NPR News: 07-18-2026 3AM EDT

Dan Ronan· Host0:00

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Ronan. A week of heavy rains in storm-battered Texas has left two people dead. Hundreds have been rescued after flooding in the state's Hill Country. More than two feet of rain has fallen in some parts of the state, causing swollen rivers and creeks to overflow their banks. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said emergency workers have safely removed people from flooded homes and cars. He declared twenty-eight counties in the state a disaster area. The declaration will fast-track accessibility to get federal assistance. He's warning, also warning people to remain vigilant.

Greg Abbott· Soundbite0:37

Even if rain is not falling, because of the flow of water downstream, residents and leaders need to understand the rivers will still rise and still pose life-threatening danger.

Dan Ronan· Host0:50

Meanwhile, the Lower Colorado River Authority Saturday said it plans to open two floodgates on the Mansfield Dam to lower water levels on Lake Travis. It's the first time that's been done since twenty-nineteen. China's government is denying President Trump's claims that it interfered in the US elections in twenty-twenty. In a primetime address Thursday night, Trump accused Beijing of compromising American voter data. Yan Kamtsin Brumby reports from China.

Yan Kamtsin Brumby1:20

Beijing's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says China has, quote, "no interest in interfering in the US election and have never done so." The statement comes after Trump accused Beijing of interfering