Measles

The State of an Outbreak

What's going on: Pennsylvania is battling the deadliest measles outbreak in the US since the ‘90s, with four deaths in the last two months. State health officials have confirmed 731 measles cases and 141 hospitalizations this year, and experts say the unconfirmed cases are likely much higher. This week, Pennsylvania tapped the CDC for emergency assistance, but with a catch: The CDC needs to recognize the four deaths as measles-related first. The request highlights an ongoing spat between Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA). RFK Jr. previously accused Shapiro of “the weaponization of infectious disease fears for political gain.” He has publicly questioned whether the deaths were really linked to measles and instructed the CDC not to include them in the national measles count. Shapiro told CNN that RFK Jr. is “someone who is not, I think, connected or grounded in reality.”

Looking elsewhere: If Pennsylvania withdraws the CDC request, it’ll have to continue relying on county health departments — many of which face funding challenges, and some of which have only existed since the pandemic. Still, local efforts aren’t without success. Delaware County holds a vaccination day for students, runs a mobile vaccine clinic, and publishes vaccine information by school level so parents can see the rates at their kids’ schools. Pennsylvania is also among 30 states that have turned to sources outside the CDC for childhood vaccine guidance. So far, the state’s push to boost vaccinations has led to more than 46,000 measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) doses in August 2026, compared with roughly 31,000 in August 2025. But there’s still a lot of work to be done. “It’s a really hard place for public health right now with so much divisiveness being promoted,” one county health official told The Guardian. 

Related: RFK Jr. Says He’s a “Friend in the White House” to Anti-Vax Activists (The Associated Press)

Measles

The State of an Outbreak

What’s going on: Pennsylvania is battling the deadliest measles outbreak in the US since the ‘90s, with four deaths in the last two months. State health officials have confirmed 731 measles cases and 141 hospitalizations this year, and experts say the unconfirmed cases are likely much higher. This week, Pennsylvania tapped the CDC for emergency assistance, but with a catch: The CDC needs to recognize the four deaths as measles-related first. The request highlights an ongoing spat between Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA). RFK Jr. previously accused Shapiro of “the weaponization of infectious disease fears for political gain.” He has publicly questioned whether the deaths were really linked to measles and instructed the CDC not to include them in the national measles count. Shapiro told CNN that RFK Jr. is “someone who is not, I think, connected or grounded in reality.”

Looking elsewhere: If Pennsylvania withdraws the CDC request, it’ll have to continue relying on county health departments — many of which face funding challenges, and some of which have only existed since the pandemic. Still, local efforts aren’t without success. Delaware County holds a vaccination day for students, runs a mobile vaccine clinic, and publishes vaccine information by school level so parents can see the rates at their kids’ schools. Pennsylvania is also among 30 states that have turned to sources outside the CDC for childhood vaccine guidance. So far, the state’s push to boost vaccinations has led to more than 46,000 measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) doses in August 2026, compared with roughly 31,000 in August 2025. But there’s still a lot of work to be done. “It’s a really hard place for public health right now with so much divisiveness being promoted,” one county health official told The Guardian. 

Related: RFK Jr. Says He’s a “Friend in the White House” to Anti-Vax Activists (The Associated Press)

Sources: ABC News, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The Hill, The Guardian

Women’s Health

First the Ban… Now the Lawsuits 

What’s going on: The family of a 37-year-old Texas woman who died of preeclampsia while 20 weeks pregnant is suing the state over its abortion ban. Tierra Walker repeatedly asked to terminate her pregnancy because she was suffering from seizures and vomiting and feared the pregnancy would end her life, the lawsuit alleges. Walker had reason to worry: She’d developed preeclampsia three years prior while pregnant with twins, who were stillborn. After discovering she was pregnant again during a September 2024 ER visit, Walker made repeated trips to the hospital, as well as an extended stay for most of October. Her teenage son found her unresponsive in her bed in December 2024, days after her final ER visit. Walker’s family accuses Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a San Antonio hospital, and several doctors of enforcing “a merciless blanket prohibition” on abortion that ultimately killed her.

