Unreleased music by Beyonc along with footage, show plans and concert set lists were stolen from a car in Atlanta rented by the singer's choreographer and one of her dancers, according to a police incident report.

The theft of the materials, stored on five thumb drives, happened on July 8, two days before Beyonc began a four-day residency at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Beyonc was set to take the stage Monday evening for her last night in the city.

The Atlanta Police Department said in a news release Monday it has secured an arrest warrant for a suspect whose identity was withheld.

Two MacBook laptops, Apple headphones, as well as luxury clothing and accessories, were also reported stolen, according to the incident report.

Beyonc's choreographer, Christopher Grant, and dancer Diandre Blue told police they parked their rental car, a 2024 Jeep Wagoneer, at a food hall in the city at about 8:09 p.m. The pair returned to the car just after 9 p.m. to discover the trunk window had been damaged and two suitcases had been taken.

RELATED STORY | Beyonc becomes first Black woman to top country albums chart

Grant told officers that he was also carrying some personal sensitive information for the musician Beyonce, the police incident report stated.

The report identifies a possible suspect vehicle as a 2025 red Hyundai Elantra. Responding officers were able to identify light prints at the scene, and security cameras in the parking lot captured the incident, according to the report.

Officers canvassed an area where the stolen laptop and headphones were tracked by using the devices location services, the report stated.

Beyonc kicked off her highly anticipated tour in late April, taking her Grammy-winning album, Cowboy Carter, to stadiums in the U.S. and Europe. The singer will end her tour with two Las Vegas nights in late July.

Temporary measures that allowed nearly 12,000 Afghans to work in the U.S. and be protected from deportation are expiring Monday as part of the Trump administration's efforts to make more people eligible for removal from the country.

The Department of Homeland Security in May said it was ending Temporary Protected Status for 11,700 people from Afghanistan in 60 days. That status had allowed them to work and meant the government couldn't deport them.

The number of Afghans protected by TPS is relatively small compared to the overall number of Afghans about 180,000 who have fled Afghanistan and come to the U.S. since the Taliban retook control of the country in 2021. It's also not clear how many of those 11,7000 covered by TPS have applied for or received other forms of protection like asylum that would keep them from being deported after Monday.

But the removal of the protective status for Afghans has struck a chord with many advocates and volunteers because of the suggestion that it is safe for Afghans many who helped the U.S. during its two-decade long war there to go home.

Since so many of those losing their protections served alongside U.S. forces, we should honor that service by upholding our promise to provide safety and ensure that they have an opportunity to thrive here. We urge Congress to protect Afghans by providing them permanent status a commitment that is long overdue," Jennie Murray, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum, said in a news release Monday.

RELATED STORY | Trump directs ICE to expand deportations in Democratic-run cities

At the time that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ended the temporary protected status for Afghans, the department wrote in the decision that the situation in their home country was getting better.

The Secretary determined that, overall, there are notable improvements in the security and economic situation such that requiring the return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan does not pose a threat to their personal safety due to armed conflict or extraordinary and temporary conditions, according to the May announcement.

Temporary Protected Status can be granted by the Homeland Security secretary to people of various nationalities who are in the United States. They can't be deported and can work legally but they don't have a pathway to citizenship.

The status is inherently precarious because it is up to the Homeland Security secretary to renew the protections regularly usually every 18 months. The first Trump administration tried to remove many of these temporary protected statuses but was largely foiled by the courts.

This time around, the Trump administration has moved even more aggressively to remove the protections, thus making more people eligible for removal from the country. The administration has pushed to remove temporary protected status from people from seven countries with Venezuela and Haiti making up the biggest chunk of the hundreds of thousands of people losing their protections.

Critics say that successive administrations essentially rubber-stamped these renewals regardless, and people covered by whats supposed to be a temporary status end up staying in the United States for years.

CASA, a nonprofit immigrant advocates group, sued the administration over the TPS revocation for Afghans as well as for people from Cameroon - those expire August 4. A federal judge last Friday allowed the lawsuit to go forward but didn't grant CASA's request to keep the protections in place while the lawsuit plays out.

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he will campaign for mayor of New York City as an independent candidate, staying in a crowded field running against surging left-wing Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani.

In a video, Cuomo, who last month suffered a bruising loss to Mamdani in the Democratic primary, announced he was making another run to combat the progressive Mamdani, who he said "offers slick slogans but no real solutions."

"The fight to save our city isn't over," Cuomo said. "Only 13 percent of New Yorkers voted in the June primary. The general election is in November and I am in it to win it."

RELATED STORY | Cuomo concedes in NYC mayoral primary, Mamdani poised for upset victory

Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams also is running as an independent in the general election and Curtis Sliwa founder of the 1970s-era Guardian Angels anti-crime patrol is again on the Republican line.

People opposed to Mamdani's progressive agenda, which includes higher taxes on the wealthy, have called on donors and voters to unite behind a single candidate for the November election. They fear multiple candidates will splinter the anti-Mamdani vote, increasing the Democrat's chances to win.

The decision to continue on in the race is the latest chapter in Cuomo's comeback attempt, launched almost four years after he resigned as governor following a barrage of sexual harassment allegations. He denied wrongdoing during the campaign, maintaining that the scandal was driven by politics.

More than 20 states have sued President Donald Trump's administration over billions of dollars in frozen funding for after-school and summer programs and other programs.

Aiden Cazares is one of 1.4 million children and teenagers around the country who have been attending after-school and summer programming at a Boys & Girls Club, the YMCA or a public school for free thanks to federal taxpayers. Congress set aside money for the programs to provide academic support, enrichment and child care to mostly low-income families, but President Donald Trump's administration recently froze the funding.

The money for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers is among more than $6 billion in federal education grants Trump's Republican administration has withheld, saying it wants to ensure recipients' programs align with the president's priorities.

On Monday afternoon, more than 20 Democratic-led states sued the Trump administration to force the release of the money. Led by California, the lawsuit alleges withholding the money violates the Constitution and several federal laws. Many low-income families will lose access to after-school programs if the money isnt released soon, according to the suit. In some states, school restarts in late July and early August.

After-school programs for the fall are in jeopardy

In Rhode Island, the state stepped in with funding to keep the summer programs running, according to the Boys & Girls Club of East Providence. Other Boys & Girls Clubs supported by the grants have found ways to keep open their summer programs, said Sara Leutzinger, vice president for communications for the Boys & Girls Club of America. But there isnt the same hope for the after-school programming for the fall.

