As summer temperatures rise, authorities are reminding parents not to leave children in hot cars.

In California, officers with the Corona Police Department broke a vehicle window last week to rescue a baby in distress. The department shared video of the incident on Facebook.

The footage shows an officer pulling the child from the backseat of the car after breaking the window and unlocking the door. Police said the temperature inside the vehicle had reached 110 degrees.

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No details about the childs parents or any potential charges have been released.

According to the National Safety Council, nine children have died so far this year after being left in hot cars. On average, 37 children under the age of 15 die each year from heatstroke in vehicles, the organization said.

RELATED STORY | US officials warn against leaving kids in hot cars after 6 deaths in 9 days

The Supreme Court preserved a key part of the Affordable Care Acts preventive health care coverage requirements on Friday, rejecting a challenge from Christian employers to the provision that affects some 150 million Americans.

The 6-3 ruling comes in a lawsuit over how the government decides which health care medications and services must be fully covered by private insurance under former President Barack Obamas signature law, often referred to as Obamacare.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the court's majority. Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, joined by Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch.

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The plaintiffs said the process is unconstitutional because a volunteer board of medical experts tasked with recommending which services are covered is not Senate approved.

President Donald Trump's administration defended the mandate before the court, though the Republican president has been a critic of his Democratic predecessor's law. The Justice Department said board members dont need Senate approval because they can be removed by the health and human services secretary.

Medications and services that could have been affected include statins to lower cholesterol, lung cancer screenings, HIV-prevention drugs and medication to lower the chance of breast cancer for women.

The case came before the Supreme Court after an appeals court struck down some preventive care coverage requirements. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the Christian employers and Texas residents who argued they cant be forced to provide full insurance coverage for things like medication to prevent HIV and some cancer screenings.

Well-known conservative attorney Jonathan Mitchell, who represented Trump before the high court in a dispute about whether he could appear on the 2024 ballot, argued the case.

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The appeals court found that coverage requirements were unconstitutional because they came from a body the United States Preventive Services Task Force whose members were not nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

A 2023 analysis prepared by the nonprofit KFF found that ruling would still allow full-coverage requirements for some services, including mammography and cervical cancer screening.

The Supreme Court upheld a Texas law requiring age verification for access to online pornography.

In a 54 decision, the justices ruled that the interest in protecting children online outweighed the potential burdens placed on adult websites and their users. The majority opinion emphasized that the law targets commercial distributors of explicit content and does not ban access.

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The law, championed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, requires adult-content websites to implement an age verification system to prevent minors from viewing sexually explicit material. Supporters argued that the measure is essential to shield children from age-inappropriate content.

But free speech advocates and members of the adult entertainment industry challenged the law, insisting it is too broad and infringes on the First Amendment rights of adults. The group also raised concerns about privacy, warning that requiring users to submit personal identification online opens the door to data breaches and surveillance.

Lower courts had issued split rulings, setting the stage for the high court to decide on the constitutionality of the law.

RELATED STORY | Supreme Court says parents can opt kids out of LGBTQ book lessons

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Maryland parents may opt their children out of lessons involving LGBTQ-inclusive storybooks, saying the school districts policy likely violates their religious rights.

The decision came in a closely watched case involving Montgomery County Public Schools, which introduced the books in 2022 to reflect its diverse student body, but it could have wider implications.

A group of parents sued after the district rescinded a previous policy that had allowed opt-outs. The school board said the exemption created disruptions and was difficult to implement consistently.

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The parents, backed by religious liberty groups, argued the school boards refusal to allow opt-outs forced their children to participate in lessons that contradicted their faith, violating the First Amendment.

School officials and civil rights advocates countered that the books are not religious instruction and that allowing opt-outs could erode efforts to create inclusive school environments.

Lower courts had sided with the school district.

But in reversing those decisions and granting a preliminary injunction, the justices ordered the district to notify parents when the books are used and to let them excuse their children from those lessons while the case continues.

RELATED STORY | Justices preserve key part of Obamacare coverage requirements

A mother and her two young kids are fighting for their release from a Texas immigration detention center in what is believed to be the first lawsuit involving children challenging the Trump administration's policy on immigrant arrests at courthouses.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday argues that the family's arrests after fleeing Honduras and entering the U.S. legally using a Biden-era appointment app violate their Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizure and their Fifth Amendment right to due process.

