Houston police say the man who was thought to be “missing” for eight years was home the entire time. Marjorie Taylor Greene is voted out of the House Freedom Caucus. And Britney Spears wants to apologize after an incident at a Las Vegas hotel.
Here’s what you need to know today.
Houston man who police say never disappeared no longer wants to contact his mother, aunt says
The 25-year-old man who was thought to have been missing for eight years no longer wants to see or live with his mother, his aunt said.
“He’s fine, but he plans to stay away from his mother,” Pauline Sanchez told reporter Deon J. Hampton.
Rudy Farias made national headlines over the weekend when it was first reported that he had been “safely located” after a years-long search. But authorities said yesterday that Farias he had been living with his mother most of the time and it was never really lacking.
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Sanchez said she took the day off work after learning of Farias’ whereabouts and drove across town to see him again. “I felt a great presence,” he said of his reunion. “It was beautiful. We hugged until I finally let go.”
Read the full story here.
Learn more about the revelations surrounding Rudy Farias
At least one neighbor he really believed Farias was gone because his mother would start crying when she asked him about him. But other neighbors were surprised to hear about the case, they said, because they have seen Farias often in recent years.
Marjorie Taylor Greene voted out of the Freedom Caucus
On the last day before a two-week Fourth of July break, members of the House Freedom Caucus gathered for a hastily called meeting and voted to remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from the caucus ultraconservative, according to two sources familiar with the deliberations. A third source said the vote was overwhelmingly in favor of removing Greene.
But nearly two weeks later, it’s still unclear whether that vote was successful. For one thing, the group’s chairman, Rep. Scott Perry, may not have notified Greene directly that he was kicked out, according to a Republican source.
Meanwhile, several sources have described the confusing situation as “a mess” and the group you will almost certainly have to revisit the topic when lawmakers return from recess next week.
Tulare Lake isn’t going away anytime soon
California’s once dormant Tulare Lake refilled for the first time in 40 years after atmospheric river storms pounded the state with snow and rain this winter. The lake is receding, but it will take at least a year to completely evaporate, experts say. Its longevity depends largely on what happens next year.
It took some time for residents and officials to adjust to the sudden reappearance of the lake, which was drained for farmland in the late 1800s. This year’s rain has caused hundreds of millions of dollars in agricultural losses . Flooded farm buildings, vehicles, homes and electrical infrastructure are now hidden in its waters. Although these losses hurt, the region narrowly avoided a more devastating outcome.
FDA approves new Alzheimer’s drug
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi, marking the first time a drug intended to slow the progression of the disease has received full regulatory approval. Other drugs approved for the only symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
A phase 3 clinical trial showed that the disease was slowed by 27% over an 18-month period. “In real terms, this probably means more time for the patient to live independently, enjoy their hobbies, their friends and have a better quality of life,” said one expert.
Others, however, were less optimistic about the benefits of the drug, expressing concern about its safety, cost and accessibility.
The photos appear to show the interior of Boss Wagner’s estate
In the latest sign of an emerging propaganda war against Yevgeny Prigozhin, the man behind the uprising that shook Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime, pro-Kremlin media outlets have released photos that appear to show a wide variety of of contents inside the house of Wagner’s mercenary boss in St. Petersburg. There are gold bars and wads of cash, multiple wigs, a weapons stash, and a giant hammer. A state television program mocked signs of Prigozhin’s lavish lifestyle as a contrast to his self-constructed image as a “people’s hero”. See more photos of the farm.
▼ Today’s speaker
Britney Spears says she was ‘upside down’…
… by NBA player Victor Wembanyama’s security guard earlier this week at a Las Vegas hotel. The pop star wrote claims that she wanted to introduce herself to Wembanyama, the celebrated new selection of the San Antonio Spurs, so she walked up to him and “tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention”. It was then that one of Wembanyama’s guards acted. Spears expressed her dismay in a social media post and said she has not received a “public apology.”
▼ Policy in brief
Cocaine in the White House: Several officials involved in the investigation of a bag of white powder found at the White House now say the drug they met in a different place than previously reported.
2024 election: Gov. Ron DeSantis boasted about sending aid to Iowa after a disastrous building collapse. What he didn’t say, and what NBC News learned in a public records request, was this his help was no longer needed.
Trump’s deposition: A federal judge rejected an effort by the Justice Department to prevent Donald Trump from attending a deposition related to a pair of lawsuits filed by former FBI officials.
Yellen in China: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen defended American actions to protect its national security in a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
Case of classified documents: Walt Nauta, personal assistant to Donald Trump, pleaded not guilty in a Florida federal court in the classified documents case. He is accused of helping to hide top national security files from investigators after Trump left the White House.
▼ Staff selection
A new lawsuit against Ye and his schools
Another educator has made allegations about how rapper Ye runs his schools. In a lawsuit filed yesterday, a former assistant principal at Yeezy Christian Academy said a fire started near students at the school because of faulty wiring. He also alleged that there were windows that were left blank at Donda Academy because Ye did not like glass. Journalists Tim Stelloh and Diana Dasrath have closely followed the allegations about the conditions of the schools and examine the complaints raised in this new lawsuit. —Claire Cardona, breaking news editor
▼ In case you missed it
A teenager from Iowa was sentenced to life imprisonment to beat his Spanish teacher to death with a baseball bat.
Twitter is accusing Meta of stealing trade secrets for their new Threads app.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said Donald Trump Jr. he was a “big baby”. after canceling a speaking tour in the country.
OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operationshe announced, weeks after his Titan submersible exploded, killing all five people on board.
Kevin Costner’s estranged wife it has to move of the Santa Barbara home they shared at the end of the month, a judge ruled amid the couple’s divorce battle.
A foot caresser is loose in the Lake Tahoe area, Nevada officials warned, after two women staying at a resort told police they woke up to an intruder “stroking their feet.”
▼ Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Although Amazon Prime Day officially takes place next Tuesday and Wednesday, the retailer is already offering significant discounts on several products. Here they are the best deals and early sales to shop right now, including Amazon Echo devices, kitchen appliances, and more.
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