Democratic senators said a July 29 hearing with Dr. Anthony Fauci consumed time that should have gone to the country’s escalating measles crisis. The criticism came as federal data showed the United States is experiencing its worst measles outbreak in 35 years.

Federal health officials this week deferred more than $1 billion in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota, saying the states must provide more documentation for high-risk claims. The move, announced by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., adds to a broader federal fraud review now focused on state-run healthcare spending.

New York City officials say delivery worker protections helped shift millions of dollars back to app-based couriers. City data also shows consumer fees rose, giving critics fresh grounds to argue that diners and households are absorbing part of the cost.

Florida has reported a recent rise in Hansen’s disease cases, with state data showing higher totals in 2024, 2025 and early 2026. Doctors say the illness remains rare and treatable, but symptoms can take years, and sometimes up to two decades, to show up.

A BBC documentary released July 29 details allegations from four women who said Jared Leto sexually abused or pursued them when they were teenagers. Leto has denied the allegations through his representatives.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released March 24 found the share of Americans citing gas prices as a major worry had climbed sharply since January, as President Donald Trump pushed back on broader inflation concerns as “fake.” The new data landed amid rising pump prices and growing political pressure over household costs.

A new analysis says families could spend nearly $4,000 per child on school supplies and packed lunches during the 2026-27 school year as import tariffs and higher shipping costs lift prices. The report found school supply prices rose 7.7% from a year earlier and lunch staples climbed 10.9%.

Vice President JD Vance has publicly suggested that Israeli interests were backing a campaign against him through a former Trump operative, but no public evidence has been produced to substantiate the accusation. The remarks add to a broader, documented rift over U.S. policy toward Israel and Iran.

The Trump administration moved this week to bar new imports of foreign-made humanoid robots, a step aimed largely at Chinese manufacturers as U.S. officials cite cybersecurity and supply-chain risks. The action adds advanced robotic devices to a federal restricted list and could reshape how robotics companies sell into the American market.

Hurricane Genevieve strengthened from 80 mph to 160 mph in less than 30 hours, briefly becoming the first Category 5 hurricane of the 2026 Eastern Pacific season. Forecasts from the National Hurricane Center said the storm was expected to remain offshore, though dangerous surf and rip currents were affecting parts of Mexico’s coast.

Instagram has started removing harassment videos filmed with Meta smart glasses and banning some accounts, as privacy concerns around wearable cameras intensify. The move follows scrutiny of hidden-camera style content and new safeguards on Meta's Ray-Ban glasses.

President Donald Trump’s repeated nickname for GLP-1 medications is drawing criticism from physicians and obesity advocates, who say the phrase reinforces weight stigma around drugs now used by millions of Americans. The debate comes as the White House has also promoted lower out-of-pocket prices for some of the medicines.