly created what law enforcement believes to be fabricated photos of her "rescue," made to look like she was abused while in ICE custody, and planned to hold a press conference on July 6 in order to rake in more GoFundMe donations and obtain other benefits. Calderon now remains in U.S. immigration custody and is expected to make an initial appearance in the coming weeks before a federal court in downtown Los Angeles. If convicted, Calderon faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy and up to another five years behind bars on the false statements charge. The department’s Transnational Organized Crime Section is prosecuting the case. In a press release responding to news of Calderon’s arrest, Homeland Security said, "Liars like Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon are fueling an 830% increase in assaults against ICE."

SFGate [7/19/2025 12:14 PM, Kelsi Karruli, 11859K] reports former TV show host Rosie O’Donnell insists she was "not fazed" by President Donald Trump’s threat to revoke her U.S. citizenship, accusing him of subjecting her to "20 years of abuse," while branding him a "tangerine Mussolini." The 63-year-old took to TikTok to assure fans that she is "safe" in Ireland—where she moved in early 2025, later claiming that she had done so in response to Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election. O’Donnell, who is known for being an outspoken critic of Trump and his policies, added further fuel to her ongoing feud with the president in her latest video, in which she spoke out about a social media post in which he warned he was giving "serious consideration" to revoking her rights as a U.S. citizen.

The Hill [7/19/2025 8:19 AM, Filip Timotija, 18649K] reports Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced late Friday that the visas of Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes, his "allies on the court" and immediate family members have been revoked over the ongoing "political witch hunt" against Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro. "[President Trump] made clear that his administration will hold accountable foreign nationals who are responsible for censorship of protected expression in the United States," Rubio, who is also President Trump’s national security adviser, wrote in a post on social platform X. He continued, "Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes’s political witch hunt against Jair Bolsonaro created a persecution and censorship complex so sweeping that it not only violates basic rights of Brazilians, but also extends beyond Brazil’s shores to target Americans." "I have therefore ordered visa revocations for Moraes and his allies on the court, as well as their immediate family members effective immediately," the secretary of state added. Breitbart [7/19/2025 5:44 PM, Staff, 3077K] reports that the visa restriction policy is pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act, which authorizes the secretary of state to not allow anyone whose entry into the United States "would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences.". Rubio, in a cable to diplomatic and consular posts on Thursday, said public comments on foreign elections "should be brief, focused on congratulating the winning candidate and, when appropriate, noted shared policy interests," according to New York Times, which obtained the memo. De Moraes doesn’t travel often to the United States, Washington Post reported. Friday, de Moraes accused Bolsonaro and his son, Eduardo, of conspiring to incite U.S. hostilities against Brazil, ordering the former president to wear an ankle bracelet. Bolsonaro was also barred from contacting foreign governments, and blocked from using social media. The judge also is investigating online misinformation, and has ordered the takedown of social media accounts that violate Brazil’s freedom of speech. In 2024, Elon Musk’s X restored service in the country after paying a $5 million fine and appointed a new legal representative there. Trump’s social media company, The Trump Media & Technology Group, sued de Moraes in February, accusing him of censoring conservative voices on social media. The judge is on the judicial panel to preside over Bolsonaro’s trial before Brazil’s Supreme Court, who was indicted in February after the alleged coup. Bolsonaro has been accused of attempting to violently to retain power after his 2022 election loss to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Lula, in a speech Thursday night, condemned Bolsonaro’s supporters, whom he accused of siding with Trump about the "witch hunt.". "They’re the true traitors of the homeland," he said. "They don’t care about the economy of the country or the damage caused to our people.".

Reported similarly:
AP [7/20/2025 12:16 AM, Eléonore Hughes, 56000K]
Reuters [7/19/2025 9:52 AM, Marcela Ayres, 51390K]
NewsMax [7/19/2025 1:42 PM, Jim Thomas, 4622K]

Axios [7/19/2025 9:32 AM, Andrew Childers, 13599K] reports Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced late Friday the U.S. is revoking the visa of a Brazilian Supreme Court judge who oversaw the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro and briefly banned Elon Musk’s X in the country. President Trump has repeatedly come to the aid of right wing allies across the globe, including Bolsonaro, calling them victims of ideological witch hunts. Trump threatened to hit Brazil with 50 percent tariffs in part for prosecuting Bolsonaro for an alleged coup attempt. Rubio said in a post on X that he was revoking visas for Brazilian Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes as well as "his allies on the court, as well as their immediate family members effective immediately." Rubio claimed de Moraes led a "political witch hunt" against Bolsonaro after the former president was charged with attempting to overturn his 2022 election loss. Rubio also accused de Moraes of creating "a persecution and censorship complex so sweeping that it not only violates basic rights of Brazilians, but also extends beyond Brazil’s shores to target Americans." de Moraes had briefly banned Musk’s X in South Americas largest country after the company refused with his court orders. The ban was eventually lifted by the Supreme Court a month later.

