A recent survey shows that rising housing costs are the top political concern for young Americans aged 18 to 34. Home prices have increased significantly since 2020, making it harder for young people to buy homes and affecting where they choose to live and vote.
Key Facts
Housing costs are the main issue for Americans aged 18-34 and men aged 18-49, according to a CNBC survey of 1,000 voters in 2026.
For all adults, housing was the fourth biggest issue after food prices, protecting democracy, and immigration.
Home prices in the U.S. rose 54% since 2020, driven by low borrowing costs and a shortage of homes.
The median home price in May 2026 was about $399,000, up from $316,000 in 2019.
Starter homes priced at $350,000 or less dropped from 60% to 40% of listings since 2019.
Mortgage rates increased to just above 6.5%, and property taxes rose over 30% from 2019 to 2025.
Home insurance costs climbed 46% since 2021, mainly due to more extreme weather.
Young adults aged 25-34 own fewer homes, with homeownership rates falling from 47% in 2005 to 37% now.
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Generation Z (people born 1997-2012) spends many hours daily on social media, where they see others' successes and achievements. Experts say this constant exposure to other people's highlight moments contributes to feelings of stress, inadequacy, and declining mental health among Gen Z.
Key Facts
Gen Z spends an average of four or more hours a day on social media; 22% spend seven or more hours daily.
Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn show users others’ personal and professional successes.
Exposure to luxury brands and lifestyle posts creates pressure and feelings of not measuring up.
One in three Gen Zers say the image of a perfect life online causes them extreme stress.
38% of Gen Z want to earn over $100,000 by age 30, influenced by seeing fast success stories online.
Surveys in 2025 show 94% of Gen Z experience mental health challenges monthly.
Data shows a significant drop in Gen Z reporting excellent mental health since 2019.
Experts link these mental health issues to social comparison caused by constant social media exposure.
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Newsweek analyzed 100 counties that could play a major role in deciding control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. These counties are mostly suburban areas and fast-growing metro regions where recent elections have been close, making small changes in voter turnout important.
Key Facts
The midterm elections are scheduled for November 3, 2026.
The analysis focused on counties where President Donald Trump’s 2024 election margins were narrow.
Data came from sources like the Cook Political Report, Ballotpedia, and election results.
Counties identified often overlap with key congressional districts expected to be competitive.
Both Democratic and Republican campaign groups are already targeting many of these counties.
Examples of important counties include Maricopa County (Arizona), Northampton County (Pennsylvania), Scott County (Iowa), Eaton County (Michigan), and Hidalgo County (Texas).
Campaign resources are being focused on areas with close margins to influence election outcomes.
The races in these counties could shape which party controls the House of Representatives starting in 2027.
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A college student was killed by her boyfriend who lived across the street from her. Her family has worked hard for many years to ensure he remains in prison.
Key Facts
The victim was a college student.
The killer was her boyfriend.
He lived just across the street from her.
The family has been fighting to keep him in prison for a long time.
CBS News and "48 Hours" covered the story.
Erin Moriarty is the correspondent reporting on the case.
The story is available on the CBS News app and website.
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President Donald Trump claimed the 2020 election was stolen and said U.S. elections can be rigged. He is pushing for laws that would give the federal government more control over elections and has encouraged efforts to redraw voting maps to favor Republicans. These actions raise concerns about influencing the midterm elections and challenging results that don’t favor his party.
Key Facts
President Trump said the 2020 election was illegitimate and claimed U.S. elections are vulnerable to fraud.
He wants Congress to pass the Save Act, which would let the federal government have more control over elections.
Elections in the U.S. are mainly run by states and local officials, not the federal government.
Some Republican-led states, like Louisiana, have redrawn voting maps to favor Republican candidates after a Supreme Court ruling.
Trump has tried to limit mail-in voting and suggested the US Postal Service might delay or withhold ballots from some voters.
Mail-in voting is more commonly used by Democrats than Republicans in many states.
Voting rights officials worry that false claims and efforts to control voting could undermine trust in elections and cause unrest.
The 2021 Capitol attack, linked to Trump’s denial of his 2020 loss, continues to influence concerns over election-related violence.
