White House pushes back on criticism of weather service around Texas flooding

White House pushes back on criticism of weather service around Texas flooding

The White House and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz defended the National Weather Service and accused some Democrats of playing politics in the wake of devastating floods in Texas. "I think this is not a time for partisan finger-pointing and attacks," Cruz said at a news conference with local officials in Kerr County on Monday morning. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later began her briefing on the offensive, calling out those who've questioned whether federal cuts to the NWS impacted staffing levels or forecasting abilities as the tragedy unfolded. "Unfortunately, in the wake of this once in a generation natural disaster, we have seen many falsehoods pushed by Democrats such as Senator Chuck Schumer and some members of the media," Leavitt said. "Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning." MORE: Texas flooding live updates: 90 dead in the state, 11 missing from Camp Mystic Schumer, the Senate's top Democrat, on Monday called for an investigation into whether cuts made to NWS in the administration had any correlation to the level of devastation. "Following the disastrous and deeply devastating flash flooding in Texas this weekend, I write to urge you to immediately to open an investigation into the scope, breadth, and ramifications of whether staffing shortages at key local National Weather Service (NWS) stations contributed to the catastrophic loss of life and property during the deadly flooding," Schumer wrote in a letter sent to Commerce Department Acting Inspector General Roderick Anderson. Officials said at least 104 people, including more than two dozen children, are dead after heavy rain led to flash flooding in Texas. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told ABC News that NWS planned for extra staffing at the NWS Austin/San Antonio local office ahead of the event. The local office had five NWS employees working compared to the two that would normally be scheduled. In a statement to ABC News, the NWS highlighted that they gave briefings to emergency management the day before the tragic event and mentioned some alert lead times. "The National Weather Service is heartbroken by the tragic loss of life in Kerr County. On July 3, the NWS office in Austin/San Antonio, TX conducted forecast briefings for emergency management in the morning and issued a Flood Watch in the early afternoon. Flash Flood Warnings were issued on the night of July 3 and in the early morning of July 4, giving preliminary lead times of more than three hours before warning criteria were met. The National Weather Service remains committed to our mission to serve the American public through our forecasts and decision support services," the NWS said. Leavitt, from the podium on Monday, ran through the specific timeline of alerts sent by the NWS and emphasized the extra staff in place at the NWS Austin/San Antonio office. She noted the office issued a flood watch at 1:18 p.m. on Thursday, July 3. Then, a flash flood warning was issued for Bandera and Kerr counties at 1:14 a.m. on Friday, July 4 that was upgraded with more serious warnings at 3:35 a.m.. "So, to any person who has deliberately lied about these facts surrounding this catastrophic event, you should be deeply ashamed," she said. Leavitt was asked on Monday why the warnings were sent at a time when people were likely asleep and what, if anything, the administration is doing to ensure that these alerts come out sooner in the future. "This was an act of God, it is not the administration's fault that the flood hit when it did but there were early and consistent warnings," Leavitt said. "And again, the National Weather Service did its job." MORE: Texas flooding timeline: How rapidly rising waters killed dozens Cruz, at the local news conference in Texas, pushed back on NWS claims but said there would be a "period of retrospection" after the immediate recovery efforts to analyze what happened and what went wrong. "In the wake of every tragedy, there are things that are predictable," Cruz said. "One of the things that's predictable is to see some people engaging in, I think, partisan games, and trying to blame their political opponents for a natural disaster. And you see that with a hurricane, with a tornado, with a wildfire, with this flooding, where people immediately say, 'Well, the hurricane is Donald Trump's fault.' I think most normal Americans know that's ridiculous, and I think this is not a time for partisan finger pointing and attacks." "Now, after we come through search and rescue, after we come through the process of rebuilding, there will naturally be a period of retrospection where you look back and say, 'Okay, what exactly transpired, what was the timeline, and what could have been done differently to prevent this loss of life?' And that's a natural process," Cruz added. "I think it should not happen in a bitter and partisan sense, but it should happen in a reasonable sense of saying, what lessons can we learn?" President Trump is still planning on visiting Texas on Friday, the White House said, though plans are not yet finalized. Trump was asked about NWS on Sunday if he was going to investigate whether cuts at NWS left key positions vacant. "No, no. They didn't," Trump said. MORE: Texas flash flooding disaster raises questions about rescue and recovery efforts Trump then tried to pin blame on former President Joe Biden, his Oval Office predecessor, before walking the comment back. "I'll tell you: If you look at that -- what a situation that all is. That was really the Biden setup. That was not our setup. But I wouldn't blame Biden for it either. I would just say this is a hundred-year catastrophe, and it's just so horrible to watch," Trump said. ABC News' Mariam Khan and Matthew Glasser contributed to this report.

