Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at a U.S.-proposed Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal, who will be the next Dalai Lama, and a landmark agreement between Mercosur and the European Free Trade Association.
Won’t Concede
Israel agreed to a U.S.-proposed Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal with Hamas on Wednesday, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump called on both sides to accept a truce. “We are serious in our will to reach a hostage deal and a cease-fire,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Wednesday. “Our goal is to begin proximity talks as soon as possible.”
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at a U.S.-proposed Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal, who will be the next Dalai Lama, and a landmark agreement between Mercosur and the European Free Trade Association.
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Won’t Concede
Israel agreed to a U.S.-proposed Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal with Hamas on Wednesday, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump called on both sides to accept a truce. “We are serious in our will to reach a hostage deal and a cease-fire,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Wednesday. “Our goal is to begin proximity talks as soon as possible.”
Under the U.S. proposal, Israel and Hamas would adhere to a 60-day cease-fire, during which Israeli troops would partially withdraw from Gaza and a surge of humanitarian aid would be allowed into the territory. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in recent weeks while trying to access food at aid distribution sites, including those controlled by the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
It is unclear how many hostages would be exchanged as part of the deal; Israeli forces believe that 50 people remain in Hamas’s captivity, of whom fewer than half are believed to still be alive. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to suggest that Israel may prioritize rescuing the hostages over defeating Hamas, a shift in his previous portrayal of the country’s goals.
Still, several conditions of the agreement remain in contention, and neither Israel nor Hamas appear willing to make concessions. Trump has suggested that the deal would work toward establishing a permanent end to the war; however, Netanyahu reiterated on Wednesday that he will not accept any peace deal unless Hamas is defeated. “[T]here will be no Hamas” in postwar Gaza, Netanyahu said, adding that Israel will only agree to halt all fighting if Hamas surrenders, disarms, and exiles itself.
Hamas, meanwhile, has said that it’s willing to free the remaining hostages if Israel agrees to a complete withdrawal from Gaza. The group is “ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war,” Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said. Israel rejects both of these conditions.
International pressure is growing to clinch a deal, as Gaza’s Health Ministry announced on Wednesday that the death toll for Palestinians has surpassed 57,000 people. “I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better—IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday.
A Hamas delegation reportedly flew to Cairo on Wednesday to meet with Egyptian and Qatari mediators about potential truce proposals, and Netanyahu is expected to visit the White House next Monday to further discuss the conflict. His visit will come just days after Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer met with top U.S. officials in Washington. Trump himself has suggested that a cease-fire deal could come together as soon as next week.
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What We’re Following
The next Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama confirmed on Wednesday that, upon his death, he will be reincarnated as the next spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. With just days remaining before he turns 90, the Dalai Lama spelled out the succession process, ending speculation that he would be the last reincarnated version of the religion’s spiritual leader.
The current Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule and now lives in exile in India. Since his exile began, he has advocated for nonviolence and support of Tibetan independence, earning him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
China maintains that only Beijing can approve the Dalai Lama’s successor. However, the Dalai Lama affirmed on Wednesday that the next reincarnation will be born outside of China, urging his followers to reject whoever Beijing claims is the next spiritual guide.
“For China, controlling this succession offers the ultimate prize: legitimizing decades of occupation by transforming Tibet’s greatest symbol of resistance into an instrument of state authority,” Kelsang Aukatsang argues in Foreign Policy.
Bolstering trade. The Latin American Mercosur trade bloc concluded talks on Wednesday with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) to cement a new free trade deal. With all five full and active Mercosur members (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) as well as all four EFTA nations (Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) signing off, the agreement will create a free trade area of almost 300 million people and a combined GDP of more than $4.3 trillion, according to a joint statement issued by the two blocs.
“Both sides will benefit from improved market access for more than 97% of their exports, which will increase bilateral trade and translate into benefits for businesses and individuals,” the statement said.
The agreement still requires parliamentary approval and legal review from both blocs’ individual members, but the Norwegian delegation said it expects that process to be finished in early 2026. The deal will enter into force three months after all the signatory countries have ratified it.
Mercosur has targeted European markets before. Last December, the bloc struck a free trade deal with the European Union in an effort to increase bilateral investments and promote sustainable development, including efforts to fight climate change. That agreement still needs to be translated and ratified by all 27 EU states, though it has faced pushback from some countries, such as France.
Leaving the IAEA. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced on Wednesday that Tehran has suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The announcement came after Iran’s parliament approved a bill last week to suspend the country’s cooperation with the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog.
Under the legislation, “IAEA inspectors will not be permitted to enter Iran unless the security of the country’s nuclear facilities and that of peaceful nuclear activities is guaranteed,” Iranian media reported.
Pezeshkian has claimed that the IAEA is a biased organization and that it gave information about Tehran’s nuclear facilities to Israel. However, experts suggest that the suspension could also be a tactic to gain leverage in future nuclear negotiations with the United States.
Trump has suggested that such talks will begin soon, but Tehran appears less optimistic. “I don’t think negotiations will restart as quickly as that,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said this week, though he added that “the doors of diplomacy will never slam shut.”
Iran maintains that its uranium enrichment facilities are for civilian purposes, but Israeli and U.S. intelligence have suggested that Tehran was close to developing a nuclear weapon before the start of the 12-day Israel-Iran conflict, which targeted Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. Last month, the IAEA accused Iran of failing to comply with its nuclear nonproliferation obligations—a day before Israel launched its first strike.
Odds and Ends
North Korea is embracing summer with a new beach resort. The Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone, which opened on Tuesday, can accommodate nearly 20,000 people with its hotels, restaurants, and slew of water activities, according to North Korean state media. The resort is part of leader Kim Jong Un’s latest efforts to improve the country’s economy by boosting tourism. But with most foreign visitors still banned from entering the country, it is unclear just how successful the venture will be.
