US and Iran Exchange Strikes for First Time in a Month; Oil Prices Rise
US forces struck Iranian rocket positions on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, killing two people. Iran responded with drone and missile attacks on US military bases in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Global oil prices rose on the news.US forces and Iran exchanged fire for the first time since late July, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict. American forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, killing two people and injuring two others. Iran retaliated with drone and missile attacks targeting US military bases in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. President Trump stated the US would respond further to Iran's targeting of American bases. The exchange sent global oil prices higher. US average gasoline prices are reported to be approximately 37 percent above where they stood when the conflict began. The strikes came as G20 finance officials, including representatives from China and Russia, gathered in the US to discuss the ongoing economic disruption caused by the conflict. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, has been a central focus of the conflict. US Navy personnel had previously conducted operations to clear Iranian sea mines from the strait's shipping lanes. The Bank of England governor separately cited energy shocks from the US-Iran conflict as a driver of global economic volatility in remarks to G20 finance ministers.
Russia Deploys Faster Jet-Powered Drones in Sustained Daytime Attacks on Kyiv
Russia launched approximately 800 to 1,500 jet-powered drones at Ukraine over four to five days, conducting sustained daytime attacks on Kyiv. The new drones travel at roughly double the speed of earlier models, straining air defenses and disrupting supply chains.Russia shifted its drone campaign against Ukraine by deploying a new model of jet-powered Shahed drone and conducting attacks throughout the day rather than primarily overnight. Sources report between 800 and 1,500 drones were launched over a period of four to five days, with figures varying across accounts. The new drones cruise at approximately 200 to 250 miles per hour, roughly double the speed of the earlier 115 mph models, making interception more difficult. Prolonged air raid sirens kept residents in shelters for extended periods, disrupting daily life in Kyiv. Repeated strikes on warehouses left some supermarket shelves depleted. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized the attacks as an effort to exhaust Ukraine's population and defenses. The shift to daytime operations represents a tactical change from years of largely nighttime attacks. Ukraine continues to receive US military aid; a separate report noted active US oversight of that aid amid ongoing anti-corruption investigations within Zelenskyy's government, though no specific findings of misuse were reported.
Walmart Agrees to $50 Million Settlement Over Role in Opioid Epidemic
Walmart has agreed to pay $50 million to settle a federal lawsuit alleging the company's pharmacies contributed to the opioid epidemic by filling prescriptions that should have been refused.The US Department of Justice announced that Walmart has agreed to pay $50 million to resolve a federal lawsuit related to its role in the opioid epidemic. Federal authorities alleged that Walmart pharmacies filled prescriptions for controlled substances that pharmacists had reason to believe were invalid or inappropriate. The settlement is part of a broader government effort to hold retail pharmacy chains accountable alongside drug manufacturers and distributors. Walmart did not admit wrongdoing as part of the agreement. The opioid epidemic has been linked to hundreds of thousands of deaths in the United States over the past two decades. Major pharmacy chains including CVS and Walgreens have previously reached separate settlements with federal and state governments over similar claims.
FDA Proposes Requiring Food Companies to Notify Agency Before Adding New Ingredients
The FDA has proposed a rule that would require food and beverage companies to notify the agency before adding new ingredients to products, closing a nearly 70-year gap in which companies could self-certify that ingredients were safe without informing regulators.For nearly 70 years, a provision in US food law has allowed manufacturers to add new ingredients to food and beverages without notifying the Food and Drug Administration, provided the company determined on its own that the ingredient was safe. The FDA has now proposed changing that framework to require companies to inform the agency when they introduce a new substance into human food. Under the existing system, the FDA frequently does not have a complete picture of what additives are in the food supply. The proposal would give the agency an opportunity to review new ingredients before they reach consumers, rather than relying entirely on the manufacturer's internal safety determination. The change would represent a significant shift in how food ingredient safety is regulated in the United States. The proposal is open to public comment before any final rule is issued.
Supreme Court Faces Active Disputes Over Birthright Citizenship Order, Mail-In Ballots, and Transgender Military Ban
The Supreme Court has multiple active cases under review, including challenges to President Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship, disputes over mail-in ballot rules, and a renewed challenge to the administration's ban on transgender service members.Several significant legal disputes are currently before or returning to the Supreme Court. A challenge to President Trump's executive order redefining birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment remains in litigation, with lower court rulings and procedural updates being tracked. Separately, a dispute over mail-in ballot rules is also before the court. Additionally, a legal challenge to the Trump administration's ban on transgender individuals serving in the military has returned to the Supreme Court for further consideration. These cases collectively touch on constitutional interpretation, election administration, and military personnel policy — all areas of broad significance to American civic life. SCOTUSblog is tracking procedural developments in each matter as they progress.