The big picture is that the executive branch cannot seize people, arrest people, detain people indefinitely when they are complying with exactly what our government has required of them, said Columbia Law School professor Elora Mukherjee, one of the lawyers representing the family.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

Starting in May, the country has seen large-scale arrests in which asylum-seekers appearing at routine court hearings have been arrested outside courtrooms as part of the White Houses mass deportation effort. In many cases, a judge will grant a government lawyers request to dismiss deportation proceedings and then U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers will arrest the person and place them on expedited removal," a fast track to deportation.

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Mukherjee said this is the first lawsuit filed on behalf of children to challenge the ICE courthouse arrest policy. The government has until July 1 to respond.

There have been other similar lawsuits, including in New York, where a federal judge ruled earlier this month that federal immigration authorities cant make civil arrests at the state's courthouses or arrest anyone going there for a proceeding.

The Texas lawsuit was filed using initials for the children and Ms. Z for the mother. Their identities have not been released because of concerns for their safety.

For weeks in the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, the mother has watched her 6-year-old son's health decline, Mukherjee said. He recently underwent chemotherapy treatment for leukemia and because of his arrest, missed his check-in doctors appointment, Mukherjee said.

Hes easily bruising. He has bone pain. He looks pale," Mukherjee said, adding that he has also lost his appetite. "His mom is terrified that these are symptoms that his leukemia situation might be deteriorating.

The mother, son and 9-year-old daughter fled Honduras in October 2024 due to death threats, according to the lawsuit. They entered the U.S. using the CBP One app and were paroled into the country by the Department of Homeland Security, which determined they didnt pose a danger to the community, Mukherjee said. They were told to appear at a Los Angeles immigration court May 29.

President Donald Trump ended CBP One for new entrants on his first day in office after more than 900,000 people had been allowed in the country using the app since it was expanded to include migrants in January 2023.

During the family's hearing, the mother tried to tell the judge that they wished to continue their cases for asylum, Mukherjee said. Homeland Security moved to dismiss their cases, and the judge immediately granted that motion.

When they stepped out of the courtroom, they found men in civilian clothing believed to be ICE agents who arrested the family, Mukherjee said. They spent about 11 hours at an immigrant processing center in Los Angeles and were each only given an apple, a small packet of cookies, a juice box and water.

At one point, an officer near the boy lifted his shirt, revealing his gun. The boy urinated on himself and was left in wet clothing until the next morning, Mukherjee said.

They were later taken to the processing center, where they have been held ever since.

The family is suffering in this immigration detention center, she said. The kids are crying every night. Theyre praying to God for their release from this detention center."

Their lawyers have filed an appeal of the immigration judge's May decision, but they're at risk of being deported within days because the government says they are subjected to expedited removal, Mukherjee said.

The arrests of the family were illegal and unjustified, said Kate Gibson Kumar, an attorney for the Texas Civil Rights project who is also representing the family.

The essential question in our case is, when you have these families who are doing everything right, especially with young children, should there be some protection there?" Gibson Kumar said. "We say yes.'

A Canadian man being held by immigration officials in South Florida has died in federal custody, officials said.

Johnny Noviello, 49, died Monday afternoon at the Bureau of Prisons Federal Detention Center in Miami, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement press release said. The cause of death was under investigation.

Noviello was being detained pending removal from the U.S., officials said. He entered the U.S. in 1988 on a legal visa and became a lawful permanent resident in 1991. He was convicted of drug trafficking and other charges in 2023 and sentenced to a year in prison, officials said.

Noviello was picked up by ICE agents at his probation office last month and charged with removability because of his drug conviction, authorities said.

RELATED STORY | Justice Department says it will try Kilmar Abrego Garcia on smuggling charges

Seven other immigration detainees have died in federal custody this year, with 11 deaths reported in 2024.

"ICE remains committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure, and humane environments. Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay," ICE said in a statement. "All people in ICE custody receive medical, dental and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility, access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. At no time during detention is a detained illegal alien denied emergent care."

A "Made in the USA" disclaimer that was originally present no longer appears on the Trump Mobile website, raising questions about whether and how the upcoming Trump T1 phone really is made domestically.

Promotional copy on the website now says the phone is "brought to life right here in the USA" and made "with American hands behind every device."

An initial press release announcing the phone's availability also said it would be "proudly designed and built in the United States."

In a statement released to multiple outlets, the Trump Mobile organization reiterated that the T1 phones are proudly being made in America.

Speculation to the contrary is simply inaccurate, the statement read.

Other technical specifications originally attributed to the phone also appear to have been changed or removed. The phone's screen is now listed at 2.5 inches, down from an initial 6.78 inches. A listing of 12GB of device RAM that was originally present on the website no longer appears.

