by Edward Helmore in Kerr county, Texas on (#6YH6G)
The nearly 100-year-old institute, which now lies in ruins, was the go-to summer camp for girls in the stateThe loss of 27 campers and counsellors from Camp Mystic to the Texas Hill Country flood may serve, at a terrible cost, to expand its considerable reputation across Texas and beyond. Even as the floods claimed more lives along the valley - at least 120 confirmed dead and 160 people unaccounted for as of Tuesday - the loss of several Mystic Girls" has dominated the headlines.The camp, which offers two four-week terms and one two-week term over the summer, has been the go-to summer camp for daughters of Texans for nearly a century. It's so popular that fathers have been known to call the registrar to get their daughters on the list from the delivery room. Continue reading...
Cave-in apparently occurred between tunnel boring machine 5 miles from sole entry and workers 6 miles inThirty-one construction workers inside a huge industrial tunnel in Los Angeles made it to safety after a portion of it collapsed Wednesday evening, an outcome officials called a blessing after they initially feared much worse.The cave-in appears to have occurred between the tunnel boring machine 5 miles (8km) in from the sole entrance and the construction workers who were working 6 miles in, said Michael Chee, spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, which is in charge of the nearly $700m project. The workers were about 400ft (121 meters) underground. Continue reading...
The American has long hovered on the edge of something bigger - at Wimbledon he appears to have grown into the player he always hinted at becomingTaylor Fritz has spent much of his decade-long professional career just outside the tennis elite: close enough to peer in, but not quite break through. That may be about to change. On Friday, the 27-year-old American will face Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon semi-finals, his biggest match on grass to date and a chance to take down the two-time defending champion.It promises an attractive clash of styles: Fritz, the power-serving baseliner ranked No 5 in the world, who has sent down 95 aces, the second-most in the tournament. Alcaraz, the all-court magician from Spain riding a 23-match win streak (including 19 in a row at the All England Club), has returned superbly all fortnight, winning 31% of his return games and landing 71% of returns in play. But if tennis were that simple and form and numbers alone determined outcomes, Centre Court wouldn't offer up the theatre it so consistently does. Continue reading...
Trump administration targets special rapporteur for Palestinian territories, in latest action against critics of Israel's warThe Trump administration announced on Wednesday it was issuing sanctions against an independent official tasked with investigating human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories.The state department's decision to sanction Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, is the latest effort by the United States to punish critics of Israel's 21-month war in Gaza and comes after a recent US pressure campaign to force the international body to remove her from her post failed. Continue reading...
Redistricting gives Republicans in the state the opportunity to increase their strength and numbers', experts sayExperts, politicians and concerned Texans say their state could be a blueprint for Republican efforts to stave off losses in next year's elections, with some calling the GOP division a festering wound" in Texas - all while Donald Trump stacks the deck against potential Democratic inroads.Last month, nearly 150 people showed up at a Tarrant county commissioners court meeting in north Texas. The packed building wasn't used to such a high volume of visitors, but the day's key vote had been hotly contested for weeks. Continue reading...
Unexpectedly cheap tickets gave my boy an overwhelming soccer experience, and me a jolt of faith in a flawed tournamentMy son had never been to a professional soccer game.Soccer is, shall we say, not really his thing. It's also never been particularly important to me that he likes soccer, that he likes what I like. Our sons will be their own men, come what may. Continue reading...
At a sweltering New York mall, customers say they're paying more as tariffs push up costs on goods such as t-shirtsAs temperatures soared on a sweltering July day in New York City, shoppers at Queens's largest mall said they were feeling the heat - of rising prices.T-shirts, basic t-shirts, underwear, the basic necessities - the prices are going up," said Clarence Johnson, 48, who was visiting the Macy's at the Queen Center mall to pick up shirts he ordered online. Continue reading...