Prediction Market Kalshi Permanently Bans Former Congressman George Santos Over Insider Trading Finding
Kalshi, a regulated prediction market platform, has permanently banned former New York Congressman George Santos and fined him $71,356 after its compliance team determined he likely engaged in insider trading tied to his attendance at the State of the Union address.Prediction market platform Kalshi announced it has permanently banned former US Congressman George Santos and issued a fine of $71,356. The company's compliance department determined there was reasonable cause to conclude Santos had engaged in insider trading, specifically in connection with his attendance at the State of the Union address, during which he reportedly turned a profit of approximately $17,839 on trading activity. Santos, who represented a New York district before being expelled from Congress, has faced multiple legal and ethical proceedings. Kalshi's action is a private enforcement measure and does not carry criminal penalties, though it adds to Santos's legal and regulatory complications. The case has drawn broader attention to how prediction markets — which are regulated but operate differently from traditional financial exchanges — handle misconduct and the question of whether elected officials' access to non-public information creates insider trading risks in these markets.
New Pancreatic Cancer Drug Priced at $480,000 a Year as Pipeline of Similar Treatments Expands
A newly approved pancreatic cancer drug called Rasonque, from Revolution Medicines, carries a list price of $480,000 per year — illustrating a broad upward trend in cancer drug pricing. Dozens of similar treatments are in development for pancreatic, lung, and colon cancers.Revolution Medicines received FDA approval for Rasonque, a treatment for pancreatic cancer, which has been priced at $480,000 per year. The price reflects a wider pattern of rising cancer drug costs over the past two decades. Pancreatic cancer has historically had few effective treatment options and very poor survival rates, making any advance in the field significant. The approval has also prompted a broader race among pharmaceutical companies to develop similar drugs targeting related cancer types, including lung and colon cancers. Dozens of these treatments are currently in clinical testing. The high price point raises ongoing questions about patient access, insurance coverage, and the sustainability of cancer drug pricing in the US healthcare system. For American patients, the cost makes insurance coverage determinations and potential Medicare negotiation provisions particularly consequential.
Experimental Gene-Editing Treatment Reduced LDL Cholesterol Significantly for Over a Year in Small Study
A small clinical study found that a single experimental gene-editing treatment significantly reduced LDL cholesterol levels, with results persisting for more than a year after the one-time intervention.Researchers published results from a small study in which a one-time experimental gene-editing treatment produced a significant reduction in LDL cholesterol — the type most associated with cardiovascular disease risk. The reduction persisted for more than a year following the single treatment, which is notable given that current standard cholesterol medications typically require daily or monthly dosing. The study involved a small number of participants, meaning larger trials will be needed to establish safety and efficacy more broadly before any potential regulatory review. Gene-editing approaches to cardiovascular risk represent an emerging area of research with the potential to change how chronic conditions like high cholesterol are managed over the long term.
NPR Investigation Finds US Heat Deaths Substantially Undercounted in Official Data
A two-year NPR investigation found that deaths caused by heat in the United States occur significantly more often than official tallies reflect, due to inconsistencies in how heat is recorded as a cause of death on death certificates.An investigation by NPR conducted over two years found that heat-related deaths in the United States are substantially more common than government counts indicate. The gap between actual and reported deaths stems from how cause of death is determined and recorded on death certificates — heat is frequently not listed even when it was a contributing or primary factor. The undercounting affects how public health authorities understand the scale of the problem and allocate resources. Extreme heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the United States. The investigation comes as many parts of the country face prolonged periods of high temperatures, and as a super El Niño weather pattern is forecast to intensify conditions in the coming period. The findings have implications for federal and state public health planning, emergency response, and infrastructure investment.
Measles Deaths in Pennsylvania Draw Political Dispute Among Officials as Cases Rise
Measles deaths in Pennsylvania have prompted a dispute among politicians and public health officials over responsibility and response, with medical experts saying the political conflict is diverting attention from a worsening public health situation.Pennsylvania has reported measles deaths, prompting a public dispute among state and federal politicians and public health officials over accountability and the appropriate response. Medical experts have expressed concern that the political conflict is drawing focus away from the underlying public health situation, which they describe as an expanding outbreak. Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, but declining vaccination rates in some communities have enabled its return. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause serious complications and death, particularly in young children and immunocompromised individuals. The situation in Pennsylvania reflects a broader national trend of measles resurgence tied to vaccination gaps.
Markets have trended modestly higher over the past week and a half before leveling off.
Bank of England Governor Warns G20 That Advanced AI Could Trigger Global Economic Downturn
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey wrote to G20 finance ministers and central bank governors warning that advanced AI poses risks to global financial stability, citing potential volatility compounded by energy shocks from the US-Iran conflict.Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey sent a two-page letter to international finance ministers and central bank governors ahead of a G20 meeting, warning that the most advanced artificial intelligence systems pose risks to global financial stability. Bailey's letter cited AI's potential to cause economic volatility, with energy shocks stemming from the US-Iran conflict named as one compounding factor. The warning comes as G20 finance officials are already convened to address the ongoing economic disruption caused by that conflict. Bailey's concerns focus specifically on frontier AI systems rather than AI broadly. The letter places the Bank of England among a growing number of central banks and international financial institutions raising formal concerns about systemic AI risk. The warning is relevant to American readers because the US is both a primary developer of advanced AI and a central participant in the G20 discussions, and because any AI-driven economic instability would affect global markets including US financial markets.