Industry analysts, meanwhile, have been outspoken in their skepticism of the U.S.-made claim, saying it would be difficult or even impossible to completely build the smartphones in America.

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The Trump organization announced a mobile phone service and the accompanying phone earlier in June.

The service will operate on all three major U.S. cellular networks and offer 5G coverage. Its flagship plan, called The 47 Plan, is priced at $47.45 per month, an apparent reference to Trump being the 47th and 45th president of the United States.

The Justice Department said Thursday that it intends to try Kilmar Abrego Garcia on federal smuggling charges in Tennessee before it moves to deport him to a country that is not his native El Salvador.

This defendant has been charged with horrific crimes, including trafficking children, and will not walk free in our country again, DOJ spokesperson Chad Gilmartin told The Associated Press.

Gilmartin made the statement hours after a federal prosecutor told a federal judge in Maryland that the U.S. government plans to deport Abrego Garcia to a third country that isn't El Salvador. But Justice Department attorney Jonathan Guynn said there was no timeline for the deportation plans.

Guynn acknowledged the governments plans during a hastily planned conference call with Abrego Garcias attorneys and U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Greenbelt, Maryland. Abrego Garcia's lawyers had filed an emergency request for Xinis to order the government to take Abrego Garcia to Maryland when he is released in Tennessee, an arrangement that would prevent his deportation before he stands trial.

We have concerns that the government may try to remove Mr. Abrego Garcia quickly over the weekend, something like that, one of his attorneys, Jonathan Cooper, told Xinis on the call.

Prosecutor says there's no timeline

Xinis, however, said she could not move as quickly as Abrego Garcia's attorneys would like. She said she had to consider the Trump administration's pending motions to dismiss the case before she could rule on the emergency request. The judge scheduled a July 7 court hearing in Maryland to discuss the emergency request and other matters.

It was unclear whether the government would seek to deport Abrego Garcia before he stands trial in the U.S. on criminal charges unsealed earlier this month.

Guynn told the judge during Thursday's call that theres no timeline.

We do plan to comply with the orders weve received from this court and other courts, he said. "But theres no timeline for these specific proceedings.

Deporting Abrego Garcia before his trial would be a reversal for an administration that brought him back from El Salvador just weeks ago to face human smuggling charges, with Attorney General Pam Bondi saying: This is what American justice looks like.

Abrego Garcia, a Maryland construction worker, became a flashpoint over Trump's immigration policies after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March. He's been in jail in Tennessee since he was returned to the U.S. on June 7 to face the human smuggling charges.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes in Nashville, Tennessee, has ruled that Abrego Garcia has a right to be released while awaiting trial. But she decided Wednesday to keep him in custody for at least a few more days over concerns that U.S. immigration officials would swiftly try to deport him again.

Abrego Garcia's attorneys in Maryland, where his wife is suing Trump's Republican administration over his March deportation, offered up a solution when they asked Xinis to direct the government to take him to Maryland while he awaits trial. Xinis has been overseeing the lawsuit in her Greenbelt court.

If this Court does not act swiftly, then the Government is likely to whisk Abrego Garcia away to some place far from Maryland, Abrego Garcia's attorneys wrote in their request to Xinis.

RELATED STORY | Kilmar Abrego Garcia to remain in jail while attorneys spar over whether hell be swiftly deported

Abrego Garcia lived in Maryland, just outside Washington, with his American wife and children for more than a decade. His deportation violated a U.S. immigration judge's order in 2019 that barred his expulsion to his native country. The judge had found that Abrego Garcia faced a credible threat from gangs who had terrorized him and his family.

The Trump administration described its violation of the immigration judges 2019 order as an administrative error. Trump and other officials doubled down on claims Abrego Garcia was in the MS-13 gang, an accusation that Abrego Garcia denies.

Abrego Garcia pleaded not guilty on June 13 to smuggling charges that his attorneys have characterized as an attempt to justify his mistaken expulsion to a notorious prison in El Salvador.

Those charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop for speeding in Tennessee, during which Abrego Garcia was driving a vehicle with nine passengers without luggage.

Holmes, the magistrate judge in Tennessee, wrote in a ruling on Sunday that federal prosecutors failed to show that Abrego Garcia was a flight risk or a danger to the community.

During a court hearing on Wednesday, Holmes set specific conditions for Abrego Garcia's release that included him living with his brother, a U.S. citizen, in Maryland. But she held off on releasing him over concerns that prosecutors can't prevent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from deporting him.