Reuters [7/19/2025 9:52 AM, Marcela Ayres, 51390K] reports Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called a U.S. decision to impose visa bans on officials involved in former President Jair Bolsonaro’s trial "arbitrary" and "baseless," and said foreign interference in the judiciary was "unacceptable." In a statement on Saturday, the leftist leader said the action violated fundamental principles of respect and sovereignty between nations. In an escalation of tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and the government of Latin America’s largest economy, Washington imposed visa restrictions on Friday on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, his family and other unnamed court officials. The visa bans were a response to the Supreme Court’s decision to issue search warrants and restraining orders targeting Trump ally Bolsonaro, who is accused of plotting a coup to overturn the results of a 2022 election he lost.

Reuters [7/19/2025 9:52 AM, Marcela Ayres, 24051K] reports Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called a U.S. decision to impose visa bans on officials involved in former President Jair Bolsonaro’s trial "arbitrary" and "baseless," and said foreign interference in the judiciary was "unacceptable.". In a statement on Saturday, the leftist leader said the action violated fundamental principles of respect and sovereignty between nations. In an escalation of tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and the government of Latin America’s largest economy, Washington imposed visa restrictions on Friday on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, his family and other unnamed court officials. The visa bans were a response to the Supreme Court’s decision to issue search warrants and restraining orders targeting Trump ally Bolsonaro, who is accused of plotting a coup to overturn the results of a 2022 election he lost. "I am certain that no form of intimidation or threat, from anyone, will compromise the most important mission of Brazil’s powers and institutions, which is to permanently defend and uphold the democratic rule of law," said Lula. Solicitor general Jorge Messias, the top judicial official for Lula’s executive branch, said in a statement posted on X late Friday that Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet was also targeted by the ban. Messias said no "improper maneuver" or "sordid conspiratorial act" would intimidate the judiciary in carrying out its duties with independence, as he condemned what he also described as arbitrary U.S. visa revocations targeting Brazilian officials for fulfilling their constitutional responsibilities. In addition to Moraes, seven other justices from Brazil’s 11-member Supreme Court were also hit by the U.S. visa restrictions, Government Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann said on Friday. They include justices Luis Roberto Barroso, Dias Toffoli, Cristiano Zanin, Flavio Dino, Carmen Lucia, Edson Fachin, and Gilmar Mendes. The Prosecutor General’s Office and the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump has criticised the proceedings against Bolsonaro as a "witch hunt", a term he has used to describe his own treatment by political opponents, and has called for the charges to be dropped. In a letter last week, he announced a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods starting August 1, opening the message with criticism of the trial. Bolsonaro is on trial before Brazil’s Supreme Court on charges of plotting a coup to stop Lula from taking office in January 2023. The right-wing firebrand has denied that he led an attempt to overthrow the government but has acknowledged taking part in meetings aimed at reversing the election’s outcome.

FOX News [7/19/2025 4:50 PM, Staff, 46878K] reports National Border Patrol Council president Paul Perez breaks down CBP agents’ boost in morale and recruitment trends within the agency on ‘Fox Report.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Detroit Free Press [7/19/2025 2:25 PM, Nathan Diller, 4241K] reports U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed an ongoing operation but did not provide details, while other cruise lines affected include Viking and Pearl Seas Cruises. The removed crew members had valid work visas and were previously cleared to work in the U.S. U.S. Customs and Border Protection removed crew members from at least two cruise ships operating in the Great Lakes. A "limited number" of crew working aboard Victory Cruise Lines’ Victory I and Victory II vessels were removed at the Port of Detroit, according to Founder and Chairman John Waggoner. "We are actively cooperating with federal authorities to clarify the circumstances, and my priority is always our crew and the experience for our guests," Waggoner told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. "We wish to thank federal, state and local representatives across the Great Lakes for their prompt and continued attention to this matter.". Eight crew members were removed from Victory I on July 11, and five were removed from Victory II on July 9. The employees — who Victory hires primarily through third parties and have valid work visas — had been cleared to enter the U.S. to work aboard the ships, the line confirmed. A CBP spokesperson told USA TODAY the agency is "involved in an ongoing operation on the Great Lakes," but could not provide further details. Travel Weekly reported that crew members were also removed from other ships operating in the region, including Viking and Pearl Seas Cruises vessels. Viking did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment. Pearl Seas Cruises declined to comment. The news comes as the Trump administration has cracked down on immigration and pursued mass deportations, as President Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail. A mid-July Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 51% of Americans disapprove of the policies, while 41% approve.