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The Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act, the long-in-the-works legislation that would allow musicians to deduct 100% of their production expenses in the year they’re incurred, passed in Congress as part of President Trump’s tax and spending cuts bill on Thursday (July 3). The milestone was quickly celebrated by Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, which has long lobbied for the bill to become law.
Co-sponsored by Rep. Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) and Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas), the HITS Act was first introduced in July 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many musicians struggled due to widespread shutdowns in the U.S. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate in December of that year by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Marsha Blackburn (R–Tenn.). It was reintroduced in the Senate in January after being dropped from several previous legislative packages and subsequently added to the Trump-endorsed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which now requires only the president’s signature to become law.
“The Recording Academy is proud to have partnered with Reps. Estes and Sánchez and Senators Blackburn and Cortez Masto over many years to bring the HITS Act to life, and we are deeply grateful for their unwavering support,” said Mason in a statement.
The Recording Academy CEO also praised the removal of another component of the Republican-led bill: a clause that would have banned state-level AI protections for 10 years.
“As the industry navigates rapid technological advancements and an evolving musical landscape, this moment represents meaningful progress toward protecting creators and sustaining a vibrant music ecosystem,” Mason continued. He added: “We also thank Senators Blackburn and Cantwell for their thoughtful leadership in removing the AI provision that could have posed serious risks to the creative community. This is a powerful win for those who make music, and for the future of music itself.”
The HITS Act, which requires a change in the tax code, allows musicians to fully expense the costs of new studio recordings up to $150,000 in the year they were produced, with the goal of easing the financial burden on creators. The current tax code requires producers and artists to amortize production expenses for tax purposes over the economic life of a recording, which typically ranges from three to four years.
“We wanted to incentivize musicians to get back in the studio and put more music out into the world when we need it right now and give them an immediate financial benefit by having this deduction in the first year,” The Recording Academy’s then-chief advocacy officer Daryl Friedmantold Billboard when the bill was first introduced in the House of Representatives. “But this will be an ongoing tax provision that will live beyond the pandemic and will be a benefit to artists for years to come.”
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Reporter’s Notebook: Gov. Wes Moore on having faith – CBS News
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“CBS Evening News” co-anchor John Dickerson shares a conversation he had with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Asked if he turns to a saying in moments of testing, Moore said a specific phrase from his grandparents helped him get through his deployment in Afghanistan.
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One of Iran’s most prominent human rights advocates is warning that the Iranian government is using the aftermath of its 12-day war with Israel to escalate repression against its own citizens — particularly political and civil activists.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, in a video message to ABC News, warned that a surge in executions and widespread arrests since the war began shows that the regime is using the moment to deflect from decades of alleged repression and failed policy, with the aim to “spread fear and terror.”
“We are now witnessing the intensification of the war between the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran — a war that’s been going on for 46 years,” Mohammadi said.
While Iranian authorities have publicly celebrated what they call a “victory” over Israel, Mohammadi rejects that claim.
“I simply don’t believe this,” she said. “War weakens the very tools needed to achieve human rights and democracy — like civil society. I believe that with the Islamic Republic still in power after this war, our work and our fight have now become even more difficult.”
She warned that the regime, “now weakened,” has tightened its grip on civil liberties, turning on alleged traitors from within.
Iranian authorities, while acknowledging damage to parts of their nuclear facilities and infrastructure, insist they remain strong and unified. State-affiliated media have framed the recent wave of arrests and executions as necessary measures to protect national security, alleging infiltration and espionage linked to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.
Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi is seen in this image from a video message to ABC News.
ABC News
Mohammadi spoke from her home in Tehran, where she is defying a government order to return to Iran’s notorious Evin Prison following urgent, life-saving surgery. Mohammadi, who is serving a 13-year, 9-month sentence, was granted a medical furlough from the prison, where many of the country’s dissidents and political prisoners are held.
She and other activists have expressed particular concern over the condition and fate of Evin’s prisoners following Israel’s June 23 missile strike on the facility. According to Iran’s judiciary spokesperson, at least 71 people were killed in the strike, which the United Nations Human Rights Office condemned as a “gross violation” of international law. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel hit “regime targets and agencies of government repression” across Tehran, including Evin.
While Mohammadi also condemned the strike, she warned that what has followed may pose an even greater human rights threat.
Mohammadi, who was on furlough at the time of the attack, told ABC News she has spoken extensively with prisoners and their families.
“After the attack, the situation inside Evin became extremely securitized,” said Mohammadi, who all told has been handed more than 36 years of prison time on multiple charges including committing “propaganda activity against the state” and “collusion against state security” — vaguely defined national security offenses commonly used by authorities to criminalize peaceful dissent.
“Prisoner transfers are now happening under heavily militarized conditions.” Mohammadi said, “with full sniper coverage [and prisoners] shackled with both handcuffs and leg irons.”
In this picture obtained from the Iranian Mizan News Agency on June 25, 2025, rescuers sift through the rubble inside in the Evin prison complex in Tehran, Iran, that was by an Israeli strike.
Mostafa Roudaki/mizanonline/AFP via Getty Images
Following days of uncertainty, Iran’s Prisons Organization announced that detainees had been transferred to other prisons across Tehran Province. State media reported that many were moved to facilities including Qarchak Prison and Greater Tehran Prison.
“The situation inside both prisons is extremely worrying,” Mohammadi said, describing the transferred inmates as “war-affected detainees” now subjected to what she called “severe repression.”
A source close to the families of several political prisoners, who asked that their name not be used due to fear of reprisals, told ABC News that conditions in Qarchak Prison are “unbearable” and “akin to torture,” citing overcrowding, a lack of food and drinking water, poor sanitation, and insufficient access to basic necessities.
Three political prisoners — Golrokh Iraee, Reyhaneh Ansari and Varisheh Moradi — issued a joint statement from Qarchak Prison, saying, “We do not consider today’s suffering of our own to be greater than the suffering imposed on the people of Iran.”
Mohammadi told ABC News that she is calling for renewed international scrutiny of Iran’s treatment of its own citizens.
