The 2025 WNBA season has a slew of games this weekend. To wrap up the slate of games, an exciting matchup between the defending champion New York Liberty and Seattle Storm is set to take place.

The Liberty basically picked up where they left off last season, behind their big three of Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones. New York’s new contributor in Natasha Cloud has been a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end. Marine Johannes has also remained a three-point specialist.

The Storm are also having a solid season with double-digit wins already. Seattle’s core of veterans in Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Gabby Williams and Erica Wheeler have gotten them to this point.

Fans looking to tune into the Storm vs Liberty game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Here’s everything you need to know before the Storm and Liberty tipoff:

When: Sunday, July 6, 2025

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

Time: 1 p.m. E.T.

Fans looking to tune into the Storm vs Liberty game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — At least 24 people were killed and a frantic search continued overnight for many others missing in the Texas Hill Country, including more than 20 from a girls camp, after a storm unleashed nearly a foot of rain and sent floodwaters spilling out of the Guadalupe River.

The destructive force of the fast-rising waters just before dawn Friday washed out homes and swept away vehicles.

There were hundreds of rescues around Kerr County, including at least 167 by helicopter, authorities said. The total number of missing was not known but the sheriff said between 23 and 25 of them were girls who had been attending Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river.

On social media, parents and families posted desperate pleas for information about loved ones caught in the flood zone.

“The camp was completely destroyed,” said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers at Camp Mystic. “A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.”

She said a raging storm woke up her cabin around 1:30 a.m. Friday, and when rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as the children in her cabin walked across a bridge with floodwaters whipping around the calves and knees.

The flooding in the middle of the night on the Fourth of July holiday caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise. Officials defended their preparations for severe weather and their response but said they had not expected such an intense downpour that was, in effect, the equivalent of months’ worth of rain for the area.

One National Weather Service forecast this week had called for only between three and six inches of rain, said Nim Kidd, the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

“It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,” he said.

At a news conference late Friday, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 24 people had been confirmed killed. Authorities said 237 people had been rescued so far.

Helicopters, drones used in frantic search for missing

A river gauge at Hunt recorded a 22-foot rise in about two hours, according to Bob Fogarty, meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Austin/San Antonio office. The gauge failed after recording a level of 29-1/2 feet.

“The water’s moving so fast, you’re not going to recognize how bad it is until it’s on top of you,” Fogarty said.

On the Kerr County sheriff’s office Facebook page, people posted pictures of loved ones and begged for help finding them.

At least 400 people were on the ground helping in the response, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said. Nine rescue teams, 14 helicopters and 12 drones were being used, with some people being rescued from trees.

‘Pitch black wall of death’

In Ingram, Erin Burgess woke to thunder and rain at 3:30 a.m. Just 20 minutes later, water was pouring into her home directly across from the river, she said. She described an agonizing hour clinging to a tree and waiting for the water to recede enough so they could walk up the hill to a neighbor’s home.

“My son and I floated to a tree where we hung onto it, and my boyfriend and my dog floated away. He was lost for a while, but we found them,” she said.

Of her 19-year-old son, Burgess said: “Thankfully he’s over 6 feet tall. That’s the only thing that saved me, was hanging on to him.”

Matthew Stone, 44, of Kerrville, said police came knocking on doors at 5:30 a.m. but that he had received no warning on his phone.

“We got no emergency alert. There was nothing,” Stone said. Then “a pitch black wall of death.”

‘I was scared to death’

At a reunification center set up in Ingram, families cried and cheered as loved ones got off vehicles loaded with evacuees. Two soldiers carried an older woman who could not get down a ladder. Behind her, a woman in a soiled T-shirt and shorts clutched a small white dog.

Later, a girl in a white “Camp Mystic” T-shirt and white socks stood in a puddle, sobbing in her mother’s arms.

Barry Adelman, 54, said water pushed everyone in his three-story house into the attic, including his 94-year-old grandmother and 9-year-old grandson. The water started coming through the attic floor before finally receding.

“I was horrified,” he said. “I was having to look at my grandson in the face and tell him everything was going to be OK, but inside I was scared to death.”

