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.

The AP [7/6/2025 11:30 PM, Jim Vertuno, John Seewer and Julio Cortez, 56000K] reports families sifted through waterlogged debris Sunday and stepped inside empty cabins at Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp ripped apart by flash floods that washed homes off their foundations and killed at least 82 people in central Texas. Rescuers maneuvering through challenging terrain, high waters and snakes including water moccasins continued their desperate search for the missing, including 10 girls and a counselor from the camp. For the first time since the storms began pounding Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott said there were 41 people confirmed to be unaccounted for across the state and more could be missing. In Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic and other youth camps in the Texas Hill Country, searchers have found the bodies of 68 people, including 28 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said in the afternoon. He pledged to keep searching until “everybody is found” from Friday’s flash floods. Ten other deaths were reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, according to local officials. The death toll is certain to rise over the next few days, said Col. Freeman Martin of the Texas Department of Public Safety. The governor warned that additional rounds of heavy rains lasting into Tuesday could produce more life-threatening flooding, especially in places already saturated. As he spoke at a news conference in Austin, emergency alerts lit up mobile phones in Kerr County that warned of “High confidence of river flooding” and a loudspeaker near Camp Mystic urged people to leave. Minutes later, however, authorities on the scene said there was no risk. Families were allowed to look around the camp beginning Sunday morning. One girl walked out of a building carrying a large bell. A man, who said his daughter was rescued from a cabin on the highest point in the camp, walked a riverbank, looking in clumps of trees and under big rocks. A woman and a teenage girl, both wearing rubber waders, briefly went inside one of the cabins, which stood next to a pile of soaked mattresses, a storage trunk and clothes. At one point, the pair doubled over, sobbing before they embraced. One family left with a blue footlocker. A teenage girl had tears running down her face looking out the open window, gazing at the wreckage as they slowly drove away. While the families saw the devastation for the first time, nearby crews operating heavy equipment pulled tree trunks and tangled branches from the water as they searched the river. With each passing hour, the outlook of finding more survivors became even more bleak. Volunteers and some families of the missing who drove to the disaster zone searched the riverbanks despite being asked not to do so. Authorities faced growing questions about whether enough warnings were issued in an area long vulnerable to flooding and whether enough preparations were made. President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration Sunday for Kerr County, activating the Federal Emergency Management Agency to Texas. The president said he would likely visit Friday. “I would have done it today, but we’d just be in their way,” he told reporters before boarding Air Force One back to Washington after spending the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. “It’s a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible.” The destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the river in only 45 minutes before daybreak Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as flash flood watches remained in effect and more rain fell in central Texas on Sunday. Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue people stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads. Officials said more than 850 people were rescued in the first 36 hours. Gov. Greg Abbott vowed that authorities will work around the clock and said new areas were being searched as the water receded. He declared Sunday a day of prayer for the state. “I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines,” he said in a statement. In Rome, Pope Leo XIV offered special prayers for those touched by the disaster. History’s first American pope spoke in English at the end of his Sunday noon blessing, “I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were in summer camp, in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them.” The hills along the Guadalupe River are dotted with century-old youth camps and campgrounds where generations of families have come to swim and enjoy the outdoors. The area is especially popular around the Independence Day holiday, making it more difficult to know how many are missing. Survivors shared terrifying stories of being swept away and clinging to trees as rampaging floodwaters carried trees and cars past them. Others fled to attics inside their homes, praying the water wouldn’t reach them. At Camp Mystic, a cabin full of girls held onto a rope strung by rescuers as they walked across a bridge with water whipping around their legs. Among those confirmed dead were an 8-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was at Camp Mystic, and the director of another camp up the road. Two school-age sisters from Dallas were missing after their cabin was swept away. Their parents were staying in a different cabin and were safe, but the girls’ grandparents were unaccounted for. Locals know the Hill Country as “flash flood alley” but the flooding in the middle of the night caught many campers and residents by surprise even though there were warnings. The National Weather Service on Thursday advised of potential flooding and then sent out a series of flash flood warnings in the early hours of Friday before issuing flash flood emergencies — a rare alert notifying of imminent danger. At the Mo-Ranch Camp in the community of Hunt, officials had been monitoring the weather and opted to move several hundred campers and attendees at a church youth conference to higher ground. At nearby Camps Rio Vista and Sierra Vista, organizers also had mentioned on social media that they were watching the weather the day before ending their second summer session Thursday. Authorities and elected officials have said they did not expect such an intense downpour, the equivalent of months’ worth of rain for the area. Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said authorities are committed to a full review of the emergency response, including how the public was alerted to the storm threat. NewsMax [7/6/2025 10:27 PM, Staff, 4622K] reports President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration Sunday for Kerr County, activating the Federal Emergency Management Agency to Texas. The president said he would likely visit Friday. "I would have done it today, but we’d just be in their way," he told reporters before boarding Air Force One back to Washington after spending the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. "It’s a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible.” Trump, asked whether he was still planning to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said that was something "we can talk about later, but right now we are busy working." He has previously said he wants to overhaul if not completely eliminate FEMA and has been sharply critical of its performance. Trump also was asked whether he planned to rehire any of the federal meteorologists who were fired this year as part of widespread government spending reductions. "I would think not. This was a thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it. Nobody saw it. Very talented people there, and they didn’t see it," the president said. Reuters [7/7/2025 2:03 AM, Sergio Flores, Rich McKay and Tim Reid, 51390K] reports that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was activated on Sunday and is deploying resources to first responders in Texas after Trump issued a major disaster declaration, the Department of Homeland Security said. U.S. Coast Guard helicopters and planes were aiding search and rescue efforts. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees FEMA and NOAA, said a "moderate" flood watch issued on Thursday by the National Weather Service had not accurately predicted the extreme rainfall and said the Trump administration was working to upgrade the system. The AP [7/6/2025 7:12 PM, Staff, 56000K] reports Friday’s flash floods started with a particularly bad storm that dropped most of its 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain in the dark early morning hours. After a flood watch notice midday Thursday, the National Weather Service office issued an urgent warning around 4 a.m. that raised the potential of catastrophic damage and a severe threat to human life. By at least 5:20 a.m., some in the Kerrville City area say water levels were getting alarmingly high. The massive rain flowing down hills sent rushing water into the Guadalupe River, causing it to rise 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [7/7/2025 3:43 AM, Yan Zhuang and Pooja Salhotra, 138952K]
ABC News [7/6/2025 5:26 PM, Staff, 31733K]
Washington Examiner [7/6/2025 9:31 AM, Annabella Rosciglione, 1934K]

Daily Wire [7/6/2025 3:55 PM, Tim Pearce, 3816K] reports President Donald Trump plans to visit Texas to personally inspect flood damage and meet with local officials and others. Talking to reporters on Sunday, the president said that he had not yet made firm plans for the trip to the Lone Star State, but expected that "probably Friday" would be the day. "We wanted to leave a little time. I would’ve done it today, but we’d just be in their way," the president said. Trump pledged continued federal assistance for those affected by the flooding, as well. "We’ll continue to be there. And we’re working very closely with representatives from Texas, and it’s a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible," Trump said. "So we say, God bless all of the people that have gone through so much, and God bless, God bless the state of Texas.” The president was noncommittal on assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which took heavy criticism in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene last year. The hurricane wrought catastrophic damage in North Carolina in September, and the FEMA response was mired in controversy over accusations that federal officials complicated and slowed the emergency response. "FEMA is something we can talk about later, but right now, they’re busy working, so we’ll leave it at that," Trump said. By Sunday afternoon, the death toll from the Texas flooding had reached at least 80. The majority of those fatalities – 68 – have come from Kerr County in Central Texas. Of those killed in Kerr, 40 are adults and 28 are children, according to local authorities. The flash flooding caught many by surprise when the Guadalupe River in Texas surged 26 feet in roughly three-quarters of an hour. The surge hit Kerr in early morning during one of the most popular camping weekends of the year. Many staying along the river on Friday did not realize the danger bearing down until the water was already high. Trump issued a disaster declaration for Kerr County on Sunday as more flooding is expected to hit the already beleaguered region. "I just signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County, Texas, to ensure that our Brave First Responders immediately have the resources they need. These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing," Trump posted on Truth Social. "The Trump Administration continues to work closely with State and Local Leaders. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was on the ground yesterday with Governor Greg Abbott, who is working hard to help the people of his Great State. Our incredible U.S. Coast Guard, together with State First Responders, have saved more than 850 lives. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!".

Reported similarly:
ABC News [7/6/2025 6:07 PM, Lalee Ibssa and Hannah Demissie, 31733K]

AP [7/7/2025 12:06 AM, Jim Vertuno and John Seewer, 3077K] reports that, with more rain on the way, the risk of life-threatening flooding was still high in central Texas on Monday even as crews search urgently for the missing following a holiday weekend deluge that killed at least 82 people, including children at summer camps. Officials said the death toll was sure to rise. Residents of Kerr County began clearing mud and salvaging what they could from their demolished properties as they recounted harrowing escapes from rapidly rising floodwaters late Friday. Reagan Brown said his parents, in their 80s, managed to escape uphill as water inundated their home in the town of Hunt. When the couple learned that their 92-year-old neighbor was trapped in her attic, they went back and rescued her. “Then they were able to reach their toolshed up higher ground, and neighbors throughout the early morning began to show up at their toolshed, and they all rode it out together,” Brown said. A few miles away, rescuers maneuvering through challenging terrain filled with snakes continued their search for the missing, including 10 girls and a counselor from Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp that sustained massive damage. Gov. Greg Abbott said 41 people were unaccounted for across the state and more could be missing. In the Hill Country area, home to several summer camps, searchers have found the bodies of 68 people, including 28 children, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said. Ten other deaths were reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, according to local officials. The governor warned that additional rounds of heavy rains lasting into Tuesday could produce more dangerous flooding, especially in places already saturated. Families were allowed to look around the camp beginning Sunday morning. One girl walked out of a building carrying a large bell. A man whose daughter was rescued from a cabin on the highest point in the camp walked a riverbank, looking in clumps of trees and under big rocks. One family left with a blue footlocker. A teenage girl had tears running down her face as they slowly drove away and she gazed through the open window at the wreckage. Nearby crews operating heavy equipment pulled tree trunks and tangled branches from the river. With each passing hour, the outlook of finding more survivors became even more bleak. Volunteers and some families of the missing came to the disaster zone and searched despite being asked not to do so. Authorities faced growing questions about whether enough warnings were issued in an area long vulnerable to flooding and whether enough preparations were made. President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration Sunday for Kerr County and said he would likely visit Friday: “I would have done it today, but we’d just be in their way.” “It’s a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible,” he told reporters.

