From an executive order cutting the number of recommended vaccines for children to the death of a beloved eagle, here’s what made headlines this past week.
Trump signs order to limit child vaccinations
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday limiting childhood vaccinations to 11 immunizations, which he claimed would align the U.S. with peer nations that recommend fewer shots. Physicians rejected the action.
The order advances a goal of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist who promoted a link between vaccines and autism that scientists debunked. The order also recommends splitting the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three shots taken at separate visits.
Kennedy in January cut the immunization schedule to remove shots against six out of 17 diseases, a move halted by a federal court ruling. The executive order says it reaffirms Kennedy’s overhaul.
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Justices asked to allow mail-in ballot directive
President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday again asked the Supreme Court to intervene to fully implement his executive order restricting the use of mail-in ballots ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The Justice Department asked the justices to pause a Tuesday decision by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston that blocks the U.S. Postal Service from nationwide enforcement of the directive’s tighter rules for voting by mail.
Trump signed his executive order in March after years of calling for restrictions on voting by mail and pushing the false claim that his 2020 election loss was the result of widespread voter fraud.
A cat is rescued Tuesday from a damaged building in Pereira, Colombia, a day after a 7.4-magnitude quake struck the country.
Earthquake batters western Colombia
An earthquake Monday toppled apartment blocks, damaged homes, schools and hospitals and sent residents into the streets across western Colombia, home to the country’s coffee farms. More than 250 people were killed and almost 4,000 were injured, according to government data Thursday morning. Hundreds of people were still reported missing.
In other news
STRAIT TALK: The Strait of Hormuz is “under Iran’s control and management,” the recently appointed head of Iran’s Basij paramilitary unit said Thursday, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States had “total control” of the strategic waterway.
TRANSGENDER YOUTHS: The Trump administration finalized a rule Tuesday barring two major federal health programs from funding puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries to treat gender dysphoria in minors, reshaping access for low-income youth nationwide.
LAWSUIT: Two media entities sued President Donald Trump on Wednesday, seeking to shut down a new service that sells paid access to his posts, including some that can move markets, on his social media platform for $100,000.
SOCIAL MEDIA: A U.S. appeals court on Monday allowed thousands of lawsuits to move forward against Meta Platforms, Alphabet’s Google, ByteDance’s TikTok and other social media companies over claims they designed their products to be addictive to young users.
KENNEDY CENTER: The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted Thursday to add President Donald Trump’s name to the building’s exterior, according to Democratic U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, after a federal judge ordered his name removed.
SUIT TOSSED: A federal judge on Thursday dismissed the Trump administration’s lawsuit that alleged Harvard University failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from harassment, saying the government did not plausibly show an ongoing violation of federal civil rights law.
The water cooler — trending news
PLANE SWITCH: President Donald Trump took a secret flight from Turkey last month in an operation that involved moving him between aircraft in a catering truck, after an Iranian assassination threat, the Washington Post reported Monday. Air Force One departed separately carrying administration officials, White House staff and the press corps, according to a source.
REFLECTING POOL: President Donald Trump’s White House asked the Justice Department to examine potential new charges related to alleged vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool despite the department’s decision to drop prior cases and Trump admitting “contractor error” last Sunday, two people familiar with the matter said.
Jackie
BELOVED EAGLE: Fans around the world mourned Jackie, 14, a beloved California bald eagle that died Monday while being rehabilitated after a fight with two other eagles. Friends of Big Bear Valley, the organization that operates an eagle cam that starred Jackie, her mate Shadow and their eaglets, acknowledged the enormous loss on Facebook.
Golden State Warriors former coach Don Nelson waves to fans March 19, 2012, at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.
DON NELSON (1940-2026): Hall of Famer Don Nelson, the second-winningest coach in NBA history, died last Sunday at age 86, his family announced. As a player, Nelson won five NBA titles during 11 seasons with the Boston Celtics. The three-time Coach of the Year didn’t win any NBA titles during his 31-year overall tenure but put together 13 seasons of 50 or more wins.
Big number
$900 million: The amount the Trump administration is set to spend for construction projects on the White House grounds, the Washington Post reported Wednesday, citing records.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a news conference June 15 in Jerusalem following a U.S.-Iran deal.
Quote of the week
“Israel does not accept the 15-point document,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last Sunday at a meeting with Cabinet ministers, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza and saying Israel “will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed.”