Holmes ordered Abrego Garcias lawyers and prosecutors to file briefs on the matter on Thursday and Friday respectively.

U.S. has to pull diplomatic levers

Csar Cuauhtmoc Garca Hernndez, an Ohio State University law professor, said the Trump administration would be fully within its legal power to attempt to remove him to some other country.

The Trump administration would have to pull its diplomatic levers, the professor added. Its unusual. But its not unheard of.

Abrego Garcia also could contest the criminal allegations and attempts to remove him in immigration court while demonstrating his ties to the U.S., Garca Hernndez said.

Whatever decision an immigration judge would make, it can be appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals, Garca Hernndez said. And the boards ruling can then be contested in a federal appeals court.

The Trump administrations new vaccine advisers on Thursday endorsed this falls flu vaccinations for just about every American but threw in a twist: Only use certain shots free of an ingredient antivaccine groups have falsely tied to autism.

What is normally a routine step in preparing for the upcoming flu season drew intense scrutiny after U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly fired the influential 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and handpicked replacements that include several vaccine skeptics.

That seven-member panel bucked another norm Thursday: It deliberated the safety of a preservative used in less than 5% of U.S. flu vaccinations based on a presentation from an antivaccine group's former leader without allowing the usual public airing of scientific data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The preservative, thimerosal, has long been used in certain vaccines that come in multi-dose vials, to prevent contamination as each dose is withdrawn. But it has been controversial because it contains a small amount of a particular form of mercury.

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Study after study has found no evidence that it causes autism or other harm. Yet since 2001, all vaccines routinely used for U.S. children age 6 years or younger have come in thimerosal-free formulas including single-dose flu shots that account for the vast majority of influenza vaccinations.

The advisory panel first voted, with one abstention, to back the usual U.S. recommendation that nearly everyone age 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccination. Then the advisers decided people should only be given thimerosal-free single-dose formulations, voting 5-1 with one abstention.

That would include single-dose shots that already are the most common type of flu vaccination as well as the nasal spray FluMist. It would rule out the subset of flu vaccine that is dispensed in multi-dose vials.

There is still no demonstrable evidence of harm, one panelist, Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, a psychiatrist formerly with the National Institutes of Health, said in acknowledging the committee wasnt following its usual practice of acting on evidence.

RELATED STORY | 'More people are going to die': A former CDC official's warning as new vaccine advisory panel meets

But he added that whether the actual molecule is a risk or not, we have to respect the fear of mercury that might dissuade some people from getting vaccinated.

Normally the CDCs director would decide whether to accept ACIPs recommendation, but the Senate has not yet confirmed nominee Susan Monarez. Administration officials said Kennedy would make that decision.

While Thursday's debate involved only a small fraction of flu vaccines, some public health experts contend the discussion unnecessarily raised doubt about vaccine safety. Already, fewer than half of Americans get their yearly flu vaccinations, and mistrust in vaccines overall is growing.

What should have been a rigorous, evidence-based discussion on the national vaccine schedule instead appeared to be a predetermined exercise orchestrated to undermine the well-established safety and efficacy of vaccines and fundamental basics of science, said Dr. Jason Goldman of the American College of Physicians.

Public health experts decried the panel's lack of transparency in blocking the presentation of CDC's analysis of thimerosal that concluded there was no link between the preservative and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. The data had been posted on the ACIP's website Tuesday, but was later removed because, according to ACIP member Dr. Robert Malone, the report hadn't been authorized by Kennedy's office. Committee members said they had read it.

The ACIP, created more than 60 years ago, helps the CDC determine who should be vaccinated against a long list of diseases, and when. Those recommendations have a big impact on whether insurance covers vaccinations and where theyre available.

Kennedy has long held there was a tie between thimerosal and autism, and also accused the government of hiding the danger. Thimerosal was placed on the meeting agenda shortly after Kennedys new vaccine advisers were named last week.

Fresh college graduates are set to enter one of the most difficult job markets in more than ten years, according to the latest employment numbers.

Federal reserve data ending in March shows recent college graduates have a 5.8% unemployment rate, compared to the 4% overall unemployment rate. As a whole, workers from 22 to 27 years old face a 6.9% unemployment rate.

Some economists believe those rates show that business are slowing down hiring in the face of economic uncertainty and volatile tariff policy from President Donald Trump.

A recent report from ADP reveals companies are hiring at the slowest pace in two years despite a seemingly strong jobs market. The economy added 139,000 jobs in May, down from 147,000 the month before.

