Camp Mystic confirms 27 campers and counselors died in Texas floods
“Camp Mystic has confirmed that at least 27 campers and counselors died in the devastating floods that hit the Texas camp over the weekend.
‘Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly,’ the camp wrote in a statement on their website.
They said they are in communication with local authorities who are continuing to search for ‘missing girls.’ Camp Mystic is an all-girls summer camp along the Guadalupe River, which rose more than 20 feet in less than two hours during the peak of the flooding early on the Fourth of July.”
Follow live updates at CNN
“The White House says Trump’s sweeping tariff rates will be imposed on Aug. 1. The rates were supposed to go into effect this week. In April, the president imposed a 10% tariff on basically every item imported into the U.S. The stock market plunged after the announcement. Trump then implemented a 90-day pause, with the idea that countries would make trade deals with the U.S.
Trump says countries will receive letters today outlining their tariff rate, NPR’s Deepa Shivaram says. The administration believes this could spark more deals rapidly, as only a few have been made during the pause. The pause since April has provided some stability in financial markets. But recently, Trump stated that the new tariff rates on countries that fail to negotiate deals could be even higher than those originally announced.” [NPR]
President Donald Trump lashed out at Elon Musk’s plans for a new political party.
“This weekend: The billionaire Tesla CEO said he started “the America Party” — it faces these six major challenges. Yesterday, Trump dismissed Musk’s ‘ridiculous’ plan.
Why is Musk doing this? He and Trump are feuding over the One Big Beautiful Bill, which Trump signed into law Friday. Trump has even threatened to deport Musk.
One more thing: Trump’s $5 million ‘gold card’ visa may never happen. Here’s why.”
Read this story at Washington Post
1 big thing: Republicans eye '28
Photo illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photos via Getty Images
“Less than six months into President Trump's second term, several possible GOP contenders for president in 2028 already are racing to build their national profiles, travel to early primary states and establish relationships with major donors, Axios' Alex Isenstadt writes.
Why it matters: Trump, who has dominated GOP politics for a decade, can't legally run again. Several ambitious Republicans are signaling they see an opening to offer themselves to primary voters as the future of the party.
The big picture: Trump has mentioned Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as possible successors, and they're widely seen as the early favorites for the 2028 nomination.
Vance has been using his perch as finance chair of the Republican National Committee to make inroads with donors, and has been crisscrossing the country raising money for the party.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who has been raising her profile with a series of photo ops with ICE agents during immigration raids, is also viewed as a possible 2028 contender.
Zoom in: Though it's too early for anyone to say they're running, several GOP officeholders are positioning themselves to do just that.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will visit Iowa later this month for an event with the state's GOP chair. Next month, Youngkin will headline a fundraising dinner for the GOP in South Carolina.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is staking out turf as a deficit hawk and forcefully opposed Trump's big tax and spending bill. The senator, who waged an unsuccessful bid in 2016, recently went to Iowa and South Carolina and plans to go to New Hampshire this fall.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp addressed the Ronald Reagan Institute, a frequent stop for presidential hopefuls, in June. He has used his time as Republican Governors Association chair to introduce himself to major donors.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was White House press secretary during Trump's first term, is headed to Iowa this month to appear at an event hosted by the Family Leader, a group overseen by prominent evangelical activist Bob Vander Plaats.
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who ran unsuccessfully in 2024, is using his National Republican Senatorial Committee chairmanship to travel and meet donors.
Reality check: Testing the waters this early has risks. Trump will play a huge role in determining the party's next nominee, and could punish would-be candidates he sees as putting themselves ahead of him.” [Axios]
Scoop: FBI concludes Epstein killed himself
Photo: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images
“President Trump's Justice Department and FBI have concluded that convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein didn't blackmail powerful figures or maintain a ‘client list,’ and did die by suicide, according to a memo detailing the findings obtained by Axios' Alex Isenstadt.
The administration plans to release a video indicating no one entered the area of the Manhattan prison where Epstein was held the night he died in 2019.
The video supports a medical examiner's finding that he killed himself and wasn't murdered, according to the two-page memo.
Why it matters: The findings represent the first time Trump's administration has officially contradicted conspiracy theories about Epstein's activities and his death — theories that had been pushed by the FBI's top two officials before Trump appointed them to the bureau.
As social media influencers and activists, Kash Patel (now the FBI's director) and Dan Bongino (now deputy director) were among those in MAGA world who questioned the official version of how Epstein died.
Patel and Bongino have since backtracked and said Epstein died by suicide. But it has become an article of faith online, especially on the right, that Epstein's crimes also implicated government officials, celebrities and business leaders — and that someone killed him to conceal them.
The memo says no one else involved in the Epstein case will be charged. (Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking and related offenses.)