RELATED STORY | Federal judge pauses Trumps birthright citizenship order

Some of the 926 Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide that run 21st Century Community Learning summer and after-school programs stand to close if the Trump administration doesnt release the money in the next three to five weeks, Leutzinger said.

The YMCA and Save the Children say many of the centers they run are also at risk of shuttering.

Time is of the essence, said Christy Gleason, executive director of Save the Children Action Network, which provides after-school programming for 41 schools in rural areas in Washington state and across the South, where school will begin as soon as August. Its not too late to make a decision so the kids who really need this still have it.

Schools in Republican-led areas are particularly affected by the freeze in federal education grants. Ninety-one of the 100 school districts that receive the most money from four frozen grant programs are in Republican congressional districts, according to an analysis from New America, a left-leaning think tank. Of those top 100 school districts, half are in four states: California, West Virginia, Florida and Georgia. New Americas analysis used funding levels reported in 2022 in 46 states.

Republican officials have been among the educators criticizing the grant freeze.

I deeply believe in fiscal responsibility, which means evaluating the use of funds and seeking out efficiencies, but also means being responsible releasing funds already approved by Congress and signed by President Trump," said Georgia schools superintendent Richard Woods, an elected Republican. In Georgia, were getting ready to start the school year, so I call on federal funds to be released so we can ensure the success of our students.

The Office of Management and Budget said some grants supported left-wing causes, pointing to services for immigrants in the country illegally or LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts.

Summer clubs provide instruction for children

At the East Providence summer camp, Aiden, a rising third grader, played tag, built structures with magnetic tiles, played a fast-paced game with the other kids to review addition and subtraction, learned about pollination, watched a nature video and ate club-provided chicken nuggets.

Veteran teachers from his school corrected him when he spoke without raising his hand and offered common-sense advice when a boy in his group said something inappropriate.

When someone says something inappropriate, you dont repeat it, teacher Kayla Creighton told the boys between answering their questions about horseflies and honeybees.

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Indeed, its hard to find a more middle-of-the road organization in this country than the Boys & Girls Club.

Just last month, a Republican and a Democrat sponsored a resolution in the U.S. House celebrating the 165-year-old organization as a beacon of hope and opportunity. The Defense Department awarded the club $3 million in 1991 to support children left behind when their parents deployed for the Persian Gulf. And ever since, the Boys & Girls Club has created clubs on military installations to support the children of service members. Military families can sign up their kids for free.

I suspect they will realize that most of those grants are fine and will release them, said Mike Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative education policy think tank, speaking of the Trump administration's review of the 21st Century Community Learning Center grants.

But not everyone is so sure.

Families see few affordable child care alternatives

Aidens mother has started looking into afternoon child care for September when kids return to school in Rhode Island.

It costs $220 a week, Aiden's mother, Darleen Reyes, said, her eyes expanding. I cant afford that.

The single mother and state worker said shell probably ask her 14-year-old son to stay home and watch Aiden. That will mean he would have to forgo getting a job when he turns 15 in the fall and couldnt play basketball and football.

I dont have any other option, she said.

At home, Aiden would likely stay inside on a screen. That would be heartbreaking since hes thrived getting tutoring and learning about healthy boundaries from the Boys & Girls Club program, Reyes said.

Fernande Berard learned about the funding freeze and possible closure from a reporter after dropping off her three young boys for summer camp. I would be really devastated if this goes away, said the nurse. I honestly dont know what I would do.

Her husband drives an Uber much of the day, and picking up the kids early would eat into his earnings. Its money they need to pay the mortgage and everything else.

If her boss approves, shed likely have to pick up her children from school and take them to the rehabilitation center where she oversees a team of nurses. The children would have to stay until her work day ends.

Its hard to imagine, she said.

The federal government on Saturday dismissed charges against a Utah plastic surgeon accused of throwing away COVID-19 vaccines, giving children saline shots instead of the vaccine and selling faked vaccination cards.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on the social media platform X that charges against Dr. Michael Kirk Moore, of Midvale, Utah, were dismissed at her direction.

Moore and other defendants faced up to 35 years in prison after being charged with conspiracy to defraud the government; conspiracy to convert, sell, convey and dispose of government property; and aiding and abetting in those efforts. The charges were brought when Joe Biden was president.

Dr. Moore gave his patients a choice when the federal government refused to do so, Bondi wrote. He did not deserve the years in prison he was facing. It ends today.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | CDC eliminates COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children, pregnant women

Felice John Viti, acting U.S. attorney for Utah, filed the motion Saturday, saying such dismissal is in the interests of justice.

The trial began Monday in Salt Lake City with jury selection. It was expected to last 15 days.

Messages sent to the U.S. Department of Justice, Vitis office in Salt Lake City and to Moore were not immediately returned Saturday to The Associated Press.

A federal grand jury on Jan. 11, 2023, returned an indictment against Moore, his Plastic Surgery Institute of Utah Inc., others associated with the clinic and a neighbor of Moore's. The indictment alleged more than $28,000 of government-provided COVID-19 vaccine doses were destroyed.

They were also accused of providing fraudulently completed vaccination record cards for over 1,900 doses of the vaccine in exchange for either a cash or a donation to a specified charitable organization.

The government also alleged some children were given saline shots, at their parents request, so the minors believed they were getting the vaccine.

Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., a leading anti-vaccine activist before becoming the nations top health official, posted his support for Moore in April, saying on X that Moore "deserves a medal for his courage and his commitment to healing!

During his confirmation hearings in January, Kennedy repeatedly refused to acknowledge scientific consensus that childhood vaccines dont cause autism and that COVID-19 vaccines saved millions of lives.

In a follow-up X post on Saturday, Bondi said Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene brought the case to her attention.

Sesame Workshop was trying to regain full control over its Elmo account on the X platform Monday after a hacker gained access and posted a string of racist and antisemitic messages.

"Elmo's X account was compromised by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts. We are working to restore full control of the account," a Sesame Workshop spokesperson said Monday. Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit behind "Sesame Street" and Elmo.

RELATED STORY | Musk's AI chatbot Grok makes antisemitic comments on X

The account was compromised over the weekend and instead of the usual posts of encouragement and kindness, Elmo's 650,000 followers were given antisemitic threats and a profane reference to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation.

Those tweets were soon deleted, though Elmo's account retains a link to a Telegram channel from a user who takes credit for the hack.

