Apple News Today: Episode Summary

Title: Tragedy in Texas: How Flash Flooding Devastated a County
Host: Shemitah Basu
Release Date: July 7, 2025

1. Devastating Flash Flooding in Central Texas

The episode opens with a harrowing account of the flash flooding that struck central Texas over the weekend, resulting in over 80 confirmed deaths, many of them children. The tragedy began on Friday when unexpected clusters of thunderstorms caused the Guadalupe River to surge by 26 feet within just 45 minutes. This rapid escalation unleashed a formidable wall of water that swept through the region, obliterating infrastructure—submerging roads, overturning cars, and tearing houses from their foundations.

Ron Logue, a volunteer from Kerrville, shared his emotional experience with CNN at [01:29]:

"This is our everything and a lot of our everything has been taken. It is destroyed. It is something that we don't even recognize. This whole devastation goes 20 miles that way, another 60 miles that way. We'll be looking for bodies for I couldn't tell you to win."

A significant focus of the recovery efforts has been the search for missing children from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp located on the riverbank. Approximately 700 children were present when the flood struck, with hundreds successfully evacuating. Local Congressman Chip Roy recounted the rescue of a camp member who survived after floating on a mattress for three hours. Tragically, several children, including 9-year-old Janie Hunt from Dallas and 8-year-old Sarah Marsh from Alabama, have been confirmed dead, along with the camp's longtime director, Dick Eastland.

During a press conference on Sunday following his visit to the devastated camp, Ron Logue emphasized the ongoing rescue operations:

"It was nothing short of horrific to see what those young children went through. And we will remain 100% dedicated searching for every single one of the children who were at Camp Mystic as well as anybody else in the entire riverbed." [02:42]

Amidst the chaos, families like that of Ty Baden continue to search desperately for loved ones. Baden was spotted by CNN walking along the river, hoping to find signs of his missing daughter, 21-year-old Joyce Catherine Baden, who was celebrating the Fourth of July with friends near the affected area. Ty Baden expressed his anguish:

"She's a beautiful girl and just a wonderful girl. Couldn't ask for a better daughter. All through school is just easy, you know, no shenanigans or anything like that. I mean she was a normal girl. We would have fun, but yes, we loved her dearly." [03:21]

The severity of the flooding has raised questions about emergency preparedness and whether more could have been done to mitigate the disaster. Initial forecasts had only predicted minor flooding, but the actual event far exceeded expectations, leading to extensive damage and loss of life.

2. Passage of President Trump's Massive Tax and Spending Bill

Transitioning to political developments, the episode delves into the passage of President Trump's significant tax and spending bill. The House approved the bill on Thursday, just before the July 4th deadline, followed by President Trump's swift signing into law.

Shemitah Basu introduces Sahil Kapoor, a senior national political reporter for NBC News, who analyzes the implications of the bill at [05:07]:

"At the end of the day, the revenue decreases from the tax cuts far outweigh the roughly $1.2 trillion in net spending cuts. So that's one real point of contention that conservative senators and conservative House members rebelled against, but when push came to shove, they simply folded and caved to President Trump and accepted this bill under pressure from him, even though it does precisely what they said they would never." [05:52]

Key features of the bill include the permanence of Trump-era tax cuts, increased spending on immigration and defense, a $1 trillion reduction in Medicaid, and decreased funding for SNAP (the nation's largest food assistance program). The Congressional Budget Office projects that the bill will escalate the national debt by approximately $3.3 trillion over the next decade.

Sahil Kapoor further explains the contentious aspects at [06:40]:

"Even if they're the types of people who everyone says should remain on Medicaid, some people are going to fall through the cracks because they won't meet all those paperwork requirements or won't do it in time."

The bill has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, who argue it represents a severe rollback of the social safety net. Sahil Kapoor predicts persistent Democratic opposition leading into the 2026 midterms, highlighting:

"Republicans just passed a massive piece of legislation that cuts taxes for the rich and pays for it by cutting health care benefits and food aid benefits for the working class." [07:57]

While some Republicans publicly supported the bill alongside President Trump, others remained reticent. For instance, Congresswoman Jen Kiggins acknowledged the bill's imperfections but ultimately supported it, whereas Congressman Valadao did not respond to inquiries regarding his stance on Medicaid cuts.

3. Nebraska’s Meatpacking Plant Faces Labor Challenges

Shifting to economic news, the episode examines the efforts of Sustainable Beef, a meatpacking plant in North Platte, Nebraska, to recruit domestic labor in a town grappling with economic decline. Scott Calvert, a Wall Street Journal reporter, discusses the plant's strategies to attract local workers at [09:17]:

"There is unquestionably some stigma associated with it. And it's not necessarily that this is like undignified work, it's just that it's not for me."

Ron Logue shares insights from Sustainable Beef's approach to make meatpacking appealing:

"They've really tried to present this as something that is appealing because you have just one single shift during the daytime, so you can go to work and come home and. And go to your kids baseball game and be home for dinner and all of that." [09:32]

Despite offering competitive starting pay of $22 per hour and prioritizing modern facilities and benefits, the plant struggles to attract local workers. The region has seen a 20% drop in employment since 2008, with the population declining by 22,500 since 1990. As traditional industries like Union Pacific diminish, Sustainable Beef aims to diversify the local economy. However, the company largely relies on experienced immigrant workers from Cuba, Mexico, and Central America, leading to community tensions over changing demographics.

A local hire, a forklift driver, highlighted the ongoing debates within the community:

"He has had a lot of heated arguments, as he puts it, with people around town, and he simply says, look, just, you know, get off your butt and come and do the work. Somebody has to do it. Why not let it be you?" [11:16]

Despite receiving over 2,000 applications for 850 jobs, Sustainable Beef faces stiff competition from established giants in the meatpacking industry, which dominate 85% of the beef market. Additionally, the Trump administration's crackdown on the migrant workforce threatens to reduce the availability of experienced labor, making the plant's efforts to hire locally even more crucial.

4. Other Notable Stories

• Middle East Peace Efforts: Israel has dispatched negotiators to Qatar to bridge gaps in a potential ceasefire with Hamas, mediated by President Trump. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington to finalize the deal, which includes a complete ceasefire, a 60-day halt of hostilities, and the release of 10 living hostages. However, Israel has rejected some of Hamas's conditions, such as the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

• River Seine Reopens for Swimming: Paris celebrates the reopening of the River Seine for swimming after a 102-year ban due to pollution and heavy boat traffic. With environmental standards now met, designated swimming areas near iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower have been made available to the public.

• World's Largest Time Capsule Unveiled: Nebraska recently opened the world's largest time capsule, sealed in 1975. The capsule contained items like pet rocks, a teal suit, a yellow Chevy Vega, letters, and cassette tapes. The unveiling attracted visitors nationwide, some retrieving personal mementos and others collecting historical artifacts.

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