The Texas Floods, The Big Beautiful Bill: and other newsworthy headlines
Plus a couple of Announcements
Author’s Note: Hello, I wanted to make a few quick announcements. Walking The Beat: The Letter will now be distributed on Sundays at 11:30 a.m. I felt like Sundays seemed like a better day since this newsletter is sort of similar to a Sunday paper format. The next announcement is that this newsletter will be taking a short break on Sunday, July 20th. We will see you again on July 27.
Happy July, everyone.
I hope you had a nice and relaxing Fourth of July weekend. We had a whirlwind of events that transpired this last week, so let’s take a quick recap on what’s going on.
The Texas Floods
What do we know?
On July 4, 2025, at least 24 people were killed during a flash flood in Central Texas.
Among the victims, a few were children who were attending Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls, at Cypress Lake.
TX Governor Greg Abbott said Tuesday afternoon, 161 people were missing in Kerr County.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melani Trump came to Kerrville Friday to speak at a press conference with TX Governor Greg Abbott and Kerr County officials.
The State of Texas deployed more than 1,700 personnel and 975 vehicles for the search and rescue efforts. More than 2,000 local, state, and federal personnel are also involved.
Any Updates?
As of July 13, the search for flood victims wrapped up in Kerr County. At least 161 are still unaccounted for.
Officials confirmed 103 deaths, 36 of those were children.
The Ingram County Fire Department said on its Facebook page Sunday, search and rescue operations are paused due to flood warnings in the region.
Kerr Together is an organization for disaster information and resources for Kerr County. They are currently collecting donations. You can find the link to their organization here. You can also find other organizations collecting donations here.
The Big Beautiful Bill
What do we know?
The Big Beautiful Bill was introduced on May 16, 2025, by Jodey Arrington, R-TX.
The bill faced many controversies from the public, Democrats and some Moderate Republicans for its cuts to SNAP, extensions of the Trump tax cuts and cuts to Medicaid.
The bill was passed by the House on May 22 and the Senate on July 1.
President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on July 4.
What’s in the bill?
Extension of the Trump Administration’s 2017 tax cuts that would cost about $3.7 trillion over the next ten years.
Cuts to health care and food programs such as SNAP and Medicaid. The reductions could save $1.3 trillion. If your income is below $58,000, you are likely to lose access to these programs.
No taxes on tips or overtime wages. This means if you are a tipped worker, such as a waiter or a beautician, the first $25,000 in tips will be tax-deductible through 2028 with a $150k income limit. $12,500 of extra overtime pay will also be tax-deductible starting this year.
$10,000 in car loan interest can be deducted if you buy a vehicle manufactured in the U.S.
Taxpayers living in high-income states such as California, New York, and New Jersey can write off a portion of their state and local taxes from federal taxes. The cap for deduction rose from $10,000 to $40,000.
People over 65 from now to 2028 can deduct an additional $6,000 on their taxes.
Child tax credit increased from $2,000 to $2,200.
Families who make less than three times their local median income can qualify for up to $5,000 in tax credits in private school vouchers.
Children under 8 would receive $1,000 each to open a savings account. Accounts can be used after the child turns 18.
When will it go into effect?
Some of the provisions have already gone into effect, such as tax-deductible on overtime wages and tips, and $7,500 tax credit reduction on electric vehicles as part of the green energy rollbacks.
Taxpayers will start to notice these changes when it’s time to file their taxes for 2026.
For this weekend, here is some news you could use. 📰
On July 5, measles cases hit the highest level since 2000 with 1,277 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Outbreak Response Innovation. This outbreak led to at least 155 hospitalizations. The vast majority of these outbreaks come from Texas. You can read more about it here. You can also see the dashboard here.
Wimbledon wraps up today in the final Gentlemen’s singles match. Jannik Sinner from Italy went against Carlos Alcaraz from Spain on Centre Court. Sinner beat Alcaraz in four sets. You can read more about it here.
A 54-pound rock from Mars is currently on auction in New York City for $2 million to $4 million. Sotheby’s, a broker company for fine arts, is auctioning off the largest piece of Mars found on Earth, NWA 16788 Wednesday. They are auctioning the rock as part of a natural history-themed sale. You can read more about it here.
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