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Three Venezuelan men who were sent to a Salvadorian maximum security prison last year on flights arranged by US companies are suing those aviation firms. They claim the companies acted with the US government to illegally deport them and caused them harm by sending them to a prison known for torture.
Key Facts
The men were deported from the US to El Salvador in March 2023 under President Donald Trump’s administration.
They were held for four months in a Salvadorian terrorism prison called Cecot, where they say they were tortured.
The lawsuit accuses US companies CSI Aviation and GlobalX of violating civil rights and causing emotional distress.
CSI and GlobalX were hired by the Department of Homeland Security to operate the flights.
A federal judge had ordered the flights to return, but the companies allegedly ignored this.
The lawsuit says the companies made large profits from contracts with US immigration agencies.
Human rights attorneys filed the lawsuit in Washington DC on July 17, aiming to hold private companies accountable for the deportations.
The US and Salvadorian governments did not respond to specific claims in the lawsuit by the time of publication.
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A group called "Socialists in Schools" is campaigning to run candidates against eight Labor Party members in Victoria’s state election, including Education Minister Ben Carroll. They want changes like stopping public money going to expensive private schools and fully funding things like school uniforms and trips.
Key Facts
"Socialists in Schools" are a group opposing the current education department in Victoria.
They plan to run candidates for every lower house seat in Victoria.
Brendan Laws is challenging Education Minister Ben Carroll in the Niddrie district.
Their campaign calls for ending public funding to high-fee private schools.
They want to abolish the Naplan testing system.
They demand full public funding for school uniforms, excursions, materials, and lunches.
The group argues the Victorian public school system has been underfunded for many years.
They believe working-class students are increasingly left behind while wealthy private schools get more money.
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Left-wing Democrats, led by figures like Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, are supporting progressive candidates in key races such as Michigan's Senate primary. The party is divided between progressive and moderate wings as it tries to win back voters who supported President Donald Trump in 2024 and aims to regain control of the Senate.
Key Facts
Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held a rally in Detroit supporting Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
El-Sayed’s platform includes universal healthcare under "Medicare for All," ending immigration enforcement, and stopping U.S. aid to Israel.
El-Sayed’s opponent in the Democratic primary is Haley Stevens, a moderate with strong political experience and corporate funding.
Michigan is a key battleground state that voted for Joe Biden in 2020 but for President Trump in 2024.
The Senate seat is open and important for Democrats to regain control of the Senate and counter President Trump’s agenda.
Some voters support progressive policies but are unsure if left-wing candidates can win general elections.
Moderate Democrat Haley Stevens has endorsements from Michigan’s governor and current Senator.
Other progressive candidates, like Francesca Hong in Wisconsin, are also competing in important midwestern races for governor.
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In 1979, Catina Salarno, a college freshman, was shot and killed at the University of the Pacific. Her family has since worked for decades to keep her killer in prison and raise awareness about victims' rights.
Key Facts
Catina Salarno was found unconscious and bleeding on her first day of college in 1979.
Her parents, Harriet and Mike Salarno, and her sisters were deeply affected by her death.
The family has been involved in legal efforts since 1990 to prevent the release of Catina’s killer.
Harriet and Mike worked as juvenile commissioners to support young people in San Francisco.
Catina was known as a kind and caring older sister and was close to her sisters Regina and Nina.
The Salarno family had a strong, middle-class background with a focus on faith, family, and community.
Catina had a girlfriend/boyfriend relationship with Steven Burns, a nearby neighbor’s son and athlete.
The family's story has been featured in news programs like "48 Hours" to highlight their journey for justice.
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The Australian Labor Party (ALP) is facing pressure to change its policy to allow voluntary assisted dying (euthanasia) through telehealth services. While the new party platform supports this change, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prefers euthanasia discussions to happen face-to-face due to concerns about medical safety and misuse.
Key Facts
The ALP’s national conference updated its platform to support voluntary assisted dying via telehealth.
The change would overturn an old law banning euthanasia consultations through telehealth.
Labor MPs would have a conscience vote, meaning they can vote according to their personal views.
