— The American Girl Doll of 2027, who’s described as being all about the outdoors. And yes, you can get matching jean jackets for you and your doll.
Measles
The State of an Outbreak
What’s going on: Pennsylvania is battling the deadliest measles outbreak in the US since the ‘90s, with four deaths in the last two months. State health officials have confirmed 731 measles cases and 141 hospitalizations this year, and experts say the unconfirmed cases are likely much higher. This week, Pennsylvania tapped the CDC for emergency assistance, but with a catch: The CDC needs to recognize the four deaths as measles-related first. The request highlights an ongoing spat between Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA). RFK Jr. previously accused Shapiro of “the weaponization of infectious disease fears for political gain.” He has publicly questioned whether the deaths were really linked to measles and instructed the CDC not to include them in the national measles count. Shapiro told CNN that RFK Jr. is “someone who is not, I think, connected or grounded in reality.”
Looking elsewhere: If Pennsylvania withdraws the CDC request, it’ll have to continue relying on county health departments — many of which face funding challenges, and some of which have only existed since the pandemic. Still, local efforts aren’t without success. Delaware County holds a vaccination day for students, runs a mobile vaccine clinic, and publishes vaccine information by school level so parents can see the rates at their kids’ schools. Pennsylvania is also among 30 states that have turned to sources outside the CDC for childhood vaccine guidance. So far, the state’s push to boost vaccinations has led to more than 46,000 measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) doses in August 2026, compared with roughly 31,000 in August 2025. But there’s still a lot of work to be done. “It’s a really hard place for public health right now with so much divisiveness being promoted,” one county health official told The Guardian.