Zoom in: According to the memo, investigators closely examined footage of Epstein's Manhattan prison cell between 10:40 p.m. on Aug. 9, 2019, when Epstein was locked in his cell, and around 6:30 a.m. the next day, when he was found unresponsive.
Investigators found ‘no incriminating 'client list' of Epstein's, ‘no credible evidence ... that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals,’ and no ‘evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties,’ the memo adds.” [Axios]
EPA investigation
“The Environmental Protection Agency suspended and plans to investigate roughly 140 employees just days after they signed a public letter expressing concern about the treatment of federal employees and the Trump administration’s regulations on climate and public health. The letter outlined five key concerns:
1. Undermining public trust
2. Ignoring scientific consensus to benefit polluters
3. Reversing the EPA's progress in America's most vulnerable communities
4. Dismantling the Office of Research and Development
5. Promoting a culture of fear and forcing staff to choose between their livelihood and well-being
’We took an oath to support and defend the Constitution,’ said one EPA employee who was placed on leave after signing the letter. ‘We promised to follow science and follow the law. They are trying to scare us and squash any type of resistance before it starts.’” [CNN]
INTERNATIONAL
“Murder: An Australian woman was found guilty of adding poisonous mushrooms to a beef Wellington and serving it to her estranged husband’s relatives at lunch, killing three of them. (He declined to attend.)” [New York Times]
An annotated photo of plates containing samples of a beef Wellington meal laced with toxic mushrooms. (Supreme Court of Victoria/AFP/Getty Images)
French police are slashing boats but migrants are still determined to reach the UK
“French police have intensified efforts to stop migrants crossing the English Channel. Under pressure from U.K. authorities, France’s government is preparing to give an even freer hand to police patrols that, just last week, were twice filmed slashing boats carrying men, women, and children. Migrants say the crossings are dangerous but worth the risk. Read more.
What to know:
The French Interior Ministry told AP that police haven’t been issued orders to systematically slash boats. But the British government — which is partly funding France’s policing efforts — welcomed what it called a ‘toughening’ of the French approach.
According to U.K. government figures, more than 20,000 people made the crossing in the first six months of this year, up by about 50% from the same period in 2024, and potentially on course toward a new annual record.” [CNN]
Middle East
© Getty Images
“ISRAEL: Trump is welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House today as he pushes for a ceasefire in Gaza, and on the heels of Israel’s U.S.-assisted strikes on Iran.
‘We have already transformed the face of the Middle East beyond recognition, and we now have the opportunity and the ability to change it even further and bring a great future to the State of Israel, the people of Israel, and the entire [region],’ Netanyahu said as he departed for Washington.
Netanyahu, whose domestic popularity surged after the conflict with Iran, continues to face criticism among Israelis for his failure to secure a truce and hostage release deal. A number of hostages remain in Gaza, many of them dead. Israel has also come under fire for the humanitarian emergency in Gaza; more than 55,000 Palestinians have died in the enclave since Oct. 7, 2023, and Israeli forces are ramping up their attacks. An 11-week aid blockade, and haphazard food distribution once humanitarian organizations were allowed back in, has resulted in Israeli military attacks on Palestinians seeking food.
Trump, who has positioned himself as an international dealmaker, vowing to end the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, will again try to persuade Netanyahu to accept a deal. The president has had a close — but lately sometimes strained — relationship with the Israeli leader. Trump recently called for Israel’s courts to drop a series of corruption cases against Netanyahu.
And there’s unfinished business with Iran. Assessments vary about how effective Israeli and U.S. attacks were in setting back Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
‘It’s a victory lap with a caveat,’ Alon Pinkas, a political commentator and Israeli former diplomat, told The New York Times. ‘Netanyahu knows the truth — that Iran retains some capabilities.’
Israel reportedly agreed to a U.S. proposal for a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas. Hamas said Friday that it was ready to begin negotiations with Israel ‘immediately.’ Ahead of Netanyahu’s White House visit, Israel sent a delegation to Qatar on Sunday to continue ceasefire negotiations.
The Hill’s Laura Kelly breaks down five key things to watch for.
CNN: Israel carried out its first strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen since the Israel-Iran ceasefire.
The New York Times: Israel’s airstrikes on Tehran’s Evin prison, including the hospital ward, have turned it from a hated symbol of oppression into a new rallying cry.” [The Hill]
Many hope that Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump will pave the way for a new cease-fire in Gaza. Read about the stakes of the meeting.
The Israeli military struck Evin prison, a hated symbol of oppression in Iran where dissidents were held. In doing so, it killed many prisoners and social workers, angering Iranians.” [New York Times]
War in Ukraine
In Kostiantynivka, Ukraine. David Guttenfelder/The New York Times
“Ukrainian troops are struggling to hold the line against Russian attacks on the eastern front.
