Texas is suing U.S. Masters Swimming over its policy allowing trans-identifying males to compete in women&#8217;s events, The Daily Wire can first report.
The lawsuit, which Attorney General Ken Paxton filed Thursday, comes after an investigation determined the amateur sports organization &#8220;engaged in false, deceptive, and misleading practices by allowing men to compete in women&#8217;s events,&#8221; Paxton&#8217;s office said in a press release.
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BREAKING: I&#39;m suing U.S. Masters Swimming for engaging in illegal practices by allowing men to compete in women&#39;s competitions. 
The organization has cowered to radical activists pushing gender warfare, and this lawsuit will hold USMS accountable for its actions. <a href="https://t.co/2E3wr8hnnl">pic.twitter.com/2E3wr8hnnl</a>
&mdash; Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1945905359660441945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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U.S. Masters Swimming holds competitions for adult swimmers across the country and has about 60,000 members.
In May, Paxton launched an investigation into U.S. Masters Swimming after a trans-identifying male swimmer blew his female competitors away at this year’s Spring Nationals in San Antonio.
The 47-year-old man who identifies as a woman, Ana Caldas, won five women’s events, sparking angry calls for U.S. Masters Swimming to change its rules.
Paxton said the new lawsuit aims to hold U.S. Masters Swimming &#8220;accountable to the women that it has harmed and the consumers that it has deceived&#8221; as his team continues to &#8220;fight to protect the integrity of women&#8217;s sports.&#8221;
&#8220;U.S. Masters Swimming&#8217;s insane policy of allowing men to participate in women&#8217;s competitions is both deeply unfair to female competitors and unlawful,&#8221; Paxton said in a statement.
&#8220;The organization has cowered to radical activists pushing gender warfare, and it has deprived female participants of the opportunity to succeed at the highest levels by letting men win countless events,&#8221; the attorney general said.
The suit highlights the organization&#8217;s &#8220;past false, deceptive, and misleading practices of representing that its women&#8217;s sports would be exclusively for females to participate in and win, only to turn around and steal awards and recognitions for women by giving them to men competing in women&#8217;s events,&#8221; Paxton&#8217;s office said.
After the Texas investigation was launched, U.S. Masters Swimming updated its policy.
The organization <a href="https://www.usms.org/volunteer-central/policy-and-governance/usms-policies/transgender-swimmer-inclusion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously</a> allowed trans-identifying males to compete on the women’s team as long as they had been on estrogen for a year and had testosterone below a certain level. Males who did not meet these requirements were also allowed to swim in the women’s races, but their performance did not count in the competition.
On July 1, U.S. Masters Swimming enacted a new “interim eligibility <a href="https://www.usms.org/volunteer-central/policy-and-governance/usms-policies/interim-eligibility-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy</a>,” which bars trans-identifying males from competing in the women’s category, but they may still swim in the women’s races.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who put U.S. Masters Swimming on notice just days before the Texas lawsuit was filed, said the new policy “purports to protect women’s sports, but it does not get the job done.”
“This is not acceptable. It does not fly with Florida law,” Uthmeier said at a press conference on Tuesday.
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Today, we put U.S. Masters Swimming on notice: Allowing men in women&#39;s swimming competitions is unlawful in Florida.
Fix the policy, or there will be consequences. <a href="https://t.co/Os32iVNE77">pic.twitter.com/Os32iVNE77</a>
&mdash; Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/1945184936308199847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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U.S. Masters must “quickly certify in writing” that they will ensure no men participate with women or face legal action, Uthmeier said.
Besides fairness in competition, another concern is safety in the locker rooms, the Florida attorney general said.
“We will not tolerate it. We will hold you accountable if you are going to endanger our women and girls,” Uthmeier said.
“We will always fight to protect women and girls from being subjected to men trying to compete in female sports — it’s our moral obligation to do so,” Uthmeier said in a statement to The Daily Wire.
U.S. Masters is based in Sarasota, Florida and has several upcoming events in the state.
Several athletic organizations have backed down and changed their policies after President Donald Trump, surrounded by smiling young girls wearing sports uniforms, signed an order banning trans-identifying males from girls’ sports.
One of those was the NCAA, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ncaa-backs-down-changes-transgender-athlete-policy-after-trump-order" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changed</a> its policy to ban trans-identifying males on women’s teams less than 24 hours after Trump’s order.
The NCAA attracted controversy for its swimming competitions when trans-identifying male swimmer Lia Thomas tied with the University of Kentucky’s Riley Gaines, who has become an advocate for women’s sports. Prior to that, Thomas had placed first in the 500 freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women&#8217;s Swimming and Diving Championships.

