What's Happening

Health

The Fight for America's Health Has Gone Local

What's going on: Forget Washington — the latest battle over science is unfolding in statehouses. Lawmakers are challenging decades of public health policy with the help of four organizations linked to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. An Associated Press investigation found that these groups held Zoom calls with activists, ran phone campaigns, and flooded lawmakers’ inboxes — and it’s working. More than 420 anti-science bills have been introduced across state legislatures this year, with roughly 350 of them targeting long-standing vaccine policies. The measures range from instituting a 48-hour waiting period before vaccination and banning anti-vax discrimination to falsely labeling mRNA shots as “weapons of mass destruction.” So far, 11 states have passed at least 26 anti-vaccine laws. Utah and Florida also became the first states to ban fluoride in public drinking water. The rest of the bills are either stalled or dead. 

What it means: As one vaccine advocate put it, this is a “sophisticated political operation” that’s giving new legitimacy to the anti-vaccine movement. According to AP, Trump officials are urging activists to push anti-science laws in statehouses. Meanwhile, MAHA’s popularity among moms is part of the reason some lawmakers are hopping on the bandwagon. Kennedy and his allies deny being anti-science, but experts warn their efforts could have serious consequences for America’s health. Vaccination rates are already slipping, and preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough are making a comeback.

Related: RFK Jr. Sets His Sights on Baby Formula (CNN)

International

Vance Tries To Keep the Peace

What's going on: During his visit to Israel yesterday, Vice President JD Vance struck a cautiously hopeful tone about the fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire. He offered a somewhat upbeat assessment, even as some in the Trump administration worry the deal could collapse, CNN reports. “I feel very optimistic,” Vance said. “Can I say with 100% certainty that it’s going to work? No.” He avoided giving a timeline for the return of Israeli hostages’ remains or for Hamas’s disarmament, saying only that both “will take a little bit of time.” He added that rebuilding Gaza’s humanitarian systems and ensuring security there are also priorities.

What it means: Analysts say Vance’s visit sends a clear message: The US is serious about keeping the ceasefire intact — and making sure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sticks to the deal. One US official even described Vance’s mission as “bibisitting.” The trip comes as both Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violating the ceasefire. Israel launched deadly strikes on Gaza on Sunday and temporarily suspended aid, accusing Hamas of firing on its soldiers. Meanwhile, other international forces in the Middle East are weighing how — or whether — to engage with Hamas if it remains armed.

Related: Did Trump Just TACO His Way out of a Summit With Putin? (Axios)

Culture

This Trend Has No Meaning

What's going on: The latest Gen Alpha — yes, not Gen Z — trend has (unfortunately) escaped containment. “Six-seven” started online as a meaningless phrase, but now it lives rent-free in classrooms, staff meetings, and family group chats, whether you get it or not. Some math teachers tread carefully to avoid stepping into the trap, while others lean in with funny or painfully cringe lessons. Principals are filming videos about it, and some teachers are trying to ban it. The Washington Post even gave it the full anthropological treatment — which means we’re well past saturation. As one teen put it: “It’s really dumb, but it’s really beautiful because it’s dumb.” Perfect.

What it means: Maybe the nonsense is exactly what we all need to embrace. Gen Alpha’s slang runs on chaos, and that might be the point. Linguists told The Post that once adults start explaining a trend, it’s already dead (so consider this the obituary?). Still, meaningless phrases have always had a moment — a century ago, random numbers became slang like “23 skiddoo!” So if this paragraph sounds like gibberish, stop trying to make sense of it. That's not the point. Delulu is the solulu. Give yourself a break, blame Mercury retrograde (whether accurate or not), and skibidi-bee-bop threeleven to you all. See, nonsense is fun. 

Related: Brené Brown Says Our Brains Aren’t Wired for This Chaos (Fortune)