Texas flooding survivor: ‘People need to see' devastation firsthand
Lorena Guillen, owner of Blue Oak RV Park, told 'NewsNation Live' on Friday that she's overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support, but says more people need to see the aftermath firsthand.
'People need to see this, and you guys are the only ones sharing that information,' she said.
The floods have claimed at least 120 lives, with more than 160 people still missing. Guillen said her RV park lost a family of four. The parents have been found, but their two children are still unaccounted for.
As she and her husband prepare to rebuild, Guillen said they plan to improve safety measures at the park, including moving units away from the water.
'After losing that family, we're not going to allow anyone to stay that close to the water,' she said. 'So, how can we build it better?'
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are expected to visit the region Friday, joining Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. Ted Cruz and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for a firsthand look at the damage.
'We're praying that once he sees the devastation, he's going to write authorities to start helping us,' Guillen said. 'We have employees, we have bills to pay, they're due, and hopefully he sees that.'
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Newsweek
37 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Trump Administration Breaks With Eric Adams Over NYC Border Officer Attack
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Monday morning placed the blame for the attack of an off-duty Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer on New York City Mayor Eric Adams and his city's sanctuary policies. Noem said one of the two suspects in Saturday's attack entered the U.S. during the Biden administration and had been shielded from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the city. "He was arrested four different times in New York City and, because of the mayor's policies and sanctuary city policies, was released back to do harm to people and individuals living in this city," Noem said. "Make no mistake—this officer is in the hospital today fighting for his life because of the policies of the mayor of this city and the City Council and the people that were in charge of keeping the public safe." Newsweek reached out to Adams' office for comment via email Monday morning. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, left, visits "Mornings With Maria" with host Cheryl Casone at the Fox Business Network Studios on July 8, 2025, in New York City. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, right,... New York City Mayor Eric Adams, left, visits "Mornings With Maria" with host Cheryl Casone at the Fox Business Network Studios on July 8, 2025, in New York City. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, right, speaks during a news conference at Nashville International Airport on July 17, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. More/AP Photo/George Walker IV Why It Matters The Trump administration has viewed sanctuary cities and states as barriers to federal immigration enforcement, with local police not involved in ICE activity. Adams has said he supports ICE when it comes to seeking out suspected illegal immigrants and was seen to have been far more cooperative than his counterparts in Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles. What To Know The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) arrested Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez and Christhian Aybar-Berroa in connection with the shooting in Fort Washington Park under the George Washington Bridge in upper Manhattan on Saturday night. Footage released by the agency showed two armed men approach an off-duty CBP officer at a park before exchanging gunfire. Nunez was initially taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol in April 2023 after crossing the southern border in Arizona. He was later released into the United States pending further immigration proceedings. Nunez has been arrested multiple times by law enforcement agencies since his arrival in the United States, according to DHS. On October 11, 2023, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) charged him with felony grand larceny, petit larceny and reckless driving. In October 2024, he was arrested and charged with assault in the second and third degrees, followed by an arrest for criminal contempt in November of the same year. He was arrested again for criminal contempt in January 2025. In February 2025, the Leominster Police Department in Massachusetts issued a criminal warrant for his arrest in connection with an armed robbery involving a firearm. Nunez was issued a removal order in November 2024 after failing to appear at an immigration hearing. Aybar-Berroa was apprehended by federal agents on Monday. He is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and entered the United States without authorization in 2022. According to DHS, an immigration judge issued a final order of removal against him in 2023. Aybar-Berroa has a criminal record in New York City, including arrests on charges of reckless endangerment and larceny. Noem said that detainers requesting his transfer into federal custody were not honored by local authorities. Aybar-Berroa was released from local custody before ICE agents could detain him. Noem's assertion that New York's sanctuary policies led to the attack repeats a similar message to others from the White House since January—that the policies prevent ICE from detaining alleged criminals before they can commit serious crimes. That is despite most sanctuary policies, which differ by location, generally allowing police and sheriff's departments to cooperate with federal agents when it comes to serious and violent criminals. There have been notable incidents in the past year in New York City involving illegal immigrants, including the death of a woman who was set on fire on the subway. Adams was seen to make a deal of sorts with the White House in the early days of the second Trump administration, appearing on Fox News with border czar Tom Homan and promising to work with ICE on serious illegal immigrant criminals. The mayor was clear, however, that he did not