A group of U.S. lawmakers from both parties asked Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to create new rules to prevent discrimination in hospices when providing medically assisted suicide. They want better oversight to protect vulnerable people who might face unfair treatment.
Key Facts
Bipartisan lawmakers sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The letter asks for new monitoring rules at hospices.
The goal is to stop discrimination in medically assisted suicide services.
The lawmakers include Senator James Lankford (Republican from Oklahoma) and Senator Tim Kaine (Democrat from Virginia).
Medically assisted suicide means helping a patient end their life with medical support.
Hospices are places that care for people who are terminally ill.
Lawmakers are concerned vulnerable groups might be treated unfairly in these situations.
The request aims to ensure safe and fair access to end-of-life options.
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Commentator Bill O’Reilly said he believes New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is a communist. He based this on Mamdani’s support for freezing rents for everyone, which O’Reilly said is a way to control where people live. This view is similar to claims made by President Trump, Republicans, and some Democrats.
Key Facts
Bill O’Reilly called New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani a communist.
O’Reilly’s statement was made during a Wednesday broadcast.
The comment relates to Mamdani’s policy of freezing rents across the city.
O’Reilly argues that freezing rents aims to control residents’ housing choices.
President Donald Trump, some Republicans, and some Democrats have also described Mamdani this way.
Zohran Mamdani is a Democratic mayor in New York City.
Rent freezing means stopping landlords from increasing rent prices.
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David Hearn, a former US Olympic canoeist, pleaded not guilty to charges of damaging the reflecting pool in Washington, DC. The damage allegedly happened after a $14.7 million renovation of the pool requested by President Donald Trump for the US's 250th anniversary celebrations.
Key Facts
David Hearn is a three-time US Olympian in canoe racing.
He was charged with one felony count of property destruction related to the reflecting pool.
The reflecting pool is a 600-meter-long landmark at Washington’s National Mall.
The pool was renovated with a special “American flag blue” liner as requested by President Trump.
The renovation cost $14.7 million and had issues like algae growth and the liner peeling.
Prosecutors say Hearn “forcefully and violently” damaged the pool liner on June 19.
Hearn denies damaging the pool and says he did not vandalize or peel anything.
He was released on bond and has a court hearing set for August 5.
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Actor Patrick Dempsey said he will not run for the U.S. Senate seat in Maine. This comes after Democratic nominee Graham Platner withdrew from the race due to a sexual assault accusation.
Key Facts
Patrick Dempsey is an actor known for "Grey's Anatomy."
Dempsey confirmed he is not running for the Maine Senate seat.
Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee, withdrew from the race on Wednesday.
Platner faces an accusation of sexual assault from a former girlfriend, which he denies.
Platner is an oyster farmer and a Marine veteran.
He won the Democratic nomination in June.
The Senate race is against Republican Senator Susan Collins.
Democrats were considering replacements after Platner’s withdrawal.
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Several Democrats in Maine have started running for the U.S. Senate after candidate Graham Platner stopped his campaign due to sexual misconduct accusations, which he denies. Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson and Dan Kleban, co-founder of Maine Beer Company, are among those entering the race.
Key Facts
Graham Platner suspended his Senate campaign because of sexual misconduct and assault allegations.
Platner denies the accusations against him.
Troy Jackson, former Maine Senate President, announced his Senate run soon after.
Dan Kleban, co-founder of Maine Beer Company, also joined the Senate race.
The race is for a U.S. Senate seat representing Maine.
Multiple Democrats are now competing in the race following Platner’s exit.
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The U.S. Air Force canceled the promotions of 135 security forces airmen and women after finding a grading mistake on their specialty knowledge test. The error was caused by an outdated scoring key, and the Air Force will replace those promoted incorrectly with others after regrading all test takers.
Key Facts
135 airmen and women were wrongly promoted due to incorrect test scores.
The mistake was caused by using an outdated scoring key for the security forces specialty knowledge test (SKT).
A total of 2,285 candidates took the test, and 586 promotions to technical sergeant were available.
The Air Force will rescore all exams and promote the correct candidates.
No artificial intelligence was involved in the grading error; it was human error.
The Air Force has improved its internal processes to prevent future mistakes.
Those affected were informed and given access to leadership for questions.
This issue comes amid recent controversy over military promotion decisions related to diversity.
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President Donald Trump recently used the old Air Force One plane instead of the new one gifted by Qatar when returning from Turkey. A New York Times reporter, Maggie Haberman, questioned the truth of the president’s explanation for this choice.
Key Facts
President Trump flew back from Turkey using the old Air Force One plane.