Sony and Warner Music Publishers Sue Anthropic Over Alleged Unauthorized Use of Song Lyrics to Train AI
Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell have filed a multibillion-dollar lawsuit against Anthropic, the company behind the Claude AI chatbot, alleging it used tens of thousands of copyrighted songs without authorization to train its AI systems.Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell, two major music publishers that manage copyrights on behalf of songwriters and composers, have filed a multibillion-dollar lawsuit against Anthropic. The publishers allege that Anthropic used tens of thousands of copyrighted songs without permission or payment to train its Claude AI model. The lawsuit is among the largest of a wave of copyright infringement claims filed against AI companies by rights holders across the music, publishing, and visual arts industries. Anthropic, which has raised significant funding and counts major technology companies among its customers, has not publicly commented on the specific allegations. The case raises unresolved legal questions about whether using copyrighted material to train AI systems constitutes infringement under existing law — questions that US courts are actively working through in related cases. The outcome could affect how AI companies across the industry license, or are required to license, creative content.
Meta Reaches $17.1 Billion Settlement with State Attorneys General Over Social Media Harms
Meta agreed to a $17.1 billion settlement with state attorneys general resolving claims related to social media harms. Negotiations concluded after months of discussions, with Meta's top lawyer ultimately bringing the deal to the table as the company faced mounting legal losses.Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, reached a $17.1 billion settlement with state attorneys general, resolving a major multistate legal action. The states had alleged that Meta's platforms caused harm, particularly to younger users. Negotiations took place over several months before Meta's new top lawyer helped finalize the agreement. The settlement comes as Meta faced a series of adverse legal outcomes in related cases. The deal is among the largest technology-sector legal settlements in US history. The funds are expected to be distributed among the participating states, though the specific allocation and use of proceeds varies. The settlement does not require Meta to admit wrongdoing. Separately, commentators have drawn comparisons between the social media industry's current legal situation and the decades-long trajectory of tobacco litigation in the United States.
Nepal Flood Toll Reaches 939; Hundreds of Hydropower Workers Remain Unaccounted For
Rescue teams in Nepal are using explosives to break through hillsides in an effort to reach workers trapped in hydropower tunnels following catastrophic flash floods. The confirmed death toll has reached 939, with more than 900 workers still missing across 12 projects.Rescue operations in Nepal continued after flash floods devastated large areas of the country, with the confirmed death toll reaching 939. More than 900 hydropower workers are missing, with hundreds believed to be trapped in the tunnels and underground areas of 12 hydropower projects. Rescuers have resorted to using explosives to blast through hillsides to reach potential survivors. Entire villages were destroyed, with some areas buried under meters of silt and debris, making access extremely difficult. The Nepal-China border area near Gyirong Port, one of the hardest-hit zones, remained almost entirely inaccessible nearly a week after the floods struck. Thirty-three Australian citizens were last known to be in that border area and remain missing. Questions have emerged about whether Nepal's government delayed accepting foreign assistance, with private sector power producers saying crucial time was lost in the early rescue effort. Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah, 36, who came to power earlier this year, faces a significant early test in managing disaster response and reconstruction. For American readers, the disaster carries implications for global energy supply chains and for the dozens of Australian citizens, a close US ally, among the missing.
Flash Flood at Grand Canyon Kills One and Leaves 15 Unaccounted For Near Phantom Ranch
A flash flood swept through the Grand Canyon near Bright Angel Creek and Phantom Ranch on Saturday, killing one person and leaving approximately 15 others missing or unaccounted for. Dozens were evacuated from the remote area.A major flash flood struck the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona on Saturday afternoon, affecting the Bright Angel Creek and Phantom Ranch corridor — one of the park's most remote areas. One person, a 46-year-old man, was found dead near Crystal Rapid. Approximately 15 people were reported missing or unaccounted for as of Sunday night, according to the National Park Service. Dozens of additional visitors were evacuated. The Phantom Ranch area is accessible primarily by foot, mule, or river, which complicates search and rescue operations. The National Park Service was conducting an active search for those unaccounted for.
Lionel Messi Announces Retirement from International Soccer After Two Decades with Argentina
Lionel Messi, 39, announced his retirement from international soccer, ending a career in which he represented Argentina for approximately two decades and led the country to a World Cup title. He said the decision was painful but that he understood the time had come.Lionel Messi announced on Monday that he is retiring from international soccer, concluding a roughly 20-year career representing Argentina. Messi, who is 39, published a statement on social media saying the decision was one that hurt deeply but that he understood the time had come. He said he had written the retirement letter following the World Cup final in July but delayed publishing it because his father was facing a health crisis that ultimately proved fatal. Messi led Argentina to the FIFA World Cup and is widely considered among the greatest players in the history of the sport. He will continue playing at the club level for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer in the United States. His retirement from international duty marks the end of an era for both Argentina's national team and for the sport globally. For American readers, Messi's continued presence in MLS means he will remain a significant figure in US soccer.