The Hill [7/6/2025 3:59 PM, Tara Suter, 18649K] reports President Trump said Sunday he has signed a disaster declaration for the recent deadly flooding in Texas. "I just signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County, Texas, to ensure that our Brave First Responders immediately have the resources they need," Trump said in a Truth Social post Sunday morning. "These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing. The Trump Administration continues to work closely with State and Local Leaders.” "Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was on the ground yesterday with Governor Greg Abbott, who is working hard to help the people of his Great State," the president added. "Our incredible U.S. Coast Guard, together with State First Responders, have saved more than 850 lives. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!". A significant portion of central Texas is facing a Flood Watch, Flash Flood Warning or Flood Warning, according to the National Weather Service. The Daily Wire [7/6/2025 8:26 AM, Virginia Kruta, 3816K] reports that Trump also sent a letter to Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) informing him that the disaster declaration had been issued, opening up federal resources to the areas in Texas who were impacted by the floods. Underneath the typed text of the letter — which detailed what federal funding would be made available and how it was to be distributed — the president included a handwritten note to Abbott, saying, "Our wonderful Sec. Kristy Noem is available at all times.” Telemundo20 [7/6/2025 2:19 PM, Sara Hummadi, 37K] reports that while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is working closely with Gov. Abbott, according to Trump. The two held a press conference on Saturday, discussing ongoing search efforts and the emergency response. In a post on X, Noem announced the deployment of federal emergency management resources in Texas. Soon after, FEMA officially activated. In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard continues to provide aid in Hill Country, flying helicopters and heat planes to assist in search and rescue efforts, Homeland Security said.

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [7/6/2025 2:08 PM, Amy Furr, 3077K]
Washington Examiner [7/6/2025 11:59 AM, Annabella Rosciglione, 1934K]

New York Times [7/6/2025 7:21 PM, Talya Minsberg, 138952K] reports they used helicopters and drones, arrived on horseback and in trucks, and searched from boats and golf carts. Sometimes, they muscled through brush and devastation on foot. Emergency responders, family members, bystanders and others have saved hundreds of people from the devastation of the flooding in Central Texas, holding onto hope as national crews extend their search-and-rescue operations into a third day. Many stories over the past 48 hours have been harrowing. A 22-year-old woman was rescued after clinging to a tree overnight. A young girl was found after floating on a mattress for hours. A mother and her 19-year-old son survived by clinging onto each other and a tree. A counselor at Camp Mystic helped evacuate her 14 young campers to safety. One man, Scott Ruskan, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, has been credited with saving 165 people. This was his first rescue operation, said Rachel Ault, a Coast Guard spokeswoman. There were 12 rescue helicopters, including ones from the National Guard and the Army, on site at Camp Mystic, the Christian summer camp for girls on the Guadalupe River that was devastated by flooding. Mr. Ruskan “was the main person on the scene triaging everyone,” Ms. Ault said. More than 850 people had been rescued as of Saturday night, and more than 1,700 people have been involved in the operations, officials said. Eleven girls from Camp Mystic remain unaccounted for. “We will be relentless in going after and assuring that we locate every single person who has been a victim of this flooding event,” Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas said on Saturday at a news conference. “We are not going to stop today or tomorrow. We will stop when the job is completed.”

CBS News [7/6/2025 7:13 PM, Lauren Bostwick and Jeff Ray, 51860K] reports there have been flooding issues in some of North Texas counties this Sunday. Flood warnings were issued for the southwest corner of Tarrant and western Johnson counties. The last areas under flood warnings were Comanche and southwest Erath counties. Over 3" inches of rain fell in spots in this flood-warned area, a testament to the deep tropical moisture in place overhead. Most of our southern counties were under a flood watch most of the day. By 5 p.m., rain had left our coverage area. We’ve had a remarkable start to July, the coolest start in 12 years. Almost all the days, including Sunday, logged below normal temperature. North Texas has logged at least a trace of rain every day. The last time that happened was in 2007, the wettest start to July on record. We’ve had rain, but not a lot of it. The total for the month at DFW is still below 1/10 of an inch.

The Daily Wire [7/6/2025 6:28 AM, Virginia Kruta, 3816K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shared the story of a Coast Guard rescue swimmer on Saturday, praising him for his efforts and crediting him with saving 165 victims of the devastating flash floods that tore through central Texas. Noem said in a post to X that Petty Officer Scott Ruskin was "directly responsible" for an incredible number of saves, and noted that Saturday was Ruskin’s first-ever rescue mission. "United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petty Officer Scott Ruskin, directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas," Noem posted. "This was the first rescue mission of his career and he was the only triage coordinator at the scene. Scott Ruskin is an American hero. His selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the @USCG.” United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petty Officer Scott Ruskin, directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas. This was the first rescue mission of his career and he was the only triage coordinator at the scene. Coast Guard rescue swimmers, formally known as Aviation Survival Technicians, are trained and must earn National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) certification in addition to intense physical training and water rescue techniques in a number of different scenarios. The grueling training lasts approximately one year and has one of the highest attrition rates in the United States military — nearly an 80% fail rate. The New York Post [7/6/2025 7:34 PM, Jennie Taer and Chris Nesi, 49956K] reports that, raised in Oxford, NJ, Ruskan enlisted in the US Coast Guard in 2021, and after completing basic training, went to Aviation Survival Technician school in Petaluma, Calif., before being stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas. He had been on call since November after completing all of his training, familiarizing himself with the Coast Guard’s iconic MH-65 helicopter and enrolling in additional rescue swimming classes as he waited to be called into action. That fateful call came on the Fourth of July as a massive summer rainstorm led to catastrophic flash flooding in the Lone Star State. FOX News [7/7/2025 3:35 AM, Christina Shaw, 46878K] reports that Ruskan said in an interview on "Fox and Friends" that they were in the air when they saw a huge crowd of about 200 kids at a campsite. That is how they decided to focus on Camp Mystic. "Yeah, as far as right now, we’ve been getting our tasks from higher above mostly from the Army as of right now. But a lot of it has just been large state triages, so we were at Mystic yesterday for a long period of time. We probably got about 200 people out of there alone, and it was just, yeah, we just saw a huge crowd, about 200 kids at a campsite. So, we’re like, cool that’s where we’re gonna go, and we’re just gonna get as many people out as we can until they’re all gone," Scott told "Fox and Friends.” Kerr County Sheriff’s Office says that as of 1:30pm Sunday they had recovered 68 deceased in Kerr County. "Among those who are deceased, we have 40 adults and 28 children. Eighteen adults are pending identification, and 10 children also pending identification. At present, there are 10 Camp Mystic campers unaccounted for, along with one counselor," they posted to Facebook. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, they said, and there is a full response from local, state, and national first responders. "We continue to have hundreds of officers, deputies, and support staff working every aspect of this emergency, along with air, water, K9, and other assets conducting search and rescue," the sheriff’s office said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CBS News [7/6/2025 8:21 AM, Staff, 51860K] reports officials have conducted more than 160 air rescues, Leitha said in an earlier update. In total, 850 uninjured and eight injured people have been rescued as of Saturday, July 5.

ABC News [7/6/2025 4:39 PM, Staff, 31733K] Video: HERE reports the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been activated in Texas, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

CNN [7/7/2025 2:00 AM, Renée Rigdon, Angela Fritz, 21433K] reports the waterways in Texas Hill Country have carved paths over the centuries through the granite and limestone, shaping the rocky peaks and valleys that make the region so breathtaking. When too much rain falls for the ground to absorb, it runs downhill, pulled by gravity into streams, creeks and rivers. The rain fills the waterways beyond their banks, and the excess overflows in predictable patterns that follow the terrain. Governments and waterway managers know what will flood first and who will be threatened when a truly historic rain event takes place. Several of the camps along the Guadalupe River and its tributaries sustained damage early July 4. Many of them are in areas known to flood. The Federal Emergency Management Agency maintains a database of flood zones throughout the country. It maps the regulatory floodways — the places that will flood first and are most dangerous — and the areas that will flood in extreme events. The Guadalupe River flood was a 1-in-100-year event, meaning it has about a 1% chance of happening in any given year. Extreme flooding is happening more frequently as the world warms and the atmosphere is able to hold more moisture. Texas has already seen multiple dangerous flooding events this year, and the United States overall saw a record number of flash flood emergencies last year. More than an entire summer’s worth of rain fell in some spots in central Texas in just a few hours early on the Fourth of July, quickly overwhelming dry soils and creating significant flash flooding. Central Texas is currently home to some of the worst drought in the United States and bone-dry soils flood very quickly. Camp Mystic is a nondenominational Christian summer camp for girls in western Kerr County. The camp is located at a dangerous confluence of the South Fork Guadalupe River and Cypress Creek, where flood waters converged.

Blaze [7/6/2025 3:41 PM, Joseph MacKinnon, 1805K] reports in the early hours of Independence Day, West Texas and the Hill Country received nearly nearly a foot of rain, which triggered flash floods and sent the Guadalupe River surging 20 feet above flood stage and well over its banks. The rushing waters — fed by continued downpours over the weekend — swallowed homes and vehicles and claimed the lives of scores of Americans. The death toll rose to 70 on Sunday afternoon, the New York Times reported. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said as of 9 a.m. Sunday, 59 victims were confirmed dead in his county — 38 adults and 21 children. At least five of the 750 girls attending Camp Mystic — the Christian camp in Hunt that Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said was "horrendously ravaged in ways unlike I’ve seen in any natural disaster" — are confirmed dead. Eleven girls and one counselor from Camp Mystic were still missing as of Sunday afternoon. Those numbers might have been much higher were it not for the camp’s 70-year-old co-owner Dick Eastland, whom U.S. Rep. August Plufger (R-Tex.) indicated "no doubt gave his life attempting to save his campers.” Texas Public Radio reported that Eastland was among the dead. His co-owner and wife Tweety Eastland was found safe at their home. Paige Sumner paid tribute to Dick Eastland in a column for the Kerrville Daily Times: "It doesn’t surprise me at all that his last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers. He had already saved so many lives with the gift of Camp Mystic.” Campers also benefited from the heroism of 400 first responders and 20 agencies at work in Kerr County, including the U.S. Coast Guard, which conducted at least 12 flights near the Kerrville area. While an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew worked to whisk away 15 campers on Friday, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer reportedly remained on the ground, providing medical assistance and helping with the evacuation efforts of 230 victims into assisting agencies’ air assets. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem later singled out Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petty Office Scott Ruskin, noting he "directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas.” "This was the first rescue mission of his career, and he was the only triage coordinator at the scene. Scott Ruskin is an American hero," said Noem. "His selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the USCG.” President Donald Trump, who declared a major disaster for Kerr County, Texas, on Sunday afternoon, indicated in a corresponding statement that U.S. Coast Guard and Texas first responders have "saved more than 850 lives.”

Univision [7/6/2025 5:31 PM, Staff, 4992K] reports a village grandmother who went missing on her way to work, a beloved principal of a Texas girls’ summer camp and an Alabama elementary school student away from home. These are some of the dozens of fatalities from the devastating Texas floods. Floods in central Texas, caused by the rapid rise of the Guadalupe River on Friday, killed dozens of people, including more than twenty girls. Authorities say search and rescue efforts are still underway, including for the missing campers of a girls’ summer camp. Over the hours, some of the fatalities of this tragedy have become known. The last time Tanya Burwick’s family heard from her was a frantic phone call amid a flood when she was on her way to work at a Walmart early Friday in the San Angelo area. When Burwick failed to turn up for work, her employer filed a missing persons report and sent a colleague to look for her. Police investigating the disappearance of Burwick, 62, found the woman’s off-road that day. The next morning they found his body a few streets from where they found the vehicle. "I lit up the room and had a laugh that made others laugh," said Lindsey Burwick, who added that her mother was a mother, grandmother and colleague very much loved by many. She and her brother Zac said the day was especially difficult because it happened on July 4 while working at a fireworks stand that has belonged to the family for generations. When the voice of Tanya Burwick’s disappearance spread, the people of Blackwell, a small community of about 250 inhabitants, showed up at the post that works in an orange-painted trailer. "People came to our aid," Lindsey Burwick said. San Angelo police said more than 12,000 homes, barns and other buildings have been affected by flooding in the community of about 100,000 people.

