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People cool off with their dogs at the dog-friendly section of Montrose Beach on June 30, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. High humidity and temperatures in the 90s with heat indices above 100 degrees are expected to remain in the city for the next several days. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) WASHINGTON  — As outdoor celebrations and events marking the nation’s 250th anniversary and the World Cup reach their peak, local officials across the country are urging caution amid a heat wave blanketing many East Coast and Midwestern states.  The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for parts of about 20 states, including for the entirety of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. In a warning issued early Wednesday, the weather service advised that temperatures will be in the upper 90s through the weekend, with many locations reaching highs of well over 100 degrees.  It estimated that the peak heat index will reach up to 115 degrees in some areas across the Mississip...

Jennifer Conway, left, is sworn in as a member of the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles by Cam War, director of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles on Wednesday, July, 1, 2026. (Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles) Gov. Kay Ivey Wednesday appointed Jennifer Conway to fill the lone vacancy on the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles. Conway succeeds former board member Darryl Littleton, who stepped down from the board in January to serve as the deputy director of administration and law enforcement services for the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles. Conway, a special agent for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), began her career in the agency in 2001 and began work in Alabama in 2003, where she investigated gang-related trafficking and criminal enterprises. She was promoted to resident agent in 2016, overseeing special agents and task force offices in the U.S. Middle District of Alabama. “I cannot think of a more qualified person to sit o...

Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, speaks at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., in December. CMS last month released guidance on how states should implement new Medicaid work requirements. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) State Medicaid agencies are concerned that many sick and disabled enrollees will lose their coverage because the Trump administration is narrowing the definition of who is “medically frail” enough to get an exemption from new work requirements. Under the tax and spending law President Donald Trump signed a year ago, states that have expanded Medicaid to cover more adults under the Affordable Care Act — 40 states plus the District of Columbia — must mandate that those adults work, go to school or volunteer for at least 80 hours a month. The so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act exempts Medicaid recipients who are “medically frail,” with serious illnesses or disabilities. However, on ...

A University of Miami pediatrician chats with a 13-year-old patient while administering the HPV vaccine, which research has shown is highly effective against cervical cancer. An Iowa law taking effect July 1 prohibits Iowans under age 18 from consenting to vaccinations related to sexually transmitted diseases and infections such as HPV. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Several laws restricting access to medications that can be used to terminate a pregnancy and others placing limits on minors’ access to sexual and reproductive healthcare — including the HPV vaccine — take effect today in Iowa, Mississippi and Tennessee. Many bills were considered in state legislatures earlier this year that would have added legal restrictions to mifepristone and misoprostol, but only a few made it into law. The 13 states that have near-total abortion bans already have restrictions in place, but some have proposed more in the wake of new methods of obtaining the medications online or by telehealth. ...

There were few crowds as attendees explored different exhibits at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on June 30, 2026. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON — The Great American State Fair on the National Mall has all the trappings of a classic state fair: food vendors, merchandise, a Ferris wheel and scores of activities.  But on Tuesday, just days before the nation’s 250th anniversary, one thing was, for the most part, notably absent. The crowds.  Early in the afternoon, few of the exhibits representing every state had lines to enter. Most were small rooms with a few tables showcasing artwork or cultural items, with a trickle of guests politely making their way through. Concessions areas were plenty and unfilled.  The Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on June 30, 2026. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/States Newsroom) Some attendees said the heat might have hurt attendance. The Washington...