Hill Country flooding death toll rises to 43 as search continues for missing girls, other survivors
Twenty-seven girls from the Camp Mystic summer camp remain missing.
Camp Mystic, a haven for generations of Texas girls, becomes a center of tragedy
More than two dozen girls are missing from the camp, which has hosted the daughters of governors and one president. Rescue efforts continue.
In Texas region prone to catastrophic floods, questions grow about lack of warning
Water rose fast along the Guadalupe River, causing more than two dozen deaths. Local officials said they couldn’t have seen it coming.
Hill Country flooding: Here’s how to give and receive help
Catastrophic flooding in the Texas Hill Country has killed 32 people, including 18 children, with seven victims still unidentified. Rescue crews are searching for 27 missing girls from Camp Mystic. More rain is expected, worsening flood risks. Here is a guide on how to help those affected.
Deadly Texas flood exposes ‘neglected’ weather alert system Trump aims to modernize
After a Texas flood killed at least 32 people Friday, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem addressed criticism about notification prior to the flood, saying the administration is working on updating the National Weather Service and NOAA’s “neglected” and “ancient” systems. Citing her time in Congress and as governor of South Dakota, Noem said that while the weather is difficult to predict, there have been instances when officials and citizens expressed the need for quicker warning and clearer notification before deadly weather. “That is one of the reasons that, when President [Donald] Trump took office, he said he wanted to fix and is currently upgrading the technology,” Noem said during a news conference with state officials Saturday afternoon. “The National Weather Service has indicated that with that and the [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] (NOAA), we needed to renew this ancient system that has been left in place with the federal government for many, many years.” PARENTS DESPERATELY SEEKING ANSWERS ON MISSING CAMPERS AFTER TEXAS FLOOD Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said in March that at least 880 workers at NOAA were fired as part of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) spending cuts, Fox News Digital previously reported. Cantwell, at the time, said the firings would jeopardize the government’s ability to “forecast and respond to extreme weather events like hurricanes, wildfires and floods,” and would be “putting communities in harm’s way.” While the agency would not confirm the number of layoffs, a NOAA spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital the agency “remains dedicated to its mission, providing timely information, research and resources that serve the American public and ensure our nation’s environmental and economic resilience.” TEXAS RIVER FLOOD LEAVES AT LEAST 6 DEAD AS EMERGENCY CREWS RACE TO FIND OTHERS MISSING; CAMP EVACUATED The National Weather Service told Noem its notifications department started to look at expansion of its limited flood impact area at 1:18 p.m. local time Thursday, about 12 hours before the tragedy. Though a flood watch was issued, Noem described it as a “moderate” alert. “When the [weather] system came over the area, it stalled,” she said. “It was much more water, much like [what] we experienced during [Hurricane] Harvey, with the same type of system that was unpredictable in the way that it reacted in the way that it stopped right here and dumped unprecedented amounts of rain that caused a flooding event like this.” Initial reports indicated heavy rain Friday morning caused the Guadalupe River to rise nearly 30 feet in 45 minutes. Weather service employees told Noem they continued to elevate notifications, though those alerts likely would have come through in the early morning hours when local residents were asleep. Texas officials in Kerr County on Saturday confirmed at least 43 deaths, including 14 children. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY KRISTI NOEM HOSPITALIZED AFTER ALLERGIC REACTION One of the hardest hit areas was Camp Mystic, an all-girls private Christian camp in Hunt, Texas. As of Saturday afternoon, 27 young girls remain missing. “I do carry your concerns back to the federal government, to President Trump, and we will do all we can to fix those kinds of things that may have felt like a failure to you and to your community members,” Noem told a reporter. “We know that everybody wants more warning time, and that’s why we’re working to upgrade the technologies that have been neglected for far too long, to make sure that families have as much advanced notice as possible,” she added. Noem said reform is ongoing, though she did not announce a specific timeline. Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.
