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Latest developments and key stories from across the United States
The Protecting Seniors and Stopping Fraudsters Act aims to prevent fraud in home health and hospice care programs. It seeks to improve care for patients by protecting access and reducing complications for honest providers.
Key Facts
The Act focuses on home health and hospice care services.
It aims to stop fraudulent activities within these programs.
The law helps make sure patients can still get the care they need.
It reduces paperwork and difficulties for providers who follow the rules.
The goal is to improve overall program integrity and patient outcomes.
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A federal judge stopped the Trump administration from allowing states to ban the use of SNAP food benefits to buy soda and candy. The judge ruled the Agriculture Department did not have the legal power to approve such restrictions on what SNAP recipients can buy.
Key Facts
SNAP is a federal program that helps low-income Americans buy groceries.
The Trump administration wanted to let states block purchases of soft drinks and candy with SNAP benefits.
The Agriculture Department approved bans in multiple states as part of the "Make America Healthy Again" campaign.
Five states’ SNAP recipients sued, saying the ban would harm food access and health, especially for people with chronic illnesses.
Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled the Agriculture Department overstepped its authority and can’t change what counts as food under SNAP.
So far, 23 states got approval to limit SNAP purchases, but this ruling challenges those blocks.
The USDA said it will continue trying to promote healthy food choices in SNAP.
Advocacy groups say the ruling could affect similar bans in other states and help protect SNAP rules nationwide.
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President Donald Trump spoke in Pennsylvania to promote his economic plans before the midterm elections. He highlighted recent job growth and emphasized that affordability is a major concern for voters.
Key Facts
President Trump gave a speech in Pennsylvania about his economic agenda.
He aimed to gain support before the upcoming midterm elections.
Affordability, meaning how people manage the cost of living, is a key voter concern.
The President referenced recent Labor Department data.
The Labor Department reported job growth that was better than expected.
President Trump described the U.S. economy as the “best ever.”
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More than 30 years after 6-year-old Etan Patz disappeared, police identified a suspect named Pedro Hernandez. Hernandez was convicted of murder, but legal appeals required a new trial. In 2026, the Supreme Court restored Hernandez's conviction.
Key Facts
Etan Patz, a 6-year-old boy, went missing over 30 years ago.
Pedro Hernandez became the main suspect in the case.
Hernandez was first convicted of murder.
In July 2025, a federal appeals court ordered either a new trial for Hernandez or his release.
On June 22, 2026, the Supreme Court reversed the appeals court and reinstated Hernandez’s conviction.
The case received wide attention as one of the earliest missing child investigations in the U.S.
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A single 79-year-old patient was given early access to Eli Lilly’s experimental obesity drug retatrutide through the FDA’s compassionate use program. Reports suggest this patient may be President Donald Trump, who has obesity-related health conditions, though officials have not confirmed this.
Key Facts
Eli Lilly’s retatrutide is an experimental drug targeting hormones related to obesity, diabetes, and sleep apnea.
The drug is currently in late-stage trials and has shown significant weight loss results similar to weight-loss surgery.
Only one patient, aged 79, was granted early access to the drug through the FDA’s expanded access program.
This patient reportedly has refractory obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and pulmonary hypertension (high lung blood pressure).
The access request was made in April by a senior NIH clinician on behalf of this patient.
The patient previously used tirzepatide, another hormone-targeting obesity drug, with only moderate success.
Neither the White House nor the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed if President Trump is the patient.
Experts find it unusual that only one patient would get access to this drug under compassionate use for common conditions.
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A coalition of labor groups, including the AFL-CIO, is warning that a new veterans’ benefits bill could cut or reduce disability payments for up to 1.5 million veterans. While the bill adds some new benefits, it may also cut compensation for common conditions like sleep apnea and tinnitus and increase the use of private healthcare providers instead of VA care.
Key Facts
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and about 20 other labor groups oppose the veterans’ benefits bill.
The bill is called the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act and includes the Major Richard Star Act provisions.
The Major Richard Star Act would allow some combat-injured veterans to receive full military retirement pay alongside VA disability benefits.
To pay for new benefits, the bill proposes cutting or reducing disability payments for conditions like tinnitus and sleep apnea.
