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ICE Policy Reversed, Troop Testosterone Tests & World Cup Final - Thursday, July 16, 2026
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Today is Thursday, July 16th. We'll tell you why President Trump overruled that new order for ICE officers that would have paused controversial traffic stops and how some of Trump's top nominees answered tough questions on Capitol Hill. Also, the Pentagon's latest effort to make American troops stronger. It has to do with testosterone levels. Plus, a new way to spot Alzheimer's. Risk early is showing promise. OpenAI launched its first physical device and the World cup championship game has been set. Those stories and even more news to know next. Welcome to the newsworthy all the days news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica Mandy. Thanks so much for being here. Let's do this. The new policy for ICE officers to limit traffic stops lasted just one day. President Trump posted online calling traffic stops one of ice's most important and effective crime fighting tools, adding that ending them would be, quote, playing right into the criminal's hands. So with that, the recent directive was reversed. Just yesterday we told you about ICE leadership telling officers not to stop moving vehicles, to arrest or question people inside. That guidance came after two recent incidents where traffic stops ended with immigrants being shot and killed by ICE agents. ICE still says those shootings were justified, while immigrant advocates say they show the need to change what they see as heavy handed ICE tactics. The original pause was expected to give officers time to complete updated training. As of this morning, the Homeland Security Department has not commented on that training, but investigations into the recent shootings are still underway. Three of President Trump's nominees face tense questioning on Capitol Hill this week. First, there's Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who needs to be confirmed by the Senate before he would be able to take that job permanently. In his confirmation hearing yesterday, he was grilled on a series of controversies. For example, his handling of the Epstein files. Blanche apologized for mistakes made, referring to redaction errors. Remember, some wealthy men's names were redacted, while some of the victims names and images were not. He was also questioned about the settlement that would have made Trump and his family exempt from IRS audits on their past taxes. He defended it, saying similar deals are typical and that it didn't exempt Trump from following the law. Blanche needs the backing of all Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee to get the job, since no Democrats appear to be on board. But as of this morning, at least one GOP senator says he has some concerns. Also yesterday, another Senate committee questioned Trump's nominee for Director of National Intelligence, Jay Clayton. He was largely questioned on election security and keeping the intelligence community independent from political interference. Clayton told senators he was not an election denier, though he wouldn't say clearly that President Biden won the 2020 presidential election, just that the vote was certified for Biden. When asked if he could stand up to President Trump if needed, Clayton promised to rely on only the best intelligence and analysis available to give the president candid advice. Clayton is expected to have enough support to be confirmed, though likely only among Republicans. And finally, there was a confirmation hearing for President Trump's latest nominee for CDC director, Dr. Erica Schwartz. She repeatedly told senators she believed in the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, including the MRNA technology used in the COVID shots, and Schwartz promised to never betray the science or stop prioritizing Americans health and well being. In the end, senators seemed likely to approve her for the job as well. The US Military could soon be expanding the war in Iran President Trump has apparently been considering his options in briefings with his top aides, and now reports say he's leaning toward a more aggressive military approach. That could mean stepping up airstrikes, sending in ground forces to seize Iranian islands, or bombing a site that some officials say could be used for covert nuclear work. Again yesterday and into this morning, the US has kept up its airstrikes on Iranian military targets. And Iran is firing back in retaliation, claiming to strike military bases used by the US In Kuwait and Jordan, though as of this morning there's no independent confirmation of that. The US Military has also been enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports as it tries to reopen shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump has said he would prefer to resolve the Iran situation diplomatically, but the US And Iran have not been able to reach a breakthrough on their biggest issues, like Iran's nuclear program and control of the Strait of Hormuz. So now Trump is reportedly asking for new options that could force Iran to surrender. Stay tuned. Heavy smoke from wildfires is now hovering over large parts of the US and it's gotten so bad in some areas that people have had to evacuate. Thousands of campers were told to evacuate a remote Minnesota wilderness