Also in the east, the Ukrainians are stringing up fishing nets over roads, a low-tech but effective way to counter Russian drones that are too fast to shoot down.” [New York Times]
“The UN Human Rights Council voted to renew the mandate of an LGBT rights expert, a move welcomed by advocates amid the absence of the United States, a former key supporter that is now rolling back such protections.” [Reuters]
“There they were, beaming representatives of the alternative world order lined up against the backdrop of Rio’s Sugarloaf Mountain.
BRICS leaders hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for a two-day summit smiled as they took on the West over issues of war and peace, trade and global governance.
The group adopted multiple positions at odds with Donald Trump, expressing ‘serious concerns’ over trade tariffs, blasting soaring defense spending, and condemning airstrikes on Iran, a BRICS member.
It prompted an immediate reaction from the US president, who took to social media and threatened to slap an additional 10% levy on any country aligning themselves with ‘the Anti-American policies of BRICS.’
BRICS leaders pose for a photo in Rio de Janeiro yesterday. Photographer: Dado Galdieri/Bloomberg
Until recently comprising five nations, BRICS has expanded to a club of 10 that defies easy categorization or a catchy acronym.
Where the Group of Seven originally incorporated the world’s leading economies, later supplanted, if not quite replaced, by the supposedly more representative G-20, BRICS mostly acts as a forum for nations of the Global South.
That they don’t reflect the US-led consensus is the point.
But while their stances clearly ran counter to Washington, the bloc shied away from naming the US directly as they chase deals lowering tariffs.
Its members are not all the best of buddies — India and China are open rivals, while Xi Jinping was one of four leaders who didn’t bother to attend. Saudi Arabia can’t decide if it’s in or out.
Critics say BRICS, which represents 49% of the world’s population and 39% of global GDP, perennially fails to punch its weight.
Unwieldy, it still refuses to go away. Countries are queueing up to participate as partners. Brazil hands over the presidency to heavyweight India.
As Trump sweeps all before him, BRICS — for all its shortcomings — is getting increasingly hard to ignore.” — Alan Crawford [Bloomberg]
WATCH: Trump’s “America first” agenda has created an opening for the BRICS to challenge the US-led world order.
“Major US trading partners hurried to secure deals or lobby for extra time ahead of Trump’s Wednesday deadline, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that some countries lacking a trade agreement by then will have the option of a three-week extension. Bessent also signaled that letters Trump plans to send to nations this week aren’t the final word on immediate tariff rates.” [Bloomberg]
“China hit back at European Union restrictions on its medical-device makers while maintaining key exceptions, adding uncertainty to ties ahead of a high-stakes summit this month. With tensions mounting, leaders meeting in Beijing in 2 1/2 weeks may clash on other thorny issues, including EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and Beijing’s support for Moscow’s war on Ukraine.” [Bloomberg]
“The UK government talked down hopes that a two-child cap on parental benefits might be scrapped, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer seeks to hold the line on spending after failing to push through separate controversial welfare cuts. Starmer is caught between a significant faction of his Labour Party that last week revolted in Parliament against the welfare reductions and global investors worried about rising government debt loads.” [Bloomberg]
“South African President Cyril Ramaphosa faces a fresh government crisis after a senior police official accused a cabinet minister of interference in an investigation into political assassinations.” [Bloomberg]
“Thailand’s government will withdraw a controversial bill to legalize casinos following mounting public opposition and a fresh bout of political turmoil that has cut the ruling coalition’s parliamentary majority.” [Bloomberg]
“Turkey launched an investigation into the main opposition party’s leader and arrested more of its mayors, in a widening crackdown that’s likely to stoke investor anxiety over risks to the rule of law and political stability.” [Bloomberg]
“As Mexican courts embrace a new era following the nation’s first-ever election of judges, the Supreme Court’s incoming chief, Hugo Aguilar Ortiz, told us that one of his priorities will be to ensure fairness across the board — and that includes company tax obligations. Check out the interview here.” [Bloomberg]
Aguilar at his office in Mexico City last week. Photographer: Stephania Corpi/Bloomberg
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
U.S. measles cases reach highest level in 33 years amid distrust in vaccines
“Measles cases have climbed to at least 1,277 across the United States, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Outbreak Response Innovation. The case count surpasses the annual tally in 2019 and marks the highest since 1992. Public health experts say the resurgence of a vaccine-preventable disease was avoidable and unnecessarily endangers children.”
Read more at Washington Post
SPORTS
“Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Iga Świątek all will take the court as the second week of the tournament begins. Today’s winners will join Sunday’s winners in the quarterfinals. Follow updates here.
Soccer: Mexico captured its second consecutive Gold Cup after defeating the U.S. men’s national team, 2-1.
N.B.A: The deal between the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns in June expanded into a record-setting seven-team trade. The deal, which still sends Kevin Durant to Houston, now includes the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves.” [New York Times]