RELATED STORY | US employers added 139,000 jobs in May despite uncertainty over trade wars

Much of the gains came in the healthcare and restaurant sectors. Other categories like information technology and accounting have stayed relatively low in the last year.

Artificial intelligence may continue to play some role in certain weakening sectors. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, for example, has said increased use of AI will likely lead to reductions in the company's corporate workforce over the next several years.

Historically low interest rates during the pandemic also drove expansion in the IT space, which economists say is now cooling off and translating to slower hiring.

Anna Wintour, Vogue's editor-in-chief for the last 37 years, is leaving the top role at the monthly fashion magazine.

According to reports from multiple outlets, Wintour announced she would step aside during a staff meeting on Wednesday, June 25. Publisher Cond Nast has confirmed that it will search for a new head of U.S. editorial content at the magazine.

Wintour will stay on board as global editorial director at Vogue and as chief content officer for Cond Nast. The new head of U.S. editorial will report to her.

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Wintour became editor-in-chief at Vogue in 1988, where she immediately began pushing the boundaries of both fashion and magazine publishing. Her decision to put celebrities on the cover of "the fashion bible" signaled a new direction for the entire industry.

As chief content officer, Wintour will continue to hold editorial oversight for nearly all of Cond Nast's magazines, including Bon Apptit, Glamour, GQ and Wired. She will also continue to oversee the annual Met Gala in New York City.

Sean Diddy Combs thought his fame, wealth and power put him above the law as he led a criminal enterprise for two decades, using power, violence and fear to carry out brutal crimes, a prosecutor told a jury at the music mogul's sex trafficking trial during closing arguments Thursday.

Over the last several weeks, youve learned a lot about Sean Combs, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik began. Hes the leader of a criminal enterprise. He doesnt take no for an answer. And now you know about many crimes he committed with members of his enterprise.

She said charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy were supported by proof that over two decades, Combs kidnapped one of his employees, committed arson by trying to blow up a car, engaged in forced labor, bribed a security officer and carried out the brutal crimes at the heart of this case.

Combs again and again forced, threatened and manipulated former girlfriend Casandra Cassie Ventura and an ex-girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym Jane into having sex with escorts for his own entertainment, Slavik said, speaking from a lectern positioned between jurors and the tables where prosecutors and defense lawyers sat.

The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted, she said. He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law.

Slavik said Combs counted on silence and shame to enable and prolong his abuse. He used a small army of employees an inner circle that included personal assistants and bodyguards to harm women and cover it up, she said.

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The theory of racketeering law is that when someone commits crime as part of a group, theyre more powerful and dangerous, Slavik said. The defendant was a powerful man, but he became more powerful and dangerous because of his inner circle, his businesses the enterprise.

Combs and his inner circle committed hundreds of racketeering acts, she said.

As Slavik spoke, jurors saw photos of key figures in Combs orbit, as well as excerpts from related testimony in the trial transcript and slides to categorize evidence.

One slide listed crimes prosecutors allege as part of the racketeering conspiracy, including drug distribution, kidnapping, arson and witness tampering. Another slide listed drugs such as cocaine, meth, ketamine, Oxycodone and MDMA, that Combs aides said they procured for him, or that federal agents said they found last year in raids of Combs homes.

Combs sat with his head down, his chair pushed back a few feet from the defense table, as Slavik spoke. He was wearing a light-colored sweater over a white button-down shirt and khakis.

Since his arrest at a Manhattan hotel last September, prosecutors have said Combs coerced and abused women for years as he used his power and prestige as a music star to enlist a network of associates and employees to help him while he silenced victims through blackmail and violence.

They've said the Bad Boy Records founder induced female victims into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances with male sex workers in events dubbed Freak-Offs.

Defense lawyers have argued that Combs was involved in domestic violence but committed no federal crimes.

They built their case for acquittal through lengthy cross-examinations of most of the government's 34 witnesses. Some witnesses testified only in response to subpoenas and made it clear to the jury that they didn't want to be there.

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Combs lawyers contend there was no racketeering conspiracy because none of his employees agreed to be part of any conspiracy.

But in her closing, Slavik said employees repeatedly agreed to commit crimes for Combs, such as delivering him drugs; accompanying him to kidnap his personal assistant, Capricorn Clark; and locking his girlfriend in a hotel room after he stomped on her face.

Before Slavik began her closing, Judge Arun Subramanian told the jury they would hear a closing argument from a defense lawyer on Friday and a rebuttal by a prosecutor before he instructs them on the law and allows them to begin deliberating as early as late afternoon.