‘No one knew this kind of flood was coming’

The forecast had called for rain, with a flood watch upgraded to a warning overnight for at least 30,000 people. But totals in some places exceeded expectations, Fogarty said.

Patrick noted that the potential for heavy rain and flooding covered a large area.

“Everything was done to give them a heads up that you could have heavy rain, and we’re not exactly sure where it’s going to land,” Patrick said. “Obviously as it got dark last night, we got into the wee morning of the hours, that’s when the storm started to zero in.”

Asked about how people were notified in Kerr County so that they could get to safety, Judge Rob Kelly, the county’s chief elected official, said: “We do not have a warning system.”

When reporters pushed on why more precautions weren’t taken, Kelly said: “Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming.”

Popular tourism area prone to flooding

The area is known as “flash flood alley” because of the hills’ thin layer of soil, said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which was collecting donations to help nonprofits responding to the disaster.

“When it rains, water doesn’t soak into the soil,” Dickson said. “It rushes down the hill.”

River tourism industry is a key part of the Hill Country economy. Well-known, century-old summer camps bring in kids from all over the country, Dickson said.

“It’s generally a very tranquil river with really beautiful clear blue water that people have been attracted to for generations,” Dickson said.

——

By HANNAH FINGERHUT and JIM VERTUNO, The Associated Press

England plays against France in the 2025 UEFA Women’s EURO group stage today. The matchup will begin at 2 p.m. CT on FOX. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV.

Today’s match is the first game for both of these teams at the tournament. With this in mind, both teams will try to earn three points for their country this afternoon.

In order to win this group stage match, England will need a great performance from their star player Agnes Beever-Jones. She leads the team with four goals in the Nations League, so she will look to continue her offensive success this afternoon.

Lucy Bronze will be another key player to watch for England today, as she leads the team with three assists in the Nations League.

In order to win today’s game, France will need to rely on their star player Sandy Baltimore. She leads the team with five goals in the Nations League, which highlights her offensive prowess. If Baltimore continues to play at a high level this afternoon, then France will be a difficult team to beat.

Fans can watch the 2025 UEFA Women’s EURO group stage game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV.

This column originally appeared in Kyle Whitmire’s newsletter, Alabamafication. Sign up here to get it in your inbox for free.

Donald Trump wants to hunt down and prosecute whoever leaked a US intelligence report showing his bombing raid on Iran’s nuclear program was somewhat less than “total obliteration”.

Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security is considering prosecuting CNN over an app called ICEBlock, which helps people track their activity — not because CNN made the app but simply because it reported that the app exists.

And closer to home, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency refuses to release bodycam footage of a police officer shooting a man in Homewood, Ala., despite a law that says the family of those shot by police may see the video investigators do not object.

While these things might not seem like connected things, there’s something important that they share, something that should alarm everyone — a prevalent belief, shared by those in power, that information belongs to the government, not to the public.

Let’s take each of these, one by one.

Iran knows whether we blew up its nuclear program. They don’t need anybody to tell them. There’s no state secret lost by the New York Times and CNN reporting on what was in the Iran intelligence report, which has now been roughly corroborated by the United Nations. The reason the Trump Administration is upset is because the report contradicts what the president wants the public to believe. It embarrasses him.

The ICEBlock app lets the public watch what law enforcement is doing in public and in the name of the public. If that’s a crime, Google Maps speed trap alerts are the worst offender. And supposing that this is illegal, when did it become a further crime for media outlets to report on illegal activity? That’s not what Homeland Security is afraid of. The message here is again the same: We can watch you but you cannot watch us.

ALEA has so far refused to allow the family of 18 year-old Jabari Peoples to see video of his killing because it says releasing that footage would affect the probe. The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that police bodycam footage is not a public record in Alabama.

Never mind that the public’s right to know is why bodycams came to be, and how Alabama mayors sold the public on them a decade ago.

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The argument that releasing the footage somehow affects the investigation is absurd. This is not Schrodinger’s police shooting. Whether the public gets to see the video does not change what happened. It only changes what the public knows.

ALEA isn’t afraid of disrupting the investigation. ALEA is afraid of how people might react.

ICE is afraid friends and neighbors might share their feelings on the snatching of their friends.

The president is afraid of being exposed.