15th FINA World Masters Championships – Day 7

EXCLUSIVE: Texas Sues Swimming Organization For Letting Men Compete With Women

Florida

Gender

Sports

Texas

Transgender

Women Sports

California Democrats have plans to redraw the state’s districts, potentially threatening the slim Republican majority in the House of Representatives.
According to California Democrats, their move was prompted by news that Texas might try to redraw its districts to gain more Congressional seats. Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has “directed the state Legislature to discuss redistricting in an upcoming special legislative session,” KCRA <a href="https://www.kcra.com/article/gavin-newsom-eyes-california-congressional-redistricting/65430152">noted</a>. California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom said of Texas, “They’re playing by a different set of rules.”
On Wednesday, the California Democratic congressional delegation met with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and reportedly discussed ideas for gaining even more seats to overturn the perilously slim majority Republicans hold in the House, <a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/house/cali-dreamin/">Punchbowl News</a> reports.
“The games they play aren’t working and the more people get educated on what’s going on, the more they’re going to fight back,” California Assemblymember Leticia Castillo of Riverside, who left the Democratic Party and became a Republican, said of California’s Democrats.
In 2010, California voters approved Proposition 20, a constitutional amendment that transferred redistricting authority to an independent commission. Punchbowl News indicated that two plans are afoot to try to gain more seats, writing, “California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom sees two ways to overcome it.”
One route would be for Newsom to call a special session of the legislature that would offer voters the chance to “pause” the commission or rescind its redistricting power. California voters would have to approve this in a special election. The news site cautioned that such a route would entail heavy costs due to the funds required to disseminate the message over the airwaves. But one way to win over GOP voters might be to include a conservative favorite, such as implementing voter ID, in the proposition.
A second route would be to redraw districts and claim California’s constitution does not explicitly forbid mid-decade redistricting, which would likely prompt a lawsuit. Newsom has called such a scenario “a novel legal question.”
One roadblock to redistricting is the Voting Rights Act, which may protect districts from being redrawn as they have majority Latino populations, and redrawing them would endanger such a majority.
Targeted GOP districts that have reportedly been discussed include those of GOP Reps. Ken Calvert, Kevin Kiley, Darrell Issa, Young Kim, David Valadao, and Doug LaMalfa. “We want our gavels back,” Rep. Mark Takano, who would be the new chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee should Democrats regain the majority in the House, stated. “That’s what this is about.”
In 2011, to counter the even-handedness of the 2010 proposition, California Democrats devised a plan to influence the nonpartisan commission. Pro Publica <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/how-democrats-fooled-californias-redistricting-commission">reported</a>:
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Working with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — a national arm of the party that provides money and support to Democratic candidates — members were told to begin “strategizing about potential future district lines,&#8221; according to another email. 
The citizens’ commission had pledged to create districts based on testimony from the communities themselves, not from parties or statewide political players. To get around that, Democrats surreptitiously enlisted local voters, elected officials, labor unions and community groups to testify in support of configurations that coincided with the party’s interests. When they appeared before the commission, those groups identified themselves as ordinary Californians and did not disclose their ties to the party.
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Gavin Newsom

California Dems Plot Redistricting Power Play To Pick Up House Seats

California

House of Representatives

Redistricting

WASHINGTON—Congressman August Pfluger recalled the devastation that swept through his hometown during the July 4th floods in a candid interview with The Daily Wire on Tuesday.
The Texas Republican spoke with Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan during the &#8220;new media row&#8221; event sponsored by the Republican Study Committee, which he chairs. Pfluger represents Texas&#8217;s 11th district, which includes many of the communities stricken by the floods.
He said two of his daughters were at Camp Mystic when the floods hit.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a horrible feeling as a parent to know that you&#8217;re not sure whether your children are okay,&#8221; Pfluger said. &#8220;And in this case of my two daughters that were there and had been going to this camp for a long time, it was a very scary moment.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re lucky my daughters, who were at the camp, are safe,&#8221; Pfluger said. &#8220;You know, it was very, very stressful and hard to go through that, but Texans are strong &#8230; We need a lot of prayers from around the country right now.&#8221;
Twenty-seven Camp Mystic campers, many around eight years old, and several camp counselors, died in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unimaginable-tragedy-camp-mystic-says-27-campers-and-counselors-killed-in-sudden-flash-floods" target="_blank" rel="noopener">floods</a>.
&#8220;It&#8217;s truly tragic,&#8221; Pfluger said. &#8220;So many families are grieving right now. … It&#8217;s hard to even describe what happened. I mean, just something on a scale and magnitude that we&#8217;ve never seen. And our prayers were with a lot of families.&#8221;
Pfluger expressed his gratitude to the quick actions of Texas Governor Abbot and the Trump administration for declaring disasters in the state.
When some <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/libs-dragged-for-blaming-texas-flood-disaster-on-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commentators</a> began to inject politics into the bleak situation, Pfluger noted that this travesty was an opportunity for those who sit in different political camps to come together.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve had many Democrats who have reached out to me in this period,&#8221; Pfluger said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve learned a lot about those people, and they didn&#8217;t say one thing about any of the politicization, but there are those who have chosen to do that.&#8221;
&#8220;There&#8217;s no place for [politicization]. … I think the rest of us — the rest of society — just want to know how can we help. That&#8217;s the first question that most people ask. That&#8217;s the part of society that I want to be with. Those are the people that I think are going to help all of us rise up and be strong, whose voices are louder right now.&#8221;
While the final toll of the devastation will not be fully known until the affected communities recover, there are still countless searches ongoing. Those in central Texas not searching for a loved one have begun attempting to return their communities to normalcy.
&#8220;If you know somebody and most people have a connection in Texas, especially to somebody who was affected by this, reach out to them, ask him how they&#8217;re doing,&#8221; Pfluger urged Americans.
&#8220;It&#8217;s okay if you asked them before. Ask them again.&#8221;