Steve Burns, the original host of the iconic childrens show Blues Clues, is launching a new podcast aimed at adults who grew up watching him and are now navigating real-world challenges.

You and I have always been about this deep and curious investigation of our world, Burns told fans in a video announcing the podcast, titled "Alive."

In his familiar and distinct delivery, Burns said no topic will be off the table including death, taxes and even sex a far cry from the content featured on Blues Clues.

RELATED STORY | Original 'Blue's Clues' host Steve Burns returns to show

He also invited listeners to share what theyd like to hear discussed on the podcast, which is expected to debut in the fall.

Burns hosted the Nickelodeon show in the 1990s and early 2000s before leaving to attend college. He went viral in 2021 after checking in with fans, many of whom are now adults.

So about that time Steve went off to college #BluesClues25 pic.twitter.com/O8NOM2eRjy

Nick Jr. (@nickjr) September 7, 2021

Halloween may be four months away, but the retailer Spirit Halloween has started hiring. The nation's largest Halloween retailer is hiring 50,000 staff members for the season, and applications are open.

The company is accepting applications for associates and managers for more than 1,500 locations across the U.S. and Canada. If you're interested in a spooky, seasonal job, you can visit Work4Spirit.com. You can also text the word "REAPER" to 85000.

"With the anticipation for Halloween at an all-time high, we are committed to creating the same immersive experience that keeps our fans coming back year after year," said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. "The talent and enthusiasm of our associates is the driving force that brings Halloween to life each year, and we look forward to welcoming new and returning faces for another killer season."

Last year, Spirit Halloween opened a record 1,525 locations across the U.S. and Canada and hired roughly 50,000 seasonal workers.

RELATED STORY | Unmasking the centuries-old evolution of Halloween

The chain of stores has been known to move into abandoned storefronts once held by major retailers. Inside, stores are full of Halloween-themed decorations, costumes and candy.

Spirit's expansion comes as Americans continue to spend more on the holiday. In 2024, the National Retail Federation estimated that the U.S. spent $11.6 billion on the holiday, which is up from $8.8 billion in 2019. Costumes alone constituted $3.8 billion of total spending in 2024.

The Gates Foundation said it will commit $1.6 billion over the next five years to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, after the U.S. announced it would no longer contribute to the global health partnership.

Gavi helps provide vaccines to some of the worlds poorest children. Since its launch in 2000, the alliance says it has supported the immunization of more than 1.1 billion children across 78 countries, helping prevent an estimated 19 million deaths.

"I dont know of anything with a higher impact per dollar in terms of saving and improving lives," Gates said. "Gavi is one of the best investments Ive ever madeand one of the best investments countries can make today in the worlds future."

RELATED STORY | 'More people are going to die': A former CDC official's warning as new vaccine advisory panel meets

The Gates Foundation is Gavis largest private donor, having contributed $7.7 billion over the past 25 years. Before the recent U.S. government funding cuts, the United States was Gavis second-largest government donor, behind the United Kingdom.

The new pledge from the Gates Foundation was announced at the Global Summit: Health and Prosperity through Immunisation in Brussels, where world leaders committed more than $9 billion toward Gavis $11.9 billion funding goal for its next five-year strategic period, known as Gavi 6.0.

Through Gavi 6.0, the alliance aims to immunize 500 million children, potentially averting up to 9 million deaths and protecting against outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, mpox and Ebola.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez arrived in Venice, Italy, on Wednesday ahead of their star-studded weekend wedding, which has galvanized an assortment of protesters.

Bezos waved from a water taxi as he and Sanchez arrived at the dock of the Aman Hotel on the Grand Canal with two security boats in tow.

Their wedding has drawn protests by groups who view it as a sign of the growing disparity between the haves and have-nots, while residents complain it exemplifies the way their needs are disregarded in the era of mass tourism to the historic lagoon city.

About a dozen Venetian organizations including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups have united to protest the multi-day event under the banner No Space for Bezos, a play on words also referring to the brides recent space flight.

They have staged small-scale protests, unfurling anti-Bezos banners on iconic Venetian sites. They were joined Monday by Greenpeace and the British group Everyone Hates Elon, which has smashed Teslas to protest Elon Musk, to unfurl a giant banner in St. Marks Square protesting purported tax breaks for billionaires.

On Wednesday, other activists launched a float down the Grand Canal featuring a mannequin of Bezos clinging onto an Amazon box, his fists full of fake dollars. The British publicity firm that announced the stunt said it wasn't a protest of the wedding but against unchecked wealth, media control, and the growing privatisation of public spaces.

