Welcome back, Wake Up Right fam. Fourth of July celebrations were tragically interrupted over the weekend as “once in a century” flooding has taken the lives of dozens in Texas.

We’ll cover the story fully below, but before we get into the news, here’s where you can donate to help. [I have vetted this site. It’s legitimate.]

• ✅ Mass shootings are down 44% so far this year

• 📊 53% approve of Trump on national security, 40% disapprove

• 🍻 73% of Gen Z drinks alcohol, up from 66% in 2023

• 🗓️ On this day in 1981, Reagan nominated 1st female SCOTUS, Sanda Day O'Connor

^{Sources: Forbes, Morning Consult, Financial Times, History}

Deadly Texas floods leave dozens dead

At least 80 are dead, including dozens of summer camp kids, after unexpected flash floods ripped through Texas over the weekend.

The details: Late Thursday, torrential rain caused the Guadalupe River to overflow, causing widespread flooding into Friday. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed Sunday that 68 of the deaths occurred in Kerr County – 40 adults and 28 children.

Summer camp submerged: At Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp, five girls and the camp director were among the confirmed dead. Eleven campers and one counselor are still unaccounted for.

• Camp Mystic director Dick Eastland died while trying to save his campers

Federal response: President Trump wrote on Truth Social that he signed a disaster declaration "to ensure that our Brave First Responders immediately have the resources they need."

Rescue efforts: More than 850 rescues were made across the region in 36 hours, with 366 conducted by air.

• DHS Secretary Kristi Noem singled out U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petter Officer Scott Raskin, who "directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding.”

Playing politics: Left-wing news outlets like the NY Times tried to blame the Trump administration’s cuts to the National Weather Service for the loss of life.

• Homeland Security debunked those accusations, posting a detailed timeline of events, showing it gave “12 hours of advance notice via the Flood Watch and over 3 hours of lead time for Flash Flood Warnings.”

The last word goes back to President Trump, who said: “These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing... GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!"

Rescue efforts are ongoing.

[Source: NY Post, Fox News]

Musk’s latest move could elect Democrats in 2026

Elon Musk escalated his split with President Donald Trump over the weekend by officially launching a new third party – the “America Party.” The move comes despite analysis from his own artificial intelligence platform, which concluded that a third-party bid would likely benefit Democrats.

The details: On the 4th of July, Musk issued an informal poll on his X account, asking, "Should we create the America Party?" 65% of respondents said “Yes.”

• The following day, he declared: “When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”

• Musk says he plans to initially target 2–3 Senate seats and 8–10 House districts in the 2026 midterm elections.

Zoom out: Musk launched the America Party one day after President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill into law – the legislation that Musk has been a vocal critic of.

Democrats are salivating: Elon Musk’s own generative AI Chatbot, Grok, told me:

• “Based on recent polls (e.g., Quantus Insights) and Musk's fallout with Trump, the America Party would likely siphon votes primarily from Republicans—up to 57% openness among GOP men—and independents, with minimal pull from Democrats (5-7%). This risks splitting the conservative vote in key states.”

What is Trump saying? The President responded to Musk yesterday, writing on Truth Social: “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely “off the rails,” essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks.”

• On Third Parties: “The one thing Third Parties are good for is the creation of Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS, and we have enough of that with the Radical Left Democrats[.]”

• Trump can’t be bought: He suggested Musk was upset over the elimination of Electric Vehicle tax credits, which the Tesla CEO has denied. But Trump also pointed to a favor Musk asked for, revealing: “I also thought it inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon, who was in the Space Business, run NASA, when NASA is such a big part of Elon’s corporate life. My Number One charge is to protect the American Public!”

Real talk from G: Perhaps Musk is a victim of the very “mind virus” he once railed against. Governing is not the dopamine-fueled social media world he lives in. Governing isn’t done by likes and retweets. It demands patience, discipline, and strategy. President Trump, in his second term, understands that. He’s working within the system to deliver real, lasting change. If Musk gets his wish in the 2026 midterms, his naivety and impatience could derail the steady, methodical progress Trump has made in just six months.

[Source: CNBC]

📜 President Trump signed the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' into law on July 4th, which delivers on key campaign promises like no taxes on tips and overtime, making his 2017 tax cuts permanent, ramping up immigration enforcement, $1,000 newborn savings accounts, rooting out fraud in entitlement programs, and more. Read more.

🤔 The DOJ and the FBI concluded they have no evidence that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein blackmailed powerful figures, kept a "client list," or was murdered, according to a memo detailing the findings. Read more.

🥊 Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was arrested and is being deported from the U.S. over alleged cartel involvement. Read more.

✈️ Fighter jets intercepted 11 unauthorized aircraft over restricted airspace near Trump’s Bedminster home this holiday weekend. Read more.

🛣️ Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent a letter to all 50 states instructing them to remove political symbols like LGBT rainbows from roads and crosswalks, saying: "Roads are for safety, not political messages or artwork." Read more.

🤡 Black residents in NYC are fuming after a report revealed socialist mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani claimed he was African American on his Columbia University application. Read more.

🤼 The UFC will host a fight on the White House grounds in 2026, as part of America's 250th anniversary celebration, President Trump revealed. Read more.

🇬🇧 Six key members of one of Britain's worst Muslim “grooming gangs” which raped young girls between 1995-2005 have been released early. Read more.

🗳️ Nine more Democrats were indicted in South Texas for allegedly illegal vote harvesting in Latino communities. Read more.

🎥 DOJ releases 1+ hours of footage from outside Epstein's cell before his suicide. Watch.

🎥 AI shows Trump through the decades. Watch.

🎥 EPIC: B-2 bombers fly over the White House. Watch.

🎥 Why are Canadians allowed to PILLAGE our fishing industry? Watch.

🎥 Putin rushes off stage when Trump calls. Watch.

🎥 Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary has a warning about Zohran Mamdani. Watch.

🎥 Trump signs the Big, Beautiful Bill. Watch.

🎥 San Angelo police release footage of aerial rescues during deadly Texas flood. Watch.

🎥 Scott Bessent fact-checks CNN's Dana Bash. Watch.

🎥 Hakeem Jeffries spoke for 8 hours to delay the Big, Beautiful Bill. It was a total joke. Check out Speaker Johnson's response at the end. Watch.

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