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Death Toll From Catastrophic Texas Floods Rises to 14; Texas Flood Survivor Describes Being Rescued; Trump Announces Japan And South Korea To Face New Tariffs; Prime Minister Netanyahu Says "Broad Peace" In The Middle East Possible Through Trump; At Least 11 Killed In Anti-Government Protests In Kenya; How Climate Change Set The Stage For Texas Flooding; Russian Transport Minister Dies After Being Fired By Putin; River Seine In Paris Opens For Swimming After Cleanup. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired July 08, 2025 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Frantic searches continue in Texas with more than 100 confirmed dead from unprecedented flooding. Ahead this hour on CNN NEWSROOM.
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DALTON RICE, KERRVILLE CITY MANAGER: We had reports. We had first responders that were getting swept away, actually responding to the first areas of rainfall.
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VAUSE: And dozens of children are among the lives lost, many swept away from summer camp by a surge in Guadalupe River.
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MAYOR JOE HERRING JUNIOR, KERRVILLE, TEXAS: I think everyone in Kerrville, everyone in Kerr County, wishes to God we had some way to warn them.
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VAUSE: New questions over the nation's weather alert system and did budget cuts by the Trump administration cost lives?
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The frequency and intensity of heavy rain events are increasing.
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VAUSE: And there're all man-made global warming played in making this disaster so much worse.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause. VAUSE: Four days after deadly flash flooding swept through parts of
Texas, the Trump administration is now under scrutiny for recent budget and staff cuts to the National Weather Service, and what impact, if any, those cuts may have had in issuing flood alerts and warnings ahead of the storm.
Search and rescue operations are still underway for at least 24 people who remain missing, including 10 girls and a counselor from an all- girls camp which sits along the Guadalupe River, which began rising rapidly early Friday morning. While hundreds of young girls were able to escape, 27 campers and counselors did not.
They're among the 104 people now confirmed dead by Texas officials. Dozens of children are believed to have died in this tragedy, including twin 8-year-old girls, a high school soccer coach and his wife also among those who did not survive. So too a father who gave his life rescuing his family.
President Trump is planning to visit the disaster area possibly by week's end. But for now, the White House is dodging questions about the president's plans to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency called FEMA.
In the hours leading up to the flash flooding, many survivors say they received no weather alerts, no warnings or alerts about the storm, nothing about possible floods. At one point, the Guadalupe River surged 26 feet, almost eight meters in just hours.
CNN's Ed Lavandera reports now on how this disaster unfolded, hour by hour, over a holiday long weekend.
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ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At 1:14 Friday morning, the first warning for life-threatening flash flooding was meant to trigger the emergency alert system on cell phones in parts of central Texas. But it's not clear if residents or the local camps that were devastated by catastrophic flooding received the alert. Several survivors have told CNN they did not get an alert.
RICE: It's very tough to make those calls because what we also don't want to do is cry wolf. Even when first responders were on the ground at 3:30 in the morning and we had reports, we had first responders that were getting swept away, actually responding to the first areas of rainfall.
LAVANDERA: By 4:00 a.m., the rains turned deadly as residents and campers were also being swept away by floodwaters.
Is there any communication from local law enforcement, anyone at that point?
RICE: Kerr County is a massive, massive area. From here to those camps is 45 minutes on a good day. A lot of those areas don't even have cell service. LAVANDERA: More emergency warnings followed, but by 5:00 a.m. the
river had flooded over its banks, sweeping up cars, campers and even cabins in its wake.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're evacuating everybody.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god.
LAVANDERA: At 6:00 a.m., one resident found an officer at her door.
The National Weather Service had also forecasted a hazardous flood outlook the day before. As early as Thursday morning. Then a flood watch at 1:0018 local time later that day.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was just immeasurably fast.
LAVANDERA: As much as four months' worth of rain fell in a single day on Friday.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's almost like a wall of water came through.
LAVANDERA: In Kingsland, Texas, this timelapse video shows just how quickly flood water rose on the Llano River in a span of just 30 minutes. In Kerrville, some residents narrowly escaped the rising waters. And in Hunt, Texas, the Guadalupe River shot up more than 22 feet in less than two hours, stunning young kids at the all-boys camp La Junta.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My brother here, he had to swim out of his cabin.
