KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-flooding-girls-missing-camp-mystic-395992e236e35c4486f9a6a97eed7704">Flash floods</a>&nbsp;in Texas killed more than 100 people over the Fourth of July holiday weekend and left others still missing, including girls attending a summer camp. The devastation along the Guadalupe River, outside of San Antonio, has drawn a massive search effort as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-hill-country-weather-warnings-238d4325bb58f0b410015f74684738b6">officials face questions</a>&nbsp;over their preparedness and the speed of their initial actions.

Here's what to know about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/flood-deaths-flash-flooding-weather-408b11abe0389f38c93d8722b9d15dd0">deadly flooding</a>, the colossal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/flash-flood-warning-watch-texas-986af31b0402a7a721fd9cc275622457">weather system</a>&nbsp;that drove it in and around Kerr County and ongoing efforts to identify victims.

Massive rain hit at just the wrong time, in a flood-prone place

The floods grew to their worst at the midpoint of a long holiday weekend when many people were asleep.

The Texas Hill Country in the central part of the state is naturally prone to flash flooding due to the dry dirt-packed areas where the soil lets rain skid along the surface of the landscape instead of soaking it up. 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&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-hill-country-weather-warnings-238d4325bb58f0b410015f74684738b6">Kerrville City</a>&nbsp;area say water levels were getting alarmingly high. The massive rain flowing down hills sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-flooding-girls-missing-camp-mystic-395992e236e35c4486f9a6a97eed7704">rushing water</a>&nbsp;into the Guadalupe River, causing it to rise 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes.

Death toll is expected to rise and the number of missing is uncertain

In Kerr County, home to youth camps in the Texas Hill Country, searchers have found the bodies of 84 people, including 28 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said Monday afternoon. Fatalities in nearby counties brought the total number of deaths as of Monday afternoon to at least 104.

Ten girls and a counselor were still unaccounted for at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river.

For past campers, the tragedy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-flooding-girls-missing-camp-mystic-395992e236e35c4486f9a6a97eed7704">turned happy memories into grief</a>.

Beyond the Camp Mystic campers unaccounted for, the number of missing from other nearby campgrounds and across the region had not been released.

Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday had said that there were 41 people confirmed to be unaccounted for across the state and more could be missing.

Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said Monday he couldn't give an estimate of the number of people still missing, saying only “it is a lot.”

Search-and-rescue crews at one staging area Monday said over 1,000 volunteers had been directed to Kerr County.

Officials face scrutiny over flash flood warnings

Survivors have described the floods as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thunderstorms-texas-deaths-camp-mystic-trees-hail-e8a4c85c77f714c9a974e50f3cd1fca1">“pitch black wall of death”</a>&nbsp;and said they received no emergency warnings.

Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, who lives along the Guadalupe River, said Saturday that “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-hill-country-weather-warnings-238d4325bb58f0b410015f74684738b6">nobody saw this coming</a>.” Officials have referred to it as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/100-year-flood-frequency-probability-weather-climate-1441437964b77de38e4e590c3c0698e0">“100-year-flood,” meaning</a>&nbsp;that the water levels were highly unlikely based on the historical record.

Local officials have known for decades, however, that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-kerr-county-warnings-31c4e493e9f1b6d0406df310e74d3f98">flooding posed serious a risk</a>&nbsp;in the region, and a county government report last year warned the threat was worsening.

Officials also determined that another flood was likely in the next year and that “future worst-case flood events” could be more severe than those of the past, according to the report.

Additionally, officials have come under scrutiny about why residents and youth summer camps along the river were not alerted sooner than 4 a.m. or told to evacuate.

Rice said Monday that he did not immediately know if there had been any communication between law enforcement and the summer camps between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Friday. But Rice said various factors, including spotty cell service in some of the more isolated areas of Kerr County and cell towers that might have gone out of service during the weather, could have hindered communication.

Rice said officials want to finish the search and rescue and then review possible issues with cell towers, radios and emergency alerts.

Officials noted that the public can grow weary from too many flooding alerts or forecasts that turn out to be minor.

Kerr county officials said they had presented a proposal for a more robust flood warning system, similar to a tornado warning system, but that members of the public&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-hill-country-weather-warnings-238d4325bb58f0b410015f74684738b6">reeled at the cost</a>.

Monumental clearing and rebuilding effort

The flash floods have erased campgrounds and torn homes from their foundations.

"It’s going to be a long time before we’re ever able to clean it up, much less rebuild it," Kelly said Saturday after surveying the destruction from a helicopter.

Other massive flooding events have driven residents and business owners to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chimney-rock-north-carolina-hurricane-helene-recovery-ca0ed639d426a378eea9fe401c8175b7">give up</a>, including in areas struck last year by Hurricane Helene.

President Donald Trump said he plans to visit the flood zone Friday.

AP photographers have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/texas-flooding-girls-missing-camp-mystic-0660f32c82ab7170372a35ee6aaad34b">captured the scale of the destruction</a>, and one of Texas' largest rescue and recover efforts.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751926534630.jpeg" alt="PHoto Texas National Guard" />
                        <figcaption>PHoto Texas National Guard</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-flooding-girls-missing-camp-mystic-395992e236e35c4486f9a6a97eed7704">Flash floods</a>&nbsp;in Texas killed more than 100 people over the Fourth of July holiday weekend and left others still missing, including girls attending a summer camp. The devastation along the Guadalupe River, outside of San Antonio, has drawn a massive search effort as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-hill-country-weather-warnings-238d4325bb58f0b410015f74684738b6">officials face questions</a>&nbsp;over their preparedness and the speed of their initial actions.</p><p>Here's what to know about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/flood-deaths-flash-flooding-weather-408b11abe0389f38c93d8722b9d15dd0">deadly flooding</a>, the colossal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/flash-flood-warning-watch-texas-986af31b0402a7a721fd9cc275622457">weather system</a>&nbsp;that drove it in and around Kerr County and ongoing efforts to identify victims.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751926519213.png" alt="Photo Texas National Guard" />
                        <figcaption>Photo Texas National Guard</figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>Massive rain hit at just the wrong time, in a flood-prone place</h2><p>The floods grew to their worst at the midpoint of a long holiday weekend when many people were asleep.</p><p>The Texas Hill Country in the central part of the state is naturally prone to flash flooding due to the dry dirt-packed areas where the soil lets rain skid along the surface of the landscape instead of soaking it up. 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.</p><p>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&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-hill-country-weather-warnings-238d4325bb58f0b410015f74684738b6">Kerrville City</a>&nbsp;area say water levels were getting alarmingly high. The massive rain flowing down hills sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-flooding-girls-missing-camp-mystic-395992e236e35c4486f9a6a97eed7704">rushing water</a>&nbsp;into the Guadalupe River, causing it to rise 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes.</p><h2>Death toll is expected to rise and the number of missing is uncertain</h2><p>In Kerr County, home to youth camps in the Texas Hill Country, searchers have found the bodies of 84 people, including 28 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said Monday afternoon. Fatalities in nearby counties brought the total number of deaths as of Monday afternoon to at least 104.</p><p>Ten girls and a counselor were still unaccounted for at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river.</p><p>For past campers, the tragedy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-flooding-girls-missing-camp-mystic-395992e236e35c4486f9a6a97eed7704">turned happy memories into grief</a>.</p><p>Beyond the Camp Mystic campers unaccounted for, the number of missing from other nearby campgrounds and across the region had not been released.</p><p>Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday had said that there were 41 people confirmed to be unaccounted for across the state and more could be missing.</p><p>Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said Monday he couldn't give an estimate of the number of people still missing, saying only “it is a lot.”</p><p>Search-and-rescue crews at one staging area Monday said over 1,000 volunteers had been directed to Kerr County.</p><h2>Officials face scrutiny over flash flood warnings</h2><p>Survivors have described the floods as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thunderstorms-texas-deaths-camp-mystic-trees-hail-e8a4c85c77f714c9a974e50f3cd1fca1">“pitch black wall of death”</a>&nbsp;and said they received no emergency warnings.</p><p>Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, who lives along the Guadalupe River, said Saturday that “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-hill-country-weather-warnings-238d4325bb58f0b410015f74684738b6">nobody saw this coming</a>.” Officials have referred to it as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/100-year-flood-frequency-probability-weather-climate-1441437964b77de38e4e590c3c0698e0">“100-year-flood,” meaning</a>&nbsp;that the water levels were highly unlikely based on the historical record.</p><p>Local officials have known for decades, however, that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-kerr-county-warnings-31c4e493e9f1b6d0406df310e74d3f98">flooding posed serious a risk</a>&nbsp;in the region, and a county government report last year warned the threat was worsening.</p><p>Officials also determined that another flood was likely in the next year and that “future worst-case flood events” could be more severe than those of the past, according to the report.</p><p>Additionally, officials have come under scrutiny about why residents and youth summer camps along the river were not alerted sooner than 4 a.m. or told to evacuate.</p><p>Rice said Monday that he did not immediately know if there had been any communication between law enforcement and the summer camps between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Friday. But Rice said various factors, including spotty cell service in some of the more isolated areas of Kerr County and cell towers that might have gone out of service during the weather, could have hindered communication.</p><p>Rice said officials want to finish the search and rescue and then review possible issues with cell towers, radios and emergency alerts.</p><p>Officials noted that the public can grow weary from too many flooding alerts or forecasts that turn out to be minor.</p><p>Kerr county officials said they had presented a proposal for a more robust flood warning system, similar to a tornado warning system, but that members of the public&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-hill-country-weather-warnings-238d4325bb58f0b410015f74684738b6">reeled at the cost</a>.</p><h2>Monumental clearing and rebuilding effort</h2><p>The flash floods have erased campgrounds and torn homes from their foundations.</p><p>"It’s going to be a long time before we’re ever able to clean it up, much less rebuild it," Kelly said Saturday after surveying the destruction from a helicopter.</p><p>Other massive flooding events have driven residents and business owners to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chimney-rock-north-carolina-hurricane-helene-recovery-ca0ed639d426a378eea9fe401c8175b7">give up</a>, including in areas struck last year by Hurricane Helene.</p><p>President Donald Trump said he plans to visit the flood zone Friday.</p><p>AP photographers have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/texas-flooding-girls-missing-camp-mystic-0660f32c82ab7170372a35ee6aaad34b">captured the scale of the destruction</a>, and one of Texas' largest rescue and recover efforts.</p>

Texas flood: Death toll grows; number of missing is uncertain

JOHNSON COUNTY—A Kansas woman is facing numerous charges of identity theft, forgery and mistreatment of an elder person for an alleged scheme involving a women's care center.