Tell me more: The Walker family’s lawsuit is the first of its kind in Texas and against Paxton, who is running for Senate. The Texas AG hasn't responded to the lawsuit and is a staunch defender of his state’s near-total abortion ban (which does allow for exceptions if the mother’s health is at risk). He has gone after medical providers and organizations in other states for sending abortion medication into Texas. Similar lawsuits are playing out elsewhere. In Georgia, Amber Thurman’s family sued a hospital where they say she was denied care after taking abortion pills. She died of an infection inside the hospital while waiting for a D&C to remove tissue. In Oklahoma, two mothers represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights are suing after they were forced to leave the state to terminate unviable pregnancies. “Oklahoma turned the hardest day of my life into weeks of needless suffering on top of our grief,” one of the plaintiffs said.  

Related: Oregon Is Getting Its First Women’s Hospital, Thanks to Nike’s Billionaire Co-Founder and His Wife (The Associated Press)

Women’s Health

First the Ban… Now the Lawsuits 

What’s going on: The family of a 37-year-old Texas woman who died of preeclampsia while 20 weeks pregnant is suing the state over its abortion ban. Tierra Walker repeatedly asked to terminate her pregnancy because she was suffering from seizures and vomiting and feared the pregnancy would end her life, the lawsuit alleges. Walker had reason to worry: She’d developed preeclampsia three years prior while pregnant with twins, who were stillborn. After discovering she was pregnant again during a September 2024 ER visit, Walker made repeated trips to the hospital, as well as an extended stay for most of October. Her teenage son found her unresponsive in her bed in December 2024, days after her final ER visit. Walker’s family accuses Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a San Antonio hospital, and several doctors of enforcing “a merciless blanket prohibition” on abortion that ultimately killed her.

Tell me more: The Walker family’s lawsuit is the first of its kind in Texas and against Paxton, who is running for Senate. The Texas AG hasn't responded to the lawsuit and is a staunch defender of his state’s near-total abortion ban (which does allow for exceptions if the mother’s health is at risk). He has gone after medical providers and organizations in other states for sending abortion medication into Texas. Similar lawsuits are playing out elsewhere. In Georgia, Amber Thurman’s family sued a hospital where they say she was denied care after taking abortion pills. She died of an infection inside the hospital while waiting for a D&C to remove tissue. In Oklahoma, two mothers represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights are suing after they were forced to leave the state to terminate unviable pregnancies. “Oklahoma turned the hardest day of my life into weeks of needless suffering on top of our grief,” one of the plaintiffs said.  

Related: Oregon Is Getting Its First Women’s Hospital, Thanks to Nike’s Billionaire Co-Founder and His Wife (The Associated Press)

Sources: CBS News, Texas State Law Library, Houston Public Media, 11Alive, News9

Sideline Warning

The Parent Trap 

What’s going on: Girls just wanna have fun — and they’d like the adults to chill. At least when it comes to sports. New nationwide research from Girl Scouts of the USA found 83% of girls ages 5-13 care more about fun than wins. But grown-ups can suck the fun right out of it: Nearly one-third of girls involved in sports or other activities say they've wanted to quit after an adult made them feel inadequate. Among 11-13-year-olds, that jumps to 42%. Girl Scouts VP Sarah Keating told theSkimm that parents should embrace that the outcome for girls in sports "can be joy, confidence, and a lifelong love of the game.” The research also found that most parents don't believe they are the problem — and many don't think anyone's putting pressure on their daughters to perform. Right on cue, enter Team Moms: Baseball. The reality-TV edit surely amps up the drama, but the energy looks awfully familiar — parents at an elite youth baseball academy pledge to do “whatever it takes” to get their kids to the big leagues. Strike one.