PIERS BOYETT, LA JUNTA CAMPER: The flood started getting bigger and it was going up to -- we had bunk beds in our cabins and it was going up to the top bunk.
LAVANDERA: Further up the river was incredibly hard hit. Catastrophic flooding took the lives of 28 campers and counselors at the all-girls Christian Camp Mystic, 11 girls still remain missing from the camp.
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Nearly 700 campers were finally evacuated by late Friday afternoon after rescuers spent hours trying to reach them.
Questions remain about the emergency response, but there were no sirens. The region does not have a flood warning system, according to Kerr County officials.
HERRING: I think everyone in Kerrville, everyone in Kerr County, wishes to God we had some way to warn them.
LAVANDERA: Search and rescue operations now fanning over more than a 60-mile area looking for those still missing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's always hope. I've done this long enough. I've found people four days later and 20-foot up in a tree. LAVANDERA (on-camera): Database of wireless emergency alerts on the
morning of July 4th show that alerts were sent out on people's mobile devices, around 1:15, 3:30 and 4:00 a.m., but it's not clear that anybody really received those messages.
We've spoken with many people who say they simply did not get those emergency warnings. And we also asked local officials if between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., when the worst of the flooding was beginning to emerge, if there were any attempts to reach people at Camp Mystic to alert them about what was coming, and the local officials tell us they are unable to answer that question at this time.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Comfort, Texas.
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VAUSE: Leigh-Anne Aiken is with us now from Mountain Home, Texas. She was rescued by a friend from rising water, which flooded her home along the Guadalupe River.
Leanne, thank you for being with us.
LEIGH-ANNE AIKEN, SURVIVED FLASH FLOODS IN TEXAS: Hi, John.
VAUSE: Hey, how are you coping? Because you had a pretty close call. Have you been able to process what you've been through?
AIKEN: I'm definitely still processing it. I'm envisioning not just what happened, but what could have happened, if any decision that I had made or my neighbor Brian had made differently. I've never seen anything like that before. And processing what happened to me, while also watching the search and rescue continue and knowing that these children and the campers and the people that were there visiting, those that are missing, it makes it difficult to focus on processing for myself because so many in the community are hurting and missing. So I'm grateful to be here but it's very bittersweet.
VAUSE: Yes, that what could have been is always terrifying at times. You went to sleep around midnight. A few hours later, you were awoken by your dog and the sound of thunder. When you got out of bed, you realized your cabin, which is right along the river, was actually flooding. So how fast was the water rising and what were you thinking at that moment?
AIKEN: When I put my feet down, I kept hearing some loud noises. I thought the storm was loud, and I heard some unusual noises even for the storm. And when I went to put my -- this is Casper. He was rescued with me. This is Casper. When I put my feet on the ground, but I was ankle deep in water. And at this point it was 5:00 a.m. So I called Brian on the phone and I said, I'm scared, there's water in my cabin.
And he came right away. By the time we -- he got to me, which wasn't long, and I had grabbed one of my dogs and he grabbed my larger dog, the water was already rising up to our knees, probably when we walked out of my cabin and went up to his, which was higher ground, but within 15 minutes that from my cabin into his and with the dogs elevated the water was from the ankle to the waist.
VAUSE: Yes. Thank God for Brian. I mean, he was a hero of the hour. I'm wondering, though, did you receive any notification, any warning about the possibility of flash flooding or heavy rains?
AIKEN: There were a couple of flash warnings that came through on the text system. To be honest, this was in the hours that I was asleep and there have been so frequent these different types of flood warnings that I didn't really register that, to be honest. It was probably the last one I got or the only one I noticed after the fact was 1:40 in the morning, maybe, and I couldn't tell you honestly if it was a warning or a watch.
You know, there's always a flood watch or a warning here. So with everybody being asleep, that was the hardest part. It was pitch dark. The power was out. We're in the water. If I, if I hadn't already been living on the property for some time, six months, it had been familiar with it, I would have been swept away because I wouldn't know which way to go.
VAUSE: Have you ever been through anything like these floods before? Any kind of natural disaster that comes close to this?
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AIKEN: No, sir. I do volunteer for the American Red Cross, so I've responded as a disaster action team responder after a disaster. But I've never been a victim in a disaster like that. I'm sorry about the dog. He's blind and deaf.
VAUSE: I think -- look, Casper, he's a survivor. He managed to get through the floods. Let him go. He's having, you know, he can do whatever he wants, I think.