RELATED STORY | X CEO Linda Yaccarino leaves social media platform after 2 years

X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Elmo's social media account has lately become a place for mental health awareness.

Last year, the red fuzzy monster, eternally 3 , caused a sensation when he asked: "Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?" It prompted responses from then-President Joe Biden and Chance the Rapper.

A historic lodge on the Grand Canyon's North Rim has been destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire, the park said Sunday.

The Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging inside the park at the North Rim, was consumed by the flames, park Superintendent Ed Keable told park residents, staff and others in a meeting Sunday morning. He said the visitor center, the gas station, a waste water treatment plant, an administrative building and some employee housing were among the 50 to 80 structures lost.

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Two wildfires are burning at or near the North Rim, known as the White Sage Fire and the Dragon Bravo Fire. The latter is the one that impacted the lodge and other structures. The park initially was managing it as a controlled burn but then shifted to suppression as it rapidly grew to 7.8 square miles (20 square kilometers) because of hot temperatures, low humidity and wind, fire officials said.

No injuries have been reported.

Millions of people visit Grand Canyon National Park annually, with most going to the more popular South Rim. The North Rim is open seasonally. It was evacuated last Thursday because of wildfire.

Firefighters at the North Rim and hikers in the inner canyon were evacuated over the weekend. The park said along with the fire risk, they could potentially be exposed to chlorine gas after the treatment plant burned. Chlorine gas is heavier than air and can lead to blurred vision, irritation or respiratory problems if high amounts of it are breathed in, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Rafters on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon also were told to bypass Phantom Ranch, which has a set of cabins and dormitories along the river.

The North Rim lodge was often the first prominent feature that visitors see, even before viewing the canyon. A highway ends at the lodge, which was known for its sloped roof, huge ponderosa beams and massive limestone facade. By walking across the lobby and descending a stairwell, visitors could get their first view of the Grand Canyon shining through windows across the Sun Room.

Meanwhile, officials reported progress in battling a second wildfire burning north of the Grand Canyon. Fire lines on the White Sage Fire that forced evacuations at the North Rim and in the community of Jacob Lake were holding, officials said. On the southern edge of the fire, hand crews and bulldozers were working uphill, and the spread of the blaze had been minimal.

But to the east and north, the fire has spread rapidly, with grasses and standing dead trees contributing to the fires intensity, officials said. The fire was pushing downhill toward the Vermilion Cliffs area, and crews were assessing opportunities to create buffer zones that help slow or halt the fires progress.

Jannik Sinner defeated two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday to win his first Wimbledon championship and reverse the result of their epic French Open final five weeks ago.

The No. 1-ranked Sinner earned his fourth Grand Slam title overall, moving him one away from No. 2 Alcaraz's total as the two young rivals separate themselves from the rest of the pack in men's tennis.

This victory also allowed Sinner, a 23-year-old Italian, to put an end to several streaks for Alcaraz, a 22-year-old Spaniard.

Alcaraz had won the past five head-to-head matches between the pair, most recently across five sets and nearly 5 1/2 hours at Roland-Garros on June 8. Sinner took a two-set lead in that one, then held a trio of match points, but couldn't close the deal. That made Alcaraz 5-0 in major finals.

In addition to ending that piece of perfection, Sinner asserted himself in a match that featured moments of terrific play by both men, but also the occasional lapses.

Alcaraz stepped into the sunlight bathing Centre Court as the owner of a career-best 24-match unbeaten run. He had won 20 matches in a row at the All England Club, including victories against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 and 2024 finals.

The last man to beat Alcaraz at Wimbledon? Sinner, in the fourth round in 2022.

The EU will suspend retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods scheduled to take effect Monday in hopes of reaching a trade deal with the Trump administration by the end of the month.

This is now the time for negotiations, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels on Sunday, after President Donald Trump sent a letter announcing new tariffs of 30% on goods from the EU and Mexico starting Aug. 1.

The EU Americas biggest trading partner and the worlds largest trading bloc had been scheduled to impose countermeasures starting Monday at midnight Brussels time (6 p.m. EDT). The EU negotiates trade deals on behalf of its 27 member countries.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Trade tensions escalate: Trump announces 30% tariffs on Mexico and EU imports

Von der Leyen said those countermeasures would be delayed until Aug. 1, and that Trump's letter shows that we have until the first of August to negotiate. European leaders have urged Trump and von der Leyen to give negotiations more time.

We have always been clear that we prefer a negotiated solution, she said. If they cant reach a deal, she said that we will continue to prepare countermeasures so we are fully prepared.

Standing alongside Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, von der Leyen said the trade tensions with the U.S. show the importance of diversifying our trade relationships.''

Trump has said his global tariffs would set the foundation for reviving a U.S. economy that he claims has been ripped off by other nations for decades. Trump in his letter to the European Union said the U.S. trade deficit was a national security threat.

U.S. trade partners have faced months of uncertainty and on-and-off threats from Trump to impose tariffs, with deadlines sometimes extended or changed. The tariffs could have ramifications for nearly every aspect of the global economy.

The value of EU-U.S. trade in goods and services amounted to 1.7 trillion euros ($2 trillion) in 2024, or an average of 4.6 billion euros a day, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat. Europes biggest exports to the U.S. were pharmaceuticals, cars, aircraft, chemicals, medical instruments and wine and spirits.

Trade ministers from EU countries are scheduled to meet Monday to discuss trade relations with the U.S., as well as with China.

Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 30 people on Sunday, including six children at a water collection point, local health officials said, despite attempts by mediators to bring about a ceasefire.

Israel and Hamas appeared no closer to a breakthrough in talks meant to pause the 21-month war and free some Israeli hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington last week to discuss the deal with the Trump administration, but a new sticking point has emerged over the deployment of Israeli troops during the truce, raising questions over the feasibility of a new deal.

Israel says it will only end the war once Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something it refuses to do. Hamas says it is willing to free all the remaining 50 hostages, less than half said to be alive, in exchange for an end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Trump says Israel has agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urges Hamas to accept deal

Gaza's Health Ministry said Sunday that more than 58,000 people have been killed in the war. The ministry doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count but says more than half of the dead are women and children. In the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war, Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted 251 in a raid on northern Israel.

Throughout the war in Gaza, violence has also surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where funerals were held Sunday for two Palestinians, including Palestinian-American Sayfollah Musallet, 20, who was killed in an attack by Israeli settlers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Children killed at a water collection point

In Gaza, officials at Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza said it received 10 bodies after an Israeli strike on a water collection point in Nuseirat, also in central Gaza. Among the dead were six children, the hospital said.

