Bryan Dozier/AFP via Getty Images
Supreme Court allows mass layoffs at Education Department as Trump seeks to close the agency
“A divided Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Education Department to fire almost 40 percent of its workforce four months after President Donald Trump ordered his administration to begin closing down the department.
The justices, by an apparent 6-3 vote announced Monday, lifted an injunction a federal judge in Boston granted in May against the firings. That judge found that the staff cuts were so drastic they would prevent the department from carrying out duties mandated by Congress. He also said the mass firings appeared to be part of Trump's plan to eliminate the Education Department entirely, despite a lack of congressional authorization to do so.
Trump, who pledged during the presidential campaign to abolish the department, signed an executive order in March directing the education secretary to ‘facilitate’ its closure. But the administration has claimed in court that the layoffs being challenged in the case are aimed at greater efficiency and are not part of a bid to fully eliminate the department.”
Read the latest at POLITICO
Education lawsuit
“A lawsuit filed in federal court on Monday is the latest clash between more than 20 Democratic-led states and the federal government. This case involves the Trump administration’s decision to pause or claw back critical funds for educational services. The states are asking the court to lift the administration’s freeze on nearly $7 billion that Congress allocated for initiatives including after-school and summer programs, supporting the hiring and retention of teachers in low-income areas and helping immigrant students attain English proficiency. The Department of Education has withheld disbursement of the funding pending a review of how consistent these programs are with Trump’s priorities.” [CNN]
In a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, President Trump announced he would impose tariffs on Russia in 50 days if a peace deal isn’t reached.
PHOTO: EVAN VUCCI/ASSOCATD PRESS
President Trump threatened to impose ‘very severe tariffs’ on Moscow if there is no peace deal with Ukraine in 50 days.
“As his anger toward Russian President Vladimir Putin grows, Trump also outlined a deal with NATO ( read for free) to sell member countries weapons and air defenses to send to Kyiv. That’s a major policy shift for the U.S.; during the Biden administration, Washington donated arms to Ukraine. Today marked the first time that Trump, after nearly six months in office, took action to counter Putin’s aggression.” [New York Times]
Thune hits brakes on Russia sanctions package
“Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Monday he would hold off on advancing a closely watched package of sanctions targeting Russia's trading partners after President Donald Trump said he was prepared to act himself later this summer if the nation doesn't move toward a peace deal with Ukraine.
‘It sounds like right now the president is going to attempt to do some of this on his own,’ Thune told reporters. ‘If at some point the president concludes that it makes sense and adds value and leverage that he needs in those negotiations to move the bill, then we'll do it. We'll be ready to go.’
Trump on Monday threatened to impose ‘secondary tariffs’ of up to 100 percent on countries that still trade with Russia. The Senate legislation would authorize even steeper duties on list of nations that includes China, India and Brazil.
‘We’re going to be doing secondary tariffs if we don’t have a [Russia-Ukraine peace] deal within 50 days,’ Trump said during a meeting on Monday with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. ‘Secondary tariffs are very, very powerful.’”
Read the latest at POLITICO
ICE declared millions of undocumented immigrants ineligible for bond hearings.
“The details: A memo seen by The Post instructs officers to detain immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally ‘for the duration of their removal proceedings,’ which can take years.
The potential impact: The policy will apply to millions of people who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border over the past few decades, lawyers said. But legal challenges are expected.”
Read this story at Washington Post
“Federal immigration authorities subpoenaed some landlords in Atlanta to turn over leases, rental applications, forwarding addresses, identification cards and other information on their tenants in an apparent drive to turn up undocumented residents.” [The Hill]
Camp Mystic’s leader got a “life threatening” flood alert an hour before evacuating.
A drone picture shows damage in Camp Mystic following the flooding. (Reuters/Evan Garcia)
“New details: Richard Eastland did not promptly evacuate the Texas camp after receiving the warning, The Post learned. Twenty-seven counselors and campers died at the camp.”
Read this story at Washington Post
Flooded streets in Plainfield, New Jersey, on Monday night. Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu/Getty Images
Flash flooding
“Millions in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region remain under flash-flood warnings this morning. According to the National Weather Service, slow-moving summer storms have already caused flooding in New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Maryland, with more rain expected today. New York City experienced its second-wettest hour on record after a little over 2 inches of rain fell between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Monday. A deluge of water filled at least one Manhattan subway station and several trains had to be suspended, delayed or rerouted. Impacts to air travel were reported at Boston, New York City and Washington, DC, airports. First responders in Pennsylvania conducted at least 16 water rescues and there were reports of more than 5 feet of water in some homes when over 7 inches of rain fell in less than five hours, authorities said. Water rescues also took place in Virginia after 2 to 3 inches of rain fell in less than two hours.” [CNN]
Hundreds of wildfires are burning in western states, Alaska and Canada.