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July 07, 2025

White House pushes back on criticism of weather service around Texas flooding

White House pushes back on criticism of weather service around Texas flooding The White House and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz defended the Nati...

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Trump sets 25% tariffs on Japan and South Korea, and new import taxes on 12 other nations

Trump sets 25% tariffs on Japan and South Korea, and new import taxes on 12 other nations

WASHINGTON (AP) — PresidentDonald Trumpon Monday set a 25% tax on goods imported from Japan and South Korea, as well as newtariffrates on a dozen other nations that would go into effect on Aug. 1. Donald Trumpprovided notice by posting letters on Truth Social that were addressed to the leaders of the various countries. The letters warned them to not retaliate by increasing their own import taxes, or else the Trump administration would further increase tariffs. "If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 25% that we charge," Trump wrote in the letters to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. The letters were not the final word from Trump on tariffs, so much as another episode in a global economic drama in which he has placed himself at the center. His moves have raised fears that economic growth would slow to a trickle, if not make the U.S. and other nations more vulnerable to a recession. But Trump is confident that tariffs are necessary to bring back domestic manufacturing and fund the tax cuts he signed into law last Friday. He mixed his sense of aggression with a willingness to still negotiate, signaling the likelihood that the drama and uncertainty would continue and that few things are ever final with Trump. "It's all done," Trump told reporters Monday. "I told you we'll make some deals, but for the most part we're going to send a letter." South Korea's Trade Ministry said early Tuesday that it will accelerate negotiations with the United States to achieve a mutually beneficial deal before the 25% tax on its exports goes into effect. Imports from Myanmar and Laos would be taxed at 40%, Cambodia and Thailand at 36%, Serbia and Bangladesh at 35%, Indonesia at 32%, South Africa and Bosnia and Herzegovina at 30% and Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Tunisia at 25%. Trump placed the word "only" before revealing the rate in his letters to the foreign leaders, implying that he was being generous with his tariffs. But the letters generally followed a standard format, so much so that the one to Bosnia and Herzegovina initially addressed its woman leader, Željka Cvijanović, as "Mr. President." Trump later posted a corrected letter. Trade talks have yet to deliver several deals White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump, by setting the rates himself, was creating "tailor-made trade plans for each and every country on this planet and that's what this administration continues to be focused on." Following a now well-worn pattern, Trump plans to continue sharing the letters sent to his counterparts on social media and then mailing them the documents, a stark departure from the more formal practices of all his predecessors when negotiating trade agreements. The letters are not agreed-to settlements but Trump's own choice on rates, a sign that the closed-door talks with foreign delegations failed to produce satisfactory results for either side. Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute who formerly worked in the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, said the tariff hikes on Japan and South Korea were "unfortunate." "Both have been close partners on economic security matters and have a lot to offer the United States on priority matters like shipbuilding, semiconductors, critical minerals and energy cooperation," Cutler said. Trump still has outstanding differences on trade with the European Union and India, among other trading partners. Tougher talks with China are on a longer time horizon in which imports from that nation are being taxed at 55%. The office of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement that the tariff rates announced by Trump mischaracterized the trade relationship with the U.S., but it would "continue with its diplomatic efforts towards a more balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United States" after having proposed a trade framework on May 20. Higher tariffs prompt market worries, more uncertainty ahead The S&P 500 stock index was down 0.8% in Monday trading, while the interest charged on 10-year U.S. Treasury notes increased to nearly 4.39%, a figure that could translate into elevated rates for mortgages