But here’s the thing: When the government fears the people, that’s a good thing. That means the people are in charge.

Open records and open government empower citizens to hold officials accountable, whether that’s the president of the United States bombing Iran, ICE officers sweeping the streets or suburban police officers using deadly force on a teenager.

The public has a right to know what its government is doing because public information helps protect the public from the government. Ostensibly, the government is supposed to work in the public’s name. The public is supposed to be in charge, not the other way around.

It’s as simple as that. But instead of respecting that, officials at every level are setting a tone for how they want us to live.

Knowledge is power, and power belongs only to them.

First: Tell me how I did.

Then: Subscribe to ‘Alabamafication.’ It’s free.

THIS WILL BE ON THE TEST

🥶 The check’s (not) in the mail. Abolishing the U.S. Department of Education wouldn’t hurt local schools, huh? States will get the money to spend, right? Riiiiight. A day before states were to get $7 billion in education grants, the feds informed them that the funds were frozen — including $68 million dedicated to Alabama schools.

Alabama schools to lose $68 million in federal grants under Trump freeze

[Alabama Reflector]

🙃 So it goes. I miss Kurt Vonnegut’s plain-spoken humanism as much as I miss his humor. At the Atlantic, Noah Hawley reflects on how surviving WWII shaped the sci-fi satirist’s outlook on death and life.

The making of Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle

[The Atlantic]

😳 The boys are not alright. A new report finds outlines a recipe for generational disaster — the cultural expectations facing young men, social isolation, a lack of economic opportunity and a multitude of predatory political opportunists lurking nearby. Nadra Nittle interviews the report author about how we fix it.

The state of American men is — not so good

[The 19th]

Kyle Whitmire is the Washington watchdog columnist for AL.com and winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize. a.It’s free.

A new temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints won approval from Madison’s zoning board Thursday.

The LDS church plans to build a one-story, 30,000-square-foot temple – topped by a 120-foot-tall spire. It would would be the second Mormon temple in Alabama.

The zoning board recommended the city approve a special exception the church had sought to allow a religious building on the property’s current zoning, high-density residential. According to a zoning board report, the LDS church plans to include a “tower, cupola [or] spire” that will exceed the 50-foot height limit for other zoning types.

The 120-foot spire, according to the report, “is not significantly massive or bulky,” and the main level of the building is below the 35-foot height limit for high-density residential zoning.

“Therefore, the structure should not have an adverse effect on adjacent property or the character of the neighborhood,” the report stated.

The LDS Church, also known as Mormons, counted 17.5 million members worldwide at the end of 2024, with more than 40,000 members in Alabama in about 75 congregations. The church opened its Birmingham-area temple in Gardendale in 2000.

Last week, the city’s planning commission recommended Madison annex nearly 14 acres in two undeveloped parcels to the east of the temple site – which the LDS church also owns.

Primary access to the temple would be from Browns Ferry Road to the westernmost parcel, according to documents filed with the planning commission. The 13.98 acres recommended for annexation would be used in part for secondary driveway access and stormwater facilities, with the bulk being left as an undeveloped natural area.

Madison City Council is expected to schedule a public hearing on the annexation and zoning recommendations during an August meeting.

Birmingham police officers have been raking in the medals during this year’s World Police and Fire Games.

The 2025 Games began June 27 and continue through July 6. More than 8,000 police officers and firefighters from over 70 countries are in town for the event, which has over 1,600 medal events over 60 sports.

The Birmingham Police Department is taking to social media to brag about the efforts of the hometown team in various events.

“What an incredible journey it has been so far…Our hearts are full of pride and appreciation,” the department said in a Facebook post.

“The Birmingham Police Department has truly enjoyed every moment—competing, supporting and most importantly, connecting. From early morning events to late-night conversations, our officers have had the chance to meet amazing individuals from across the globe who share the same commitment to service and excellence.”

