Audio recording is automated for accessibility. Humans wrote and edited the story. See our AI policy, and give us feedback.
Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
Camp Mystic confirmed Monday it is “grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors” following the devastating floods in Texas over the weekend.
The all-girls Christian camp, which has been a summertime retreat for generations of Texas girls, has become the focus of floods’ aftermath. The camp is Kerr County along the Guadalupe River, where water reached catastrophic levels overnight Friday. About 10 inches of rain fell within a few hours, causing the river to rise 26 feet in 45 minutes.
“Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,” the camp wrote in a statement to their website. “We are praying for them constantly.”
The camp said it has been in communication with local and state authorities who are conducting searches for the missing girls.
Officials have confirmed at least 79 deaths as of Sunday from the floods in Central Texas, including 40 adults and 28 children in Kerr County. It was not immediately clear Monday morning how many of the girls from Camp Mystic were included in that official count. A press conference has been scheduled for 10 a.m.
Camp Mystic’s director Richard “Dick” Eastland is among those who have been confirmed dead. According to Eastland’s son, the director died trying to save campers as the floodwaters began engulfing the camp.
“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community, first responders, and officials at every level,” the camp said on its website.
Questions about a lack of sufficient warnings have continued to grow since the flash floods. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch Thursday afternoon, predicting up to seven inches of isolated rainfall early Friday morning.
At 1:14 a.m. Friday, the NWS issued the first flash flood warning. At 4:03 a.m., the NWS issued a flash flood emergency, warning of an “extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.”
Local and state officials have since said the NWS forecasts did not accurately predict the intensity of the rainfall.
Shape the future of Texas at the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin! We bring together Texas’ most inspiring thinkers, leaders and innovators to discuss the issues that matter to you. Get tickets now and join us this November.
Phypers, 52, filed for divorce from the “Wild Things” star, 54, on Monday in Los Angeles, according to documents obtained by The Post.
Phypers listed “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the breakup. He also listed the date of separation as Friday, July 4.
Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers at The Jonathan Foundation fundraiser. Faye’s Vision/INSTARimages
The pair tied the knot in 2018 in Malibu.
Richards shared in a statement at the time, “I am so happy to officially be married to the love of my life!”
The wellness practitioner is seeking spousal support from Richards, per the documents. He also asked to keep their debts and assets separate, as well as making sure to note that he wants his power tools, 2018 Indian Dark Horse motorcycle and his Shelby GT500 sports car.
The Post has reached out to Richards’ rep and Phypers for comment.
Denise Richards poses with her family. Nicole Weingart/E! Entertainment
The estranged husband and wife were married for six years. Richards is mom to daughters Sami, 21, and Lola, 20, with her ex-husband Charlie Sheen.
The actress adopted daughter Eloise, 13, in 2011. In 2019, Phypers legally adopted Eloise.
Aaron Phypers, Denise Richards and Eloise. FilmMagic
At the event, Richards and Phypers got candid about their youngest daughter’s health.
Eloise was diagnosed with chromosome 8 in 2016, which has caused developmental delays for the teen. Nevertheless, the teen is thriving.
“She’s doing amazing,” the former “RHOBH” star shared. “She really is. We are very fortunate that we’re able to provide that for her, but she’s turning 14 and there are a lot of challenges.”
Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers. WireImage
Richards told The Post that Eloise has taught the now-former pair several things.
“Patience,” the mom of three stated. “She is an angel, and just the littlest things make her so happy. [It’s taught us] to enjoy the small things and enjoy the smaller things in life.”
Phypers noted, “She’s so special.”
Denise Richards poses with her husband. deniserichards/Instagram
Richards revealed that the cast, which also included Sheen’s ex-wife Brooke Mueller and their 16-year-old twins Bob and Max, filmed more than what viewers saw.
“We filmed so much footage you can put into an episode,” she confessed. “I’m glad people want more instead of being like, ‘When is this thing over?’ So I’m glad that people seem to really like the show, and we’re very blessed, and hopefully we will be back for another season.”
Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers. APEX / MEGA
During Season 1, fans got an in-depth look into Richards’ marriage. She and Phypers presented as a united front as they dealt with their children, relatives and relationship.
On the premiere episode, Richards opened up about her romance with the Bravo star.
“It’s not easy being married to me,” she expressed in a confessional, as Phypers responded: “It is not, and she said it! But this is it. I’m done.”
Denise Richards kisses her husband. Nicole Weingart/E! Entertainment
Richards admitted: “Yeah, I’m never getting divorced again. Even if we hate each other, I’m not gonna f–king get divorced.”
“We’ll just have different homes or something,” suggested the motorcycle enthusiast. “But we’re not gonna hate each other.”
But in April, Sami opened up about her bond, or lack thereof, with her stepdad.
“We’re not even that close,” she revealed on the “Casual Chaos with Gia Giudice” podcast. “We don’t ever hang out, we never talk.” However, Sami noted she’s all for his marriage to her mom because “he makes her happy.”
Charlie Sheen, Denise Richards and daughters, Lola and Sami. Instagram
Richards was famously married to Sheen, 59, from 2002 to 2006.
Phypers tied the knot with “Desperate Housewives” actress Nicollette Sheridan in 2015. The two divorced in 2018.
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.
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.
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.
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.