On July 2, Wendy Hopkins, 54, was charged with 48 counts, including identity theft, computer crime, theft, forgery and mistreatment of an elder person, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's Office.

The district attorney's office asks patients of Rockhill Women's Care who experienced financial fraud between September 2022 and November 2023 contact law enforcement.

Hopkins is being held on a $500,000 bond.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751546144501.png" alt="Hopkins photo Johnson County" />
                        <figcaption>Hopkins photo Johnson County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>JOHNSON COUNTY—A Kansas woman is facing numerous charges of identity theft, forgery and mistreatment of an elder person for an alleged scheme involving a women's care center.</p><p>On July 2, Wendy Hopkins, 54, was charged with 48 counts, including identity theft, computer crime, theft, forgery and mistreatment of an elder person, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's Office.</p><p>The district attorney's office asks patients of Rockhill Women's Care who experienced financial fraud between September 2022 and November 2023 contact law enforcement.</p><p>Hopkins is being held on a $500,000 bond.</p>

Kansas woman charged with 48 counts of ID theft

WASHINGTON (AP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and gave him a&nbsp; copy of the nominating letter during a dinner at the White House Monday evening.

The honor was “well-deserved,” Netanyahu told Trump.

Trump has long called himself a master peacemaker and made clear his desire for the Nobel Prize. Trump, speaking in front of reporters, said the nomination was news to him.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751933748288.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
                        <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and gave him a&nbsp; copy of the nominating letter during a dinner at the White House Monday evening.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presents President Trump with a letter nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize <a href="https://t.co/JUzpU2ZPYz">pic.twitter.com/JUzpU2ZPYz</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1942366276329914397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The honor was “well-deserved,” Netanyahu told Trump.</p><p>Trump has long called himself a master peacemaker and made clear his desire for the Nobel Prize. Trump, speaking in front of reporters, said the nomination was news to him.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump hosts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for dinner at the White House.<br><br>Prime Minister Netanyahu presents President Trump with a letter he sent to the Nobel Prize Committee nominating President Trump for the Noble Peace Prize. <a href="https://t.co/1vOpAxCUk7">pic.twitter.com/1vOpAxCUk7</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1942391084673294406?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Surprise: Israeli PM nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize 

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after police chase. 

Just after 2a.m. July 4, a sheriff's deputy located a stolen silver 2024 Toyota Tacoma in the 1600 block of SE 29th Street, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

 The deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The driver refused to stop and initiated a pursuit. The vehicle pursuit ended near SE Michigan Avenue and SE Morrison Street when the occupants ran from the pickup.

&nbsp;Multiple officers searched the area, a K-9 Unit with the Topeka Police Department began tracking and a drone was quickly deployed. The driver was located nearby.

David R. Amos Jr., 27, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges Possession of stolen property, Flee or attempt to elude, Interference with law enforcement, Distribution of an opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant,&nbsp;&nbsp;Reckless driving, Operating a motor vehicle without a valid license, Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body and Vehicles; display plate not assigned

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751919179168.png" alt="Amos photo Shawnee Co." />
                        <figcaption>Amos photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after police chase. </p><p>Just after 2a.m. July 4, a sheriff's deputy located a stolen silver 2024 Toyota Tacoma in the 1600 block of SE 29th Street, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.</p><p> The deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The driver refused to stop and initiated a pursuit. The vehicle pursuit ended near SE Michigan Avenue and SE Morrison Street when the occupants ran from the pickup.</p><p>&nbsp;Multiple officers searched the area, a K-9 Unit with the Topeka Police Department began tracking and a drone was quickly deployed. The driver was located nearby.</p><p>David R. Amos Jr., 27, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges Possession of stolen property, Flee or attempt to elude, Interference with law enforcement, Distribution of an opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant,&nbsp;&nbsp;Reckless driving, Operating a motor vehicle without a valid license, Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body and Vehicles; display plate not assigned</p>

Sheriff: Kansas suspect in stolen pickup ran from traffic stop

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein</a>&nbsp;did not maintain a “client list,” the Justice Department acknowledged Monday as it said no more files related to the wealthy financier's sex trafficking investigation would be made public&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-files-pam-bondi-trump-1a6af3e9fa1cfb6d267985a971a4929a">despite promises from Attorney General Pam Bondi</a>&nbsp;that had raised the expectations of conservative influencers and conspiracy theorists.

The acknowledgment that the well-connected Epstein did not have a list of clients to whom underage girls were trafficked represents a public walk-back of a theory that the Trump administration had helped promote, with Bondi suggesting in a Fox News interview earlier this year that such a document was “sitting on my desk” for review.

Even as it released video from inside a New York jail&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">meant to definitively prove that Epstein killed himself</a>, the department also said in a memo that it was refusing to disclose other evidence investigators had collected. Bondi for weeks had suggested more material was going to be revealed — "It’s a new administration and everything is going to come out to the public,” she said at one point — after a first document dump she had hyped angered President Donald Trump's base by failing to deliver revelations.

That episode, in which far-right influencers were invited to the White House in February and provided with binders marked “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” and “Declassified" that contained documents that had largely already been in the public domain, has spurred conservative internet personalities to sharply criticize Bondi.

After the first release fell flat, Bondi said officials were poring over a “truckload” of previously withheld evidence she said had been handed over by the FBI. In a March TV interview, she claimed the Biden administration “sat on these documents, no one did anything with them,” adding: “Sadly these people don’t believe in transparency, but I think more unfortunately, I think a lot of them don’t believe in honesty.”

But after a months-long review of evidence in the government's possession, the Justice Department determined that no “further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted,” the memo says. The department noted that much of the material was placed under seal by a court to protect victims and “only a fraction" of it “would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial.”

“One of our highest priorities is combatting child exploitation and bringing justice to victims," the memo says. "Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither of those ends."

The two-page memo bore the logos of the Justice Department and the FBI but was not signed by any individual official.

Conservatives who have sought proof of a government coverup of Epstein’s activities and death expressed outrage Monday over the department's position. Far-right influencer Jack Posobiec posted: “We were all told more was coming. That answers were out there and would be provided. Incredible how utterly mismanaged this Epstein mess has been. And it didn’t have to be.”

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones wrote that “next the DOJ will say ‘Actually, Jeffrey Epstein never even existed,'” calling it “over the top sickening.” Elon Musk shared a series of photos of a clown applying makeup appearing to mock Bondi for saying the client list doesn't exist after suggesting months ago that it was on her desk.

The client list hubbub began when Bondi was asked in a Fox News interview whether the department would release such a document.

She replied: “It's sitting on my desk right now to review.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Justice Department spokesperson Chad Gilmartin said Monday that Bondi was referring to the overall Epstein case files.

Among the evidence that the Justice Department said Monday it has in its possession, and will not be releasing, are images of Epstein, “images and videos of victims who are either minors or appear to be minors,” and more than 10,000 "downloaded videos and images of illegal child sex abuse material and other pornography.”

The memo does not explain when or the videos were located, who and what they depict and whether they were newly found as investigators scoured their collection of evidence or were known for some time to have been in the government’s possession.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-jeffrey-epstein-pam-bondi-trump-fa39193d5b5ff91970428bf077a5ce44">The Associated Press published a story last week</a>&nbsp;about unanswered questions surrounding possible video evidence after Bondi cited the existence of “tens of thousands” of videos that she said showed Epstein “with children or child porn.”

Multiple people who participated in the criminal cases of Epstein and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-sex-trafficking-conviction-2e090610b579c8313bea7c31174ae0c4">socialite former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell</a>&nbsp;told AP that they had not seen and did not know of a trove of recordings along the lines of what Bondi had referenced. Indictments and detention memos also don’t allege the existence of video recordings and neither Epstein nor Maxwell were charged with possession of child sex abuse material even though that would have been easier for prosecutors to prove than the sex trafficking counts they faced.

The AP did find reference in a filing in a civil lawsuit to the discovery by the Epstein estate of videos and pictures that could constitute child sex abuse material, but lawyers involved in that case said a protective order prevents them from discovering the specifics of that evidence and the Justice Department did not respond to a detailed list of questions from AP about the videos Bondi was referencing.

Epstein was found dead in his jail cell in August 2019, weeks after his arrest on sex trafficking charges, in a suicide that foreclosed the possibility of a trial.

The department’s disclosure that Epstein took his own life is hardly a revelation even though conspiracy theorists have continued to challenge that conclusion.

In November 2019, for instance,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-politics-new-york-business-suicides-4ff27f28f32d446795b65ac7dd8cc4ac">then-Attorney General William Barr told the AP</a>&nbsp;that he had reviewed security footage that revealed that no one entered the area where Epstein was housed on the night he died, and expressed confidence that Epstein's death was a suicide.

