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Today's top stories
Measles is currently spreading in parts of West Texas. Health officials believed the disease had been eradicated 25 years ago, but it has occasionally returned. Cases in western Texas counties have more than doubled since last week, with 58 confirmed cases and 13 hospitalizations as of yesterday morning.
- π§ The majority of cases are among school-age children and, according to the state health department, most of the patients are either unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccine status. Measles can be dangerous, especially for babies and children, Samantha Larned of NPR network station KTTZ tells Up First. In Gaines County, where many cases have been reported, health officials have described the communities as "vaccine hesitant." The vaccination rate there is just under 82%, compared to the state's 90% rate.
As President Trump's administration pushes efforts to shrink the federal government, some in China see the U.S.' cuts to pro-democracy and human rights groups abroad as an opportunity to gain more power.
- π§ NPR's Emily Feng has discovered that people with the Chinese government have approached at least two U.S. human rights organizations focused on issues related to China. These individuals have offered to connect the organizations with financial backers based in China. The groups at risk of losing their funding include those that China and other authoritarian governments criticize, such as women's rights organizations and legal aid nonprofits. Some human rights advocates are concerned about a growing alignment between how the Trump administration discusses democracy work and how authoritarian regimes frame the same topic.
Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro has been charged by Brazil's attorney general with attempting to overturn the country's 2022 election. Bolsonaro, the former far-right leader, is accused of plotting a coup to stay in power, inciting violence and hatching a plan to poison the current president, Luiz InΓ‘cio Lula da Silva.
- π§ Bolsonaro has denied the allegations against him, NPR's Carrie Kahn says. He also says the legal fight against him is a similar strategy used against Trump, which he has pointed out failed. The nearly 900-page long report for the investigation is based on testimonies, phone records and plea deals with close allies of Bolsonaro. Additionally, there are hundreds of cases against rioters who were charged with ransacking the capital on Jan. 8, 2023. If convicted, Kahn says Bolsonaro faces anywhere between 12 years and four decades in prison.
Deep dive
Broken heart syndrome is more than just a metaphorical idea. Also known as stress cardiomyopathy, the real condition can bring on a sudden and dramatic weakening of heart muscle. It often strikes after a stressful event and can be tricky to diagnose. Some tests performed in the ER can show the same results as someone having a heart attack.
- π When a person has a heart attack, they have a blockage in one or more of their coronary arteries. This is a key difference from broken heart syndrome, which doesn't involve blocked arteries.
- π When the heart is weakened, blood and oxygen can't effectively circulate throughout the body, resulting in the symptoms. It is unclear why some develop this rare condition after a stressful event.
- π The syndrome is most common in women over the age of 50, though cardiologists have reported seeing the condition in a broad range of patients. Most patients make a full recovery.
Life advice
The IRS started accepting tax returns on Jan. 27. Within the first week of filing, around 28% of the 11.7 million returns processed resulted in direct deposit refunds. By the April 15 federal deadline, the agency expects to receive over 140 million individual returns. Here's a guide to navigating the 2025 tax filing season:
- ποΈ You can track the progress of your tax return on the IRS' dedicated Where's My Refund page, which will show the status around 24 hours after you file electronically.
- ποΈ Most refunds are issued within 21 days of your filing date. Refunds related to the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit are expected after mid-February.
- ποΈ The free Direct File system has expanded to 25 participating states this year, up from last year's 12-state pilot program. It's aimed at people with relatively straightforward tax returns.
Check out more information about filing your taxes here.
3 things to know before you go
- A baby seal was rescued from the streets of downtown New Haven, Conn., over the weekend. He was lethargic and underweight and is now recovering at Mystic Aquarium.
- The National Science Foundation terminated 168 employees yesterday to comply with Trump's executive order aimed at reducing the federal workforce, according to a company spokesperson.
- The flight data and cockpit voice recorders have been retrieved from the Delta Air Lines flight that flipped upside down and caught fire at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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