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California lawmakers moved to phase out certain ultra-processed foods from public school meals under Assembly Bill 1264, a first-in-the-nation measure that could reshape what students see in cafeterias over the next decade. The law does not name specific brands, but it sets up a state process to identify products considered especially harmful before schools must remove them.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing fresh pressure inside the Pentagon as senior departures, leadership vacancies and new complaints from Congress deepen scrutiny of his management of the department. The latest flashpoint centers on bipartisan criticism over withheld information and instability at the top of the Defense Department.

Republican donors and strategists are voicing fresh concern that President Donald Trump’s tendency to brush aside voter anxiety over costs and other issues could deepen the GOP’s midterm risks. The worries come as polling and campaign spending underscore how closely Republican candidates remain tied to Trump’s standing.

A major California study is challenging a common public assumption about homelessness, finding that 37% of unhoused adults reported regular illicit drug use in the prior six months. Researchers said the data points to housing costs, trauma and treatment barriers as central parts of the state’s homelessness crisis.

U.S. households are entering the final stretch of 2026 with less fiscal support, higher borrowing costs, and rising gas prices. Recent federal data and central bank actions point to tighter budgets for many workers through the rest of the year.

Former President Barack Obama said September 19 that parts of today’s political climate would have been “unimaginable” during his presidency, using a White House press access dispute to argue that democratic norms have weakened. His remarks added to a broader warning he has been making about civic culture, media fragmentation and the country’s understanding of democratic institutions.