More recently,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-assassination-trump-fbi-conspiracies-aaeb07814bb8b6b3fe595f5b68e4163a">FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino</a>&nbsp;have insisted in television and podcast interviews that the evidence was clear that Epstein had killed himself.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740682539079.png" alt="Jack Posobiec hold up a binder with a cover titled "The Epstein Files: Phase 1" at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)" />
                        <figcaption>Jack Posobiec hold up a binder with a cover titled "The Epstein Files: Phase 1" at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein</a>&nbsp;did not maintain a “client list,” the Justice Department acknowledged Monday as it said no more files related to the wealthy financier's sex trafficking investigation would be made public&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-files-pam-bondi-trump-1a6af3e9fa1cfb6d267985a971a4929a">despite promises from Attorney General Pam Bondi</a>&nbsp;that had raised the expectations of conservative influencers and conspiracy theorists.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/pdoocy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pdoocy</a>: What happened to the Epstein client list that the Attorney General said she had on her desk?<br><br>.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a>: She was saying the entirety of all of the paper work all of the paper in relation to Jeffrey Epstein&#39;s crimes, that&#39;s what the Attorney General was referring to. <a href="https://t.co/tarThtKDCX">pic.twitter.com/tarThtKDCX</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1942280181890023756?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The acknowledgment that the well-connected Epstein did not have a list of clients to whom underage girls were trafficked represents a public walk-back of a theory that the Trump administration had helped promote, with Bondi suggesting in a Fox News interview earlier this year that such a document was “sitting on my desk” for review.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704330351229.png" alt="Jeffrey Epstein New York Sex Offender Registry" />
                        <figcaption>Jeffrey Epstein New York Sex Offender Registry</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Even as it released video from inside a New York jail&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">meant to definitively prove that Epstein killed himself</a>, the department also said in a memo that it was refusing to disclose other evidence investigators had collected. Bondi for weeks had suggested more material was going to be revealed — "It’s a new administration and everything is going to come out to the public,” she said at one point — after a first document dump she had hyped angered President Donald Trump's base by failing to deliver revelations.</p><p>That episode, in which far-right influencers were invited to the White House in February and provided with binders marked “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” and “Declassified" that contained documents that had largely already been in the public domain, has spurred conservative internet personalities to sharply criticize Bondi.</p><p>After the first release fell flat, Bondi said officials were poring over a “truckload” of previously withheld evidence she said had been handed over by the FBI. In a March TV interview, she claimed the Biden administration “sat on these documents, no one did anything with them,” adding: “Sadly these people don’t believe in transparency, but I think more unfortunately, I think a lot of them don’t believe in honesty.”</p><p>But after a months-long review of evidence in the government's possession, the Justice Department determined that no “further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted,” the memo says. The department noted that much of the material was placed under seal by a court to protect victims and “only a fraction" of it “would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial.”</p><p>“One of our highest priorities is combatting child exploitation and bringing justice to victims," the memo says. "Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither of those ends."</p><p>The two-page memo bore the logos of the Justice Department and the FBI but was not signed by any individual official.</p><p>Conservatives who have sought proof of a government coverup of Epstein’s activities and death expressed outrage Monday over the department's position. Far-right influencer Jack Posobiec posted: “We were all told more was coming. That answers were out there and would be provided. Incredible how utterly mismanaged this Epstein mess has been. And it didn’t have to be.”</p><p>Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones wrote that “next the DOJ will say ‘Actually, Jeffrey Epstein never even existed,'” calling it “over the top sickening.” Elon Musk shared a series of photos of a clown applying makeup appearing to mock Bondi for saying the client list doesn't exist after suggesting months ago that it was on her desk.</p><p>The client list hubbub began when Bondi was asked in a Fox News interview whether the department would release such a document.</p><p>She replied: “It's sitting on my desk right now to review.”</p><p>White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Justice Department spokesperson Chad Gilmartin said Monday that Bondi was referring to the overall Epstein case files.</p><p>Among the evidence that the Justice Department said Monday it has in its possession, and will not be releasing, are images of Epstein, “images and videos of victims who are either minors or appear to be minors,” and more than 10,000 "downloaded videos and images of illegal child sex abuse material and other pornography.”</p><p>The memo does not explain when or the videos were located, who and what they depict and whether they were newly found as investigators scoured their collection of evidence or were known for some time to have been in the government’s possession.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-jeffrey-epstein-pam-bondi-trump-fa39193d5b5ff91970428bf077a5ce44">The Associated Press published a story last week</a>&nbsp;about unanswered questions surrounding possible video evidence after Bondi cited the existence of “tens of thousands” of videos that she said showed Epstein “with children or child porn.”</p><p>Multiple people who participated in the criminal cases of Epstein and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-sex-trafficking-conviction-2e090610b579c8313bea7c31174ae0c4">socialite former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell</a>&nbsp;told AP that they had not seen and did not know of a trove of recordings along the lines of what Bondi had referenced. Indictments and detention memos also don’t allege the existence of video recordings and neither Epstein nor Maxwell were charged with possession of child sex abuse material even though that would have been easier for prosecutors to prove than the sex trafficking counts they faced.</p><p>The AP did find reference in a filing in a civil lawsuit to the discovery by the Epstein estate of videos and pictures that could constitute child sex abuse material, but lawyers involved in that case said a protective order prevents them from discovering the specifics of that evidence and the Justice Department did not respond to a detailed list of questions from AP about the videos Bondi was referencing.</p><p>Epstein was found dead in his jail cell in August 2019, weeks after his arrest on sex trafficking charges, in a suicide that foreclosed the possibility of a trial.</p><p>The department’s disclosure that Epstein took his own life is hardly a revelation even though conspiracy theorists have continued to challenge that conclusion.</p><p>In November 2019, for instance,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-politics-new-york-business-suicides-4ff27f28f32d446795b65ac7dd8cc4ac">then-Attorney General William Barr told the AP</a>&nbsp;that he had reviewed security footage that revealed that no one entered the area where Epstein was housed on the night he died, and expressed confidence that Epstein's death was a suicide.</p><p>More recently,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-assassination-trump-fbi-conspiracies-aaeb07814bb8b6b3fe595f5b68e4163a">FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino</a>&nbsp;have insisted in television and podcast interviews that the evidence was clear that Epstein had killed himself.</p>

🎥White House responds to DOJ report Epstein 'client list' doesn't exist

<b>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a><br></b><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a>

TOPEKA — A bipartisan council of Kansas lawmakers voted Monday to extend by six months the deadline for the Missouri-based Kansas City Royals or the Kansas City Chiefs to accept economic development incentives from Kansas for construction of sports stadiums.

The Legislative Coordinating Council unanimously agreed to grant the reprieve so the Kansas Department of Commerce could present options for stadium deals to the LCC until Dec. 31, 2025.

A 2024 law that set the framework for issuance of STAR bonds to cover 70% of construction costs for one or both stadiums and support structures had a deadline of June 30, 2025. The statute gave the LCC authority to add another year to the timeline.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, recommended adoption of a six-month alternative for the presentation of formal proposals by the Department of Commerce to the LCC. He said he didn’t want the stadium issue to bleed into the 2026 session of the Legislature, which would convene in early January.

“We have had this law out there for a year now and each team has had a year to come to some type of conclusion,” Hawkins said. “Neither team has and quite frankly for the last month and a half, I have been very consistent across the board saying, ‘Let’s get it done.’ ”

He said he was persuaded to endorse a half-year extension because one of the teams waited from November to February for responses from the administration of Gov. Laura Kelly. Also, he said, the Kelly administration didn’t answer a proposal from a team — previously reported to be the Chiefs — for seven weeks.

“It doesn’t matter what team it was. That’s not fair to the teams, when they’re making proposals and they’re not getting responses back,” said Hawkins, who is a candidate for state insurance commissioner.

The LCC adopted the six-month extension but also voted to broaden the window of opportunity for stadium deals with Kansas to June 30, 2026. That could be a technicality, because the LCC could decide on behalf of the full House and Senate not to consider recommendations submitted after that date.

Missouri offered to finance up to 50% of the cost to renovate or build new stadiums for the Royals and Chiefs. Both franchises have played at a Jackson County, Missouri, complex since the early 1970s.

Sen. Tim Shallenberger, a Baxter Springs Republican serving as the Senate’s vice president, said he didn’t want to force the Chiefs or Royals to abruptly wrap up a deal with Kansas.

“When I was younger, I was a banker,” Shallenberger said. “Putting a deal like this together is not easy. You have landowners that look at the deadlines that we put out and use that as leverage. You have the teams look at the deadlines we put out and use that as leverage. Approved by the LCC by this December seems a little quick to me.

Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, convened the LCC meeting because he recently observed signs of progress during confidential negotiations involving the Chiefs.

“We weren’t interested in being a pawn and extending for no reason at all,” Masterson said. “The sense was as long as there’s legitimate, real conversations about the possibility of that relationship … we could move forward.”

Chiefs president Mark Donovan asked Kansas lawmakers to amend the deadline to continue negotiations with Kansas on building a stadium, team headquarters, practice facility and related business developments.

