Carson Elm-Picard / MS NOW
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While officials argue whether two deaths in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, are related to measles or not, the big picture remains that the country is in the middle of its worst outbreak of the virus in 35 years, argues epidemiology professor Tara C. Smith. The Trump administration has reacted to the resurgence with denial, with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. even suggesting that the deaths “may have been altogether fabricated” by Gov. Josh Shapiro or his staff. The costs of this inaction will only rise. Read more.
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In February, Trump announced six goals for the war with Iran. Six months later, he has failed to fully achieve any of them, write Julia Jester and David Rohde. The goals he partially achieved: annihilate the Iranian navy and raze its missile industry. The ones he did not: destroying Iranian missiles, ensuring the country can’t destabilize the region, preventing it from obtaining a nuclear weapon, encouraging the Iranians to overthrow the government and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Read more.
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Trump once indicated he would protect undocumented minors from his hard-line immigration policies. But over two hours on a recent day, more than a dozen children, some as young as 12, filed into a Chicago courtroom for immigration hearings, writes Nnamdi Egwuonwu, who watched the hearings. The deportations have sped up after the Trump administration rescinded a policy that delayed them for young victims of abuse, abandonment or parental neglect who would be at risk if returned to their country of origin. Minors who would have typically appeared in court three or four times a year are returning every two weeks. Read more.
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and his family took an all-expenses-paid vacation courtesy of many of the companies his department regulates. The ostensible reason was a YouTube series encouraging Americans to take a road trip for the country’s 250th anniversary, although it debuted as summer came to a close. The show is an ethical morass filled with potential conflicts of interest as Duffy and his family promote Boeing, Waymo and Toyota, while other show sponsors benefit from Duffy’s decisions, argues Donald K. Sherman, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Government. Duffy says his department’s ethics officers cleared the project. Read more.
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For her decades-long musical career, Dolly Parton would be remembered after her death last week. But her true legacy is what she chose to do with that success, argues Kentucky writer and poet Willie Carver. Parton turned her royalties into a business empire that included everything from an amusement park to cosmetics and charitable acts that donated millions of books to young children and helped create a coronavirus vaccine. Her kindness and generosity has left her revered by conservatives and liberals, evangelicals and the LGBTQ+ community alike. Read more.
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Scott Olson / Getty Images
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A storm with the strength of a tornado tore through Gary, Indiana, on Aug. 11. But the real disaster has been the prolonged power outage that lasted until Aug. 27, argues former Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson. Blame lies with Gary’s sole utility provider and public officials who did not act with urgency or transparency, but the problem is bigger than just Gary. Whether it’s from storms or blackouts caused by increased energy consumption, some communities in the country are without power at any given time. As climate change increases the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, upgrading the aging infrastructure that allows these extended power outages to occur should be a top priority. Read the column here.
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This week on “The Best People,” Nicolle Wallace is joined by host of “The Bulwark Daily” podcast Tim Miller to discuss a shift in President Trump’s more casual supporters. Subscribe to MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts for early access, ad-free listening and bonus content.
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On Saturday, September 26th, don’t miss the chance to attend “Together in Texas: We The People 2026,” our annual live community event. As the country heads toward the 2026 midterm elections, we’re bringing conversations with top newsmakers and insights from your favorite MS NOW hosts to the place at the center of it all: Texas. Buy your tickets today: ms.now/together.
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