Leigh-Anne --
AIKEN: So sorry. Brian.
VAUSE: Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. And I'm so glad that you made it through this tragedy and that you're alive and you're well. And thank God for Brian as well, and Casper. Thanks for being with us.
AIKEN: Thank you. John. Thank you so much.
VAUSE: Take care. Thanks.
The U.S. president has extended a 90-day pause in reciprocal tariffs, which was meant to expire Wednesday. The new deadline to lock in a trade deal with the U.S. is now the first of next month. Even that date is not set in stone, it seems, with the president hinting at some flexibility. But on Monday, as promised, Donald Trump sent letters of warning to 14 trading partners. They faced punitive tariffs up to 40 percent if they don't make a deal, and even higher tariffs on any country which tries to retaliate. For Japan and South Korea, both longtime allies and major trading partners, if they fail to reach an agreement, their exports to the U.S. will be tariffed at 25 percent.
Wall Street did not like any of this. The Dow shedding more than 420 points. All three major indices posting their worst day in weeks.
Let's take a look at the futures. There we go. Dow futures down by pretty much flat. Everything looks pretty flat actually. Yes.
With that, let's go to CNN's Marc Stewart is monitoring all of this live from Beijing.
So, Marc, you know, the stock markets in the U.S. have been a real barometer of how this tariff plan is being implemented, when it's likely they go up or go down, rather, only to surge again when the president backs off. But in Asia, you're seeing some gains. So where and why?
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, John. It's interesting to see how this is all being digested. I mean, in the United States at least a very rough day yesterday, in part because many analysts, or at least one analyst told us they felt that the tariff rates were higher than expected.
But here in Asia, we have seen gains all day. And as you rightly pointed out, many of the tariffs targeted here in Asia are to longtime standing loyal allies, South Korea and Japan, which play such a big part in the everyday lives of consumers. Not only are these nations that make cars that Americans like, but things like flat screen TVs, even washing machines. But if we look at the numbers, we are seeing a lot of green across the board.
I was messaging with one economist today here in Asia who pointed out the fact that these nations knew these tariffs were coming, and the fact that the president, President Trump, kept the door open for future negotiation, for further deal-making, maybe that's being received as a positive. And that overall, this is being viewed by many of these Asian countries as more of a glass half full type approach.
But it does, it is going to prompt some very difficult discussions and leaders in both South Korea and Japan are going to have to balance their own interests, their own internal politics, as well as the global reality of the financial impact of these tariffs.
Let's take a listen to some remarks made just recently by the Japanese prime minister.
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SHIGERU ISHIBA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We have made some progress through repeated dialogue with the U.S. side. As a result the letter at this time leaves the tariff rate effectively unchanged, rather than the 30 percent or 35 percent recently conveyed by President Trump, and extends the deadline for negotiations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: You know, one area where we are seeing some progress, our trade talks between the United States and China, that's despite the fact Beijing and Washington have had a very frosty relationship during this presidency and just historically speaking. Yet there is still some strife with South Korea and Japan. So there's a bit of irony here.
John, the big message, though, from the president to nations around the world is that he feels that there is this inequity, that America is buying more products from these nations than these nations are buying in return. So expect that to be a big point of discussion in the months ahead, especially as we approach this August deadline -- John.
VAUSE: Marc, thank you. Marc Stewart there live for us in Beijing.
Well, still no breakthrough in negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, but there appears to be new momentum after the Israeli prime minister met with President Trump on Monday at the White House. Another possible sign of progress, Trump's special envoy will join negotiations between Israeli officials and Hamas in Qatar this week.
CNN's Kristen Holmes has the latest now reporting in from the White House.
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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump and Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, answered questions from reporters at the start of a dinner that they were having behind closed doors. President Trump said that he was looking for a ceasefire deal in Gaza. And Netanyahu said that underneath Trump's leadership he believed there could be broad peace between Israel and the rest of the Middle East.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: I think the Palestinians should have all the powers to govern themselves, but none of the powers to threaten us. And that means that certain powers like overall security will always remain in our hands. We want life. We cherish life, for ourselves, for our neighbors. And I think we can work out a peace between us and the entire Middle East with President Trump's leadership. And by working together, I think we can establish a very, very broad peace that will include all our neighbors.