Mina Holland's book about parenting her seriously unwell daughter sheds light on the situation faced by so many, and the complicated psychology at playWhen you have a baby, especially if you're in an antenatal class, or friends or family members have a child of about the same age, there is a feeling that you're all in it together, at least at first. For me this big, life-transforming event might have felt intensely personal, but the shared connection with other new parents, who were also learning on the job, not to mention the books - Your Baby Week By Week, The Wonder Weeks - can trick you into thinking that the path is a predictable one.From hourly feeds and wake-ups to sleeping through the night, breast- and bottle-feeding to solids, crawling to walking, maternity leave to nursery to school, the journey may have slightly different scenery, but the impression given is that ultimately it ends up in the same place. Continue reading...
The US president, Donald Trump, said Joseph Boakai, the president of Liberia where English is the official language, had spoken 'such good English' during a meeting with African leaders.Boakai was advocating for US investment in his country and a joint approach to peace and security in the region. Trump asked him where he had 'learned to speak so beautifully', causing embarrassment
Social housing makes up almost half of the city's 1m homes. The system isn't perfect, but it gets a lot of things rightWhen it comes to best-practice examples in the housing debate, Vienna is a common reference. Indeed, the Austrian capital features prominently in narratives about successful housing policies. An article in the Observer concluded that Vienna shows decent homes for all" is not an impossible dream. And the New York Times even declared it a renters' utopia".A considerable part of the attraction of Vienna relates to its large social-housing stock. It accounts for some 43% of the roughly 1m housing units in the city. About half of it is municipally owned council housing. The other half is provided and administered by limited-profit housing associations - an Austrian version of social housing providers that are permitted to make a small profit to finance their operations. Social housing is not just for those on low incomes, but also caters to middle- and even some upper-middle-class households. Continue reading...
Whether it's bloodshed at Glastonbury or starving people on benefits, their irony poisoning' seeps obscene ideas into the range of the possibleImagine the furore if a Guardian columnist suggested bombing, say, the Conservative party conference and the Tory stronghold of Arundel in Sussex. It would dominate public discussion for weeks. Despite protesting they were only joking", that person would never work in journalism again. Their editor would certainly be sacked. The police would probably come knocking. But when the Spectator columnist Rod Liddle speculates about bombing Glastonbury festival and Brighton, complaints are met with, Calm down dear, can't you take a joke?" The journalist keeps his job, as does his editor, the former justice secretary Michael Gove. There's one rule for the left and another for the right.The same applies to the recent comments on GB News by its regular guest Lewis Schaffer. He proposed that, to reduce the number of disabled people claiming benefits, he would just starve them. I mean, that's what people have to do, that's what you've got to do to people, you just can't give people money ... What else can you do? Shoot them? I mean, I suggest that, but I think that's maybe a bit strong." The presenter, Patrick Christys replied, Yeah, it's just not allowed these days."George Monbiot is a Guardian columnistOn Tuesday 16 September, join George Monbiot and guests as they discuss the forces driving climate denialism, live at the Barbican in London and livestreamed globally. Book tickets here or at Guardian.LiveDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
Somalia, DR Congo and Yemen among states forced to sign deals and barter their minerals for aid or military supportSome of the world's poorest countries have started paying millions to lobbyists linked to Donald Trump to try to offset US cuts to foreign aid, an investigation reveals.Somalia, Haiti and Yemen are among 11 countries to sign significant lobbying deals with figures tied directly to the US president after he slashed US foreign humanitarian assistance. Continue reading...
Trump calls for end to prosecution and also targets other countries with steep levies while Washington sanctions UN official over Gaza - key US politics stories from Wednesday 9 JulyDonald Trump has slapped a 50% tariff on Brazil over what he called the witch-hunt" against former president Jair Bolsonaro and demanded that it end immediately.The US president said the levy on Brazil would be separate from all sectoral tariffs" as he also targeted seven other countries for steep tariffs and criticised the trial of Bolsonaro, whom he has described as a friend and hosted at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Continue reading...
