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Trump administration can deport Djibouti detainees to South Sudan after judge denies emergency bid to block flight

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CNN
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The Trump administration sent eight migrants held in Djibouti for weeks to South Sudan, where they fear they will face violence, following a flurry of court activity on Friday.

A federal judge in Massachusetts denied an emergency request Friday evening from the migrants’ lawyers to block their deportation to the country, where they said their clients could face torture.

In a brief order, United States District Judge Brian E. Murphy wrote that he interpreted a Supreme Court decision delivered a day earlier allowing the deportation to South Sudan to move forward as “binding” on the request, which he said raised “substantially similar claims.” The nation’s highest court on Thursday had ruled in the Trump administration’s favor and cleared the way to remove the eight migrants to South Sudan.

“Law and order prevails,” Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said on X following the decision.

McLaughlin told CNN, “After weeks of delays by activist judges that put our law enforcement in danger, ICE deported these 8 barbaric criminals illegal aliens to South Sudan.”

The detainees’ lawyers had argued they will face torture if they are sent to South Sudan, and say they will be deprived of their constitutional rights. They said the Trump administration is trying to unfairly hurt them with the deportation, which they cast in court filings as “punitive banishment” and “severe punishment” and warn the detainees could be put at risk of being “arbitrarily imprisoned, tortured, killed or severely harmed.”

Judge Randolph Moss in the DC District Court heard arguments in a pair of emergency hearings Friday afternoon before saying the case should be moved to Massachusetts.

“It seems self-evident the US government can’t take human beings and send them to a place where their physical well-being is at risk,” such as in South Sudan, either to punish them or to warn other possible migrants to the US of the consequences of illegal immigration, Moss said.

He ordered the Trump administration not to move the migrants until 4:30 p.m. ET and told the migrants’ lawyers they must move fast to try to get a judge to intervene in Massachusetts. The detainees’ lawyers filed their new claims just after 4 p.m. in Massachusetts’ federal district court.

Attorneys for the migrants said sending them to war-torn South Sudan would be further punishment than the sentences they’ve already served for crimes. A lawyer argued to Moss in court that the administration’s actions in this situation are unprecedented and “unlike anything that has ever been done by the US with deportations before.”

The Justice Department, however, argued that the latest ask for relief should’ve been filed earlier, in a different type of claim and a different court than Moss’. “They can’t justify their claim-splitting,” said Justice Department attorney Hashim Mooppan.

The Justice Department lawyer also expressed frustration to the court that the detainees’ legal approach appears to be an attempt to “drag … out” their being moved out of Djibouti, and said that the US diplomatic relations could be hurt by the multiple rounds of the court fight, as it negotiates with other countries to take migrants it seeks to deport.

The eight detainees in Djibouti are from countries including Myanmar, Sudan, Mexico, Vietnam, Laos and Cuba, according to court filings, but the administration since springtime has moved fast to put detainees like them and others on planes and send them to other countries, often with a history of significant safety risks and brutality.

The administration also revealed in court Friday additional details on the diplomatic correspondence between the United States and South Sudan, saying that upon arrival, the migrants would be granted an immigration status in accordance with South Sudan laws and immigration procedures, and that the US did not ask for them to be detained there.

Moss said on Friday he believed the lawyers for the detainees were “doing their best to protect the lives and well-being of human beings.”

He also cited a stark travel warning from the State Department cautioning Americans headed to the country. “It does appear placing people in South Sudan does pose significant risks to their physical safety,” Moss said.

Still, Moss limited how much he intervened over the US’ plans. The judge explained the very short stay he issued Friday afternoon by saying he didn’t believe courts should issue administrative stays that last longer than is necessary.

This headline and story have been updated with additional developments.



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Prime Day Apple deals are live – record-low prices that I’d buy on AirPods, iPads, and MacBooks from $15.99

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While Amazon‘s 2025 Prime Day sale is just one day away (taking place from July 8 to July 11), the retailer has surprised us by dropping Prime Day Apple deals that you can shop for right now.

Shop Amazon’s full early sale

While Amazon’s early offers are typically not that impressive, today’s Prime Day Apple deals are quite good. You can find record-low prices on Apple’s latest and greatest devices, including AirPods, iPads, smartwatches, MacBooks, and more.

Today’s Apple discounts are so impressive that I’ve hand-picked the 112 best offers below that I recommend buying right now instead of waiting for Amazon’s official Prime Day sale. A few highlights include Apple’s all-new AirPods 4 on sale for only $99, the Apple Watch Series 10 on sale for $299, and the powerful MacBook Air M4 on sale for $1,049 – all lowest-ever prices.

While we may see slightly lower prices during Amazon’s official sale, because Prime Day Apple deals are so popular, they won’t last long. Today’s early deals allow you to secure your Apple gadget today and avoid the madness of Amazon Prime Day.