House Lawmakers Work On Funding Deal As Possible Government Shutdown Looms

Congressman August Pfluger Shares Firsthand Experience During Texas Floods

Donald Trump

FEMA

Floods

House Republicans

President Donald Trump is pushing a handful of states to redraw their congressional maps to give more seats to Republicans in the U.S. House.
Trump told reporters on Tuesday that there are five states where Republicans could gain seats through a redrawing of their respective congressional maps. He only named one, however: Texas, where the president said that Republicans could pick up five seats.
“Just a very simple redrawing, we pick up five seats. We have a couple of other states where we’ll pick up seats also,” Trump <a href="https://x.com/Acyn/status/1945175711859531777">told</a> reporters earlier Tuesday.
Later, Trump expanded his state count to five, saying that three states could give Republicans one seat each and a fourth could give Republicans two to three next Congress.
“There&#8217;s about four [states other than Texas]. I&#8217;ll let you figure that one out, but we have about four of them. In three cases it&#8217;s one [seat], and in one case it&#8217;s two or three,” Trump <a href="https://x.com/atrupar/status/1945256269054382390">told</a> reporters. “And Texas would be 5.”
The president said that in a case where California redistricted to create more Democratic-leaning districts, his administration would sue.
“We&#8217;ll fight them. You know, they&#8217;re so corrupt in California,” the president said when asked about California’s potential to redistrict. “You never know what&#8217;s going to happen, but we&#8217;ve done pretty well in the courts in California, as you see. We&#8217;re batting about 1,000, ultimately. We start off a little slow, and then we get a lot of hits.”
Trump and the Department of Justice have reportedly <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/11/texas-redistricting-00448145?nid=0000018f-3124-de07-a98f-3be4d1400000&amp;nname=politico-toplines&amp;nrid=624a5923-6f85-4cd8-ac2f-b078a41f918d">pushed</a> Texas Governor Greg Abbott to lead redistricting in the Lone Star State to help Republicans maintain control of the House after the 2026 midterm elections. Abbott has instructed the state legislature to redraw the congressional map during a summer session.
Texas currently has 38 House seats. Twenty-five of those are currently held by Republicans. While redistricting could make some Democrat-held seats more favorable to Republicans, it could also make some GOP-held seats more competitive.
One of the other states that the White House is targeting to strengthen Republicans’ hand going into 2026 could be Ohio, which is required by law to redistrict ahead of the coming midterm elections.
National Democratic leaders are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/us/politics/texas-redistricting-trump.html">pushing</a> Texas Democrats to stage a walkout to deny the legislature from passing a redistricted map that could create more favorable conditions for the GOP. In order for the Texas House to pass legislation, at least 100 members of the 150-member body must be present. Democrats could thwart Republicans if 51 of their 62-member coalition walked out.

Trump Says GOP Can Get Five More House Seats Redistricting Just One State

2026 Midterms

Elections

Ohio

Politics

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents captured more than 1,300 illegal aliens in the Houston area in June, nabbing a plane hijacker, child predators, and murderers.
ICE agents and members of Texas law enforcement arrested an astonishing 1,361 illegal aliens in the Houston area last month, including Adermis Wilson-Gonzalez, a 56-year-old Cuban national with a conviction for hijacking a plane.
Wilson-Gonzalez served 20 years in prison after he was convicted in 2003 for hijacking a plane traveling from Cuba to Florida. The man was <a href="https://www.lmtonline.com/local/article/laredo-sector-usbp-agents-assists-ice-arrests-20766632.php">released</a> from prison into the United States before being apprehended by law enforcement agents late last month. He was just one of many criminal illegal aliens caught last month in southeast Texas.
“The brave men and women of ICE continue to work tirelessly around the clock targeting dangerous criminal aliens to restore integrity to our nation’s immigration system and bolster public safety in our communities,” said Gabriel Martinez, the acting Field Office Director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston.
“The number of dangerous criminal aliens that they removed from local communities across Southeast Texas last month is just another example of their selfless and unyielding efforts to return our local communities to places where we can all raise our families without having to worry about child predators, gang members, or other violent criminal aliens preying on our loved ones.”
Authorities also arrested 32 child predators in their enforcement operations in the Texas region. Javier Escobar Gonzalez, a 51-year-old Mexican national, has a long criminal history, including a conviction for sexual indecency with a minor. The man has also been convicted of criminal trespass with a deadly weapon, driving while intoxicated, and the unauthorized use of a firearm.
Jose Meza, a 40-year-old Mexican illegal alien, was convicted of sexual assault of a minor and theft. Meza has illegally entered the United States four different times, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says.
ICE caught nine different murderers, including Luis Pablo Vasquez-Estolano, a 29-year-old Mexican national who had been deported from the United States six times prior to his June 10 arrest. The illegal alien has convictions for homicide, aggravated robbery, burglary of a vehicle, and drug possession.
In addition to capturing the plane hijacker, murderers, and child sex offenders, the federal agents and their state law enforcement partners caught 16 members of gangs or cartels.
Among them was 47-year-old Mexican national Arnulfo Olivares Cervantes, a former member of the Mexicles gang. Cervantes has convictions for attempted murder, evading arrest, illegal entry, and drug possession, as well as two convictions for trafficking cocaine. The Mexican national illegally entered the United States on four different occasions.
Houston has been the site of several immigration raids since President Donald Trump took office in January. Federal agents arrested more than <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-than-500-criminal-illegal-aliens-captured-by-ice-in-week-long-houston-raids">600 illegal aliens</a> in Houston in a weeklong operation in March. More than 500 of those arrested had criminal records beyond illegal entry.
Law enforcement also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nearly-100-illegals-captured-in-colony-ridge-deportation-raids">captured</a> more than 100 illegal aliens, including multiple child sexual predators and a member of a foreign terror organization at Colony Ridge, a land development just outside of Houston that The Daily Wire exposed as a hotbed for illegal aliens.