Latest threats heighten fears that the president's erratic trade strategy risks exacerbating inflation across the USDonald Trump announced on Wednesday that his administration will hit Brazil with a 50% tariff on products sent to the US, tying the move to what he called the witch-hunt" trial against its former president, Jair Bolsonaro.Posting letters on Truth Social, the US president had earlier in the day targeted seven other countries - the Philippines, Brunei, Moldova, Algeria, Libya, Iraq and Sri Lanka - for stiff US tariffs on foreign exports starting on 1 August. Continue reading...
PSG's Club World Cup demolition was further proof that perhaps Real Madrid signed the wrong French forwardThe first drinks break was unplanned. It came six minutes ahead of schedule, but Real Madrid were grateful for the respite. They wandered to the touchline, dazed and confused, and reached for the water bottles. They looked to Xabi Alonso and hoped for answers. After 24 minutes of being pummelled by Paris Saint-Germain, though, the thought occurred that the players in white would have been better off asking for smelling salts.It is never a good sign when the emergency team talk takes place with more than an hour left. PSG had just stormed into a 3-0 lead, Fabian Ruiz scoring his second after a stunning combination between the exceptional Ousmane Dembele and the flying Achraf Hakimi on the right, and to be honest the scoreline felt kind on Madrid. The New Jersey sun was beating down but PSG were merciless. Lads, it's 33C. Any chance of slowing down? Continue reading...
It was not immediately clear to whom the requests were sent and the kind of information that was requestedThe US Department of Justice said on Wednesday it had sent more than 20 subpoenas to clinics and doctors who offer gender-affirming care to minors.It was not immediately clear to whom the requests were sent and the kind of information that was requested. Continue reading...
Fabian Ruiz scored twice as the champions of Europe made the final by swatting aside Real Madrid with easeAt last ... here come the players! One by one. PSG first, in their new blue shirts with red-lattice stripe that [squints] pays tribute to Paris's architectural heritage." Then out come Real Madrid in white shirts that [narrows eyes again, adjusts pince-nez] mark the Bernabeu's latest refurbishment with a design featuring subtle shapes, textures and colours borrowed from its long and storied history ... a performance-focused construction for quick-fire football with heat-applied club crest for unparalleled inspiration." Soccer!Kick-off has been delayed until 3.10pm local time, 8.10pm UK time. That's because both teams got caught in traffic on their way to the stadium from their Manhattan hotels, and rocked up 20 minutes later than expected. Real have had no luck whatsoever on their travels: their flight to NYC was delayed for three hours last night due to storms. Continue reading...
Judge finds Republican-crafted law probably unconstitutional for encroaching on federal authorityThe US supreme court maintained on Wednesday a judicial block on a Republican-crafted Florida law that makes it a crime for undocumented immigrants in the United States to enter the state.The justices denied a request by state officials to lift an order by the Florida-based US district judge Kathleen Williams that barred them from carrying out arrests and prosecutions under the law while a legal challenge plays out in lower courts. Williams ruled that Florida's law conflicted with the federal government's authority over immigration policy. Continue reading...
Boy, 13, arrested after Rancho fire raced through dry brush in Laguna Beach and forced evacuation of about 100 homesA 13-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of setting off fireworks that sparked a wildfire this week in coastal southern California, forcing the evacuations of about 100 canyon homes, authorities said.Crews with air support protected residences from the Rancho fire as flames raced through dry brush on Monday afternoon in Laguna Beach. It was held to 4 acres (1.6 hectares) with no damage to structures. Continue reading...
Senator on vacation abroad while Texas was hit by deadly floods, a disaster worsened by forecasting cuts, critics sayTed Cruz has had quite a week. On Tuesday, the Texas senator ensured the Republican spending bill slashed funding for weather forecasting, only to then go on vacation to Greece while his state was hit by deadly flooding, a disaster critics say was worsened by cuts to forecasting.Cruz, who infamously fled Texas for Cancun when a crippling winter storm ravaged his state in 2021, was seen visiting the Parthenon in Athens with his wife, Heidi, on Saturday, a day after a flash flood along the Guadalupe River in central Texas killed more than 100 people, including dozens of children and counselors at a camp. Continue reading...