Approximately 1.5 million veterans could lose or see cuts to their disability compensation.
The bill could lead to more care being provided outside the VA system, increasing reliance on private healthcare providers.
Labor groups argue that cutting benefits and pushing privatization could harm veterans who depend on VA services.
About half of VA-funded medical care is already provided by outside providers, and the bill may accelerate this trend.
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Etan Patz, a 6-year-old boy, disappeared in New York City in 1979 while walking alone to his school bus stop two blocks from his home. Decades later, a man named Pedro Hernandez was convicted for Etan’s murder, though his conviction was briefly overturned before being reinstated by the Supreme Court.
Key Facts
Etan Patz vanished in 1979 on his way to a school bus stop in Manhattan.
His case was one of the oldest and most well-known missing child cases in New York City.
Etan’s disappearance led to changes in how parents supervise their children.
Jose Ramos was a suspect early on but was not charged due to lack of evidence.
In 2012, Pedro Hernandez confessed to choking a boy around the time Etan disappeared and was linked to the case.
Hernandez’s mental health issues raised questions about the reliability of his confession.
A federal appeals court ordered a new trial or release for Hernandez in 2025, but the Supreme Court reinstated his murder conviction in 2026.
Etan’s case inspired renewed investigation efforts and remains significant in law enforcement history.
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A new poll shows South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson leading with 61% support over Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette’s 29% in the Republican runoff for governor. Both candidates have backing from President Donald Trump, and the winner of this runoff is likely to win the general election in November, as South Carolina typically supports Republicans.
Key Facts
A recent InsiderAdvantage poll surveyed 800 likely Republican runoff voters in South Carolina.
Alan Wilson has 61% support in the runoff, Pamela Evette has 29%, and 10% are undecided.
Both candidates have been endorsed by President Donald Trump.
In the first primary on June 9, Evette got 28.9% of the vote, Wilson got 26.1%, but no one won a majority.
Other candidates who lost in the primary have mostly endorsed Wilson, helping him gain support.
Evette has the backing of South Carolina’s current Governor Henry McMaster.
Prediction markets see Wilson’s chances of winning the runoff as over 98%.
South Carolina is a safe Republican state, so the runoff winner is favored in the November election.
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Jon Stewart criticized President Donald Trump’s administration on The Daily Show for problems with the reflecting pool in Washington, DC, and the handling of an Iran peace deal. Stewart also highlighted awkward moments involving US officials and questioned the benefits of the Iran agreement.
Key Facts
The Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in DC turned green due to a failed paint job by Greenwater Services, a company linked to a Republican donor with a past bribery conviction.
Jon Stewart joked about the reflecting pool situation and questioned President Trump’s choice of contractors.
A viral video showed US Vice President JD Vance being ignored by Qatari leaders during peace talks in Switzerland.
The US agreed to support a $300 billion fund for Iran’s reconstruction and to unfreeze Iranian assets, aiming to improve relations.
Iran allowed International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors back into the country after the US initiated the peace deal.
Stewart referenced former President Obama’s Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), noting inspectors left only after US military actions started.
JD Vance called the Iran deal a “classic Trump deal,” expecting Iran to spend unfrozen money on US agricultural products.
Stewart questioned the value of trading smaller concessions for peace compared to risking conflict and bigger losses.
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A scientist named Kent Kiehl has studied the brains of criminals to find signs of psychopathy. His brain scan evidence has been used in many US court cases to argue that some defendants should get lighter sentences because their brains show they might not fully understand right from wrong.
Key Facts
Kent Kiehl is a researcher who studies prisoners' brains to find traits linked to psychopathy, a disorder involving a lack of empathy or guilt.
In 2009, Kiehl testified in the trial of Brian Dugan, a convicted serial killer, using brain scans and a psychopathy checklist.
Brain scans used were done with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which shows brain activity when subjects see emotional images.
Despite Kiehl’s testimony, Dugan was sentenced to death; his sentence was changed to life imprisonment after Illinois paused the death penalty.
After this trial, brain scan evidence has been used in thousands of criminal cases in the US to argue for lighter punishment.