“I believe our situation has become even more dangerous for the people than it was before the war, and we must expand our human rights activities,” she said. “I hope international human rights organizations will refocus their special and particular attention on the repressions now being carried out in Iran after the war — including the issue of arrests, prisons, torture, forced confessions, and then the executions.”
Mohammadi also warned that based on “clear evidence and reports,” she expects that the government’s crackdown on civil society, particularly young people and activists, is likely to “become even more severe” in the coming days.
Despite the regime’s efforts to silence dissent, Mohammadi said she remains committed to her activism, even as pressure mounts on her, her family, and friends. A member of her support team told ABC News that she has received repeated phone calls demanding her return to prison, and that intelligence agents have summoned, interrogated, and harassed her friends and family in what appears to be an effort to isolate her.
Her team also says Iranian financial authorities issued an official order to seize Mohammadi’s Nobel Peace Prize award money — 17 billion toman or approximately USD $400,000 — echoing a similar tactic used against fellow Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi in 2009.
“I want to see an end to the Islamic Republic — a repressive, theocratic, and authoritarian system that is misogynistic, unreformable, and fundamentally dysfunctional,” Mohammadi’s said. “But I am against war — because it drains the strength and capacity of the Iranian people, civil society, and pro-democracy activists.”
Still, she remains hopeful.
“For decades, we’ve been fighting for freedom, democracy, and equality — enduring repression, imprisonment, executions, and torture. But we’ve never backed down,” she said. “Until the day democracy is achieved — I will not stop.”
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2025 has been the year of the AI boom, with one headline after another about how AI is now being used for everything you can possibly imagine.
You can use the tech to replace your therapist, do hours of grueling research in minutes, and even apply to jobs en masse (which is making recruiters’ lives miserable as we speak).
One of the most common headlines out there is that AI will replace millions of white-collar jobs, which has been quite scary for a lot of folks in that very workforce.
Several key CEOs have said it in one way or another, including Amazon’s Andy Jassy, Duolingo’s Luis von Ahn, and Shopify’s Tobi Lütke.
Add in the seemingly endless layoff announcements that have kept coming this year — Microsoft being the latest, having conducted multiple rounds of cuts in the past year — and things don’t look good for the future of making a living.
Companies have cut 744, 308 jobs since the beginning of the year, the largest amount of cuts since the pandemic hit in 2020, per outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
One well-respected financial voice has a different take on the whole situation, however, and he offered an opinion today many will be happy to hear.
CNBC’s Jim Cramer has a different take on the AI jobs rhetoric.
“CEOs have been saying that AI will wipe out jobs at their companies,” Cramer wrote. “But it hasn’t happened at most traditional white-collar firms. They are still hiring, still paying a lot. AI is still not trusted at the highest rungs of major companies.”
A few voices sided with Cramer’s take.
“AI’s potential is more hype than reality for now. Traditional firms are cautious, hiring is steady, and trust is still a barrier. Smart money knows the game: Invest in companies that leverage AI responsibly, not those that chase the buzz,” wrote X user 007ofWallStreet.
However, most opinions went in the opposite direction.
“Tell that to the 9K people at MSFT that just got laid off due to AI,” X user Luca said.
“You are blind Cramer,” wrote X user RaleighReefs. “I would think someone that deals in stocks would be able to see long term in other areas than stocks. Clearly your skills don’t translate.”
“Any home-gamer or cramerican who has tapped into Grok, Chat GPT, or other AI platform can see the incredible power of this technology. This will translate to the corporate world as well. Hopefully new jobs will emerge as AI takes over the more mundane and repetitive tasks. Early innings,” wrote X user Jim Pulanski.
Embracing AI too quickly
While many major tech companies are investing heavily in AI and aggressively cutting their headcounts, there is such a thing as moving too fast, too soon.
Fintech company Klarna tried to embrace the tech quickly, going as far as to boast that it had saved $10 million by replacing 700 of its human employees with AI chatbots.
But after its Q1 earnings reflected a $99 million net loss, Klarna backpedaled and said it would go back to hiring human employees.
“As cost unfortunately seems to have been a too-predominant evaluation factor when organizing this, what you end up having is lower quality,” Siemiatkowski said, referring to the customer experience with AI.
Some other businesses, like Walmart, have promised a more hopeful approach, saying that it will use AI in tandem with its workforce rather than replacing them with it.
“AI is a key enabler in improving how we work, and we believe its full potential is unlocked only when paired with the strengths of our people,” Walmart Transformation & Innovation Senior VP Greg Cathey said.
San Antonio police officers were called on Monday morning to the River Walk near Villita and Nueva streets, where a man’s body was found.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office later identified him as Zion Cook, 21.
“(Family members) are taking it pretty tough. It’s a shock,” George Cook, Zion Cook’s great-uncle, told KSAT on Thursday morning.
George Cook said the family is still coping with the loss of someone who they believe had a bright future.
Zion Cook was a Roosevelt High School graduate and had recently been working toward becoming an architect.
“He just recently graduated from (San Antonio College), and he just finished his semester at Texas Tech,” his great-uncle said.
George Cook described Zion as someone who was “fun to be around” and eager to help other people.
Demonte Alexander, who had served as a mentor to Zion Cook, called him “exceptional.”
“Just a very, very good kid,” Alexander said. “Great head on his shoulders, and was looking forward to a very, very promising career.”
Alexander, who previously appeared on KSAT’s election night power panel, got to know Zion Cook as a 2022 recipient of a scholarship offered by his Blackbird Golf organization.
He said Zion Cook would often ask for his advice on how to best use the scholarship money and what next steps to take toward his career.
“A lot of times when you graduate, you don’t have experience, so you try to work an internship somewhere in the architectural space,” Alexander said. “He always took initiative. He was always the one calling me, asking me questions.”
Family and friends are now left with their own questions.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office, so far, has not determined the cause or manner of Zion Cook’s death.