Oksana Markarova will be recalled from Washington in move designed to strengthen ties with Trump teamVolodymyr Zelenskyy is replacing Ukraine's ambassador to the US, who has been heavily criticised by leading Republicans, as part a diplomatic reshuffle designed to strengthen ties with the Trump administration.Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, confirmed on Wednesday that Oksana Markarova will be recalled from Washington after four years in the job. He described her as extremely effective, charismatic and one of our most successful ambassadors". Continue reading...
Brooke Rollins also claimed automation can replace the immigrant labor force despite repeated evidence of failureThe US agriculture secretary has suggested that increased automation and forcing Medicaid recipients to work could replace the migrant farm workers being swept up in Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign, despite years of evidence and policy failures that those kinds of measures are not substitutes for the immigrant labor force underpinning American agriculture.Speaking at a news conference with Republican governors on Tuesday, Brooke Rollins said the administration would rely on automation, also some reform within the current governing structure", and pointed to 34 million able-bodied adults in our Medicaid program" as potential workers. Continue reading...
The systematic destruction of Gaza is hardly a secret. Now, the IDF is posting Facebook ads for bulldozer operators to help demolish the stripOmer Bartov is an Israeli-American historian and one of the foremost scholars on genocide in the world. He has spent over 25 years teaching a class on the subject. He deals with atrocities for a living, analyzing some of the very worst things that human beings are capable of. And yet even Bartov has said he can't bear looking at some of the excruciating images coming out of Gaza any more.What's happening, Bartov says, is unprecedented in the 21st century. I don't know of any comparable situation. Recent estimates show that about 70% of the structures in Gaza are either completely destroyed or severely damaged," Bartov says. The argument that the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] is conducting a war in Gaza is simply cynical, there is no war in Gaza. What the IDF is doing in Gaza is demolishing it. Hundreds of buildings are being bulldozed every week. This is not a secret, but mainstream media coverage has been insufficient." Continue reading...
We want to hear about what major decisions people might be delaying under the Trump administration and whyAs Donald Trump approaches six months in office as president, his administration's agenda has shaken every corner of US life.According to research from Harris Poll, Americans are reconsidering major life events including marriage, having children and buying a home amid economic anxiety under the Trump administration. Continue reading...
Patrick Bailey chugged around the bases to defeat the Phillies - the first time a game has been won that way since 2016Patrick Bailey's entrance into the Major League Baseball record books on Tuesday night began with a tight swing that sent a fastball from Phillies reliever Jordan Romano into Triples Alley.It ended with Bailey chugging his way around third base then getting mobbed at home plate by his teammates after becoming the third catcher in major league history to hit a game-ending, inside-the-park home run. Continue reading...
Health secretary backs company criticized for selling junk-laden meals to Medicaid patients on Make America healthy again' tourHealth secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr promoted a company whose meals contain ultra-processed ingredients - which he has repeatedly railed against - on his Make America healthy again" tour.Kennedy appeared at an enormous food plant in Oklahoma for a company called Mom's Meals, which makes 1.5m medically tailored" meals each week and ships them all over the country. Continue reading...
Trump's budget bill is creating a colossus with more resources than many national militariesOn Thursday, congressional Republicans passed Trump's 1,000-page budget, and the president signed it on Saturday. The rich will get obscenely richer. The poor will be hungrier and sicker, work more precarious, and the planet unrelentingly hotter. The symmetry is elegant: cuts to healthcare and food programs average about $120bn each year over the next decade, while the tax cuts will save households earning more than $500,000 about $120bn a year.Trump got what he wanted. But enriching himself and his wealthy friends at the expense of everyone else has long been his life purpose. It was not until he became president, with the Heritage Foundation's wonks, the deportation czar Stephen Miller, and six loyal supreme courtiers behind him, that he could reshape the US in his own amoral, racist, violence-intoxicated image. In fact, the latter goal may be dearer to him than the former. Continue reading...