HOLMES: And now one thing to note is that some White House officials had hoped that there would actually be a ceasefire deal on Gaza before this meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That, of course, deadline has come and gone. However, as we know and have reported, Hamas has responded positively to the proposal that was agreed upon by the U.S. and Israel. So still waiting to see what the next steps are there.
Now, the other point that they had discussed during this dinner, when they were taking questions was the next step in negotiating conversations on our nuclear deal with Iran. President Trump saying that he was originally skeptical about sitting down with them again, particularly because the United States had bombed those nuclear facilities but adding that Iran had requested these meetings.
No details yet on what those meetings are actually going to look like or when they're going to take place. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff was also sitting there in the dinner and just noted that they were going to be happening quickly and in a very short amount of time.
Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: And before that dinner with the Israeli prime minister, President Trump told reporters he plans to send additional defensive weapons to Ukraine. That's despite the White House announcing a pause in weapons shipments last week. The president says Russia has been hitting Ukraine hard and, quote, "They have to be able to defend themselves." He also voiced his displeasure with Vladimir Putin after the two leaders shared a, quote, "disappointing phone call" last Thursday.
Well, anger boils over in Kenya, 11 people killed in another round of anti-government protests. So what's fueling the rage? That's next on CNN.
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VAUSE: At least 11 people have been killed, hundreds arrested in anti- government protests in Kenya. Police clashed with protesters on the anniversary of a major pro-democracy rally. Back in June, 16 people died during anti-government demonstrations and dozens were killed during anti-tax protests last year.
CNN's Victoria Rubadiri reports now on what's fueling the unrest in Kenya.
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VICTORIA RUBADIRI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Video shows police using tear gas and water cannons on demonstrators in Kenya where protests turned violent. The demonstrations marked the 35th anniversary of a pro-democracy rally known as Saba Saba. They come amid an ever growing anti-government resentment among young people in Kenya following an unpopular finance bill presented and later withdrawn by the government last year.
Protesters are outraged over corruption allegations, alleged police brutality and the recent death of a teacher in police custody.
RAILA ODINGA, FORMER KENYAN PRIME MINISTER: We have a rogue police force that shoots people with impunity. And this is a force that we inherited from the colonialists.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Kenya's national police are reporting the death toll of 11 and more than 500 arrests. And in a statement say, "Rach reported incident will be subject to further investigation in accordance with the law."
Syria's new government is no longer on the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that designation was revoked two weeks ago and will be officially dropped as of Tuesday. The head of the group, Ahmed al-Sharaa, led the overthrow of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad last December and since then has been trying to warm relations between Damascus and Washington.
Still to come, more on the deadly flooding in Texas. An extreme weather event which experts say was made worse by manmade climate change.
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VAUSE: Welcome back. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. So let's take a look at today's top stories.
A note of optimism of a possible pause in fighting in Gaza after a White House meeting between the Israeli prime minister and the U.S. president. Benjamin Netanyahu says he believes a very broad peace is possible through President Trump's leadership, while the White House says Trump's special envoy to the Middle East will be joining ceasefire talks in Qatar this week.
President Trump is imposing new tariffs on up to 40 -- of up to 40 percent on 14 trading partners. Back in May, he paused reciprocal tariffs for 90 days meant to take effect this coming Wednesday. But now there's a new deadline, August 1st. Japan and South Korea, meantime, will face 25 percent tariffs if no new trade deals are reached.
And Texas officials report more than 100 people have died in the flooding over the weekend. At least 24 remain missing across the affected area. Texas Governor Greg Abbott says more than 20 state agencies are responding to this emergency. More rain expected this week, but at the moment, the weather isn't likely to present much of a flood threat.
Climate experts say this extreme weather, though, is only becoming more common as global warming intensifies.
More details now from CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam.
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DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): More than a summer's worth of rain fell in a matter of hours across the Texas Hill Country, triggering unprecedented flash flooding.
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The deadly tragedy, described as a one in 100-year flood disaster, struck in an area that was entrenched in the worst drought anywhere in the country.
This weather whiplash from drought to flood, is yet another example of human-induced climate change and its impact on extreme weather, one we have seen play out in California multiple times in recent years as a multiyear drought was followed by atmospheric-river-fueled flooding and mudslides.
And then came the deadly wildfires in January.