Here is the list of winners so far as listed on the department’s social pages:

• Officer Everett Curry won a silver medal in the bench press.
• Officer Bryanna Moore won a bronze medal in the 100 meter hurdle.
• Officer Drew Wilson won a gold medal in the bench press competition.
• Detective Shanese N Patterson won a gold medal in bowling singles.
• Officer Ron Jennings won the silver medal in the 1,500 meter run.
• Corporal Davis won the bronze medal in the bench press competition.
• Officer Nabors and K9 Officer Fen won a bronze medal in K9 Narcotics Detection.
• Sergeant O’Brien Brown and Officer Gillepse won silver and bronze medals in Angling.
• Sergeant Tyler French won a silver medal in boxing.
• Officer Dana Sartalamacchia won a gold medal in the Clydesdale division and a bronze medal in the regular division in the Cross Country 5K run.
• Officer Chevonne McMillan won a bronze medal in the women’s bench press competition.
• Officer Franklin won both gold and silver medals in Jiu Jitsu No Gi beginner division.
• Officer Stamps won silver medals in intermediate Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
• The Enforcers flag football team – Birmingham Police, Birmingham Fire and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, won a bronze medal.
• Officers Hatcher (gold), Sampson (silver and bronze) and Davenport (bronze) took home medals for Mountain Bike Cycling, (long course).
• Officer Levins (gold) and Officer Preston (bronze), won medals in the CrossFit competition.

Birmingham’s finest are also receiving local awards for the games.

The 2025 World Police & Fire Games Committee recently hosted an awards ceremony at the Birmingham Museum of Art honoring the many leaders who brought the global tribute to first responders together.

Police Chief Michael Pickett was awarded for his outstanding support and dedication to assisting with an event.

The medals and awards aren’t the only wins for the city.

“It’s good to see so many fall in love with Birmingham, from our Civil Rights Institute to Barber Motorsports, our Botanical Garden, Vulcan, the museum and so many others,” Mayor Randall Woodfin said. “It’s a tremendous benefit to the entire community.”

A longtime Birmingham activist and political operative doesn’t want to run for mayor – but he just might do it if the current slate ignores what he considers critical issues facing the city.

Frank Matthews criticized candidates as lacking strong voices regarding quality of life issues, including crime and economic development that impact most residents.

“Everybody’s a star,” he said. “Birmingham suffers from a bad delusional mentality. There’s no focus.”

Instead, he said the current contestants are preoccupied with social media posts.

“Anything you put out there is a laughing matter,” Matthews said. “We are controlled by an algorithm, and who gets it first and who can get the most ghost out of it and the most stars. It’s frivolous”

Mathews, 69, has previously run for mayor and city council.

Mayor Randall Woodfin is seeking a third term. Current mayoral candidates challengers are: State Rep. Juandalynn Givan, Jefferson County Commissioner Lashunda Scales, activist Kamau Afrika, pastor and non-profit executive Frank Woodson, engineer and Ensley development developer Brian K. Rice, and Jerimy Littlepage, a newcomer to politics who said he was inspired by Woodfin to seek the elected office.

Mathews lists a litany of unmet needs that he said are not at the forefront of the crowded pool of candidates.

Matthews said Birmingham leaders should also prioritize expanding the city by annexing surrounding communities such as Liscomb, Fairfield and Brighton. Talk in the past about annexing those small cities was rejected by both their citizens and leaders. Still, Matthews said the move would benefit everyone by providing needed resources to the struggling small towns while increasing Birmingham’s falling numbers.

“We need to find a way to bail them out and add another council district,” he said.

A similar move was last done in 1988 when Birmingham annexed the former town of Roosevelt City following a referendum.

Matthews calls for governments in the Birmingham area to unite to address shared issues such as flooding.

Regarding crime, Matthews called it premature to celebrate the city’s falling homicide rate compared to 2024, which was among the deadliest with 151 violent deaths.

The city ended the first half of 2025 with 37 homicides, a 51.3 percent drop from 76 during the same time period in 2024. The reduction has generated praise for Mayor Randall Woodin and new leadership at the police department.

Still, Matthews said the city should go further by establishing an office for recidivism reduction.

Under his proposal, the mayor would meet with released criminals as they reenter the city. The new office would also track first time offenders as they move through the justice system. He said the city would also offer support services to those individuals.

“Crime is a learned behavior,” he said.

Matthews, who was an ex-convict, was appointed in 1992 by then-Mayor Richard Arrington to serve as a gang liaison for the city. Matthews has long discussed his previous incarceration, life outside and mission to help other men avoid similar mistakes or recover from them.