Ramadan Nassar, a witness who lives in the area, told The Associated Press that around 20 children and 14 adults were lined up Sunday morning to fill up water. When the strike occurred, everyone ran and some, including those who were severely injured, fell to the ground, he said.

He said Palestinians walk some 1.2 miles to fetch water from the area.

The Israeli military said it was targeting a militant but that a technical error made its munition fall dozens of meters from the target. It said the incident was being examined.

In the central town of Zawaida, an Israeli strike on a home killed nine, including two women and three children, officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said.

The military had no immediate comment on that strike. Israel blames Hamas for civilian casualties because the militant group operates out of populated areas.

Funeral held for Palestinian-American killed in the West Bank

In the West Bank, where violence between Israeli troops and Palestinians has been compounded by attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers, funerals were held for a Palestinian-American and a Palestinian friend of his.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Musallet, a Florida native, was killed after being beaten by Israeli settlers. Diana Halum, a cousin, said the attack occurred on his family's land. The Health Ministry initially identified him as Seifeddine Musalat, 23.

Musallet's friend, Mohammed al-Shalabi, was shot in the chest, according to the ministry.

On Sunday, their bodies were carried through the streets of Al-Mazraa a-Sharqiya, a town south of where they were killed. Mourners, waving Palestinian flags, chanted God is great.

In a statement Saturday, Musallet's family said he was a kind, hard-working, and deeply-respected young man, working to build his dreams. It said he built a business in Tampa, Florida, and that he was deeply connected to his Palestinians heritage.

Musallet's family said it wants the U.S. State Department to investigate his death and hold the settlers accountable. The State Department said it was aware of the reports of his death but had no comment out of respect for the family.

Israel's military has said Palestinians hurled rocks at Israelis in the area on Friday, lightly wounding two people and setting off a larger confrontation.

Palestinians and rights groups have long accused the military of ignoring settler violence.

The Justice Department and FBI are struggling to contain the fallout and appease the demands of far-right conservative personalities and influential members of President Donald Trumps base after the administration's decision this week to withhold records from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation.

The move, which included the acknowledgment that one particular sought-after document never existed in the first place, sparked a contentious conversation between Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino at the White House earlier this week that threatened to permanently shatter relations between the two officials and centered in part on a news story that described divisions between the FBI and the Justice Department.

The cascade of disappointment and disbelief arising from the refusal to disclose additional, much-hyped records from the Epstein investigation underscores the struggles of FBI and Justice Department leaders to resolve the conspiracy theories and amped-up expectations that they themselves had stoked with claims of a cover-up and hidden evidence. Infuriated by the failure of officials to unlock, as promised, the secrets of the so-called deep state, Trump supporters on the far right have grown restless and even demanded change at the top.

Tensions that simmered for months boiled over on Monday when the Justice Department and FBI issued a two-page statement saying that they had concluded that Epstein did not possess a client list, even though Bondi had intimated in February that such a document was sitting on her desk, and had decided against releasing any additional records from the investigation.

The department did disclose a video meant to prove that Epstein killed himself in jail, but even that raised the eyebrows of conspiracy theorists because of a missing minute in the recording.

It was hardly the first time that Trump administration officials have failed to fulfill their pledge to deliver the evidence that supporters had come to expect.

In February, conservative influencers were invited to the White House and provided with binders marked The Epstein Files: Phase 1 and Declassified." But the binders contained information that had largely already been in the public domain.

Afterward, Bondi said an FBI source informed her of the existence of thousands of pages of previously undisclosed documents and ordered the bureau to provide the full and complete Epstein files. She later said officials were poring over a truckload of previously withheld evidence she said had been handed over by the FBI.'

RELATED STORY | Senate committee unanimously approves amendment that would preserve Jeffrey Epstein files

But after a months-long review of evidence in the governments possession, the Justice Department determined in the memo Monday that no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted. The department noted that much of the material was placed under seal by a court to protect victims, and only a fraction of it would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial.

The Trump administration had hoped that that statement would be the final word on the saga, with Trump chiding a reporter who asked Bondi about the Epstein case at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

But Bondi and Bongino had a tense exchange the following day at the White House, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation.

Part of the clash centered on a story from the news organization NewsNation that cited a source close to the White House as saying the FBI would have released the Epstein files months ago if it could have done so on its own. The story included statements from Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel refuting the premise, but not Bongino.

The news publication Axios was first to describe the conversation.

Blanche sought to stem the fallout Friday with a social media post in which he said he had worked closely with Patel and Bongino on the Epstein matter and the joint memo.

All of us signed off on the contents of the memo and the conclusions stated in the memo. The suggestion by anyone that there was any daylight between the FBI and DOJ leadership on this memos composition and release is patently false, he wrote on X.

Also Friday, far-right activist Laura Loomer, who is close to Trump, posted on X that she was told that Bongino was seriously thinking about resigning and had taken the day off to contemplate his future. Bongino is normally an active presence on social media but has been silent since Wednesday.

The FBI did not respond to a request seeking comment, and the White House sought in a statement to minimize any tensions.

President Trump has assembled a highly qualified and experienced law and order team dedicated to protecting Americans, holding criminals accountable, and delivering justice to victims, said spokesman Harrison Fields. This work is being carried out seamlessly and with unity. Any attempt to sow division within this team is baseless and distracts from the real progress being made in restoring public safety and pursuing justice for all.

Federal regulators repeatedly granted appeals to remove Camp Mystic's buildings from their 100-year flood map, loosening oversight as the camp operated and expanded in a dangerous flood plain in the years before rushing waters swept away children and counselors, a review by The Associated Press found.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency included the prestigious girls' summer camp in a Special Flood Hazard Area in its National Flood Insurance map for Kerr County in 2011, which means it was required to have flood insurance and faced tighter regulation on any future construction projects.

That designation means an area is likely to be inundated during a 100-year flood, one severe enough that it only has a 1% chance of happening in any given year.

Located in a low-lying area along the Guadalupe River in a region known as flash flood alley, Camp Mystic lost at least 27 campers and counselors and longtime owner Dick Eastland when historic floodwaters tore through its property before dawn on July 4.

The flood was far more severe than the 100-year event envisioned by FEMA, experts said, and moved so quickly in the middle of the night that it caught many off guard in a county that lacked a warning system.