want the city's wider undocumented population to live in fear. What People Are Saying Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters Monday morning: "How many more lives will it take? How many more people have to be hurt and victimized before we have public safety be a number one priority in some of our largest cities? When I look at what Mayor Adams has done to New York City, it breaks my heart to see the families that have suffered because of his policies." Border czar Tom Homan told reporters Monday: "Sanctuary cities are sanctuaries for criminals. Hard stop." New York City Mayor Eric Adams, during a press conference: "He [Nunez] has inflicted violence in our city and once he is charged for last night's crimes, we will be able to add attempted murder to his rap sheet." DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, in a statement: "This violent criminal illegal alien [Nunez] had multiple run-ins with NYPD for assault and felony grand larceny before he ambushed and shot a CBP officer." What Happens Next Noem urged sanctuary cities and states to change their policies now, saying leaders there took an oath to protect their citizens. Those leaders have argued that they do, and that it is the federal government's job to enforce immigration laws.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Hegseth's high-profile staff departures: a timeline
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's tenure has seen a series of high-profile staff departures, leaving the Pentagon head without a chief of staff and other key advisers. Hegseth's inner circle saw another shakeup on Saturday with the departure of senior adviser Justin Fulcher. Fulcher said in a statement to NewsNation Saturday that he had only planned to work six months in government. The exit came three months after four top officials departed in quick succession amid infighting and an investigation into leaks. Hegseth's chief of staff was moved elsewhere within the Pentagon days later. Here are the top advisers to Hegseth who have left so far. April 15 Dan Caldwell, one of Hegseth's senior advisers, was escorted out of the Pentagon on April 15 and put on administrative leave amid a probe into information leaks at the department. Darin Selnick, the department's deputy chief of staff, was suspended the same day, and Colin Caroll, the chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg, was also placed on leave the next day. All three were fired on April 18. after being placed on administrative leave earlier that week. Caldwell, a senior adviser to Hegseth, and Selnick, the department's chief of staff, had been out of the building over a leak probe. The leaks under investigation included a visit by Elon Musk to the Pentagon and military operational plans in Panama, Politico reported at the time. The three ousted officials later said in a joint statement that they were 'incredibly disappointed' in the way they had been forced out of the Pentagon. 'At this time, we still have not been told what exactly we were investigated for, if there is still an active investigation, or if there was even a real investigation of 'leaks' to begin with,' they wrote. They said they had been subject to 'baseless attacks' by anonymous Pentagon officials. April 17 Following the suspensions of Caldwell, Selnick and Carroll, John Ullyot, a press assistant to Hegseth, said on April 17 that he had been asked to resign. Ullyot characterized the situation at the Pentagon as a 'full-blown meltdown' in an opinion piece for Politico and contested claims that the three men had been ousted for leaking information. 'In the aftermath, Defense Department officials working for Hegseth tried to smear the aides anonymously to reporters, claiming they were fired for leaking sensitive information as part of an investigation ordered earlier this month,' he wrote. Ullyot said at the time it was 'hard to see' Hegseth remaining in his position long-term after repeated scandals. The Atlantic reported that the secretary had shared secret plans to strike Houthi rebels in Yemen in a Signal chat that included the magazine's editor-in-chief. Then, reports emerged that Elon Musk had been invited to a top-secret Pentagon briefing on China, which was later canceled. Reports also circulated of Hegseth inviting his wife to sensitive briefings. President Trump has continued to back Hegseth, saying in late April that he thought the defense secretary would 'get it together.' April 22 Hegseth said in an April 22 interview that Joe Kasper, his chief of staff, would move to a different role. News of the shift was first reported by Politico on April 18, the same day that Caldwell, Selnick and Carroll were fired. At the time, a senior U.S. defense official told The Hill that Kasper would stay at the Department of Defense as a special government employee, a position that lasts a maximum of 130 days. Kasper would handle 'special projects,' the official said. In March, Kasper had reportedly kick-started the probe into leaks of classified and sensitive information. Politico reported on April 22 that Kasper was seen as playing a key role in pushing out Caldwell, Selnick and Carroll. Kasper said in an interview with the outlet that he had been following Hegseth's directive to investigate leaks. July 19 Fulcher, who announced his departure from the Pentagon on Saturday, was appointed in late April as part of a wave of new aides. He was later promoted to senior advisor to Hegseth, and in April was named to a new Pentagon leadership team. Fulcher had previously worked for the Department of Government Efficiency on defense matters. A March Forbes article raised questions about his business credentials, with one business partner claiming Fulcher owed him hundreds of thousands of dollars. Fulcher said Saturday that he had completed six months of government work 'as planned.' The Washington Post reported Saturday that Fulcher's desk had been relocated from outside Hegseth's office to further down the hall. The Pentagon has cast his departure as amicable. 'The Department of Defense is grateful to Justin Fulcher for his work on behalf of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth. We wish him well in his future endeavors,' Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told NewsNation, the Hill's sister network.
Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
With gavel in hand, Trump chisels away at the power of a compliant Congress
WASHINGTON — 'Mr. President, this is the gavel used to enact the 'big, beautiful bill,'' House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a White House signing ceremony on the Fourth of July. 'I want you to have it,' he said. Handing over the gavel delighted President Trump who, seated behind a desk outdoors, immediately tested it out with a few quick thumps. The moment left a memorable mark on a historic day. The gesture reflected a traditional nod of honor, from one leader to another, a milestone of the Republican Party's priority legislation becoming law. But the imagery also underscored a symbolic transfer of political power, from Capitol Hill to the White House as a compliant Congress is ceding more and more of its prerogative to the presidency. Since Trump's return to the White House in January, and particularly in the past few weeks, Republicans in control of the House and Senate have shown an unusual willingness to give the president of their party what he wants, regardless of the potential risk to themselves, their constituents and Congress itself. Republicans raced to put the big package of tax breaks and spending cuts on Trump's desk by his Independence Day deadline. Senators had quickly confirmed almost all of Trump's outsider Cabinet nominees despite grave reservations over Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary, Pete Hegseth as the Pentagon chief and others. House Republicans pursued Trump's interest in investigating his perceived foes, including investigating Democratic President Biden's use of the autopen. But at the same time, Congress hit the brakes on one of its own priorities, legislation imposing steep sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine, after Trump announced he was allowing President Vladimir Putin an additional 50 days to negotiate a peace deal, dashing hopes for a swifter end to the conflict. This past week, Congress was tested anew, delivering on Trump's request to rescind some $9 billion that lawmakers had approved but that the administration wanted to eliminate, including money for public broadcasting and overseas aid. It was a rare presidential request, a challenge to the legislative branch's power of the purse, that has not been used in decades. 'We're lawmakers. We should be legislating,' said a defiant Sen. Lisa Murkowksi, R-Alaska, as she refused to support the White House's demand to rescind money for National Public Radio and others. 'What we're getting now is a direction from the White House and being told, 'This is the priority. We want you to execute on it. We'll be back with you with another round,'' she said. 'I don't accept that.' Congress, the branch of government the Founding Fathers placed first in the Constitution, is at a familiar crossroads. During the first Trump administration, Republicans frightened by Trump's angry tweets of disapproval would keep their criticisms private. Those who did speak up — Liz Cheney of Wyoming in the House and Mitt Romney of Utah in the Senate, among others — are gone from Capitol Hill. One former GOP senator, Jeff Flake of Arizona, who announced in 2017 during Trump's first term that he would not seek reelection the next year, is imploring Republicans to find a better way. 'The fever still hasn't broken,' he wrote recently in The New York Times. 'In today's Republican Party, voting your conscience is essentially disqualifying.' But this time, the halls of Congress are filled with many Republicans who came of political age with Trump's 'Make America Great Again' movement and owe their ascent to the president himself. Many are emulating his brand and style as they shape their own. A new generation of GOP leaders, Johnson in the House and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have pulled closer to Trump. They are utilizing the power of the presidency in ways large and small — to broker deals, encourage wayward lawmakers to fall in line, even to set schedules. Johnson, R-La., has openly pined for what he calls a 'normal Congress.' But short of that, the speaker relies on Trump to help stay on track. When Republicans hit an impasse on cryptocurrency legislation, a Trump priority, it was the president who met with holdouts in the Oval Office late Tuesday night as Johnson called in by phone. The result is a perceptible imbalance of power as the executive exerts greater authority while the legislative branch dims. The judicial branch has been left to do the heavy lift of checks and balances with the courts processing hundreds of lawsuits over the administration's actions. 'The genius of our Constitution is the separation of power,' said Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, the former speaker, in an interview on SiriusXM's 'Mornings with Zerlina.' 'That the Republicans in Congress would be so ignoring of the institution that they represent, and that have just melted the power of the incredibly shrinking speakership' and Senate leadership positions, 'to do all of these things, to cater to the executive branch,' she said. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., endured Trump's criticism over his opposition to the tax and spending cuts bill. The senator raised concerns about steep cuts to hospitals, but the president threatened to campaign against him. Tillis announced he would not seek reelection in 2026. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted against that bill and the rescissions package despite Trump's threat to campaign against any dissenters. One Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, appears to be pressing on, unphased. He recently proposed legislation to force the administration to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, something the president had been reluctant to do. 'Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that if the president wants something, you must do it,' said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, in a Senate speech. 'We don't have to do this. We don't have to operate under the assumption that this man is uniquely so powerful.' Mascaro writes for the Associated Press.