Prime Minister Albanese supports assisted dying but wants face-to-face assessments to protect patients.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young and independent Kate Chaney plan to introduce private bills to advance telehealth euthanasia access.
Current federal law criminalizes encouraging suicide over telecommunications, with fines up to $300,000.
Advocates argue telehealth access is needed for people in rural areas or with mobility problems.
Labor’s updated platform promises to remove legal barriers to telehealth for end-of-life care while keeping clinical safeguards.
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A large area of very hot weather, called a heat dome, is causing high temperatures across much of the central United States. This weather pattern traps hot air over the region and may continue for several more days. Heat warnings have been issued for about 80 million people.
Key Facts
A heat dome is a high-pressure system that keeps hot air trapped over an area.
This heat dome is affecting the central part of the United States.
Temperatures are dangerously high across this region.
Heat advisories were issued for roughly 80 million people.
The hot weather could last into next week.
The National Weather Service issued the warnings.
Such heat can increase the risk of heat-related illnesses.
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Texas courts are increasingly requiring the state to follow stricter rules before permanently removing children from their families. Recent court decisions emphasize that parents must be given proper legal rights, including a chance to appeal, when child protective services question child abuse or neglect.
Key Facts
Texas voters approved a parental rights amendment to the state constitution last year.
Three recent court rulings have challenged the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) on removing parental rights.
The Texas Supreme Court overturned two DFPS decisions that aimed to permanently remove children from parents.
An Austin judge ruled DFPS violated parents’ constitutional rights when it removed a newborn without proper appeal options.
The rulings demand due process, meaning parents have legal protections and must be allowed to contest agency decisions.
Texas has spent decades reforming its foster care system after lawsuits about poor conditions and abuse.
The state is shifting foster care responsibilities mostly to private companies.
Efforts to protect parental rights also respond to concerns about racial bias and poverty being mistaken for abuse in child welfare investigations.
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Thomas Goldstein, a well-known Supreme Court lawyer and co-founder of SCOTUSblog, was sentenced to six years in prison for tax evasion and mortgage fraud. He concealed millions of dollars in income, hid gambling debts, and falsely reported finances while spending heavily on poker and luxury items.
Key Facts
Thomas Goldstein was sentenced to six years in prison by a U.S. District Judge.
He was ordered to pay more than $3.1 million in restitution.
Goldstein concealed over $25 million in income from 2016 to 2023.
He avoided paying over $9.5 million in federal taxes.
He was found guilty of 12 charges, including tax evasion, false tax return preparation, failure to pay taxes, and mortgage fraud.
Goldstein was a prominent Supreme Court litigator who argued over 40 cases before retiring in 2023.
His gambling, especially high-stakes poker, was not widely known until his indictment in January 2025.
A celebrity poker player, Tobey Maguire, testified in the trial regarding a gambling debt dispute involving Goldstein.
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A third person has died due to severe flooding in Texas, which has caused over 500 rescues and damaged homes and businesses. Governor Greg Abbott visited Cotulla to inspect flood damage and warned people about ongoing dangers in areas near rising water levels downstream.
Key Facts
Three deaths have been confirmed from the recent floods in Texas.
More than 500 people have been rescued due to the flooding.
Floodwaters swept away a person who tried to drive through them.
Governor Abbott flew over Cotulla to assess flood damage; some areas remain unreachable.
The Nueces River reached a high flood level but has started to go down.
Floodwaters downstream, including at Lake Corpus Christi, are still expected to rise into early August.
Officials warned residents and commuters near the Nueces River to be cautious of flood dangers.
A disaster declaration was made for 59 Texas counties, with federal help requested for 33 counties.
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President Joe Biden dropped a lawsuit that aimed to stop the release of audio recordings and transcripts of his interviews with a ghostwriter made before he became president. A court had ruled that there was strong public interest in sharing the material, allowing a Republican-led congressional committee to receive it.
Key Facts
President Biden asked a court to block the release of interview recordings and transcripts with a memoir ghostwriter.
The interviews were done before Biden became president, in 2016 and 2017.
A panel of appeals court judges ruled 2-1 that the public should see the recordings, citing public interest.
Judge Florence Pan disagreed, saying Biden had a strong privacy interest in keeping the material private.
