James' World 2

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During a press briefing, Leavitt said that Trump noticed “mild swelling” in his lower legs and received a check-up from the White House medical unit. An examination that included diagnostic vascular studies, bilateral lower extremities, and venous doppler ultrasounds revealed a diagnosis of “chronic venous insufficiency.”

The condition occurs when leg veins become damaged and struggle to send blood back up to the heart, causing blood to pool in your legs and swelling. The fairly common condition usually affects people over the age of 50, but the risk grows as one ages, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

There was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease and a blood count test and echocardiogram both yielded normal results, Leavitt added.

The press secretary then addressed the much-speculated bruise on the back of Trump’s hand, telling reporters it was a result of “frequent handshaking.”

Despite images of Trump’s hand very clearly showing what appears to be an incision or scar, possibly from receiving an IV, the letter from Trump’s medical team shared by the White House noted, “President Trump remains in excellent health.”

“This is consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen. This is a well-known and benign side effect of aspirin therapy, and the President remains in excellent health,” she said.

Zoomed-in shots of Trump’s hand appeared to be flaking with a layer of makeup – a shade that did not match his skin, plastered over the top – took off online earlier this week.

On part of his hand, buried beneath the concealer, there appeared to be an incision or scar of some kind.

It wasn’t the first time the mark on Trump’s hand was a cause of concern. In February, it appeared yellow and bruised, and also covered in makeup, during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Leavitt provided a similar response to The Independent on Wednesday over concerns about the bruise, saying, “President Trump is a man of the people and he meets more Americans and shakes their hands on a daily basis than any other President in history.

“His commitment is unwavering, and he proves that every single day.”

The Independent has always had a global perspective. Built on a firm foundation of superb international reporting and analysis, The Independent now enjoys a reach that was inconceivable when it was launched as an upstart player in the British news industry. For the first time since the end of the Second World War, and across the world, pluralism, reason, a progressive and humanitarian agenda, and internationalism – Independent values – are under threat. Yet we, The Independent, continue to grow.

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CLIMATEWIRE | Texas knows it isn’t prepared for floods.

But the state has done little to address the risk, and the federal government under President Donald Trump is unlikely to help Texas cover the cost.

The threat was underscored last week when floodwaters ravaged central Texas, killing more than 100 people, including more than two dozen children and staff at a riverside summer camp. About 160 people were still missing as of Tuesday evening, according to Texas public safety officials.

Officials have vowed to take action, and state lawmakers are scheduled to meet July 21 for a special legislative session that’s intended to bolster Texas’ emergency response.

Yet the latest disaster isn’t the first time Texas has dealt with mass casualties from a flood event. Nor is the upcoming Statehouse session the first time that Texas has tried to address flood risk.

The lack of meaningful progress highlights the challenge of preparing for natural disasters such as floods and wildfires that are being made worse by climate change. And it reinforces the risk of shifting more of that responsibility to states, as proposed by the Trump administration.

“Hopefully this tragic event will open everyone’s eyes,” said Marie Camino, government affairs director at the Nature Conservancy in Texas.

Texas has faced devastating floods before, including 2017, when Hurricane Harvey dumped more than 48 inches of rain on Houston and other Gulf Coast communities. The storm left dozens dead and caused more than $125 billion in damages.

In response, state lawmakers in 2019 created the Texas Flood Infrastructure Fund and began planning projects to control high water around the state.

The fund, overseen by the Texas Water Development Board, has identified $54 billion in flood control needs across Texas. But lawmakers so far have devoted just $1.4 billion to fix them.

The lack of funding can be attributed to two factors, observers say.

The first is ideological. Texas Republicans — who control the Statehouse and governor’s mansion — are big believers in fiscal conservatism. So there isn’t a groundswell of enthusiasm to fund major government projects.

There’s a practical concern, too.

Before lawmakers were willing to commit money to flood projects, they wanted to make sure that plans were written to address each river basin in the state.

Otherwise, there’s the risk that a project in one city would simply steer floodwaters to other communities, said state Sen. Charles Perry, who chairs the Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

“We created this very detailed, very elaborate watershed planning, where every watershed would coordinate with all the municipalities and cities up and down that watershed to make sure that as you’re moving water from one place, you’re not just dumping it on the next place,” he said.

Texas legislators have tried recently to steer more money to the effort.

This spring, lawmakers passed a plan that would devote up to $500 million annually over the next 20 years to flood projects. But the proposal must first earn the support of Texas voters in a statewide referendum, now set for November.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other state officials have described the plan as a “Texas-sized” commitment to water infrastructure and flood prevention.