Wildfire smoke over the Grand Canyon last week. (Caren Carney/AP)
“What to know: Fire season is picking up because of a sprawling heat wave and widespread dry conditions. Dozens of large fires are uncontained — see where on these maps.
Is it smoky where you are? That can be bad for your health both indoors and outdoors. Find five tips from a lung disease specialist on how to protect yourself here.”
Read this story at Washington Post
HHS firings
‘You are hereby notified that you are officially separated from HHS at the close of business on July 14, 2025. Thank you for your service to the American people.’
“That was the message thousands of federal employees at US health agencies received when they were laid off by email on Monday. Although the job cuts were originally announced on April 1, they were delayed due to a legal battle. However, on July 8, the Supreme Court ruled that the Department of Health and Human Services may move forward with the terminations. The massive reduction in force stems from an executive order President Donald Trump issued in February.”
1 big thing: Trump's new weapon against Powell
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Mark Makela/Stringer
“The Fed's independence is in the crosshairs as President Trump's threats become more concrete, Axios' Neil Irwin reports.
Trump's appointees are trying to lay out legal predicates to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell for cause — specifically, that the Fed's $2.5 billion headquarters renovation included changes not approved by a federal planning authority and/or that Powell lied to Congress about the project.
The president has also installed allies, including the White House staff secretary, on the commission that approves such renovations — normally the province of architects and historical preservationists.
The other side: The Fed, as is its style, is responding in a restrained and legally precise way.
As Axios first reported, Powell asked Fed inspector general Michael Horowitz to review the cost overruns and any other matters involving the building he deems appropriate.
The bottom line: If Trump successfully uses this avenue to fire Powell, it will create a new world in which the president can use an obscure planning commission to coerce the world's most important central bank.” [Axios]
9 dead in Massachusetts assisted living facility fire described as ‘unfathomable tragedy’
“Nine people died Sunday night in an assisted living facility that caught fire in Fall River, Massachusetts, officials said, with elderly people begging for help.
The number of deaths was confirmed Monday morning by the fire department, with 30 other people injured, CNN affiliate WCVB reported.
‘Crews were met with heavy fire coming through the main entrance and multiple people hanging out the windows, looking to be rescued,’ Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon told reporters outside the Gabriel House facility.”
Read more at CNN
Andrew Cuomo speaks to supporters on June 24. Photo: Yuki Iwamura/AP
“Andrew Cuomo announced an independent campaign for New York City mayor. Eric Adams, the current mayor, is also running as an independent, in an effort to stop Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.” Go deeper. [Axios]
1 big thing: MAGA's siege mentality
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
“TAMPA, Fla. — Suspicion is rippling through the MAGA movement, clouding a historic run of conservative victories meant to lay the foundation for President Trump's "Golden Age," Axios' Tal Axelrod and Zachary Basu write.
Why it matters: Even at the apex of power, MAGA's populist base remains convinced that shadowy forces are working to unravel its every gain. Trump's recent actions — especially his administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case — have only hardened those fears.
At Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit in Tampa over the weekend, the mood among Trump's most loyal supporters was celebratory on the surface — but crackling with anxiety underneath.
Speakers and attendees hailed Trump's dominance over the GOP, the passage of his legislative agenda, and his mass deportation blitz as proof that MAGA is winning.
But fears of collapse loomed: Even with Democrats in shambles, MAGA's leaders warned that the "Deep State," globalist elites and internal traitors were plotting to undo everything Trump has built.
Zoom in: The Justice Department's stunning decision to close the Epstein case — and Trump's claim that ‘nobody cares’ about the deceased sex trafficker — dominated discourse at the Turning Point summit.
For arguably the first time since Trump founded the MAGA movement 10 years ago, activists warned that the president was out of step with his own base.
The scene was remarkable: Trump's most influential allies, gathered at a conference to toast his presidency, openly speculated whether the administration was engaged in a cover-up.
Top Trump ally Steve Bannon warned that the administration could ‘lose 10% of the MAGA movement’ over the Epstein saga — enough, he said, to cost Republicans 40 House seats in 2026.