But Syracuse University associate professor Sarah Pralle, who has extensively studied FEMAs flood map determinations, said it was particularly disturbing that a camp in charge of the safety of so many young people would receive exemptions from basic flood regulation.

Its a mystery to me why they werent taking proactive steps to move structures away from the risk, let alone challenging what seems like a very reasonable map that shows these structures were in the 100-year flood zone, she said.

Camp Mystic didnt respond to emails seeking comment and calls to it rang unanswered. The camp has called the flood an unimaginable tragedy and added in a statement Thursday that it had restored power for the purpose of communicating with its supporters.

FEMA exempted buildings at old and new sites

In response to an appeal, FEMA in 2013 amended the county's flood map to remove 15 of the camps buildings from the hazard area. Records show that those buildings were part of the 99-year-old Camp Mystic Guadalupe, which was devastated by last weeks flood.

After further appeals, FEMA removed 15 more Camp Mystic structures in 2019 and 2020 from the designation. Those buildings were located on nearby Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, a sister site that opened to campers in 2020 as part of a major expansion and suffered less damage in the flood.

RELATED STORY | Trump visits Texas after devastating floods kill 120 and many still missing

Campers have said the cabins at Cypress Lake withstood significant damage, but those nicknamed "the flats at the Guadalupe River camp were inundated.

Experts say Camp Mystic's requests to amend the FEMA map could have been an attempt to avoid the requirement to carry flood insurance, to lower the camps insurance premiums or to pave the way for renovating or adding new structures under less costly regulations.

Pralle said the appeals were not surprising because communities and property owners have used them successfully to shield specific properties from regulation.

Analysis shows flood risks at both camp sites

Regardless of FEMA's determinations, the risk was obvious.

At least 12 structures at Camp Mystic Guadalupe were fully within FEMA's 100-year flood plain, and a few more were partially in that zone, according to an AP analysis of data provided by First Street, a data science company that specializes in modeling climate risk.

Jeremy Porter, the head of climate implications at First Street, said FEMA's flood insurance map underestimates flood risks. That's because it fails to take into account the effects of heavy precipitation on smaller waterways such as streams and creeks. First Street's model puts nearly all of Camp Mystic Guadalupe at risk during a 100-year flood.

The buildings at the newer Cypress Lake site are farther from the south fork of the flood-prone river but adjacent to Cypress Creek. FEMA's flood plain doesn't consider the small waterway a risk.

However, First Streets model, which takes into account heavy rain and runoff reaching the creek, shows that the majority of the Cypress Lake site lies within an area that has a 1% chance of flooding in any given year.

In a statement, FEMA downplayed the significance of the flood map amendments.

Flood maps are snapshots in time designed to show minimum standards for floodplain management and the highest risk areas for flood insurance, the agency wrote. They are not predictions of where it will flood, and they dont show where it has flooded before.

An arduous' appeal process can help property owners

Property owners challenging FEMA's map designations hire engineers to conduct detailed studies to show where they believe the 100-year flood plain should actually be drawn. That is a pretty arduous process that can lead to more accurate maps while making it easier for future construction, said Chris Steubing, executive director of the Texas Floodplain Management Association, an industry group that represents floodplain managers.

Pralle, who reviewed the amendments for AP, noted that some of the exempted properties were within 2 feet of FEMA's flood plain by the camp's revised calculations, which she said left almost no margin for error. She said her research shows that FEMA approves about 90% of map amendment requests, and the process may favor the wealthy and well-connected.

A study she published in 2021 with researcher Devin Lea analyzed more than 20,000 buildings that had been removed from FEMA flood maps. It found that the amendments occurred more often in places where property values were higher, more white people lived and buildings were newer.

Camp expanded after tremendous success

FEMA had cautioned in its amendments that other parts of Camp Mystic remained on the flood map, and that any future construction or substantial improvement would be subject to flood plain management regulations.

County officials not only allowed the camp to keep operating, but to dramatically expand.

Considered Texas royalty after decades of taking care of the daughters of elite families, Camp Mystic owners Dick and Tweety Eastland cited the tremendous success of their original camp in explaining the need for a second site nearby.

The expansion included new cabins and a dining hall, chapel, archery range and more. The camp had 557 campers and more than 100 staffers between its two locations when a state licensing agency conducted an inspection on July 2, two days before the tragedy, records show.

FEMA referred questions about the expansion to local officials, who didn't reply to messages seeking comment.

Steubing, a longtime municipal engineer in Texas, said the rain and flooding that hit Kerr County in a matter of hours were so much more intense than anything in its history that it's hard to call the flood plain management a failure.

RELATED STORY | FEMA's former administrator explains how its funding helps after disasters like the flooding in Texas

Local officials likely believed they were following existing regulations when they allowed the camp to keep growing, but then Mother Nature set a new standard," he said.

You could have built things 2 feet higher, 3 feet higher, and they still might have gotten taken down, he said.

The devastating floods in central Texas have left families and communities in urgent need of support. Scripps News and the Scripps Howard Fund are partnering to provide critical relief to those impacted. Every dollar donated 

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Russia pounded Ukraine's capital with another major missile and drone attack overnight into Thursday, killing at least two people and causing fires across Kyiv a day after the heaviest drone attack so far in the more than three-year war, Ukrainian officials said.

In another tense and sleepless night for Kyiv residents, with many of them dashing in the dark with children, pets and blankets to the protection of subway stations, at least 22 people were wounded, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv Regional Administration.

The night was punctuated with the chilling whine of approaching drones that slammed into residential areas, exploded and sent balls of orange flames into the dark during the 10-hour barrage. Russia fired 397 Shahed and decoy drones as well as cruise and ballistic missiles at Kyiv and five other regions, authorities said.

"This is a clear escalation of Russian terror: hundreds of Shahed drones every night, constant missile strikes, massive attacks on Ukrainian cities," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post.

June brought the highest monthly civilian casualties of the past three years, with 232 people killed and 1,343 wounded, the U.N. human rights mission in Ukraine said Thursday, as Russia launched 10 times more drones and missiles than the same month last year.

At least 13,580 civilians, including 716 children, have been killed and more than 34,000 wounded since Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor began on Feb. 24, 2022, the U.N. said.

Two rounds of direct peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations have yielded no progress on stopping the fighting. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Thursday there is no date for a possible third round of negotiations.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the U.S. and Russia have exchanged new ideas for peace talks after he met with his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in Malaysia on Thursday.