In the correspondence, Donovan said complexity, importance and scale of the project made it clear “more time is needed to bring the effort to full fruition.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751922960434.png" alt="House Speaker Dan Hawkins, shown hear speaking to members of the Kansas House, recommended to colleagues on the Legislative Coordinating Council to change the deadline to Dec. 31, 2025, for presentation by the Kansas City Chiefs or Kansas City Royals of proposals to make use of STAR bonds to build new sports stadiums in Kansas. A 2024 law offering bonds to cover 70% of stadium costs expired June 30, 2025. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)" />
                        <figcaption>House Speaker Dan Hawkins, shown hear speaking to members of the Kansas House, recommended to colleagues on the Legislative Coordinating Council to change the deadline to Dec. 31, 2025, for presentation by the Kansas City Chiefs or Kansas City Royals of proposals to make use of STAR bonds to build new sports stadiums in Kansas. A 2024 law offering bonds to cover 70% of stadium costs expired June 30, 2025. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p><b>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a><br></b><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a></p><p>TOPEKA — A bipartisan council of Kansas lawmakers voted Monday to extend by six months the deadline for the Missouri-based Kansas City Royals or the Kansas City Chiefs to accept economic development incentives from Kansas for construction of sports stadiums.</p><p>The Legislative Coordinating Council unanimously agreed to grant the reprieve so the Kansas Department of Commerce could present options for stadium deals to the LCC until Dec. 31, 2025.</p><p>A 2024 law that set the framework for issuance of STAR bonds to cover 70% of construction costs for one or both stadiums and support structures had a deadline of June 30, 2025. The statute gave the LCC authority to add another year to the timeline.</p><p>House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, recommended adoption of a six-month alternative for the presentation of formal proposals by the Department of Commerce to the LCC. He said he didn’t want the stadium issue to bleed into the 2026 session of the Legislature, which would convene in early January.</p><p>“We have had this law out there for a year now and each team has had a year to come to some type of conclusion,” Hawkins said. “Neither team has and quite frankly for the last month and a half, I have been very consistent across the board saying, ‘Let’s get it done.’ ”</p><p>He said he was persuaded to endorse a half-year extension because one of the teams waited from November to February for responses from the administration of Gov. Laura Kelly. Also, he said, the Kelly administration didn’t answer a proposal from a team — previously reported to be the Chiefs — for seven weeks.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter what team it was. That’s not fair to the teams, when they’re making proposals and they’re not getting responses back,” said Hawkins, who is a candidate for state insurance commissioner.</p><p>The LCC adopted the six-month extension but also voted to broaden the window of opportunity for stadium deals with Kansas to June 30, 2026. That could be a technicality, because the LCC could decide on behalf of the full House and Senate not to consider recommendations submitted after that date.</p><p>Missouri offered to finance up to 50% of the cost to renovate or build new stadiums for the Royals and Chiefs. Both franchises have played at a Jackson County, Missouri, complex since the early 1970s.</p><p>Sen. Tim Shallenberger, a Baxter Springs Republican serving as the Senate’s vice president, said he didn’t want to force the Chiefs or Royals to abruptly wrap up a deal with Kansas.</p><p>“When I was younger, I was a banker,” Shallenberger said. “Putting a deal like this together is not easy. You have landowners that look at the deadlines that we put out and use that as leverage. You have the teams look at the deadlines we put out and use that as leverage. Approved by the LCC by this December seems a little quick to me.</p><p>Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, convened the LCC meeting because he recently observed signs of progress during confidential negotiations involving the Chiefs.</p><p>“We weren’t interested in being a pawn and extending for no reason at all,” Masterson said. “The sense was as long as there’s legitimate, real conversations about the possibility of that relationship … we could move forward.”</p><p>Chiefs president Mark Donovan asked Kansas lawmakers to amend the deadline to continue negotiations with Kansas on building a stadium, team headquarters, practice facility and related business developments.</p><p>In the correspondence, Donovan said complexity, importance and scale of the project made it clear “more time is needed to bring the effort to full fruition.”</p>

Kan. lawmakers extend deadline for Royals, Chiefs to accept stadium incentives

KERR COUNTY, Texas (AP)—A July Fourth weekend deluge in Texas caused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/flash-flood-texas-camp-mystic-aec9181a07d3ce8ff85197922e108b13">catastrophic flash flooding</a>&nbsp;that has killed at least 89 people.

Camp Mystic in Kerr County says Monday morning that it is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-flash-flood-severe-weather-camp-mystic-ef8e596833b145fef61451db92f32609">“grieving the loss”</a>&nbsp;of 27 campers and counselors as the search continues for victims of the disaster. The flooding sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thunderstorms-texas-deaths-camp-mystic-trees-hail-e8a4c85c77f714c9a974e50f3cd1fca1">a wall of water</a>&nbsp;through the century-old summer camp Friday.

The risk of life-threatening flooding was still high in central Texas with more rain on the way.

The Texas Hill Country is home to several summer camps. Searchers there have found the bodies of 75 people, including 27 children. Fourteen other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-missing-hill-country-victims-camp-68b25cdb4d72f7eddff576af4ef7d400">deaths have been reported</a>&nbsp;in other parts of Texas.

Tavia Hunt, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, is mourning the loss of lives.

In a post on Instagram, Hunt mourned the loss of so many lives, “including a precious little Hunt cousin, along with several friend’s little girls.” She did not provide the victims’ names.

Twin sisters, 8, were among those killed at Camp Mystic

Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence of Dallas had just finished second grade, their parents said.

“Hanna and Rebecca brought so much joy to us, to their big sister Harper, and to so many others,” John and Lacy Lawrence said in a statement. “We will find ways to keep that joy, and to continue to spread it for them. But we are devastated that the bond we shared with them, and that they shared with each other, is now frozen in time. “

David Lawrence, the girls’ grandfather and former publisher of the Miami Herald, said “it has been an unimaginable time for all of us.” He said the girls gave their family, including their sister, joy.

“They and that joy can never be forgotten,” he said in a statement.

Trump to tour flood-devasted Texas later this week

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the president will be visiting the devastating flooding “later this week.”

She called what happened a “once in a generation national disaster” and urged “everyone in the area to remain vigilant, listen to all warnings and respond accordingly.”

Leavitt said the visit would likely come Friday, but that no final decision had been made.

She also bristled at suggestions that deep Trump administration cuts to federal services may have affected authorities’ response to the flooding.

She blamed Democrats and said that faulting “President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie” and insisted that the National Weather Service “did its job” in spreading warnings about possible catastrophic funding.

Volunteers start their own search after being turned away

After being turned away from rescue efforts near Kerriville, the volunteers launched their own search in Center Point about 10 miles (16 kilometers) away from the most severe flooding.

“This morning, we showed up and basically the government has taken our site and the civilians working in there,” said Cord Shiflet, one of the civilian volunteers spearheading the effort.

About 150 people are hacking through flattened and muddy brush and combing through debris near the Guadalupe River, according to Shiflet.

Louisiana has sent 14 rescue workers to Texas to help

“Louisiana stands with Texas, and we are committed to doing whatever it takes to assist in their recovery,” Gov. Jeff Landry said.

Rep. August Pfluger says 2 of his daughters were evacuated from Camp Mystic

“The last day has brought unimaginable grief to many families and we mourn with them as well as holding out hope for survivors,” the Texas Republican wrote over the weekend.

A staffer in his office didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Donations and volunteers are being directed to local groups

Those wanting to support relief and recovery efforts should donate to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, officials said during a news conference.

The nonprofit’s website says it will “direct funds to vetted organizations providing rescue, relief and recovery efforts.”

Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice and Mayor Joe Herring said that while there was a continued need for volunteers, those looking to help should first register with the Kerrville Salvation Army.

“We need focused and coordinated volunteers, not random people showing up and doing what they do,” said Herring.

Moisture powered the storm from many directions

The warm water of the Gulf&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-flash-flood-hill-country-climate-change-6f16e4c4413c3795094553269f059120">fueled the moist atmosphere</a>, and even more moisture came from areas over the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Remnants of moisture from Tropical Storm Barry also lingered over Texas because the jet stream, a current of air that moves weather patterns, wasn’t there to push it away.

The combination gave the storm plenty of fuel once it got started.

Meteorologists said that an atmosphere warmed by human-caused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change">climate change</a>&nbsp;can hold more moisture and allow bad storms to dump more rain, though it’s hard to connect specific storms to a warming planet so soon after they occur.

A Camp Mystic nurse captured the escape in a series of TikTok videos

A video posted by Devon Paige shows girls on a bus singing the lyrics to “Pass It On,” a Christian hymn written by Kurt Kaiser.

“I wish for you, my friend,” they chant, their bus rolling past toppled trees, and a rescue vehicle, flashers on. “This happiness that I’ve found.”

As the bus passes a National Guard Jeep, the terrified chorus sings, “I’ll shout it from the mountaintop.” In unison, they shout, “Praise God.”

The Mexican consulate in San Antonio is helping 30 Mexican people affected by the floods

Most of those requesting assistance needed help replacing their passports, President Claudia Sheinbaum said. Nine people asked for help to return to Mexico.

Sheinbaum said proudly that two Mexican girls helped to rescue other girls.

She said that the consulate is “in constant communication with the families, and when weather conditions permit, they will visit the shelters.”

Cruz says recent cuts to FEMA and the National Weather Service didn’t impact late warnings

“This is not a time for partisan finger-pointing and attacks,” the Republican senator said. “There will be a time to find out what could have been done differently. My hope is, in time, we learn some lessons to implement the next time there is a flood.”