Biden’s lawyers called the conversations personal and meant to be private.
The recordings were obtained by special counsel Robert Hur, who investigated Biden’s handling of classified documents.
Republicans in Congress requested the recordings after Hur decided not to charge Biden.
Biden dropped the lawsuit less than a week after the appeals court decision, ending efforts to block the release.
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Two sons of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a man shot and killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Houston, spoke at a congressional hearing demanding a clear investigation into his death. The shooting happened after ICE officers chased Salgado Araujo’s van, but conflicting accounts exist about the events leading to the shooting.
Key Facts
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot and killed by ICE officers in Houston on July 7, 2026.
ICE said Salgado Araujo used his van to try to run over an officer, prompting the shooting.
Passengers in the van say the officers crashed into the van and were not in danger when the shot was fired.
None of the ICE officers involved were wearing body cameras during the incident.
Salgado Araujo’s sons described him as a hardworking family man with no prior legal trouble.
The hearing was held by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in Houston.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare reported he was not given key information by the Department of Homeland Security about the case.
The three passengers in the van, including Salgado Araujo’s brother, were arrested and remain in immigration detention.
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The Pennsylvania Department of Health received $242,000 for the Child Death Review program, which is much less than the $2.5 million proposed by Governor Josh Shapiro. Counties are required by the state to review deaths of people under 21, but many struggle due to lack of resources and complicated requirements.
Key Facts
The budget allocation for the Child Death Review program is $242,000, far below the original $2.5 million proposal.
The program requires counties to have boards reviewing each death of a person under 21 to help prevent future deaths.
Since 2020, only about half of the relevant child death cases have been reviewed.
County officials find the review process time-consuming and difficult to manage.
Governor Shapiro’s plan included more state staff, grants, and public education, but these efforts are limited by the small budget.
Most local review board members volunteer their time in addition to their regular jobs.
Advocates say the current funding is insufficient and want the state to create better support systems for local teams.
The program aims to use data to understand patterns in child deaths and suggest prevention measures for local officials.
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Christopher Hellenthal, dressed in a Spiderman costume, helped a man in a wheelchair cross the street in Jonesboro, Arkansas. This act shows kindness and neighborly support in the community.
Key Facts
Christopher Hellenthal was wearing a Spiderman costume when he helped.
He assisted a man in a wheelchair to cross the street.
The event took place in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
The assistance happened during or after a children’s superhero event.
The story highlights helpful actions between neighbors.
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Jorge Angamarca and his family decided to leave Minnesota and return to Ecuador on their own. They had come to the U.S. to seek asylum because they faced threats and extortion, including threats to kidnap their daughter if they did not pay money.
Key Facts
The Angamarca family came to the U.S. seeking protection (asylum).
They lived in Minnesota during their stay.
They experienced extortion, which means people threatened them to get money.
The threats included the danger of their daughter being kidnapped.
Because of these threats, the family chose to leave the U.S. and go back to Ecuador.
Their story was shared by CBS Minnesota and reported by Jennifer Mayerle.
The report was broadcasted on CBS News and is available on the CBS News app.
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A cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce from a farm in central Mexico has spread to nine U.S. states, with nearly 2,000 confirmed cases and close to 100 hospitalizations reported. Health agencies and companies have issued recalls and suspended lettuce production, but officials say the outbreak may not be fully under control.
Key Facts
The cyclospora parasite causes an illness with symptoms like severe diarrhea, and it spreads through contaminated food or water.
The outbreak involves iceberg lettuce believed to come from Taylor Farms in central Mexico.
As of Friday, there are 1,947 confirmed cases and 98 hospitalizations in nine states, including Illinois, Kansas, and Pennsylvania.
Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled all iceberg lettuce from the region and suspended production there.
The FDA and Mexico’s government reported mixed test results on the lettuce samples but continue investigations.
The CDC suspects multiple outbreaks in 41 states, with over 4,100 confirmed and 7,400 suspected cases since May 1.
A new cyclospora outbreak linked to other produce like parsley and cilantro is also under investigation.
Symptoms of cyclosporiasis can take up to two weeks to appear, making outbreak tracking slow.
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