Los Angeles Times [7/19/2025 3:22 PM, Brenda Elizondo, 14672K] reports local artists and volunteers like @libre_hem and @deportedartist are transforming the U.S.-Mexico border wall into a powerful mural that symbolizes unity and resilience during a time of mass deportations and growing fear in Latino communities. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Post [7/19/2025 7:26 PM, Shireen Khalil, 49956K] reports there’s been a surprising spike in Aussies heading to the US after many were deterred by President Donald Trump’s strict border stance and other controversial government policies. According to new data released by the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA), travel from Australia to the US increased by 4.8 percent year-on-year and was up 8 percent in May 2025 compared to May 2024. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) were also up in various categories including traveling on a holiday (up 12 percent compared with last year), visiting friends or relatives (up 15 percent) or for business (up 8 percent). It shows a solid improvement compared to April where there was a 6.2 per cent decline. US inbound travel to Australia, however, slipped by 3.7 percent in May and remained flat year-on-year with a modest 0.6 percent rise. "The USA remains popular with outbound travelers, but the muted inbound response highlights challenges in achieving a balanced two-way tourism recovery," ATIA director of compliance and membership, Nina Hedges said. The US continues to take a back seat to destinations like Bali, Japan and Vietnam, which lead the way as Australia’s favourite overseas locations. According to recent ATIA figures, for the year ending May 2025, outbound travel surged by 12.5 percent to 12.21 million trips, driven by a strong appetite for travel across Asia. Standout growth included Indonesia (Bali) up 16.3 percent, Japan, up 32.4 percent, Vietnam, up 25.8 percent and China, up 26.9 percent. "Asia continues to shine as the preferred playground for Australian travellers, with Bali, Tokyo and Ho Chi Minh City topping itineraries for millions," Ms. Hedges said. Japan specifically continues to see a growth in visitor numbers thanks to expanded flight options and the region’s strength with the AUD, allowing it to stretch further for accommodation, dining and shopping. Flight Centre chief executive and founder Graham Turner told news.com.au that in the first three months of 2025, leisure bookings to the US from Australia dropped about 12 to 15 percent compared to last year, while business travel remained "on par". But he anticipated the decline to "accelerate" for both leisure and business travel across April, May and June. June figures are yet to be released. Meanwhile, Sarah Megginson, a personal finance expert at Finder, previously said perceptions of hostility and the current political climate "could see Australia’s love affair with America fade.". She warned Australians to check their travel insurance policies carefully before going to the US as many insurers would not provide cover if you are denied entry at the border. There’s been reported cases of tourists being denied entry on arrival and at times, strip searched and thrown in prison. It comes as the US maintains strict immigration rules with significant emphasis on border security and entry eligibility. "With tensions rising on American soil, Australians are rethinking holidays to the US at the moment," Ms. Megginson told news.com.au in June. "There’s growing sentiment among Australians that the potential issues that could arise when visiting the US are beginning to outweigh the appeal of visiting some of our favorite cities.

AP [7/19/2025 9:08 AM, Josh Funk, 1934K] reports travelers celebrated the suggestion that American airports might soon ease restrictions on liquids in carry-on bags that create endless hassles at security checkpoints, but more than a third of all airports around the country still haven’t upgraded their screening systems to reliably detect liquid explosives that could bring down a plane. It may be annoying to have to dump water and other drinks before going through security, but the challenge is to detect the difference between things like harmless hair gel and more sinister substances. The threat nearly materialized in an attack in 2006, when authorities in the United Kingdom arrested a group that was plotting to blow holes in airliners with a homemade mixture of chemicals in sports drink bottles. Security experts remain concerned about the vulnerabilities that were exposed by that plot. Comments this week by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem got travelers excited about the prospect of one day being able to fly with more than 3 ounces of their shampoos and gels and not having to throw out the beverage they just bought. "The liquids, I’m questioning. So that may be the next big announcement, is what size your liquids need to be," Noem said. "We have put in place in TSA a multilayered screening process that allows us to change some of how we do security and screening so it’s still as safe.". A Transportation Security Administration spokesperson said Noem and the agency "are constantly looking for ways to enhance security, and improve the travel experience for the public.". Any changes will come through the same official channels that TSA used to announce this month that travelers can keep their shoes on at checkpoints. That change offers relief from a rule adopted after "shoe bomber" Richard Reid’s failed attempt to take down a flight from Paris to Miami in late 2001 with a small explosive device hidden in his footwear. The limits on liquids were triggered by the 2006 U.K. arrests. Three ringleaders were eventually convicted. Prosecutors told the jury in that case that authorities uncovered the plot after secretly searching the luggage of a man who was on their radar for security concerns after he returned from Pakistan and found the unusual combination of the Tang powdered soft drink and a large number of batteries, according to the BBC. That triggered the surveillance operation that eventually grew to include more than 200 officers. Agents discovered what appeared to be a bomb factory in a London apartment where odd devices were being constructed out of drink bottles. The plot didn’t make sense until authorities discovered that the men were researching flight timetables and realized they were only trying to make an explosive big enough to rip a hole in a plane. The meaning of coded emails to contacts in Pakistan only became clear after the arrests, when authorities realized that the quantities of Calvin Klein aftershave being discussed in messages matched the amount of hydrogen peroxide the conspirators had purchased. Ever since then, the TSA and authorities in other countries have limited carry-on liquids and gels to 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) because officials believe that amount is too small to create an explosion capable of taking down a plane. The restriction covered all types of liquids, because X-ray machines at checkpoints couldn’t differentiate between explosive and harmless ones. The United Kingdom was planning to ease its restrictions last year to allow people to carry up to 2 liters (about half a gallon) of liquid, but that was delayed because several major airports still didn’t have the new scanners that use computed tomography, commonly known as a CT scan, to produce clearer images. The new machines allow screeners to switch between two-dimensional and three-dimensional images and turn them to see what may be lurking, said Johnny Jones, secretary treasurer of the chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees that represents TSA workers.