The 12 best Prime Day Apple deals to buy now



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Tesla stock tanks after Trump dismisses Musk’s new political party plan and calls him ‘off the rails’

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CNN
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Shares in Tesla tanked by as much as 7.6% in premarket trading Monday after its CEO Elon Musk said he is forming a new American political party, provoking an irate response from US President Donald Trump.

Tesla stock (TSLA) later recovered some of its earlier losses but then opened down 7.6% at the start of regular trading at 9:30 a.m. ET. In mid-afternoon trading shares were down about 7%.

“I’m saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform late Sunday, also mentioning Musk’s Saturday announcement that he is forming a political party to rival the main Republican and Democratic parties.

Ahead of boarding Air Force One in New Jersey Sunday, Trump also called Musk’s announcement “ridiculous” and said it would sow confusion.

Neil Wilson, a strategist at UK trading platform Saxo Markets, said Monday that Tesla investors were concerned on two fronts: firstly, that further friction between Musk and Trump would lead to additional cuts to US government EV subsidies and, secondly, that Musk appeared “distracted.”

“Investors had cheered Musk stepping back from frontline politics but are now worried he’s going to (be) sucked back in and take his eye off Tesla,” Wilson wrote in a note.

Trump and Musk began trading barbs in early June after the Tesla CEO criticized Trump’s so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill” — a massive tax and domestic policy bill, which the president signed into law last week. Musk has argued that the policies will add trillions of dollars to the federal budget deficit.

“When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,” Musk said on his social media platform, X, Saturday. “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”

Trump, in his Sunday post, said third political parties “have never succeeded in the United States” and that “the one thing (they) are good for is the creation of Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS.”

Tesla stock on Monday was on track for its biggest single-day loss since June 5, when Musk and Trump traded barbs on social media.

Tesla’s fortunes have taken a turn in recent months as it has grappled with intensifying competition from rival EV makers and the fallout from Musk’s foray into US politics.

Last week, the company reported a record fall in second-quarter sales, selling 13.5% fewer vehicles compared with the same period in 2024. For that year, Tesla has also reported its first-ever annual decline in sales as a public company. The drop was small — around 1% — though it marks a striking turnaround for an automaker historically accustomed to robust sales growth.

Notably, Tesla is poised to lose its title as the world’s largest EV maker, based on annual sales, to Chinese automaker BYD, even though BYD has not entered the US market.

Meanwhile, Musk’s recent involvement at the wheel of the US government, helming the Department of Government Efficiency and spearheading mass layoffs of federal workers, has, among other controversies, sparked protests outside Tesla’s showrooms worldwide.

In May, Musk announced he would step down from his government position, raising hopes among investors that he will now have more time to work on his companies, which include SpaceX and X. But the billionaire’s feud with Trump, and likely upcoming attempts to woo voters to his new party, have thrust him back into the political arena.

Shares of Tesla nearly doubled after election day, setting a record high in mid-December thanks to investor expectations that an alliance between Trump and Musk would be beneficial for Tesla. But the controversy and blowback caused by Musk’s political activities sent shares tumbling, and they’ve lost more than a third of their value from since.



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A list of Texas flood victims emerges

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Two eight-year-old sisters from Dallas who had just completed 2nd grade. A beloved soccer coach and teacher. An Alabama elementary student away from home. These are a few of the dozens of victims lost in devastating flooding in Texas.

The flooding in central Texas originated from the fast-moving waters on the Guadalupe River on Friday, killing at least 89 people. Authorities say search and rescue efforts are still underway, including for campers missing from a summer camp for girls.

Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence

Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence were 8-year-old sisters from Dallas who were among the victims killed by the flooding at Camp Mystic.

The girls had just finished second grade, their parents said.

“Hanna and Rebecca brought so much joy to us, to their big sister Harper, and to so many others,” John and Lacy Lawrence said in a statement. “We will find ways to keep that joy, and to continue to spread it for them. But we are devastated that the bond we shared with them, and that they shared with each other, is now frozen in time. “

David Lawrence, the girls’ grandfather and former publisher of the Miami Herald, said “it has been an unimaginable time for all of us.” He said the girls gave their family, including their sister, joy.

“They and that joy can never be forgotten,” he said in a statement.

University Park Elementary School, where Hanna and Rebecca attended, said on its website that “numerous” students were in the Texas Hill Country during the flooding and had to evacuate. The school did not immediately respond to a message left Monday morning.

“We are deeply saddened to report the loss of multiple students, and our thoughts and prayers are with all of the families deeply affected by this unimaginable tragedy,” the school said on its site.

Reece and Paula Zunker

Reece Zunker was described as “a passionate educator and a beloved soccer coach” by Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas.

“His unwavering dedication to our students, athletes, and the Tivy community touched countless lives and will never be forgotten,” the school posted online Sunday.

Paula Zunker was a former teacher at the school. “The care and impact she shared with her students continue to be felt, even years later,” the post said.

The couple’s young children, Lyle and Holland, were still missing, the school said.

The family had been staying at a river house in Hunt.