FOX News [7/7/2025 12:34 AM, Scott Thompson, 46878K] reports that, Tavia Hunt, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, revealed that one of the victims in the tragic Texas floods was a member of their family. Janie Hunt was one of the Camp Mystic campers who died in the devastating floods over the weekend. She was just nine years old. "Our hearts are broken by the devastation from the floods in Wimberley and the tragic loss of so many lives – including a precious little Hunt cousin, along with several friend’s little girls," Tavia Hunt wrote in an Instagram post. Tavia Hunt continued in her post with messages about her Christian faith. "How do we trust a God who is supposed to be good, all knowing and all powerful, but who allows such terrible things to happen – even to children?". "That is a sacred and tender question — and one the Bible doesn’t shy away from. Scripture is filled with the cries of those whose hearts have been shattered, who still wrestle to trust the same God they believe allowed the pain.” William Herbert Hunt, the late billionaire, was the great-grandfather of Janie. William was the brother of late Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt, whose father to the team’s current owner, Clark. The horrific floods have killed at least 79 people and left 41 others unaccounted for following a storm that decimated the region. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation on Sunday, declaring it a day of prayer across the state in response to the floods. President Donald Trump also told reporters in Morristown, New Jersey on Sunday that he would likely be visiting Texas on Friday. "We’ve been in touch with Governor Abbott and very close to Governor Abbott. And, everybody in Texas. Kristi Noem has, as you know, been there and will continue to be there. And we’re working very close with representatives from Texas," Trump said. "And it’s a horrible thing that took place. Absolutely horrible. So we say, God bless all of the people that have gone through so much, and God bless the state of Texas. This incredible place," he continued. The Department of Homeland Security argued that mainstream media were "deliberately lying" about what led up to the flooding, saying that "The National Weather Service executed timely, precise forecasting and warnings, despite unprecedented rainfall overwhelming the region." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

AP [7/6/2025 6:40 PM, Sean Murphy and Jim Veruno, 56000K] reports before heading to bed before the Fourth of July holiday, Christopher Flowers checked the weather while staying at a friend’s house along the Guadalupe River. Nothing in the forecast alarmed him. Hours later, he was rushing to safety: He woke up in darkness to electrical sockets popping and ankle-deep water. Quickly, his family scrambled nine people into the attic. Phones buzzed with alerts, Flowers recalled Saturday, but he did not remember when in the chaos they started. "What they need is some kind of external system, like a tornado warning that tells people to get out now," Flowers, 44, said. The destructive fast-moving waters that began before sunrise Friday in the Texas Hill Country killed at least 43 people in Kerr County, authorities said Saturday, and an unknown number of people remained missing. Those still unaccounted for included 27 girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along a river in Kerr County where most of the dead were recovered. But as authorities launch one of the largest search-and-rescue efforts in recent Texas history, they have come under intensifying scrutiny over preparations and why residents and youth summer camps that are dotted along the river were not alerted sooner or told to evacuate. The National Weather Service sent out a series of flash flood warnings in the early hours Friday before issuing flash flood emergencies — a rare alert notifying of imminent danger. Local officials have insisted that no one saw the flood potential coming and have defended their actions. "There’s going to be a lot of finger-pointing, a lot of second-guessing and Monday morning quarterbacking," said Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, whose district includes Kerr County. "There’s a lot of people saying ‘why’ and ‘how,’ and I understand that." U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Saturday it was difficult for forecasters to predict just how much rain would fall. She said the Trump administration would make it a priority to upgrade National Weather Service technology used to deliver warnings. "We know that everyone wants more warning time, and that’s why we’re working to upgrade the technology that’s been neglected for far too long to make sure families have as much advance notice as possible," Noem said during a press conference with state and federal leaders.

Axios [7/6/2025 10:21 PM, Rebecca Falconer, 13599K] reports the Trump administration pushed back Sunday on criticism of the National Weather Service’s initial forecasting and its staffing levels ahead of Central Texas’ catastrophic flooding. The storm that’s killed at least 80 people has brought renewed scrutiny to federal cuts at NOAA’s NWS after it emerged that two Texas NWS offices were missing key staff at the time — including San Antonio, where a veteran warning coordination meteorologist has taken an early retirement buyout in April. Some in the weather community have raised concern about the staffing issues, which Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) said Sunday should be investigated. "I don’t think it’s helpful to have missing key personnel from the National Weather Service not in place to help prevent these tragedies," he told CNN. Experts told Axios that forecasting models that failed to predict the severity of rainfall, a lack of an adequate warning system and bad timing in part led to the disaster. Texas Division of Emergency Management chief Nim Kidd noted at a Friday briefing the original forecast "did not predict the amount of rain we saw" and Dalton Rice, the city manager for Kerrville, said the storm system "dumped more rain than what was forecast." When a reporter asked President Trump whether his administration would investigate if some of the cuts to the federal government left key vacancies at the NWS, he responded: "They did not." Trump described the situation as "a 100-year catastrophe" that’s "so horrible to watch." Asked later if he thought meteorologists should be rehired, Trump said: "I would think not. This was the thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it. Nobody saw it. Very talented people in there and they didn’t see it." White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson in a statement to outlets including Axios called criticism of the NWS’ action and funding cuts accusations "shameful and disgusting" and accused critics of seeking to politicize a disaster. "False claims about the NWS have been repeatedly debunked by meteorologists, experts, and other public reporting," she said. "The NWS did their job, even issuing a flood watch more than 12 hours in advance."

NBC News [7/6/2025 9:38 PM, Evan Bush, 44540K] reports fatal floods in Texas that left thousands scrambling for safety with little warning have sparked a fresh round of scrutiny of Trump administration cuts to the National Weather Service. At least 79 people were dead and many others were missing Sunday evening after floodwaters surged through Texas Hill Country, an area known as “flash flood alley.” Within hours of the deluge early Friday, some Texas officials were critical of the NWS, saying forecasts underestimated the rainfall. Sunday, President Donald Trump rejected the idea of investigating whether NWS cuts had left key vacancies, and the White House said claims that NWS cuts had anything to do with the tragedy were “disgusting.” Independent meteorologists and a former NWS official said warnings issued in the run-up to the flooding were about as timely and accurate as could be expected with the weather data available in real time. Predicting extreme rain and flash flooding beyond several hours is challenging, they said, and it is also not easy to ensure urgent warnings reach those most at risk. “The forecasting was good. The warnings were good. It’s always about getting people to receive the message,” said Chris Vagasky, a meteorologist based in Wisconsin. “It appears that is one of the biggest contributors — that last mile.” The meteorologists said they did not think understaffed offices were a primary factor in the tragic outcome, even though the NWS has leadership gaps after a rash of staffing cuts. Tom Fahy, the legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, a union that represents government employees, said the San Antonio weather forecasting office did not have two of its top positions filled — a permanent science officer (a role that conducts training and is in charge of implementing new technology) or a warning coordination meteorologist (who coordinates with the media and is the public face of the office), though there are employees acting in those leadership roles. Overall, Fahy said, the offices had enough meteorologists to respond to the event. “The WFOs [weather forecasting offices] had adequate staffing and resources as they issued timely forecasts and warnings leading up to the storm,” Fahy said Saturday, but he added that he was concerned about the unfilled senior positions and vacuums of leadership. In a statement, the NWS said it was “heartbroken by the tragic loss of life in Kerr County.” It did not address questions about staffing but provided a detailed timeline of the warnings it sent out.

NPR [7/6/2025 6:06 PM, Joe Hernandez, 37958K] reports that, as early as Wednesday, Texas officials were marshalling the state’s emergency response resources to prepare for the coming storm. By Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service’s Austin/San Antonio office had issued a flood watch for multiple counties, warning of "pockets of heavy rain" and the potential for flooding. But when the storm unleashed its historic ferocity in the early hours of Friday morning, many were caught by surprise. Heavy downpours lifted the Guadalupe River 26 feet in just 45 minutes. First responders had to rescue hundreds of people who were left stranded by the rising waters, and at least 78 people died. Sixty-eight of those fatalities occurred in Kerr County. Many people are missing. Judge Rob Kelly, the top-elected official in Kerr County, told reporters that flooding is common to the area, which he called the most dangerous river valley in the U.S., but it’s rarely this devastating. "We didn’t know this flood was coming," Kelly said. "Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming.” A spokesperson for the National Weather Service (NWS), however, noted that the agency held forecast briefings for emergency officials on Thursday, issued a flood watch on Thursday and sent out flash flood warnings Thursday evening and Friday morning. "The National Weather Service remains committed to our mission to serve the American public through our forecasts and decision support services," NWS spokesperson Erica Grow Cei said in a statement. In the aftermath of the storm, a division began to form between National Weather Service forecasters and some Texas officials who felt that their weather reports did not accurately predict the catastrophic power of the storm. But meteorologists say it is exceptionally difficult to guess exactly what a complex weather system will do and then convince officials and the public to prepare for the worst. Michael Morgan, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said precipitation forecasting remains "one of the most vexing problems" of his field. But he said he believed the National Weather Service did its job by giving a general sense of the Texas storm and then providing more specific local forecasts as additional information became available to highlight the most serious potential threats. "I think the [National] Weather Service forecasts were on point," Morgan said. "Specifically targeting in locations that are going to receive the maximum rainfall is an incredibly challenging forecast problem.”

Washington Post [7/6/2025 8:20 PM, Brianna Sacks, Scott Dance and Arelis R. Hernández, 32099K] reports the deluge that killed nearly 80 people along fast-surging Texas rivers early Friday struck a region that has grappled with deadly floods before. And yet, the magnitude of the disaster exposed gaps in its ability to warn people, including a delayed flood risk alert from Kerr County and stalled development of a flood monitoring system. This swath of Central Texas is the most flash-flood prone region in the country, and officials know the Hill Country’s terrain can turn slow, shallow rivers into walls of water. But even as weather forecasts began to hint at the potential for heavy rain on Thursday, the response exposed a disconnect: Few, including local authorities, prepared for anything but their normal Fourth of July. When the precipitation intensified in the early morning hours Friday, many people failed to receive or respond to flood warnings at riverside campsites and cabins that were known to be in the floodplain. A review of wireless emergency data from a public database that pulls in Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Integrated Public Alert & Warning System shows that the county did not send its first Amber Alert-style push until Sunday. Days after the state had launched a full-scale rescue effort, continued rains appeared to prompt an alert sent to much of Kerr County urging people to "move to higher ground" because of "high confidence of river flooding." The county has sent such alerts in past emergencies. Until then, most cellphone alerts were coming from the National Weather Service’s Austin/San Antonio station. But some alerts about life-threatening flooding didn’t come until the predawn hours, and to areas where cellular reception may have been spotty. Eyewitness Tonia Fucci recounted the destruction that followed deadly floods in Comfort, central Texas, near the Guadalupe River on July 4. (Video: Naomi Schanen/Washington Post). The disaster has prompted renewed emphasis on a years-long push for a comprehensive flood monitoring system in Kerr County. And it has raised questions about whether anything could be enough to prepare and protect communities in places like this, where cellphone-based alerts can be unreliable, emergency managers have limited resources and the potential for disaster is high. "That’s the part that hurts," said Rosalie Castro of Kerrville, Texas. "We had no warning.” For emergencies and disasters, leaders often use a patchwork of alerts and warnings to try to get to different populations. The National Weather Service, which had been warning about the coming rains and potential for flash floods for days, has stations across the state. Its Austin/San Antonio office sent alerts on social media as well as using wireless emergency alerts, which use cellphone towers to target people in a specific area. Local authorities, including the police, often post updates to their Facebook pages and websites. Kerrville and the county use a web-based notification system called CodeRED, which people have to sign up for. The holes in this warning system are not new and highlight the challenge of urgently communicating weather risks as a warming climate drives more atmospheric moisture, which can come down in sudden bursts. And in remote areas, with fewer resources for emergency management operations, the breakdown can be even worse.