<p>KERR COUNTY, Texas (AP)—A July Fourth weekend deluge in Texas caused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/flash-flood-texas-camp-mystic-aec9181a07d3ce8ff85197922e108b13">catastrophic flash flooding</a>&nbsp;that has killed at least 89 people.</p><p>Camp Mystic in Kerr County says Monday morning that it is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-flash-flood-severe-weather-camp-mystic-ef8e596833b145fef61451db92f32609">“grieving the loss”</a>&nbsp;of 27 campers and counselors as the search continues for victims of the disaster. The flooding sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thunderstorms-texas-deaths-camp-mystic-trees-hail-e8a4c85c77f714c9a974e50f3cd1fca1">a wall of water</a>&nbsp;through the century-old summer camp Friday.</p><p>The risk of life-threatening flooding was still high in central Texas with more rain on the way.</p><p>The Texas Hill Country is home to several summer camps. Searchers there have found the bodies of 75 people, including 27 children. Fourteen other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-missing-hill-country-victims-camp-68b25cdb4d72f7eddff576af4ef7d400">deaths have been reported</a>&nbsp;in other parts of Texas.</p><p>Tavia Hunt, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, is mourning the loss of lives.</p><p>In a post on Instagram, Hunt mourned the loss of so many lives, “including a precious little Hunt cousin, along with several friend’s little girls.” She did not provide the victims’ names.</p><div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLvT-cIxSIx/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLvT-cIxSIx/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; 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<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div><h2>Twin sisters, 8, were among those killed at Camp Mystic</h2><p>Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence of Dallas had just finished second grade, their parents said.</p><p>“Hanna and Rebecca brought so much joy to us, to their big sister Harper, and to so many others,” John and Lacy Lawrence said in a statement. “We will find ways to keep that joy, and to continue to spread it for them. But we are devastated that the bond we shared with them, and that they shared with each other, is now frozen in time. “</p><p>David Lawrence, the girls’ grandfather and former publisher of the Miami Herald, said “it has been an unimaginable time for all of us.” He said the girls gave their family, including their sister, joy.</p><p>“They and that joy can never be forgotten,” he said in a statement.</p><h2>Trump to tour flood-devasted Texas later this week</h2><p>White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the president will be visiting the devastating flooding “later this week.”</p><p>She called what happened a “once in a generation national disaster” and urged “everyone in the area to remain vigilant, listen to all warnings and respond accordingly.”</p><p>Leavitt said the visit would likely come Friday, but that no final decision had been made.</p><p>She also bristled at suggestions that deep Trump administration cuts to federal services may have affected authorities’ response to the flooding.</p><p>She blamed Democrats and said that faulting “President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie” and insisted that the National Weather Service “did its job” in spreading warnings about possible catastrophic funding.</p><h2>Volunteers start their own search after being turned away</h2><p>After being turned away from rescue efforts near Kerriville, the volunteers launched their own search in Center Point about 10 miles (16 kilometers) away from the most severe flooding.</p><p>“This morning, we showed up and basically the government has taken our site and the civilians working in there,” said Cord Shiflet, one of the civilian volunteers spearheading the effort.</p><p>About 150 people are hacking through flattened and muddy brush and combing through debris near the Guadalupe River, according to Shiflet.</p><h2>Louisiana has sent 14 rescue workers to Texas to help</h2><p>“Louisiana stands with Texas, and we are committed to doing whatever it takes to assist in their recovery,” Gov. Jeff Landry said.</p><h2>Rep. August Pfluger says 2 of his daughters were evacuated from Camp Mystic</h2><p>“The last day has brought unimaginable grief to many families and we mourn with them as well as holding out hope for survivors,” the Texas Republican wrote over the weekend.</p><p>A staffer in his office didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.</p><h2>Donations and volunteers are being directed to local groups</h2><p>Those wanting to support relief and recovery efforts should donate to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, officials said during a news conference.</p><p>The nonprofit’s website says it will “direct funds to vetted organizations providing rescue, relief and recovery efforts.”</p><p>Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice and Mayor Joe Herring said that while there was a continued need for volunteers, those looking to help should first register with the Kerrville Salvation Army.</p><p>“We need focused and coordinated volunteers, not random people showing up and doing what they do,” said Herring.</p><h2>Moisture powered the storm from many directions</h2><p>The warm water of the Gulf&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-flash-flood-hill-country-climate-change-6f16e4c4413c3795094553269f059120">fueled the moist atmosphere</a>, and even more moisture came from areas over the Pacific Ocean to the west.</p><p>Remnants of moisture from Tropical Storm Barry also lingered over Texas because the jet stream, a current of air that moves weather patterns, wasn’t there to push it away.</p><p>The combination gave the storm plenty of fuel once it got started.</p><p>Meteorologists said that an atmosphere warmed by human-caused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change">climate change</a>&nbsp;can hold more moisture and allow bad storms to dump more rain, though it’s hard to connect specific storms to a warming planet so soon after they occur.</p><h2>A Camp Mystic nurse captured the escape in a series of TikTok videos</h2><p>A video posted by Devon Paige shows girls on a bus singing the lyrics to “Pass It On,” a Christian hymn written by Kurt Kaiser.</p><p>“I wish for you, my friend,” they chant, their bus rolling past toppled trees, and a rescue vehicle, flashers on. “This happiness that I’ve found.”</p><p>As the bus passes a National Guard Jeep, the terrified chorus sings, “I’ll shout it from the mountaintop.” In unison, they shout, “Praise God.”</p><h2>The Mexican consulate in San Antonio is helping 30 Mexican people affected by the floods</h2><p>Most of those requesting assistance needed help replacing their passports, President Claudia Sheinbaum said. Nine people asked for help to return to Mexico.</p><p>Sheinbaum said proudly that two Mexican girls helped to rescue other girls.</p><p>She said that the consulate is “in constant communication with the families, and when weather conditions permit, they will visit the shelters.”</p><h2>Cruz says recent cuts to FEMA and the National Weather Service didn’t impact late warnings</h2><p>“This is not a time for partisan finger-pointing and attacks,” the Republican senator said. “There will be a time to find out what could have been done differently. My hope is, in time, we learn some lessons to implement the next time there is a flood.”</p>

Wife of KC Chiefs owner mourns the loss of lives in Texas flood

Satanic Grotto claims religious discrimination while administration secretary cites safety concerns

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a><br><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The group behind the&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/28/loud-boisterous-rival-protests-of-religious-freedom-among-catholics-and-satanists-turn-violent/">black mass in March</a>&nbsp;at the Kansas Statehouse — which drew thousands of counter-protesters and ended in multiple arrests — was denied a permit to hold another protest this summer.

Michael Stewart, the Satanic Grotto leader, says the denial is religious discrimination. Adam Proffitt, the Kansas secretary of administration, says the permit was denied because of safety concerns and violence at the last protest.

Stewart was planning a “witching hour protest” from 9 p.m. to midnight on Aug. 2 with the same sentiment as the black mass: “to end Christian favoritism within our state government,” as the group’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheSatanicGrotto/posts/731538195904812/" target="_blank">Facebook post</a>&nbsp;reads.

“This isn’t just a permit denial; it’s an outright cancellation of our right to protest, fueled by what appears to be a deeply biased agenda,” Stewart said in a news release. “The State of Kansas is actively working to silence voices that challenge the status quo, especially those from minority faiths and marginalized communities.”

Stewart told Kansas Reflector that his permit request was “flat out ignored” for a few weeks, and he only got a response after he showed up in person.

In response to a Kansas Reflector request for comment, Department of Administration spokesman Samir Arif pointed to a response Proffitt had given to Stewart.

“The State has increased safety concerns regarding any event occurring on the south steps after sundown, including whether adequate Kansas Highway Patrol resources are available to address these safety concerns after dark,” Proffitt wrote.

In the new release, Stewart said Capitol Police Chief Brandon Bichsel told him he had “no reservations” about the police’s ability to maintain security. Bichsel did not respond to a Kansas Reflector request for comment.

“Additionally, I decline to grant a permission to you, on behalf of the organization, due to improper acts that occurred when a previous permit space on the Statehouse grounds was granted to you for an event that occurred in March 2025,” Proffitt wrote, referencing the black mass.

The permit Stewart obtained for the black mass allowed the Satanic Grotto to protest outside of the Statehouse — but not inside — after Gov. Laura Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.governor.ks.gov/Home/Components/News/News/573/56" target="_blank">banned any protests inside the building</a>&nbsp;on the planned day. Before the black mass, Stewart told&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/12/kansas-satanists-plan-to-defy-governor-with-therapeutic-blasphemy-in-black-mass-at-statehouse/">Kansas Reflector</a>&nbsp;he planned to defy Kelly’s directive.

On the day of the black mass, Stewart entered the Statehouse and began a dedication to Satan. Counter-protesters physically intervened, including Marcus Schroeder — a 21-year-old from Wisconsin&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wdtimes.com/news/local/man-who-pleaded-guilty-to-bomb-threat-in-watertown-arrested-again-in-kansas/article_c7f78cf5-f5df-4c6a-b98c-25d093e0bc6e.html" target="_blank">who had been charged with making a false bomb threat on a Pride parade</a>. After Schroeder attempted to grab Stewart’s copy of “The Satanic Bible” two times, Stewart punched Schroeder in the face twice, which resulted in both of their arrests.

“Your conduct created a risk to public safety, violated the terms of your permit, and caused injury to another person,” Proffitt wrote.

Shawnee County prosecutors decided&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/05/29/kansas-satanists-plan-new-protest-wont-face-charges-in-catholic-clash-at-statehouse/">not to pursue charges against Stewart</a>.

Restrictions didn’t stop Stewart at the last protest. But after his arrest, Stewart said he is hesitant to go forward with his planned “witching hour” event.

“We are going to do everything in our power to ensure the event can take place,” Stewart told Kansas Reflector. “However, after consultation with my criminal lawyer, I’m concerned the state is setting the ground for heavy consequences if we proceed.”

Stewart said he could face 18 months of incarceration if the prosecutors decide to pursue the charges from his black mass arrest. He said that being incarcerated would prevent him from serving the community.

“We aren’t done fighting,” he said. “We stepped up to the plate last time when it came to making a point with our safety and freedom. This time we will find other routes that hopefully illustrate the same points.”