Washington Examiner [7/19/2025 2:43 PM, Chris Woodward, 1934K] reports U.S. senators from Arizona and Nevada have introduced legislation declaring extreme heat a major disaster. The Extreme Heat Emergency Act from Sens. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, and Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, would "explicitly authorize extreme heat as eligible for a Major Disaster Declaration" by the president of the United States under the Stafford Act, a 1980s law relating to weather events. In a press release, Gallego said "extreme heat kills more Americans" annually than every other form of extreme weather combined. "But still, the federal government sits on the sidelines, leaving state and local governments to drain their funds trying to keep people safe," said Gallego. "By adding extreme heat to FEMA’s list of major disasters, we can unlock the funds and support our communities desperately need," he said, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

USA Today [7/19/2025 4:09 PM, Eduardo Cuevas, 75552K] reports the National Hurricane Center is watching some disorganized showers and thunderstorms east of the Caribbean that have slight odds of forming into a tropical cyclone, a July 19 outlook says. A tropical wave is interacting with a broad low pressure area to produce the showers and thunderstorms in the open Atlantic Ocean, more than 900 miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, off of Africa, forecasters said. "Environmental conditions appear marginally conducive for gradual development of this system during the next few days as it moves westward to north-westward around 10 mph," the center, part of the National Weather Service, said in an update. By the middle of next week, conditions are expected to become unfavorable for the system to develop, forecasters said. AccuWeather said the pattern is expected to be met with wind shear approaching the Caribbean Sea, which could limit the system from intensifying.

ABC News [7/19/2025 7:03 PM, Nadine El-Bawab and Shawnie Caslin Martucci, 31733K] reports around 11 million Americans are under flood alerts Saturday evening as a "ring of fire" weather pattern continues to impact the eastern two-thirds of the country through the weekend. A flash flood emergency was issued near the Washington, D.C., area, including suburban Maryland, such as Chevy Chase and Silver Spring until 9 p.m. ET. The National Weather Service called it a "particularly dangerous situation" and said flash flooding was already occurring. Between 3 to 5 inches of rain has already fallen, but additional rainfall amounts between 1 to 2 inches were possible. Meanwhile, a flood watch was issued for Washington, D.C., until 10 p.m. ET. Overall, locally heavy downpours associated with showers and thunderstorms will continue to raise concerns in regard to flash flooding. Plenty of atmospheric moisture and already saturated grounds will only increase the likelihood of flooding and will exacerbate flooding that is ongoing. Flood watches also remain in effect across portions of Iowa, western Illinois, and northeastern Missouri through Sunday, and for portions of Virginia, and northeastern North Carolina through Saturday night. Areas under a flood watch could see between 2 to 4 inches of rain. A number of Flash Flood Warnings are also in effect across portions of southern Illinois, southern Indiana and northern Kentucky, where heavy rain from thunderstorms moved through. Much of the heavy rainfall and flooding will be localized -- not everywhere will be impacted. However, the potential for heavy rainfall stretches across a good portion of the eastern U.S., which remains under a slight risk for excessive rainfall through tonight. Between 1 to 3 inches are possible depending on where storms track, but locally higher amounts are possible in some spots. Portions of western and central Kentucky, southern Indiana and southeastern Illinois have been elevated to a moderate risk -- level 3 of 4 -- for excessive rainfall through Saturday evening. Rainfall totals between 3 to 5 inches are possible, with rainfall rates potentially reaching 2 to 3 inches per hour. Though not a formal meteorological term, a "ring of fire" is an area of high pressure, which typically is a heat dome. Around the periphery of the heat dome, thunderstorms can develop, which is where the name comes from. High pressure centered over the Southeast will keep dangerously hot and humid conditions in that region, but strong to severe storms along the perimeter of the high will remain possible across portions of the Plains, Midwest and even across portions of the East Coast. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Times [7/19/2025 11:01 PM, Hannah Ziegler, 153395K] reports torrential rain in parts of the Washington, D.C., area on Saturday led to flash flooding and prompted water rescues in Maryland and Virginia, the authorities said. More than five inches of rain fell in some densely populated Washington suburbs like Silver Spring on Saturday. Several major roads in Montgomery, Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties in Maryland, as well as in Fairfax County in Virginia, were impassable on Saturday evening. In northwest Washington, D.C., parked cars were inundated with floodwaters. Emergency crews across Montgomery County rescued dozens of people on Saturday, including from cars stranded in several feet of water, after receiving dozens of calls, said Pete Piringer, a spokesman for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Flood sensors indicated that Sligo Creek, which runs through Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland and parts of Washington, rose 10 feet in 30 minutes on Saturday evening, Mr. Piringer said.