and auto loans. Trump has declared an economic emergency to unilaterally impose the taxes, suggesting they are remedies for past trade deficits even though many U.S. consumers have come to value autos, electronics and other goods from Japan and South Korea. The constitution grants Congress the power to levy tariffs under normal circumstances, though tariffs can also result from executive branch investigations regarding national security risks. Trump's ability to impose tariffs through an economic emergency is under legal challenge, with the administration appealing a May ruling by theU.S. Court of International Tradethat said the president exceeded his authority. It's unclear what he gains strategically against China — another stated reason for the tariffs — by challenging two crucial partners in Asia, Japan and South Korea, that could counter China's economic heft. "These tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your Country," Trump wrote in both letters. Because the new tariff rates go into effect in roughly three weeks, Trump is setting up a period of possibly tempestuous talks among the U.S. and its trade partners to reach new frameworks. "I don't see a huge escalation or a walk back — it's just more of the same," said Scott Lincicome, a vice president at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank Trump initially roiled the financial markets by announcing tariff rates on dozens of countries, including 24% on Japan and 25% on South Korea. In order to calm the markets, Trump unveiled a 90-day negotiating period during which goods from most countries were taxed at a baseline 10%. So far, the rates in the letters sent by Trump either match his April 2 tariffs or are generally close to them. The 90-day negotiating period technically ends Wednesday, even as multiple administration officials suggested the three-week period before implementation is akin to overtime for additional talks that could change the rates. Trump signed an executive order Monday to delay the official tariff increases until Aug. 1. Congressionally approved trade agreements historically have sometimes taken years to negotiate because of the complexity. Administration officials have said Trump is relying on tariff revenues to help offset the tax cuts he signed into law on July 4, a move that could shift a greater share of the federal tax burden onto the middle class and poor as importers would likely pass along much of the cost of the tariffs. Trump has warned major retailers such as Walmart to simply "eat" the higher costs, instead of increasing prices in ways that could intensify inflation. Josh Lipsky, chair of international economics at The Atlantic Council, said a three-week delay in imposing the tariffs was unlikely sufficient for meaningful talks to take place. "I take it as a signal that he is serious about most of these tariffs and it's not all a negotiating posture," Lipsky said. Trade gaps persist, more tariff hikes are possible Trump's team promised 90 deals in 90 days, but his negotiations so far have produced only two trade frameworks. His outline of a deal with Vietnam was clearly designed to box out China from routing its America-bound goods through that country, by doubling the 20% tariff charged on Vietnamese imports on anything traded transnationally. The quotas in the signed United Kingdom framework would spare that nation from the higher tariff rates being charged on steel, aluminum and autos, though British goods would generally face a 10% tariff. The United States ran a $69.4 billion trade imbalance in goods with Japan in 2024 and a $66 billion imbalance with South Korea, according to the Census Bureau. The trade deficits are the differences between what the U.S. exports to a country relative to what it imports. According to Trump's letters, autos would be tariffed separately at the standard 25% worldwide, while steel and aluminum imports would be taxed on 50%. This is not the first time Trump has tangled with Japan and South Korea on trade — and the new tariffs suggest his past deals made during his first term failed to deliver on his administration's own hype. In 2018, during Trump's first term, his administration celebrated a revamped trade agreement with South Korea as a major win. And in 2019, Trump signed a limited agreement with Japan on agricultural products and digital trade that at the time he called a "huge victory for America's farmers, ranchers and growers." Trump has also said on social media that countries aligned with the policy goals of BRICS, an organization composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, would face additional tariffs of 10%. ___ Associated Press writer Gerald Imray in Cape Town, South Africa contributed to this report.