The frequency and intensity of heavy rain events are increasing. Last year alone, a record 91 flash flood emergencies, the rarest, most extreme warning issued less than 1 percent of the time, came from the National Weather Service.
Generational flood events like last year's Hurricane Helene killed over 200 people and produced historic rain in North Carolina.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any more down there?
VAN DAM (voice-over): Texans will remember Hurricane Harvey that dropped over 50 inches of rain in the Houston metro and was one of America's costliest weather disasters.
It's not just with hurricanes. Residents across Kentucky and Tennessee are still recovering from inland flash flooding over the last couple of years.
These events are a product of a warmer atmosphere that's able to hold more water vapor, acting to enhance rainfall rates, turning 100-year events into something every generation has to deal with.
And even while the flood threat continues in Texas, parts of the East Coast are reeling from their own flash flooding as the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal dropped months' worth of rain in the Raleigh- Durham area of North Carolina, also resulting in floods that turned deadly.
Derek van Dam, CNN.
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VAUSE: Air travel in Russia has seen major disruptions over the past few days, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg were targeted by Ukrainian drones on the weekend.
More than 2,000 flights have either been canceled or delayed. Dozens more were diverted.
And amid the upheaval, President Vladimir Putin fired Russia's transport minister. Hours later, the minister was found dead.
CNN's Matthew Chance has details.
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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, a Russian politician has been found dead with an apparent gunshot wound, hours after he was unceremoniously fired by a presidential decree, according to Russian investigators, who said their main theory is suicide.
The former transport minister, Roman Starovoyt's body was recovered from his personal car outside of Moscow on Monday.
The Kremlin gave no reason for the transport minister's dismissal but denied it was down to a lack of trust. But it came amid a serious bout of disruption to air travel in Russia, linked to the Ukrainian drone threat.
Previously, Starovoyt had been governor of Kursk, the Russian region where Ukrainian forces later staged a humiliating military incursion and where he had been linked to security failures.
Matthew Chance, CNN, London.
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VAUSE: In a moment here on CNN, swimming in the Seine. Paris's long- polluted river now open for anyone who wants to take a dip.
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VAUSE: For the first time in more than 100 years, since 1923, the River Seine is open to the public. The river was given a major cleanup for last year's Olympics, and now locals and tourists alike are rushing to take a plunge.
Here's CNN's Lynda Kinkade.
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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Swimming is once again making a splash in the river Seine. For the first time in more than a century, residents and tourists can take a dip in the iconic Parisian river at three official sites.
The long-polluted waterway underwent a $1.5 billion deep clean for the 2024 Olympics, and so far, the public opening seems to be going swimmingly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's fantastic. It feels like being in a lake. It's wonderful.
KINKADE (voice-over): For decades, swimming in the Seine was illegal, mainly because of health risks due to water pollution. So, in order to make it ready for Olympic swimming competitions, the city upgraded its sewerage system, opened new disinfection units, and created a huge storage basin to prevent wastewater from spilling into the river.
It was a milestone for the city when Olympic swimmers competed in the Seine, though some training sessions and events had to be postponed after water testing showed elevated contaminants on some rainy days.
But just like during the Olympics, officials say the water at the public sites will be tested daily to make sure it's safe to swim.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But honestly, I'm impressed. It's very clean, very organized. We have the lockers. The water doesn't smell or anything.
For me, it's a -- it's a good experience.
KINKADE (voice-over): And during the sweltering summer months, some people say it will be a welcome break from the hot weather, with a view that can't be beat.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I find it truly extraordinary and magical. We even took a photo with the friends I came with to keep forever. And at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, there aren't many places where it's as magical.
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KINKADE (voice-over): The swimming sites will be open for free at scheduled times until the end of August, with officials saying sanitation work will continue, and hopefully, more sites will open next year.
Lynda Kinkade, CNN.
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VAUSE: It is that time of year when fortune favors the brave, or more likely, the foolhardy, with the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.
Hundreds raced through the streets, feeling the warmth and smelling the aroma of bull snot, comfortably -- uncomfortably close to them.
Emergency services report only six people were hurt and taken to hospital. No one was gored this year.
The festival will continue over the next few days with parades, concerts, fireworks, and other live entertainment.
Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. I'll be back with more news at the top of the hour. In the meantime, please stay with us. WORLD SPORT is up next.
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(WORLD SPORT)
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