Devastation at Camp Mystic
Camp Mystic and a deadly Texas flash flood
Authorities continue a desperate search to find missing people after historic flash floods swept across central Texas — including 10 children from Camp Mystic, an all-girls camp.
The death toll rises as forecasters warn of more rain: State and local authorities said at least 81 people have died in flooding triggered by unrelenting rain Thursday night into Friday.
🤝 Here's how to help in the aftermath of the Texas flooding.
Kentucky governor hits Medicaid cuts in Trump's megabill
~ Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear argued in a Sunday interview the Medicaid cuts in President Donald Trump's sweeping tax policy bill will have a 'devastating' impact on rural communities.
More news to know now
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
A tariff deadline looms this week
The United States is close to clinching several trade deals ahead of a July 9 deadline when higher tariffs were due to kick in, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, predicting several big announcements in coming days. Bessent told CNN's "State of the Union" that President Donald Trump would also send out letters to 100 smaller countries with whom the U.S. doesn't have much trade, notifying them that they would face higher tariff rates first set on April 2 and then suspended until July 9 by the start of next month. See where trade agreements stand now.
Can you turn the AC off?
Roughly 12% of Americans don't use AC, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. While many can't afford it or don't need it because they live in cooler climates, others choose to forgo air conditioning to lower their carbon footprint. Residential energy use, which includes cooling, heating and powering homes, accounts for roughly 20% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., experts say, and many Americans are switching their AC "off" to do better for the planet. Here's how giving up AC could break the "vicious cycle" of climate change.
Today's talkers
Why wait for Prime Day?
The 2025 Prime Day sale officially begins on Tuesday, July 8, but the early deals are already alive and well. If you're eager to get a head start on summer savings, you don't have to wait. Seriously, you can find our favorite mini chainsaw for less than $40, get an incredibly popular Dell laptop for 73% off and even save a few bucks on a funky sun hat with built-in fans. From smart home gadgets and kitchen appliances to travel gear and tech upgrades, these early deals are packed with value.
Photo of the day: Americans at the All England Club
The United States entered Wimbledon 2025 with its largest combined contingent of singles players since 1999. There are four Americans remaining in the Wimbledon draw, and none of them have won a major. Emma Navarro and Ben Shelton are each set to play Monday.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.
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USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Are you experiencing extreme weather more? Do NWS cuts worry you? Take our poll.
The Trump administration has made cuts to the NWS, NOAA and FEMA. Are you worried about what this means for weathering storms? Take our poll. Severe. Extreme. Unprecedented. More and more, these words seem a routine part of our forecast rather than rare weather events they once described. It's been four days since the Guadalupe River reached an unprecedented 29 feet, one of the many overflowing waterways in central Texas that devastated the area with severe flooding, sweeping away homes and neighbors as they slept. The death toll has reached 90 people as of July 7, with 10 campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic in Kerry County still unaccounted for. Thunderstorms and heavy rain continue to batter the region, hampering search efforts and increasing the risk of flash floods. Tropical Depression Chantal has brought severe flooding to North Carolina as it makes its way up the eastern United States, bringing more flood warnings with it. Severe thunderstorms are forecast for parts of the Great Plains and Midwest into Monday evening, while extreme heat is expected to bear down on the Southwest beginning July 8. A USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll conducted in mid-June found a majority of Americans (58%) fear this extreme weather is getting worse – and will continue to be in the near future. Thirty percent of respondents said they have personally experienced extreme weather events in the previous month – with many citing severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, much like those that triggered the rapid flooding in central Texas. (Have you endured severe weather recently? Scroll down to tell us about it.) And yet, as climate change ravages the country, the Trump administration has cut the very departments Americans rely on: the National Weather Service, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Who are we supposed to turn to for trusted weather warnings that can save lives, and aid that can help us pick up the pieces when disaster inevitably strikes? NWS doesn't have enough staff: The NWS is understaffed during hurricane season. It keeps me up at night. | Opinion What's the weather like where you live? Are you worried about NWS cuts? This spring, the NWS lost nearly 15% of its workforce – approximately 600 people – due to Trump administration layoffs and early retirement packages, the New York Times reported. NWS offices are understaffed with critical roles unfilled. Furthermore, the Trump administration is proposing massive cuts to the NOAA – the parent agency of NWS – further hamstringing funding and eliminating programs that do crucial climate research. And on top of all that, the president has said he wants to get rid of FEMA altogether. I don't know about you, but as weather events throughout the U.S. become more catastrophic, none of this makes me feel safer. Or better prepared to weather these storms. How do you feel? Are you concerned about the accuracy of the National Weather Service or how cuts will impact your forecasts and warnings? Is the weather becoming more extreme where you live? How do you think we should handle it? Are you concerned about the impact of climate change – and do you think there's anything we can do to change it? Take our poll below. USA TODAY Opinion may use your responses in an upcoming column. Janessa Hilliard is the director of audience for USA TODAY Opinion and Opinion at Gannett. You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.