ICE Arrest

Plane Hijacker, Child Predators, Murderers: ICE Nabs More Than 1,300 Illegals In Houston

Cartels

Crime

Deportations

Houston

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

President Donald Trump, along with first lady Melania Trump, traveled to Central Texas on Friday, one week after sudden catastrophic flooding swept through multiple counties, killing at least 121 people and destroying homes and businesses.
The president and first lady flew into San Antonio and then <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1943722271979221181">boarded</a> Marine One, which took them 60 miles northwest to Kerrville, Texas, the small town that took the brunt of the flooding last week. Of the 120 people who have been reported dead throughout the state, 96 of them — including 36 children — were killed in Kerr County, where Kerrville is the county seat.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> arrive at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas <a href="https://t.co/bqv0xsvGTX">pic.twitter.com/bqv0xsvGTX</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1943720900508950614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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More than 170 people are still missing in the region as search teams comb the devastated area. Responders are still searching for five young girls who were attending Camp Mystic and one counselor, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-floods-missing-people-death-toll-climbs/">reported</a>.
&#8220;As a nation, we mourn for every single life that was swept away in the flood, and we pray for the families that are left behind,&#8221; Trump said at a press conference with emergency responders in Kerville, alongside Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. &#8220;It&#8217;s amazing, the incredible spirit from those families. I don&#8217;t even know they do it.&#8221;
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;As a nation, we mourn for every single life that was swept away in the flood and we pray for the families that were left behind.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/SCN4YvuPDh">pic.twitter.com/SCN4YvuPDh</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1943761609114935592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The president said that before the press conference, he and the first lady &#8220;spent a lot of time with&#8221; the families of victims. Trump also praised the first responders who saved hundreds of lives in the flood.
Over the weekend, Trump <a href="https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20250706/president-donald-j-trump-approves-major-disaster-declaration-texas">declared</a> a major disaster in Texas, allowing federal assistance to flow to the state.
“Nobody ever saw a thing like this coming,” Trump <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/trump-plans-tour-texas-flood-damage-scope-disaster-123666823">told</a> NBC News on Thursday. &#8220;This is a once-in-every-200-year deal.”
Floodwaters rose over 30 feet in an hour in some areas along the Guadaloupe River, giving many people staying near the river over the July Fourth holiday weekend little to no chance to evacuate before the water overtook them. At Camp Mystic, a Christian girls&#8217; summer camp in Kerr County, the devastation was unfathomable, with 27 campers and counselors dying in the flooding.
In the aftermath of the flooding, the Trump administration has faced criticism for cuts to the National Weather Service (NWS), with some Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), questioning whether an understaffed NWS sent flood warnings too late for many people in the path of the disaster. The White House <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-pushes-back-nws-criticism-texas-flooding/story?id=123544699">shot back</a> at such criticism. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier this week, &#8220;Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning.&#8221;
The National Weather Service Employees Organization, which represents NWS employees, also pushed back against allegations that Trump&#8217;s staffing cuts hindered the service&#8217;s ability to issue timely warnings.
“The WFOs [weather forecasting offices] had adequate staffing and resources as they issued timely forecasts and warnings leading up to the storm,” <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/national-weather-service-nws-staff-cuts-trump-budget-texas-floods-rcna217139">said</a> Tom Fahy, the president of the NWS Employee Organization.
In a statement to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-pushes-back-nws-criticism-texas-flooding/story?id=123544699">ABC News</a>, the National Weather Service added, &#8220;Flash Flood Warnings were issued on the night of July 3 and in the early morning of July 4, giving preliminary lead times of more than three hours before warning criteria were met.&#8221;

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump

Trump Tours Texas Flood Zone As Death Toll Reaches 121

Disasters

Executive

Melania Trump

Severe Weather

U.S.