Later, Matthews would work for Mayor Larry Langford. He was fired from that position in 2009 after a heated exchange with citizens during a public neighborhood Christmas party.

Regarding quality of life, Matthews proposes a $40 million fund to fund resident infrastructure needs. There would be caps on the grants designed to meet immediate concerns, he said.

“Those are realizable goals,” he said. “It’s time to share the economic wealth with the kind of money that is coming through here.”

Qualifying for Birmingham’s municipal elections ends July 11 at 5:00 p.m. Matthews, who has a residence in Forestdale, said he has established a home in Birmingham, just in case he tosses his hat into the contest.

“There is no perfect candidate and every candidate needs a challenger,” he said. “I strongly believe in it.”

Dear Eric: I don’t suppose I am the only one who feels ghosted by friends and family in their slow response time to texts. I am curious as to what is the courteous time to respond to texts.

I have friends that respond in minutes and family that respond in an hour which I find courteous.

I am more concerned about those that take hours and some take days. It really is concerning when I answer their text questions promptly and then am ghosted for hours or days wondering what they thought of my answers.

I feel ghosted. Why did they ask for my input and then they don’t respond for hours or days. I am just curious if I should not even text these friends and family instead pick up the phone and call them the old-fashioned way knowing I probably will get their voicemail.

– Ghosted

Dear Ghosted: This may be an unpopular opinion for some, but I’m a big fan of a phone call, especially if you need a quicker answer and the person is a slow texter. You might also try a voice note, to which some people respond more quickly than they do a text.

I’d encourage you to reframe your thinking about this. While it may feel like ghosting – and it’s certainly frustrating to not get replies to texts for hours or days – in most cases it’s probably less about you than it is about the way the person you texted uses their phone. Texting is prevalent these days but it’s not particularly natural for everyone. Many people’s schedules or lives or temperaments aren’t set up to respond at a moment’s notice, in writing to boot. It’s very different from swinging by someone’s cubicle at work or talking to a neighbor on the porch. So, when you’re finding yourself not getting the response you want, consider that it’s not a rejection but rather simply information about how the text recipient moves through the world. This person may not be a good texter; doesn’t make them a bad friend, per se.

Read more Asking Eric and other advice columns.

Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.

DEAR ABBY: I moved away from my hometown 10 years ago, and I have a dear friend of nearly 30 years who still likes to sleep next to me when she visits. This is becoming so annoying that I don’t want her to visit. It was fine when we were younger, but we are in our 40s, and I no longer want to sleep next to anyone!

I don’t like pajamas. I like to sleep cool and in the dark, while she is always cold and likes to sleep with the TV on.

My friend won’t tell me what her problem is; she says she’s not scared to sleep alone. She has a husband at home, but she nearly freaked out when he went on a weekend trip with his friends. I have a very nice guest room, but she never wants to sleep in there. She does not respect my boundaries, and I don’t know how to make her understand that I want to sleep alone. Can you help? — SOLO SLEEPING LADY IN MARYLAND

DEAR SOLO: I sure can. The next time this friend wants to visit, grow a backbone. Tell her you no longer want to share your bed with her or anyone, and if she can’t be comfortable in your guest room, she should stay home. Gee whiz!

Read more Dear Abby and other advice columns.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

The shortest offseason in sports belongs to the NBA, as things move very quickly following the end of the season. The Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA Finals last weekend, with the draft taking place just three days later.

Another major milestone of the NBA offseason will be this weekend, as the Summer League will take place. A showcase for younger players to earn a place on the regular season roster, the Summer League is essential for any major NBA fan.

Speaking of the Thunder, they’re set to take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday in Utah. The defending champions will have rookies Thomas Sorber and Brooks Barnhizer competing.

For the Grizzlies, they’ll have Cedric Coward, Javon Small and Jahmai Mashack fighting for roster spots this summer

Fans looking to watch the Thunder vs Grizzlies game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Here’s everything you need to know before the Thunder and Grizzlies tipoff this weekend:

When: Saturday, July 5, 2025

Where: Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City, UT

Time: 7 p.m. ET

Fans looking to watch the Thunder vs Grizzlies game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.