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CDC nominee on shaky ground following US Senate confirmation hearing

Erica Schwartz testifies during her confirmation hearing to become director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on July 15, 2026. (Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images) WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention didn’t appear to secure the support needed to take over the public health agency during a lengthy and often tense confirmation hearing Wednesday.  While Dr. Erica Schwartz told lawmakers on the U.S. Senate Committee that oversees health policy she would “never betray the science,” she didn’t seem to win the trust of Democrats or key Republicans needed to advance.  Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., repeatedly questioned Schwartz about whether she would follow the example set by former CDC Director Susan Monarez, who  testified last year that she was fired after refusing to pre-approve vaccine recommendations or fire career officials for no reason. “...
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More teens with cannabis use disorder are facing treatment delays, study finds

A dispensary in St. Louis advertises to passersby. Nearly 34% of adolescents seeking treatment for cannabis use disorder in 2022 experienced an admission delay, according to a new study. (Photo by Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent) As federal officials consider whether to reclassify marijuana under federal drug law, a new study has found that more American teenagers seeking treatment for cannabis use disorder, known as CUD, are facing longer wait times before receiving care. The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, analyzed national data from more than 124,000 adolescent admissions to publicly funded substance use treatment facilities between 2012 and 2022. Researchers found that after several years of decline, the share of young people experiencing delays in accessing treatment increased sharply. While overall adolescent cannabis use has leveled off or declined slightly over the past decade, some young people who use cannabis regularly develop CUD that ...
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Trump presses ICE to continue traffic stops despite fatal shootings

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer's badge and weapon are seen during a vehicle checkpoint on Georgia Ave. in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 30, 2025. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to resume traffic stops Wednesday, reversing a one-day pause on the policy after officers killed two immigrants who were in their vehicles in Texas and Maine. In a  post to social media , Trump called the practice of federal immigration officers conducting enforcement during traffic stops “one of I.C.E.’s most important and effective” tools.  The Trump administration’s aggressive deportation campaign has led to  an uptick in people killed by immigration officers, including at traffic stops.   On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security  ordered all federal immigration officers to pause vehicle-related enforcement after the killings of 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston on Jul...
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US senators grill Blanche over ‘slush fund’ deal as he seeks attorney general confirmation

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appears at his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill July 15, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Eric Lee/Getty Images) WASHINGTON — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche vowed Wednesday to lawmakers on Capitol Hill that if he is confirmed for the top post, the Justice Department would not oppose an effort in Congress to permanently ban a controversial “anti-weaponization” fund. Blanche also said he would consider any new information brought forward to the government about deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his ring of powerful associates. Multiple Epstein abuse survivors attended the Blanche confirmation hearing, some wearing t-shirts depicting the black bar redactions contained within the released files. Blanche, who previously worked as President Donald Trump’s defense attorney, appeared before a tightly divided Senate Committee on the Judiciary.  The Republican-led panel is now split 11-10 afte...
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Alabama death row inmate who stopped gas execution wants to stop lethal injection execution

Jeffery Lee was convicted of the murders of Jimmy Ellis and Elaine Thompson during a pawn shop robbery in 1998. A trial jury voted 7-5 to sentence Lee to life in prison, but the trial judge overrode the jury and sentenced Lee to death. Lee's attorneys earlier this month asked a federal judge to expand an injunction to prevent him from getting executed by lethal injection. (Alabama Department of Corrections) Attorneys for an Alabama death row inmate who successfully challenged Alabama’s nitrogen gas execution protocol last month has asked a federal judge to prevent the state from using a different execution method to put him to death. In the July 7 filing, attorneys for Jeffrey Lee asked the U.S. District Court Judge Emily Marks to expand an injunction against nitrogen gas to lethal injection and electrocution, the state’s two other statutory methods of capital punishment. The filing said it would be “manifest injustice.” “Mr. Lee would face execution by a method he specifi...
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US Supreme Court needs more security funding amid threats, justices tell lawmakers

U.S. Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan, left, and Amy Coney Barrett testify before the House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee on July 14, 2026. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) WASHINGTON — Members of Congress from both parties indicated Tuesday they will support additional security funding for the U.S. Supreme Court after two justices testified about a sharp rise in threats. Associate Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett told lawmakers on the House panel that writes the court’s annual funding bill an increase is needed to ensure around-the-clock security wherever they go and for upgrades to the building. “Maybe I lack imagination, but I didn’t expect that performing this service was going to put me in the position of explaining to my children what a bulletproof vest was and why I had to wear one,” Barrett said.  Kagan told members of the House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee during...
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After 2 deadly shootings, ICE reportedly ordered to end vehicle enforcement stops

Security stands outside ICE headquarters while the Congressional Hispanic Caucus rallies on Feb. 3, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images) WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security Tuesday ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to cease vehicle-related enforcement stops, following the deadly shootings of two men in their vehicles,  according to multiple media reports.  A DHS spokesperson did not respond directly to States Newsroom’s question about what was characterized in some reports as a new nationwide order.  “We are always evaluating our procedures to keep our officers safe and criminals off our streets,” the spokesperson said. “We will not disclose or discuss law enforcement tactics.” U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a Republican who is up for reelection in one of the nation’s most closely watched races,  said on social media Tuesday that she spoke with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Monday...
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