Keeping girls in the game: That pressure peaks at an age when sports can already start losing girls. Research has found some of the first major declines in girls’ participation around ages 12 and 13. And families face their own stressors: A recent poll found cost is the top reason parents pull kids from sports, and 58% of parents told the Girl Scouts the time and money required for activities feels unsustainable. Put it together, and youth sports can start to feel awfully high-stakes on both sides of the sideline — even when the girls themselves are mostly there to have fun. Girl Scouts says its findings helped shape a revamped Sports and Recreation program set to debut next year, with new badges for team sports, swimming, climbing, winter sports, and more. May we suggest one for parents who can make it through a whole game without screaming at the umpire?

Related: The Sports Bra Problem Keeping Girls on the Sidelines (The Conversation)

Sideline Warning

The Parent Trap 

What’s going on: Girls just wanna have fun — and they’d like the adults to chill. At least when it comes to sports. New nationwide research from Girl Scouts of the USA found 83% of girls ages 5-13 care more about fun than wins. But grown-ups can suck the fun right out of it: Nearly one-third of girls involved in sports or other activities say they've wanted to quit after an adult made them feel inadequate. Among 11-13-year-olds, that jumps to 42%. Girl Scouts VP Sarah Keating told theSkimm that parents should embrace that the outcome for girls in sports "can be joy, confidence, and a lifelong love of the game.” The research also found that most parents don't believe they are the problem — and many don't think anyone's putting pressure on their daughters to perform. Right on cue, enter Team Moms: Baseball. The reality-TV edit surely amps up the drama, but the energy looks awfully familiar — parents at an elite youth baseball academy pledge to do “whatever it takes” to get their kids to the big leagues. Strike one.

Keeping girls in the game: That pressure peaks at an age when sports can already start losing girls. Research has found some of the first major declines in girls’ participation around ages 12 and 13. And families face their own stressors: A recent poll found cost is the top reason parents pull kids from sports, and 58% of parents told the Girl Scouts the time and money required for activities feels unsustainable. Put it together, and youth sports can start to feel awfully high-stakes on both sides of the sideline — even when the girls themselves are mostly there to have fun. Girl Scouts says its findings helped shape a revamped Sports and Recreation program set to debut next year, with new badges for team sports, swimming, climbing, winter sports, and more. May we suggest one for parents who can make it through a whole game without screaming at the umpire?

Related: The Sports Bra Problem Keeping Girls on the Sidelines (The Conversation)

Sources: PR Newswire, Yahoo! Life, People, USA Today, Vox

Together with Visa

She Knows Ball

This week on Well Played: Why Sue Bird’s roster picks caused a stir — and won gold for Team USA. 

Quick Hits

👑 Princess Diana’s brother Charles Spencer shared shocking details of King Charles III’s reaction to Diana’s death. It's so serious that the Palace released its own statement denying it.

🦁 Meryl Streep will be the voice of Aslan the lion in Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Narnia movie. She really can play anything.

❤️‍🩹 If you struggle with self-esteem, this simple memory reconsolidation exercise can help you heal. Little You just needs a hug. 

🤔 The decades-old, unsubstantiated Richard Gere gerbil rumor is getting a 12-episode investigative podcast. Journalism has finally entered the hole. 

🍼 Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi welcomed their second child, a year after adopting their daughter. Keep the faith — and the diaper bag packed.

📿 Statement necklaces are back, but this time, they’re inspired by the 1980s. The bigger, the better. 

🎶 One Swiftie may have deciphered the message hidden in Taylor Swift’s Emmys sketch, and it contains an album release date. Their minds. 

Fashion You’ll Actually Wear Week

In our version of Fall Fashion Week, we’re bringing you clothes and accessories that actually make sense for daily life. These pieces will become your old faithfuls:

• Accessories that feel more everlasting than trendy

• Destination wedding guest dresses that won’t hog your suitcase

• Work totes and backpacks that actually look nice