The Department of Administration on July 1 denied Stewart’s request to reconsider its decision.

“Should your organization wish to reserve a space for its event, the ending time cannot go past sundown, and someone other than you must take responsibility for the application and event,” said Pat Doran, chief counsel for the Department of Administration, in an email to Stewart.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751902703997.png" alt=" Satanic Grotto president Michael Stewart punches counter-protester Marcus Schroeder after Schroeder attempted to take Stewart’s prayer materials during a black mass inside the Kansas Capitol. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)" />
                        <figcaption> Satanic Grotto president Michael Stewart punches counter-protester Marcus Schroeder after Schroeder attempted to take Stewart’s prayer materials during a black mass inside the Kansas Capitol. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>Satanic Grotto claims religious discrimination while administration secretary cites safety concerns</h2><p>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a><br><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a></p><p>TOPEKA — The group behind the&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/28/loud-boisterous-rival-protests-of-religious-freedom-among-catholics-and-satanists-turn-violent/">black mass in March</a>&nbsp;at the Kansas Statehouse — which drew thousands of counter-protesters and ended in multiple arrests — was denied a permit to hold another protest this summer.</p><p>Michael Stewart, the Satanic Grotto leader, says the denial is religious discrimination. Adam Proffitt, the Kansas secretary of administration, says the permit was denied because of safety concerns and violence at the last protest.</p><p>Stewart was planning a “witching hour protest” from 9 p.m. to midnight on Aug. 2 with the same sentiment as the black mass: “to end Christian favoritism within our state government,” as the group’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheSatanicGrotto/posts/731538195904812/" target="_blank">Facebook post</a>&nbsp;reads.</p><p>“This isn’t just a permit denial; it’s an outright cancellation of our right to protest, fueled by what appears to be a deeply biased agenda,” Stewart said in a news release. “The State of Kansas is actively working to silence voices that challenge the status quo, especially those from minority faiths and marginalized communities.”</p><p>Stewart told Kansas Reflector that his permit request was “flat out ignored” for a few weeks, and he only got a response after he showed up in person.</p><p>In response to a Kansas Reflector request for comment, Department of Administration spokesman Samir Arif pointed to a response Proffitt had given to Stewart.</p><p>“The State has increased safety concerns regarding any event occurring on the south steps after sundown, including whether adequate Kansas Highway Patrol resources are available to address these safety concerns after dark,” Proffitt wrote.</p><p>In the new release, Stewart said Capitol Police Chief Brandon Bichsel told him he had “no reservations” about the police’s ability to maintain security. Bichsel did not respond to a Kansas Reflector request for comment.</p><p>“Additionally, I decline to grant a permission to you, on behalf of the organization, due to improper acts that occurred when a previous permit space on the Statehouse grounds was granted to you for an event that occurred in March 2025,” Proffitt wrote, referencing the black mass.</p><p>The permit Stewart obtained for the black mass allowed the Satanic Grotto to protest outside of the Statehouse — but not inside — after Gov. Laura Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.governor.ks.gov/Home/Components/News/News/573/56" target="_blank">banned any protests inside the building</a>&nbsp;on the planned day. Before the black mass, Stewart told&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/12/kansas-satanists-plan-to-defy-governor-with-therapeutic-blasphemy-in-black-mass-at-statehouse/">Kansas Reflector</a>&nbsp;he planned to defy Kelly’s directive.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751902665131.png" alt=" Satanic Grotto president Michael Stewart begins praying during a black mass ceremony that Statehouse officials had forbidden inside the building. Christians opposing presence of the Satanic Grotto tried to physically stop Stewart, which led to punches being thrown and Stewart’s arrest. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)" />
                        <figcaption> Satanic Grotto president Michael Stewart begins praying during a black mass ceremony that Statehouse officials had forbidden inside the building. Christians opposing presence of the Satanic Grotto tried to physically stop Stewart, which led to punches being thrown and Stewart’s arrest. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>On the day of the black mass, Stewart entered the Statehouse and began a dedication to Satan. Counter-protesters physically intervened, including Marcus Schroeder — a 21-year-old from Wisconsin&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wdtimes.com/news/local/man-who-pleaded-guilty-to-bomb-threat-in-watertown-arrested-again-in-kansas/article_c7f78cf5-f5df-4c6a-b98c-25d093e0bc6e.html" target="_blank">who had been charged with making a false bomb threat on a Pride parade</a>. After Schroeder attempted to grab Stewart’s copy of “The Satanic Bible” two times, Stewart punched Schroeder in the face twice, which resulted in both of their arrests.</p><p>“Your conduct created a risk to public safety, violated the terms of your permit, and caused injury to another person,” Proffitt wrote.</p><p>Shawnee County prosecutors decided&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/05/29/kansas-satanists-plan-new-protest-wont-face-charges-in-catholic-clash-at-statehouse/">not to pursue charges against Stewart</a>.</p><p>Restrictions didn’t stop Stewart at the last protest. But after his arrest, Stewart said he is hesitant to go forward with his planned “witching hour” event.</p><p>“We are going to do everything in our power to ensure the event can take place,” Stewart told Kansas Reflector. “However, after consultation with my criminal lawyer, I’m concerned the state is setting the ground for heavy consequences if we proceed.”</p><p>Stewart said he could face 18 months of incarceration if the prosecutors decide to pursue the charges from his black mass arrest. He said that being incarcerated would prevent him from serving the community.</p><p>“We aren’t done fighting,” he said. “We stepped up to the plate last time when it came to making a point with our safety and freedom. This time we will find other routes that hopefully illustrate the same points.”</p><p>The Department of Administration on July 1 denied Stewart’s request to reconsider its decision.</p><p>“Should your organization wish to reserve a space for its event, the ending time cannot go past sundown, and someone other than you must take responsibility for the application and event,” said Pat Doran, chief counsel for the Department of Administration, in an email to Stewart.</p>

Kansas officials dash satanists’ plans for ‘witching hour’ protest at Statehouse

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/laurenlifke/">Lauren Lifke</a>

A federal judge gave Justice Department lawyers until noon Tuesday to confirm, in writing, the administration’s plans for implementing an executive order on birthright citizenship after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted nationwide injunctions on the order Friday.

Justice Department attorney Brad Rosenberg said at a hearing in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on Monday that the Trump administration does not plan to begin acting on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship/" target="_blank">the order</a>&nbsp;— which would deny citizenship to anyone born in the U.S. if neither parent was a citizen — for another four weeks. That’s the grace period set in the Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a884_8n59.pdf" target="_blank">Friday ruling</a>.

But U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman was looking for more than verbal assurances.

“I want to know if the government thinks that it can start removing children from the United States who are subject to the terms of the executive order, and who are not plaintiffs or members of the plaintiff’s organization,” Boardman said.

She ordered Rosenberg to submit in writing, by noon Tuesday, the government’s view of what it can do under the executive order. She also gave Rosenberg until next Monday to respond to the motion by immigrant parents and soon-to-be parents to turn the case into a class action lawsuit — the reason for Tuesday’s hearing.

The Supreme Court ruled Friday that Boardman and judges in two other districts in the U.S. could only block the executive order against plaintiffs that brought the respective cases, but said the district judges did not have the authority to impose nationwide injunctions.

But the ruling, as well as a concurring and a dissenting opinion, all said “that courts may award injunctive relief beyond the named parties when the case is brought as a class action.”

So attorneys for pregnant immigrants were back in court Monday, seeking to turn&nbsp;<a href="https://marylandmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CASA_v_Trump_Amended_Complaint.pdf" target="_blank">the case</a>&nbsp;into a class action for “all children who have been born or will be born in the United States on or after February 19, 2025, who are designated by Executive Order 14,160 to be ineligible for birthright citizenship, and their parents.”

<a href="https://marylandmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CASA_v_Trump_Motion_for_Class_Certification_.pdf" target="_blank">That class</a>&nbsp;involves thousands of babies who have been born since Feb. 19, the day President Donald Trump’s executive order was scheduled to take effect, and thousands more who will be born while the case is decided, as well as their parents, the motion said.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/birthright-citizenship-repeal-projections" target="_blank">recent study</a>&nbsp;by the Migration Policy Institute estimated that eliminating birthright citizenship could affect up to 250,000 babies a year.

The attorneys also asked Boardman to grant a&nbsp;<a href="https://marylandmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CASA_v_Trump_Motion_for_TRO_and_Preliminary_Injunction.pdf" target="_blank">preliminary injunction</a>&nbsp;against Trump’s order immediately, to prevent any harm to their clients while the requst for class certification proceeded.

“Removal is not the only irreparable harm that we’re concerned about,” said William Powell, an attorney for the plaintiffs, during Monday’s hearing. “We’re obviously also concerned about other potential ways in which the order could be enforced to deprive newborns of potential rights.”

Potential members of the class are also documenting stress and anxiety, Powell said. He shared an anecdote about a plaintiff who is experiencing a more stressful and difficult pregnancy because she fears what will happen once her child is born.

“It is confusing to them exactly what these things mean,” Powell said. “We can’t really assure them the order is fully blocked, because it’s not.”

President Donald Trump issued the order on Jan. 20, his first day back in office. It claimed that citizenship does not automatically extend to everyone born in the U.S., excluding mothers who are here illegally or on a temporary visas unless the father has citizenship or is here with permanent legal resident status.

Rosenberg argued against class certification, which he said would be “prejudicial” to the government, and noted that the plaintiffs could have moved for class certification before Friday.

The case filed by CASA and the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project includes 15 women — some under pseudonyms because of their legal status — in nine states, including Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Washington. Some are in the U.S. without documentation, some are here on visas, many have asylum or other immigration applications pending in various stages.