FOX News [7/6/2025 12:06 PM, Alec Schemmel, 46878K] reports critics of President Donald Trump wasted no time blaming staffing cuts at the National Weather Service (NWS) for the widespread death and destruction caused by the floods in Texas, a reaction the White House called "shameful and disgusting.” At least 59 people, including 21 children, have been confirmed dead from the flash floods along the Guadalupe River that began Friday. Eleven children and one counselor remain missing from a girls’ summer camp near the river, which flooded due to the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry. That storm made landfall over Mexico, but triggered massive unexpected thunderstorms over parts of Texas. "It only took 9 days for Trump’s cuts to the [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] to kill dozens of children in Texas when Tropical Storm Barry landed this week," Grant Stern, the executive editor of Occupy Democrats, wrote on X. "The people in Texas voted for government services controlled by Donald Trump and Greg Abbott," added Ron Filipkowski, former federal prosecutor and the editor-in-chief of MediasTouchNews. "That is exactly what they (sic) getting.” "What has happened to the girls at Camp Mystic is EXACTLY what one of the country’s best meteorologists, John Morales, warned would happen," added Rachel Bitecofer, assistant director at Christopher Newport University’s Wason Center for Public Policy. "Trump’s cuts to the NOAA & NWS have critically impacted storm prediction nationwide.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem held a press conference Saturday, and acknowledged some of the criticisms regarding the nation’s flood notification systems, which included concerns that weather forecasts underestimated the amount of rain that ultimately fell. Noem noted that the Trump administration is "currently upgrading" the nation’s flood notification technology, which she described as "ancient.” "When the [weather] system came over the area, it stalled," Noem said during the press conference. "It was much more water, much like [what] we experienced during [Hurricane] Harvey, with the same type of system that was unpredictable in the way that it reacted in the way that it stopped right here and dumped unprecedented amounts of rain that caused a flooding event like this.” Tom Fahy, legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, told NBC News that weather forecasting offices were adequately staffed, and "they issued timely forecasts and warnings leading up to the storm," but he added that unfilled leadership positions were "clearly a concern.” "All I’ll say is this. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Kerr County more than 12 hours ahead of the catastrophic flood. A flash flood warning was issued for Hunt & Ingram 3 HOURS before the Guadalupe started to climb," said Texas-based meteorologist Avery Tomasco. "They did their job and they did it well.”

Politico [7/6/2025 10:50 AM, Gregory Svirnovskiy, 2100K] reports as Texas deals with the fallout of severe flash flooding in the central part of the state, Rep. Joaquin Castro told CNN the focus should first be on rescue operations, and then on whether political dynamics contributed to the crisis. Heavy rains engulfed much of the state’s “Flash Flood Alley” on Friday, killing at least 51 people. Twenty-seven girls from Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp that sits near Texas’s Guadalupe River, were still missing as of Sunday morning. “I think obviously the priority is on making sure that those girls are found and are saved. And anybody else who may be missing at this point,” Castro, a Democrat, told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday on “State of the Union.” “And then I think after that we have to figure out in the future how we make sure that it doesn’t happen again.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited affected areas in Texas on Saturday. She faulted the National Weather Service’s “ancient system” in not properly alerting endangered communities and said that the White House “is currently upgrading the technology.” But critics have said President Donald Trump’s cuts to the federal workforce, which included employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, could have played a role in the response to the Texas floods. The cuts, which have left vacant posts in local offices around the country, are fueling concern that communities on the ground level are now less prepared to handle dangerous weather events.

New York Post [7/6/2025 4:21 PM, Anthony Blair, 49956K] reports two brothers caught up in the terrifying flash flooding that devastated Texas in recent days have described how their beds started "tipping over" as the waters forced them to flee for their lives. Brock and Braeden Davis had only just arrived at Camp La Junta in Hunt, Texas earlier this week when it was hit by torrential rain and rising floodwaters on Thursday night. Braeden was woken sharply to the sound of screaming outside at around 4 a.m. Friday. "I hear screaming from outside. Later on, I find out someone’s cabin flooded and they were outside in the middle of the rain," Braeden told KHOU. The water flooded their cabin, forcing the two boys to scramble to higher ground. "We jumped up to another bed, a top bunk and like our beds started tipping over, and we got to the top really quick and then, one of the walls fell down," Brock said. Without their phones or any access to the outside world, the two boys couldn’t contact their families. As camp counselors rushed between the cabins, they moved children into safer areas as the water levels continued to rise. "They lost Crocs and shoes and everything, trunks were floating everywhere, so they came into our cabin and someone told me that when they were walking around campgrounds, they saw Cabin 5 the cabin right next to Brock’s the wall had fallen over, and my door like flooded away," Braeden said. The two boys spent 13 hours waiting for help before they were eventually relocated to a safe shelter on the property by camp leaders. There, they were given snacks until rescue crews, including the Coast Guard arrived. The pair has now been reunited with their family in Houston, where their parents praised the hero counselors who saved their lives.

CBS News [7/6/2025 4:02 PM, Hunter Geisel, 51860K] Video: HERE reports as the death toll continues to climb and a dozen people remain missing after devastating flash floods slammed the Texas Hill Country, Florida is lending its support and sending its hearts out to those impacted by the natural disaster. As of Sunday afternoon, CBS News reported that at least 70 people are dead after heavy rain brought flashing flooding to the Central Texas region, with water rescues taking place along the Guadalupe River, which rose rapidly early Friday morning to the height of a two-story building. Officials said a dozen people are still missing from Camp Mystic, a children’s summer camp located in Kerr County, at least 90 miles northwest of San Antonio. Among the dead are at least 38 adults and 21 children, with 18 of the adults and four of the children unidentified. As the Lone Star State continues rescues and recoveries, the Sunshine State has stepped up to lend a hand in its efforts. On Sunday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shared on X that he has directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management to deploy three swiftwater rescue teams through an Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) to assist with response and recovery. "We’re standing by to lend more help as requested," the Florida governor said.

Politico [7/6/2025 7:00 AM, Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney, 16523K] reports that, at least five times in recent weeks, federal judges have forcefully rejected President Donald Trump’s efforts to deport pro-Palestinian student activists, issuing one stinging ruling after another to declare the efforts unconstitutional — with one judge comparing the deportation drive to the Red Scare. The five foreign-born academics, Mahmoud Khalil, Mohsen Mahdawi, Yunseo Chung, Rumeysa Ozturk and Badar Khan Suri, were all targeted by the Trump administration after Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared their presence in the United States detrimental to U.S. foreign policy goals. But in every case, judges found the determination to be a flagrant attack on free speech; all were protected or freed from immigration detention by the courts. Now, the entire policy undergirding those attempted deportations will be on trial after academic groups brought a broad lawsuit challenging the effort. The venue: a federal courtroom in Boston, where U.S. District Judge William Young — a Reagan-appointee with a sharp-elbowed wit — is set to preside Monday. The case marks the first significant trial of Trump 2.0, a challenge to the president’s agenda before a judge who has made no secret of his alarm over the administration’s immigration tactics and who recently rebuked the administration’s efforts to slash grant funding on the basis of race and gender. Young, an 84-year-old jurist confirmed to the federal bench four decades ago, has set aside two weeks for the trial. Trials in civil lawsuits challenging federal government policies are relatively rare. Typically, judges resolve the cases based on filings submitted by both sides. However, Young is known to prefer live testimony and the interplay between attorneys. While there won’t be a jury, Young is expected to hear testimony from more than 20 witnesses before ultimately ruling on whether the administration’s targeted deportations violate the First Amendment. The spate of arrests of pro-Palestinian activists is part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on foreign academics who are studying and living in the U.S. legally. Rubio earlier this year invoked a rarely used provision of immigration law to seek to deport those students by declaring their presence in the U.S. in conflict with American foreign policy interests. The lawsuit, filed in March by the American Association of University Professors, its Harvard, New York University and Rutgers chapters and the Middle East Studies Association, argues that the deportation campaign targeting academics is interfering with the rights of U.S. citizens to engage in a free exchange of ideas with foreign-born colleagues who depend on student visas or green cards. One of the lawyers pressing the lawsuit said the recent court rulings in favor of particular students and academics help address their cases, but don’t address the more systemic concerns the case going to trial this week is aimed at. “The arrests have created a climate of fear on university campuses around the country, with foreign students and faculty alike afraid that ICE agents might arrest them at any moment for their legitimate political speech,” Jameel Jaffer of the Knight First Amendment Institute said. “Broader relief is appropriate and necessary because the threat of arrest and deportation on the basis of political speech has a profound chilling effect on the willingness of foreign students and faculty to engage in constitutionally protected expression and association.” A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security disputed the central premise of the lawsuit. “We don’t deport people based on ideology,” spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.

Breitbart [7/7/2025 3:30 AM, Paul Bois, 3077K] reports protests against immigration and gentrification erupted in Mexico over the weekend with angry residents expressing outrage over rising expenses and cultural degeneration. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shared several photographs from the protests in Mexico City, including one sign that demanded foreigners learn Spanish and show respect for Mexican culture. “If you are in the United States illegally and wish to join the next protest in Mexico City, use the CBP Home app to facilitate your departure,” the DHS said. According to the New York Times, the protests, which turned violent on Friday night, “reflected the growing frustrations of many of the capital’s residents, who have watched rents skyrocket and old neighborhoods turn into swanky developments as the city has become a major tourist destination and a base for many so-called digital nomads.” Since the coronavirus pandemic, stylish neighborhoods like Roma and Condesa in Mexico City have seen an influx of foreigners, coaxed by lower living costs and the opportunity to work remotely. The surge has helped businesses in areas popular with foreigners and landlords or those renting rooms on long-term stays on platforms like Airbnb. But it has also threatened to make large swaths of the city, where the average monthly salary is about $370, unaffordable to many locals. Other protesters likened the influx of migrants to Western colonialism. Others on social media noted the irony of Mexico protesting against migrants, wondering if the U.S. media would give the same critical scrutiny as they would to Americans protesting migrants in the United States illegally.

