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Hill Country flooding: Here’s how to give and receive help

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

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 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’

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.