area. People were allowed to stay put in other areas, but warnings about unhealthy air conditions extended from Minnesota through Toronto and into New York. The most common advice is just to stay inside. The problem is that the wildfires burning in Canada could continue burning for months. For now, the air quality issues are expected to linger for the next few days. The most intense smoke could spread as far south as Washington, D.C. by the Middle of the day today. Meanwhile, in the south, relentless heavy storms have led to severe flooding for millions of Texans, including those who live in areas hit by devastating floods last year, and others in places that don't normally flood at all. Some mandatory evacuations have been ordered and dozens of people have had to be rescued from high waters. Thankfully, there have so far not been any injuries or deaths reported, but forecasters warn already dangerous conditions are likely to worsen in certain communities. Some flood watches across central and southwest Texas are set to last through at least tomorrow night. More news is still ahead, but first a break to tell you about our sponsor I keep coming back to One Skin because it's backed by real science and it still fits so easily into my normal routine. I use several Oneskin products like the Face and eye Moisturizers, the Face spf, the Lip Sponge SPF and the Peptide Lip Mask. Let me talk about the lip options real quick. The Lip SPF is my go to for the pool and beach. Unlike others I've tried, it actually feels good on my lips and I don't notice any sort of taste to it. I also love the OS1 lip mask. I use this every single night and it's made such a difference. In fact, I brought it traveling with me recently to a very dry climate and usually my lips get so chapped from the airplane and the desert conditions. But thanks to Oneskin's lip mask, I had zero problems this time. My lips stayed moisturized and happy. And at the center of Oneskin is the proprietary peptide called OS1. Born from over a decade of longevity research, Oneskin is helping you unlock your healthiest skin now and as you age. For a limited time, try OneSkin with 15% off using the code newsworthy at OneSkin Co newsworthy. That's 15% off. Go to OneSkin Co newsworthy with code newsworthy. After your purchase they'll ask you where you heard about them. So please support our show and tell them we sent you. Now back to the news. Scientists may one day be able to easily predict who might develop Alzheimer's and when, long before they show any symptoms. New research was presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference this week. It detailed how simple blood tests are showing promise not only in making Alzheimer's easier to diagnose, but also in helping healthy people better understand their future risk of developing the disease. The test could also help identify and enroll high risk people into clinical trials as scientists try to find new treatments and ways to prevent the disease. The ultimate goal is to detect Alzheimer's as early as possible and eventually find ways to delay or even prevent the memory and thinking problems the disease can cause. But for now, scientists behind the latest studies say it's too soon for healthy people to seek out this blood test, but the research is ongoing. In the latest effort to revamp the US Military, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is introducing mandatory testosterone screenings starting now. The Pentagon says all troops over 30 years old have to be tested for testosterone deficiency every year. The tests will be optional for anyone younger. If it turns out a service member does have low testosterone levels, they'll be offered hormone replacement therapy, though the decision of whether or not to actually take it will be up to them. When asked whether both men and women service members would be subject to this new rule, or whether women would also be evaluated for estrogen based therapy, the Pentagon said it had no comment. A clinically low level of testosterone in men can cause muscle loss, fatigue, sexual dysfunction and more, and it's linked to other health problems like diabetes and depression. The hormone therapy also comes with some health risks, most notably to fertility. It can also cause things like acne and hair loss. Women also produce testosterone, and levels typically decline as we age, too. But for now, there is no FDA approved testosterone treatment for women. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the new directive is all about making sure troops remain strong, resilient and capable. Testosterone replacement therapy has been growing in popularity in recent years. Popular influencers like Joe Rogan have spoken about using it, as well as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Who has been pushing to expand access. But it's also worth noting the Pentagon has repeatedly said hormone therapy might not be available in a war zone as one of the reasons to ban transgender troops from serving in the military. So this new order could have implications for that ban that's now being challenged in federal courts. To be continued. The nation's largest electric grid operator is now confirming what many had feared about the AI boom. PJM Interconnection says it's struggling to keep up with rapidly growing demand for electricity. This week, PJM announced the results of an auction to buy