The number of recorded measles cases in the U.S. during 2025 has exceeded 2,000 for the first time in more than 30 years, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Why it matters: This year's surge in cases and prolonged outbreaks could cause the U.S. to lose its globally recognized measles "elimination status" for the first time in decades by the end of January 2026.
The big picture: The judge's order permits sharing of basic biographical, contact and location information, a win for the Trump administration's effort to use Medicaid data in its immigration crackdown — an arrangement that critics said raised privacy concerns.
The United States is seeing a massive surge in flu cases this winter, many of them attributed to the so-called "super flu."
Why it matters: An unprecedented rise in flu cases comes as other sicknesses — such as the "winter vomiting bug," COVID and whooping cough — are slamming the United States this winter.
The Trump administration on Monday announced the first awards to states from the $50 billion rural health fund in this summer's Republican megabill — including a big award for Alaska, whose lawmakers' support was critical to the bill's passage.
Why it matters: The awards highlighted which states are winners and losers, as officials brace for Medicaid cuts also included in the GOP bill.