The big picture: Beyond Epstein, MAGA is constantly on guard against what it sees as creeping betrayals — both from within Trump's orbit and across the broader conservative establishment.
Ukraine: Trump rolled out a new plan yesterday to funnel arms to Kyiv through European allies — a major shift in policy toward a conflict that MAGA constantly warns could escalate into "World War III."
Iran: Trump's decision to join Israel in bombing Iran's nuclear facilities last month shattered hopes among MAGA's isolationist wing that he would steer clear of another Middle East entanglement.
Immigration: Even as Trump ramps up his mass deportations, MAGA hardliners have sounded the alarm over potential ‘amnesty’ for undocumented migrants working in the agriculture and hospitality industries.
Trump wrote in a lengthy Truth Social post defending Attorney General Pam Bondi on Saturday: ‘We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and 'selfish people' are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein.’
The bottom line: For a movement born out of deep skepticism toward domestic and foreign institutions, MAGA's mistrust remains a defining feature — even as it celebrates its greatest political victories.” [Axios]
Trump's inevitable collision
Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency and Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
“President Trump seems to think financial markets are perfectly happy with his tariffs and open to his more aggressive approach, because stocks keep hitting all-time highs.
But financial markets think there's absolutely no chance Trump will go ahead with the tariffs he's threatened, and therefore ... keep bidding assets up to all-time highs.
Why it matters: The two beliefs can't co-exist for much longer, and the disconnect can't end well, either, Axios' Ben Berkowitz writes.
The big picture: At some point between now and Aug. 1, the U.S. will or will not strike trade deals, and will or will not adjust tariff rates accordingly.
That may seem a painfully obvious binary, but almost six months of trade war have taught the world it's not quite as simple as it looks.
Trump claims to be a tariff maximalist, a true believer in the power of customs duties to both raise huge sums of revenue and persuade other countries to do what he wants.
Markets, on the other hand, know — or think they know — how it always ends: Trump backs down, tariffs get cut or eliminated.
Reality check: This time is different. The tariffs are higher, the language is angrier, and the pushback from the stock and bond markets is mostly missing.” [Axios]
Charted: Where we walk and bike the most
Data: StreetLight. Chart: Alex Fitzpatrick/Axios
“The New York, Boston and San Francisco areas have the country's highest shares of trips taken on foot or bicycle rather than in a vehicle, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes.
Transportation data firm StreetLight ranked counties with at least 150 people per square mile by their share of trips taken via walking and biking compared to vehicles in 2023.
By the numbers: The top five counties are all part of the greater New York metro area, including New York (Manhattan, 59%), the Bronx (44%), Brooklyn (43%), Queens (35%) and New Jersey's Hudson County (28%).” [Axios]
Obama to Dems: "Toughen up"
President Obama's remarks at a DNC fundraiser in New Jersey on Friday included this reference to "Abundance," the bestseller by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. Screenshot: Office of President Barack Obama
“Former President Obama, speaking to donors at a DNC fundraiser in New Jersey on Friday evening:
‘I think it's going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions. And it's going to require Democrats to just toughen up.’
‘Stop looking for the quick fix,’ Obama added. ‘Stop looking for the Messiah. You have great candidates running races right now. Support those candidates. Get Mikie [Sherrill] elected [New Jersey] Governor. Win Virginia.’” [Axios]
Trump's new wall
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
“President Trump's plan to deport ‘millions’ of immigrants has reached a critical point: Its success likely will depend not on removing criminals, but on telling people who are in the U.S. legally they're no longer welcome, Axios' Brittany Gibson and Russell Contreras write.
Why it matters: For all the showy raids and tough talk, the largest targets in Trump's crackdown include immigrants who've had temporary protection to stay in the U.S. — more than 1.2 million people who fled wars, oppression, natural disasters, poverty and more.
Under Joe Biden and previous presidents, the U.S. gave temporary protective status (TPS) to such immigrants, allowing them to stay in the U.S. and work for up to 18 months, which could be extended repeatedly.
Trump's administration is allowing those TPS deals to expire — for more than 700,000 immigrants from Haiti, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Honduras and Nicaragua so far, with other countries' renewal deadlines looming.