Just days before central Texas was hit with major flooding when Tropical Storm Barry dumped 15 inches of rain over parts of Kerr County, Rainmaker Technology Corporation flew a small plane over Runge, Texas, to release silver iodide into two clouds in hopes of producing some rain for the area that was facing a drought, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/07/10/texas-floods-cloud-seeding/">reported</a>.
Runge is 100 miles southeast of Kerr County, where at least 96 people, including 36 children, perished in the once-in-a-century flooding over the July Fourth weekend. But did Rainmaker&#8217;s weather manipulation project play any part in the deadly flood? That&#8217;s the question some Americans — and several lawmakers — are asking amid the controversy over the Texas flooding.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin addressed concerns over weather modification and geoengineering in a video posted to X on Thursday, announcing that the Trump administration is releasing everything it knows on the topics.
&#8220;EPA shares the significant reservations many Americans have when it comes to geoengineering activities,” <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-releases-new-online-resources-giving-americans-total-transparency-issues">said</a> Zeldin.
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The Trump EPA is committed to total transparency. I tasked my team <a href="https://twitter.com/EPA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EPA</a> to compile everything we know about contrails and geoengineering to release to you now publicly. I want you to know EVERYTHING I know about these topics, and without ANY exception! <a href="https://t.co/izKBz0lFvr">https://t.co/izKBz0lFvr</a> <a href="https://t.co/FkOCgBm3K9">pic.twitter.com/FkOCgBm3K9</a>
— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) <a href="https://twitter.com/epaleezeldin/status/1943322077152313855?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) <a href="https://x.com/RepMTG/status/1941482077729255695">introduced</a> legislation over the weekend &#8220;that prohibits the injection, release, or dispersion of chemicals or substances into the atmosphere for the express purpose of altering weather, temperature, climate, or sunlight intensity.&#8221;
&#8220;We must end the dangerous and deadly practice of weather modification and geoengineering,&#8221; Greene said.
Rainmaker CEO Augustus Doricko <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6375463972112">appeared</a> on Fox News host Will Cain&#8217;s show on Wednesday to respond to the criticism of his company&#8217;s operations in Texas and explain that Rainmaker did not add precipitation to the region of Texas slammed by flooding.
&#8220;The question is whether or not Rainmaker cloud seeding on July 2 contributed to storms that occurred on July 4,&#8221; Cain said. &#8220;Did it enhance, did it intensify what we saw some 36 to 48 hours later?&#8221;
&#8220;Unequivocally, our cloud-seeding operations on July 2 did not impact the flooding that occurred later,&#8221; Doricko replied. &#8220;And that said, my heart and prayers are still with all the people of Texas, and all of the families that have been affected. It was a tragedy.&#8221;
Doricko said that his company complies with licensing requirements put forward by Texas, requiring them to suspend operations in areas where the National Weather Service issues flash flood or severe storm warnings.
&#8220;Our meteorologists actually proactively suspended operations a day before the National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings, so we were ahead of the curve there,&#8221; Doricko added. &#8220;And even so, the precipitation that we induced, the very best operations can induce tens of millions of gallons of precipitation over hundreds of square miles. That is de minimis relative to the remnants of the tropical storm that came in and dumped trillions of gallons of precipitation.&#8221;
Some atmospheric scientists agree with Doricko, arguing that Rainmaker&#8217;s cloud-seeding operation could not have affected the flooding in Texas two days later.
“The amount of energy involved in making storms like that is astronomical compared to anything you can do with cloud seeding,” Bob Rauber, a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign atmospheric science emeritus professor, told the Post. “We’re talking about a very small increase on a natural process at best.”
<h3>How does cloud seeding work?</h3>
Researchers in the United States first began experimenting with cloud seeding in the 1940s. The rain-inducing weather manipulation tactic works by sending an airplane or drones into clouds armed with small amounts of silver iodide, a chemical compound that helps form ice crystals in clouds that eventually lead to the clouds producing snow and rain. Cloud seeding can also be done through ground generators that release silver iodide into the atmosphere.
The United States military used cloud seeding during the Vietnam War, hoping to prolong the monsoon season, which would slow down the enemy&#8217;s supply lines by saturating roads and washing out river crossings.
<h3>Is cloud seeding effective?</h3>
A <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107328#:~:text=Cloud%20seeding%20may%20increase%20water,from%200%20to%2020%20percent.">report</a> published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office in 2024 said that cloud seeding &#8220;may increase water availability and result in economic, environmental, and human health benefits,&#8221; but it admits that &#8220;it is difficult to evaluate the effects of cloud seeding due to limitations of effectiveness research.&#8221;
Long-term <a href="https://www.dri.edu/cloud-seeding-program/what-is-cloud-seeding/">projects</a> over the Nevada mountains have shown that cloud seeding can increase snowpack by 10% or more each year, and a 10-year cloud-seeding project in the Sierra Madre Range in Wyoming showed a 15% increase in snowpack. The benefits of cloud seeding include supplementing the water supply and fighting off droughts and wildfires, especially in the Western United States.
&#8220;My intention is to serve God,&#8221; Doricko told Cain when asked if his cloud-seeding technology is getting too close to trying to play God.
&#8220;I think that in Genesis 1:26-28 and then throughout the Psalms and the rest of the Bible, God tells us to take dominion over and steward creation for our sake, creation itself, and then to honor him. And so if there are droughts and we have the tools to mitigate the damage done by them&#8230;then we should deploy those for the sake of tending to and stewarding the world.&#8221;
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Cain: Are you playing god? Are you messing with things you should not be messing with when it comes to the weather? <a href="https://t.co/13fpcX6RcI">pic.twitter.com/13fpcX6RcI</a>
&mdash; Acyn (@Acyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1943051093736608076?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<h3>Are there risks to cloud seeding?</h3>
Some scientists have expressed <a href="https://thebulletin.org/2022/08/dodging-silver-bullets-how-cloud-seeding-could-go-wrong/">concern</a> that cloud seeding, if implemented at a large scale, could be used by governments for nefarious purposes. Along with cloud seeding being used to induce rain, it can also divert rainfall from certain areas, as was done by the Chinese government to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/aug/08/olympics20081">clear skies</a> for major events during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
In 2009, an unusually massive blizzard slammed China in the country&#8217;s dry northern region, and the government-run media pointed to China&#8217;s weather modification as likely playing a part in the storm, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB125814710015847539">reported</a>. China&#8217;s Weather Modification Office, however, denied involvement in the blizzard.
The silver iodide used in cloud seeding has also been the subject of debate, since silver iodide is a toxic chemical. Proponents of cloud seeding argue that the amount of silver iodide used for the practice is so small that it has no measurable effect on humans or the environment, but some studies have pointed to potential risks for aquatic life from silver iodide in an area that gets repeated exposure.

