On today's show,
A federal murder-for-hire trial has begun in New Orleans, marking the latest development in the FBI's long-running "Operation Sideswipe" investigation. The case centers around a sprawling, multi-million dollar scheme where "slammers" deliberately crashed cars into 18-wheelers to secure massive fraudulent insurance settlements.
Demolition of the long-abandoned Lindy Boggs Medical Center officially began on. Heavy machinery moved into the Mid-City site in New Orleans, marking the end of a 21-year vacancy that turned the former hospital into one of the city's most prominent post-Katrina eyesores.
The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) is currently facing intense congressional scrutiny over a severe mental health and supply crisis among its 5,000 crew members. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has set a modern-day record during the ongoing conflict with Iran, marking over 260 consecutive days at sea with almost no port stops. In response to the growing crisis, the military is preparing to send the USS George Washington (or alternatively the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group) to the Arabian Sea to replace the carrier.
President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order to overhaul the federal childhood vaccination schedule, reducing universally recommended immunizations from 18 diseases down to 11 and proposing that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine be split into three separate shots. The administration frames the policy as a "gold standard" approach meant to provide parents with flexibility and bring the U.S. into alignment with peer European nations. However, the move has drawn intense criticism from global health agencies, medical groups, and political figures who warn that dismantling combined vaccines goes against decades of established medical evidence and could exacerbate ongoing disease outbreaks.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is stepping down from her position at the end of August 2026 to spend more time with her young family. President Donald Trump announced the decision on Truth Social, noting that she will transition into a role as one of his top outside advisors and remain an influential voice within the Republican Party.