A 2019 study found brain-based evidence appeared in over 2,800 court opinions and about 10-12% of murder trials involved such arguments.
The idea is that certain brain abnormalities may make some people more prone to criminal behavior, which can affect their legal responsibility.
Scientists remain cautious, and the use of brain evidence in court is still controversial and debated.
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The U.S. labor market may be stronger than monthly job reports have shown, as upcoming data revisions could add jobs instead of cutting them. This change suggests more job growth through early 2026 than currently reported, affecting views on the economy and Federal Reserve policies.
Key Facts
For the first time in years, job data revisions might increase the official job count rather than reduce it.
Monthly payroll reports are based on surveys and often get updated later with more complete job records.
Recent signs show steady unemployment and faster payroll growth than last year.
Economists estimate about 230,000 more jobs were created through the end of 2025 than reported in current payroll data.
The government will release the next annual job data update early next year, revising numbers through March 2026.
Previous large downward revisions might be fading due to factors like slower immigration and changes in how new businesses are counted.
If job growth is stronger, it supports the idea that the Federal Reserve might keep raising interest rates.
Some economists see reduced reasons to expect easier monetary policy based on these improved job data trends.
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The US Supreme Court ruled that Damon Landor, a former Louisiana inmate, cannot sue prison guards who shaved off his dreadlocks against his Rastafarian religious beliefs. The court said a federal law protecting religious freedom in prisons does not allow lawsuits against individual officials.
Key Facts
Damon Landor is a former inmate in Louisiana who had his dreadlocks shaved off by prison guards.
Landor argued that shaving his dreadlocks violated his Rastafarian faith, which views dreadlocks as a spiritual symbol.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Landor cannot sue the individual prison officials for monetary damages.
The court said the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) protects religious rights but does not allow suing individual state employees.
RLUIPA applies to prisons that receive federal funding but requires officials' consent to be sued personally.
Conservative justices formed the majority; three liberal justices disagreed with the ruling.
Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote that Congress cannot impose this kind of legal responsibility on individual officials without their consent.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, saying RLUIPA aims to protect prisoners' religious rights.
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Nancy Guthrie, mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, has been missing since February 1, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona. Savannah Guthrie made a public appeal for anyone with information to come forward after ransom notes suggested her mother had died.
Key Facts
Nancy Guthrie, age 84, was reported missing from her home near Tucson on February 1, 2026.
The FBI released video showing a masked person at her front door soon after she vanished.
Blood matching Nancy Guthrie’s was found on her porch.
Two ransom notes were received, one demanding millions in Bitcoin and another stating Nancy had died.
CNN reported the kidnappers did not plan to kill her, but she died shortly after being taken.
Savannah Guthrie publicly asked the public to help by sharing any information they might have.
Volunteers searched areas near Tucson and the Arizona-Mexico border but have not found Nancy.
Local police referred questions about the ransom notes to the FBI, which has not commented publicly.
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Ibrahim Khaldoon Hilmi, an American businessman, was arrested in Turkiye and returned to the US to face charges for a $3.7 billion Medicare fraud scheme. He is accused of using fake companies to submit false claims for medical equipment that patients never requested or received.
Key Facts
Hilmi ran companies, including Sunshine Senior Solutions, that appeared legitimate but were fronts to steal Medicare money.
Medicare is a US health insurance program for seniors and people with disabilities.
The fraud involved billing for durable medical equipment like knee braces and catheters that were not delivered or ordered.
Hilmi fled the US in May 2025 before authorities could arrest him and remained on the run for over a year.
Turkish authorities arrested him, and the FBI transferred him back to the US through a formal process.
His arrest is part of a larger federal effort called Operation Gold Rush targeting Medicare fraud and organized crime.
Hilmi will face federal court charges and could receive fines or prison time if convicted.
Another fugitive accused of a $1.3 billion Medicare fraud was also caught recently, highlighting the scale of such crimes.
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President Donald Trump continues to say that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was vandalized after reports showed the new base covering is peeling. The pool was recently renovated by the Trump administration for millions of dollars, but it now faces issues like green water caused by algae.
Key Facts
President Trump maintains his claim that vandalism occurred at the Reflecting Pool.