SAPD confirmed Thursday morning that he was the subject of a missing person report filed by relatives on June 28.
Police said the case, which was listed in a police report as a “sudden death,” is still under investigation.
George Cook told KSAT he did not know the circumstances surrounding Zion Cook’s disappearance or what led other family members to file the missing person’s report.
“I had no idea why he was downtown,” George Cook said. “I’m just waiting for some answers.”
More coverage of this story on KSAT:
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Governments’ existing human rights obligations require them to do all they can to mitigate the harms of the climate crisis, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights concluded in a new advisory opinion issued Thursday.
The seven-judge panel found that, “based on the best available science, the current situation constitutes a climate emergency.”
The planetary warming driving that emergency is caused by human activities that are “unevenly produced by States of the international community, which increasingly affect and seriously threaten humanity, especially the most vulnerable,” the court concluded.
In its official statement about the advisory opinion, the court also highlighted “the need to strengthen the democratic rule of law and to ensure that, in the context of the climate emergency, decisions are made in a participatory, open, and inclusive manner, that is science-based and recognizes local, traditional, and Indigenous knowledge.”
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The ruling follows a 2024 advisory opinion on climate change from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. Both opinions underscore the scientific consensus on the causes and impacts of climate change, aligning governments’ legal obligations to act with scientific understanding.
The opinion also emphasized that countries have a special duty to protect environmental defenders who were killed at the rate of three per week in 2023, according to the nonprofit watchdog group Global Witness.
“There is no climate justice possible if there is no defense of those who advocate for the environment,” said Luisa Gómez Betancur, a senior attorney with the Center for International Environmental Law. “Guaranteeing the rights of environmental activists is fundamental for consolidating healthy democratic systems. The court says that activists are allies or partners of the states.”
She added: “Without advocates, we will not be able to face a crisis, and we will not be able to ensure dignity on the planet.”
The opinion signals that states have clear legal obligations to address the impacts of global warming, said Elisa Morgera, the United Nations special rapporteur on climate change. Although the opinion is non-binding, it could shape how domestic courts rule on cases involving the obligations of governments to protect citizens from climate-related harms, she added.
Those obligations include providing public access to environmental information, adequately regulating corporations, restoring ecosystems and allocating the maximum available resources to vulnerable individuals and groups that are exposed to the most severe impacts of climate change.
The court’s opinion enables countries to look at the structural changes that are needed to “transform our economic models and prioritize tackling economic inequalities and extractivism,” she said, which could be transformative for the climate movement.
The opinion could even bolster efforts by civil society, including many Indigenous peoples, in “calling out any approach to climate action that is … a new colonial approach that supports those economic models and tries to continue in that very harmful direction that has brought us not only into a climate crisis, but, in fact, to multiple planetary crises,” Morgera said.
The United Nations has said the world faces three such crises, all interlinked: climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
The Costa Rica-based court was formed in 1959 under the auspices of the 34-member Organization of American States, and much of its work is related to the 1969 American Convention on Human Rights that has 20 countries, not including the United States, subject to its jurisdiction. The court’s judges are elected by OAS member states, and has issued several significant environment- and climate-related opinions and rulings.
A 2017 advisory opinion issued at the request of Colombia explicitly recognized for the first time a legal right to a healthy environment, stated that countries can be held responsible for cross-border harm and affirmed that damage to forests, rivers and other environmental impacts can violate human rights without direct personal harm.
And in 2024, it ruled that the Peruvian government violated human rights by failing to regulate toxic emissions from state-permitted smelters near the town of La Oroya. Because that ruling enforces environmental rights in a binding judgment, advocates have called it a model for future climate and environmental accountability cases.
The request for an advisory opinion on climate change and human rights came in 2023 from Chile and Colombia, triggering three public hearings in the Caribbean and South America and eliciting 263 submissions from 613 parties, including states, communities, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, one company and individuals.
Morgera said the opinion could also spur deeper understanding of what constitutes “fair relations between the Global North and Global South, and how we are experiencing human rights impacts of climate change in very disproportionate ways, but ways that are now fully foreseeable.”
In a groundbreaking step, the court also recognized that nature’s right to maintain its “essential ecological processes” contributes to a “sustainable development model that respects planetary boundaries” and future generations.
Recognizing nature’s rights, the court said, moves beyond old legal fictions that nature is only “property” and a resource to be used. An Earth-centered legal approach also empowers local communities and Indigenous peoples, who have long safeguarded ecosystems and hold deep traditional knowledge, the court added.
The opinion noted that multiple countries, including Canada, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Panama and Peru, as well as some U.S. states, have recognized nature’s rights in laws, resolutions and court rulings.
“Moving toward a paradigm that recognizes ecosystems’ own rights is essential for protecting their long-term integrity and functionality and provides coherent and effective legal tools in the face of the triple planetary crisis, in order to prevent existential damage before it becomes irreversible,” the court said.
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Bob Berwyn an Austria-based reporter who has covered climate science and international climate policy for more than a decade. Previously, he reported on the environment, endangered species and public lands for several Colorado newspapers, and also worked as editor and assistant editor at community newspapers in the Colorado Rockies.
Katie Surma is a reporter at Inside Climate News focusing on international environmental law and justice. Before joining ICN, she practiced law, specializing in commercial litigation. She also wrote for a number of publications and her stories have appeared in the Washington Post, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Seattle Times and The Associated Press, among others. Katie has a master’s degree in investigative journalism from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, an LLM in international rule of law and security from ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, a J.D. from Duquesne University, and was a History of Art and Architecture major at the University of Pittsburgh. Katie lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Jim Crowell.
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As Halle Bailey steps into a new chapter, she has fans and Tina Knowles riding for her heavy! Yup, Mama Tina made it crystal clear that she’s all in for Halle’s new era after she dropped some pics on social media from her luxe yacht day with a mystery bae.