Russia aims to sap Ukrainian morale

Russia has recently sought to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses with major attacks that include increasing numbers of decoy drones. The previous night, it fired more than 700 attack and decoy drones, topping previous nightly barrages for the third time in two weeks.

"The continued increase in the size of strike packages is likely intended to support Russian efforts to degrade Ukrainian morale in the face of constant Russian aggression," the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said late Wednesday.

In tandem with the bombardments, Russia's army has started a new drive to break through parts of the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, where short-handed Ukrainian forces are under heavy strain at what could prove to be a pivotal period of the war.

"At present, the rate of Russian advance is accelerating and Russia's summer offensive is likely to put the armed forces of Ukraine under intense pressure," Jack Watling, a senior research fellow at military think tank RUSI, wrote in an assessment published Wednesday.

The pressure has caused alarm among Ukrainian officials, who are uncertain about continuing vital military aid from the United States and U.S. President Donald Trump's policy toward Russia.

"Partners need to be faster with investments in weapons production and technology development," Zelenskyy said Thursday. "We need to be faster with sanctions and put pressure on Russia so that it feels the consequences of its terror."

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said at a Ukrainian recovery conference in Rome that German officials "stand ready to acquire additional Patriot (air defense) systems from the U.S. and make them available to Ukraine."

The U.S. last week halted some shipments of weapons, including crucial Patriot systems, to Ukraine amid concerns that its own stockpiles have declined too much.

"The Americans need them themselves in part, but they also have a great many of them," Merz said.

Meanwhile, the U.K. government announced the delivery to Ukraine of more than 5,000 Thales air defense missiles under a 19-year financing agreement, supported by a 2.5 billion-pound ($3.4 billion) credit guarantee.

Some Ukrainians lose almost everything

In Kyiv, Karyna Holf, 25, was in the living room near the window when she heard a whistling sound from the incoming weapon. Moments later, little was left of the room but debris.

"After such a shock, when you know from your own experience what it's like to lose everything," she said. "I don't even know what comes next. All I have now is a backpack, a phone, a winter coat that's it. This is my whole life now."

Holf said she was grateful to have her parents to turn to, but added, "There are people who have no one at all."

One Kyiv subway station worker said more than 1,000 people, including 70 children, took refuge there. One of them was 32-year-old Kyiv resident Alina Kalyna.

"The drone attacks a year ago were one thing, and now they're a completely different thing. We're exhausted," she said. "I sleep poorly, I recover poorly, in fact I no longer recover, I am just somehow on a reserve of energy, of which I have a little left, I just somehow live and exist," Kalyna said.

5,000 drones produced a month

Russia routinely fires more drones in a night than in a whole month a year ago, and analysts say the drone barrages are unlikely to let up.

Russia is now producing more and better drones, including some using artificial intelligence technology, according to the Atlantic Council. Its factories are manufacturing more than 5,000 drones a month, the Washington-based think tank said this week.

"For the first few years of the war following (Russia's) 2022 invasion, Ukraine's dynamic tech sector and vibrant startup culture helped keep the country a step ahead of Russia despite the Kremlin's far greater resources," the Atlantic Council said of the countries' drone development. "In recent months, however, it has become increasingly apparent that the initiative has passed to Moscow."

Ukraine urgently needs more interceptor drones to take down Russia's Shaheds as well as Patriot missile systems to counter Russian missiles.

The U.S. has resumed deliveries of certain weapons, including 155 mm munitions and precision-guided rockets known as GMLRS, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity so that they could provide details that hadn't been announced publicly. It's unclear exactly when the weapons started moving.

Ukraine has also invested in drones, developing its own long-range weapons that can hit Russian soil.

Russia's Defense Ministry said Thursday that it shot down 14 Ukrainian drones overnight. Two people in the Belgorod region were injured by falling debris, Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

Visitors and staff at two national parks in the U.S. West have been evacuated because of wildfires.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, about 260 miles southwest of Denver, closed Thursday morning after lighting sparked blazes on both rims, the park said. The wildfire on the South Rim has burned 2.5 square miles, with no containment of the perimeter.

The conditions there have been ripe for wildfire with hot temperatures, low humidity, gusty winds and dry vegetation, the park said, adding that weather will remain a concern Friday.

RELATED STORY | Some California National Guard personnel deployed to protests will return to firefighting duty

The Grand Canyon's North Rim in Arizona also closed Thursday because of a wildfire on adjacent Bureau of Land Management land near Jacob Lake. The Coconino County Sheriff's Office said it helped evacuate people from an area north of Jacob Lake and campers in the Kaibab National Forest nearby.

The fire began Wednesday evening after a thunderstorm moved through the area, fire officials said. It has burned about 1.5 square miles with zero containment.

President Donald Trump singled out Brazil for import taxes of 50% on Wednesday for its treatment of its former president, Jair Bolsonaro, showing that personal grudges rather than simple economics are a driving force in the U.S. leader's use of tariffs.

Trump avoided his standard form letter with Brazil, specifically tying his tariffs to the trial of Bolsonaro, who is charged with trying to overturn his 2022 election loss. Trump has described Bolsonaro as a friend and hosted the former Brazilian president at his Mar-a-Lago resort when both were in power in 2020.

This Trial should not be taking place, Trump wrote in the letter posted on Truth Social. It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!

There is a sense of kinship as Trump was indicted in 2023 for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The U.S. president addressed his tariff letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who bested Bolsonaro in 2022.

Bolsonaro testified before the countrys Supreme Court in June over the alleged plot to remain in power after his 2022 election loss. Judges will hear from 26 other defendants in coming months. A decision could come as early as September, legal analysts say. Bolsonaro has already been ruled ineligible until 2030 by the countrys electoral authorities.

Brazils vice president, Geraldo Alckmin, said he sees no reason for the U.S. to hike tariffs on the South American nation.

I think he has been misinformed," he said. President Lula was jailed for almost two years. No one questioned the judiciary. No one questioned what the country had done. This is a matter for our judiciary branch.

For Trump, the tariffs are personal

Trump also objected to Brazil's Supreme Court fining of social media companies, saying the temporary blocking last year amounted to SECRET and UNLAWFUL Censorship Orders. Trump said he is launching an investigation as a result under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which applies to companies with trade practices that are deemed unfair to U.S. companies.

Among the companies the Supreme Court fined was X, which was not mentioned specifically in Trump's letter. X is owned by Elon Musk, Trump's multibillionaire backer in the 2024 election whose time leading Trump's Department of Government Efficiency recently ended and led to a public feud over the U.S. president's deficit-increasing budget plan. Trump also owns a social media company, Truth Social.

