On July 13th, St. Louis mayor Cara Spencer signed a bill into law that contains a plan for $255 million in Rams Settlement money. The bill designates $120 million to North St. Louis City including $89 million for tornado recovery, with much of the money going toward housing repairs and preservation. In addition, $55 million is allocated for Downtown revitalization and $80 million for city-wide infrastructure. Of the $80 million going to citywide infrastructure, $2.5 million will immediately pay for hazardous tree and stump removal and the water division will immediately receive $40 million to start critical repairs. An online tracker will be available on the city website for the public to track where the Rams money is being spent.

As of June 17, 2026, there were 896 confirmed cases including 232 deaths from the Bundibugyo Ebola virus in Democratic Republic of Congo & Uganda. The number of deaths is likely higher than reported because many deaths are still under investigation. The World Health Organization has determined that the outbreak risk level for countries that boarder DRC and Uganda is high, but the risk for other countries in Africa and for the rest of the world remains low.

On July 17th Taylor Farms announced a recall of shredded iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico. Iceberg lettuce was identified as a possible source of contamination after 90% of sickened people interviewed by the Michigan Department of Health reported eating iceberg lettuce. The lettuce was traced back to a single supplier, Taylor Farms. The lettuce was served in several states at Taco Bells and sold at Walmart stores under the Marketside-brand. People should not eat Iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms or Marketside. There could be additional sources of cyclospora contamination. An investigation is still ongoing.

Many parts of the country are experiencing record breaking heat this week, with high humidity and high temperatures increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses. People should stay in air conditioning as much as possible during high heat and avoid outdoor exertion. Older adults, infants, young children, pregnant individuals, and people with chronic health conditions are at greater risk of negative health impacts. People without air-conditioning at home can make a plan to stay cool by visiting a local mall, library, or public cooling shelter.

Smoke from hundreds of wildfires in Minnesota and Canada has drifted over the U.S. causing unhealthy levels of air pollution. Wildfire smoke can contain high levels of small particles that irritate eyes and lungs and can worsen chronic heart and lung conditions like asthma or heart disease. People should check local air quality on a weather app or air.gov and avoid going outside when levels are unhealthy. If you must be outside during unhealthy air quality, wearing a N-95 mask outside can greatly reduce the number of particles that enter your lungs.