Elon Musk launches ‘America Party’ after Trump signs historic spending bill: ‘Waste & graft’
Elon Musk says the two-party system is broken, and he just launched a new political party to prove it. On Saturday, Musk announced on X, the social media platform he owns, the formation of the “America Party,” calling it a direct response to what he described as a corrupt political establishment that no longer represents the American people. The announcement followed a viral July 4 poll on X, where Musk asked whether voters wanted independence from what he called the “two-party (some would say uniparty) system.” ELON MUSK INDICATES HE’LL DONATE TO REP. THOMAS MASSIE, A REPUBLICAN WHO HAS BEEN EXCORIATED BY TRUMP Over 1.2 million votes were cast, with 65.4% saying “yes.” “By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it,” Musk posted Saturday. “When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.” The move came just after President Donald Trump signed the “big, beautiful bill” into law Friday at the White House. The sweeping $3.3 trillion legislation includes tax cuts, infrastructure spending and stimulus measures and has drawn criticism from fiscal conservatives and libertarians. Though Musk did not reference the bill directly in his America Party posts, the timing suggests rising friction between the billionaire and the president. Musk has previously warned that unchecked spending by both parties threatens the long-term health of the economy. The new party, according to Musk’s posts, will target a few key seats in Congress. The goal is to create a swing bloc powerful enough to hold the balance of power and block what Musk sees as the worst excesses of both Republicans and Democrats. ELON MUSK SAYS US IS RULED BY ‘PORKY PIG PARTY’ AS TRUMP DEFENDS HIS VISION AGAINST FORMER ALLY’S CRITICISM Some on the right voiced concern in the comments section that a third party could split the conservative vote and help Democrats win more easily. “Your third party will disproportionately take votes from the right vs the left and give the left an easier path to power,” conservative commentator Shawn Farash posted. Others, like Joey Mannarino, urged Musk to focus instead on reforming the GOP from within. Critics also pointed out that the X poll was informal, not limited to American voters and vulnerable to bots. Third parties have traditionally had a difficult time gaining ground in American politics as the system is built for two dominant parties. With the Electoral College, winner-take-all elections and strict ballot access laws, outsiders cannot meaningfully compete. Even when a third-party candidate catches fire, it rarely lasts beyond a single election cycle. One of the biggest third-party efforts in recent history was Ross Perot’s 1992 run. He earned nearly 19% of the popular vote as an independent but didn’t win a single Electoral College vote. It was the closest a third-party candidate got to the White House after President Teddy Roosevelt’s famed Bull Moose Party run in 1912 against his onetime protégé, William Howard Taft. Others, like Ralph Nader, have tried with the Green Party, and Gary Johnson with the Libertarian Party, but no third-party candidate has come close to winning the Presidency. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
DHS: Several criminal illegal aliens deported to South Sudan after delays from ‘activist judges’
Eight criminal illegal aliens were deported to South Sudan on Independence Day, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Saturday, after what it called “weeks of delays by activist judges” that left ICE officers stranded and at risk. “These sickos were finally deported to South Sudan on Independence Day,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “After weeks of delays by activist judges that put our law enforcement in danger, ICE deported these eight barbaric criminal illegal aliens who are so heinous even their own countries will not accept them.” The deportation effort had been blocked by a series of lower court rulings, which the Supreme Court overturned July 3, granting the Trump administration’s motion to enforce its third-country removal policy. The eight men had been held in Djibouti as legal challenges played out. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SCORES WIN AS SUPREME COURT APPROVES DEPORTATIONS TO THIRD COUNTRIES According to DHS, the eight men had extensive and violent criminal histories. Enrique Arias-Hierro, a Cuban national, was convicted of homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping and impersonating a law enforcement officer. Jose Manuel Rodriguez-Quinones, also from Cuba, was convicted of attempted first-degree murder with a weapon, battery, larceny and drug trafficking. Thongxay Nilakout, a Laotian national, was convicted of first-degree murder and robbery and sentenced to life in prison. Jesus Munoz-Gutierrez, from Mexico, was convicted of second-degree murder and also sentenced to life confinement. FEDERAL JUDGE HALTS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEPORTATION OF EIGHT MIGRANTS TO SOUTH SUDAN Dian Peter Domach, a South Sudanese national, had convictions for robbery, multiple gun offenses and driving under the influence. Kyaw Mya of Burma was convicted of lascivious acts with a child under the age of 12 and served part of a 10-year sentence. Nyo Myint, also from Burma, was convicted of first-degree sexual assault involving a mentally and physically incapacitated victim and faced additional charges of aggravated assault. Tuan Thanh Phan, a Vietnamese national, was convicted of first-degree murder and second-degree assault and sentenced to 22 years. “These are not just immigration cases,” McLaughlin said. “These are threats to American communities that judges tried to force ICE to return to the United States.” DHS credited the Supreme Court’s clarification order for breaking the logjam and allowing ICE to complete the mission. “This was a win for the rule of law, safety and security of the American people,” its statement said. DHS also thanked ICE officers who had been stranded abroad during the court-imposed pause. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We thank our brave ICE law enforcement for their sacrifice to defend our freedoms,” McLaughlin said. “We will continue to fight for the freedoms of Americans while these far-left activists continue to try and force us to bring murderers, pedophiles and rapists back to the U.S.” The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trump defends use of ‘shylock’ term at rally amid antisemitism claims
President Donald Trump has defended his use of the term “shylock” at a rally this week, saying he was unaware it is considered antisemitic by some people. Trump used the term in his speech in Iowa on Thursday, shortly after his signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act was passed by Congress earlier in the day. Shylock is the name of the villainous Jewish moneylender in Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” who demands a pound of flesh from a debtor. TRUMP ADMIN CRACKS DOWN ON ANTISEMITISM AS DOJ OFFICIAL EXPOSES ‘VIOLENT RHETORIC’ OF RADICAL PROTESTERS Over time, the name came to be used more broadly to refer to a loan shark or greedy moneylender. Today, some consider it an antisemitic slur, particularly when used in reference to Jewish people. “No death tax, no estate tax, no going to the banks and borrowing some from, in some cases, a fine banker and in some cases, shylocks and bad people,” Trump said, while referring to the bill’s elimination of estate taxes and borrowing burdens. The term did not provoke any reaction from the crowd, but his remark quickly blew up online, and he later defended using it when a reporter said it is widely considered an antiemetic phrase. “No I’ve never heard it that way,” Trump responded. “To me, a shylock is somebody that’s a moneylender at high rates. I’ve never heard it that way. You view it differently than me. I’ve never heard that.” The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which works to combat antisemitism, said the term evokes “a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jews and greed that is extremely offensive and dangerous.” SUSPECT CHARGED WITH MURDERING ISRAELI EMBASSY STAFF COULD FACE DEATH PENALTY “President Trump’s use of the term is very troubling and irresponsible,” the ADL wrote in a statement Friday. “It underscores how lies and conspiracies about Jews remain deeply entrenched in our country. Words from our leaders matter and we expect more from the President of the United States.” Rep. Jerry Nadler, D- N.Y., who is Jewish, agreed and ripped Trump for using the term. “The term ‘Shylock’ is one of the most recognizable antisemitic slurs in the English language,” Nadler wrote on X. “It’s a centuries-old trope that has fueled discrimination, hatred and