This article was originally published by&nbsp;<a href="https://marylandmatters.org/" target="_blank">Maryland Matters</a>, a part of States Newsroom.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751473648646.png" alt=" Demonstrators march past a Southeast Baltimore Royal Farms, where immigrant advocacy group CASA said that ICE activity has been observed. (Christine Condon/ Maryland Matters)" />
                        <figcaption> Demonstrators march past a Southeast Baltimore Royal Farms, where immigrant advocacy group CASA said that ICE activity has been observed. (Christine Condon/ Maryland Matters)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/laurenlifke/">Lauren Lifke</a></p><p>A federal judge gave Justice Department lawyers until noon Tuesday to confirm, in writing, the administration’s plans for implementing an executive order on birthright citizenship after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted nationwide injunctions on the order Friday.</p><p>Justice Department attorney Brad Rosenberg said at a hearing in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on Monday that the Trump administration does not plan to begin acting on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship/" target="_blank">the order</a>&nbsp;— which would deny citizenship to anyone born in the U.S. if neither parent was a citizen — for another four weeks. That’s the grace period set in the Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a884_8n59.pdf" target="_blank">Friday ruling</a>.</p><p>But U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman was looking for more than verbal assurances.</p><p>“I want to know if the government thinks that it can start removing children from the United States who are subject to the terms of the executive order, and who are not plaintiffs or members of the plaintiff’s organization,” Boardman said.</p><p>She ordered Rosenberg to submit in writing, by noon Tuesday, the government’s view of what it can do under the executive order. She also gave Rosenberg until next Monday to respond to the motion by immigrant parents and soon-to-be parents to turn the case into a class action lawsuit — the reason for Tuesday’s hearing.</p><p>The Supreme Court ruled Friday that Boardman and judges in two other districts in the U.S. could only block the executive order against plaintiffs that brought the respective cases, but said the district judges did not have the authority to impose nationwide injunctions.</p><p>But the ruling, as well as a concurring and a dissenting opinion, all said “that courts may award injunctive relief beyond the named parties when the case is brought as a class action.”</p><p>So attorneys for pregnant immigrants were back in court Monday, seeking to turn&nbsp;<a href="https://marylandmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CASA_v_Trump_Amended_Complaint.pdf" target="_blank">the case</a>&nbsp;into a class action for “all children who have been born or will be born in the United States on or after February 19, 2025, who are designated by Executive Order 14,160 to be ineligible for birthright citizenship, and their parents.”</p><p><a href="https://marylandmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CASA_v_Trump_Motion_for_Class_Certification_.pdf" target="_blank">That class</a>&nbsp;involves thousands of babies who have been born since Feb. 19, the day President Donald Trump’s executive order was scheduled to take effect, and thousands more who will be born while the case is decided, as well as their parents, the motion said.</p><p>A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/birthright-citizenship-repeal-projections" target="_blank">recent study</a>&nbsp;by the Migration Policy Institute estimated that eliminating birthright citizenship could affect up to 250,000 babies a year.</p><p>The attorneys also asked Boardman to grant a&nbsp;<a href="https://marylandmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CASA_v_Trump_Motion_for_TRO_and_Preliminary_Injunction.pdf" target="_blank">preliminary injunction</a>&nbsp;against Trump’s order immediately, to prevent any harm to their clients while the requst for class certification proceeded.</p><p>“Removal is not the only irreparable harm that we’re concerned about,” said William Powell, an attorney for the plaintiffs, during Monday’s hearing. “We’re obviously also concerned about other potential ways in which the order could be enforced to deprive newborns of potential rights.”</p><p>Potential members of the class are also documenting stress and anxiety, Powell said. He shared an anecdote about a plaintiff who is experiencing a more stressful and difficult pregnancy because she fears what will happen once her child is born.</p><p>“It is confusing to them exactly what these things mean,” Powell said. “We can’t really assure them the order is fully blocked, because it’s not.”</p><p>President Donald Trump issued the order on Jan. 20, his first day back in office. It claimed that citizenship does not automatically extend to everyone born in the U.S., excluding mothers who are here illegally or on a temporary visas unless the father has citizenship or is here with permanent legal resident status.</p><p>Rosenberg argued against class certification, which he said would be “prejudicial” to the government, and noted that the plaintiffs could have moved for class certification before Friday.</p><p>The case filed by CASA and the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project includes 15 women — some under pseudonyms because of their legal status — in nine states, including Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Washington. Some are in the U.S. without documentation, some are here on visas, many have asylum or other immigration applications pending in various stages.</p><p>This article was originally published by&nbsp;<a href="https://marylandmatters.org/" target="_blank">Maryland Matters</a>, a part of States Newsroom.</p>

Judge: Trump admin. has until Tuesday to put birthright citizenship plans in writing

SEDGWICK COUNTY— A man arrested in connection with a deadly fight on July 4, will make a court appearance this week.

Early Friday, police responded to a report of an assault in the 3000 block of North Fairview in Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police. A caller reported witnessing a man attacking another man. The victim was later identified as 33-year-old Cesar Gonzalez of Wichita.&nbsp;

Before officers arrived, the suspect fled the scene. Officers found Gonzalez unresponsive in the parking lot. Sedgwick County EMS transported him to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased at 1:54 a.m.

Officers located the suspect identified in Sedgwick County arrest records as <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/inmatesearch/Details.aspx?Id=254855">Eduardo Diaz-Yorbal, 33, Wichita,</a> in the 300 block of W. 29th Street and took him into custody without incident. 

Diaz-Yorbal had injuries consistent with the altercation and was admitted to an area hospital for treatment, released and then booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of first-degree murder and for a probation violation, according to online jail records.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751715135638.png" alt="DIAZ-YOBAL photo Sedgwick County" />
                        <figcaption>DIAZ-YOBAL photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY— A man arrested in connection with a deadly fight on July 4, will make a court appearance this week.</p><p>Early Friday, police responded to a report of an assault in the 3000 block of North Fairview in Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police. A caller reported witnessing a man attacking another man. The victim was later identified as 33-year-old Cesar Gonzalez of Wichita.&nbsp;</p><p>Before officers arrived, the suspect fled the scene. Officers found Gonzalez unresponsive in the parking lot. Sedgwick County EMS transported him to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased at 1:54 a.m.</p><p>Officers located the suspect identified in Sedgwick County arrest records as <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/inmatesearch/Details.aspx?Id=254855">Eduardo Diaz-Yorbal, 33, Wichita,</a> in the 300 block of W. 29th Street and took him into custody without incident. </p><p>Diaz-Yorbal had injuries consistent with the altercation and was admitted to an area hospital for treatment, released and then booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of first-degree murder and for a probation violation, according to online jail records.</p>

Kansas suspect injured in deadly July 4, fight is due in court

Sen. Ted Cruz says he picked up his daughter from a camp in the area just a week ago

Cruz said the situation in Kerr County is “every parent’s nightmare.”

“The pain and agony of not knowing your children’s whereabouts is the worst thing imaginable,” Cruz said during a news conference with local officials.

The bodies of 27 children are among those that have been recovered, officials said during a news conference.

Ten campers and one counselor remain missing, officials said.

Officials had previously said the death toll in Kerr County was 68. Ten other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-missing-hill-country-victims-camp-68b25cdb4d72f7eddff576af4ef7d400">deaths have been reported</a>&nbsp;in other parts of Texas.

Forecasters issue a flood watch for San Antonio and Austin

Slow-moving, heavy rainfall is expected to reach up to 4 additional inches, the National Weather Service said.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ewx/">flood watch</a>&nbsp;lasts through 7 p.m. local time.