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One noteworthy addition to this “smart” technology category is smart bird feeders, which can detect motion, identify birds, and capture videos so you know exactly who is visiting your backyard. Pretty much the only thing this tech can’t do is refill itself with birdseed — everything else is automated and sometimes even self-charging thanks to solar pads.

If you’re on the market for a bird feeder that can up your birdwatching game, it might feel overwhelming to sift through the many options now crowding the market. We did the hard part for you and compiled some of the best smart bird feeders on Amazon based on cost, quality, reviews, and features.

Spoiler alert: Given its relatively affordable price and convenient features like ease of setup, the Osoeri bird feeder is a great way to go.

The Osoeri bird feeder seems to have everything you could possibly want in a smart bird feeder, and it even comes in multiple colors that you can match to your own aesthetic. The Osoeri comes with a strap and pole fasteners that allow you to attach it to a pole. However, the feeder can also lay completely flat, which is something other models like the PeckPerk I own (more on that later) can’t do. Drawbacks: Some users reported that some of their motion alerts were false alarms, and complained about the camera quality.

Bottom line: The Osoeri seems to be well worth its relatively affordable price and has all the features you could want in a bird feeder. If you plan to give this as a gift, expect tons and tons of cute bird videos.

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Snart Bird Feeders

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U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna said he will attempt to force a vote in Congress to release all the government’s files pertaining to the notorious financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“On Tuesday, I’m introducing an amendment to force a vote demanding the FULL Epstein files be released to the public,” Khanna (D-Calif.) tweeted Saturday night. “Speaker [Mike Johnson] must call a vote and put every Congress member on record.”

The administration of President Donald Trump has been accused in recent days of covering up information about the extent of the financier’s crimes and his connections to powerful individuals, including President Donald Trump himself.

“Why are the Epstein files still hidden? Who are the rich and powerful being protected?” Khanna asked.

Since Epstein’s death in 2019 in federal custody following charges of child sex-trafficking, the billionaire investor has been the subject of rampant speculation.

Though his death was officially ruled a suicide, some have speculated that Epstein was murdered to prevent him from implicating other elite “clients” in his sex-trafficking ring. Epstein had relationships with powerful individuals, including former President Bill Clinton and the U.K.’s Prince Andrew.

Trump also has a well-documented history with Epstein. They have been extensively photographed together. And last year, an audio tape was released in which Epstein described himself as “Donald Trump’s closest friend.”

In June, amid a public falling-out with the president, billionaire Elon Musk said that the Trump administration, which he’d just departed, was covering up the files to protect Trump.

“Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,” he wrote. That is the real reason they have not been made public.”

During the 2024 campaign, Trump said he would “probably” release the so-called “Epstein files” to the public. Meanwhile, many members of his Department of Justice—including FBI Director Kash Patel—rose to prominence in part by accusing Joe Biden’s administration of covering up secrets about Epstein to protect powerful Democrats and other elites.

During his confirmation hearing, Patel said he would “do everything if confirmed as FBI director to make sure the American public knows the full weight of what happened.”

In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the DOJ would be “lifting the veil” on “Epstein and his co-conspirators.” She said she had Epstein’s client list “sitting on

my desk right now to review” and promised that “a lot of names” would be revealed. Though in subsequent days, little was released beyond information that was already public.

A memo released July 7 by the DOJ later stated that there was “no incriminating client list” and that Epstein indeed committed suicide. It also said that “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.”

This reversal resulted in widespread anger, including from many Trump supporters directed at Bondi, who they accused of covering up information that might damage the president.

“Pam Blondi [sic] is covering up child sex crimes that took place under HER WATCH when she was Attorney General of Florida,” wrote one of Trump’s closest confidantes, Laura Loomer. “Bondi needs to be fired.”

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Hmmmm… If this is true, we are in more trouble with Trump than we thought!

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Trump Asked Zelenskyy If Ukraine Could Strike Moscow With U.S. Long-Range Weapons: Report

Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy whether his country’s forces could hit Moscow if the U.S. supplied them with long-range weapons during their call on July 4, The Financial Times reported, citing sources briefed on their conversation. 52White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt sought to downplay the report, which claims Trump urged the wartime leader to increase deep strikes on Russia, claiming the outlet “is notorious for taking words wildly out of context to get clicks.””President Trump was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing. He’s working tirelessly to stop the killing and end this war,” Leavitt said in a statement to HuffPost.The report comes a day after Trump expressed frustration with Vladimir Putin, warning the U.S. would punish Moscow if the Russian president doesn’t end the war within 50 days.

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