5 things to know for July 8: Texas floods, Immigration, Planned Parenthood, Ukraine, Veterans Affairs

CNN

10 hours ago

Shifting perspectives on the terrorism front. Last week, Russia became the first nation to formally recognize the Taliban government of Afghanistan since it took power in 2021. And today, the Trump administration's revocation of its foreign terrorist designation for Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist militant group led by Syria's interim president, will take effect.
Here's what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.
Local officials are facing questions about their actions in the years and hours before the catastrophic flooding hit central Texas last week, and whether more could have been done to avert the tragedy. Although officials have long acknowledged the risk of flooding near the Guadalupe River, multiple efforts to build a more substantial flood warning system have faltered or been abandoned due to budget concerns. While at least one neighboring county issued evacuation orders in the early hours of July 4, Kerr County officials don't appear to have done so. The effectiveness of emergency notifications is also under scrutiny. A series of alerts were transmitted to mobile devices during the night of the flooding, but some people — including the mayor of hard-hit Kerrville — didn't receive the warnings. To date, the floods have claimed the lives of more than 100 people. A massive search is underway to locate two dozen others who are still missing.
Dozens of armed federal immigration agents wearing tactical gear and masks — as well as members of the California National Guard — swarmed a mostly empty MacArthur Park in Los Angeles on Monday. Residents were outraged and shouted at the ICE agents who were on foot, on horseback and in Humvees. LA Mayor Karen Bass called the federal government's display of force 'an attempt to spread fear' and said they need to leave. 'Frankly, it is outrageous and un-American that we have federal armed vehicles in our parks when nothing is going on in the parks,' Bass said. An ICE spokesperson told CNN it does not comment on ongoing operations.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a provision of the president's sweeping domestic policy law that would bar federal funding for providers 'primarily engaged in family planning services, reproductive health and related medical care.' The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts and the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah sued the administration, claiming the funding ban could lead to the closure of 200 clinics nationwide, most of which are in states where abortion is legal. On Monday, US District Judge Indira Talwani issued the order to stop enforcement of the provision for 14 days.
The US will send additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to repel attacks from Russian forces, President Trump said on Monday. Last week, a senior White House official told CNN that the Trump administration was pausing some weapons shipments to Ukraine, including air defense missiles. The decision was announced following a review of military spending that was signed off by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. At the time, White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said the decision was made 'to put America's interests first.' Trump's turnaround occurred after he spoke separately with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump said afterward that his conversation with Putin was disappointing and that there was 'no progress' towards a ceasefire.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is walking back plans for mass layoffs, but the agency said it will still cut tens of thousands of jobs by the end of the year. Although the VA had originally planned to lay off roughly 80,000 employees from a total staff of about 470,000, the agency will now reduce the number of staffers by nearly 30,000 through the federal hiring freeze, deferred resignations, retirements and normal attrition. A news release issued by the VA insisted that the reductions would not impact veteran care or benefits. 'All mission-critical positions are exempt' from the deferred resignations and voluntary early retirements, the agency said.
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Singer Katy Perry and actor Orlando Bloom, who have a daughter, have split three years after announcing their engagement.
Singer and talk-show host Kelly Clarkson said she was 'devastated to have to postpone' the launch of her Las Vegas residency at the last minute.
The 2026 Hollywood Walk of Fame honorees have been revealed.
75%That's about how many staff members the Department of Homeland Security is preparing to cut from the agency's office tasked with developing and sharing threat intelligence with state and local partners.
'[President Trump is] forging peace, as we speak, in one country, in one region after the other.'
— Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking during Monday's dinner at the White House. Netanyahu then shared a letter he sent nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
🌤️ Check your local forecast to see what you can expect.
Delivery drones are taking to the skies over London, but they're not dropping off dinner orders. These flying machines are transporting time-sensitive blood samples to labs in order to receive faster results.
Today's edition of 5 Things AM was edited and produced by CNN's Andrew Torgan.