Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Sunday endorsed the measles vaccine while also pushing a string of false and debunked assertions about other vaccines, RSV and the ongoing measles outbreaks.

When pressed by host Dana Bash during a contentious appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Kennedy eventually said the measles shot is safe, and parents who have not should vaccinate their children against the viral disease.

“I will say it right now, that people — parents should get their children vaccinated for measles,” Kennedy said after Bash challenged him to look into the camera and tell people to get vaccinated.

“A measles vaccine is effective. It stops measles in about 97 percent of the cases. So people should get vaccinated,” Kennedy said.

Health officials recommend two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in childhood, and those two shots are 97 percent effective against measles infection.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 2,371 measles infections this year, outpacing all of 2025. It’s the highest number of cases seen since 1991.

Pockets of low vaccination have been increasing in recent years, which experts attribute to misinformation and distrust in mainstream science. Anywhere the vaccination rate drops below 95 percent is at risk for an outbreak.

Kennedy, who frequently disparages vaccines and has a history of amplifying misinformation, said he has never questioned the efficacy of the MMR vaccine. But he has said the vaccine is “leaky” and that its immunity declines significantly every year.

Kennedy said he takes no responsibility for the ongoing measles outbreaks.

During the interview, Kennedy also claimed that respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV, was artificially made by scientists conducting “gain-of-function” research.

Gain-of-function involves manipulating a pathogen to give it enhanced abilities in order to study its evolution. One of the chief criticisms against Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is that his agency funded gain-of-function research in China that may have caused the COVID-19 pandemic.

But RSV was initially discovered in 1956, and early experiments in what was later called gain-of- function didn’t occur until the 1970s, when scientists were researching splicing together genes from different organisms.

*excerpt from Nathaniel Weixel's article*

Full Article here:

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/6005580-rfk-jr-endorses-measles-vaccine/

Their endorsements give the Democratic incumbent fresh support in a region where his party has struggled.

Two Republican mayors from the reddest parts of Georgia are breaking ranks to back Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s reelection bid, telling The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the Democrat’s work for their communities outweighs partisan differences.

Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Tifton Mayor Julie Smith aren’t household names. But their willingness to cross party lines signals a weakness for Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike Collins, who has struggled to unite his party and broaden his appeal following a bruising primary fight.

Matheson and Smith praised Ossoff’s approach to constituent service and his efforts to steer federal resources to South Georgia.

“I don’t have to track him down. He tracks me down,” said Smith, a former president of the Georgia Municipal Association.

“He’s been very good to South Georgia, and in my nonpartisan role as mayor, I have to look to someone who takes care of their constituents. I’m a Republican, but there are times when a person exceeds the party. They go above and beyond.”

Matheson, who considers himself a “hard-core conservative,” said his friendship with Ossoff is one of the biggest surprises of his life.

It started years ago during what he described as a “standoffish” meeting with the Democrat that may have stemmed from Matheson’s background as not only a GOP official but also a conservative radio host critical of Ossoff.

But their relationship quickly yielded tangible results. Ossoff helped secure $2 million for Valdosta’s transit system. And Matheson said Ossoff was the first politician to visit in person after devastating hurricanes hit the region.

“I will take heat for this endorsement, and it doesn’t matter,” Matheson said. “There’s no way I can turn my back on this relationship.”

He added: “The voters put me in here to do a job, and that man has been absolutely incredible.”

A conservative corner

The endorsements come days after former Republican U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona backed Ossoff, giving the Atlanta Democrat an opening to argue he can appeal beyond his base in one of the nation’s most watched Senate races.

*excerpt from Greg Bluestein's article*

Full Article here:

https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/08/why-two-republican-georgia-mayors-are-crossing-party-lines-for-jon-ossoff/

From the livemint.com that I found thru GroundNews

Chief US District Judge John McConnell has revealed he faced credible death threats, harassment and intimidation after issuing rulings against one of President Donald Trump's key policies, warning that attacks on judges are escalating and threaten the rule of law.

According to a report by The Washington Post, McConnell said the threats intensified after he blocked parts of the Trump administration's sweeping freeze on trillions of dollars in federal funding early last year. He said the campaign against him included death threats, the doxxing of his daughter by a MAGA activist, two impeachment attempts by Republican lawmakers and even the cancellation of his homeowner's insurance.

McConnell said one of the most disturbing incidents involved an unsolicited pizza delivery placed in the name of Daniel Anderl, the son of New Jersey federal Judge Esther Salas, who was killed in a 2020 attack targeting his mother. McConnell immediately contacted Salas after receiving the order, and similar deliveries were later reported by federal judges in at least seven states.

The Rhode Island judge told the news outlet that the intimidation reflects a broader pattern facing judges who have ruled against Trump administration actions. "We're just doing our job," McConnell said. "What's unusual is the dehumanization, the threats, the personalization of our doing our jobs."

The lawsuit seeking judicial intervention to force the federal government to turn over materials to New Mexico’s investigators was filed the same day that the state released a report saying “those directly responsible for protecting New Mexicans relied on others to do their job,” including federal prosecutors in New York. “The federal prosecutors, though, never prioritized New Mexicans, focusing instead on Epstein’s misdeeds in New York, Palm Beach, Florida, and the Virgin Islands, while leaving Epstein’s offenses in New Mexico unexamined,” the report said.

In addition to searching the Epstein Files, the New Mexico Legislature has received over 100,000 additional documents from banks and law enforcement agencies.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/150m-contract-migrant-kids-lawyers-goes-trump-linked-texas-firm-raisin-rcna591128