There is a newer Air Force One that was gifted by Qatar.
The president gave an explanation for choosing the older plane.
Maggie Haberman, a White House reporter, expressed doubt about the president’s reason.
Reports suggested that security concerns might have influenced the decision.
The president dismissed those reports when speaking to reporters.
The situation involves official presidential travel and plane security.
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Graham Platner stopped his campaign for the U.S. Senate in Maine after an allegation of sexual assault, which he denied. The Maine Democratic Party now has to pick a new candidate by July 27 to run against Republican Susan Collins in the important November election.
Key Facts
Graham Platner withdrew from Maine’s Senate race following a sexual assault allegation he denied.
Platner had won the Democratic primary in June before the allegation became public.
Maine law allows Democrats to replace a nominee who withdraws before 5 p.m. on July 13.
The party must name a new candidate by July 27.
The Democratic Party held an emergency meeting to organize the replacement process.
Democrats need to gain four Senate seats in November to control the Senate; Maine is a key target.
Troy Jackson, a former state Senate president, is currently the favorite to replace Platner.
Other possible candidates include Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former Maine CDC director Nirav Shah.
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The House of Representatives failed to approve a special rule needed to pass four important bills, including the SAVE Act. Because of this, the House ended its session for the week without passing any of these measures.
Key Facts
The House tried to pass a special rule to move forward with four major bills.
One of the bills involved is called the SAVE Act.
The special rule did not get enough votes to pass.
Due to this failure, the House stopped its work and adjourned for the week.
No progress was made on the four important bills during this session.
This situation has been described as a "procedural implosion," meaning a breakdown in the normal process.
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A toddler in Phoenix, Arizona, was mistakenly declared dead by a doctor after being found in a backyard pool. Despite police officers and a nurse noticing possible signs of life, the child was taken to the hospital morgue and later found alive.
Key Facts
A toddler was found in a backyard pool in Phoenix, Arizona.
A doctor declared the child dead, even though others saw possible signs of life.
Two police officers and at least one nurse were present and noticed signs the child might still be alive.
The child was taken to the hospital morgue.
Hours after being declared dead, the toddler was found alive in the morgue.
The case was recorded on police bodycam video.
The incident is under review to understand how the mistake happened.
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Utah prosecutors will play audio recordings in court of police interviews with the roommate of the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The defense objected, saying the statements might be seen as a confession and could harm the defendant's chance of a fair trial.
Key Facts
The victim is conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The accused is Tyler Robinson.
The roommate and romantic partner of Tyler Robinson is named Lance Twiggs.
Prosecutors want to play audio clips of interviews with Lance Twiggs in open court.
Defense attorneys oppose the public release of these statements.
Defense fears the statements could be viewed as a confession.
They argue that broadcasting the statements might affect Robinson’s right to a fair trial.
The case is happening in Provo, Utah.
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U.S. home sales showed a small drop in June, while the median home price reached a record high of $440,600. Rising mortgage rates and high prices make it harder for people to afford homes, even though sales have stayed near a low level.
Key Facts
Existing home sales in the U.S. fell 2.4% in June compared to May.
The annual rate of home sales in June was 4.09 million units, below the expected 4.21 million.
Home sales have stayed close to 4 million annually since 2023, below the usual 5.2 million.
The national median home price in June reached $440,600, the highest on record since 1999.
Home prices have increased every year for 36 months straight.
Mortgage rates recently ranged between 6.23% and 6.53%, their highest since August of the previous year.
Higher mortgage rates and home prices reduce affordability for buyers.
Sales reflect contracts made when mortgage rates were rising amid concerns about inflation and the U.S.–Iran conflict.
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Good Housekeeping conducted a survey about how modern families share household chores. Elspeth Velten, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, discussed the results on CBS Mornings.
Key Facts
The survey focused on how people feel about dividing housework.
It looked at different ways families split chores.
Elspeth Velten explained the survey findings on CBS Mornings.
The information comes from Good Housekeeping magazine.
The topic highlights current family habits around chores.
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Audio clips from an interview with the roommate of the person accused of killing Charlie Kirk will be played in a court hearing. The hearing is a preliminary step before the main trial.
Key Facts
Prosecutors will play audio clips from an interview with the accused killer’s roommate.
The clips will be used during a preliminary court hearing.
The accused is charged with the murder of Charlie Kirk.
Caroline Polisi, a legal expert for CBS News, provided details about the case.
The hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
This is part of the early legal process before a full trial.
