US politics live: RFK Jr. sued over ‘unlawful' vaccination policy

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Welcome to our live coverage of US politics.
President Donald Trump has had a busy start to the week, announcing fresh tariffs on a number of countries on Monday (US time), with key allies Japan and South Korea slapped with 25 per cent levies on all goods imported into the US starting August 1.
Mr Trump shared tariff letters sent to both nations on Truth Social.
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Outside of tariffs, the President is set to welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House for a state dinner tonight as part of a visit Mr Netanyahu hopes will 'help advance' a Gaza ceasefire deal.
Follow our live updates.
Originally published as US politics live: RFK Jr. sued over 'unlawful' vaccination policy
'Not happy': Trump hits out at Putin
Brielle Burns
Donald Trump has expressed his disappointment with Vladimir Putin, saying he is 'not happy' with the Russian President as the country's three-year war with Ukraine rages on.
Speaking to reporters at a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr Trump described the nations' ongoing conflict as a 'horrible thing' and hit out at Mr Putin and former President Joe Biden.
'We're trying to help out with a Biden-created monster, this whole thing that's happening with Russia and Ukraine,' Mr Trump claimed.
'And I'm not happy with President Putin at all, but this is something that would have never happened if I were President,' he added.
Mr Trump was asked about Russia during a meeting with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Picture: AP/Alex Brandon
'This is a war that was never going to happen.'
When asked about criticism during the election that he would cause World War III, Mr Trump said: 'I'm stopping wars, and I hate to see people killed.'
'I'm disappointed, frankly, that President Putin hasn't stopped. I'm not happy about it either.' Donald Trump is 'not happy' with Vladimir Putin. Picture: Mikhail METZEL / POOL / AFP
Mr Trump also announced the US will send additional weapons to Ukraine, saying the nation is 'getting hit very, very hard'.
'We have to, they have to be able to defend themselves,' he said.
'We're going to have to send more weapons – defensive weapons primarily, but they're getting hit very, very hard.'
Mr Trump has announced no new military aid packages for Ukraine in his nearly six months back in office.
Under former President Joe Biden, the US committed to providing more than $65 billion in military assistance to Ukraine.
Kennedy sued over 'unlawful' vaccination policy
Brielle Burns
Several leading medical groups have filed a lawsuit against US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., accusing him of endangering public health with new Covid-19 vaccine recommendations.
The move comes after Mr Kennedy announced via social media in May that federal authorities would no longer recommend Covid-19 vaccines for children and pregnant women, resulting in blowback from health experts.
In the lawsuit – filed in Massachusetts on Monday (US time) – the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Physicians (ACP) and other leading medical groups called on the court to stop Mr Kennedy's 'unlawful' and 'unilateral' directive and restore the Covid-19 vaccine to immunisation schedules.
'It is really unconscionable to take away a parent's ability and choice to protect their children through vaccination,' said Tina Tan, a paediatrician and president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, one of the plaintiffs. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on social media earlier this year that federal authorities would no longer recommend Covid-19 vaccines for children and pregnant women. Picture: Javier Gallegos/The Advocate/AP
Since taking office, Mr Kennedy – who spent decades spreading vaccine misinformation before becoming President Donald Trump's top health official – has worked to overhaul American vaccination policies.
In June, he fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and appointed his own panellists, under the banner of 'Make America Healthy Again'.
Monday's complaint also highlighted the controversial new appointees to ACIP.
'We are on a dangerous path,' warned Susan Kressly of the AAP, denouncing what she described as misinformation spread by Mr Kennedy.
'Paediatricians cannot stay silent as the system we rely on to support life-saving vaccines is chiselled away piece by piece, with Secretary Kennedy leading efforts to sow doubt and distrust in the American success story of vaccines,' Kressly said.
Jason Goldman, president of the ACP, said increasingly, medical professionals are finding that adult patients are 'hesitant to get their vaccines'.
'They are not trusting the system anymore.'
It comes as Johns Hopkins University released a count on Monday finding the US has recorded its worst measles epidemic in more than 30 years, with 1,277 cases confirmed since the beginning of 2025, and illness recorded in 40 of 50 states.
The total figure is the highest since 1992.
– With AFP
Iran's president claims Israel attempted to assassinate him
Brielle Burns
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has claimed Israel had attempted to assassinate him during the country's 12-day war with Iran.
