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Today's top stories
The death toll in Texas has risen to 109 people after the devastating floods on July 4. Search and rescue efforts continue, and 161 people are known to be missing. State officials haven't yet said they're shifting to recovery efforts, but they confirmed the last time first responders found someone alive was Friday. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says first responders will continue working until "every missing person is accounted for."
- 🎧 Abbott stated that investigations into the preparation and response will most likely start later this week as state lawmakers prepare for a special session to address the disaster. The governor refused to assign responsibility for what residents say was a lack of warning, Dominic Anthony Walsh, of NPR network station Houston Public Media, tells Up First. Kerr County, which saw the worst flooding, doesn't have an outdoor warning system that sounds during flash flooding, but does have a text-based system. Walsh spoke with Kyle McCormick, who was cleaning out his father-in-law's home in Kerr County. McCormick said they have rebuilt after floods before, even though they were not like this one, and they will rebuild again.
- ➡️ The majority of deaths from the flood happened along the Guadalupe River. These graphics show where the floods happened and how high the water rose.
- ➡️ Thad Heartfield's son and three of his son's friends disappeared in the flood. Now, he is leading nearly 100 volunteers searching for flood victims.
Foreign policy has been a focal point for President Trump this week, as he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu twice at the White House in two days. On Monday, the two had dinner and Netanyahu said he had nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Talks continued, which Trump said would focus on Gaza.
- 🎧 During a Cabinet meeting yesterday, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff expressed optimism that an agreement between Israel and Hamas could be reached by the end of the week. Witkoff believes that such an agreement could lead to lasting peace in Gaza, although it remains uncertain whether Hamas and Israel will agree to the final terms. The president acknowledged that resolving the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine is proving to be more complex than anticipated. He also voiced growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the ongoing attacks on Ukraine, NPR's Tamara Keith says. William Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, suggested that Putin has been stringing Trump along in an effort to gain more time to continue advancing on the battlefield.
The Trump administration is now able to proceed with plans to lay off hundreds of thousands of federal workers after a Supreme Court decision yesterday. The Court lifted a lower court order that blocked Trump's executive order from February directing large-scale cuts at government agencies. As a result, layoffs can continue while legal challenges are addressed in the lower courts.
- 🎧 This order is a big deal that impacts close to 20 agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Treasury Department, NPR's Andrea Hsu says. Around 10,000 employees with HHS have already received layoff notices and the only reason they have stayed on payroll was due to the lower court order. This will not impact the entire federal government. The Department of Veterans Affairs announced this week it wouldn't need to carry out the large-scale layoffs because it is already on pace to reduce its staff by some 30,000 employees through other means. Hsu says it is known that a lot of people left the VA out of fear that they would be fired
Today's listen
It is road trip season! As you prepare for your next trip, make sure you have all the essentials. A full tank of gas? Check. Luggage? Check. Snacks? Check. And most importantly: the music that will set the tone for the ride. You might need a pick-me-up, a distraction, or something for when you need a break from your favorite podcasts and audiobooks. Whether you have a trip on the books or you are still in the planning stages, Pop Culture Happy Hour has three songs that are worth blasting on your next adventure.
Picture show
Biosphere 2 is a living laboratory established in the late 1980s and early 1990s to explore whether humans could survive in an artificial, self-sustaining ecosystem. Inside, you'll find a humid, decades-old rainforest filled with a rich variety of plant life. There is also a miniature manmade ocean, as well as a mangrove wetland and a fog desert landscape. The structure rises to 91 feet at its highest point, covers more than three acres, and features 6,500 windows. Today, the University of Arizona operates the project with a different mission. Scientists are conducting research aimed at helping us adapt to Biosphere 1 — our Earth — and the climate change we are causing. Take a look at some of the experiments Biosphere 2's scientists have dreamt up in the large glass building.
3 things to know before you go
- The Transportation Security Administration will no longer require travelers to remove their shoes at airport security checkpoints in the U.S.
- Places of worship can now endorse political candidates without losing their tax-exempt status, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
- Amazon's Prime Day will stretch between July 8 and 11. Across those four days, spending at U.S. retailers is expected to reach records equivalent to two Black Fridays.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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