5 things to know for July 9: Texas floods, Ukraine, Gaza, New Mexico floods, Epstein memo

CNN

09-07-2025

Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman, who was shot in a politically motivated attack last month, was released from a hospital ICU this week and moved into a rehabilitation facility. The Democratic lawmaker's wife, Yvette, who was also shot, left the hospital on June 19. The suspected gunman also fatally shot state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in the June 14 shooting spree. Authorities later arrested Vance Boelter for the attacks.
Here's what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.
The number of people reported missing in Kerr County, Texas, as a result of last week's flash floods soared on Tuesday. Authorities say search teams combing through the debris and destruction there are looking for more than 160 people who disappeared in the raging waters. 'We're going to continue to search and look to try to reunite families because that's where our focus is; on reuniting families with their missing loved ones and bringing them closure,' Sgt. Jonathan Lamb of the Kerrville Police Department said. An additional dozen people have been reported missing in other central Texas counties. The death toll from the floods also climbed to at least 110 people.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not inform the White House before he authorized a pause on weapons shipments to Ukraine last week, according to five sources familiar with the matter. This was the second time this year that Hegseth decided to halt the flow of US weapons to Ukraine, catching senior national security officials off guard. Shortly after learning about the pause, President Donald Trump told Hegseth to restart the shipments, and specifically to send more defensive weapons. In recent weeks, Russia has intensified its near-nightly air attacks, often using hundreds of drones and missiles. Overnight, Russia launched a massive aerial assault involving 728 drones and 13 missiles, eclipsing the previous record number of 539 drones that was set on July 4, Ukraine's Air Force said.
Thirteen women and two men kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, terror attacks said they experienced or witnessed sexual violence while in captivity. The allegations were included in a new report from the Dinah Project, which gathered first-hand testimonies from 15 returned hostages, one survivor of an attempted rape, 17 eye and ear witnesses and 27 first responders who attended the scenes of the attacks. The testimonies, coupled with forensic reports, photographs and videos from the attacks, led the Israeli researchers to conclude that Hamas used sexual violence as a 'weapon of war.'
Monsoon rains triggered dangerous flash flooding in an area of southern New Mexico that was stripped of vegetation by recent wildfires. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings in the Ruidoso area on Tuesday and officials urged residents to seek higher ground as the waters of the Rio Ruidoso rose nearly 19 feet in a matter of minutes. First responders carried out at least 85 swift-water rescues, helping many people who were trapped inside their homes and cars. No deaths were reported; however, the extent of the flood damage won't be known until the water recedes. At least three people have been reported missing.
President Trump shrugged off questions during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday about a Justice Department memo that said there was no evidence Jeffrey Epstein had kept a 'client list' or was murdered. However, many of Trump's MAGA allies have spent years accusing the government of hiding evidence about the late financier and accused sex trafficker, and are incensed by this new claim. Far-right activist Laura Loomer has urged Trump to fire Attorney General Pam Bondi over her handling of the investigation. And tech mogul Elon Musk, who recently left his position in the White House, posted on his social media site: 'How can people be expected to have faith in Trump if he won't release the Epstein files?'
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Today's edition of 5 Things AM was edited and produced by CNN's Andrew Torgan.