Texas rain

Controversy Erupts Over Weather Modification Following Texas Flooding

Weather

A Texas pediatrician apologized after being fired for a Facebook comment saying Texas flood victims who supported President Donald Trump got &#8220;what they voted for.&#8221;
Christina B. Propst, who had been employed by Blue Fish Pediatrics, <a href="https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/07/07/houston-pediatrician-fired-after-controversial-post-about-kerr-county-flood-victims/">said</a> in a statement to KPRC that her &#8220;regrettable comment was in no way a response to the tragic loss of human life.&#8221;
&#8220;Unfortunately, my online comment is now being shared with the false impression that I made it after the devastating loss of life was known,&#8221; Propst said. &#8220;I did not.&#8221;
Propst said she deleted the comment after she learned of the fatalities, which include dozens of children.
Although it&#8217;s unclear when Propst posted her comment, the earliest news on July 4 reported fatalities, including children attending a girls&#8217; Christian camp.
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/flooding-in-texas-causes-multiple-fatalities-as-guadalupe-river-surges-to-record-levels">reported</a> early that morning that &#8220;multiple people [were] reportedly dead.&#8221;
The Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/thunderstorms-texas-deaths-camp-mystic-trees-hail-e8a4c85c77f714c9a974e50f3cd1fca1">published</a> a July 4 story detailing the known fatalities, reporting that multiple children were dead or missing.
In the now-deleted comment, Propst said she hoped non-MAGA voters remained safe during the flooding.
“May all visitors, children, non-MAGA voters, and pets be safe and dry,” she said under the Facebook user name, Chris Tina. “Kerr County MAGA voted to gut FEMA. They deny climate change. May they get what they voted for. Bless their hearts.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is the sort of pediatric clinician employed at <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueFishMD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BlueFishMD</a> in Houston. The ethics, humanity and empathy illustrated here is unfathomable. <a href="https://t.co/yW0TbEMGN7">pic.twitter.com/yW0TbEMGN7</a>
&mdash; Dr. Lynn Fynn-derella🐭 (@Fynnderella1) <a href="https://twitter.com/Fynnderella1/status/1941567217155571958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Blue Fish Pediatrics issued a statement Sunday saying Propst was &#8220;no longer employed,&#8221; The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-pediatrician-fired-after-saying-maga-flood-victims-got-what-they-voted-for">reported</a>.
&#8220;We do not support or condone any statement that politicizes tragedy, diminishes human dignity, or fails to clearly uphold compassion for every child and family, regardless of background or beliefs,&#8221; the statement said.
Multiple Democrats have repeated the claim that funding cuts and staff shortages at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) contributed to the death toll.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) took shots at the Trump administration on X.
&#8220;Accurate weather forecasting helps avoid fatal disasters,&#8221; Murphy said in a <a href="https://x.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1941571878105297216">post</a>. &#8220;There are consequences to Trump’s brainless attacks on public workers, like meteorologists.&#8221;
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) echoed Murphy&#8217;s claims in a letter, <a href="https://x.com/RossOKeefe2/status/1942180517396336816/photo/1">calling</a> for an investigation into whether staff shortages hindered response times.
But experts say the reductions did not directly affect response times.
“There is little evidence that any of the recent cuts to NOAA/NWS negatively impacted services for this event, regardless of what may be being said on social media,” <a href="https://balancedweather.substack.com/p/balancedwx-special-tragic-flash-flooding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Alan Gerard, a former director of the Analysis and Understanding Branch in the National Severe Storms Laboratory at NOAA.
Jason Runyen, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-hill-country-weather-warnings-238d4325bb58f0b410015f74684738b6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the local weather service had additional staff on hand to prepare for potential flooding.
“There were extra people in here that night, and that’s typical in every weather service office — you staff up for an event and bring people in on overtime and hold people over,” Runyen said.
President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-confirms-plans-to-visit-flood-stricken-texas-as-170-people-still-missing">said</a> he plans to travel to Texas on Friday to meet with flood victims. The flash floods have killed at least 110 people, and more than 170 people are still missing.

Central Texas Floods

Texas Doctor Who Said ‘MAGA’ Flood Victims Got ‘What They Voted For’ Apologizes After Getting Canned

Apology

flooding

General

Pro-life diaper company EveryLife is mobilizing to help families in Texas who suffered devastating losses in the historic floods.
Anyone can purchase a &#8220;Buy For a Cause&#8221; bundle from EveryLife — a month&#8217;s supply of diapers and wipes costs $49.99, and all bundles will be given directly to &#8220;families in dire need due to the Texas floods,&#8221; EveryLife said on its website.
“We are praying for miracles in Texas,” Sarah Gabel Seifert, President and Co-Founder of EveryLife, said in a statement to The Daily Wire.
“The devastation families are facing is unimaginable — yet in the midst of such tremendous loss, we’ve witnessed something remarkable: an overwhelming outpouring of generosity and prayers,&#8221; she said.
&#8220;Through our Buy For a Cause program, we’re putting diapers and wipes directly into the hands of parents who have lost everything,” Seifert said, adding that it was “an honor” to work with “the American people and our on-the-ground partners to meet these urgent needs — and to remind Texas families that they are not alone.”
The diaper company&#8217;s boots-on-the-ground partners, Operation Blessing, CityServe, and Convoy of Hope, are &#8220;working tirelessly to ensure these essential items reach families impacted by any means necessary,&#8221; EveryLife said.
At least 107 people have died in the massive floods that hit Texas on July 4. Many families with small children were displaced from their homes and are still in need of basic essentials like diapers and wipes. Rescue efforts for survivors are still ongoing.
&#8220;We are blown away by the generosity of our community already,&#8221; Seifert told Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro Wednesday morning. &#8220;We have already seen over 420,000 wipes donated, as well as over 294,000 diapers — and I feel like we&#8217;re just getting started.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President and Co-Founder <a href="https://twitter.com/SarahGabelSeif?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SarahGabelSeif</a> details the work <a href="https://twitter.com/everylife?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@everylife</a> is doing to provide essentials to families in Texas <a href="https://t.co/W6NzrECJfD">pic.twitter.com/W6NzrECJfD</a>
— The Ben Shapiro Show (@BenShapiroShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenShapiroShow/status/1942994550433124514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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EveryLife was launched in 2023 by PublicSq., an online marketplace that works to help “freedom-loving Americans” find businesses that align with their values and brands itself as a conservative alternative to Amazon.
The pro-life diaper company also supports pro-life organizations, donating diapers and wipes to crisis pregnancy centers.
EveryLife is growing quickly and now delivers diapers in all 50 states, the company said.
When the company launched, EveryLife released an ad calling out progressive companies for embracing anti-life values, such as saying they would cover the travel expenses for their female employees’ abortions.
“While so many companies are promoting what is wrong, we choose to celebrate what is right — life,” the ad’s narrator said. “Every miracle from God, boy and girl, black, tan, and white, planned and unplanned, gifted and special.”
Earlier this year, EveryLife also launched a prayer campaign along with prominent Christian leaders for couples hoping to have children, called “Praying for More Babies in 2025.&#8221;
You can purchase a Buy For A Cause bundle from EveryLife <a href="https://everylife.com/products/buy-for-a-cause?selling_plan=5498536216">here</a>.