Eater
2 hours ago
- Eater
How to Help the Survivors and Families of the July 2025 Hill Country Floods
Skip to main content Current eater city: Austin On Friday, July 4, rain began to fall in Central Texas, turning into what experts are calling one of the deadliest floods in America in the last century. More than 80 people have been declared dead, and more than 40 more are still missing as of Monday, July 7; 850 have been rescued. On the Fourth of July, flash floods hit the Guadalupe River overnight, raising water levels by 26 feet in 45 minutes. At Camp Mystic in Kerrville, 27 campers and counselors, most young girls, are dead. The majority of the deaths occurred in Kerr County, which is directly west of Austin and just northwest of San Antonio. Flood risks are ongoing as rain in the state continues. Rescue efforts are ongoing for missing people across Central Texas, with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pledging to continue the search for the missing. On Sunday, July 6, President Donald Trump signed a federal disaster declaration for Kerr County, making assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) available for the search efforts and extending help to those affected. The move comes days after the passage of the president's 'Big Beautiful Bill,' whose proposed cuts included taking potentially $664 million in funding from federal agencies like FEMA. In the recently ended 2025 session of the Texas Legislature, House Bill 13 was introduced to address state-wide improvements to disaster response, which included funding for counties, notably rural, to buy new emergency alert equipment and build new infrastructure to help emergency communications, such as radio towers. It failed in the Senate. State representative Wes Virdell, who represents Kerrville and other areas impacted by the floods, voted against the bill. He told the Texas Tribune that, in hindsight and with the first-hand experience he has had in the past few days searching for survivors with first responders, he would vote differently now. Judge Rob Kelly, the top elected official in Kerr County, told the BBC that high costs stopped the installation of a county-administered warning system, which was analyzed six years ago. Staffing issues have also been a cause of concern, with an unstaffed warning meteorologist position in the Austin/San Antonio office of the National Weather Service. The person who previously held the position took a retirement buyout from the Trump administration earlier this year, CNN reports, and the role has not been refilled. Businesses and restaurants across Central Texas have already begun efforts to assist those impacted by the ongoing floods. H-E-B, the Texas grocery store chain, is known for showing up when natural disasters strike in the state. (H-E-B opened its first store in Kerrville.) The company sent a caravan of 18-wheelers loaded with supplies to Kerr County the day after those deadly floods struck, according to a report in MySA. 'As part of our initial outreach [in Kerrville], we are working closely with the Red Cross, local officials, and first responders to support their needs,' a statement from H-E-B, posted to its website on July 5, says. 'Additionally, we have sent aid to support efforts in San Angelo, Marble Falls, and other impacted areas.' During a press conference on July 6, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. said H-E-B would be setting up a mobile kitchen in Ingram, Texas, reports KHOU. Texas-based fast food chain Whataburger is also on the ground providing meals to first responders. 'We know the process of recovery and rebuilding isn't just about responding in a moment of crisis, but in supporting our neighbors in the months ahead,' the burger company shared in a statement on its social media. World Central Kitchen, a non-profit founded by chef José Andrés that provides meals in areas hit by disaster, is on-site in the affected communities, feeding warm meals to first responders, families at reunification centers, and working with local officials to get to communities in need of food. Speaking to CNN, World Kitchen's response director, Samantha Elfmont, said, 'We need to make sure that people are fed breakfast, lunch, and dinner and take care of themselves [and] get that nourishment they need, because these days are long and we don't know what's ahead.' Mercy Chefs, a non-profit, faith-based organization founded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina by chefs Gary and Ann LeBlanc, provides high-quality, professionally prepared meals to victims of disasters. Mercy Chefs' local responders located in Central Texas have served first responders and survivors of the floods. In a post on Instagram, the team wrote: 'We served hundreds of first responders working around the clock to find those still missing and began feeding volunteers and families who have lost everything. Many came shaken and