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| By The Free Press |
It’s Tuesday, July 8. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: New York City’s mayor discusses the biggest obstacle to his reelection in an interview with our Coleman Hughes; a new political party that recalls Ross Perot; what it means to be a genius. And much more.
But first: The tragedy in Texas, where ordinary people became heroes.
It’s hard to let go of hope. That is one reason why rescue crews in Texas are still searching debris piles, trees, and anywhere else they might find survivors of last week’s flash floods, which killed more than 100 people.
Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for some people to turn this heartbreaking tragedy into a political statement in support of their own agenda—from climate change to the National Weather Service’s inner workings to budget cuts by DOGE to getting what you voted for.
This is one of those times when the truth actually turns out to be simple. For years, Roger Pielke Jr. studied the use of weather forecasts and warnings at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, including flood warnings. He writes that the tragedy happened in an area that has among the greatest risks of flash flooding in the United States, a place where other summer campers were swept away to their deaths in 1987, and where flood warning systems are not in place.
“If there was ever something politicians should come together to ensure it never happens again—this is it,” Pielke writes.
The heartbreak also showed the kind of heroism that embodies the best of Texas—and America. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, whose district is north of Houston, shared some of those stories with us.
U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskan rescued 165 people who were stranded by the raging water. Counselors at Camp La Junta, a boys’ summer camp up the river from the all-girls’ Camp Mystic, rushed everyone safely to higher ground. Camp Mystic’s owner, Dick Eastland, lost his life trying to rescue the girls in his care.
“Neighbors saved neighbors. Ordinary people became heroes,” Crenshaw writes. “That is the spirit of Texas. No flood can ever wash it away.”
—The Editors
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Our own Coleman Hughes sat down with New York City mayor Eric Adams at Gracie Mansion yesterday to talk about everything from Adams’ stand against the “Defund the Police” movement in 2020 to his ongoing crusade against the city’s rat problem. Don’t miss this exclusive interview on Conversations with Coleman.
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What does it really mean to be a genius? Today, Atlantic staff writer Helen Lewis joins Bari on Honestly to talk about her new book, The Genius Myth. In this conversation, Helen explains why she believes genius is a right-wing idea; unpacks Silicon Valley’s IQ fetish; and probes the mythology of human brilliance—from Elon to Einstein.