Tanya Burwick

The last time Tanya Burwick’s family heard from her was a frantic phone call about the floodwaters as she headed to work at a Walmart early Friday in the San Angelo area. When Burwick didn’t show up for work, her employer filed a missing persons report and sent a colleague to look for her.

Police investigating the 62-year-old’s disappearance found Burwick’s unoccupied SUV fully submerged later that day. Her body was found the next morning blocks from the vehicle.

“She lit up the room and had a laugh that made other people laugh,” said Lindsey Burwick, who added that her mom was a beloved parent, grandparent and colleague to many.

She and her brother Zac said the day was especially difficult because it happened on July Fourth as they were working at a fireworks stand that’s been in the family for generations. As word of Tanya Burwick’s disappearance spread, people from from Blackwell, a small community of about 250 people, showed up to the stand that’s run out of a trailer painted orange.

“People came to our aid,” Lindsey Burwick said.

Police in San Angelo said more than 12,000 houses, barns and other buildings have been affected by the floods in the community of roughly 100,000 people.

“We ask that the public continue to keep the Burwick family in their thoughts and prayers as they navigate this heartbreaking tragedy,” the San Angelo Police Department said in a Facebook post.

Jane Ragsdale

Jane Ragsdale, 68, devoted her life to the Heart O’the Hills Camp, a summer camp for girls in Texas Hill Country. She was a camper and counselor there herself in the 1970s before becoming a co-owner. By the 1980s, she was director of the camp in Hunt.

“She was the heart of The Heart,” the camp said in a statement. “She was our guiding light, our example, and our safe place. She had the rare gift of making every person feel seen, loved, and important.”

Since the camp was between sessions, no children were staying there when the floodwaters rose. The camp’s facilities, directly in the path of the flood, were extensively damaged and access to the site remained difficult, according to camp officials. The camp has been in existence since the 1950s.

Camp officials said Ragsdale would be remembered for her strength and wisdom.

“We are heartbroken. But above all, we are grateful,” the camp said. “Grateful to have known her, to have learned from her, and to carry her light forward.”

In a 2015 oral history for the Kerr County Historical Commission, Ragsdale, whose first name was Cynthie, but went by her middle name Jane, talked about how her father was also a camp director and how much she enjoyed her experiences.

“I loved every minute of camp from the first time I stepped foot in one,” she recalled.

Videos of Ragsdale strumming a guitar and singing to campers during a recent session were posted in a memorial on the camp’s Facebook page: “Life is good today. So keep singing ’til we meet, again.”

Sarah Marsh

Eight-year-old Sarah Marsh from Alabama had been attending Camp Mystic in Texas, a longtime Christian girls camp in Hunt where several others were killed in the floods. As of Sunday, afternoon, 11 children were still missing.

Marsh was a student at Cherokee Bend Elementary in suburban Birmingham.

“This is an unimaginable loss for her family, her school, and our entire community,” Mountain Brook Mayor Stewart Welch said in a Facebook post. “Sarah’s passing is a sorrow shared by all of us, and our hearts are with those who knew and loved her.”

He said the community — where about 20,000 people reside — would rally behind the Marsh family as they grieved.

Her parents declined an interview request Sunday “as they mourn this unbearable loss,” the girl’s grandmother, Debbie Ford Marsh, told The Associated Press in an email.

“We will always feel blessed to have had this beautiful spunky ray of light in our lives. She will live on in our hearts forever!” Marsh wrote on Facebook. “We love you so much, sweet Sarah!”

She declined further comment.

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama also noted the girl’s tragic death.

“We continue to pray for the victims’ loved ones, the survivors, those who are still missing, and our brave first responders as search and rescue efforts continue in Texas,” she said in a post on social media platform X.

Blair and Brooke Harber

Sisters Blair and Brooke Harber, both students at St. Rita Catholic School in Dallas, had been staying alongside the Guadalupe River when their cabin was swept away, according to the school.

Pastor Joshua J. Whitfield of St. Rita Catholic Community, which shares a campus with the school, said the girls’ parents, Annie and RJ Harber, were staying in a different cabin and were safe. However, their grandparents were unaccounted for. Annie Harber has been a longtime teacher at the school.

“This tragedy has touched every corner of our hearts,” the church said in a statement Sunday.

Blair, who was enrolled in advanced classes, was involved in numerous school activities from volleyball and basketball to speech and drama. Brooke was a rising sixth grader and a student athlete in volleyball and lacrosse, among other sports. She also participated in speech and drama, according to the church.

Both were remembered for their kind hearts and warm personalities.

“We will honor Blair and Brooke’s lives, the light they shared, and the joy they brought to everyone who knew them,” Whitfield wrote in a Saturday letter to parishioners. “And we will surround Annie, RJ, and their extended family with the strength and support of our St. Rita community.”

The church held a special prayer service Saturday afternoon and offered counseling.

“Please keep the Harber family in your prayers during this time of profound grief,” Whitfield wrote. “May our faith, our love, and our St. Rita community be a source of strength and comfort in the days ahead.”





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