It was one helluva weekend all across the country — and the world. First up, in New York, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were married at Madison Square Garden… and the White House wasted no time weighing in. If your FOMO wasn’t already at an all-time high, good luck getting over the single word that the mother of the groom used to sum up the night. Then, Beyoncé dropped a Fourth of July surprise (again, I humbly ask: How lucky are we to be alive at the same time as Queen Bey?). Meanwhile, in New Jersey, one World Cup team continued its history-making run while another faced some, uh, shall we say, interesting questions about players’ pre-game rituals ahead of their win last night in Mexico. Back in Washington, DC, the president delivered his Fourth of July speech. He not only marked the nation’s 250th birthday, but touted his presidential achievements and did a show-and-tell of sorts. Now, let's get to the rest of the news...
— Kylie McCoville / VP, Editorial / Astoria, NY
Ticked Off
Meet Summer’s Tiniest Villain
Small problem: Time to text your most paranoid friend and apologize for mocking those insect-repellent bracelets she wears all the time. Experts say we’re headed for the worst tick season in a decade. Across the country, ER visits have spiked, with the sharpest increases coming from the Northeast and Midwest. Even areas like city parks are seeing an up-tick (sorry, we had to). Thanks to (what else) climate change, ticks that used to die out over the winter are now surviving year round — and they're on the move. There’s the lone star tick, which carries something called alpha-gal syndrome that can make you allergic to milk and red meat. Then, there's the blacklegged tick, which carries Lyme disease and is now also linked to a rare virus called Powassan that transmits in as little as 15 minutes. We’re itchy just thinking about it.
Should we just… stay indoors then?: Ticks don't have to ruin your summer fun, though recent heat dome concerns might keep you glued to the AC anyway. Wear full coverage when you're in tick territory (hint: If your style icon is Bear Grylls, you’re doing it right). Not all bug spray is tick spray, so use the EPA's search tool to find a registered repellent for skin, and treat clothes and gear separately. Ticks are basically tiny hide-and-seek champions, so make sure these spots are on your tick-check list. Shower too, since water can rinse off bugs that haven't attached yet. And, don’t forget to check your pets. If there’s a bright spot, it’s that Pfizer plans to file a Lyme disease vaccine for FDA approval this year, with a possible US launch in 2027.
PS: Turn health headlines into healthy habits. Every Wednesday, we break down the stories and trends to give you the need-to-know in health, nutrition, and fitness in our weekly Well + Good newsletter. Sign up here.
The News in 5
🗞️ A new report found that nearly a million investors in President Donald Trump’s memecoin lost a cumulative $3.81 billion, while Trump himself pocketed a pretty penny. To the moon... minus you?
🗞️ Team USA's biggest star is back in tonight's World Cup lineup. FIFA reversed his controversial red card after one very powerful phone convo. Some calls really do go all the way to the top.
🗞️ The Pope had such a big year, even he needed a break, so he packed up for the Vatican's summer estate. Blessed are the well-rested.
What’s going on: A breast cancer diagnosis comes with enough hard questions and choices. And now, Medicare may stop covering a biomarker test that has become a routine part of cancer care — leading oncologists to sound the alarm. This test analyzes tumors and determines how aggressive the cancer is, whether it’ll come back, and if chemo is worth it (in one study, it wasn’t in 70% of cases). But recently, Medicare commissioned a private insurance company to evaluate whether the government should continue to cover the test — and the committee recommended cutting it from patient benefits. This means 35 million women across the US could soon lose access.
But why?: Doctors worry that, once again, health insurance companies are putting profits over people. The committee, which was formed by a Blue Cross Blue Shield subsidiary and included no cancer specialists, says that the data supporting the test is "sufficiently flawed." Doctors beg to differ, pointing to several peer-reviewed studies. They also say patients who cannot get their biomarker results are more likely to get chemotherapy they don’t need — which is both physically draining and very expensive. If Medicare does end up dropping coverage of the test, women 65 and older aren’t the only ones who could lose out. Private insurance companies tend to take their cues from Medicare. And at a time when more young women are developing breast cancer, we need more care options… not fewer.
What's going on: Can you blame your brain fog on the postpartum period… or perimenopause? For a growing number of moms, it's both. Births among women ages 35-39 increased by 90% between 1990 and 2025, while the birth rate for women 40 and older is now higher than it is for teenagers, according to data from the CDC. That means more moms are experiencing “peripostpartumpause,” as one doctor nicknamed it (try saying that five times fast). Some of the symptoms — like fatigue, migraines, mood swings, irregular periods, and anxiety — overlap, so many women don’t realize that it’s not “just” the postpartum period until their baby is sleeping through the night and eating solids, while their symptoms haven’t changed.
Help, this might be me: Surprise, surprise: There is a profound lack of medical knowledge about what happens when these two major life stages overlap, especially because postpartum care in the US is often limited to just one doctor’s visit. Experts recommend documenting symptoms to identify patterns and advocating for yourself. For some, hormone therapy can help. While “peripostpartumpause” is stressful, some moms say there’s an unexpected silver lining: They have more empathy for toddler tantrums. As one woman told The Bump, “When my 3-year-old suddenly doesn’t want strawberries cut the way they’ve been for three months and it’s a huge emotional experience, I get it, because that was me yesterday over how my partner put the toilet paper on the holder wrong.”
👑 Prince William and Kate Middleton shared new family photos, and it looks like twelve-year-old Prince George is now as tall as Kate. Royal babies grow up so fast.
🎾 69th Anniversary of Althea Gibson’s Wimbledon win
In 1957, Gibson made history as the first Black player to score the title — and then did it again the following year. Legend. Celebrate with a rewatch of this doc about her life.
🍗 National Fried Chicken Day
Fry up a batch of your own — and use this chef-approved advice on how to nail the crisp.
⚽️ History-making soccer. Citi Field. Be there.
Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit take over the stadium on July 15 — with Gotham forward Sam Kerr’s highly anticipated NWSL return and a match on track to make NYC women’s sports history. Use code THESKIMM for $22 tix.
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In Our Rotation
Two of our editors own this anklet and love how comfortable and non-restricting it is. Doesn't hurt that it's 25% off.
The World Cup is heating up, so if you're heading to a game, get a bag that is stadium-friendly.
Psst…love our recs? Follow @skimmshopping on Instagram for more products, gifts, and services that are actually worth the hype (and the price tag).
KNOW IT ALL
During Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding reception, Paul McCartney played a Beatles tune he hasn’t publicly performed since the 1960s. It was:
Still catching up from the weekend? Jumpstart your brain with Flipart. Feel the rush.
Skimm'd by:Marisa Iallonardo, Anna Davies, Molly Longman, Aryanna Prasad Bhullar, Erika W. Smith, Kate Preziosi, andMallory Simon. Fact-checked by Sara Tardiff.
Photos by Mike Mulholland and Jason Miller via Getty Images, Brand Partners
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