Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 Search Teams Scour for More Than 170 Still Missing in Texas Flooding
Hopes for finding some of the 170-plus missing people in the wake of devastating flooding along Texas' Guadalupe River were dwindling Wednesday as officials in the hardest-hit county say they haven't rescued anyone alive since the day of the flood. The July 4 flash flooding has claimed the lives of at least 119 people, a toll that has steadily risen as search and rescue teams and volunteers comb through debris. At least 27 of those deaths were children and counselors at Camp Mystic, a beloved girls' Christian camp that sits along the river. Along with homes and campgrounds in the area, the camp was inundated early Friday morning with little time to act. On Wednesday, the death toll in hard-hit Kerr County increased to 95, including 36 children. At least 161 people are missing in Kerr County alone, Gov. Greg Abbott told reporters Tuesday. Among them are five campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic, officials said. The last "live rescue" was made Friday, said Jonathan Lamb with the Kerrville Police Department, and the chances of finding survivors dwindle as time passes.
2 Six Secret Service Agents Suspended Over Conduct During Butler Assassination Attempt On Trump
Six U.S. Secret Service agents have been suspended without pay for 10 to 42 days after an internal review found “serious failures” during the July 13th, 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a rooftop gunman grazed Donald Trump’s ear and killed firefighter Corey Comperatore. The suspensions, confirmed just days before the attack’s first anniversary, include supervisors and line agents assigned to countersniper and site-advance roles. An independent Homeland Security report last fall said agents spotted the shooter 20 minutes before shots were fired yet never flagged local police or evacuated the stage, calling the agency “bureaucratic, complacent, and static.” Former director Kimberly Cheatle resigned 10 days after that report. The Butler incident, and a second attempt nine weeks later on Trump’s Florida golf course, prompted the service to give the then-candidate presidential-level protection months earlier than usual. While the six agents may appeal, officials say more disciplinary actions could follow as the Mission Assurance investigation continues. The agency insists new technology, extra sniper teams, and tighter advance checks are now standard at every Trump event. Families of the Butler victims welcomed the suspensions but urged “bigger cultural change” inside the service. The Secret Service has not released the agents’ names, citing security rules, but pledged to brief Congress on lessons learned.
3 President Biden's White House Doctor Pleads The Fifth In Front Of House Panel
Dr. Kevin O’Connor, former President Biden’s longtime White House physician, appeared for closed-door testimony before the GOP-led House Oversight Committee yesterday but declined to answer questions. His lawyers said doctor-patient confidentiality and his Fifth Amendment rights bar him from discussing Biden’s health or the circumstances surrounding Biden’s 2024 withdrawal from the race. Chair James Comer called the refusal “unprecedented” and vowed to keep probing whether aides hid signs of Biden’s decline, while Democrats said the committee is on a political hunt. O’Connor cited then-candidate Trump’s own 2022 decision to plead the Fifth as precedent. The standoff comes as Republicans plan more witness interviews on Biden’s fitness and the panel weighs possible subpoenas for other medical staff.