violence against Jews for generations. I condemn Donald Trump’s dangerous use of this blatantly antisemitic slur and his long history of trafficking in antisemitic tropes.” Nadler went on to say that Trump has exploited the rise of antisemitism to suppress free speech and that he isn’t serious about tackling the problem. Conservative political commentator John Podhoretz, who is also Jewish, shot back at Nadler. “I condemn your endorsement of an anti-Semitic mayoral candidate which you did because you are a pusillanimous coward,” Podhoretz wrote, in reference to Nadler endorsing Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor. “At best Trump said Shylock the same week he destroyed Iran’s nuclear program. What have you ever done for the Jews, Jerry?” Trump has made tackling antisemitism — particularly on college campuses and through immigration enforcement — a top priority in his campaign. He signed an executive order in January mandating that all federal agencies identify and apply tools to address antisemitic harassment and violence in higher education. His administration has also launched investigations into universities including Harvard, Columbia, and UC Berkeley over allegations of antisemitism and has threatened to pull federal funding if they fail to act. His daughter Ivanka converted to Orthodox Judaism in 2009 and is married to Jared Kushner, who is also Jewish. Democrat Joe Biden, while vice president, said in 2014 that he had made a “poor choice” of words a day after he used the term in remarks to a legal aid group. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Democrats project doom and gloom, not celebration, with July 4 messages
Prominent Democrats sent messages of doom and gloom rather than celebration on July 4, drawing ire from a multitude of critics. Many of the messages included warnings about supposed threats to the country emanating from the Trump administration. “This Fourth of July, I am taking a moment to reflect. Things are hard right now. They are probably going to get worse before they get better,” former Vice President Kamala Harris wrote in a post on X that included a photo of her and former second gentleman Doug Emhoff at the White House. “But I love our country — and when you love something, you fight for it. Together, we will continue to fight for the ideals of our nation.” Many social media users were quick to point out that Harris cropped former President Joe Biden and former first lady Jill Biden out of the photo. Others took one of Harris’ famous phrases to mock her, saying that the country was “unburdened by what has been.” THE LEFT IS CELEBRATING JULY 4 WITH PROTESTS WHILE THE RIGHT SEES A PATRIOTIC REVIVAL Harris’ old boss, former President Joe Biden, posted a more mild message, while also encouraging Americans to “fight to maintain” democracy. Meanwhile, former President Barack Obama also chimed in with a warning of his own, saying that “core democratic principles seem to be continuously under attack.” He argued that the word “we” is the “single most powerful word in our democracy,” and used his first presidential campaign slogan as one of his examples. KAMALA HARRIS COMES KNIVES OUT AGAINST TRUMP IN FIRST SPEECH SINCE LEAVING OFFICE: ‘ABSOLUTE CHAOS’ “Independence Day is a reminder that America is not the project of any one person. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word ‘We.’ ‘We The People.’ ‘We Shall Overcome.’ ‘Yes We Can.’ America is owned by no one. It belongs to all citizens. And at this moment in history—when core democratic principles seem to be continuously under attack, when too many people around the world have become cynical and disengaged—now is precisely the time to ask ourselves tough questions about how we can build our democracies and make them work in meaningful and practical ways for ordinary people,” Obama wrote. Xi Van Fleet, a survivor of Mao’s Cultural Revolution, responded saying, “We the People are taking our country back from those like you who despise America and work tirelessly to dismantle everything it stands for.” Sen. Bernie Sanders appeared to support the anti-Trump “No Kings” movement in his July 4 post. “On July 4, 1776, Americans said: No to Kings, No to Despotism. On July 4, 2025, all across the country, Americans say again: No to Kings, No to Despotism,” Sanders wrote. In response, several social media users pointed out that, unlike a king, President Donald Trump was elected.