At the same time, Trump's team is going after what could be hundreds of thousands more immigrants who were given humanitarian ‘parole’ under Biden — a chance to live and work in the U.S. for a certain period.” [Axios]
INTERNATIONAL
Secondary Tariffs
U.S. President Donald Trump greets NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte (left) in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on July 14.Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
“U.S. President Donald Trump, flanked by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House on Monday, announced that the United States would send additional weapons and military equipment to Ukraine via NATO and threatened to impose ‘very severe’ tariffs on Russia’s trade partners if the Kremlin does not agree to a peace deal with Kyiv within 50 days.
After months of failed diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine—during which Trump has refused to take punitive action against the Kremlin—Trump flipped the script on Monday, warning that the United States would introduce ‘secondary tariffs’ of 100 percent on countries that buy Russian exports if no deal is reached. Aimed at countries whose trade with Moscow finances Russia’s war machine, the move could potentially target India and China, the two main buyers of Russian oil.
Meanwhile, legislation is making its way through the U.S. Congress that would enable Trump to apply even higher tariffs on Russia’s trade partners. The Sanctioning Russia Act, drafted by Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, has 80-plus co-sponsors. If passed, it would give the president the authority to levy tariffs up to 500 percent on customers of Russian crude oil. However, experts are skeptical that Trump would raise tariffs to that degree on either China or India.
The bill, which was first introduced in April and has gained steam in recent weeks, could be a ‘sledgehammer’ available to Trump to end the war, Graham said, though Trump suggested on Monday that he may already have the power to take such action without the legislation. ‘I’m not sure we need it,’ Trump said of the bill.
This is not the first time that the U.S. president has threatened the use of secondary tariffs against Washington’s adversaries. In March, the White House announced that it would impose a 25 percent tariff on countries that import Venezuelan oil, and in May, Trump declared that any country that buys petrochemicals from Iran would be barred from doing business with the United States.
As part of his announcement on Monday, Trump also said that Washington would send U.S.-made weapons ‘worth billions of dollars’ to Ukraine, which would be financed by NATO allies. Though details of which weapons will be provided remain unclear, Trump has pledged to send Patriot missile defense systems to Kyiv. Trump suggested that under the new arrangement, European NATO allies could immediately send Ukraine critical U.S. weapons and equipment, including Patriot missile systems, out of their own stocks and then replenish those stocks by purchasing replacements from the United States.
During his Monday meeting with Rutte, who will help oversee the NATO effort, Trump emphasized that he was ‘very unhappy’ and ‘disappointed’ with Russia, which has continued to launch barrages of missiles and drones into Ukraine over the past few weeks. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched at least four missiles and 136 drones into Ukraine on Sunday night and into Monday morning.
Trump has expressed increasing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent weeks. Putin ‘talks nice, and then he bombs everybody in the evening,’ Trump told reporters on Sunday.
‘It’s important to increase pressure on Russia for the sake of peace and to save lives,’ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on social media, thanking NATO’s Rutte. Zelensky also met with U.S. special envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv on Monday and expressed gratitude to Trump for his support to Ukraine in a separate social media post.” [Foreign Policy]
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the press last week in Rome. Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images
The World This Week
“Tuesday, July 15: Rutte continues his two-day visit to Washington.
Mike Waltz, a former U.S. national security advisor, is set to attend his Senate confirmation hearing for the role of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Thursday, July 17: G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors meet in Cape Town, South Africa.” [Foreign Policy]
“Delaying retaliation. Over the weekend, Trump threatened to hit the European Union and Mexico, key U.S. trading partners, with 30 percent tariffs starting Aug. 1 unless a deal is made before then. The announcement followed a series of similar threats that Trump made last week to more than a dozen countries, including Japan, South Korea, and Canada.
In response, the EU has decided to delay planned retaliatory tariffs against the United States that were due to go into effect on June 15. Those measures, targeting $24.5 billion worth of U.S. goods, were intended to counter Trump’s initial import taxes on steel and aluminum. However, Brussels said it will hold off on the tariffs in order to try to reach a trade deal with Washington by the new Aug. 1 deadline.
‘We have always been very clear that we prefer a negotiated solution,’ European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters. ‘This remains the case, and we will use the time that we have now.’
Even though the EU is backing down for now, Trump’s latest move has drawn strong criticism from within the 27-member bloc. Bernd Lange, the head of the European Parliament’s trade committee, called Washington’s announcement a ‘slap in the face for negotiations.’ Meanwhile, in a social media post, French President Emmanuel Macron urged the European Commission to ‘assert the union’s determination to defend European interests resolutely.’” [Foreign Policy]
“Boeing under scrutiny. India’s civil aviation authority on Monday ordered an inspection of fuel switches on all Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft operating in the country. The announcement came after India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau released a preliminary assessment report on the Air India crash that killed 260 people onboard the plane and more on the ground in Ahmedabad last month.
