Trump Diagnosis, Iran Strikes Report, & Lost Baggage 101

News without the noise

Adam Rogers
July 18, 2025

Good Morning! Today’s edition is 913 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap:

First-time reader? Sign up here!

President Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition where leg veins struggle to return blood to the heart. The White House said he underwent thorough testing, including ultrasounds, echocardiograms, and lab work, which ruled out more serious issues like blood clots, heart failure, or arterial disease.
Trump got the medical evaluation after noticing mild swelling in his lower legs over the past several weeks. The public keyed in on the swelling after seeing photos of Trump from the Club World Cup final this past weekend.
Chronic venous insufficiency affects an estimated 25 million US adults, with rates climbing sharply after age 50. It is typically managed with compression stockings, leg elevation, and regular activity. Trump’s physician said he reports no pain or discomfort and remains in “excellent health.”

US intelligence assessments show mixed results from strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in June, contradicting Trump's claims that Iran's nuclear capabilities were 'completely and totally obliterated,' according to an NBC News report citing five current and former US officials.
The Fordo facility was successfully set back by up to two years, but strikes on Natanz and Isfahan were less effective due to deeply buried structures beyond the reach of even 30,000-pound "bunker buster" bombs. The report said that US officials knew before the strikes that some targets at these sites would likely survive the attack.
US and Israeli officials are discussing additional strikes if Iran attempts to rebuild or refuses to negotiate a new nuclear deal. Trump has said he would 'absolutely' bomb Iran again if intelligence shows concerning levels of uranium enrichment at the surviving facilities.

Two specially trained dogs detected Parkinson's disease by smelling skin swabs with 70% and 80% accuracy in identifying patients while correctly ruling out the disease in 90% and 98% of healthy people, according to a double-blind trial using 100 samples.
The Golden Retriever and Labrador mix were trained for 38-53 weeks using 205 skin swab samples before being tested on 40 Parkinson's patients who had not yet started medication and 60 control participants. Only two of ten dogs initially tested proved capable of learning the task. Researchers collected the samples by swabbing the upper backs of participants to capture sebum, the oily secretion from skin glands that becomes excessive in Parkinson's patients.
The study suggests dogs could help validate new screening methods and aid rapid diagnosis. Researchers noted that increased sebum secretion occurs before motor symptoms appear, and are now calling for studies to test whether dogs can detect the disease before doctors formally diagnose it.

The Trump administration will share personal information of 79 million Medicaid enrollees with immigration agents to identify undocumented immigrants, despite legal challenges from 19 states. (More)

House Republicans delayed approving $9 billion in spending cuts Thursday as they argued over releasing Jeffrey Epstein files, facing pressure from their MAGA base for transparency. (More)

The Justice Department wants no prison time for ex-Louisville cop Brett Hankison, convicted of blindly firing 10 shots into Breonna Taylor's home without hitting anyone. (More)

Mexico City announced new rent control plans, responding to protests over gentrification. Locals have blamed digital nomads and mass tourism for driving up housing prices. (More)

Thai police arrested Wilawan Emsawat for allegedly seducing and blackmailing Buddhist monks with compromising photos. Authorities say she extorted $11.9 million over three years. (More)

Britain will lower the voting age to 16 for general elections by 2029, extending a policy already used in Scotland and Wales to the entire UK. (More)

US stock markets closed higher on Thursday (S&P +0.54%, Nasdaq +0.75%, Dow +0.52%). Positive fresh economic data reports and a bunch of corporate earnings releases pushed stocks up. (More)

Uber teamed with Lucid and Nuro to launch over 20,000 robotaxis in six years, sending Lucid stock up 37% on the $300 million investment deal. (More)

Homebuilders cut prices at the highest rate in three years, with 38% reducing costs in July as builder confidence remained negative for the 15th straight month. (More)

Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt agreed to a three-year, $123 million extension that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. (More) | NBA All-Star Damien Lillard will return to the Blazers on a three-year $42 million deal. (More)

CBS will end "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in May 2026 for financial reasons, retiring the franchise that began with David Letterman in 1993. (More)

A major fire on Wednesday severely damaged the main stage at Belgium's Tomorrowland music festival two days before it was scheduled to start. No one was injured. (More)

MIT researchers developed a bionic knee that connects directly to bone and muscle, helping above-knee amputees walk better and feel greater ownership of their prosthetic limb. (More)

Coca Cola agreed to use real cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup in US sodas. (More)

Columbia University scientists developed robots that can "grow," heal, and improve themselves by magnetically absorbing parts from their environment or other robots. (More)

Dubai will open a restaurant run by an AI chef.

Your feedback helps us provide the best newsletter possible.