The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Friday that the United States has recorded more than 2,300 measles cases so far this year, exceeding the total for all of 2025. Health officials stated this is the highest annual count since 1991, with significant outbreaks involving unvaccinated individuals noted in South Carolina, Utah, and Arizona. The report follows statements from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. questioning the necessity of vaccinations. Additionally, the CDC expanded a warning regarding a cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to Mexican iceberg lettuce, which has now affected nine states and hospitalized at least 98 people.
In foreign policy, President Donald Trump stated the U.S. remains "locked and loaded" following Iranian retaliatory strikes on American regional bases, though he noted that diplomatic discussions are ongoing. This follows U.S. strikes on Iranian targets earlier in the week. Separately, in the West Bank, the Israeli military deployed additional troops following a shooting in the village of Tell that resulted in the deaths of four Palestinians and at least two Israelis. Both sides provided conflicting accounts of the confrontation.
In the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, a Russian ballistic missile strike in the Kyiv region killed at least 10 people and injured nearly 100 near a defense industry site. Concurrently, a Ukrainian drone strike targeted warehouses in St. Petersburg owned by retailer Wildberries; Kyiv alleged the site supplies the Russian military, a claim the Kremlin denied. In legal news, the International Criminal Court (ICC) voted to remove Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan following allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies. In Georgia, 16-year-old Colt Gray pleaded guilty to 55 counts related to a 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School.