Reported similarly:
Washington Post [7/19/2025 11:31 PM, Martin Weil, 32099K]

AP [7/19/2025 5:06 PM, Travis Loller and Jonathan Mattise, 875K] reports the owner of a factory where six workers died last year in flooding from Hurricane Helene won’t face charges after a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation found no criminal wrongdoing. First Judicial District Attorney General Steven Finney announced the decision to close the case on Friday, saying no further action will be taken. The investigation found no evidence that Impact Plastics employees were told they could not leave the factory or that they would be fired if they left, according to a news release from the district attorney. It also found employees had a little more than an hour during which they could have evacuated from the Erwin, Tennessee, industrial park. The conclusion mirrors that of a similar investigation by the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration that found in April that workers had time to evacuate the premises, albeit by makeshift routes. A statement from Impact Plastics attorney Stephen Ross Johnson on Friday said company president and founder Gerald O’Connor welcomes the results of the TBI investigation. “The true and accurate facts are now known,” the statement reads. Five employees and one contractor who cleaned the offices once a week were killed on Sept. 27 after they were washed away by floodwaters. They were among 12 people who stuck close to the Impact Plastics building, waiting for the water to recede, after realizing the exit road was already submerged. When the water kept rising, they climbed onto the bed of a semitrailer loaded with giant spools of plastic piping that was parked outside the factory. When floodwaters eventually overwhelmed the truck, six people were able to use the piping for flotation and were later rescued. The other six drowned. The TOSHA report notes that several Impact Plastics employees did escape the flood. Some were able to drive or walk over an embankment to a nearby highway after workers at a neighboring business dismantled a fence there. Others escaped by driving over a makeshift path onto nearby railroad tracks that an employee at a neighboring business created with a tractor. Still others were able to escape by walking to the railroad tracks, according to that report. Although the criminal case is being closed, the company still faces a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of Johnny Peterson, and other civil suits are planned. Attorney Luke Widener, who represents the families of several flood victims, said in a statement that they “categorically disagree that Impact Plastics employees were given any meaningful opportunity to escape. ...Indeed, if Impact Plastics’ account were true, Bertha Mendoza, Sibrina Barnett, and the others who perished would still be with us.”

CBS Miami [7/19/2025 4:49 PM, Hunter Geisel, 51860K] reports the cybersecurity director of a prominent South Florida public health network is facing "abhorrent" accusations after he was allegedly found possessing thousands of computer files containing child porn. Arrest documents obtained by CBS News Miami revealed that 41-year-old Kevin Kull was arrested Friday and charged with 10 counts of possessing child pornography and one count of computer pornography after someone at his home found several devices containing "child erotica" earlier this month. According to a records search, Kull was the director of cybersecurity for Broward Health. In a statement from the public health network, a Broward Health spokesperson said it is "aware of and appalled by the allegations made against Mr. Kull," and immediately suspended him from his role and is fully cooperating with the investigation.

CBS News [7/19/2025 8:42 AM, Staff, 51860K] reports the search for victims of deadly flooding in Texas Hill Country is headed into its third week as officials try to pin down exactly how many people remain missing and lawmakers prepare to discuss authorities’ initial response and providing better warning systems. Flash floods killed at least 135 people in Texas over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, with most deaths along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, about 60 miles northwest of San Antonio. The Hill Country is naturally prone to flash flooding because its dry, dirt-packed soil cannot soak up heavy rain. State officials had been saying about 160 people were unaccounted for after the flooding in Kerr County alone, but they now say about 100 remain missing in Kerr and other counties. State, federal and international resources were poured into rescue efforts, which were hindered by more rain in mid-July. Kerr County officials said the number of missing people decreased as victims were recovered, contact was made with people who were found safe, and some reports were found to be unsubstantiated or falsified. Also, they said, the missing list fluctuates as reports come into a hotline. The House and Senate have formed special committees on flooding and disaster preparedness, and they’re planning a July 31 visit to Kerrville, the seat of hardest-hit Kerr County, to hear comments from residents. One bill already introduced by Republican Rep. Don McLaughlin would require the state’s top public health official to set building standards for youth camps in 100-year floodplains — which FEMA defines as a high-risk area with a 1% chance of flooding in any given year.

Houston Chronicle [7/19/2025 5:00 PM, Tanya Babbar, 1982K] reports Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has asked President Donald Trump to add two counties to his Major Disaster Declaration, which as of this week included 26 counties, in the wake of catastrophic Hill Country flooding. Abbott announced Friday that the state would seek to have Hamilton and Travis counties added to the disaster declaration. The flooding on July 4 in Kerr County has killed 107 people, with 97 missing as of Monday, county officials said. Statewide, the death toll stands at 135. "Texas continues working to help every community rebuild and recover from these devastating and deadly floods," Abbott said in a statement. Abbott said damage assessments in the two counties showed they "exceed federal criteria" for FEMA’s Public Assistance program, Abbott said. Assistance for emergency work and repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities are part of the FEMA program.