The Brazil letter was a reminder that politics and personal relations with Trump matter just as much as any economic fundamentals. And while Trump has said the high tariff rates hes setting are based on trade imbalances, it was unclear by his Wednesday actions how the countries being targeted would help to reindustrialize America.

The tariffs starting Aug. 1 would be a dramatic increase from the 10% rate that Trump levied on Brazil as part of his April 2 Liberation Day announcement. In addition to oil, Brazil sells orange juice, coffee, iron and steel to the U.S., among other products. The U.S. ran a $6.8 billion trade surplus with Brazil last year, according to the Census Bureau.

Trump initially announced his broad tariffs by declaring an economic emergency, arguing under a 1977 law that the U.S. was at risk because of persistent trade imbalances. But that rationale becomes problematic in this particular case, as Trump is linking his tariffs to the Bolsonaro trial and the U.S. exports more to Brazil than it imports.

RELATED STORY | Trump sets Aug. 1 date for new tariffs, leaves room for negotiation

Trump also targeted smaller trade partners

Trump also sent letters Wednesday to the leaders of seven other nations. None of them the Philippines, Brunei, Moldova, Algeria, Libya, Iraq and Sri Lanka is a major industrial rival to the United States.

Most economic analyses say the tariffs will worsen inflationary pressures and subtract from economic growth, but Trump has used the taxes as a way to assert the diplomatic and financial power of the U.S. on both rivals and allies. His administration is promising that the taxes on imports will lower trade imbalances, offset some of the cost of the tax cuts he signed into law on Friday and cause factory jobs to return to the United States.

Trump, during a White House meeting with African leaders, talked up trade as a diplomatic tool. Trade, he said, seems to be a foundation for him to settle disputes between India and Pakistan, as well as Kosovo and Serbia.

You guys are going to fight, were not going to trade, Trump said. And we seem to be quite successful in doing that.

On Monday, Trump placed a 35% tariff on Serbia, one of the countries he was using as an example of how fostering trade can lead to peace.

Trump said the tariff rates in his letters were based on common sense and trade imbalances, even though the Brazil letter indicated otherwise. Trump suggested he had not thought of penalizing the countries whose leaders were meeting with him in the Oval Office Liberia, Senegal, Gabon, Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau as these are friends of mine now.

Countries are not complaining about the rates outlined in his letters, he said, even though those tariffs have been generally close to the ones announced April 2 that rattled financial markets. The S&P 500 stock index rose Wednesday.

We really havent had too many complaints because Im keeping them at a very low number, very conservative as you would say, Trump said.

Tariff uncertainty returns with Trump's letters

Officials for the European Union, a major trade partner and source of Trump's ire on trade, said Tuesday that they are not expecting to receive a letter from Trump listing tariff rates. The Republican president started the process of announcing tariff rates on Monday by hitting two major U.S. trading partners, Japan and South Korea, with import taxes of 25%.

According to Trump's Wednesday letters, imports from Libya, Iraq, Algeria and Sri Lanka would be taxed at 30%, those from Moldova and Brunei at 25% and those from the Philippines at 20%. The tariffs would start Aug. 1.

The Census Bureau reported that last year that the U.S. ran a trade imbalance on goods of $1.4 billion with Algeria, $5.9 billion with Iraq, $900 million with Libya, $4.9 billion with the Philippines, $2.6 billion with Sri Lanka, $111 million with Brunei and $85 million with Moldova. The imbalance represents the difference between what the U.S. exported to those countries and what it imported.

Taken together, the trade imbalances with those seven countries are essentially a rounding error in a U.S. economy with a gross domestic product of $30 trillion.

The letters were posted on Truth Social after the expiration of a 90-day negotiating period with a baseline levy of 10%. Trump is giving countries more time to negotiate with his Aug. 1 deadline, but he has insisted there will be no extensions for the countries that receive letters.

The tariff letters are worded aggressively in Trump's style of writing. He frames the tariffs as an invitation to "participate in the extraordinary Economy of the United States," adding that the trade imbalances are a major threat to America's economy and national security.

The president threatened additional tariffs on any country that attempts to retaliate. He said he chose to send the letters because it was too complicated for U.S. officials to negotiate with their counterparts in the countries with new tariffs. It can take years to broker trade accords.

The Trump administration has resumed sending some weapons to Ukraine, a week after the Pentagon had directed that some deliveries be paused, U.S. officials said Wednesday.

The weapons heading into Ukraine include 155 mm munitions and precision-guided rockets known as GMLRS, two officials told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to provide details that had not been announced publicly. Its unclear exactly when the weapons started moving.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the pause on some shipments last week to allow the Pentagon to assess its weapons stockpiles, in a move that caught the White House by surprise.

RELATED STORY | Russia unleashes biggest drone attack on Ukraine since start of war

Affected was Patriot missiles, the precision-guided GMLRS, Hellfire missiles, Howitzer rounds and more, taking not only Ukrainian officials and other allies by surprise but also U.S. lawmakers and other parts of the Trump administration, including the State Department.

It was not clear if a pause on Patriot missiles would hold. The $4 million munition is in high demand and was key to defending a major U.S. air base in Qatar last month as Iran launched a ballistic missile attack in response to the U.S. targeting its nuclear facilities.

President Donald Trump announced Monday that the U.S. would continue to deliver defensive weapons to Ukraine. He has sidestepped questions about who ordered the pause in exchanges with reporters this week.

I would know if a decision is made. I will know, Trump said Wednesday. I will be the first to know. In fact, most likely Id give the order, but I havent done that yet.

Asked a day earlier who ordered the pause, he said, I dont know. Why dont you tell me?

Trump has privately expressed frustration with Pentagon officials for announcing the pause a move that he felt wasnt properly coordinated with the White House, according to three people familiar with the matter.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Trump says US must send more weapons to Ukraine, days after ordering pause in deliveries

The Pentagon has denied that Hegseth acted without consulting the president, saying, Secretary Hegseth provided a framework for the President to evaluate military aid shipments and assess existing stockpiles. This effort was coordinated across government.

It comes as Russia has fired escalating air attacks on Ukraine, with a barrage that the largest number of drones fired in a single night in the three-year-old war, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday.

Trump has become increasingly frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he wasn't happy with him.

"Putin is not, hes not treating human beings right, Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, explaining the pauses reversal. Its killing too many people. So were sending some defensive weapons to Ukraine, and Ive approved that.