Woman donates diapers during clothing drive

This Pro-Life Diaper Company Is Rallying To Help Texas Flood Victims

The Daily Wire Teams Up With Pro-Life Diaper Company To Help Texas Flood Victims

Daily Wire

Pro-Life Movement

The Daily Wire

Texas-based country singer Pat Green said his stepbrother and other family members were among the victims of the deadly flooding that occurred over the Fourth of July holiday.
“Over the weekend, during the devastating flooding that hit Central Texas, my family — like so many others — suffered a heartbreaking and deeply personal loss,” the recording artist shared on his Instagram account. “We are grieving alongside countless Texans whose lives have been upended by this tragedy.”
The post continued, “Right now, we kindly ask for privacy and space as we mourn, support each other, and begin to process what comes next for our family. Thank you for your love, prayers, and compassion,” he concluded.
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Green’s younger stepbrother, John Burgess, 39, is one of the confirmed victims, per local outlet <a href="https://www.kwtx.com/2025/07/05/china-spring-native-family-among-those-missing-amid-deadly-flooding-texas-hill-country/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KWTX</a>. According to KHOU, his wife, Julia Anderson Burgess, 39, also died. Their two sons, James and Jack, were still missing as of Monday. The deceased couple lived in Liberty, Texas, but were camping at the Blue Oak RV Park in Kerr County with their boys when the flooding occurred. Their 8-year-old daughter was reportedly at a camp that was not affected by the flooding and is safe.
According to a <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/07/us-news/texas-dad-refused-to-let-go-of-his-babies-during-flood-and-all-were-swept-away-witness-says/">report</a> from the New York Post, a bystander at the RV park pleaded with Burgess to hand over his children to safety, but he would not let them go.
“My husband was in the water trying to ask them, ‘Please throw me your baby!’ The man was holding tight to his babies, and he just got swept away,” Lorena Guillen, owner of the Blue Oak RV Park, said. 
As of Wednesday, at least 173 people are still missing, including 161 unaccounted for from Kerr County, the hardest-hit area. The death toll from the flooding across the state reached 119 on Wednesday, including dozens of children. Five young girls and one counselor remain missing from Camp Mystic, the Christian girls’ camp that took the brunt of the flooding when the Guadalupe River in Central Texas rose more than 30 feet in under an hour in some spots.
Green has been in the music industry since 1995, recording seven total studio albums. His single, &#8220;Wave on Wave,&#8221; from his gold-certified album of the same name, reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 2003. It was featured during campaign rallies for George W. Bush during his 2004 re-election campaign.

Pat Green

Country Singer Mourns Family Lost In Texas Floods

Country singer

Death

Entertainment

Natural Disaster

President Donald Trump plans to travel to Texas on Friday to meet with victims of the devastating Fourth of July weekend flooding that led to at least 110 deaths. 
The president will be joined by first lady Melania Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, he confirmed during a Tuesday cabinet meeting. Parts of the Texas Hill Country along the Guadalupe River were hit with sudden flash floods and more than 170 people are still missing. 
&#8220;I&#8217;ll be going down on Friday with the first lady and we will be taking a trip. And we don&#8217;t want to get in anyone&#8217;s way because, you know, it&#8217;s what happens. The president goes, and everyone&#8217;s around focused. I don&#8217;t want anyone to focus on us,&#8221; Trump said. 
First responders are still searching for potential survivors as Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott said Tuesday that 161 people were missing in Kerr County and another 12 throughout other impacted areas. Emergency responders have rescued at least 850 people. 
&#8220;They could have somebody saved still,” Trump said. “And, you know, probably unlikely at this point, but that could be. I mean, they&#8217;re thinking there could be the possibility, but, what a tragic situation.”
Trump also stated that the relationship between federal responders and Texas first responders was very good, noting that numerous federal helicopters were deployed to assist local rescuers.  
Earlier this week, Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Texas, and top administration officials have moved to offer federal help to the region.
 Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared a public health emergency on Tuesday to surge healthcare resources to the region. The Department of Housing and Urban Development also announced a 90-day foreclosure moratorium on Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured single-family mortgages in Kerr County.
Dozens of children attending Camp Mystic, a Christian girls&#8217; camp in Kerr County, died in the flooding. Five girls and one counselor are still missing, according to an update provided on Tuesday. Flood victims included 8-year-old campers Renee Smajstrla and Eloise Peck, 19-year-old camp counselor Chloe Childress, and the camp’s 74-year-old director, Dick Eastland.
Other young victims include twin sisters Blaire and Brooke Harber, who were <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/sisters-found-hands-locked-together-following-20630269.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> 15 miles from where the flood waters washed them away from their grandparents&#8217; cabin near the Guadalupe River. Their grandparents remain missing.

