Storm deaths mount as catastrophic Midwest flooding follows Hurricane Lala’s destruction in Hawaii; Kushner, envoy leave Israel amid stalled Gaza talks

A week of heavy storms and catastrophic flooding across parts of the U.S. Midwest has killed at least seven people, according to a Monday news wrap from PBS NewsHour. The fatalities were reported amid continued cleanup and recovery as communities dealt with storm impacts that included dangerous water conditions. Local and state emergency responses have been ongoing as officials assess damage and account for residents affected by flooding.

The PBS report also said the Midwest deaths followed a broader period of extreme weather in the United States, including Hurricane Lala’s destruction in Hawaii. Hurricane Lala left a trail of damage across the Big Island and other Hawaiian islands, according to the same wrap, underscoring how multiple regions were hit during the same operational window for emergency management and disaster services.

The PBS NewsHour wrap placed the U.S. weather disasters alongside a separate international development involving Gaza diplomacy. It said a U.S. envoy and Jared Kushner, described in the report as a Trump son-in-law, left Israel without a breakthrough on President Trump’s stalled Gaza peace proposal, indicating that discussions had not reached a publicly reported agreement before they departed.

The report did not provide additional detail on the specific proposals discussed in Israel or the reasons no breakthrough was reached, beyond describing the trip’s outcome. With the proposal still described as stalled, the lack of immediate progress suggests that remaining negotiations would likely continue to depend on positions held by regional actors and on the next steps planned by U.S. officials.

On the Gaza file, the departure from Israel after unsuccessful efforts raises the question of what timetable, if any, will govern the next round of U.S.-led discussions. The PBS wrap framed the Israeli visit as occurring without a breakthrough on the president’s proposal, but it did not specify what proposals, conditions, or deliverables were on the table when the parties met.

In the United States, the PBS report’s combined emphasis on fatalities in the Midwest and widespread storm destruction in Hawaii points to the operational strain placed on emergency systems during overlapping disasters. With at least seven deaths attributed to Midwest floods and Hurricane Lala linked to damage across multiple Hawaiian islands, officials and local communities have faced the dual challenge of searching for survivors, restoring safety, and beginning longer-term rebuilding.

The next developments for the Midwest flooding will likely center on continued verification of deaths, assessment of infrastructure damage, and decisions on local disaster recovery resources. For Hawaii, further updates would be expected as damage assessments and recovery planning progress after Hurricane Lala’s impact, while U.S. officials are expected to clarify how Gaza diplomacy will proceed after the Israel trip ended without a breakthrough.

For Gaza diplomacy, the departure described by PBS suggests a pause in direct U.S.-Israel engagement tied to President Trump’s stalled proposal, at least in its current form. Any subsequent steps would be expected to follow through with coordination among U.S. officials and regional stakeholders, even as the report indicates no immediate resolution emerged from the visit.