The report, released on Saturday, revealed that the Air India flight’s fuel-supply switches were turned off immediately after the plane took off, causing the abrupt cut off of fuel to both engines of the plane and leading to the deadly crash less than a minute later. The report did not find any mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft or engines, though, and it remains unclear whether the fuel-supply switch was flipped manually or by accident.
As a result of the renewed scrutiny on fuel control switches, South Korea has also announced that it will order all Boeing-operated aircraft in the country to examine their fuel switches. Similarly, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has also directed its pilots to ‘exercise caution’ while operating the switches on Boeing 787 aircraft. Even still, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing have privately said that the fuel switch locks on Boeing aircrafts are safe, according to a document seen by Reuters.” [Foreign Policy]
“A divisive legacy. Former Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari died on Sunday at age 82 at a hospital in London, his spokesperson announced. In a social media post, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu declared a period of national mourning and praised Buhari’s ‘deep commitment to the unity and progress’ of Nigeria.
Buhari, who ruled the country as a military leader from late 1983 to 1985 and later as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023, leaves behind a divisive legacy. Though he campaigned on rooting out government corruption, Buhari struggled to tackle rising poverty and insecurity in Nigeria.
‘No single person can be justly expected to fix all of a country’s problems or even most of them,’ Ebenezer Obadare, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote in Foreign Policy. ‘But that Buhari failed on almost every front—despite the time and goodwill at his disposal—makes his failure even more perplexing.’” [Foreign Policy]
“Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party has lost control of the government only twice in the last 70 years, but a fringe party cobbled together on social media is tapping voter frustrations and anti-foreigner sentiment with a “Japanese First” election slogan. The LDP and its coalition partner Komeito risk losing their majority in Sunday’s upper-house election, potentially weakening Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s government further as trade negotiations with the US drag on.” [Bloomberg]
“Detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is expected to return to public view tomorrow when he appears in court on charges of threatening the city’s chief prosecutor. The man widely seen as the strongest threat to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan faces up to seven years in prison and a ban from politics if convicted, ending any hope of him being the opposition candidate for the 2028 election.” [Bloomberg]
“Rachel Reeves will highlight plans to spur homeownership by easing access to UK mortgages in her flagship annual address to the City of London today, a key moment for Britain’s finance minister as she seeks to bounce back from a rocky period that included a market-moving tearful appearance in Parliament. The chancellor of the exchequer has been under pressure since a U-turn over planned welfare reforms.” [Bloomberg]
WATCH: James Woolcock previews the Reeves announcement on Bloomberg TV.
“An Israeli ultra-Orthodox party said it’s walking out of Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition, threatening to leave the government with a razor-thin majority in parliament and making the prime minister vulnerable to no-confidence motions.” [Bloomberg]
“French Prime Minister François Bayrou will outline a plan today to sharply narrow the nation’s budget deficit, setting the stage for a parliamentary battle that risks triggering another government collapse.” [Bloomberg]
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Tariffs
“With President Trump threatening to increase tariffs on two of America’s largest trading partners, consumers should prepare to pay more for certain products. Over the weekend, Trump called for 30% levies on the European Union and Mexico starting on August 1 — unless they make trade deals with the US. Although some businesses may absorb the tax themselves, others will have to pass it on to American consumers. Here are some of the items that could be affected:
-Alcohol
-Fresh fruits and vegetables, especially tomatoes and avocados
-Medical equipment and surgical supplies
-Electronics, such as computers, electrical equipment and audio and video equipment.” [CNN]
TECH
Nvidia Wins OK to Resume Sales of AI Chip to China After CEO Meets Trump
“Nvidia said it has received assurances from the Trump administration that it can sell its H20 artificial-intelligence chip in China, days after Chief Executive Jensen Huang met President Trump.”
Read More at Wall Street Journal
AI's elusive coding speedup
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
“A surprising new study finding that AI tools can reduce programmers' productivity is upending assumptions about the technology's world-changing potential, Axios' Scott Rosenberg writes.
Why it matters: Software runs our civilization, and AI is already transforming the business of making it. But no one really knows whether AI will decimate programming jobs, or turn every coder into a miracle worker, or both.
The study by METR, a nonprofit independent research outfit, looked at experienced programmers working on large, established open-source projects.
