Trump Signs Major Disaster Declaration After Heavy Texas Flooding

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President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County, Texas, as the state reels from deadly flooding that has killed dozens and left more missing.

“These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He said his administration “continues to work closely with State and Local Leaders,” adding that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on the ground to coordinate relief efforts.

According to Trump, Coast Guard officials and Texas first responders have rescued over 850 people as of Sunday.

At least 67 people have died in the floods across Texas, including 59 in Kerr County, according to local officials. Particularly hard-hit was Camp Mystic, a Christian summer retreat for girls near the Guadalupe River, where 11 children and one counselor remain missing, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said during a press briefing. (Read more from “Trump Signs Major Disaster Declaration After Heavy Texas Flooding” HERE)

Trump Signs Big, Beautiful Bill Into Law: ‘Most Popular Bill’; Initiates Reciprocal Tariffs, “Up to 70%”

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By Breitbart. President Donald Trump signed the One, Big, Beautiful Bill into law on the Fourth of July at the White House, noting that it was the “most popular bill ever signed” in the history of the United States.

While speaking at the Military Family Picnic on Friday, Trump criticized Democrats for not voting for the Big, Beautiful Bill, noting that they didn’t vote for the bill either because of their “hatred” for the U.S. or for Trump.

Trump explained that the bill included the “largest tax cut,” “largest spending cut,” and the “largest border security investment” in the history of the U.S.

“The Democrats, they should have voted for it, they didn’t vote for tax cuts, they didn’t vote for taking care of people….they didn’t vote, not one vote and we knew that, because their hatred of either the country or me or both is so great, they didn’t vote at all,” Trump said.

Trump continued: “It’s the most popular bill ever signed in the history of our country, whether your military or anybody else, this is the most single most popular bill ever signed, and it includes the largest tax cut in American history, the largest spending cut, $1.7 trillion, and yet you won’t even notice it.”

(Read more from “Trump Signs Big, Beautiful Bill Into Law: ‘Most Popular Bill’” HERE)

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House Passes Big Beautiful Bill Act, Sending It to Trump After Bruising Struggle

By New York Post. . . The GOP-led House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in a 218-214 vote Thursday following 29 hours of arm-twisting and deliberation that included the longest floor speech and longest procedural vote in the body’s 236-year history.

In the end, just two Republicans, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, voted against the measure after Trump held 11th-hour White House meetings Wednesday with more than a dozen holdouts. . .

Every House Democrat opposed the bill, in addition to the two Republican defectors. Massie, whom Trump is hoping to oust in the 2026 midterms, had rejected the legislation nearly every step of the way due to his deep concerns with its impact on the deficit.

Fitzpatrick turned against the bill after concluding that the Senate’s adjustments to Medicaid “fell short” of his standards.

Fiscal hawks and moderates alike had initially bristled at the Senate’s modifications to the 870-page bill, which cleared the upper chamber Tuesday in a 51-50 vote that required Vice President JD Vance to break a 50-50 tie. (Read more from “House Passes Big Beautiful Bill Act, Sending It to Trump After Bruising Struggle” HERE)
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Trump begins rolling out ‘reciprocal’ tariffs of up to 70% on nations without deals: ‘We’re giving them a bargain’

By Steven Nelson. President Trump said he’ll begin rolling out “reciprocal” tariffs Friday on countries that have yet to reach a tentative deal with his team — with the new US trade taxes hitting as high as “60 or 70%.

“We’re going to start sending letters out to various countries starting [Friday]. We’ll probably have 10 or 12 go out,” Trump told reporters after midnight as he returned from a speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

“I think by the 9th [of July] they’ll be fully covered, and they will range in value from maybe 60 or 70% tariffs to 10 and 20% tariffs.”

The upper rates indicate Trump may boost some nations’ figures even higher than described in his April 2 “Liberation Day” rollout, which established a new 10% baseline tariff — roughly triple prior rates — and high duties on countries with large trade imbalances with the US.

The highest previously announced “reciprocal” rates — pegged to a nation’s trade deficit with the US — were 49% for clothing- and shoes-manufacturing hub Cambodia, 48% for next-door Laos and 47% for the world’s top vanilla exporter, Madagascar. (Read more from this article HERE).

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

‘I’d Be Careful What You Read’: 7 Times Trump Officials Turned Tables on Dem Lawmakers Trying to Corner Them

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Members of President Donald Trump’s administration have pushed back at Democrats’ attempts to ask them harsh questions during hearings.