New York Times [7/7/2025 3:18 AM, Lisa Lerer, Jazmine Ulloa and Reid J. Epstein, 330K] reports the Democrats onstage saw themselves as morally courageous. American voters, it turned out, saw a group of politicians hopelessly out of touch. Standing side by side at a primary debate in June 2019, 10 of the party’s candidates for president were asked to raise their hand if they wanted to decriminalize illegal border crossings. Only one of them held still. Six years later, the party remains haunted by that tableau. It stands both as a vivid demonstration of a leftward policy shift on immigration that many prominent Democratic lawmakers and strategists now say they deeply regret, and as a marker of how sharply the country was moving in the other direction. Last year, 55 percent of Americans told Gallup that they supported a decrease in immigration, nearly twice as many as in 2020, and the first time since 2005 that a majority had said so. The embrace of a more punitive approach to illegal immigration includes not only white voters but also working-class Latinos, whose support Democrats had long courted with liberal border policies. “When you have the most Latino district in the country outside of Puerto Rico vote for Trump, that should be a wake-up call for the Democratic Party,” said Representative Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, who saw Mr. Trump win every county in his district along the border with Mexico. “This is a Democratic district that’s been blue for over a century.” How the Democrats reached this point, and their continued struggles on immigration, is a decades-long story of political failures, missteps, misreadings and misplaced bets — and some shrewd Republican moves. “We got led astray by the 2016 and the 2020 elections, and we just never moved back,” said Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona, who introduced an immigration and border security plan in May. “We looked feckless, we weren’t decisive, we weren’t listening to voters, and the voters decided that we weren’t in the right when it comes to what was happening with the border.” What the party does to change its approach — and to change how voters see Democrats on immigration — may be the most consequential and difficult decision it faces as it searches for a path back to power. But while there is party-wide agreement that Democrats have a problem on immigration and border security, there is no consensus on how to fix it.

The Hill [7/6/2025 8:00 AM, Glenn C. Altschuler, 18649K] reports in May, an 18-year-old named Marcelo Gomez, who has lived in the U.S. on an expired visa since he was 7, was arrested on his way to a volleyball game in Milford, Mass. During his six days in detention, Marcelo was unable to change his clothes. He slept on a concrete floor and shared a toilet with 35 to 40 other men. In June, 48-year-old Narcisco Barranco, an undocumented immigrant with no criminal record who was working as a gardener in Santa Ana, Calif., was pinned to the pavement and repeatedly hit in the head by four masked Customs and Border Patrol agents. After a formal request by the Mexican Consulate General in Los Angeles, Barranco received medical attention for his wounds and a heart condition. One of his three sons — all of whom served in the U.S. Marines — rebutted Trump administration claims that Barranco had attempted to assault officers with his weed trimmer, and said that if he had treated someone in this way when he was in uniform, "it would have been a war crime.” Around the same time, Sayed Naser was detained by ICE agents following a hearing on his Special Immigrant Visa application and placed in an expedited removal facility in San Diego. A civilian interpreter who had worked with U.S. troops in Afghanistan, Naser fled to Brazil after the Taliban had killed his brother and abducted his father during a family wedding. Naser subsequently traveled 6,000 miles to Mexico on foot and was granted parole into the U.S. while seeking asylum. In May, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem terminated Temporary Protected Status for Afghans, putting 11,000 of them at risk of deportation. If Naser, who does not have a criminal record, fails to pass his "credible threat" interview, which will be conducted over the telephone without his lawyer, he will almost certainly be deported. His wife and children remain in hiding. A few days ago, Kilmar Abrego Garcia stated in a legal filing that he had been beaten and tortured in the notoriously brutal Salvadoran prison which the Department of Justice deported him to by mistake. Although Americans continue to support secure borders, a recent poll revealed that 57 percent of them do not approve of Trump’s handling of immigration and ICE tactics. Perhaps for this reason, Trump has tried to have it both ways on immigration. During his 2024 campaign, he promised to arrest "the worst first." Last month, Trump declared, "all of them [i.e. "21 million Illegal Aliens"] have to go home, as do countless other Illegals and Criminals, who will turn us into a bankrupt Third World Nation." Yet Trump also said that employers feared that "our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long-time workers away from them, with their jobs being almost impossible to replace.” Vowing to "get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA," Trump indicated he would pause ICE raids on farms, meatpacking plants, hotels and restaurants. But Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of public affairs at DHS, quickly declared, "The president has been incredibly clear. There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE’s efforts." It remains unclear at this writing whether Trump will order a pause.

Houston Chronicle [7/6/2025 7:00 AM, Chiqui Sanchez Kennedy, 1982K] reports by 6:00 a.m., people are already lined up outside our office, their fear and anxiety palpable. That’s what it’s like to work these days for a nonprofit that provides legal services to low-income immigrants. In one of my cases, an adult client’s U.S. citizen wife is slipping into depression. He’s the family breadwinner, the father of their four U.S. citizen children, all under age 10. His wife is terrified that he will be arrested and deported. In other cases, I’ve seen young clients experiencing mental health crises. On top of unresolved trauma they suffered in the countries they fled, they now face fast-tracked immigration hearings here in the U.S. For nearly 17 years, I have represented immigrant children fleeing unimaginable harms. But now the children we represent no longer believe that the U.S. government is looking out for them: We’re working with an unprecedented number of children apprehended from within the U.S., taken from their families and caretakers, and re-detained in government custody. As a lawyer, I have learned that when a child is thrust into a complex, adversarial immigration system, what they need is straight-forward: trauma-informed lawyers, holistic social services and loving caregivers. These aren’t luxuries; they are lifelines. But under the Trump administration, these pillars have been relentlessly attacked. Through persistent, targeted measures, the Trump administration has stripped immigrant children of their core sense of security that comes with family unity. Armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are taking to the streets, camping out in store parking lots and knocking on doors to inspect families’ homes. Arbitrary arrests are a daily occurrence. Children and families are suffering unbearable anxiety that their family could be next. And when the threat of an arrest becomes a reality, the psychological damage is profound. My team of lawyers has seen children exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, night terrors, depression and developmental delays. Both immigrant and U.S.-born children are affected. According to the Migration Policy Institute, 17% of Houston children live with at least one parent who’s an unauthorized immigrant. That number doesn’t include children whose parents are authorized but don’t yet have full citizenship and fear that they might suddenly face deportation. And it doesn’t include immigrant children who are here with no parents at all. Immigration-system rules now change with amazing speed. In March, the Trump administration initiated a comprehensive attack on immigrant children by moving to eliminate legal lifelines. In a single week, the government abruptly shut down funding for lawyers who represent unaccompanied children, and it placed children on "rocket dockets" where toddlers to pre-teens were forced to appear alone in court on an unprecedented, expedited timeline. Simultaneously, federal detention facilities for minors elevated release requirements, making it nearly impossible for parents to sponsor their own children out of custody.

Houston Chronicle [7/6/2025 7:00 AM, Barbara Navarro, 1982K] reports regarding " Regarding “Texas colleges determining next steps as migrant students fear repeal of in-state tuition,” (June 7): A judge has ordered that Texas stop charging in-state tuition for undocumented college students and require that they pay out-of-state tuition instead. I have two problems with this decision. These students are hardworking young people who want to improve their lives. They don’t qualify for any state or federal loans or grants, so they have to pay their full tuition upfront. Requiring them to pay out-of-state tuition will mean that, for the great majority, their education will come to an end. This is not good for the students and not good for our state. We need an educated workforce. Whether here legally or not, these students and their families are residents of Texas. Most of their families have been living here for years. They pay property and sales taxes, just like everyone else so it is only fair that they qualify for in-state tuition, just like everyone else. The only reason I can see to make this change is just plain meanness.

CBS’ Face The Nation [7/6/2025 11:34 AM, Staff, 4808K] reports search and rescue missions continue in Kerr County, Texas, after severe storms caused deadly flooding that has killed dozens of people. More than 20 children from the nearby Camp Mystic are still missing, officials say.

CNN’s State of the Union With Jake Tapper and Dana Bash [7/6/2025 12:33 PM, Staff, 745K] reports we begin this morning in Texas, where the situation looks increasingly dire after a torrential rainfall Friday that rapidly swelled rivers and in moments became a fast flood that swept away dozens of people, including more than 20 girls at summer camp. This morning, more than 50 people are confirmed dead. Local officials say they are still focused on search-and-rescue, as President Trump sends his homeland security secretary and additional resources to the area. Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro, whose district is under a disaster declaration joins the show today to the situation in the flood zone. Congressman Castro says that its absolutely devastating. "Right now, there are 51 people, it looks like, who have been declared deceased and still 27 young girls who are missing from Camp Mystic. And, most of all, I think people are coming together. They’re rallying to support the community and the families who have lost loved ones. It’s been very heartening, I know, for everyone to see all the donations and the support that’s come in, but just a complete tragedy." Castro states. More than 20 girls still unaccounted for at Camp Mystic. It’s a summer camp along the Guadalupe River and in nearby Kerr County. It was flooded after the river rose more than 20 feet in just two hours overnight. Congressman Castro says that the search efforts are intense and that the state has sent incredible resources, local governments from Austin to San Antonio and many others.

ABC’s This Week With George Stephanopoulos [7/6/2025 11:50 AM, Staff, 2471K] reports On “This Week,” ABC News’ National Correspondent Mireya Villarreal reports from Texas on a deadly flash flood.

FOX News Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo [7/6/2025 11:34 AM, Staff, 4808K] reports Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., discusses border security, stopping drug cartels and more on ‘Sunday Morning Futures.’

FOX News Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo [7/6/2025 11:34 AM, Staff, 4808K] reports Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, discusses the deadly flooding and shares his message to Texans.

FOX News Sunday [7/6/2025 11:34 AM, Staff, 4808K] reports Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discusses the impact of President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill,’ immigrant labor and more on ‘Fox News Sunday.’

FOX News [7/6/2025 7:45 PM, Staff, 46878K] reports ‘The Big Weekend Show’ co-hosts and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons discuss President Donald Trump signing his ‘big, beautiful bill’ into law and the opening of ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [7/6/2025 10:00 AM, Emma Colton Fox, 46878K] reports the White House and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are encouraging Republican states across the nation to follow Florida’s lead and install their own versions of "Alligator Alcatraz" – a remote detention facility for illegal immigrants located in the heart of the Everglades. Some red states are already warming up to the idea or already have new detention facilities in the works. "We don’t have alligators, but we have lots of bears. I am not aware of any plans for an Alaska version of Alligator Alcatraz," representatives for Alaska’s state government told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham Tuesday. "Dear DHS: We’ve got a swamp and a dream. Let’s talk. South Carolina’s gators are ready. And they’re not big on paperwork. If I was Governor, we’d be bringing Alligator Alcatraz to South Carolina," South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace posted to X on Tuesday, when Trump traveled to Florida to tour "Alligator Alcatraz.” Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of 26 Republican governors inquiring if they are considering rolling out their own versions of "Alligator Alcatraz," with a handful, stretching from Idaho to South Carolina, responding with what they have in the works. Garrison Douglas, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s spokesman, told Fox News Digital that the Peach State "has helped lead the way in tackling illegal immigration" and recently announced plans to build the "largest detention facility in the nation.” "Governor Sanders is working hand-in-hand with the Trump Administration to deport violent, criminal illegal immigrants, which is why she signed the Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act earlier this year to put tough new penalties on illegal immigrants who commit additional crimes while in Arkansas and facilitate greater collaboration between Arkansas law enforcement and federal immigration officials, and is in the process of building a new 3,000-bed prison in the state," Dubke said when asked about a potential Arkansas version of "Alligator Alcatraz.” In Idaho, Gov. Brad Little is "planning to roll out new details on Idaho’s efforts to support President Trump’s agenda," according to his office. "Gov. Little fully supports President Trump’s efforts to deport dangerous illegal alien criminals," Little’s press secretary, Joan Varsek, told Fox News Digital Wednesday. "Gov. Little is proud that Idaho is leading the efforts through our recent action to enter into a 287(g) agreement with ICE and the Idaho State Police to assist with transporting these individuals to ICE detention facilities in our state while they await deportation. Secretary Noem recently applauded Idaho’s actions in supporting the Trump administration.”