The claim came less than a month after Israel launched its unprecedented June 13 bombing campaign against Iran, killing top military commanders and nuclear scientists.
The Israeli attacks took place two days before Tehran and Washington were set to meet for a new round of nuclear talks, stalling negotiations that were aimed at reaching a deal over Iran's atomic programme.
Speaking to controversial US political commentator and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Mr Pezeshkian said Israel 'failed' to kill him during a meeting.
'They did try, yes. They acted accordingly, but they failed,' he said when asked whether he believed Israel had tried to kill him.
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Texas flood toll passes 100
Brielle Burns
The death toll from the devastating Texas floods has risen to 104 as rescuers continue search efforts amid warnings that more heavy rain is on the way.
The majority of the deaths, 84, occurred in Kerr County, where 56 adults 28 children have lost their lives, according to the local sheriff's office.
Among the dead are at least 27 girls and counsellors who were staying at Camp Mystic youth summer camp just off the banks of the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, when disaster struck over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Rescuers are still searching for 10 girls and a counsellor who were reported missing. Authorities search along the Guadalupe River following catastrophic flooding. Picture: AP/Lekan Oyekanmi
Forecasters have warned of more flooding as rain falls on saturated ground, complicating recovery efforts involving helicopters, boats, dogs and some 1,750 personnel.
'There is still a threat of heavy rain with the potential to cause flooding,' Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement on Monday. People look through items left in the bunks at Camp Mystic. Picture:/AFP.
President Donald Trump confirmed he planned to visit Texas on Friday, as the White House slammed critics claiming his cuts to weather agencies had weakened warning systems.
'Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning,' Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday.
She said the National Weather Service, which The New York Times reported had several key roles in Texas unfilled before the floods, issued 'timely and precise forecasts and warnings.'
Mr Trump has described the floods that struck in the early hours of Friday as a '100-year catastrophe' that 'nobody expected.'
The President, who previously said disaster relief should be handled at the state level, has signed a major disaster declaration, activating fresh federal funds and freeing up resources.
– With AFP
Trump says Hamas 'want' a ceasefire in Gaza
Brielle Burns
Donald Trump said Hamas is willing to agree to a ceasefire with Israel, as he pushes for an end to the nearly two-year conflict.
'They want to meet and they want to have that ceasefire,' Mr Trump told reporters at the White House, where he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
When asked what was preventing a peace deal, he said: 'I don't think there is a hold up. I think things are going along very well.'
Mr Netanyahu said he wants a peace deal to end the war but ruled out a full Palestinian state, saying Israel will 'always' keep security control over the Gaza Strip.
'We'll work out a peace with our Palestinian neighbours, those who don't want to destroy us… and we'll work out a peace in which our security, the sovereign power of security, always remains in our hands,' he said.
'Now, people will say it's not a complete state, it's not a state. We don't care.'
The meeting in Washington came as Israel and Hamas held a second day of indirect talks in Qatar on a ceasefire.
Trump compares Iran strike to atomic bomb again
Brielle Burns
Donald Trump has again compared US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites with the atomic bombing of Japan during World War II.
Speaking at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr Trump compared his decision to strike Iran last month to that authorised by former US President Harry Truman in 1945.
'If you go back a long time ago, it reminded people of a certain other event,' Mr Trump said.
'And Harry Truman's picture is now in the lobby, in a nice location, in the lobby where it should have been, but that stopped a lot of fighting, and this stopped a lot of fighting.'
Mr Trump has compared the US strikes on Iran to the US bombing of Japan. Picture: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP
Mr Trump earlier compared the strikes to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki when speaking to reporters last month.
'That hit ended the war,' Mr Trump said after the attack.
'I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima, I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing.'
Following the remarks, Hiroshima's mayor urged Mr Trump to visit the city.
'It seems to me that he does not fully understand the reality of the atomic bombings, which, if used, take the lives of many innocent citizens, regardless of whether they were friend or foe, and threaten the survival of the human race,' Mayor Kazumi Matsui told reporters last week.
'I wish that President Trump would visit the bombed area to see the reality of the atomic bombing and feel the spirit of Hiroshima, and then make statements.'
About 140,000 people died within a year of the US atomic bombing on Japan in August 1945.
Netanyahu nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
Brielle Burns
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has nominated Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, declaring the US President is 'forging peace as we speak'.