While Democrat lawmakers have attempted to stump Trump’s cabinet members, they have repeatedly turned tables on their preferred narratives by providing facts that are often not reported on by Democrats or the corporate media. Members of the administration, including Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, gave congressional members reality checks on issues ranging from the riots in Los Angeles, California, or the deportation of alleged MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

During a House Appropriations Committee hearing on June 10, Democrat Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum criticized Trump’s “premature and escalatory” decision to deploy the National Guard and U.S. Marines in light of the Los Angeles, California, riots that broke out over Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) arrests. The congresswoman attempted to contrast Trump’s handling to Democrat Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s response to the 2020 riots; Hegseth reminded her of the chaos that took place in Minnesota under Walz’s leadership at the time.

“Well congresswoman, thank you for the question. You are right, we are both originally from Minnesota and that’s why I recall 2020 quite well, when Governor Walz abandoned a police precinct and allowed it to be burned to the ground,” Hegseth said. “And [he] also allowed five days of chaos to occur inside the streets of Minneapolis. The police precinct, ma’am, was abandoned and burned to the ground and because of that, the National Guard, was eventually, far too late, mobilized.”

(Read more from “‘I’d Be Careful What You Read’: 7 Times Trump Officials Turned Tables on Dem Lawmakers Trying to Corner Them” HERE)

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Critics Slam Kamala Harris for Gloomy July 4 Post — With Photo That Crops Out Biden

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Critics piled on former Vice President Kamala Harris for issuing a gloomy statement on the Fourth of July — while sharing a picture of last year’s festivities that cropped out her onetime running-mate Joe Biden.

“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,” Harris posted Friday on X.

“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.”

Photo credit: Kamala Harris, /X via New York Post

X users were quick to point out that the image Harris promoted — which showed her and first gentleman Doug Emhoff enjoying an Independence Day fireworks display in July 2024 — was conveniently framed to exclude Biden and first lady Jill.

“Kamala cropping Joe out is very symbolic,” noted Link Lauren, a former senior adviser to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign, publishing another shot from the White House balcony that shows the first couple just feet away. (Read more from “Critics Slam Kamala Harris for Gloomy July 4 Post — With Photo That Crops Out Biden” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

More Than 100,000 Undocumented Patients Sought Care After Texas Hospitals Were Required to Ask Immigration Status

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More than 100,000 undocumented people sought medical care in Texas in the first four months that hospitals were required to ask every patient their immigration status — but that represents a small fraction of all patients during that timeframe.

In August 2024, Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order directing hospitals to start collecting data “regarding patients who are not lawfully present in the United States” beginning Nov. 1, 2024, including the number of patients and the cost of care provided to those patients.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) previously released the first set of data in March — showing more than 30,000 undocumented people sought medical care in November.

An updated data release Wednesday shows that figure grew to 108,581 by the end of February, about 2.3% of all patients. More than 4 million patients said they were either a U.S. citizen or in the country lawfully, 84.8% of the statewide total. . .

Hospitals in Texas are required to ask each patient their immigration status, but patients are not required to answer. In the first four months of data collection, almost 617,000 patients — 12.9% — declined to answer the question. (Read more from “More Than 100,000 Undocumented Patients Sought Care After Texas Hospitals Were Required to Ask Immigration Status” HERE)

At Least 24 People Dead From Texas Flooding, 23 Children Missing From All-Girls Camp

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By Just The News. At least 24 people have died and more than 20 children from an all-girls camp are missing after the heavy flooding that has occurred jn the state’s south-central region overnight into Friday.

Parents have been posting photos of their missing daughters on social media in the hopes of finding them as soon as possible.

As of Saturday morning, there are at least 23 girls who were attending a camp have not been found after the flooding, according to the Associated Press. (Read more from “At Least 24 People Dead From Texas Flooding, 23 Children Missing From All-Girls Camp” HERE)

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Two Girls at Texas Christian Camp Found Dead as Dozens Remain Missing

By New York Post. At least two of the missing Camp Mystic girls were found dead during Friday’s overnight search and rescue in Texas, according to family and local reports.

Renee Smajstrla, 8, and Janie Hunt, 9, were among as many as 25 campers who were washed away in the deadly Guadalupe River flash floods.

“Thank you to all our friends and family for all the prayers and outreach. Renee has been found and while not the outcome we prayed for, the social media outreach likely assisted the first responders in helping to identify her so quickly,” her uncle wrote on Facebook along with a picture of the young girl beaming.

“We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday. She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic. Please continue to pray for the other families in Kerrville.”

Janie was also discovered dead, according to Corpus Christi Crónica. (Read more from “Two Girls at Texas Christian Camp Found Dead as Dozens Remain Missing” HERE)

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Russia Bombards Ukraine in Extensive Missile and Drone Attack Hours After Trump-Putin Phone Call

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Russia targeted the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and other cities on Friday in the largest missile and drone attack so far in the war, just hours after Vladimir Putin’s phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Ukrainian authorities reported little damage except for some residential buildings in five neighborhoods, the New York Times reported from Kyiv.