FOX News [7/7/2025 4:00 AM, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, 46878K] Video: HERE reports the U.S. Marine Corps, in cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has quietly launched a pilot program to station ICE agents at three major military installations: Camp Pendleton in California, Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia and Marine Corps Base Hawaii. The move, aimed at bolstering security around these bases, has raised as many questions as it seeks to answer. Abby Hall Blanco, a University of Tampa economics and defense professor, weighed in on the lack of transparency surrounding the program’s inception. "We don’t really have a whole lot of information at precisely what led up to this specific program," she told Fox News Digital. "The program is intended to augment security, particularly around the perimeter of these Marine Corps bases." A Pentagon official issued a statement to Fox News Digital, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the effort. "Our cooperative effort with ICE at MCB Camp Pendleton, MCB Quantico and MCB Hawaii is a pilot program that aligns with the enhanced security measures we are implementing at all our installations worldwide to deter unauthorized installation access by foreign nationals." They said that the presence of ICE personnel "enhances installation-level force protection by increasing visibility, coordination, and threat awareness at critical access points and in surrounding areas." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Times [7/6/2025 1:36 PM, Amanda Holpuch, 153395K] reports a police officer was shot outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Texas late Friday night and several armed people were taken into custody, the authorities said. The shooting took place outside the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. The detention center, which is about 28 miles south of Fort Worth, holds people who are awaiting deportation or are accused of violating immigration laws. Around 11 p.m. on the Fourth of July, officers from the Alvarado Police Department responded to a call about a suspicious person outside the detention center and saw someone who appeared to have a gun, the sheriff’s office said. One officer tried to talk to the person and then several other people opened fire on the officer, who was wounded in the neck and flown to a hospital. The officer was treated and discharged from the hospital, the sheriff’s office said. Several people tried to flee, but they were taken into custody by officers, the statement said. It was not clear how many people were taken into custody nor whether they were still being held on Sunday morning. “At this time the motives of the suspects are unclear,” the sheriff’s office said. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, said in an email that a group of 15 people had slashed the tires on federal vehicles and vandalized security cameras at the detention center. The department did not elaborate about the episode. The sheriff’s office did not respond to questions on Sunday about how many people were arrested. The Alvarado Police Department also did not respond.

Telemundo52 [7/6/2025 10:53 PM, Missael Soto, 103K] reports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to our sister network NBC4 on Saturday that federal agents arrested more than three dozen people during a June operation targeting multiple Home Depot stores in Los Angeles County. A total of 37 people were detained by CBP agents at three different locations on June 30, according to a DHS spokeswoman. "CBP detained 14 illegals during an operation near Figueroa Street, and 11 illegals in North Hollywood, CA, and 12 illegals on Sunset Boulevard. The arrestees’ criminal histories include drug trafficking, firearms offenses, theft, forgery, DUI and assault," a DHS spokesperson wrote. The Home Depot location in the 5600 block of Sunset Boulevard has been the subject of at least two raids. A previous raid on June 19 ended in the arrests of several people, including a U.S. citizen. Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez said those arrested on June 19 were mostly day laborers looking for work. He said that some 20 people were reportedly detained and that his office is working to provide them with legal counsel. "I am completely outraged by what is happening," Soto-Martinez said. "These are day laborers. They are people who come every day looking for work. They are street vendors. They are people who feed our community." Recent operations at Home Depot parking lots have sparked protests and reactions from community members who called on the company to speak out against the raids. "We are not notified that ICE activities are going to take place and, in many cases, we do not know that arrests have occurred until after they are completed. We are required to comply with all federal and local rules and regulations in all markets in which we operate," wrote a Home Depot spokesperson. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

San Diego Union Tribune [7/6/2025 8:00 AM, Alexandra Mendoza, 1611K] reports in the first six months of the Trump administration’s push for mass deportations, more than half of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests in San Diego and Imperial counties were of individuals with no criminal charges or convictions, according to data from the federal agency obtained by the Deportation Data Project. The data, which the project obtained via public records requests, helps show how President Donald Trump has carried out his crackdown on illegal immigration and provides a snapshot of who ICE has arrested in the region — during the initial months of enforcement as well as a more recent ramp-up marked by community pushback and videos of public arrests that go viral. So far this year, ICE’s San Diego field office, which encompasses San Diego and Imperial counties, has made nearly twice as many arrests as it did last year — mostly of Mexican nationals, according to the data. From January to early June, ICE’s San Diego field office made 1,042 arrests, compared to 602 last year and 191 in 2023. The project’s data goes through June 10, and only includes administrative immigration arrests made by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, or ERO, the agency’s main arm that enforces immigration policy. The figures also show that so far this year, about 53% of ICE arrests locally have been of people with no criminal charges or convictions, 33% had criminal convictions, while about 15% faced pending criminal charges. That’s a notable difference from last year, when 74% of arrests locally involved individuals with a criminal conviction or charges pending. The Trump administration had said in its initial deportation push that it was focusing on those with criminal histories who pose a threat to public safety. "The focus is on criminal aliens that have violated the laws of the U.S. and put the American public in harm’s way," the ICE ERO San Diego field office posted in late January on its X account. "Our priority is ensuring the safety of the American public against all criminal threats and ensuring the integrity of the lawful immigration system.” The Department of Homeland Security reiterated that ICE was targeting "the worst of the worst," saying in April that 75% of the arrests nationwide were "criminal illegal aliens with convictions or pending charges.”

Washington Post [7/7/2025 5:00 AM, Meryl Kornfield and Hannah Natanson, 32099K] reports over the past four months, the Trump administration has been touting a $5 million visa to wealthy foreigners to get into the United States with lofty promises of an immediate rollout since February. Aboard Air Force One in April, President Donald Trump flashed a laminated, golden prototype to reporters and announced that it would become available “in about less than two weeks,” while the White House launched a website in June to sign people up to join a waiting list. But in reality, any Trump gold visas are a long way off — if they can ever be implemented at all. Trump and his aides have repeatedly exaggerated the likelihood that such a program can be implemented under current law, and have made no effort to introduce legislation to make it happen. Immigration attorneys and other legal experts say a president has no power to unilaterally create a new visa category, which would require an act of Congress. The gold card visa exemplifies a striking contrast in the Trump administration’s immigration stance, which is focused primarily on championing aggressive restrictions and deportations while proposing a fast track for the ultra-wealthy. Critics have argued that the proposal would turn access to the U.S. into a commodity for sale and reflects a transactional approach to immigration out of step with American values. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who is leading the rollout, has suggested that the gold card visa would replace an investor visa — called EB-5 — that has a long queue. But any effort to give wealthy people a visa ahead of people who have been waiting in line is bound to lead to legal challenges, attorneys say. Doug Rand, senior adviser to the former director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under President Joe Biden, said that no administration has changed visa eligibility criteria since the 1990 law that formed today’s green card and temporary visa categories. “There’s no lawful basis to do this, and if they do it anyway, they’re going to get sued, and they’re almost certainly going to lose,” Rand said.

NewsMax [7/6/2025 6:28 PM, Brian Freeman, 4622K] reports the passage of the "big, beautiful bill" allows for the completion of the wall across the entire southern border of the United States, Sen. Markwayne Mullin told Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures. The Oklahoma Republican, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that the extra funding provided by the legislation will also enable the Border Patrol to be beefed up in order to provide full deterrence. The senator said that the Marines are being used on the border to battle the cartels, which are well funded and have military training and weapons. This means that the cartels have often been able to outgun and outman the Border Patrol. Mullin also credited Trump for an increase in military recruitment and retention in the U.S. Army, saying that "if you’re a young man and you’re a patriot, you want to serve underneath this president.” The senator insisted that Trump "brings pride back to our military and that’s why you’re seeing recruiting numbers go through the roof. And not only recruiting numbers but retention. People that were on their way out have decided, Wait a second, I want to serve underneath President Trump. I want this as my commander in chief. I want to do great things and have generational changes inside DOD. President Trump and Secretary Hegseth [are] delivering that.”

Breitbart [7/6/2025 8:24 AM, Randy Clark, 3077K] reports in addition to the border infrastructure funded by President Trump’s One Big Beautify Bill, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced plans to quickly install 17 miles of floating border barrier in the Texas Rio Grande Valley. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem signed a waiver on Thursday to ensure the construction of the barrier is not impeded by environmental regulations. According to DHS, the waterborne barrier will be constructed in the Rio Grande in Cameron County, Texas within the U.S. Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector. Bids for the RGV Waterborne Barrier Project have been solicited and the project is planned for funding award before the end of Fiscal Year 2025 in September. Funding for the project will come from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations Secretary Noem signed five other regulatory waivers since President Trump’s inauguration that allow infrastructure projects, including border wall projects to proceed swiftly and avoid lengthy environmental surveys. The San Antonio Express-News called the order from Secretary Kristi Noem the continued "militarization of the southern border.” The border buoy project announced by DHS will be the first water-borne barrier project undertaken by the Trump administration. According to DHS, the project will eliminate a capability gap that has been identified in the waterways along the Southwest border where drug smuggling, human trafficking and other dangerous and illegal activity occurs. The department asserts the project will create a safer border environment for patrolling agents as well as serving to deter illegal border crossings within the dangerous waterways.

New York Times [7/7/2025 4:23 AM, Livia Albeck-Ripka, 138952K] reports Tropical Storm Chantal dumped up to 10 inches of rain in parts of North Carolina on Sunday, bringing significant flooding that inundated homes, closed roads, stranded drivers and threatened to push rivers to near historic levels. The worst impacts of the storm were felt in the central part of the state, where tens of thousands of people were without power, emergency responders rescued people trapped in their vehicles, and at least two tornadoes were confirmed, the authorities said. As of early Monday, no fatalities or injuries had been reported. Forecasters said the storm, which made landfall early on Sunday in South Carolina before moving inland as a tropical depression, was expected to continue to move northeast toward Southern Maryland and possibly as far as New Jersey. “While things will improve across North Carolina, they may worsen for areas further to the northeast,” said Frank Pereira, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “We’re advising people not to go out and travel unless absolutely necessary,” he said. In central North Carolina, the storm downed trees and power lines and inundated roads, trapping several drivers who had to be rescued, according to local authorities. Footage posted to social media appeared to show cars in the town of Chapel Hill, southwest of Durham, half submerged by floodwaters. About 60 miles south, in Southern Pines, N.C., a private dam broke, contributing to the flooding, said Mike Cameron, the assistant town manager and fire chief. He said emergency responders had rescued three people trapped in vehicles. Though the storm has slowed, forecasters said that it could still dump large amounts of rain along its path, leading to flash flooding. Flash flooding can occur well inland and away from the storm’s center. Even weaker storms can produce excessive rainfall that can flood low-lying areas. As of early Sunday morning, parts of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania remained under flood warnings or watches. The greatest risk of flooding was in urban areas, said Mr. Pereira, the meteorologist. There was also the potential for heavy surf and rip currents along much of the east coast, he said.