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July 07, 2025

Trump sets 25% tariffs on Japan and South Korea, and new import taxes on 12 other nations

Trump sets 25% tariffs on Japan and South Korea, and new import taxes on 12 other nations WASHINGTON (AP) — PresidentDonald Trumpon Monday s...

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Trump extends federal hiring freeze with exceptions for military, immigration enforcement

Trump extends federal hiring freeze with exceptions for military, immigration enforcement

WASHINGTON –President Donald Trumpordered an extension of his freeze on hiring rank-and-file federal workers through Oct. 15, tolock in savings from layoffs and deferred retirements. Trump has reduced the federal workforce by tens of thousands. For example,the Department of Veterans Affairs said on July 7it had reduced its workforce by 17,000 since January and aimed to shrink it another 12,000 through attrition by the end of the fiscal year ending on Sept. 30. The department began the year with 484,000 workers. Trump's order says, "No Federal civilian position that is vacant may be filled, and no new position may be created" except for exemptions or as required by law. His previous hiring freeze, ordered in January, had been extended through July 15 and has now been extended again. Congress designates some agency functions in statute,which require a change in law to abolish, while others are created by agency chiefs and can be eliminated. Lawmakers are debatingwhether to agree with some of the administration's decisionsto dismantle agencies and reduce the workforce. "Contracting outside the Federal Government to circumvent the intent of this memorandum is prohibited," the order says. The heads of agencies "shall seek efficient use of existing personnel and funds to improve public services and the delivery of those services," the order says. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins said a department-wide reduction in workforce was "off the table," but officials would continue to look for ways to make the agency more efficient. "Our review has resulted in a host of new ideas for better serving Veterans that we will continue to pursue," Collins said. The hiring freeze exempts the executive office of the president, officials he appoints directly, the military, immigration enforcement, national security or public safety. Trump said the director of the Office of Personnel Management could grant exceptions to the policy as "otherwise necessary." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trump extends federal hiring freeze with some exceptions

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July 07, 2025

Trump extends federal hiring freeze with exceptions for military, immigration enforcement

Trump extends federal hiring freeze with exceptions for military, immigration enforcement WASHINGTON –President Donald Trumpordered an exten...

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Pentagon cuts off key air defense for Ukraine as Russian drone attacks skyrocket

Pentagon cuts off key air defense for Ukraine as Russian drone attacks skyrocket

WASHINGTON −Russian drone attacks on Ukrainehave skyrocketed in recent weeks as thePentagon continues to hold updeliveries of key air defense supplies, including Patriot interceptors. Russian drone strikes haveincreased by roughly 500%in June and July, compared with earlier this year, according to the Institute for the Study of War. "The Ukrainians are getting pounded at an unprecedented level of intensity," said Fred Kagan, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. "They need air defense of all sorts urgently." Russia pummeled Ukraine overnight on July 3 with the largest drone and missile attack of the more-than-three-year conflict, with more than 530 drones and at least 10 missiles launched mostly at the capital, according to Ukraine's air force. At least two people were killed and more than 90 injured across the country as attacks continued into July 7. Over the past week, Russia launched around 1,270 drones and 39 missiles at Ukraine, according to Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy. The escalation comes as the Pentagon has paused some weapons deliveries to Ukraine, including key air defense weapons like Patriots. Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell called it a "capability review ... to ensure U.S. military aid aligns with our defense priorities." Democratic lawmakers said Ukraine's air defenses were their largest worry. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said air defense is the "biggest concern ... without question" after the Pentagon's pause on weapons deliveries. Smith said concerns that military aid to Ukraine and Israel is depleting the United States' own stockpiles were not a "legitimate excuse." "Stockpiles that I've seen are no lower than they've been during the last three and a half years," since Russia first invaded Ukraine, he said. "I'm torn between whether or not it's just really unintelligent analysis of what ournational security needs truly are," or an "excuse to let Putin have his way in Ukraine," Smith added. Sens. Jack Reed and Chris Coons, two top Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the aid pause the "latest and most dramatic blow to our support for Ukraine" in a July 3 joint statement. "This assistance – including vital air defense interceptors and artillery munitions – was provided by Congress and designated to be delivered months ago," they said, referring to military aid procured through contractsauthorized by Congressthat does not draw directly from U.S. stockpiles. Kagan said concentrated Russian drone strikes "facilitate" ballistic missiles that penetrate Ukraine's defenses. A lack of Patriot interceptors "leaves Ukraine open to the Russians just shooting their ballistic missiles whenever they want." Patriots are Ukraine's only air defense system that can down ballistic missiles, he added. In recent days, both Zelenskyy and PresidentDonald Trumphave nodded to Ukraine's need for air defense, but a deal has yet to come through. "We had an extremely fruitful conversation with the President of the United States yesterday, during which we discussed air defense," Zelenskyy said ina July 5 video statement. More:Russia continues record-setting aerial attacks, US cuts off arms shipments to Ukraine Trump seemed in agreement, telling reporters aboard Air Force One the same day that Ukraine would need Patriots "for defense." "They're going to need something because they're being hit pretty hard," he said. Trump saidhe was "very unhappy"with a call he held days earlier with Russian PresidentVladimir Putin. "He wants to go all the way, just keep killing people," Trump said. Trump brieflycut off all military aid to Ukrainein March after an Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy devolved into a verbal fight. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Russian drone attacks on Ukraine skyrocket amid Pentagon aid cutoff