The 155 mm artillery rounds have become some of the most used munitions of the war. Each round is about 2 feet (60 centimeters) long, weighs about 100 pounds (45 kilograms) and is 155 mm, or 6.1 inches, in diameter. They are used in Howitzer systems, which are towed large guns identified by the range of the angle of fire that their barrels can be set to.

Howitzer fires can strike targets up to 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 kilometers) away, depending on what type of round and firing system is used, which makes them highly valued by ground forces to take out enemy targets from a protected distance.

The U.S. has provided more than 3 million 155 mm rounds to Ukraine since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022. It has sent more than $67 billion in overall weapons and military assistance to Ukraine in that period.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to allow Florida to enforce an immigration law making it a crime for people who are living in the U.S. illegally to enter the state.

The high court's action will keep the law on hold while a legal challenge continues. The court did not explain its decision and no justice noted a dissent.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the legislation into law in February in support of President Donald Trumps push to crack down on illegal immigration.

Immigrants rights groups filed lawsuits on behalf of two unnamed, Florida-based immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, arguing that immigration is a federal issue beyond the power of the states.

RELATED STORY | US Marines will be deployed to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Florida

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams barred the enforcement of the new law in April. The attorney generals office then unsuccessfully petitioned the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to override that decision.

The law is similar to a Texas law that also has been blocked by a federal appeals court.

Climate change was likely a factor in the flood that devastated the Texas Hill Country.

Early data analyzed by meteorologists say atmospheric conditions similar to those behind the recent flooding are now about 7% wetter than in the past, due to rising global temperatures. Experts add the event was driven by exceptionally rare meteorological conditions that cannot be explained by natural variability alone.

Many experts say preparedness must become a top priority as storms grow more destructive.

RELATED STORY | Crews dig through debris in Texas flood zone with more than 160 still missing

While the National Weather Service and the White House emphasized that the forecast for the Texas storm was accurate and local NWS offices were adequately staffed, funding cuts may have disrupted other routine operations.

Tom Fahy, legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, said financial constraints affected communication between warning coordination meteorologists and local emergency officials ahead of the storm.

The role of the warning coordination meteorologist is to engage with emergency management and public safety, conduct training and exercises, and ensure preparedness for extreme weather, Fahy told Scripps News. That hasnt been happening since the beginning of the year. Those funds were frozen.

RELATED STORY | Camp Mystic passed a state inspection of its emergency procedures 2 days before flood

The San Antonio weather office currently lacks a permanent science officer and warning coordination meteorologist, and the San Angelo office is without a permanent meteorologist-in-charge. While acting staff are filling those roles, Fahy warned that may not be feasible in all regions, potentially reducing lead time for critical forecasts and warnings.

About a month ago, President Donald Trump directed the National Weather Service and NOAA to begin filling job vacancies left open by early retirements as part of earlier efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce.

Fahy is now calling on the president to issue a directive to expedite hiring to fill nearly 100 open positions.

The health of U.S. children has deteriorated over the past 17 years, with kids today more likely to have obesity, chronic diseases and mental health problems like depression, a new study says.

Much of what researchers found was already known, but the study paints a comprehensive picture by examining various aspects of childrens physical and mental health at the same time.

The surprising part of the study wasnt any with any single statistic; it was that theres 170 indicators, eight data sources, all showing the same thing: a generalized decline in kids health, said Dr. Christopher Forrest, one of the authors of the study published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has brought children's health to the forefront of the national policy conversation, unveiling in May a much-anticipated Make America Healthy Again report that described kids as undernourished and overmedicated, and raised concerns about their lack of physical activity. But the Trump administration's actions including cuts to federal health agencies, Medicaid and scientific research are not likely to reverse the trend, according to outside experts who reviewed Mondays study.

The health of kids in America is not as good as it should be, not as good as the other countries, and the current policies of this administration are definitely going to make it worse, said Dr. Frederick Rivara, a pediatrician and researcher at the Seattle Children's Hospital and UW Medicine in Seattle. He co-authored an editorial accompanying the new study.

Forrest and his colleagues analyzed surveys, electronic health records from 10 pediatric health systems and international mortality statistics. Among their findings:

Obesity rates for U.S. children 2-19 years old rose from 17% in 2007-2008 to about 21% in 2021-2023.

A U.S. child in 2023 was 15% to 20% more likely than a U.S. child in 2011 to have a chronic condition such as anxiety, depression or sleep apnea, according to data reported by parents and doctors.

Annual prevalence rates for 97 chronic conditions recorded by doctors rose from about 40% in 2011 to about 46% in 2023.

Early onset of menstruation, trouble sleeping, limitations in activity, physical symptoms, depressive symptoms and loneliness also increased among American kids during the study period.

American children were around 1.8 times more likely to die than kids in other high-income countries from 2007-2022. Being born premature and sudden unexpected death were much higher among U.S. infants, and firearm-related incidents and motor vehicle crashes were much more common among 1-19-year-old American kids than among those the same age in other countries examined.

The research points to bigger problems with Americas health, said Forrest, who is a pediatrician at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

Kids are the canaries in the coal mine, he said. When kids health changes, its because theyre at increased vulnerability, and it reflects whats happening in society at large.

RELATED STORY | Alarming number of adolescents have prediabetes, new data from CDC says

The timing of the study, he said, is completely fortuitous." Well before the 2024 presidential election, Forrest was working on a book about thriving over the life span and couldnt find this sort of comprehensive data on childrens health.

The datasets analyzed have some limitations and may not be applicable to the full U.S. population, noted Dr. James Perrin, a pediatrician and spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics, who wasn't involved in the study.

The basic finding is true, he said.

The editorial published alongside the study said while the administration's MAHA movement is bringing welcome attention to chronic diseases, "it is pursuing other policies that will work against the interests of children. Those include eliminating injury prevention and maternal health programs, canceling investments in a campaign addressing sudden infant death and fueling vaccine hesitancy among parents that may lead to a resurgence of deadly vaccine-preventable diseases," authors wrote.

Officials from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department did not respond to a request for comment.

Forrest said risks highlighted by the MAHA report, such as eating too much ultra-processed food, are real but miss the complex reality driving trends in children's health.

We have to step back and take some lessons from the ecological sustainability community and say: Lets look at the ecosystem that kids are growing up in. And lets start on a kind of neighborhood-by-neighborhood, city-by-city basis, examining it, he said.