Pope Leo XIV offered condolences during his July 6 Angelus address to the families affected by the recent devastating floods in Texas, with a special mention of the young girls who were attending a Christian summer camp when disaster struck.
Speaking at the end of his address in Rome, Pope Leo said, “I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters, who were at the summer camp, in the disaster caused by flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them.”
Heavy rains in Texas have especially impacted Kerr County in the central region, with at least 79 confirmed deaths, including 28 children, The New York Times reported Sunday evening. The flooding was particularly severe around Camp Mystic, a girls’ Christian summer camp near the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas.
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On Saturday, Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation declaring July 6 a “Day of Prayer” in Texas.
“I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines,” he said.
The fast-moving waters of the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in only 45 minutes before daybreak Friday. Camp Mystic was holding close to 750 girls gathered for their seasonal retreat. Ten campers and one counselor were still missing Sunday, according to AP News.
Also among the missing are three young Catholic graduates from Monsignor Kelly High School in nearby Beaumont, local ABC affiliate 12News reported Saturday.
During the Biden administration the Democrats diagnosed each event “as Biden being fit as a fiddle.” With the present GOP administration, each event is diagnosed as a physical event.
Maybe the press needs to visit a “shrink.”
People who consistently find fault in others often do so due to psychological mechanisms, insecurities, and social dynamics that influence their behavior.
The pair, along with several officials from Netanyahu’s team, settled into the Blue Room for a meal while continuing their deliberations. CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who frequently glanced at his lap and engaged in conversation with Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, caught the attention of reporters with his peculiar antics during the dinner. It comes as Putin deploys troops after a diplomatic row with a European nation.
Observers noted Ratcliffe’s unusual focus on his empty plate while President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the media, sparking commentary online about his behaviors.
Online spectators critiqued Ratcliffe, with one tweeting, “What’s wrong with CIA Director Ratcliffe at this White House Dinner,” suggesting his body language seemed off.
Another observer on social media offered, “Odd body language from John Ratcliffe. Maybe he’s just tired,” responding to the unfolding scene amid mounting worries surrounding the President’s wellbeing due to a visible injury.
Humorously, yet with a hint of cynicism, a third individual remarked, “Ratcliffe looks like he’s hiding something – or maybe I’ve just become jaded when it comes to the DC swamp creature,” drawing comparisons between him and Pompeo.
Questioning Ratcliffe’s demeanor during the evening press briefing, a fourth commentator posted, “What was with John Ratcliffe during the WH press conference this evening,” addressing his apparent disdainful glances and atypical conduct inconsistent with the administration’s typical manner.
Another individual pointed out that former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe appeared amused while others seemed to target Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with their remarks. “John Ratcliffe is just back there smiling away,” they observed.
“Not enough attention given to the CIA right now. Pete looks defeated. WTAF is actually going on,” they exclaimed. This odd occurrence followed the event where Netanyahu suggested Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize, even presenting him the nomination letter.
“It’s nominating you for the Peace Prize, which is well deserved. You should get it,” Netanyahu declared to Trump as he handed over the letter. Trump gratefully accepted, saying, “Thank you very much. Coming from you, in particular, this is very meaningful,”.
During a press meeting, Netanyahu informed the media that Israel is actively engaged with the US in seeking nations that can offer Palestinians a more promising future. Netanyahu joins the ranks of several leaders who purportedly advocated for Trump receiving the accolade for his role in easing the tension between Israel and Iran.
Significantly, this marked Netanyahu’s first trip to the White House subsequent to the collaborative effort with Trump in bombing Iran’s uranium facilities this past June. Since that action, Netanyahu has hinted to reporters about discussions regarding a Gaza cease-fire as well as developing diplomatic relations with additional countries.
Last week, Trump revealed on his social media that Israel has consented to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and cautioned Hamas to accept it. Reports this week suggest that the organization appears to be receptive to the new arrangement but noted there are a few details that need to be resolved.
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley has seen every dirty trick Washington, D.C. has to offer during his decades in the Senate.
But even this seasoned veteran was stunned by what he discovered when he started digging into FBI records about the 2020 election.
Grassley released 47 pages of declassified internal FBI emails that reveal the most shameful episode in the bureau’s recent history.
These documents prove that Christopher Wray’s FBI deliberately buried credible intelligence about Chinese interference in the 2020 election.
And they did it for one reason that will make your blood boil.
The FBI received an Intelligence Information Report from their Albany Field Office on September 25, 2020, containing alarming allegations from a trusted confidential human source.
According to the report, the Chinese government was manufacturing “tens of thousands” of fraudulent drivers’ licenses to facilitate mail-in ballot fraud benefiting Joe Biden.¹
This wasn’t some wild internet conspiracy theory – this was official FBI intelligence from a source the bureau considered reliable.
But instead of launching a full investigation into potential foreign election interference, the FBI made a decision that betrays everything the bureau is supposed to stand for.
FBI chose protecting Wray over protecting America
Here’s where this story becomes absolutely infuriating for every patriotic American.
The FBI’s own internal emails show that bureau headquarters ordered the Albany Field Office to recall and suppress the intelligence report.
Why would they bury credible evidence of foreign election interference?
According to the FBI’s own documents, they suppressed the report because “the reporting will contradict Director Wray’s testimony.”¹
Let that sink in.
The FBI – America’s premier law enforcement agency – chose to protect their director’s reputation over investigating threats to our democracy.
Just one day before the Albany report was issued, Christopher Wray had testified before Congress claiming the bureau hadn’t detected any coordinated voter fraud efforts.