It found that these developers believed that using AI tools helped them perform 20% faster — but they actually worked 19% slower.
A key factor was that human developers found AI-generated code unreliable and ended up devoting extra time to reviewing, testing and fixing it.” [Axios]
“The X account for Elmo, the "Sesame Street" character, was hacked over the weekend, sending a series of antisemitic, racist posts.” Go deeper. [Axios]
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
Childhood vaccinations
“An estimated 14.3 million children remain completely unvaccinated, a new report issued by the World Health Organization and the UN Children’s Fund said. Although that figure is down by 171,000 since 2023, too many children remain at risk for vaccine-preventable diseases. An additional 5.7 million children have only partial protection because they may not have received all the recommended doses of certain vaccine series. Public health experts say children living in conflict zones and low-or middle-income countries were particularly vulnerable. In high-income countries, vaccine hesitancy and distrust in institutions have led to a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles and polio.” [CNN]
“A child in Liverpool died from measles at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, where 16 other children have been hospitalized with measles in recent weeks; the MMR uptake rate in Liverpool is just 73% by age 5, well below the 95% needed for herd immunity. The Times
A northern Arizona resident died of pneumonic plague, health officials confirmed July 11—noting that while plague is being investigated as the possible cause of a recent die-off of prairie dogs in the area, the case is unrelated; human deaths are rare from the illness, which is highly treatable with antibiotics when caught early enough.” [Global Health Now] AZ Central
~”1 in 3 U.S. youths have prediabetes, a new CDC estimate finds; but scientists questioned the release of the 600-word online summary, which did not include raw data or peer-reviewed research.” [Global Health Now] AP
”U.S. counties that endure severe climate-related disasters often experience reduced access to critical health care infrastructure in the years that follow, per a study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.” [Global Health Now] The Washington Post (gift link)
”The U.S. dropped charges against Michael Kirk Moore, the Utah doctor accused of destroying $28,000+ worth of government-provided COVID-19 vaccines and administering saline to children instead of the vaccine.” [Global Health Now] The Guardian
SCIENCE
Scientists released incredible images taken near the sun.
This video was made from images taken by Parker Solar Probe’s WISPR instrument during its record-breaking flyby of the sun on Dec. 25, 2024. (NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Naval Research Lab)
“What they show: Solar eruptions in unprecedented detail, captured by a NASA probe flying 3.8 million miles above the solar surface. See more of the stunning images here.
Why it matters: The visuals provide information that could help improve forecasts of solar storms headed toward Earth. Extreme space weather can disrupt technology.”
Read this story at Washington Post
SPORTS
Seattle's Cal Raleigh becomes first catcher and switch-hitter to win Home Run Derby
"Seattle’s Cal Raleigh won his first Home Run Derby after leading MLB in long balls going into the break, defeating Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero …
1 fun thing: Baseball's big ticket
Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, nicknamed "Big Dumper," won last night's MLB Home Run Derby at Truist Park in Atlanta. Photo: Kyodo
“Ticket prices for the marquee MLB All-Star week events in Atlanta — culminating with tonight's All-Star Game — are the highest in over a decade, Axios' Maxwell Millington writes from Vivid Seats data.
Why it matters: Increases in regular season attendance, TV viewership and All-Star week demand are positive signs for America's pastime.
By the numbers: The average sold price of last night's Home Run Derby is $1,041 and $1,183 for tonight's All-Star Game.
The next-highest prices for those two events were $604 and $754 in 2023, when the midsummer classic took place in Seattle.” [Axios]
HISTORY
A Nazi document trove raises questions for Argentina
Nazi artifacts seized in the house of an art collector on display in Buenos Aires. Argentine Ministry of Security/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
“The Argentinian Supreme Court had found a dozen boxes of Nazi documents in its basement archive containing photos of Hitler as well as thousands of red Nazi labor organization membership booklets stamped with the swastika of the Third Reich.
The court called Eliahu Hamra, the rabbi of Argentina's main Jewish community center, for advice about how to handle the discovery. The conversation with the rabbi was an important early step in a coordinated effort between the Supreme Court and Jewish community leaders to bring the trove of documents to light.
The find surfaced at a time when Argentina is demonstrating new readiness to look back at its complicated history with Nazis in the war era.”
Read our story at Reuters
TRANSITIONS
“Lives Lived: John MacArthur was a firebrand pastor in Southern California who influenced generations of evangelical preachers and became a culture warrior in his later years. He died at 86.” [New York Times]