Officials to hold a news conference on the search and rescue effort

<p>KERR COUNTY, Texas (AP)—A July Fourth weekend deluge in Texas caused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/flash-flood-texas-camp-mystic-aec9181a07d3ce8ff85197922e108b13">catastrophic flash flooding</a>&nbsp;that has killed at least 89 people.</p><p>Camp Mystic in Kerr County says Monday morning that it is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-flash-flood-severe-weather-camp-mystic-ef8e596833b145fef61451db92f32609">“grieving the loss”</a>&nbsp;of 27 campers and counselors as the search continues for victims of the disaster. The flooding sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thunderstorms-texas-deaths-camp-mystic-trees-hail-e8a4c85c77f714c9a974e50f3cd1fca1">a wall of water</a>&nbsp;through the century-old summer camp Friday.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rescue and recovery efforts continue in full force in Kerr County. DPS along with partners from several agencies including <a href="https://twitter.com/TPWDnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TPWDnews</a> are combing through debris and damage as the mission is ongoing. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/protectandserve?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#protectandserve</a> <a href="https://t.co/vOJQwUfnjd">pic.twitter.com/vOJQwUfnjd</a></p>&mdash; Texas DPS (@TxDPS) <a href="https://twitter.com/TxDPS/status/1942207554374770816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The risk of life-threatening flooding was still high in central Texas with more rain on the way.</p><p>The Texas Hill Country is home to several summer camps. Searchers there have found the bodies of 75 people, including 27 children. Fourteen other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-missing-hill-country-victims-camp-68b25cdb4d72f7eddff576af4ef7d400">deaths have been reported</a>&nbsp;in other parts of Texas.</p><p>Here's the Latest:</p><h2>Moisture powered the storm from many directions</h2><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Over a foot of rain has fallen overnight. Streams have rapidly risen and floodwaters are beginning to move downstream in Burnet, Williamson, and northwest Travis counties. Numerous water rescues are ongoing. Seek higher ground immediately if you are near a swelling stream. <a href="https://t.co/tpn6A5xWtU">pic.twitter.com/tpn6A5xWtU</a></p>&mdash; NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSanAntonio/status/1941482005776171093?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Flash Flood EMERGENCY now in effect for Burnet County. 5-12” of rain has occurred, an additional 2-5” possible. This is a Particularly Dangerous Situation with life-threatening flash flooding. Seek higher ground if near a flooded creek or stream. Otherwise, avoid travel. <a href="https://t.co/tUPvcaeo6c">pic.twitter.com/tUPvcaeo6c</a></p>&mdash; NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSanAntonio/status/1941441927385075916?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The warm water of the Gulf&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-flash-flood-hill-country-climate-change-6f16e4c4413c3795094553269f059120">fueled the moist atmosphere</a>, and even more moisture came from areas over the Pacific Ocean to the west.</p><p>Remnants of moisture from Tropical Storm Barry also lingered over Texas because the jet stream, a current of air that moves weather patterns, wasn’t there to push it away.</p><p>The combination gave the storm plenty of fuel once it got started.</p><p>Meteorologists said that an atmosphere warmed by human-caused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change">climate change</a>&nbsp;can hold more moisture and allow bad storms to dump more rain, though it’s hard to connect specific storms to a warming planet so soon after they occur.</p><h2>A Camp Mystic nurse captured the escape in a series of TikTok videos</h2><p>A video posted by Devon Paige shows girls on a bus singing the lyrics to “Pass It On,” a Christian hymn written by Kurt Kaiser.</p><p>“I wish for you, my friend,” they chant, their bus rolling past toppled trees, and a rescue vehicle, flashers on. “This happiness that I’ve found.”</p><p>As the bus passes a National Guard Jeep, the terrified chorus sings, “I’ll shout it from the mountaintop.” In unison, they shout, “Praise God.”</p><h2>The Mexican consulate in San Antonio is helping 30 Mexican people affected by the floods</h2><p>Most of those requesting assistance needed help replacing their passports, President Claudia Sheinbaum said. Nine people asked for help to return to Mexico.</p><p>Sheinbaum said proudly that two Mexican girls helped to rescue other girls.</p><p>She said that the consulate is “in constant communication with the families, and when weather conditions permit, they will visit the shelters.”</p><h2>Cruz says recent cuts to FEMA and the National Weather Service didn’t impact late warnings</h2><p>“This is not a time for partisan finger-pointing and attacks,” the Republican senator said. “There will be a time to find out what could have been done differently. My hope is, in time, we learn some lessons to implement the next time there is a flood.”</p><h2>Sen. Ted Cruz says he picked up his daughter from a camp in the area just a week ago</h2><p>Cruz said the situation in Kerr County is “every parent’s nightmare.”</p><p>“The pain and agony of not knowing your children’s whereabouts is the worst thing imaginable,” Cruz said during a news conference with local officials.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751849186356.png" alt="Photo U.S. Coast Guard" />
                        <figcaption>Photo U.S. Coast Guard</figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>Kerr County’s death toll rises to 75</h2><p>The bodies of 27 children are among those that have been recovered, officials said during a news conference.</p><p>Ten campers and one counselor remain missing, officials said.</p><p>Officials had previously said the death toll in Kerr County was 68. Ten other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-missing-hill-country-victims-camp-68b25cdb4d72f7eddff576af4ef7d400">deaths have been reported</a>&nbsp;in other parts of Texas.</p><h2>Forecasters issue a flood watch for San Antonio and Austin</h2><p>Slow-moving, heavy rainfall is expected to reach up to 4 additional inches, the National Weather Service said.</p><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ewx/">flood watch</a>&nbsp;lasts through 7 p.m. local time.</p><h2>Officials to hold a news conference on the search and rescue effort</h2><p>The 10 a.m. Central news conference will be the first official update since Camp Mystic officials confirmed early this morning that they lost 27 campers and counselors when a wall of water swept through the campground in the middle of the night on the Fourth of July.</p><h2>The floods were at their worst when many people were asleep</h2><p>The Texas Hill Country in the central part of the state is naturally prone to flash flooding due to the dry dirt-packed areas where the soil lets rain skid along the surface of the landscape instead of soaking it up.</p><p>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.</p><h2>Officials face scrutiny over flash flood warnings</h2><p>Survivors have described the floods as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thunderstorms-texas-deaths-camp-mystic-trees-hail-e8a4c85c77f714c9a974e50f3cd1fca1">“pitch black wall of death”</a>&nbsp;and said they received no emergency warnings.</p><p>Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, who lives along the Guadalupe River, said Saturday that “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-hill-country-weather-warnings-238d4325bb58f0b410015f74684738b6">nobody saw this coming</a>.” Various officials have referred to it as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/100-year-flood-frequency-probability-weather-climate-1441437964b77de38e4e590c3c0698e0">“100-year-flood,” meaning</a>&nbsp;that the water levels were highly unlikely based on the historical record.</p><p>And records behind those statistics don’t always account for human-caused climate change.</p><p>Additionally, officials have come under scrutiny about why residents and youth summer camps along the river were not alerted sooner than 4 a.m. or told to evacuate.</p><p>Officials noted that the public can grow weary from too many flooding alerts or forecasts that turn out to be minor.</p><p>Kerr County officials said they had presented a proposal for a more robust flood warning system, similar to a tornado warning system, but that members of the public&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-hill-country-weather-warnings-238d4325bb58f0b410015f74684738b6">reeled at the cost</a>.</p><h2>Search and rescue teams are heading back out to look for flood victims</h2><p>Organizers at a staging area in Center Point said more than 1,000 volunteers have been directed to the area about 8 miles (13 kilometers) south of Kerrville, and more are being sent.</p><p>--------------</p><p>KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — 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&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/flash-flood-texas-camp-mystic-aec9181a07d3ce8ff85197922e108b13">killed at least 82 people</a>, including children at summer camps. Officials said the death toll was sure to rise.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> says he plans to visit Texas later this week:<br><br>&quot;Probably on Friday. We wanted to leave a little time. I would&#39;ve done it today, but we&#39;d just be in their way — probably Friday.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/LK13OiCXRI">pic.twitter.com/LK13OiCXRI</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1941985373548089480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>“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.</p><p>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&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-flooding-girls-missing-camp-mystic-395992e236e35c4486f9a6a97eed7704">all-girls summer camp</a>&nbsp;that sustained massive damage.</p><p>Gov. Greg Abbott said 41 people were unaccounted for across the state and more could be missing.</p><p>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.</p><p>Ten other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-campers-hill-country-guadalupe-river-ff290a170acaad28b8372f83c2b81911">deaths were reported in</a>&nbsp;Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, according to local officials.</p><p>The governor warned that additional rounds of heavy rains lasting into Tuesday could produce more dangerous flooding, especially in places already saturated.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><h2>Searching the disaster zone</h2><p>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.</p><p>Volunteers and some families of the missing came to the disaster zone and searched despite being asked not to do so.</p><p>Authorities faced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-hill-country-weather-warnings-238d4325bb58f0b410015f74684738b6">growing questions</a>&nbsp;about whether enough warnings were issued in an area long&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/flood-deaths-flash-flooding-weather-408b11abe0389f38c93d8722b9d15dd0">vulnerable to flooding</a>&nbsp;and whether enough preparations were made.</p><p>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.”</p><p>“It’s a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible,” he told reporters.</p><h2>Prayers in Texas — and from the Vatican</h2><p>Gov. Greg Abbott vowed that authorities will work around the clock and said new areas were being searched as the water receded. He&nbsp;<a href="https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/DISASTER_Hill_Country_flood_Day_of_Prayer_IMAGE_07-05-2025.pdf">declared Sunday a day of prayer</a>&nbsp;for the state.</p><p>In Rome, Pope Leo XIV offered special prayers for those touched by the disaster. The first American pope spoke in English at the end of his Sunday noon blessing, saying, “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.”</p><h2>Desperate refuge and trees and attics</h2><p>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, praying the water wouldn’t reach them.</p><p>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.</p><p>Among&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-missing-hill-country-victims-camp-68b25cdb4d72f7eddff576af4ef7d400">those confirmed dead</a>&nbsp;were an 8-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was at Camp Mystic, and the director of another camp up the road.</p><p>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.</p><h2>Warnings came before the disaster</h2><p>On Thursday the National Weather Service 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.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Over a foot of rain has fallen overnight. Streams have rapidly risen and floodwaters are beginning to move downstream in Burnet, Williamson, and northwest Travis counties. Numerous water rescues are ongoing. Seek higher ground immediately if you are near a swelling stream. <a href="https://t.co/tpn6A5xWtU">pic.twitter.com/tpn6A5xWtU</a></p>&mdash; NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSanAntonio/status/1941482005776171093?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Flash Flood EMERGENCY now in effect for Burnet County. 5-12” of rain has occurred, an additional 2-5” possible. This is a Particularly Dangerous Situation with life-threatening flash flooding. Seek higher ground if near a flooded creek or stream. Otherwise, avoid travel. <a href="https://t.co/tUPvcaeo6c">pic.twitter.com/tUPvcaeo6c</a></p>&mdash; NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSanAntonio/status/1941441927385075916?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Authorities and elected officials have said they did not expect such an intense downpour, the equivalent of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-flash-flood-hill-country-climate-change-6f16e4c4413c3795094553269f059120">months’ worth of rain</a>&nbsp;for the area.</p><p>Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said authorities are committed to a full review of the emergency response.</p><p>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 said he wants to overhaul if not completely eliminate FEMA and sharply criticized its performance.</p><p>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 cuts.</p><p>“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.</p><p>___</p><p>Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Christopher Weber in Los Angeles; Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee; Cedar Attanasio in New York; Sophia Tareen in Chicago; Michelle Price in Morristown, N.J.; and Nicole Winfield in Rome.</p>