AP [7/20/2025 12:06 AM, Staff, 56000K] reports Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs toured the destruction left by a wildfire along the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, on Saturday, surveying what she described as devastating damage. The governor, who has called for an investigation into how the blaze was handled, sought to gather information ahead of meetings with federal officials next week, looked intently out the window as the Black Hawk helicopter she was riding snaked over the Grand Canyon. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Times [7/19/2025 3:50 PM, Amy Graff, 153395K] reports the Cram fire in central Oregon, which is threatening 653 structures, most of them homes, has grown to 95,631 acres, making it the largest wildfire of the year so far in the United States. The blaze expanded in recent days, growing from more than 20,000 acres on Wednesday, amid blustery weather and low humidity. Moister air and calmer winds are expected to blunt some of the fire’s growth over the weekend. “Right now, we’re looking really good,” Gert Zoutendijk, a spokesman for the Oregon State Fire Marshal Services, said on Saturday morning. “The fire has slowed down tremendously. It’s the first morning that we’re not seeing a huge plume of smoke.” The Cram fire started on Sunday near Willowdale, Ore., which is about 135 miles southeast of Portland. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Washington Examiner [7/19/2025 3:26 PM, Jamie Parsons, 1934K] reports areas in California remain in flames as the state undergoes the peak of wildfire season. The Green Fire in Shasta County has burned 17,606 acres and is 27% contained as of Friday afternoon, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The fire started July 1 and continues to progress southward along the eastern plank, inching closer to the Pit River. Fire crews are working to make sure the fire stays north of the Pit River and plan to focus on the southern area of the fire on Friday, InciWeb said in a Friday report. Weather in the Green Fire area was predicted to be slightly warmer and drier Friday, with temperatures in the mid to upper 90s and humidity ranging between 18% to 23%, according to InciWeb. By the mid-afternoon, winds were expected to push smoke northward creating visibility in the southern area of the fire and limited visibility in the northern area. The Orleans Complex Fire has grown to 11,759 acres and is 2% contained as of Friday afternoon, according to an update that the U.S. Department of Agriculture shared with The Center Square. The fire consists of two blazez: the Butler Fire and the Red Fire. Flames have spread into Del Norte and Siskiyou counties. The Butler Fire has burned 11,643 acres and has 2% containment. The Red Fire has burned 116 acres and is 95% contained. The Butler Fire "spotted over" the Salmon River into the Boyd Gulch area Thursday, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "Spotting over" means new fires ignited ahead of the main burning area. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said firefighters’ priorities for Friday was to gain control of the Boyd Gulch spot fire, focus on protecting the structures in the nearby areas and set up control lines west of the Salmon River south of the main fire. The weather Friday was expected to increase activity on the fire line due to winds coming from the west with occasional gusts up to 20 mph, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. The weather in the Butler area in the next several days is expected to increase fire danger because the temperatures will be high, causing fire fuel to remain dry and susceptible to spotting. The Dale Fire, which started on Wednesday in Riverside County, has charred 1,096 acres and is 34% contained as of Friday afternoon, according to Cal Fire. Cal Fire said the incoming weather system — the movement of cold and warm air — did not bring any precipitation to the area of the fire on Friday. Crews are working on tackling hot spots along the edge of the fire. As of Friday, 766 personnel, 16 water tenders, 24 fire crews and other resources have been assigned to the Dale Fire. Evacuation orders and warnings remain in place. The Madre Fire, California’s largest wildfire this year, has burned 80,779 acres and is 97% contained, according to a Cal Fire incident report filed Friday morning. The Madre Fire started on July 2, burning near State Route 166 in the area between the border of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. The burning has primarily taken place on federal land located in San Luis Obispo County: Los Padres National Forest and Bureau of Land Management parcels.

Reuters [7/20/2025 4:28 AM, Staff, 51390K] reports a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck near the coast of the Kamchatka region in the far east of Russia on Sunday, earthquake monitoring agencies said, with Russian emergency services watching for possible tsunami waves in the region. The earthquake struck off the east coast of Kamchatka at a depth of 10 km, shortly after a previous quake, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) data. The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) showed the earthquake to be of 7.4 magnitude. GFZ also updated the quake to a 7.4 magnitude after first reporting it at 6.7 magnitude. The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center cancelled a tsunami watch for the state of Hawaii. ABC News [7/20/2025 4:38 AM, Kevin Shalvey and Somayeh Malekian, 31733K] reports residents of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula were warned of potential tsunami waves as a series of earthquakes, including a 7.4 magnitude one, struck off the Russian coast, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The first was a 7.0 magnitude quake in the sea about 142 km east of the city, USGS said, citing preliminary data. Within moments, a 6.7 magnitude quake struck some 130 km east of the city, followed by a series of quakes with magnitudes initially measured at 7.4, 6.7 and 6.6, according to USGS. Several lesser earthquakes followed in the same area. Smaller tsunami waves were possible in Hawaii, Japan and the Midway Atoll, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System said. State and city officials in Hawaii issued tsunami watches, which were later canceled, according to the NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

San Francisco Chronicle [7/19/2025 12:11 PM, Warren Pederson, 4120K] reports three firefighters were injured by a falling tree while battling the Butler Fire in Siskiyou County, the U.S. Forest Service said. The firefighters were taken to Redding for medical care after the tree fell around 2:15 p.m. Friday, the forest service said. A forest service spokesperson said she expects to have an update on their condition Monday. The Butler Fire, which began near the Salmon River on July 3, has forced evacuations in the Six Rivers and Klamath national forests. The wildfire is part of the Orleans Complex, which also includes the Red Fire burning since July 6 in Del Norte County. The Orleans Complex grew to more than 14,000 acres and was 2% contained Saturday. The cause is under investigation.