Halle Bailey’s Soft Life Era Gets a Stamp Of Approval From Tina Knowles
Roomies, y’all might recall when Halle Bailey made some waves recently after she was spotted getting real cozy with a mystery bae. The Shade Room caught the exclusive flicks, and VIBE later confirmed that the guy is Scott Bridgeway.
Halle and Scott were boo’d up while sailing on the water, and in some pics, he even turned into her personal photographer while she served face and bawdy in a bikini. Halle later dropped the pics on her Instagram, and fans were quick to catch that Tina Knowles peeped them too. Tina Knowles made sure to slide in Halle’s comment section, seemingly giving what fans think was her stamp of approval of Halle’s new chapter. Tina simply wrote, “Forward” alongside a red heart emoji.
Social Media Weighs In
Meanwhile, folks over in The Shade Room’s comment section were loving how Tina Knowles came through with love for Halle Bailey. Some even called it a major flex to Beyoncé’s mom holding her down. Peep more reactions below.
Instagram user @theariperkins wrote, “Having Beyoncé mama in your corner is such a flex.”
Instagram user @kimmymar wrote, “The girlies are definitely moving on and I love it ..”
While Instagram user @ambernichelleee wrote, “Hating Halle over a custody battle for a child that don’t belong to none of y’all is crazy ”
Then Instagram user @itsofficialqveen wrote, “The wisdom this young lady is getting i just know she’s surrounded by love.”
Another Instagram user @thats.juana_ wrote, “She’s telling her to move forward and stay focused subtle wisdom.”
While another Instagram user @_bellalovee wrote, “Yea mama Knowles support your girl Everyone attacking her and dont know what went on behind closed doors.”
Instagram user @themazebanks wrote, “Yeah she definitely gave Halle some life advice. Miss Tina doesn’t play about her girls.”
Lastly, Instagram user @naybee.xo wrote, “I love Mama Tina.”
Does Halle Bailey Have A New Man In Her Life?
Halle Bailey had the internet in shambles after The Shade Room dropped some exclusive pics of her looking real boo’d up with Scott Bridgeway on a yacht. Things appeared to get steamy between the two as they soaked up the summer sun. One shot even caught them locking lips. While others see Scott putting in work to catch Halle’s best angles.
The NBA offseason has begun, and with that comes drama and buzz about the futures of the best free agents and potential trade targets.
We’ve got you covered, tracking all the rumors from in and around the league:
July 3
Suns, Bradley Beal discussing contract buyout
The Phoenix Suns have reportedly been discussing a contract buyout of shooting guard Bradley Beal. Beal has two years remaining on a five-year, $291 million deal that he signed before the 2022-23 season with the Washington Wizards. He was then traded to the Suns during the next offseason, where he’s played the last two years. Since that trade, his effectiveness has taken a dip as he’s averaged 17.6 points and 4.3 assists over 106 games with the Suns after averaging 23.2 points and 5.2 assists during his final season with the Wizards. The situation became especially dire when the Suns moved Beal to the bench midway last season to leverage him into passing his no-trade clause. However, when they shopped him on the trade market — regardless of the no-trade clause — suitors have been few and far between. So, the only option may be to buyout his contract, allowing both Beal and the team to move on.
July 2
Suns, Rockets working to expand Kevin Durant trade into 7-team deal
The Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets agreed to a deal on June 22 that sent Kevin Durant to Houston and Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (Khaman Maluach) to Phoenix. While the trade has already been processed, the two teams are working to expand the deal for contractual and monetary purposes. The Lakers, Warriors, Nets, Hawks and Timberwolves are now reportedly going to be included in the overall trade. Mutli-team deals have become commonplace in this second-apron era, but a 7-team deal would reportedly set the NBA record.
Damian Lillard fielding suitors
Damian Lillard was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday and, despite being set to miss the entirety of the 2025-26 NBA season, he has teams lining up to acquire his services. Contenders such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and Golden State Warriors are among the teams interested in bringing in the veteran point guard once he clears waivers on Thursday. Lillard, who turns 35 on July 15, is a nine-time All-Star coming off his fourth straight All-Star season. During his two seasons in Milwaukee, whom he joined in a trade after 11 years in Portland, he averaged 24.6 points and seven assists per game. However, he wasn’t able to make much of an impact on each of their postseason runs as he dealt with a strained Achillies during the 2024 playoffs, and returned from deep vein thrombrosis midway through the Bucks’ first-round series in the 2025 playoffs. He then sustained a torn Achillies in the elimination Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers this season, that will keep him out through next year. When we next see Lillard step on to an NBA court, he will be wearing a new jersey, it’s just a matter of which one.
June 30
Jordan Clarkson bought out
Jordan Clarkson and the Utah Jazz are reportedly finalizing a contract buyout. Clarkson, who is heading into his 12th NBA season, was set to make $14.3 million. Now, he will head to the open market and be one of the top unrestricted free agents in a rather weak 2025 class. Clarkson, who won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2020-2021, averaged 16.2 points per game and 3.7 assists, while shooting a career-low 40.8% from the field.
June 29
Former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton is negotiating a contract buyout from the Portland Trail Blazers, according to ESPN. Ayton, 26, was under contract for $35.5 million this season. He’s now arguably the most coveted center on the market.
Ayton averaged 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.0 block per game in 40 appearances for the 36-46 Trail Blazers last season.
The Houston Rockets have a big-money commitment to former No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. Smith, who turned 22 in May, plans to sign a five-year, $122 million rookie contract extension with the Rockets that is fully guaranteed through the 2030-31 season, according to a report from ESPN.
Smith started 39 games for Houston last season, and averaged 12.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.
Like a couple of other stars ahead of free agency, Harden will also decline his player option for the 2025-26 season in order to sign an extension. The star guard intends to sign a two-year, $81.5 million extension with the Clippers after declining his player option for next season, ESPN reported Sunday.
The deal will keep Harden in Los Angeles for at least a third season. As part of the new contract, Harden’s contract for the 2026-27 season is reportedly partially guaranteed. Harden was named an All-Star for the 11th time this past season, helping the Clippers earn the fifth seed in the Western Conference before losing to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.
