🇺🇸 USA Brief | Top Stories so far …

• 💧 Texas floods toll rises – Tragically, at least 82 people have died following flash floods in central Texas, including 27 summer-camp children. Rescue teams continue their search amid questions over emergency preparedness.

• 📜 Trump’s tariff plans cause market jitters – As the July 9 deadline looms, President Trump has signalled new tariffs with letters set to hit trade partners soon—even as the Commerce Secretary clarifies they don’t take effect until August 1. Markets remain unsettled.

• 🏛️ Trump signs “big, beautiful” budget bill – Congress has green-lit Trump’s major tax and spending package. While critics warn it inflates the deficit, the White House labels it a political feather in his cap.

• 🛢️ EPA climate funding slashed – The Guardian reports the Trump administration has cancelled over US $2.7 billion in climate grants, including a crucial $20 million project in an Alaska village threatened by flood-driven erosion.

• 🔧 Farm-worker activist detained – ICE has arrested Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez Zeferino, a prominent farm-worker organiser in Washington state, in what’s being called a politically motivated action amid a broader crackdown. 

• 🏛️ Musk launches “America Party” – Elon Musk has officially filed to form the America Party, positioning it as a fiscally conservative alternative targeting key congressional seats. Former ally Donald Trump has slammed the move as “ridiculous,” and markets are nervously watching whether this marks a permanent political departure for the billionaire.

• 📉 Tesla shares dive – Following Musk’s political announcement, Tesla stock dropped almost 7% in pre-market trading, erasing about $70 billion in market value as investors worry the CEO’s focus is being diverted.

• ⚽ USMNT lose Gold Cup final – The United States Men’s National Team were edged out 2–1 by Mexico in Houston, with Edson Álvarez scoring the winner, a tough defeat and key learning curve for coach Mauricio Pochettino’s squad.