Today in one sentence: The White House installed a critic of the CDC as the acting director of the CDC; the U.S. and Iran both claimed they’ve made “progress” in during latest nuclear talks even as the U.S. military is preparing for a possible strike on Iran as early as this weekend; Trump’s top economic adviser said New York Federal Reserve staffers should be “disciplined” for a study concluding that Americans paid nearly 90% of the costs of Trump’s tariffs; FCC Chair Brendan Carr denied censoring CBS after Stephen Colbert said network lawyers blocked an interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico; at least 12 Democrats said they will boycott Trump’s State of the Union next week; and 70% of Democrats have a positive view of the Democratic Party – down from 85% in September 2024.

1/ The White House installed a critic of the CDC as the acting director of the CDC. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the head of the National Institutes of Health, will keep his NIH job while he temporarily runs the CDC, which has lacked a Senate-confirmed leader since August, when Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired Susan Monarez weeks into her tenure. Monarez told Congress she was removed after refusing to approve vaccine guidance changes without reviewing the underlying science. Bhattacharya replaces Jim O’Neill, who’s been serving as acting CDC director while also holding the deputy HHS secretary job. The White House said it plans to nominate O’Neill to lead the National Science Foundation. Bhattacharya, meanwhile, rose to prominence during the pandemic as a critic of the CDC’s lockdown and masking policies and as a co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, and he’s accused the agency of peddling “pseudo science” during Covid. (Washington Post / New York Times / Politico / Wall Street Journal / Axios / NBC News)

  • The FDA said it will review Moderna’s mRNA flu shot after first refusing to even file the application. Moderna said it will seek standard approval for adults 50 to 64 and accelerated approval for adults 65 and older. The agency set an Aug. 5 target date for a decision. (Associated Press / New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News)

2/ The U.S. and Iran both claimed they’ve made “progress” in during latest nuclear talks even as the U.S. military is preparing for a possible strike on Iran as early as this weekend. Trump has reportedly not made a final decision on a strike. While Iran called the discussions “constructive,” JD Vance warned there’s been “no breakthrough” and that Tehran refuses to accept core U.S. demands, including ending uranium enrichment. Vance said “all options,” including military force, remain on the table if negotiations fail. The U.S., meanwhile, has sent two aircraft carriers, about a dozen warships, and multiple air-defense systems to the Gulf. More than 150 U.S. military cargo flights have moved weapons and ammunition into the region, and that another 50 fighter jets, including F-35s, F-22s, and F-16s, left for the Middle East in the past 24 hours. (CNN / Axios / Wall Street Journal / Semafor / NBC News / Wall Street Journal / CNBC)

3/ Trump’s top economic adviser said New York Federal Reserve staffers should be “disciplined” for a study concluding that Americans paid nearly 90% of the costs of Trump’s tariffs. Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, called the research “an embarrassment” and “the worst paper” in the Fed’s history. The New York Fed paper found tariffed import prices rose about 11% relative to non-tariffed goods and said “U.S. firms and consumers continue to bear the bulk of the economic burden of the high tariffs imposed in 2025.” It’s not clear what Hassett meant by “disciplined,” and he didn’t identify a specific analytical error other than arguing that consumers were “made better off” as import volumes shifted and real wages rose. (Politico / Axios / Bloomberg / CNBC / The Hill / Washington Post)

  • Federal Reserve minutes showed officials split over whether to cut rates again, hold, or hike rates if inflation stays above target. The committee agreed to pause after late-2025 cuts that put the federal funds rate at 3.5%–3.75%, but the minutes said “several” officials wanted a “two-sided” outlook that reflected possible increases, while others said additional cuts should wait for “clear indication” disinflation is “firmly back on track.” (CNBC / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Axios)

4/ FCC Chair Brendan Carr denied censoring CBS after Stephen Colbert said network lawyers blocked an interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, citing legal concerns about the FCC’s equal-time rule. Carr said CBS had a “clear path” to comply by offering comparable airtime to Talarico’s primary rivals, while FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez said Carr’s enforcement posture was pressuring broadcasters to “self-censor.” Colbert, meanwhile, mocked the network’s statement on air and said he’s never before been told to follow equal-time rules for a talk-show interview. The show posted the interview on YouTube instead, which drew roughly 5–6 million views and Talarico’s campaign said it raised about $2.5 million in 24 hours. (Associated Press / Axios / Washington Post / Variety / CNBC)

5/ At least 12 Democrats said they will boycott Trump’s State of the Union next week and attend a competing “People’s State of the Union” rally on the National Mall instead. Sen. Chris Murphy said Trump had turned the address into a “campaign rally” and that Democrats had “no obligation” to “reward him with an audience” as he “lies and attacks” opponents. He added that “these aren’t normal times” and that attending would “put a veneer of legitimacy” on what he called the “corruption and lawlessness” of Trump’s second term. (NBC News / New York Times / The Hill / Politico)

poll/ 70% of Democrats have a positive view of the Democratic Party – down from 85% in September 2024. 35% of Americans overall trust Democrats to handle health care, compared with 23% who trust Republicans. On the economy, 31% trust Republicans, while 26% trust Democrats, and 32% trust neither. (Associated Press)

The 2026 midterms are in 258 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 993 days.