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Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, on Sunday told American parents that they should get their children vaccinated against measles, as the surge in infections has reached numbers not seen in the past 35 years. Kennedy, a leading vaccination skeptic who has spent years amplifying misinformation about vaccines, including the shot that protects against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), made his call in the course of a contentious interview with CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday morning. (Pilkington, 8/2)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 53 new US measles cases this week, bringing the total for the year to 2,371 cases. All but 16 of the cases were locally acquired in 45 US jurisdictions, with the rest tied to international travel, the CDC said in its weekly update. There have been 37 new measles outbreaks reported this year, with 94% of cases associated with outbreaks (defined as three or more cases). (Dall, 7/31)

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. clashed with CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday, launching attacks against Anthony Fauci and arguing that protecting constitutional rights must take priority during future public health crises. During an appearance on “State of the Union” that Bash herself described as “contentious,” Kennedy argued that Fauci, who served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during the Covid-19 pandemic, was to blame for the millions of Americans who were sickened or killed by the respiratory virus. (Daniels, 8/2)

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Sunday said President Trump “certainly” wants him to investigate perceived links between autism and vaccines. Kennedy made the remark during a heated interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union,” when Bash asked if the Wall Street Journal was accurate in reporting that Trump wants Kennedy to “probe the link.” “He certainly does,” Kennedy said. (Mancini, 8/2)

Over the past two months, the United States has made financial commitments that hint at a limited return to global health and humanitarian assistance partnerships, after the abrupt severing of many of those relationships a year and a half ago. Last week, the State Department notified Congress that it would send $600 million to Gavi, the organization that helps low-income countries buy essential childhood immunizations, a year after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdrew American support. It was the latest in a series of financial commitments from the U.S. government to international organizations, working on issues such as hunger and tuberculosis, totaling nearly $2 billion. (Nolen, 8/2)

The 85-year-old doctor, once the head of the government’s covid response, now faces mounting congressional threats and legal risks. (Diamond, 8/2)

Madison County Board Chairman Chris Slusser said Friday that a comment he made on Facebook calling for the “public hanging” of Dr. Anthony Fauci was “rhetorical hyperbole.” Slusser’s comments were posted in the replies to a post that appears to have since been deleted. Slusser, from his personal account, made the comment around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. (Bauer, 7/31)

�Թϲ�����: �Թϲ�����’ ‘On Air’: Journalists Catch You Up On Fauci Hearing, Peptides, And Kids' Caffeine Consumption

Céline Gounder, �Թϲ�����’ editor-at-large for public health, discussed how children’s caffeine consumption is affecting their health on CBS News’ CBS Mornings on July 30. (8/1)

Senate leadership on Sunday released the text of a bipartisan government funding stopgap measure that would block the White House’s proposal to give political appointees control over federal research grants. (Wilkerson, 8/2)

Key senators unveiled a short-term spending bill on Sunday that would keep federal agencies funded past the midterm elections and into early December as they look to avoid a government shutdown during the middle of campaign season. The Senate is likely to vote on the measure before leaving Washington at week’s end for its traditional August recess, a period that many lawmakers want to spend shoring up their reelection prospects rather than working in the nation’s capital. (Freking, 8/2)

Kay Granger, the first Republican woman from Texas to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and who served for nearly three decades, died Sunday at the age of 83, her son J.D. Granger said. House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a post on X that throughout her career, Granger “broke barriers for women in public service.” He added that she “was a dear friend who will be greatly missed.” (Stengle, 8/3)