power for the 13 states it serves. And this time, even with prices reaching the auction's original cap, there still wasn't enough available power to meet the level PJM says it needs to keep the grid reliable. Now, the higher prices from this auction are expected to add about $6.3 billion in costs to electric bills for millions of households and businesses over the next three years. This all goes back to electricity demand rising much faster than new power plants are coming online. Of course, a big reason for that is the explosion of data centers, which need massive amounts of electricity to power AI tools, cloud computing and other digital services. And at the same time, old power plants continue to retire and PJM may not be alone. As data centers expand across the country, other grid operators could face many of the same challenges. OpenAI is moving into hardware, but its first branded device is not the mysterious consumer gadget many people have been waiting for. Instead, it's a small, light up keypad made for people who use OpenAI's Codex tool. Codex is an AI agent that can handle software development tasks like writing or fixing code, and this new device, called Codex Micro, is designed to help users manage several of those AI agents at once. It sits next to a regular keyboard with six light up buttons that can show the status of different agents. Users can also do things like record their voice instructions, approve or reject changes, and turn a dial to adjust how much reasoning the AI uses. It costs $230. Orders opened yesterday and OpenAI says it's a limited edition product that will only be available until it sells out. Stay tuned to see if OpenAI also releases a smart home speaker next year. Like Bloomberg has reported, after 102 games across 16 cities in three countries, the 2026 FIFA World cup all comes down to this. The final match is going to be Spain versus Argentina. Spain punched its ticket to the final with a 20 win over France on Tuesday, and then yesterday Argentina clinched its spot with a 2 to 1 win over England. As always, Lionel Messi led the way, assisting in both goals for Argentina. In response, tens of thousands of soccer fans flooded the streets of Argentina's capital. Others partied long into the night, all around the world knowing their team has reached the finals for the second time in a row, this time to defend a title. By the way, Messi's wins just kept coming last night when he won Best Soccer player at the 2026 ESPY Awards. He was also a top nominee for an even bigger prize, best athlete in men's sports. But ultimately that one went to NBA superstar Jalen Brunson. WNBA star Asia Wilson won Best athlete in Women's sports and best Breakthrough Athlete went to figure skater Alyssa Liu. That's it for the main news today. So now it's time for Thing to Know Thursday. But first, thanks to our sponsor, I've been interested in learning a new language for a long time, partly because it's likely good for my brain. As I get older. I want to keep challenging myself. And now I love that I can open an app and learn something useful instead of just getting stuck in a doom scroll. Rosetta Stone just came out with Rosetta Stone Sapphire, their biggest launch in over a decade. This new app uses the research backed method Rosetta Stone is known for and adds cutting edge features making it easier than ever to go from knowing a couple of phrases to speaking confidently about topics you care about. You're not just memorizing random vocabulary, you learn entirely in your new language through visuals and audio, so you pick it up naturally. And with Sapphire Studio you can personalize learning around what you care about. When I'm traveling, I always like knowing how to order at a restaurant in the local language, so I could have Sapphire Studio create flashcards with the type of food I typically order. For example, if you want to take your language skills to the next level, don't wait to try Rosetta Stone Sapphire the newsworthy listeners can get 20% off their Rosetta Stone Sapphire subscription when they sign up today. This gets you access to Rosetta stone Sapphire in 25 languages. Visit rosettastone.comnewsworthy to redeem your 20% off. That's rosettastone.comnewsworthy now back to Thing to Know Thursday. An iconic art collection is now on public display for the first time. We're talking about a suite of sketches from Norman Rockwell called so youo Want to See the President. The drawings show a variety of people waiting to see President Franklin Roosevelt during World War II. They include U.S. senators, White House reporters, military officials, Miss America and others all sitting in the West Wing reception area waiting to be shown to the Oval Office. FDR appears in a small sketch at the end of the illustration. The president's longtime press secretary commissioned Rockwell to create the piece as a way to portray Roosevelt as accessible and engaged with the American people. For more than 40 years, the collection hung in the West Wing, but there was an ownership dispute and it ended up on the auction block. Well, the White House Historical association won that auction and has now put the drawings on display at the People's House Education center near the White House. They'll stay there until next summer. Thank you so much for listening today. We'll catch you up on more news to know tomorrow. Until then, have a great day.