FOX News [7/20/2025 6:00 AM, Kurt Knutsson, 46878K] reports as you scroll through X (formerly Twitter), you might come across Elmo, the lovable red monster cherished by children and parents, sharing cheerful, family-friendly content. However, recently, the official Elmo account had suddenly posted hate speech, racist slurs and political attacks. This shocking breach transformed a beloved feed into a source of confusion and pain. Sesame Workshop, the team behind Elmo, acted swiftly to remove the offensive posts, but for millions of fans, the damage had already been done. This was far more than a typical hack. It represented the digital defacement of one of the world’s most trusted childhood icons. This incident underscores that in today’s cyber landscape, no account, not even the most seemingly secure one, is immune to attackers. For years, Elmo’s online voice was synonymous with joy and support. With a single breach, that reputation was battered, as followers questioned how such ugliness could appear from a character so trusted. Brand reputation, built over decades, was compromised in minutes. As Sesame Workshop stated in response, "Elmo’s X account was briefly hacked by an outside party in spite of the security measures in place. We strongly condemn the abhorrent antisemitic and racist content, and the account has since been secured. These posts in no way reflect the values of Sesame Workshop or Sesame Street, and no one at the organization was involved." This incident underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures, especially when trusted brands serve as platforms for millions worldwide.

NewsMax [7/19/2025 2:35 PM, Jim Thomas, 4622K] reports retired U.S. special operations veterans living in Florida have been warned of a credible terrorist threat, following a rare alert issued by the U.S. Army Special Operations Command urging vigilance among those who served in Iraq and Syria, The Daily Mail reported. A rare warning from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) has alerted retired special forces veterans living in Florida that they may be the targets of a terrorist threat. The alert, which has been circulated on social media, was quietly shared with former senior military personnel who served in Iraq and Syria and have since settled in the Sunshine State. While the warning did not name a specific group or country of origin, military officials deemed the threat serious enough to issue a formal "duty to warn" notification.

New York Times [7/19/2025 6:32 AM, Rebecca Fairley Raney, Rick Rojas and Alyce McFadden, 138952K] reports a man who had been thrown out of a Los Angeles nightclub and music venue intentionally plowed his car into a crowd outside on Saturday, injuring at least 30 people, including seven critically, the authorities said. Officials said the driver, Fernando Ramirez, veered onto the sidewalk at about 2 a.m. near the intersection of North Vermont Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard in the East Hollywood neighborhood. The crowd had come from a night of D.J.s playing reggaeton and hip-hop that had just ended at the Vermont Hollywood, the performance venue and club. Mr. Ramirez was charged Saturday with one count of assault with a deadly weapon, according to Officer Rosario Cervantes, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department. The vehicle struck a taco cart and “then ultimately ran into a large number of people who were outside a club in East Hollywood,” Capt. Adam VanGerpen, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department, told reporters at the scene on Saturday morning. People in the crowd pulled the driver from the car and security guards outside the venue tried to detain him, said Officer Cervantes. But the crowd surrounded Mr. Ramirez and was beating him when police officers arrived, the authorities said. As he was being treated, emergency workers discovered a gunshot wound. He had been shot in the buttocks after he was pulled from the car, the police said, and he underwent surgery at a hospital. His condition is unclear. Officials said that Mr. Ramirez, 29, had been booted from the club earlier in the night for being disruptive and fighting with patrons. The police were still searching for the man who shot Mr. Ramirez. In all, 23 people were taken to hospitals in the area. Video apparently recorded by bystanders shows a man being dragged from the driver’s seat of the car and pummeled by people in the crowd, as well as bloodied women lying on the pavement and being carried away. Later footage captured firefighters treating injured people on tarps on Vermont Avenue, and a small gray car with its front end mangled outside the doors of the venue. The sidewalk was littered with debris, including a pair of sneakers left in front of where the car had stopped. Ryan Smith, who lives in an apartment across the street from the club, watched a chaotic and confusing scene from his balcony in the immediate aftermath of the crash. He saw a crowd on the sidewalk outside the club’s front doors. “I thought a bunch of people were fighting,” said Mr. Smith, 34. Soon, helicopters hovered overhead and the police came swarming in, he said. The club is about a dozen blocks off the 101 freeway, near downtown, surrounded by neighborhoods that have been transformed by gentrification over the past two decades, including Silver Lake and Los Feliz.

CNN [7/20/2025 4:48 AM, Rebekah Riess, John Miller, Julia Vargas Jones, 875K] reports at least 30 people were injured – seven of them critically – when a vehicle drove into a crowd waiting in line outside an East Hollywood nightclub early Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Los Angeles Police Department Captain Ben Fernandes told The Los Angeles Times the driver was kicked out of The Vermont Hollywood for being disruptive before the incident. “From review of the video he went up to the sidewalk further down and when he hit bystanders it was an intentional act,” Fernandes told the LA Times. “He was pulled from the car, handcuffed by security and then beaten by bystanders before being shot in the back by an individual from across the street.” The driver has been identified as 29-year-old Fernando Ramirez, according to the LAPD. Ramirez was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon but a motive has not yet been identified, an LAPD spokesperson told CNN, clarifying the suspect was “shot in the buttocks” in the aftermath of the crash. Arriving firefighters found a vehicle had driven through a large number of people in front of The Vermont Hollywood music venue. “They drove through a taco stand, through the valet podium, and then through the crowd of people that were waiting to go inside,” said Capt. Adam VanGerpen, public information officer for the Los Angeles City Fire Department. “It was a very chaotic scene,” VanGerpen said. Once the car came to a stop, the driver of the vehicle was pulled out and physically assaulted by bystanders, according to Jeff Lee, public information officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. During the altercation, one of the bystanders shot the driver, Lee said. Police believe the driver was intoxicated, a law enforcement official briefed on the situation previously told CNN. There is no indication beyond the impaired state of the driver that there was any other criminal intent or connection to terrorism, the official said at the time. Seven victims were transported in critical condition, six in serious condition, and 10 in fair condition, the LAFD said. Seven patients refused transport after being assessed on scene, according to the department. The victims included 18 women and 12 men in their mid-20s to early 30s, according to Lillian Carranza, a commander with the LAPD. Patients with broken bones and soft tissue injuries were transported to the appropriate trauma centers and surrounding hospitals, VanGerpen said, noting that one victim also had a gunshot wound. The Vermont Hollywood club released a statement on social media later Saturday. “We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred early Saturday morning outside our venue,” the statement said, adding, “Our thoughts and heartfelt prayers are with the victims and their families during this difficult time.” The club said its staff is cooperating with law enforcement’s investigation.