Axios [7/7/2025 1:22 AM, Rebecca Falconer, 13599K] reports Tropical Depression Chantal was bringing flooding rains and multiple tornadoes to central North Carolina over Sunday night, prompting Orange and Moore counties to declare states of emergencies. Chantal was threatening communities inland after making landfall as a tropical storm along the coast of the Carolinas on Sunday morning, with the National Weather Service noting that thunderstorms associated with the depression were producing "very heavy rainfall" across central and eastern N.C. and into southern Virginia. "A Slight Risk of Excessive Rainfall remains in effect for this region as very heavy rainfall totals of 4-6", possibly higher, will bring the threat of scattered instances of flash flooding," per the NWS’ forecast discussion. Chantal "brought wind gusts of up to 56 mph and over 5 inches of rain to portions of the coastal Carolinas" Sunday morning after forming as a tropical storm a day earlier, the NWS’ Wilmington, N.C., office noted on X. "A pre-dawn tornado in Wilmington produced winds estimated near 70 mph," the office said. Moore and Orange counties declared states of emergency due to the storm’s flooding rains on Sunday. A voluntary evacuation order was issued for some communities "due to the possibility of Lake Michael Dam failure," Orange County Emergency Services said on Facebook. "Additional rainfall is expected overnight. Please stay off the roads," the county said in another Facebook post. The Town of Southern Pines in Moore County said in an online post that estimates from the "intense, fast-moving rainfall" were as high as 7-8", but the town’s infrastructure had "performed exceptionally well with little to no impact" on services. Nearly 37,000 customers were without power in North Carolina on Monday morning, the vast majority in Orange County, per utility tracker poweroutage.us. Studies show climate change is altering the frequency and severity of extreme precipitation events that lead to flooding. "Chantal is expected to continue northward Monday bringing thunderstorm chances deeper into the southern Mid-Atlantic, where heavy downpours and isolated flash flooding can be expected," per the NWS.

NPR [7/7/2025 5:05 AM, Steve Futterman, 37958K] reports in January, the deadly Eton Fire destroyed thousands of homes in Altadena, Calif. What challenges do homeowners and other residents in one small neighborhood continue to face? [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

FOX News [7/6/2025 9:53 PM, Greg Wehner, 46878K] reports fighter jets intercepted at least three aircraft on Sunday, which violated temporary flight restriction (TFR) airspace over Bedminster, New Jersey, where President Trump was spending the holiday weekend, according to North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). With one aircraft being intercepted in the morning, and two others being intercepted later in the day, NORAD said there were a total of 11 unauthorized aircraft incursions in the TFR airspace over the weekend. At about 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, a civilian plane violated the TFR and was safely escorted out of the area by a NORAD aircraft. "NORAD and the [Federal Aviation Administration] aim to keep the skies over America safe, with close attention paid to areas with Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) to ensure flight safety, national security, and the security of the President," Gen. Gregory Guillot, Commander, NORAD and US Northern Command said. "TFR procedures are mandatory, and the excessive number of TFR violations this weekend indicates some civil aviators are not reading Notice to Airmen, or NOTAMs, before each flight as required by the FAA.” Guillot said the NORAD armed fighter jets intercept and guide offending aircraft out of the TFR. "Should the pilot of an aircraft happen to find itself intercepted by either fighters or helicopters, they should immediately come up on frequency 121.5 or 243.0 and turn around to reverse course until receiving additional instructions on one of those frequencies," Guillot added. In another instance on Saturday, an aircraft was safely escorted out of the TFR airspace just before 2:40 p.m., after a standard "headbutt" maneuver was used to get the pilot’s attention. The maneuver involves a military jet flying directly in front of a civilian aircraft at a close but safe distance to visually signal the pilot to either follow or change course. Officials warned private pilots to do their homework before takeoff. "It is critically important for North American flight safety that Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) violations are avoided," NORAD said in a message to pilots. "All pilots must familiarize themselves with updates to restricted airspace, including reviewing new and existing FAA NOTAMs [Notice to Airmen] that impact their flight plans and activities. Adhering to FAA restricted airspace protocols is mandatory, regardless of geographical region, airframe, or aircrew.” [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reported similarly:
New York Post [7/6/2025 2:22 PM, Alex Oliveira, 49956K]

MarineLink [7/6/2025 8:44 PM, Staff, 108K] reports the U.S. Coast Guard welcomed the nearly $25 billion investment included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Friday — marking the largest single commitment of funding in service history. The investment strengthens every facet of Coast Guard operations and supports the Service’s role as the Nation’s leading drug interdiction and maritime border security force. It will allow the Coast Guard to procure an estimated 17 new icebreakers, 21 new cutters, over 40 helicopters and six C-130J aircraft while modernizing shore infrastructure and maritime surveillance systems. The package also strengthens the Coast Guard’s ability to counter drug and human trafficking, conduct search and rescue, enhance navigational safety and enable maritime trade. “This historic investment marks a new era for the Coast Guard,” said Coast Guard Acting Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday. “It reflects the strong support of the American people and empowers us to restore our service and prepare for the challenges of today and tomorrow. With this level of support, and the dedication of our Coast Guard men and women, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish. We are deeply grateful for this opportunity to build a stronger Coast Guard for the nation.”

Breitbart [7/6/2025 12:54 PM, Amy Furr, 3077K] reports a member of the U.S. Coast Guard is being hailed a hero for saving lives during his first rescue mission in the aftermath of the deadly Texas floods. In a social media post Saturday, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said, "United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petty Officer Scott Ruskin, directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas.” "This was the first rescue mission of his career and he was the only triage coordinator at the scene. Scott Ruskin is an American hero. His selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the @USCG," she added. The news of Ruskin’s heroism and lives being saved comes as the death toll climbed to 51 late Saturday as authorities were still searching for more than 20 girls who went missing when the storms and flooding hit on the Fourth of July, per Breitbart News. "The flooding occurred Friday morning in a popular children’s camp area near Kerrville, Texas, and killed at least 15 children, officials stated," the outlet said. When speaking of officials’ efforts to find the missing people, U.S. Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) told Breitbart News, "We remain hopeful. There’s been a few stories of kids that made it. A young woman survived on a mattress, floating on the water for a while. Some other rescue stories out of trees.”

Axios [7/6/2025 8:30 AM, Brittany Gibson, 13599K] reports mass surveillance. Pre-emptive military strikes in the Middle East. Shipping people to domestic and foreign prisons. Citing national security to hide information from the courts. Labeling people as "terrorists" as a political and legal strategy. Donald Trump became president in part by running against the legacy of George W. Bush, the last Republican in the White House before him. But now Trump is supercharging many of the post-9/11 legal, tactical and political strategies Bush used. Trump’s push to deport "millions" of unauthorized immigrants and his strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in particular have many parallels to Bush’s "War on Terror." Trump’s sending unauthorized immigrants to high-security prisons in the U.S. and abroad — sometimes denying them due process. Bush sent alleged terrorists — including undocumented people in the U.S. — to prisons around the world and the U.S. military facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Trump administration is now using "Gitmo" for detainees it says have criminal histories. Trump preemptively, and unilaterally, attacked Iran with 14 bunker-buster bombs and launched missiles at an Iranian-backed proxy group in Yemen, killing dozens. He said he ordered the first attack out of concern Iran was close to gaining a nuclear weapon. Bush used a similar rationale for invading Iraq, though unlike Trump he got Congress’ approval beforehand.

NewsMax [7/6/2025 10:33 AM, Jim Mishler, 4622K] reports parallels are being drawn between President Donald Trump’s strategies and former President George W. Bush’s "War on Terror" following the 9/11 attack on the U.S. Axios reported the similarities include ordering pre-emptive military strikes against overseas foes, sending detained people to prisons outside the U.S., stamping people with a label of "terrorist" as a combined legal and political strategy, and relying on national security designations to withhold information from courts. The report reviewed former Bush’s sending people detained by the government to the U.S. Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba and other sites around the world. Trump has done the same thing and to a greater extent. The Brookings Institute outlined the Bush "strike first" approach to battling terrorists after 9/11. Trump recently ordered a pre-emptive strike against Iran. Bush increased the use of technology to gather information and boost surveillance on a global scale to locate and track terrorists. Some of that was connected with the Patriot Act. Trump has done the same but some analysts say with a wider approach, especially when it comes to handling illegal immigration. The Trump administration recently entered into a new contract with defense supplier Palantir to develop an integrated system for the government to track deportations.

New York Post [7/6/2025 2:38 PM, Zoe Hussain, 49956K] reports two teenage boys were killed and five others were injured in a late-night mass shooting near downtown Indianapolis, according to authorities. Cops heard gunfire as they rushed to the scene near Washington and Meridan Street just before 1:30 a.m. Saturday, after reports of a disturbance, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. A 16-year-old boy was found shot and killed on the scene. Another gunfire victim, a 15-year-old boy, died later at the hospital, cops said. Five others were wounded and transported to the hospital alongside the teen, who later died. The remaining survivors have been identified as a 16-year-old, a 17-year-old, two 19-year-olds, and a 21-year-old, according to police. Officers recovered several guns at the scene and detained seven people for questioning over the mass shooting. No arrests have been made, and police have not identified a motive.

Chicago Tribune [7/6/2025 7:29 PM, Sam Charles, 3987K] reports that, as the Fourth of July holiday weekend drew to a close, several dozen people gathered Sunday for a rally and march in River North to decry a recent spate of mass shootings, including one that left four dead and 14 wounded last week. About 40 people attended the rally in Washington Square Park, where organizers urged support for victims of gunfire and their families. "Too many of us know the pain and grief that comes from our loved ones being taken from this Earth or harmed," Whitney Jean, of the Black Youth Project 100, told attendees. "We want to extend our love to the Artis community, Mello (Buckzz) and those that are closest to this tragedy.” The city has recorded at least three mass shootings in the last week: One in River North, another in Riverdale and a third over the weekend in the Back of the Yards, according to CPD. "What happened in Chicago these past couple weeks has been crazy, to say the least," Alvin Anthony, a field organizer with Chicago Votes, which hosted the rally, told those gathered. "We’re supposed to be coming together, enjoying the holiday … We have folks out killing each other.” "We need to come together and hold our own selves accountable," Anthony added. "I feel like, in our community, we need to stop glorifying violence.” After the rally, the group marched about a mile through River North. A prayer and moment of silence were held at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Wells Street, about a block east from where one of the largest shootings in recent memory unfolded late last Thursday. Around 11 p.m. that night, bursts of gunfire claimed four lives and left 14 other people injured as they stood on the sidewalk in the 300 block of West Chicago Avenue. Attendees had gathered to celebrate the release of an album by Chicago drill rapper Mello Buckzz, whose legal name is Melanie Doyle. The medical examiner’s office last week identified the four dead as Leon Andrew Henry, 25, Devonte Williamson, 23, Aviance King, 27, and Taylor Walker, 26. The victims were shot as they stood outside the venue — the recently opened restaurant and community space Artis — which was rented out for the party. The shooting was among the city’s worst in recent years and served as a warning that even though violent crime has fallen in recent years, gun violence — especially that fueled by rivalries on Chicago’s splintered gang landscape — remains stubbornly persistent. "Shootings like these are a tragic reminder of how far we still have to go as a city," Mayor Brandon Johnson said during a news conference last Thursday, calling the incident a cowardly "act of hate.”