Speaking at a dinner with Mr Trump at the White House, Mr Netanyahu presented his US counterpart with a letter he sent to the Nobel Peace Prize committee nominating him for the award.
'The president has already realised great opportunities,' Mr Netanyahu said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has nominated Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Picture: Alex Brandon/AP
'He's forging peace as we speak, in one country and one region after the other,' he continued.
'So, I want to present to you, Mr. President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize committee. It's nominating you for the peace prize, which is well-deserved.' Donald Trump meets with Benjamin Netanyahu at the Blue Room of the White House. Picture: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP
Karoline Leavitt questioned on Epstein 'client list'
Brielle Burns
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has been confronted by a reporter on US Attorney General Pam Bondi's claims about Jeffrey Epstein's 'client list', a day after a bombshell memo stated the convicted sex offender did not possess one.
In the memo, first revealed yesterday by AXIOS, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) concluded the disgraced financier had 'no incriminating 'client list,'' nor was there evidence he blackmailed prominent people or was murdered.
The findings came after Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News in February that a list of Mr Epstein's clients was on her 'desk right now to review'.
Addressing the contradictory claims at a press conference with Ms Leavitt on Monday, Fox News Reporter Peter Doocy plainly asked: 'What happened to the Epstein client list that the attorney general said she had on her desk?'
He then repeated Ms Bondi's quote, which aired on his network earlier this year. Karoline Leavitt was grilled by Fox News Reporter Peter Doocy. Picture: Fox News.
'She was saying the entirety of all of those – paperwork – all of the paper in relation to Jeffrey Epstein's crimes,' Ms Leavitt replied.
'That's what the attorney general was referring to and I'll let her speak for that,' she added before changing the topic.
'When it comes to the FBI and the Department of Justice, they are more than committed to ensuring that bad people are put behind bars. They have an operation going on right now called Summer Heat, which has our murder rate trending in the lowest direction in United States history.' Ms Leavitt said Ms Bondi was referring to 'the entirety' of the paperwork. Picture: Fox News.
During the February interview on Fox News, host John Roberts asked Ms Bondi whether the Department of Justice would release a 'list of Jeffrey Epstein's clients'.
'What really happened?' he asked.
'It's sitting on my desk right now to review. That's been a directive by President Trump,' said Ms Bondi.
'I'm reviewing that.'
Mr Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to child prostitution crimes and was given a hush-hush sweetheart plea deal that only saw him serve 13 months in jail on a cushy work-release program.
He was arrested again by prosecutors in Manhattan on sex-trafficking charges and died in a lower Manhattan jail while he was awaiting trial in 2019. Shortly after his death, New York City's medical examiner ruled Mr Epstein died in his cell by suicide by hanging.
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27 girls and staff dead at youth camp as Texas flood toll passes 90
Brielle Burns
The death toll from the devastating Texas floods has surpassed 90, with a summer camp confirming the deaths of 27 girls and counsellors after campgrounds were destroyed by water.
Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' summer camp which hosts up to 750 girls aged seven to 17, was overwhelmed by floodwaters on Friday, with water slamming into cabins just off the banks of the Guadalupe River as girls slept inside.
'Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,' the camp said in a statement confirming the 27 deaths.
'We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community, first responders, and officials at every level.' Twin sisters, Hanna Lawrence, left, and Rebecca Lawrence, right, were killed by the flooding at Camp Mystic. Picture: John Lawrence/AP
The White House on Monday put the overall number of dead from the flooding at 91, while Texas Senator Ted Cruz told reporters that the toll was continuing to rise.
'Texas is grieving right now, the pain, the shock of what has transpired these last few days has broken the heart of our state,' Mr Cruz told reporters.
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US stocks fall amid tariff hikes
Brielle Burns
US stock markets have dropped as Donald Trump announced a swathe of fresh tariffs on nations.
The President announced 25 per cent tariffs on South Korea and Japan, as well as duties ranging from 25 per cent to 40 per cent on South Africa, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Kazakhstan, from August 1 if the countries do not reach a deal.
Major US stocks fell, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 0.9 per cent at close, to 44,406.36.
The S&P 500 fell 0.8 per cent while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.9 per cent.
Tesla tumbled 6.8 per cent after tensions between Mr Trump and CEO Elon Musk escalated yesterday, with the US President slamming the billionaire's plan to start a new political party.
Picture: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty
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