FOX Business [7/19/2025 6:42 PM, Brie Stimson, 9940K] reports the U.S. Department of Transportation on Saturday said the Trump administration planned to take several actions against Mexico over airline competition issues. "U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced a slate of America First actions to combat Mexico’s blatant disregard of the 2015 U.S.-Mexico Air Transport Agreement and its ongoing anti-competitive behavior," a news release from the U.S. Department of Transportation said. The department said Mexico hasn’t been in compliance with the bilateral agreement since 2022, when it rescinded some flight slots for U.S. carriers at Mexico City’s international airport and forced U.S. cargo carriers to relocate operations within the city. While the department said Mexico claimed the slots were taken away to allow for construction at the airport, "that has yet to materialize three years later. By restricting slots and mandating that all-cargo operations move out of [Mexico City International Airport], Mexico has broken its promise, disrupted the market and left American businesses holding the bag for millions in increased costs.". The three actions will include requiring airlines out of Mexico to file schedules with the U.S. Transportation Department for all U.S. operations, requiring department approval before operating large passenger or cargo charter flights to or from the U.S. and the department might withdraw antitrust immunity from the Delta Air Lines joint venture with Aeromexico to address competitive issues in the market. Duffy, recently tapped by Trump to also serve as interim NASA chief, blamed former President Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary under Biden, for allowing "Mexico to break our bilateral aviation agreement.". "That ends today," Duffy added. "Let these actions serve as a warning to any country who thinks it can take advantage of the U.S., our carriers and our market. America First means fighting for the fundamental principle of fairness.". Duffy said the administration was also looking at other countries that disregard air transport agreements. "For example, we are monitoring European states to ensure that they apply the balanced approach process for noise abatement at their airports and do not implement unjustified operational restrictions," the department said. "The department is committed to enforcing our agreements to ensure that aviation markets are fair and pro-competitive." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Times [7/19/2025 11:30 AM, Euan Ward, 153395K] reports the Syrian government announced a cease-fire deal on Saturday and said it would redeploy its forces to the restive southern province of Sweida in a new effort to quell a deadly wave of sectarian violence that drew in neighboring Israel. “The Syrian state has managed to calm the situation despite difficult circumstances,” President Ahmed al-Shara said in a televised address on Saturday, describing the recent bloodshed as a “dangerous turning point” for his nation. “The Israeli intervention has pushed the country into a dangerous phase that poses a threat to its stability,” he added. Hours earlier, the U.S. special envoy to Syria, Thomas J. Barrack Jr., said that Israel and Syria had agreed to a truce that he described as a “breakthrough.” Mr. Barrack called on Syrian armed groups — including Bedouin fighters and minority Druse at the center of the recent clashes — to lay down their weapons. It was not immediately clear how the new truce differed from a cease-fire in Sweida that the Syrian authorities announced on Wednesday. That day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington had worked with all parties involved and had “agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight.” Soon after those comments, the Syrian state news agency, SANA, reported that government forces had begun withdrawing from Sweida under the truce agreement. That appeared to end the worst of the violence, though clashes have continued sporadically in some areas. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the cease-fire was violated on Saturday by armed groups from outside Sweida attacking the Druse-majority city.

Reuters [7/20/2025 3:36 AM, Staff, 51390K] reports China’s exports of rare earth magnets to the United States in June soared to more than seven times their May level, marking a sharp recovery in the flow of critical minerals used in electric vehicles and wind turbines after a Sino-U.S. trade deal. Outbound shipments to the United States from the world’s largest producer of rare earth magnets surged to 353 metric tons in June, up 660% from May, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Sunday. That came after pacts reached in June to resolve issues around shipments of rare earth minerals and magnets to the United States. Chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA.O) plans to resume sales of its H20 AI chips to China as part of the agreement. China, which provides more than 90% of the global supply of rare earth magnets, decided in early April to add several rare earth items to its export restriction list in retaliation for U.S. tariffs. The subsequent sharp fall in shipments in April and May, due to the lengthy time required to secure export licences, had upset the global supply chain, forcing some automakers outside China to halt partial production due to a rare earths shortage. Shipments of magnets are likely to recover further in July as more exporters obtained licences in June, analysts said.

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