Why Am I Still Hearing About Measles?

On the brink

Why Am I Still Hearing About Measles?

What’s going on: The United States is on track to lose its measles elimination status largely thanks to an ongoing outbreak in Utah. If this sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve been inching closer for a while. The US declared itself measles-free in 2000, but as vaccination rates decline, dozens of states have faced outbreaks of the highly contagious infection. Utah’s has been particularly challenging due to a lack of public health resources. Last year’s 2,288 measles cases marked a 34-year high. Less than halfway through 2026, the US has already confirmed 2,073 cases. We’ll be assessed by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in November to determine whether we’ll join Canada, which lost its elimination status last year. Not exactly the solidarity we’d hoped for with our neighbors to the north.

How we got here: Vaccine skepticism has always existed, but when Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rejects the severity of measles and throws support behind vaccine exemptions, it’s easy to see mixed messaging has consequences. Still, 84% of Americans believe vaccines work, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. Jay Bhattacharya, the CDC’s new acting director, also backs the measles vaccination, but it might be too late to put the syringe back in the medicine bottle. The CDC has said that measles anywhere is a threat because the disease can spread so quickly, and with a deadly outbreak in Bangladesh, cases on the rise in Virginia, and more than a million travelers coming to the US for the FIFA World Cup, the status of our status doesn’t look promising.

Related: Guess How Much the US Is Still Spending Each Month To Store Unused Contraceptives in Belgium (Reuters)

The News in 6

🗞️ The FBI arrested a teen, along with others, in an alleged plot to use drones and guns to attack the White House UFC event. He's probably not happy about who tipped off the feds. 

🗞️ Hot off the press, a New York Times investigation turns over every stone in Jeffrey Epstein's death — including whether he was murdered.

🗞️ Starbucks in South Korea will close stores on June 22 for a mandatory history lesson after an insensitive campaign sparked backlash. Apparently, employees came up with the shocking slogan after consulting AI.

🗞️ A large portion of Americans don't think the country will last another 250 years. Happy birthday?

🗞️ One major A-lister is in talks to star in a movie about January 6. But will he wear horns and fur?

🗞️ President Donald Trump got a birthday gift with a message from another world leader. It’s no portrait from Putin, but it’s a nice gesture. 

AI Apocalypse Now

Deepfakes Are Fooling the Best of Us

What’s going on: Scary-realistic AI-generated deepfakes are everywhere, and it’s getting more difficult to clock them — just ask Tom Hanks, Sanjay Gupta, or James Talarico. The lines are so blurred now that even the world’s leading deepfake expert can’t always tell what’s real. Hany Farid told The New York Times that in the last six months, he feels like he’s “going blind” because it’s getting impossible to spot the counterfeits. He’s struggling to do what he’s always done — help journalists, governments, and human rights organizations validate key footage, including from war zones — despite having the most advanced technology at his fingertips. AI has gotten a little too good. He warns: “Within a year or two, our whole visual system will be utterly useless.” 

Where does that leave us?: In a pretty dark place, frankly. Even foreign governments and US politicians have accidentally shared inauthentic videos (a slightly different flavor of wrong than the intentional AI slop the White House churns out). As midterms approach, these clips are increasingly political. Election-related fakes are illegal in many states, but First Amendment protections make those laws hard to enforce. In 2025, Congress passed the Take It Down Act to fight nonconsensual intimate deepfakes. But these laws can't keep up with the internet. As things spiral into a strange kind of virtual unreality, skepticism is your best armor. When it comes to spotting deepfakes, follow the old journalist’s creed: “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.” 

Related: Even the First Family Isn’t Safe From Deepfakes (Newsweek)

About That Renovation

We’re Paying How Much for Trump’s Ballroom?

What’s going on: President Donald Trump seems to be treating Washington, DC, like an episode of Love It Or List It, from painting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool “American flag blue” to attempting to rename the Kennedy Center. A new report from The Washington Post reveals that his planned White House ballroom renovations will cost roughly $600 million — about $200 million more than he previously said — with taxpayers covering more than half. Over the past year, the project has expanded to include an underground hospital, a rooftop drone port, and military facilities (what, no ball pit?). Trump said it's a national security measure and insisted that taxpayers won’t pay a dime, calling the ballroom “a gift to the United States of America."

How are people reacting?: If it’s a gift, Americans hope it comes with a gift receipt. One poll from April showed that voters opposed the East Wing renovation by a two-to-one margin — and opposed plans for a 250-foot “Arc de Trump” by an even wider margin, to say nothing of other stalled legacy projects. Even some Republicans aren’t on board. As The Washington Post’s report spreads through DC, Democrats have criticized both the cost to taxpayers and Trump’s apparent lie. A White House spokesperson denied the report, but Trump himself is busy attending the G7 Summit and visiting Versailles, which he called "the real deal." Next up: an East Wing Hall of Mirrors? 

Related: There's No Doubt Trump Has a Favorite Color. Just Look at the Coasters (Business Insider)  

Quick Hits

🎾 Serena and Venus Williams are reuniting to play mixed doubles, but why are so many publications focusing on this weird stat?

📚 Jennifer Garner revealed the strange request she made this past Mother’s Day. “They’re like, ‘Mom.’ And I’m like, ‘I know, but I think I need that,’” she said.

🍏 McDonald’s will bring back this dessert classic just in time for America’s 250th birthday… including a display version that’s 35 feet high. Nothing more American than that.

😘 Potential new celebrity couple alert. Apparently, someone’s got a thing for tall blondes. 

🎶 Swifties, here’s another reason to freak out: Taylor’s wedding may not be the only thing she’s working on this summer. 

We Needed This

On Our Calendar

Wednesday, June 17

⚖️ Sentencing of Gilgo Beach serial killer  

After admitting in April that he killed eight women, Rex Heuermann — who is already the subject of multiple documentaries — is scheduled to receive his sentence.

🍿 Never Change! out on Hulu 

It asks the question: What happens if the class of 2008 goes back to high school?

🤑 Million Dollar Nannies debuts 

It follows a group of nannies to the ultrarich in Ibiza — and one cast member once worked for a certain Calabasas dynasty.

🥕 National Eat Your Veggies Day 

Consider this your excuse to make one of these easy summer-ready dishes. We're into number 10.

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Shopping for Dad

Ali, Senior Commerce Director, here. Father’s Day is quickly approaching. If you’re struggling to find something for the dad in your life, here are a couple things I’ve bookmarked lately:

• A new pair of slip-on sneakers so he can stay active

• A curated snack box if he always gets peckish after dinner 

• The best way to get game day food if he’s into the World Cup

• A robot vacuum that’s currently on sale 

• An incredibly sweet way to preserve family memories (that’s also on sale)

Skimm'd by: Marisa Iallonardo, Molly Longman, Stephanie Gallman, Aryanna Prasad Bhullar, Erika W. Smith, Jessica Prois, Marina Carver, and Kylie McConville. Fact-checked by Sara Tardiff.