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Doreen Lawrence and six others lost a court case accusing the Daily Mail of illegal methods to get stories. The court rejected claims of phone tapping and hacking, and Lawrence will not have to pay legal costs from the failed action.
Key Facts
Doreen Lawrence joined a lawsuit against the Daily Mail for alleged illegal news-gathering methods.
Claims included phone tapping, hacking, and tricking people for private information.
The High Court dismissed all claims brought by Lawrence, the Duke of Sussex (Prince Harry), and others.
The Daily Mail publisher will try to recover legal costs, which could be very high but may be reduced.
Lawrence will not have to pay any share of the legal bills from the case.
Insurance was in place to cover legal costs for the claimants and their lawyers if they lost.
The judge found no proof that the Daily Mail used unlawful methods for 55 stories cited by the claimants.
Other claimants included Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, and Simon Hughes.
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David Hearn, a 67-year-old U.S. Olympic canoeist, pleaded not guilty to charges of damaging the Reflecting Pool near the Washington Monument. He was indicted after being accused of removing sealant from the pool's bottom and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Key Facts
David Hearn competed in the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Olympics as a canoeist.
He was indicted on July 2 for allegedly damaging the Reflecting Pool on June 19.
Hearn is accused of ripping out part of the sealant at the bottom of the pool.
He says he only touched the sealant briefly out of curiosity during a bike ride.
His lawyers asked for no restrictions and for him to be released without supervision.
The judge agreed and released Hearn on his own recognizance (without bail).
A status hearing and trial date are planned for August 5.
The defense says the case is part of the administration’s effort to shift blame for failures.
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The number of school suspensions and permanent exclusions in England decreased for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024/25, suspensions fell by 4% and permanent exclusions dropped by 9%, though suspensions rose in primary schools.
Key Facts
There were 913,000 suspensions in state schools in England in 2024/25, down 4% from the previous year.
Permanent exclusions were 9,900 in 2024/25, a 9% decrease.
Suspension rates dropped in secondary and special schools but increased by 7,742 in primary schools.
Nearly half of suspensions lasted one day or less, but 94,400 pupils missed more than a week of school due to suspension.
Persistent disruptive behavior was the most common reason for suspensions (52%) and exclusions (40%).
Secondary school pupils made up 85% of all suspensions.
Pupils with special educational needs and those on free school meals are more likely to be suspended or excluded.
Boys are suspended 1.5 times more than girls.
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Katie Couric shared that she was hospitalized due to a condition called transient global amnesia, which causes temporary memory loss. A neurologist from Maimonides Health explained more about this condition on CBS Mornings.
Key Facts
Katie Couric experienced transient global amnesia, a sudden and temporary loss of memory.
She was hospitalized because of this memory loss.
Transient global amnesia usually lasts a short time and affects the ability to remember recent events.
The condition is not linked to serious brain injury or long-term damage.
Dr. Leah Croll, a neurologist, discussed the symptoms and causes on a CBS News program.
This condition is rare and often resolves by itself without lasting effects.
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A federal judge in Brooklyn has ordered Indian billionaire Gautam Adani to respond by July 15 about whether any exchange of favors took place in the Justice Department’s decision to drop bribery and fraud charges against him. The case involves allegations that Adani’s companies paid over $250 million in bribes to secure contracts in India, but politically appointed DOJ officials moved to dismiss the charges.
Key Facts
Judge Nicholas Garaufis ordered Gautam Adani to answer questions about any possible deal linked to the dismissal of criminal charges against him.
Charges involved alleged foreign bribery and securities fraud in connection with Indian solar energy contracts.
The Justice Department’s political appointees, not career prosecutors, requested dismissal of the case.
Two career prosecutors withdrew from the case after the motion to dismiss was filed.
A DOJ official, Trent McCotter, reversed an earlier decision to prosecute and pushed for dismissal after meeting with Adani’s legal team.
Adani’s lawyers reportedly offered to invest $10 billion in the U.S. economy if charges were dropped.
McCotter denied that financial offers influenced the decision, saying he dismissed the charges because they were indefensible.
The judge’s order highlights concerns about how the decision to drop the case was made.
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David Hearn, a former U.S. Olympian, pleaded not guilty to a charge accusing him of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. He appeared in court and was released without having to pay bail, with another hearing planned for later.
Key Facts
David Hearn is a former U.S. Olympian.
He faces a felony charge for damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
He pleaded not guilty during his court appearance.
The case was heard in D.C. Superior Court.
Judge Carmen McLean presided over the arraignment.
Hearn was released on a personal recognizance bond, meaning no money bail was required.
A future court hearing has been scheduled to review the case.
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