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Bezos representatives have not commented on the protests.

The local activists had planned a more organized protest for Saturday, aiming to obstruct access to canals with boats to prevent guests from reaching a wedding venue. They modified the protest to a march from the train station after claiming a victory, asserting that their pressure forced organizers to change the venue to the Arsenale, a more easily secured site beyond Venice's congested center.

It will be a strong, decisive protest, but peaceful, said Federica Toninello, an activist with the Social Housing Assembly network. We want it to be like a party, with music, to make clear what we want our Venice to look like."

Among the 200 guests confirmed to be attending the wedding are Mick Jagger, Ivanka Trump, Oprah Winfrey, Katy Perry and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Venice, renowned for its romantic canal vistas, hosts hundreds of weddings each year, not infrequently those of the rich and famous. Previous celebrity weddings, like that of George Clooney to human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in 2014, were embraced by the public. Hundreds turned out to wish the couple well at City Hall.

Bezos has a different political and business profile, said Tommaso Cacciari, a prominent figure in the movement that successfully pushed for a ban on cruise ships over 25,000 tons traveling through the Giudecca Canal in central Venice.

Bezos is not a Hollywood actor, Cacciari said. He is an ultra-billionaire who sat next to Donald Trump during the inauguration, who contributed to his reelection and is contributing in a direct and heavy way to this new global obscurantism.

Critics cite Amazons labor practices, ongoing tax disputes with European governments and Bezos political associations as reasons for concern.

Activists also argue that the Bezos wedding exemplifies broader failures in municipal governance, particularly the prioritization of tourism over residents' needs. They cite measures such as the day-tripper tax which critics argue reinforces Venices image as a theme park as ineffective. Chief among their concerns is the lack of investment in affordable housing and essential services.

City officials have defended the wedding. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro called the event an honor for Venice, and the city denied the wedding would cause disruptions.

"Venice once again reveals itself to be a global stage, Brugnaro told The Associated Press, adding he hoped to meet Bezos while he was in town.

Meanwhile, a Venetian environmental research association, Corila, issued a statement saying Bezos Earth Fund was supporting its work with an important donation.

Corila, which unites university scholars and Italys main national research council in researching Venetian protection strategies, wouldnt say how much Bezos was donating but said contact began in April, well before the protests started.

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that states can block Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, potentially reshaping access to care, especially for low-income patients.

The 6-3 decision came in a case out of South Carolina, where the state excluded Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program in 2018, citing a state law prohibiting public funds from going to abortion providers. Planned Parenthood and a patient, Julie Edwards, sued, arguing the decision violated federal Medicaid law, which allows patients to receive care from any qualified provider.

But the justices said that provision doesnt give individuals the right to sue under the federal civil rights law known as Section 1983.

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The ruling overturns decisions by lower courts that had sided with Edwards and Planned Parenthood.

While the ruling does not prevent Planned Parenthood from operating in South Carolina, it allows the state to withhold Medicaid reimbursements for non-abortion services such as contraception, cancer screenings and pregnancy tests. Federal law already bars public funding for abortion in most cases, but Medicaid patients often rely on Planned Parenthood for other reproductive care, particularly in underserved areas.

Liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, warning the decision weakens protections for low-income patients and could embolden states to cut off access to providers for ideological reasons.

After initial reports suggested that the United States' attack on three Iranian nuclear facilities wasn't as successful as officials let on, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth aired his grievances at media outlets, claiming Saturday's attacks set Iran's nuclear capabilities back by years.

"President Trump directed the most complex and secretive military operation in history, and it was a resounding success resulting in a ceasefire agreement and an end to a 12-day war," he said.

An initial assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency stated that while the Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites were damaged, they were not completely destroyed.

"Since then, we've collected additional intelligence we've also spoken to people who have seen the site, and the site, the site is obliterated," President Trump said during a press conference at the NATO summit in the Netherlands.

On Wednesday, U.S. officials claimed that they had set Iran's nuclear enrichment program back years after striking three targets.

CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Irans nuclear program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes," CIA Director John Ratcliffe said on Wednesday. "This includes new intelligence from a historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years."

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Hegseth said the initial reports were from someone who had an agenda.

"There was a great deal of irresponsible reporting based on leaks and preliminary information in low confidence. When someone leaks something, they do it with an agenda; when you leak a portion of an intelligence assessment, just a little portion that makes it seem like the strike wasnt effective, you start a news cycle," he said.

Hegseth added that questioning the mission undermines the "success" of the pilots involved in the mission.