US president appears to have run out of patience with his Russian counterpart - but how that transmits into practical support for Kyiv remains to be seen
Heavy rains triggered flash flooding in Ruidoso that was so intense an entire house was swept downstreamThree people have died in a mountain town in southern New Mexico that is a popular summer retreat after monsoon rains triggered flash flooding that was so intense an entire house was swept downstream, officials said.A man and two children were swept away Tuesday by flood waters, the village of Ruidoso said in a statement. Continue reading...
A market-centered model and growing inequality led to rightwing ascendance. This moment calls for a new regional solidarityThe second world war ended with an agreement of coexistence that included the creation of the UN multilateral system and a development model that combined the state, the market and democracy as an arena for political dispute. In Latin America, this was reflected in the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Eclac) model, which promoted protectionism and addressed social issues through fiscal targeting.But in the last quarter of the 20th century, the same postwar organizations imposed a new, market-centered model. Value was replaced by price, trade liberalization was prioritized and social issues were subordinated to the laws of the market. The concentration of capital and the delegitimization of democracy broke the previous consensus. Although progressive governments emerged, they were unable to contain the rise of the new autocratic right, supported by de facto powers such as the media, the church, the military and the technocracy. The crisis of representation led political parties to abandon their bases, leaving room for anti-politicians" who found a platform in mainstream media.Ernesto Samper Pizano was president of Colombia from 1994 to 1998
New financial rules for college sports theoretically give football players newfound compensation, but the terms of the deals don't account for injuryRevenue sharing is now a feature of college athletics. Thanks to the house settelement signed in May, schools are permitted to spend $20.5m annually across sports, including through expanded scholarships and direct payments (of which it appears football will generally receive approximately 75%). This would seem to mitigate the longstanding problem of exploitation in college football.However, in a sport still defined by extreme injury, recently disclosed provisions in the new Florida State University (FSU) revenue-sharing contract show that schools appear to simply be finding new ways to extract value from players, as ever at startling personal cost. Continue reading...
In a new series on undocumented workers, construction laborers tell the Guardian fear is fueling wage theft and workplace abuseAs the Trump administration ramps up its crackdown on immigration, undocumented workers in the construction industry claim raids and arrests have emboldened some contractors to cut pay and increase hours.Rogelio, a tile setter, works for various contractors in the the Tucson, Arizona region. He is undocumented, and did not provide his full name. Continue reading...
Commissioners for the city of Miami rewrote their election laws to push the off-year 2025 local races to 2026 without input from voters. The decision has sparked outrageCandidates for local office in Miami have been prepping mailers, gathering volunteers, raising money and hitting the street for the last year, with voters expecting to see a robust campaign to replace the city's term-limited, scandal-chased mayor.Last week, Miami's city commission told those voters they'll have to wait an extra year. In a 3-2 vote, the commission changed the city's election bylaws to push the municipal races back to 2026. Continue reading...
Justices lift lower court order that froze reductions in force' layoffs while litigation in case proceeded. Plus, Ed Sheeran tries his hand at artGood morning.The US supreme court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to resume plans for mass firings of federal workers, which critics warn could threaten important government services.What have the Democrats said? They condemned the ruling. Antjuan Seawright, a party strategist, said: This rightwing activist court has proven ruling after ruling, time after time, that they are going to sing the songs and dance to the tune of Trumpism."How many have been killed seeking food? The casualties totalled 640 killed and more than 4,500 injured between 27 May and 2 July, according to the health ministry in Gaza.What has Israel said? The Israeli military has repeatedly said it does not target civilians, takes all feasible precautions to avoid harm to non-combatants and abides by international law. Continue reading...
Some social media users falsely claimed that the extreme weather was being controlled by the US governmentDisasters and tragedies have long been the source of American conspiracies, old and new. So when devastating flash floods hit Texas over the Fourth of July weekend, and as the death toll continues to rise, far-right conspiracists online saw their opportunity to come out in full force, blurring the lines of what's true and untrue.Some people, emerging from the same vectors associated with the longstanding QAnon conspiracy theory, which essentially holds that a shadowy deep state" is acting against president Donald Trump, spread on X that the devastating weather was being controlled by the government. Continue reading...