grieving, just needing a warm meal and hoping to see a friendly face. They left with full plates and, we pray, a little more strength to face what's next.' The organization seeks donations to continue its work. A loose coalition of Central Texas breweries has converted their locations into donation drop-off sites, and some are using beer trucks to get donations to people in the affected areas. All are posting updated lists of which donations are most needed currently on their Instagram pages. Participating locations include Jester King Brewery, the ABGB, the Brewtorium, South Austin Beer Garden in Austin, 12 Fox Beer and Treaty Oak Distilling in Dripping Springs, Bold Republic Brewing in Temple, Fifth Element Brewing in Leander, and Pecan Street Brewing in Johnson City. Requested items include bottled water, medical supplies, non-perishable food, socks, underwear, flashlights and batteries, kids' clothing, diapers, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and pet food. The Southern Smoke Foundation, a Houston-based organization run by chef Chris Shepherd, plans to offer disaster relief in the coming weeks to food and beverage workers impacted by the floods, it said in an Instagram post. Many Austin restaurants are donating some or all of the proceeds of sales to benefit flood victims. Curras Grill is accepting donations of essential items at its Oltorf and Hyde Park locations, and will donate 10 percent of all sales during its donation-gathering campaign to 'further assist and uplift the Kerrville community.' Buffalina's locations on Cesar Chavez and Burnet Road will host a fundraiser on Monday, July 7, in which it will donate profits from all margherita pizzas sold to the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund. The Five O Four pop-up at Long Play Lounge is using its Monday, July 7, Oyster Night event to raise money and collect donations. One hundred percent of tips, which can be increased at checkout, along with 10 percent of all sales, will go to Hands Off Central TX, which is currently holding a flood mutual aid drive. It is accepting clothes, hygiene kits, water, and more to donate. Hopdaddy Burger Bar is donating 100 percent of profits from the day on Wednesday, July 9, to Texas Search and Rescue, which is helping to locate still missing flood victims. Boudin Acres is accepting donations of all essential items and doing a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $5,000, for monetary donations made directly to its Venmo through Friday, July 11. Peeler Farms is accepting donations of food to prepare meals for first responders in Kerrville, specifically of pork butts and shoulders, bags of chips, granola bars, and any meats that are easy to cook in large quantities. Drop off at Comedor in Austin or Millscale in Lockhart. The Commodore Perry Estate is a drop-off location for donations of bottled water, canned foods, clothing, hygiene products, trash bags, brooms, shovels, cleaning supplies, and basic emergency medical supplies. Hai Hospitality has partnered with Mercy Chefs to provide food and assistance in feeding those affected. Guests at Loro locations can round up their checks to donate directly, and plans to donate $20,000 in sales from all Texas locations of Uchi, Uchiko, and Uchiba to the organization, a spokesperson tells Eater. Lucky Lab Coffee Co.'s Dripping Springs location is a drop-off site for pet food and supplies for affected pets. It also accepts Petco, H-E-B, Amazon, Visa, and similar gift cards, as well as non-prescription pet medicines. Double Trouble will host an emergency donation drive during its Dungeons and Dragons karaoke night on Saturday, July 12. It seeks cleaning supplies, toiletries, diapers, formula, non-perishable foods, gently used clothing, pet supplies, and pet food. Spare Birdie in Cedar Park is a donation drop site through July 11, accepting bottled water, diapers, baby wipes, basic hygiene goods, trash bags, bleach, cleaning supplies, brooms, shovels, new socks, new underwear, flashlights, and batteries. Soup Leaf Hotpot will donate 40 percent of its profits on Wednesday, July 9 to the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund. Corner Bar is accepting pet-related donations through Sunday, July 13, on behalf of Austin Pets Alive, which will in turn donate to flood victims. Radio Coffee and Beer will match in-store donations at all its locations, up to $10,000. The funds will be donated to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country. Eater Austin will continue to update this list as new donation locations and fundraisers are announced. See More:
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
McLaren's Lando Norris speeds to victory at British Grand Prix
McLaren's Lando Norris took his first home victory in a chaotic, dramatic, rain-affected British Grand Prix. Phil Duncan, F1 correspondent for the Press Assocation, talks to CNN Sport's Coy Wire.
