By Jade Walker

The number of measles cases has climbed this year to the highest they’ve been since the disease was declared eliminated in the US a quarter-century ago. Still, a record share of kindergartners missed required vaccinations last year, and the vast majority of the 2025 measles cases were in unvaccinated children. As we head into the new school year, exemptions are also climbing — and most are for non-medical reasons.

Here's what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.

Dustin Burrows, the Republican speaker of the Texas House, speaks during a news conference in Austin, Texas, on Monday. Nuri Vallbona/Reuters

Texas Democrats

The Republican speaker of the Texas House signed civil arrest warrants for Democrats who did not show up to the special session on Monday, even though legal experts say they are likely unenforceable outside of state lines. The Democratic lawmakers left Texas and traveled to New York, Illinois and Massachusetts to block Republicans from redrawing the state’s congressional map in their favor. Since the Texas Constitution requires two-thirds of the state's House members to be present to conduct legislative business, the Democrats’ absence denied the GOP a quorum. The GOP's proposed map could potentially eliminate five Democratic US House seats ahead of the 2026 midterms. Such a partisan change may also have repercussions in Washington, DC, where House Republicans hold a razor-thin majority. While Texas Republicans are scheduled to reconvene today, it doesn’t appear that the House will have enough lawmakers present for quorum.

Obama probe

Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed federal prosecutors to launch a grand jury investigation into accusations that Obama administration officials manufactured intelligence about Russia’s 2016 election interference, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. The move follows a referral from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who declassified documents last month that she alleged undermined the Obama administration’s conclusion that Russia had launched a campaign of influence and hacking to help Donald Trump win the election against Hillary Clinton. CNN has previously reported that Gabbard’s allegations misrepresented what the intelligence community actually concluded.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan is experiencing a surge in child malnutrition, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Monday, adding that more than half a billion dollars is needed to help the country’s most vulnerable families. Almost 10 million people in Afghanistan face acute food insecurity. While climate change and mass returns from neighboring countries are exacerbating the situation, the WFP attributed the rise in child malnutrition to a decline in emergency food assistance. In the past, the US had been the largest funder of the WFP, having provided $4.5 billion in donations just last year. However, in April, the Trump administration cut off food aid to Afghanistan.

Israel-Hamas war

With negotiations on a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza appearing to be at an impasse, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly leaning towards expanding military operations. Netanyahu will urge a meeting of the security cabinet today to support the full “conquest of the Strip” according to reports in Israeli media that were described as accurate by a source familiar with the matter. Israel’s Ynet cited senior officials close to Netanyahu as saying: “The die is cast – we’re going for full conquest. If the Chief of Staff doesn’t agree – he should resign.” The source told CNN that the defense establishment opposes an expansion of ground operations in areas where the hostages are believed to be held, as it would risk putting them in harm’s way.

IT worker scheme

An alleged IT worker scheme has allowed North Korea to turn remote work culture into an effective tool for generating funding. Drawing on exclusive data sourced from North Korean computers, court records and interviews with cybersecurity experts and US officials, a CNN investigation revealed the full scope of this scheme. Thousands of North Korean IT workers adopted stolen and made-up identities to pose as Western developers, engineers and tech consultants looking for jobs. The North Korean candidates then used AI and live face-masking software to hide their identities and locations in order to land jobs at US companies. US-based facilitators aided them by laundering paychecks, stealing identities and running “laptop farms." According to the DOJ, this stealthy operation has allowed North Korea to circumvent sanctions, exploit remote hiring practices and funnel hundreds of millions of dollars annually back into Pyongyang’s military programs. North Korea's Foreign Ministry has denied the allegations and accused the US of “fabricating groundless cyber drama.”  

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4,000

That’s the age of a handprint that researchers discovered on a clay model used for offerings in an Ancient Egyptian tomb. 

“How much does it cost for fascism? How much do the taxpayers have to pay for a fascist country?”

— A town hall attendee, questioning Republican Rep. Mike Flood of Nebraska on Monday night. The crowd erupted in applause.

World's smallest known snake spotted 
After two decades, scientists have seen the extremely elusive Barbados threadsnake. And it’s so tiny!

5 Things AM is edited by CNN's Andrew Torgan.

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