If Giannis Antetokounmpo remains in Milwaukee, he’ll have one of his top teammates around him still. Portis agreed to a three-year, $44 million deal with the Bucks ahead of his pending free agency, ESPN reported. Portis, 30, has arguably been one of the league’s better role players over the last few years, but he only played 49 games last season due to a 25-game suspension for using Tramadol.
Instead of becoming one of the top players on the open market, Randle will stay in Minnesota. The three-time All-Star forward has declined his player option for next season, but will sign a three-year, $100 million extension with the Timberwolves, ESPN reported. The deal reportedly includes a player option for the 2027-28 season.
Randle, 30, was a key piece for the Timberwolves in their run to a second straight Western Conference finals, appearance, averaging 21.7 points per game in the postseason in his first year with the team. The Timberwolves acquired him in a deal with the New York Knicks just days before the start of training camp this past season.
The veteran wing will test the open market, declining his $15.4 million player option for next season, ESPN reported. Finney-Smith was a key part of the Lakers’ rotation after they acquired him in a midseason trade. The decision by Finney-Smith puts the Lakers roughly $9 million below the first luxury tax apron.
Thunder re-sign role players
A pair of end-of-the-rotation players will remain in Oklahoma City after winning the NBA title. Both Jaylin Williams and Ajay Mitchell have agreed to new deals with the Thunder ahead of hitting the open mark, ESPN reported. Williams’ deal is reportedly a three-year, $24 million pact with an option for the third year, while Mitchell’s deal is reportedly a three-year, $9 million pact.
The veteran wing, who’s known for his prowess as a 3-point shooter, will test free agency. He is declining his $20 million early termination option with the Heat, but is still looking to work out a deal with the team, according to ESPN.
June 28
OKC trade Jones to Wizards
The Oklahoma City Thunder are trading guard Dillon Jones and a second-round pick to the Washington Wizards, according to ESPN. The Wizards are also sending guard Colby Jones to the Thunder, who will then release him.
Mitchell sticks with Heat
Davion Mitchell intends to sign a two-year, $24 million deal to return to the Miami Heat, according to ESPN. The 26-year-old guard was a bright spot for Miami after being traded from Toronto as part of the multi-team deal that sent Jimmy Butler to Golden State.
Batum opts out of Clippers deal
Nicolas Batum is declining his $4.9 million player option for the 2025-26 season to become a free agent, according to ESPN, although there remains interest in a new deal between the veteran forward and the LA Clippers.
$38 million for Merrill
Sam Merrill will sign a four-year, $38 million contract to stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to ESPN. Merill, 28, averaged 7.2 points per game on 40.6% shooting from the field, including 37.2% from 3-point land, in 71 appearances for Cleveland last season.
Warriors tender offer to Kuminga
Jonathan Kuminga is expected to become a restricted free agent after the Warriors offered him a $7.9 million qualifying offer, according to ESPN. The Warriors have the right to match any offer and can explore sign-and-trade options as well. Kuminga fell in and out of the rotation for Steve Kerr last season after the trade for Jimmy Butler, but the Warriors still considers him a priority signing this offseason.
June 27
T-wolves intend to sign Reid to new five-year deal
All signs pointed towards Naz Reid declining his $15 million player option after the 2025 season, but it was unclear if that would lead to a summer of free agency or a new deal with the Timberwolves. Now, it seems the latter is more likely as of a report on Friday. Reid intends to sign a five-year, $125 million deal with the Timberwolves that would keep him in Minnesota through the 2030 season. Reid, who won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2023-24, posted career-bests in points per game (14.2) and rebounds per game (6.0) this past season.
Suns, Booker “active in working out” record extension
The Phoenix Suns remain steadfast in building around guard Devin Booker. The 10-year veteran is coming off a 2024-25 season in which he averaged 25.6 points per game, his lowest mark since 2018, to go with a career-high 7.1 assists per game. Booker has three years remaining on a four-year, $220 million contract he signed prior to last season, but is eligible, and reportedly working toward signing a record extension, which would tack on an additional two years at $150 million ($75 million AAV) and keep him under contract in Phoenix through the 2031 season.
76ers pick up Andre Drummond’s team option
The Philadelphia 76ers retained backup center Andre Drummond by picking up his player option on Friday. Instead of heading into the free-agent market, Drummond will make $5 million on the final year of a two-year contract he signed prior to the 2024-25 season with the 76ers. The two-time All-Star averaged 7.3 points and 7.8 rebounds during his 13th NBA season last year.
The Raptors are moving on from Ujiri, according to ESPN. Ujiri became Toronto’s executive vice president and general manager in 2013 and was the architect of the team’s 2019 NBA Finals triumph, the team’s lone championship. The Raptors are coming off a 30-52 season and haven’t won a playoff series since the 2019-20 NBA season.
June 26
Reaves turned down a four-year, $89.2 million extension offer from the Los Angeles Lakers, according to The Athletic. This was the maximum offer that the Lakers could make to Reaves, who signed a four-year, $53.8 million contract with the Lakers in 2023; Reaves is entering the third season of that deal, which includes a $14.9 million player option for the 2026-27 NBA season. Last season, Reaves averaged a career-high 20.2 points, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 46.0/37.7/87.7. The Lakers went 50-32 and claimed the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference before losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the first round of the playoffs.
New York is interviewing Borrego, the former head coach of the Charlotte Hornets and a current assistant coach for the New Orleans Pelicans, for its head-coaching vacancy, according to ESPN. Across Borrego’s four seasons as its head coach (2018-19 season to 2021-22 season), Charlotte went a combined 148-183. He has been part of head coach Willie Green’s coaching staff in New Orleans the past two seasons. Borrego is the fourth person who has interviewed with the Knicks, former Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown, former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins and Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori being the other three.