The Reflecting Pool is located at the Lincoln Memorial.
The pool recently underwent a costly renovation led by the Trump administration.
The renovation cost millions of dollars.
After the renovation, the new base covering is peeling off.
The water in the pool has turned green due to an algae bloom.
The article discusses problems appearing shortly after the renovation was completed.
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The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 against a Rastafarian inmate who said prison officials forcibly shaved his dreadlocks, violating his religious rights. The Court decided he cannot sue individual prison employees for money damages under a law protecting religious freedom in prisons because only institutions, not individuals, can be held liable.
Key Facts
The case involved Damon Landor, a Rastafarian inmate in Louisiana whose dreadlocks were cut by prison staff against his religious beliefs.
Landor sought monetary damages from the prison employees under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
The Supreme Court majority said RLUIPA does not allow suing individual officials for damages, only the state or institutions that accept federal funding conditions.
The decision was 6-3, with conservative justices forming the majority and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting.
The Court emphasized that individuals must consent to legal obligations tied to federal funding, which prison staff did not do personally.
The ruling contrasts with previous Court decisions favoring religious liberty claims, such as those related to pandemic restrictions, prayer by coaches, and religious schooling.
The decision may limit remedies available to prisoners who face religious rights violations by individual staff members.
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Governor Kathy Hochul is expected to win the 2026 New York governor's race, but Republican Bruce Blakeman is trying to make the race competitive by focusing on issues like affordability, taxes, and public safety. Polls currently show Hochul leading by a large margin, but she has seen some drops in approval ratings, especially among independents and men.
Key Facts
Kathy Hochul is the Democratic governor of New York and the favorite to win re-election in 2026.
Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee, is campaigning on concerns about cost of living, taxes, and crime.
New York is a very Democratic state but has shown some competitiveness in recent elections.
Recent polls show Hochul ahead by about 16 to 22 points.
Prediction markets give Democrats about an 88-90% chance to win.
Hochul’s approval ratings have dropped recently, hitting lows in the last year.
Many voters, including Democrats, are concerned about housing and cost of living.
Hochul benefits from New York’s large number of registered Democrats compared to Republicans.
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Representative Dan Goldman is trailing progressive Brad Lander in polls for the Democratic primary in New York’s 10th Congressional District. The race highlights a choice between moderate and progressive leadership in a district known for strong progressive support.
Key Facts
Brad Lander leads in recent polls: one showed 57% support for Lander vs. 23% for Goldman, another showed 47% for Lander vs. 42% for Goldman.
Prediction markets give Lander about a 98-99% chance of winning.
The 10th District covers parts of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, areas with many progressive voters.
Goldman is seen as more centrist and has faced criticism from progressives for his stance on Israel.
Lander has the endorsement of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, reflecting the mayor’s influence in the city’s progressive politics.
Goldman supports Israel firmly but criticized its current leadership and policies regarding Gaza.
The primary election is a key test of the progressive movement’s influence in New York politics.
This race is one of several in 2026 where progressives challenge moderate Democrats in New York City.
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The National Guard and U.S. Park Police are watching the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after it turned green from algae and had blue paint floating on it. This is part of a response to prevent further damage to the pool.
Key Facts
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool showed green water due to an algae bloom.
Blue paint was also found floating on top of the pool’s water.
The National Guard and U.S. Park Police began patrolling the area on Monday.
The patrols aim to stop people from harming the pool.
The Department of the Interior is involved in addressing this situation.
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Nancy Guthrie, mother of TV host Savannah Guthrie, disappeared earlier this year near Tucson, Arizona. A ransom note sent after her disappearance expressed regret about her death and suggested the kidnappers felt some sympathy for her family.
Key Facts
Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her home near Tucson, Arizona, early in 2024.
A first ransom note demanded cryptocurrency and said she was safe.
A second note, sent later, said Nancy died soon after she was taken.
The second note did not ask for money but showed regret over her passing.
Former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer said the note showed unusual empathy from the kidnappers.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and FBI are actively investigating the case.
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings made a public video offering to pay for their mother’s safe return.
The kidnappers described Nancy as “buried with nature,” but did not reveal her exact location.
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