When evidence emerged that contradicted Wray’s congressional testimony, the FBI decided to make the evidence disappear rather than admit their director was wrong.
FBI Assistant Director Marshall Yates later confirmed to Grassley that the recall was “abnormal” and driven by political considerations rather than legitimate intelligence protocols.¹
The FBI even prevented other intelligence agencies from accessing the report, essentially blinding the entire Intelligence Community to potential threats.
Grassley calls out the corruption
Senator Grassley didn’t hold back when describing what these emails reveal about the FBI under Christopher Wray’s leadership.
“These records smack of political decision-making and prove the Wray-led FBI to be a deeply broken institution,” Grassley stated. “Ahead of a high-stakes election happening amid an unprecedented global pandemic, the FBI turned its back on its national security mission.”¹
The Senator nailed exactly what happened here.
“Chris Wray’s FBI wasn’t looking out for the American people – it was looking to save its own image,” Grassley continued.¹
This wasn’t about protecting classified sources or maintaining operational security.
This was pure political damage control at the expense of election integrity.
Even FBI field agents recognized how wrong this decision was.
One intelligence analyst warned that suppressing field reports for political reasons was “dangerous” and could prevent other agencies from accessing critical information.¹
The analyst was right to be concerned – the FBI was acting more like a political protection racket than a law enforcement agency.
China’s obvious interest in a Biden victory
The Chinese government’s motivation for wanting Joe Biden in the White House was crystal clear to anyone paying attention in 2020.
Beijing had spent four years getting hammered by President Trump’s tough trade policies and “America First” approach to foreign relations.
Trump imposed tariffs on Chinese goods, called out their human rights abuses, and refused to let them continue ripping off American workers and businesses.
The Chinese Communist Party knew they could walk all over the weak and confused Biden administration far more easily than they could deal with Trump’s strength.
So when credible intelligence emerged suggesting Chinese efforts to influence the election in Biden’s favor, the FBI should have moved heaven and earth to investigate.
Instead, they buried the evidence to protect Christopher Wray’s congressional testimony.
This represents a complete betrayal of the FBI’s mission to protect America from foreign threats.
New leadership brings hope for accountability
Fortunately, there’s finally new leadership at the FBI that takes these threats seriously.
Director Kash Patel declassified these documents and made them available to Congress for oversight.
Grassley praised Patel’s commitment to transparency and accountability – something that was sorely lacking under Christopher Wray.
“Director Patel’s willingness to work with me to establish renewed transparency and accountability is a critical part of that process, and I applaud him for his efforts,” Grassley said.¹
The FBI has a massive amount of work to do to rebuild trust with the American people after years of political weaponization.
But exposing corruption like this is exactly the kind of sunlight needed to disinfect the bureau’s toxic culture.
The American people deserve to know when their government suppresses intelligence for political reasons.
They deserve accountability when officials put partisan considerations ahead of national security.
And they deserve assurance that this kind of corruption will never happen again.
Christopher Wray and the officials who participated in this cover-up need to face consequences for what they did.
The FBI cannot be allowed to pick and choose which intelligence to investigate based on whether it might embarrass their leadership.
That’s not law enforcement – that’s political corruption at its worst.
Sources: ¹ Grassley, Chuck. “Grassley Releases Bombshell Records Showing FBI Headquarters Interfered with Alleged Chinese Election Interference Probe to Shield Christopher Wray from Political Blowback.” U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, July 1, 2025.
Melania Trump celebrates ‘Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day’ by helping kids decorate American flags
Melania Trump, “As citizens of this great nation, it is kindness, love, and compassion for each other that will bring us together.”
Ahead of Independence Day this year, first lady Melania Trump visited Children’s National Hospital (CNH) in Washington, D.C., on Thursday afternoon in her latest “Be Best” event.
The first lady joined patients battling cancer, kidney and heart issues, among other diagnoses, in the garden room to participate in various patriotic arts and crafts, including rock painting.
Nicholas Clemens, communications director at the Office of the First Lady, told Fox News Digital, “Mrs. Trump and our team really cherished being with these brave kids and their caregivers.”
The first lady greeted inpatient and outpatient children with gifts such as teddy bears, puzzles, books and “Be Best” temporary tattoos.
“It was fun to see them light up when they talked with Mrs. Trump about their favorite sports and music, and especially when they saw the BE BEST teddy bears,” added Clemens.
“It was a great reminder of why Mrs. Trump is working so hard to advocate for the well-being of children and youth through BE BEST. We really thank Children’s National for a memorable and heartwarming visit,” said Clemens.
Mrs. Trump helped unveil “Eternal Flame,” a hybrid Tea Rose sourced from the White House gardens.
Hybrid tea roses have high centers, long stems with high-centered blooms and a strong floral fragrance perfect for a cutting garden, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Accompanying Mrs. Trump was Dale Haney, White House Grounds superintendent. He discussed the new rose bush with the first lady and with CNH President and CEO Michelle Riley-Brown, along with the kids.
Both inpatient children and outpatient children joined the first lady in the Bunny Mellon Healing Garden to place rocks, pinwheels and American flags among the plants and flowers.
Mrs. Trump previously visited the Children’s National Hospital in 2017 to dedicate the Bunny Mellon Healing Garden.
The garden is dedicated to the First Ladies of the United States after philanthropist and horticulturalist Rachel “Bunny” Lambert Mellon and is situated on a rooftop spanning 7,200-square-feet.
FOX News
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