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July 07, 2025

Pentagon cuts off key air defense for Ukraine as Russian drone attacks skyrocket

Pentagon cuts off key air defense for Ukraine as Russian drone attacks skyrocket WASHINGTON −Russian drone attacks on Ukrainehave skyrockete...

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Maine and a GOP lawmaker who ID'd a transgender athlete online agree lawsuit is now moot

Maine and a GOP lawmaker who ID'd a transgender athlete online agree lawsuit is now moot

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Attorneys for the state of Maine and a conservative lawmaker who identified a transgender teen student athlete online now agree that the lawmaker's appeal over her loss of voting rights for her post is now moot. Republican state Rep.Laurel Libbyidentified the athlete in a February social media post that went viral and called into question the student's gender identity, bringing attention to the issue of transgender teens participating in sports. Maine's Democratic-controlled House of Representatives censured Libby for violating the House code of ethics and blocked her from speaking and voting on the floor. Libby sued, and theU.S. Supreme Court ruledin May that the Maine legislature must allow her to vote. Lawmakers voted in June to halt the restrictions. Maine Assistant Attorney General Kimberly Patwardhan said in court papers filed late last month that there are "no longer any restrictions on Rep. Libby's ability to vote or debate" and "this appeal is now moot." Libby said in a statement Monday that she will "not contest the AG's mootness argument" and added that she never provided the apology House Democrats asked of her. "I believe this case sends a clear message: elected officials do not surrender their constitutional rights at the Capitol steps -- and neither do the people who sent them there," Libby said. The appeal still needs to be formally dismissed by a court, but it is essentially dropped "given that both parties are in agreement about the mootness issue," said Danna Hayes, a spokesperson for the attorney general's office. Libby's post was about a high school athlete who won a girls' track competition. She said the student had previously competed in boys' track. Her post included a photo of the student and first-name identification in quotation marks. Thepostpreceded a public disagreement betweenPresident Donald Trumpand DemocraticGov. Janet Millsover the subject of transgender athletes.President Donald Trumpsigned an executive order designed to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports earlier this year. At a meeting ofgovernorsat the White House in February, Trump characterized Maine as out of compliance with order. Mills told Trump: "We'll see you in court." The Trump administration then launched investigations into Maine's Title IX compliance. An attorney for the statesaidin April that the state and federal government are at an impasse over the subject.

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July 07, 2025

Maine and a GOP lawmaker who ID'd a transgender athlete online agree lawsuit is now moot

Maine and a GOP lawmaker who ID'd a transgender athlete online agree lawsuit is now moot PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Attorneys for the state ...

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