Russia has increased its missile and drone attacks on besieged Ukraine in recent months as a U.S.-negotiated ceasefire between the two countries remains elusive. The attack this week will likely set a new record for the largest missile and drone strikes, per Ukrainian officials.

Putin has escalated pressure on Ukraine as President Trump has attempted to facilitate peace negotiations between the two countries. These talks have made little progress. Though Ukraine accepted a U.S.-proposed ceasefire in March, Russia refused to consider the framework.

After the phone call between the Americana and Russian presidents just before the attack, Trump lamented that he “didn’t make any progress with him at all.” (Read more from “Russia Bombards Ukraine in Extensive Missile and Drone Attack Hours After Trump-Putin Phone Call” HERE)

White House, Pentagon Won’t Say Why Admiral Who Allowed Drag Shows On Navy Ship Was Nominated For Promotion

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President Trump recently recommended Rear Admiral Michael “Buzz” Donnelly, who is known for allowing drag shows on his ship when he was a captain, for promotion to command of the Navy’s 7th fleet.

“Adm[iral] Donnelly wasn’t in drag himself, but any military leader will tell you he is responsible for everything that happens under his command,” tweeted William Thibeau, director of the American Military Project at the Claremont Institute’s Center for the American Way of Life.

During his campaign, Trump promised to remove woke elements from the U.S. military and return the armed forces to their former glory. He even punctuated this campaign message with a video that spliced clips of Full Metal Jacket (the military under Trump) with clips of Admiral Rachel Levine and Navy drag queen “Harpy Daniels” (the military under Biden).

“Harpy Daniels,” whose real name is Joshua Kelly, is an active-duty sailor and drag performer who claims to be nonbinary. He was made the Navy’s digital ambassador in 2022. In 2017 and 2018, Kelly performed drag onboard the USS Ronald Reagan in Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Department events. Donnelly captained the ship at the time.

Now Donnelly is up for promotion, nominated by President Trump. (Read more from “White House, Pentagon Won’t Say Why Admiral Who Allowed Drag Shows On Navy Ship Was Nominated For Promotion” HERE)

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Independence Day Sounds So Much Better Than ‘Fourth Of July’

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As of Friday this week the United States is 249 years young. Do it the honor of marking our country’s birthday as “Independence Day,” rather than the far more common and clunky “Fourth of July.”

I’m not sure when I started caring to explicitly and exclusively refer to the holiday by it’s official name, but it’s something I’ve grown militant about. Not in a sanctimonious way, like a person who wants to flex his superior patriotism or knowledge on proper titles. But there are two reasons for it.

First, I’m a writer (a real one, not the fake Charles Blow kind). I pay attention to the way phrases sound and flow, always self-editing to make expressions concise and breezy. That’s both in print and speech. “Independence Day” includes one long word, but it sounds nice and is easy to say. “Fourth of July” by contrast is three short ones that when said aloud together are the audible equivalent of watching John Fetterman lurching forward in strap-on heels. It’s a plodding phrase with each syllable landing on the eardrum with a dull thud. I hate it. Further, Independence Day connotes a date of significance, with its own distinguished name. “Fourth of July” is simply the number of a day belonging to a summer month. It’s a phrase that also exhibits a lot of lip action, first biting the lower one to say “fourth” and then pursing them both for “July.” Ugly! The month itself isn’t even a pleasant one to say and I’m shocked it hasn’t yet been deemed as anti-Semitic by Jonah Goldberg. (Read more from “Independence Day Sounds So Much Better Than ‘Fourth Of July’” HERE)

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Actress Cynthia Nixon Slammed by Pro-Choice Fans for Wearing ‘Make Abortion Great Again’ Hat: ‘You Need Help,’ ‘Nothing Great About Abortions’

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Pro-abortion fans of Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon told the actress she took things a little too far — as celebrity elites tend to do — when she posted a photo of herself to Instagram wearing a red “Make Abortion Great Again” hat. “None of my friends who had an Abortion thought it was Great,” one fan wrote.

On Thursday Nixon posted a photo of herself lounging on a boat, clad in the disturbing cap, alongside a fearmongering Instagram caption: “In addition to kicking 17 million Americans off their healthcare, Trump’s big ugly bill will strip critical funding to [Planned Parenthood] for non-abortion-related medical care.” . . .

Nixon’s pro-abortion fans, however, took to the comment section to express their dismay over the message on her hat, informing the actress that her attire is “a bit much.”

“I would never wear that hat and I am pro-choice,” the top-liked comment read.

“I’m pro choice,” another fan wrote, adding, “None of my friends who had an Abortion thought it was Great.” (Read more from “Actress Cynthia Nixon Slammed by Pro-choice Fans for Wearing ‘Make Abortion Great Again’ Hat: ‘You Need Help,’ ‘Nothing Great About Abortions’” HERE)

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