Yahoo News [7/6/2025 10:05 PM, Thomas Clouse and Alexandra Duggan, 59943K] reports smoke rose from the mountain, but the radio calls met with silence. Canfield Mountain, an iconic baby peak on the east side of Coeur d’Alene that is visible from Spokane, is known, according to firefighters, for having particularly bad radio reception. It’s why when three firefighters never responded to initial radio calls in the early afternoon of June 29, it didn’t raise an iota of concern. The crews had earlier driven a brush truck up to investigate the source of a reported wildfire just above Canfield’s upper parking lot. Still lacking a response, a battalion chief from Northern Lakes Fire District drove up to the crews to physically make contact and find out what they had learned about the source of the fire. Instead, he entered a killing field. "SEND LAW ENFORCMENT RIGHT NOW. THERE’S AN ACTIVE SHOOTER ZONE," the battalion chief screamed into his mic. "EVERYBODY’S SHOT UP HERE. LAW ENFORCEMENT, CODE 3 NOW UP HERE." By this point, it’s believed the shooter, later identified as 20-year-old Wess Roley, had already killed 52-year-old Coeur d’Alene Fire Battalion Chief John Morrison and 42-year-old Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. Coeur d’Alene Fire engineer David Tysdal, 47, suffered two shotgun wounds to the chest. He remained in his vehicle as the Northern Lakes battalion chief hid behind a fire rig and used his radio to let the world know their crews were being ambushed by gunfire. In the week following the shocking killings, The Spokesman-Review pieced together a detailed chronological timeline of the attacks using law enforcement interviews and dispatch records.

NPR [7/6/2025 8:56 AM, Ayesha Rascoe, 37958K] Audio: HERE reports NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Duke University professor Tim Meyer about the looming deadline for international trade deals to be worked out and what’s been accomplished thus far.

Bloomberg [7/7/2025 1:02 AM, Gian Volpicelli, 19320K] reports work by EU officials continued over the weekend to try and secure a trade deal with the US as the July 9 deadline nears. Emboldened by his recent economic policy victory in Congress, President Donald Trump said he “signed some letters” warning governments of the impending tariffs, which will “go out on Monday.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added that countries receiving letters will face the most extreme US tariffs — some, including those targeting the EU, as high as 50% — starting Aug. 1. Last week, member states briefed on the status of negotiations were told that a technical agreement in principle was close, while some EU carmakers and capitals were pushing for a deal that would bring tariff relief in return for increased investment in the US. As the recent Canadian experience showed, surprises can never be completely ruled out. China announced on Sunday it would impose reciprocal curbs on EU medical devices. EU-based companies will be excluded from Chinese government procurement for equipment with a value of more than 45 million yuan (€5.35 million), while goods made by EU-funded companies in China are not impacted. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will face a confidence vote in the European Parliament on Thursday. She is likely to coast to victory — most political groups back her — but the challenge shows lasting discontent over her secret texts with Pfizer’s boss while negotiating Covid-19 vaccine deals. The euro can’t quickly supplant the dollar as the anchor of the world’s financial system, given that countries using it are not sufficiently financially and economically integrated, ECB Governing Council member Gabriel Makhlouf said. The Central Bank of Ireland Governor said dollar dominance will dwindle over time, but for now Europe lacks a single fiscal capacity of a safe asset. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he was hoping for US “flexibility” so Ukraine has the resources to defend itself after Washington halted deliveries. On Friday, Rutte told reporters that the US should make sure its stockpiles are adequate as that is “crucial for our collective defense.”

The Hill [7/6/2025 11:18 PM, Sarah Fortinsky, 2100K] reports President Trump threatened to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on countries “aligning” themselves with the BRICS bloc of developing nations. “Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Sunday evening. The threat comes after members of the BRICS group issued a declaration on Sunday condemning the U.S. increase in tariffs, as well as the strikes on Iran — all without mentioning Trump by name. The group’s statement raised “serious concerns” tariffs, saying they are “inconsistent with WTO (World Trade Organization) rules” and threaten to “reduce global trade, disrupt global supply chains, and introduce uncertainty.” The group also criticized NATO’s decision to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035 — a decision prompted by Trump’s insistence that Europe shoulder more of the alliance’s defense burden.

Breitbart [7/6/2025 8:25 PM, Joshua Klein, 3077K] reports that, before boarding his flight to Washington, DC, on Sunday for a meeting with President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel stands at a historic turning point — ready to "expand the circle of peace far beyond what we could have imagined.” On the tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport, Netanyahu described the trip as both strategic and symbolic, aimed at solidifying Israel’s recent battlefield victories and accelerating a new diplomatic momentum. "We have already transformed the Middle East beyond recognition, and we now have a chance to bring a great future to the state of Israel, the people of Israel and the entire Middle East," he said. Netanyahu emphasized his intent to personally thank President Trump for his "strong support" during Israel’s 12-day war against "our mutual enemy," Iran — a campaign he called a "tremendous victory" made possible through close coordination with U.S. leadership. "Iran had set out the goal of destroying Israel. For years, we feared what we would do about Iran and whether we could overcome Iran," Netanyahu said. "Our heroic pilots have flown in the skies of Iran," he added, praising the efforts of the IDF, Mossad, and the entire security establishment. Netanyahu also highlighted Israel’s broader military campaign across the region, pointing to successful operations that crippled Hezbollah’s infrastructure in Lebanon and delivered punishing blows to Hamas in Gaza. These fronts, he noted, had posed long-standing threats to national security — threats that the IDF, backed by intelligence services and the wider security apparatus, was decisively overcoming. Acknowledging that these successes bring new challenges, Netanyahu underscored the need to preserve Israel’s advantage and remain vigilant. "This creates great responsibility and opportunities," he said, stressing Israel’s obligation "to preserve the achievement" and prevent Iran from renewing its nuclear weapons program. Turning to the Gaza front, Netanyahu acknowledged Israel’s substantial progress but underscored that the mission remains incomplete, with 205 of 255 hostages freed — 144 alive, 30 fallen, and 20 still held — and expressed his determination to bring every one of them home. Netanyahu made clear that Israel will not accept any ceasefire or hostage agreement that allows Hamas to retain control in Gaza. He emphasized that the security of Israeli citizens demands a complete break from the pattern of violence that has plagued the region — no more kidnappings, no more executions, no more invasions. He said the only acceptable outcome is the total removal of Hamas’s ability to operate, both militarily and politically. Gaza, he stressed, must no longer be a launching pad for terror. "Hamas will not be there.”

FOX News [7/6/2025 9:27 AM, Danielle Wallace, 46878K] reports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that he had a "very important and productive" phone call with President Donald Trump. The two leaders discussed how Ukrainian air defenses might be strengthened, possible joint weapons production between the U.S. and Ukraine, and broader U.S-led efforts to end the war with Russia, according to a statement by Zelenskyy. "I had a very important and fruitful conversation with @POTUS," Zelenskyy wrote on X. "I congratulated President Trump and the entire American people on the US Independence Day. We - in Ukraine - are grateful for all the support provided. It helps us protect lives, safeguard our freedom and independence. We have achieved a lot together with America and we support all efforts to stop the killings and restore just, lasting, and dignified peace. A noble agreement for peace is needed.” Zelenskyy said he and Trump "discussed the current situation, including Russian airstrikes and the broader frontline developments.” "President Trump is very well informed, and I thank him for his attention to Ukraine," he continued. "We spoke about opportunities in air defense and agreed that we will work together to strengthen protection of our skies. We have also agreed to a meeting between our teams. We had a detailed conversation about defense industry capabilities and joint production. We are ready for direct projects with the United States and believe this is critically important for security, especially when it comes to drones and related technologies. We also touched on mutual procurement and investment. Finally, we exchanged views on the diplomatic situation and joint work with the U.S. and other partners.” Asked by reporters aboard Air Force One late Friday, Trump said he and Zelenskyy had "a very good call, I think a very strategic call.” "Well, we’ve been helping them, and we’ll continue to help them," Trump said of the Ukrainians. "It’s a pretty tough situation. We’ll see what happens. I told you I was very unhappy with my call with President Putin. And it just seems like he wants to go all the way and just keep killing people. No good. It’s not good. I was unhappy with him.” When asked if the U.S. would sell more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, Trump said, "Yeah, we might. We’re looking at it.” "They need them for defense. I don’t want to see people killed. They’re going to need them for defense. They’re amazingly effective," Trump said. "They’re going to need something because they’re being hit pretty hard.”

FOX News [7/6/2025 12:47 PM, Bailee Hill, 46878K] reports U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker argued Iran is at a "decision point" following its war with Israel and U.S. airstrikes on its nuclear program — all while U.S. officials remain on high alert for sleeper cell concerns. Whitaker urged Iran to seek peace during "Sunday Morning Futures," while noting that the U.S. is still dealing with the implications of an open border – and the national security implications of it – from the Biden administration. "It’s obviously a very dangerous world, Jason," Whitaker told Fox News’ Jason Chaffetz on Sunday. "I think… President Trump, as a peacemaker, has made it safer, but at the same time, we’re still dealing with a lot of the consequences of four years of Joe Biden, including a porous border, where not only did we have, as Tom Homan points out, over 1,200 Iranian nationals that came into our country that we know of, but you had over a million known gotaways that we have no idea who they are, where they went, and that’s a real challenge.” "But, at the same time, you know, President Trump has been very clear about his policy towards Iran, that they cannot have a nuclear weapon," he added. "And they’re at a decision point. They should move forward and seek peace.” Over 1,500 Iranian nationals who illegally entered the U.S. at the southern border were arrested during the Biden administration, and nearly 50% of them were released back into the country, according to a senior U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) source last month. More specifically, Border Patrol agents arrested 1,504 Iranian nationals from fiscal year 2021 through fiscal year 2024. Of the 1,504 individuals who were arrested, 729 were released into the United States. Meanwhile, just hours after Trump addressed the nation about U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, DHS released a new memo sounding the alarm on a "heightened threat environment in the United States.” The bulletin from the National Terrorism Advisory System did not cite any specific threats but comes as Iranian officials have threatened retaliation. "It is our duty to keep the nation safe and informed, especially during times of conflict," the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "The ongoing Israel-Iran conflict brings the possibility of increased threat to the homeland in the form of possible cyberattacks, acts of violence, and antisemitic hate crimes.”

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