John Collins opts into player option with Jazz
John Collins has opted into his player option for the 2025-26 season instead of testing free agency. The veteran forward averaged 19 points per game and 8.2 rebounds throughout his eighth NBA season. He could have commanded a line of suitors on the open market, but it’s possible no team would have offered him more than the $26.58 million he’s set to make by remaining with the Utah Jazz.
Houston is signing VanVleet to a two-year, $50 million deal, according to ESPN. VanVleet had a $44.9 million team option in the final year of his three-year, $128.5 million deal for next season, which Houston was set to decline. The 31-year-old VanVleet averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game, while shooting 37.8/34.5/81.0 last season. The Rockets recently acquired 11-time All-NBA honoree Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns.
June 24
New Orleans is trading CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round pick to Washington for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and the No. 40 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, according to ESPN. McCollum is entering the final season of a two-year, $64 million deal, while Poole is entering the third season of a four-year, $128 million deal. The Wizards and Pelicans each missed the playoffs last season, with Washington selecting sixth and New Orleans selecting seventh in the 2025 draft.
Knicks interviewing Micah Nori for coaching vacancy
New York is interviewing Nori, an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves, for its head-coaching vacancy, according to ESPN. The 51-year-old Nori has been an assistant in Minnesota for the past four seasons, preceded by assistant coaching stints with the Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors. Nori served as Minnesota’s de facto head coach during the 2023-24 NBA postseason when head coach Chris Finch suffered a knee injury. Nori is the third known candidate to interview with the Knicks, former Kings head coach Mike Brown and former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins being the other two.
June 23
Gafford intends to sign extension with Mavericks
Daniel Gaffordreportedly intends to sign a contract extension with the Dallas Mavericks. The center, who is set to enter his seventh NBA season, has one year remaining on a three-year, $40.1 million deal that he signed in 2023. His next deal is expected to be another three-year extension, worth $60 million, that would run through the 2028-29 season. It would be a boost in pay for Gafford after a career-best season in which he averaged 12.3 points per game and 6.8 rebounds.
Middleton stays with Wizards
Khris Middleton has picked up his $33.3 million player option with the Washington Wizards for the 2025-26 season, according to ESPN. The three-time NBA All-Star was traded to D.C. ahead of the NBA trade deadline by the MIlwaukee Bucks. The 33-year-old wing has been dealing with ankle injuries and only made 37 appearances last season for both teams. Middleton helped the Bucks win the 2019 NBA Finals.
In return, the Suns will reportedly receive veteran guards Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks. They’ll also receive six draft picks, including the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The other five picks are second-round selections.
Durant, who will be 37 at the start of next season, is entering the final season of a four-year, $194.2 million deal.
Houston signed Udoka to a “long-term” extension that makes him one of the highest-paid head coaches in the NBA, according to ESPN. Earlier this month, the Rockets denied the New York Knicks permission to speak with Udoka about their head-coaching vacancy after they fired Tom Thibodeau. In Udoka’s second season as head coach, the Rockets went 52-30, claiming the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference before losing to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. Houston is a combined 93-71 under Udoka, who was previously the head coach of the Boston Celtics in the 2021-22 NBA season, with Boston reaching the NBA Finals.
June 17
Suns asking for the second pick, Stephon Castle
Kevin Durant has, reportedly, made it clear that the San Antonio Spurs are his priority destination. But, he may not get his way because the Phoenix Suns’ asking price of the Spurs is steep. The Suns, reportedly, want the “second pick (in the 2025 NBA Draft) and/or Stephon Castle.” The Spurs would prefer to retain both those assets in any trade for Durant.
June 16
Knicks not interested in acquiring Kevin Durant
The Kevin Durant destination rumors have been running rampant and the New York Knicks have remained a mainstay in that conversation. They have the assets to acquire the two-time NBA Champion, and he’s expressed an interest in landing there. However, the Knicks, reportedly, don’t share that desire:
“KD wanted the New York Knicks. He wanted to go there. The Knicks have no interest in bringing him in.”
June 15
The first major trade of the NBA offseason has been agreed to. The Magic have acquired Bane from the Grizzlies for guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony, along with four unprotected first-round picks and a first-round pick swap, ESPN reported. The picks Memphis is receiving are the No. 16 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns‘ 2026 first-round pick in 2026, Orlando’s 2028 unprotected first-round pick and Orlando’s 2030 first-round pick. The pick swap is a lightly protected first-round pick in 2029, according to ESPN.
Bane, who’ll turn 27 later in June, has been a big reason why the Grizzlies have made the playoffs in three of the last four seasons. The 2020 first-round pick has averaged 20.2 points per game in that stretch, including 19.2 points per game this past season. He’s also been among the game’s top 3-point shooters over that time, making 40.7% of his attempts from deep since the start of the 2021-22 season.
The Magic will hope that Bane will provide the necessary scoring and shooting the team needs alongside emerging star wings Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. While both players averaged over 24 points per game in 2024-25, they both shot 32% or lower from 3-point range, which is considered well below average. Orlando’s offense wasn’t great as a result, ranking 27th in offensive rating (108.9) en route to a 41-41 regular season. The Magic got the No. 7 seed in the East through the play-in tournament, but lost to the Boston Celtics in five games in the first round.
As for the Grizzlies, the trade marks the first big shake-up to their core in recent years. Memphis earned the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. However, it never made it past the second round of the playoffs in either season. It missed the playoffs in 2023-24 as Ja Morant missed most of the year due to injuries and a suspension. It got the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference this past season, getting swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. The Grizzlies fired head coach Taylor Jenkins just weeks before the start of the playoffs.
The 11-time All-NBA honoree, who will be 37 at the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, is entering the final season of a four-year, $194.2 million deal. Last season, Durant averaged 26.6 points per game, while shooting 52.7/43.0/83.9. He was limited to 62 games due to calf and ankle injuries.
