Hundreds of people across 18 states have been stricken with explosive diarrhea caused by a parasite often found on fresh produce, and the case count is growing. The intestinal infection is called cyclosporiasis and can persist for weeks or even longer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Among the culprits could be salad kits, raspberries, green onions, cilantro and basil. The illness is not transmitted person to person, and the outbreak could be part of a seasonal surge. Federal, state and local health authorities are investigating.
The cost of snail mail is going up again. Starting on July 12, the price of a Forever stamp will rise from 78 cents to 82 cents, the Postal Service said; other rates will rise as well for an overall increase in mailing services of 4.8%. (Of course, you can still use any Forever stamps you have now that you bought for 78 cents or less – while they last.) The Postal Service, which has been struggling for decades and reported a staggering net loss of $9 billion for fiscal year 2025, cited rising operational costs and the agency’s “severe financial crisis.” The first Forever stamps, introduced in 2007, cost 41 cents each.
The stock market has been hitting records, and now it has notched another first: an opening bell from the Oval Office. President Donald Trump officially started the trading day from his desk on July 6 to launch his Trump Accounts, investment accounts with $1,000 in seed money for children born in the years 2025 to 2028. “We’re giving this money to children so they can have a good life,” he said in the Oval Office ceremony, joined by Cabinet members, CEOs and a group of well-dressed kids. Prompted later about the bell on his desk, he quipped, “You mean the bell I’m not giving back?”
America threw a big party for July Fourth, but for some people, the bigger party may have been in New York’s Madison Square Garden. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were married at the arena after weeks of frenzied speculation and after A-listers were spotted flooding the city for the big event. Among them: Adam Sandler (who officiated the nuptials), Gigi Hadid, Bradley Cooper, Karlie Kloss, Selena Gomez, Paul McCartney, Tom Brady, Chris Rock, Ed Sheeran, Simone Biles, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Lopez.
The U.S. men’s national team dared to dream, but the dream was dashed. Belgium outplayed the USA from start to finish in the World Cup round of 16 in Seattle, crushing a shell-shocked U.S. squad and its fans 4-1. It was the USA’s fourth straight World Cup round of 16 exit. “That just didn’t feel like us out there today,” defender Antonee Robinson said. A cloud of controversy hung over the game: The drubbing came after President Donald Trump intervened to have U.S. star striker Folarin Balogun reinstated after a red-card suspension. − Compiled and written by Robert Abitbol