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The report notes that pneumonic plague cases are rare but have occurred in the U.S. recently. Last year, the CDC launched a pneumonic plague investigation in Arizona after a young adult male died following exposure to two ill cats. During that investigation, officials identified 46 potentially exposed individuals who were administered antibiotics.

A 2024 State Department assessment concluded that Russia maintains an offensive biowarfare program, having absorbed and evolved the old Soviet program. Furthermore, the CDC stated that during the 1970s and 1980s, the Soviet Union manufactured large quantities of antibiotic-resistant Y. pestis (the bacteria that causes plague) to be dispersed as a bioweapon. While the specific institute involved in the recent incident was part of an anti-plague network for surveillance, it also developed vaccines and diagnostics for pathogens modified by the military.

According to David Mansdoerfer, a former health official from the first Trump administration, the government's "playbook" includes several steps: the State Department would issue a travel advisory, the government would contact U.S. citizens in the affected area with guidance, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would issue a travel health notice. Furthermore, Customs and Border Protection would implement "ill traveler rules," which can include stopping high-risk individuals from boarding flights or flagging health officials at ports of entry.

Experts have noted that if the worker died from pneumonic plague, there is a possibility it could be a genetically altered version that behaves differently than treatable strains. This concern is linked to the prevalence of "gain-of-function" research and Russia's known history of developing biological weapons. Additionally, there is a concern that the strain might be resistant to standard antibiotics, despite the fact that the U.S. maintains substantial government stockpiles of such medications.

Darline Graham is the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham. She was appointed to her seat in July at the urging of President Donald Trump, who was a friend of her brother. She won her primary over Rep. Ralph Norman with 52% of the vote following support from Trump.

Unlike Jaime Harrison, who raised $100 million in 2020 and was the state's former Democratic Party chair, Annie Andrews is running as a "mom and a doctor." Her campaign has been largely financed with $3.6 million in contributions bundled by the 314 Action Fund, a political committee that elects Democratic candidates with STEM backgrounds. Because she is not a former party chair, her campaign has been less of a partisan target than previous efforts.

Recent polling has shown a much closer race than expected. A survey from Trafalgar showed a statistical tie with Graham at 43% and Andrews at 42%. InsiderAdvantage also produced a poll showing a 1-point race with Graham at 46% and Andrews at 45%. These figures contrast with earlier September polling from Rasmussen Reports, which showed Graham leading by 5 points.

Darline Graham faces several challenges, including being a relatively poor fundraiser compared to her opponent, Annie Andrews, who is outspending and outraising her. Additionally, Graham has been noted for shielding herself from the press and showing a relative lack of mastery of foreign policy during a GOP primary debate. Furthermore, she won her primary over Rep. Ralph Norman with 52% of the vote, leaving some bad feelings with Norman, who briefly suggested a write-in campaign before ultimately endorsing her.

Johnson noted that there was "joy all around the world" following his announcement in July. He remarked on the irony of the situation, stating, "I think people really want me to die. Now I get it. It's funny. It's ironic. I push a lot of buttons that people don't like."

Experts warn that intensive health tracking can lead to a "cascade" of follow-up tests due to false positives and incidental findings, which may not be meaningful. These cascades can result in added costs, stress, and potential harm. In contrast, Johnson argues that he appreciates the information because finding issues early makes them more likely to be addressed.

Johnson made his fortune by founding Braintree, which acquired Venmo and was later sold to PayPal for $800 million. He currently runs several businesses related to longevity and technology, including Blueprint, Immortals, the neurotechnology company Kernel, and the venture fund OS Fund.

Johnson spends over $2 million a year on personal health and longevity treatments. To support these extreme health interventions, he maintains an entire medical concierge team and has a makeshift doctor's office located inside his home. He also documents these experiments for an online following of roughly 8 million people.

The projected annual profits, which could exceed $90 billion if current trends hold, are significantly higher than the 2025 record of $65.1 billion. The report also notes that these figures rival the 2009 record even after accounting for inflation.

The profits are being fueled by the AI boom driving dealmaking, a record year for stocks, the massive SpaceX IPO, and record-breaking M&A activity. Furthermore, war-driven volatility has helped juice trading volume. These factors are driving profits despite headwinds such as the Iran war, higher inflation and interest rates, and the potential for an AI bubble to burst.

The increase in underwriting fees, which involve helping companies sell new stocks and bonds, was driven by a 76.5% increase in global equity issuance. A significant portion of this growth was attributed to the SpaceX initial public offering, which was the biggest ever. Additionally, there was an 11.3% increase in debt issuance, with AI hyperscalers identified as some of the largest borrowers.

In the first half of 2026, Wall Street firms earned $45.9 billion in profits. This figure represents a 51.3% increase compared to the same period in the previous year and already exceeds the $45.3 billion forecast for the entirety of 2026. If this growth pace continues, annual profits could potentially exceed $90 billion.

Nubi is the result of a five-year effort to combine traditional organizing with technology. The organization first launched a basic chatbot about two years ago before developing the current AI version. Mi Familia en Acción financed the development of the app itself, which Sánchez Barba described as a "very big investment," though he did not disclose the specific cost. The organization plans to continue updating the tool as voting rules, court decisions, and government policies change.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is the president and CEO of Mi Familia en Acción. He stated that Nubi is nonpartisan and does not recommend specific candidates or causes. He emphasized that the goal of the technology is to provide reliable information in one place so that citizens do not need to be "constitutional lawyers" to understand how to vote. He also noted that while the technology extends civic information into rural or overlooked communities, it is not intended to replace traditional organizing methods like door-knocking.

The Latino electorate is significant because nearly 39 million Hispanics are eligible to vote in the midterms. According to Pew Research Center, Hispanics added 5.25 million eligible voters since 2022, which is more than any other racial or ethnic group. Furthermore, the demographic is projected to account for 16% of eligible voters in 2026, nearly doubling their 9% share in 2006. The data also indicates that the electorate is highly fluid and unpredictable, with 52% of registered Latino voters in 17 competitive House districts reported as undecided or potentially changing their minds as of May 2026.

Nubi is a bilingual AI-powered app launched by the national Latino civic engagement group Mi Familia en Acción. It is designed to help voters navigate a complicated election system by answering questions in both English and Spanish regarding voter registration, citizenship, "Know Your Rights" information, and specific voting logistics such as where and when to vote, early voting options, and mail ballots. Unlike general-purpose chatbots, Nubi does not search the open internet; instead, it is fed information from sources selected by the organization, undergoes human review, and includes guardrails to ensure it does not invent responses. It operates in all 50 states and provides information tailored to the local or district level.

NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella stated that House Democrats have embraced a "radical socialist agenda" involving abolishing prisons, releasing criminals, and defunding the police. He asserted that voters would not believe the Democrats' claims regarding Republicans who have fought to protect communities.

John Feinblatt stated that the goal is to flip eight seats to put a stop to what he described as a "MAGA House" that has "rubber-stamped the Trump administration as it tore up federal gun safety laws." He noted that there is a Moms Demand Action volunteer on the ballot in every one of these districts.

The ads are focused broadly on "public safety," which includes topics such as gun control, drug trafficking, immigration, crime, and police funding. For example, Christina Bohannan's ad mentions securing the border and hiring more police officers, while Paige Cognetti's ad highlights her work as mayor of Scranton to cut violent crime.

The candidates being boosted by the campaign are former volunteers for Moms Demand Action and include JoAnna Mendoza of Arizona, Pia Dandiya of Florida, Christina Bohannan and Lindsay James of Iowa, Christina Hines and Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan, and Paige Cognetti of Pennsylvania.