President Trump Holds Cabinet Meeting

Trump Confirms Plans To Visit Flood-Stricken Texas As 170+ People Still Missing

Kristi Noem

President Donald Trump fields questions on tariffs, Ukraine, and Jeffrey Epstein during his sixth cabinet meeting, fallout continues from the Central Texas floods, and the Trump administration rejects amnesty but hints at flexibility for some illegal immigrant workers.
It’s Wednesday, July 9, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2>Trump Convenes His Cabinet</h2>
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Topline:  President Trump provided new details on tariffs, support for Ukraine, and Jeffrey Epstein during a wide-ranging cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Cabinet meetings traditionally take place behind closed doors, but on Tuesday, President Trump spent nearly two hours taking questions from reporters. While many questions addressed the recent flash flooding in Texas, the president also spent a considerable amount of time discussing his plans for new tariffs.
In April, President Trump announced a 90-day pause on his ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs to offer countries a chance to negotiate lower rates — but warned that any country that didn’t come to the table would be hit with massive tariffs on July 9. However, despite early signs of optimism from our trading partners, the reality is that we have yet to see the “90 deals in 90 days” that the White House initially promised. 
To date, the only countries with formal, finalized trade agreements are the United Kingdom and Vietnam. 
The White House insists it is approaching the finish line with the European Union, India, and Cambodia, among others, but the administration clearly needs more time. On Monday, the president signed an executive order extending the tariff deadline to August 1. In an effort to expedite negotiations in the meantime, Trump sent letters to more than a dozen countries, stating that without a deal, they would face enormous tariffs on August 1, and if they raised rates in response, the United States would increase them even further. 
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also announced that the United States government had collected “about $100 billion in tariff income thus far this year” and projected that that figure could rise to well over $300 billion by the end of the year.&#8221;
Meanwhile, since taking office and that disastrous White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Trump administration has significantly cut its military and financial support for Ukraine. Trump said that he was worried Zelensky would avoid peace talks if he knew the United States would send an endless supply of weapons, and there were those in Washington who believed Russian President Vladimir Putin would be more willing to come to the table if support was cut off.
But with Moscow stepping up its attacks on population centers in Ukraine and Putin repeatedly backing out of peace talks, Trump has reversed himself and announced that the United States would resume weapons shipments to Ukraine. Trump later added that he’s seriously considering even harsher sanctions on Moscow.
“We want to put defensive weapons because Putin is not treating human beings right,” Trump told reporters. “We get a lot of bullsh** thrown at us by Putin — you want to know the truth. He&#8217;s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.&#8221;
President Trump also turned heads with his remarks on Jeffrey Epstein – the Trump administration essentially closed its case on Epstein this week, saying there is no evidence that he was murdered, had a client list, or blackmailed powerful individuals. 
That decision has dominated the headlines, but the president seemed irritated, even <a href="https://x.com/9mm_smg/status/1942628135263989932">exasperated</a>, when asked about it.“Are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable. Do you wanna waste the time… I can’t believe you’re asking a question about Epstein at a time like this.”
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<h2>Tensions High In Texas After Flash Floods Kill Over 100 People</h2>
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Topline: While rescue and recovery operations continue in Texas, some are already asking why communities were so unprepared for the natural disaster.
The tragedy that has killed more than 100 people, with many still missing, has left officials to face tough questions. Searches are underway throughout Central Texas. Rains and flash flood warnings have hindered progress, and officials have had to not only look for those missing, but also protect the emergency responders and volunteers that have joined the search crews.
“In the Kerr County area alone, there are 161 people who are known to be missing,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2yquWcGJ9g&amp;t=2938s">said</a> on Tuesday. “We will not stop until every missing person is accounted for. Know this also, there is very likely more to be added to that list.”
Press conferences have started to become testy, however, with local and national reporters pushing officials to answer increasingly pointed questions about their disaster response, including but not limited to, “Was the emergency manager awake?”
Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice defended the decision not to issue an evacuation order before the flooding, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgKRuDsTEyk&amp;t=1303s">arguing</a> that “evacuation is a delicate balance, because if you evacuate too late you then risk putting busses, or cars, or vehicles, or campers on roads into low water areas trying to get them out which then can make it even more challenging, because these flash floods happen very quickly.”
Critics have claimed that recent cuts to the National Weather Service led to the organization being understaffed and less prepared. Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz characterized those allegations as “partisan finger-pointing” and claimed that the local NWS office had surged “additional manpower” in anticipation of possible flooding. The NWS union, which has generally been very critical of the recent cuts, has also said that the reductions did not impact the response.
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<h2>To Deport, Or Not To Deport</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-944397" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.9.25-Seg-Head-3-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.9.25-Seg-Head-3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.9.25-Seg-Head-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.9.25-Seg-Head-3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.9.25-Seg-Head-3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.9.25-Seg-Head-3.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The Trump administration is again signaling a shift in how it is addressing illegal immigration in the farming industry. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been authorized by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to continue worksite raids on farms to sweep for illegal immigrants. That directive was <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/17/politics/homeland-security-immigration-raids-resume">issued</a> in June, shortly after the administration announced a pause on those raids, as well as raids at hotels and restaurants. Since then, the Trump administration has sent additional signals that it is attempting to balance its commitment to deporting all illegal aliens with more immediate economic concerns, including potential workforce shortages.
“We’re going to take care of our farmers and hotel workers, but we&#8217;re working on it right now,” President Trump said. “We have a lot of cases where ICE would go into the farm, and these are guys that are working there for 10 to 15 years, no problem. … The farmers know them. It’s called ‘farmer responsibility’ or ‘owner responsibility,’ but they&#8217;re going to be largely responsible for these people, and they know these people…They can be here legally. They can pay taxes and everything. They&#8217;re not getting citizenship, but they get other things. And the farmers need them to do the work.”
That approach has caused backlash among some of the president&#8217;s more ardent supporters, many of whom favor a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal aliens living and/or working in the United States.
In June, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins <a href="https://x.com/BrookeLRollins/status/1934240461717143696">expressed</a> her full commitment to the America First agenda, but said deportations were being “prioritized” in a way to avoid “severe disruptions to our food supply.” On Tuesday, after being questioned by Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan, Rollins elaborated that the Trump administration will offer illegal immigrants working on farms “no amnesty under any circumstances. Mass deportations continue, but in a strategic and intentional way as we move our workforce toward more automation and toward a 100% American workforce.”
Some reports, mostly out of California, said illegal immigrant farm laborers stopped showing up to work out of fear of deportation, and crops had gone unharvested. One <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/01/ice-raids-crops-california-farms">report</a> cited numerous farm supervisors who stated that the number of workers dropped dramatically since raids began in California; one supervisor claimed that only 80 of 300 people showed up to work, while another saw a drop from 80 workers to 17. Recent estimates by the Department of Agriculture suggest that about <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-labor#:~:text=Roughly%20Half%20of%20Hired%20Crop,unauthorized%20is%20highest%20in%20California.">40-50%</a> of crop farmworkers are either in the country illegally or lack proper work authorization.

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