State-sponsored Islamophobia in France encourages violence
On June 27, El Hidaya Mosque in Roussillon in Southern France was attacked and vandalised. Windows were smashed and furniture overturned; the walls were plastered with racist flyers. Earlier the same month, a burned Quran was placed at the entrance of a mosque in Villeurbanne of Lyon. Unfortunately, virulent Islamophobia in France has not stopped at vandalism. On May 31, Hichem Miraoui, a Tunisian national, was shot dead by his French neighbour in a village near the French Riviera; another Muslim man was also shot but survived. A month earlier, Aboubakar Cisse, a Malian national, was stabbed to death in a mosque in the town of La Grand-Combeby by a French citizen. There has been a significant spike in Islamophobic acts in France – something the French authorities remain reluctant to publicly comment on. One report showed a 72 percent increase in such incidents between January and March 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. There are various factors that have contributed to this, but central among them is the French state’s own Islamophobic rhetoric and anti-Muslim policies. The most recent iteration of this was the release of a report titled “The Muslim Brotherhood and Political Islamism in France” by the French government. The document claims that the Muslim Brotherhood and “political Islamism” are infiltrating French institutions and threatening social cohesion and names organisations and mosques as having links to the group. The report came out just days before Miraoui was shot dead and two weeks after the French authorities raided the homes of several founding members of the Brussels-based Collective Against Islamophobia in Europe (CCIE) living in France. Advertisement With the rise of anti-Muslim attacks and discrimination in France, it is increasingly hard to believe that the obsession of the French state and government with what they call “Islamist separatism” is not, in fact, inciting violence against the French Muslim population. The idea that French Muslims are somehow threatening the French state through their identity expression has been championed by the French far right for decades. But it was in the late 2010s that it entered the mainstream by being embraced by centrist politicians and the media. In 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron, who also embraced the term “separatism”, called for the creation of a “French Islam”, a euphemism for domesticating and controlling Muslim institutions to serve the interest of the French state. At the heart of this project stood the idea of preserving “social cohesion”, which effectively meant suppressing dissent. In the following years, the French state started acting on its obsession with controlling Muslims with more and tougher policies. Between 2018 and 2020, it shut down 672 Muslim-run entities, including schools and mosques. In November 2020, the French authorities forced the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF), a nonprofit organisation documenting Islamophobia, to dissolve; the organisation then reconstituted in Brussels. In December of that year, they targeted 76 mosques, accusing them of “Islamist separatism” and threatening them with closure. In 2021, the French Parliament passed the so-called anti-separatism law, which included a variety of measures to supposedly combat “Islamist separatism”. Among them was an extension of the ban on religious symbols in the public sector, restrictions on home schooling and sports associations, new rules for organisations receiving state subsidies, more policing of places of worship, etc. By January 2022, the French government reported that it had inspected more than 24,000 Muslim organisations and businesses, shut down more than 700 and seized 46 million euros ($54m) in assets. The Muslim Brotherhood boogeyman The report released in May, like many official statements and initiatives, was not aimed to clarify policy or ensure legal precision. It was supposed to politicise Muslim identity, delegitimise political dissent and facilitate a new wave of state attacks on the Muslim civil society. The report names various Muslim organisations, accusing them of having links to the Muslim Brotherhood. It also argues that campaigning against Islamophobia is a tool of the organisation. According to the report, the Muslim Brotherhood uses anti-Islamophobia activism to discredit secular policies and portray the state as racist. Advertisement This framing is aimed to invalidate legitimate critiques of discriminatory laws and practices, and frames any public recognition of anti-Muslim racism as a covert Islamist agenda. The implication is clear: Muslim visibility and dissent are not just suspect — they are dangerous. The report also dives into the Islamo-gauchisme or Islamo-leftism conspiracy theories – the idea that “Islamists” and leftists have a strategic alliance. It claims that decolonial movement is challenneling Islamism and references the March Against Islamophobia of November 10, 2019, a mass mobilisation that drew participants from across the political spectrum, including the left. The report that was commissioned under the hardline former Interior Minister and now Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, who back in 2021 accused far-right leader Marine Le Pen of being “too soft” on Islam. All of this – the report, the legislation, the police raids and rhetorical attacks against the French Muslim community – follows the long French colonial tradition of seeking to rule over and control Muslim populations. The French political centre has had to embrace Islamophobia to contain its falling popularity. It may help with narrow electoral victories over the rising far right, but those will be short-lived. The more lasting impact will be a sigmatised, alienated Muslim community which will increasingly face state-incited violence and hatred. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance. Adblock test (Why?)