Iran issued its own response on Thursday, claiming victory over Israel.

"My congratulations on our dear Irans victory over the U.S. regime," said Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in his first public comments since last Saturday's attack. "The U.S. regime entered the war directly because it felt that if it didnt, the Zionist regime would be completely destroyed. It entered the war in an effort to save that regime but achieved nothing."

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s new vaccine advisers alarmed pediatricians Wednesday by announcing inquiries into some long-settled questions about childrens shots.

Opening the first meeting of Kennedys handpicked seven-member panel, committee chairman Martin Kulldorff said he was appointing a work group to evaluate the cumulative effect of the childrens vaccine schedule the list of immunizations given at different times throughout childhood.

Also to be evaluated, he said, is how two other shots are administered one that guards against liver-destroying hepatitis B and another that combines chickenpox protection with MMR, the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

It was an early sign of how the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is being reshaped by Kennedy, a leading antivaccine activist before becoming the nation's top health official. He fired the entire 17-member panel this month and replaced it with a group that includes several anti-vaccine voices.

Vaccines are not all good or bad, Kulldorff said. We are learning more about vaccines over time and must keep up to date.

His announcement reflected a common message of vaccine skeptics: that too many shots may overwhelm kids immune systems or that the ingredients may build up to cause harm. Scientists say those claims have been repeatedly investigated with no signs of concern.

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Kids today are exposed to fewer antigens immune-revving components than their grandparents despite getting more doses, because of improved vaccine technology, said Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

The American Academy of Pediatrics announced Wednesday that it would continue publishing its own vaccine schedule for children but now will do so independently of the ACIP, calling it no longer a credible process.

The narrative that current vaccine policies are flawed and need fixing is a distortion," said the AAPs Dr. Sean OLeary. "These policies have saved trillions of dollars and millions of lives."

The ACIP, created more than 60 years ago, helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determine who should be vaccinated against a long list of diseases, and when. Those recommendations have a big impact on whether insurance covers vaccinations and where theyre available, such as at pharmacies.

After Kennedys abrupt dismissal of the existing expert panel, a number of the CDCs top vaccine scientists including some who lead the reporting of data and the vetting of presentations at ACIP meetings have resigned or been moved out of previous positions.

And shortly before Wednesdays meeting, a Virginia-based obstetrician and gynecologist appointed to the committee stepped down. According to the Trump administration, he withdrew during a customary review of members financial holdings.

Scientists show data that COVID-19 vaccines protect pregnant women and kids

First on the committees agenda on Wednesday was COVID-19 vaccinations. Kennedy already sidestepped the panel and announced the vaccine will no longer be recommended for healthy children or pregnant women.

Yet CDC scientists told the panel that vaccination is the best protection during pregnancy, and said most children hospitalized for COVID-19 over the past year were unvaccinated.

COVID-19 remains a public health threat, resulting in 32,000 to 51,000 U.S. deaths and more than 250,000 hospitalizations since last fall, according to the CDC. Most at risk for hospitalization are seniors and children under 2 especially infants under 6 months who could have some protection if their mom got vaccinated during pregnancy, according to the CDCs presentation.

The new advisers werent asked to vote on Kennedys recommendations, which raise uncertainty about how easily people will be able to access COVID-19 vaccinations this fall.

After CDC staff outlined multiple overlapping systems that continue to track the vaccines safety, several advisers questioned if the real-world data really is trustworthy.

Vote on RSV protections is postponed

Also Wednesday, the committee took up RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, a common cause of cold-like symptoms that can be dangerous for infants.

In 2023, U.S. health officials began recommending two new measures to protect infants a lab-made antibody for newborns and a vaccine for pregnant women that experts say likely drove an improvement in infant mortality. The antibody proved to be 63% to 76% effective against emergency department visits for infants over the last year.

"People need to understand what a spectacular accomplishment these results are, said ACIP member Dr. Cody Meissner, of Dartmouth.

The committee postponed until Thursday a vote on whether to recommend another company's newly approved antibody shot as well.

Flu shot recommendations to be debated

At its June meetings, the committee usually refreshes guidance for Americans 6 months and older to get a flu shot, and helps green light the annual fall vaccination campaign.

But a vote set for Thursday also promises controversy.

The panel is set to consider a preservative in a subset of flu shots that Kennedy and some antivaccine groups have falsely contended is tied to autism.

In preparation, the CDC posted a new report confirming that research shows no link between the preservative, thimerosal, and autism or any other neurodevelopmental disorders. By Wednesday afternoon, the analysis had been removed from the committee's website.