News

Governor Greg Abbott activated a Level II emergency response on July 14, 2026, covering 59 counties after more than a foot of rain triggered major flooding along the Guadalupe and Medina river systems, with the Guadalupe at Hunt rising from 9 to nearly 38 feet in roughly two hours. More than 75 people have been rescued statewide, and the fatality count remains provisional as water rescues were still ongoing Wednesday evening. Forecasts project localized totals could exceed 30 inches through Friday, surpassing the rainfall amounts recorded during the July 2025 floods that killed 135 people in the same region.

All 46 Senate Democrats and independents present voted against advancing the $1.15 trillion FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act on July 14, 2026, demanding constraints on U.S. military operations against Iran that began in February 2026 without explicit congressional authorization. The cloture vote fell 14 votes short of the required 60, preventing floor debate from even beginning — the first time in modern memory the NDAA has stalled at this stage over a war-powers dispute. With no standalone Iran war-powers measure queued for action and Congress approaching August recess, the path forward for the annual defense bill remains unresolved.

President Trump announced a July 16, 2026 prime-time Oval Office address covering the resumed U.S. military conflict with Iran and the stalled SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register for federal elections. As of midday July 15, no major broadcast or cable network had committed to airing the speech live, and CNN reported the White House had not formally requested airtime. The address combines a war update — following the collapse of a ceasefire on July 8 and a reinstated naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — with domestic election legislation that passed the House in April 2025 but has not advanced in the Senate.