It became clear toward the end of the 2025 NBA regular season that Kevin Durant’s time in Phoenix would come to an end with the close of the regular season. The Suns have reportedly placed a loose deadline on when they will move Durant. The Suns are aiming to trade Durant before the NBA Draft on June 25.
Houston signed Adams to a three-year, $39 million extension, ESPN reported. Adams, who will be 32 at the start of next season, averaged 3.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this year in his first healthy season with the Rockets.
June 13
Knicks set to interview coaching candidates
New York will interview Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown for its head-coaching vacancy next week, per The Athletic. Both coaches were fired by their respective teams during the regular season; Jenkins was fired by the Grizzlies, and Brown was fired by the Sacramento Kings. Across Jenkins’ six seasons as the Grizzlies’ head coach, the team went a combined 250-214, making the playoffs four times, counting this season. Should he be hired by New York, it would be Jenkins’ second NBA head-coaching stint.
Across Brown’s three seasons as the Kings’ head coach, the team went a combined 107-88, winning 46-plus games in each of the first two seasons, with the franchise making the playoffs for the first time in 17 years in Brown’s first season on the job (2022-23 season). Should he be hired by New York, it’d be Brown’s fifth NBA head-coaching stint.
New York’s request to interview Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd about its vacant head-coaching position was rejected, ESPN reported on June 11. The Knicks also were denied permission to speak with Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch and Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, SNY reported. New York fired Tom Thibodeau after losing to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Westbrook will decline his $3.4 million player option with the Denver Nuggets for the 2025-2026 season, per ESPN. Westbrook is recovering from hand surgery to repair multiple fractures sustained during the season, but in the past those types of injuries have cost him 14 and 12 games in a season, respectively, so the expectation is that he’d be ready to go well before training camp in the fall. The veteran guard averaged 13.3 points and 6.1 assists while shooting nearly 52% on 2-point attempts in 75 games for the Nuggets.
Per multiple reports, Philadelphia has discussed moving up in the draft from No. 3 to No. 2 with San Antonio. The Spurs already have a full backcourt — which is where the presumed second-overall selection, Rutgers‘ Dylan Harper, would end up — while the Sixers are looking to add to their own backcourt that already includes Tyrese Maxey. Whether the Spurs would actually look for a deal that would net them some additional draft assets to make up for the gap between the second and third picks is unknown, but the two teams have at least discussed the swap.
The Heat and Herro seem to be on the same page as the two sides work toward an extension. Herro is entering the penultimate year of his prior deal, in which he’s set to be paid $31 million in 2025-26 and $33 million in 2026-27. The extension he and the Heat are eyeing is reportedly a three-year deal, worth $149.7 million ($49.9 million AAV). The potential raise is warranted for Herro, who’s coming off a 2024-25 season in which he posted career-bests in points (23.9 per game) and assists (5.5) and earned his first All-Star nod.
After three consecutive playoff-less seasons, Toronto is looking to make changes. On Sunday, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on “The Hoop Collective” that the Raptors will try to acquire a “big fish” this offseason. There are a few big fish that could be available — Durant, who’s expressed a desire to leave Phoenix — comes to mind. The Raptors, though, could also try to lure Antetokounmpo, which would be like reeling in a great white shark.
Toronto has accumulated players with the salaries needed to build a package for a move like this — trading for and extending Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. Realistically, if Antetokounmpo is on the table, nobody should be off limits for Toronto, including young star Scottie Barnes. It would make sense for Antetokounmpo, too, because, while he hasn’t formally asked to be traded away from Milwaukee, he’s expressed a desire to stay in a much weaker Eastern Conference. According to an ESPN report from May, the two-time MVP said he’s “open-minded about exploring whether his best long-term fit is remaining in Milwaukee or playing elsewhere.”
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Immigration advocates called on federal authorities to provide more information about a raid that happened in Hays County back in April. Federal officials said the round up of nearly 50 people was part of a crackdown on a criminal gang from Venezuela
HAYS COUNTY, Texas – On the steps of the Hays County courthouse Thursday, immigration advocates issued a demand for answers.
Earlier this year, immigration raids stepped up targeting individuals allegedly linked to a Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua.
In April, one such raid happened in Hays County, which resulted in the detention of more than 40 people, including minors.
What they’re saying:
“We don’t know how this operation was planned, for how long, what surveillance technologies were used, or where many of our neighbors were taken,” said Karen Munoz with Latino Justice.
Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra described the immigration raid, and others like it, as kidnappings.
“Because that’s what they are until I hear otherwise,” said Judge Becerra.
Becerra and those at the courthouse event were also critical of the money the federal government is spending to catch and deport undocumented immigrants.
“They told us this was about keeping America safe. Safe from who, the bus boy? The mom who cleans hotel rooms?” said Judge Becerra.
During Thursday’s gathering, members of the group acknowledged that some of those detained have been released.
The other side:
FOX 7 Austin sent a request to federal authorities for an update on the case. A spokesperson with the Department of Homeland Security responded with a copy of the original April news release:
“For more than a year, the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the San Antonio Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety and several other federal, state and local partners, have been investigating members and associates believed to be part of the Venezuelan transnational gang, Tren de Aragua (TdA). In recent days, the FBI developed intelligence regarding a possible gathering of suspected TdA members or TdA associates in Hays County. Early Tuesday morning, the Hays County Sheriff’s Office and DPS, working with the FBI, ICE Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement Removal Operations established sufficient cause to obtain a search warrant for a residence in Hays County, which was executed by DPS’ Special Response Team. As a result of this operation, more than 40 individuals, including minors, were taken into custody at or near the residence, and narcotics were seized. State and federal prosecutors will evaluate potential charges based on evidence obtained during the search warrant and subsequent investigation. This case is currently under investigation. More details will be released as they become available.”
Those who support the ICE raids point to violent crimes recently committed by undocumented immigrants.
The cases include the murders of Jocelyn Nungaray of Houston and Laken Riley at the University of Georgia, as well as multiple TdA-linked crimes and arrests, reportedly, in more than 20 states since January 1, 2025.