Bull also known as Twinkle Toes eluded capture for days in Colorado after reportedly escaping through a fence gapAnimals that have proven themselves to be escape artists as of late in the US have included a terrier and nearly four dozen monkeys. And now a rodeo bull reportedly referred to by the names of Sauce Boss and Twinkle Toes can join their ranks after breaking free from his handlers and spending four days at large.The bull in question was being unloaded in preparation for the Snowmass Village, Colorado, rodeo on 2 July when he somehow got away, local police chief Brian Olson told the state's Aspen Times. Olson suspected the creature found and forced his way through a gap in the fencing that was being used during the unloading. Continue reading...
Under the guidance of a former Manchester United assistant, Minnesota United are finding MLS success with a surprising tacticNot many soccer players are as passionate about dead balls as Anthony Markanich. Then again Minnesota United, under the 33-year-old first-time head coach Eric Ramsay, don't play soccer like most teams.All the guys get really excited about set pieces, especially myself," Markanich gushed last Friday after scoring a goal off a long throw-in by the center back Michael Boxall for the second time in a week. I told Boxy I love when he has the ball for throw-ins and stuff - I get so excited about that." Continue reading...
At least three people were reported missing in Ruidoso, southern New Mexico, after heavy rain triggered flash flooding on Tuesday. The US National Weather Service (NWS) reported the water level of the Rio Ruidoso rose to 20ft (6 metres), a record high crest if confirmed. The NWS also reported a father and two children had been washed away by flash floods in New Mexico and rescue crews were searching for them
Trump voices increasing irritation with Russia's leader and promises to send more weapons to Ukraine. Key US politics stories from 8 July 2025Donald Trump has voiced his irritation with Vladimir Putin, telling a cabinet meeting he was getting increasingly frustrated with the Russian leader.The US president told the televised meeting of top officials: We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless." Continue reading...
Mario Guevara, arrested in Georgia while covering a protest, still detained after Ice refused his family's bond paymentA week after an immigration judge granted him bond, a Spanish-language journalist who was arrested while covering a protest last month remains in federal custody.Police just outside Atlanta arrested Mario Guevara while he was covering a protest on 14 June, and he was turned over to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) several days later. He was being held at an immigration detention center in Folkston - in south-east Georgia, near the Florida border - when an immigration judge last week granted him bond. Continue reading...
The 60m Brazilian scored both goals but showed no emotion as Fluminense were his first club in his homelandThis time last week, Joao Pedro was on a Brazilian beach; now he's in the Club World Cup final, handed a standing ovation by old fans and new. The 23-year-old forward had been on holiday in Rio de Janeiro when they called to say his 60m transfer to Chelsea had been completed and could he come straight here.Two days and a single training session later, he made his debut in Philadelphia, more than 4,000 miles north of home, a promising glimpse of a future. Four days after that, he was given his first start in New Jersey. It took 18 minutes to get a glorious goal. By the time he headed off, an hour in, he had another. Continue reading...
Justices lift lower court order that froze reductions in force' federal layoffs while litigation in case proceededThe US supreme court has cleared the way for Donald Trump's administration to resume plans for mass firings of federal workers that critics warn could threaten critical government services.Extending a winning streak for the US president, the justices on Tuesday lifted a lower court order that had frozen sweeping federal layoffs known as reductions in force" while litigation in the case proceeds. Continue reading...
Texas governor Greg Abbott said many people staying in state's Hill Country still unaccounted for as questions mount over official response to disasterRescue crews continued on Tuesday to comb through parts of the Texas Hill Country devastated by catastrophic flash flooding over the Fourth of July weekend, but with more than 100 dead and hope fading for survivors, efforts have increasingly turned to search and recovery.As of Tuesday afternoon, the death toll across the six affected counties surpassed 100. Most of the deaths were in Kerr county, where officials said 87 bodies had so far been recovered, including 56 adults and 30 children. Identification was pending for 19 adults and seven children with one additional person still unidentified, county sheriff Larry Leitha told a news conference. Continue reading...
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