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In the news today: The Trump administration is launching a new private health tracking system; the U.S. Treasury secretary says Trump Accounts are a “back door for privatizing Social Security”; and why foreign couples are flocking to Denmark to get married. Also, a denim ad blitz featuring actress Sydney Sweeney has sparked a debate about race and Western beauty standards.

President Donald Trump on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

HEALTH

The Trump administration is launching a new private health tracking system with Big Tech’s help

The Trump administration announced it is launching a new program that will allow Americans to share personal health data and medical records across health systems and apps run by private tech companies, promising that will make it easier to access health records and monitor wellness. Read more.

Why this matters:

• More than 60 companies, including major tech companies like Google, Amazon and Apple as well as health care giants like UnitedHealth Group and CVS Health, have agreed to share patient data in the system. The initiative will focus on diabetes and weight management, conversational artificial intelligence, and digital tools such as QR codes and apps that register patients for check-ins or track medications.
  
  
• Officials have said patients will need to opt in, and that their records will be kept securely. Digital privacy advocates are skeptical that patients will be able to count on that.

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POLITICS

Bessent says new Trump child savings accounts are ‘back door for privatizing Social Security’

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that the Trump administration was committed to protecting Social Security hours after he said in an interview that a new children’s savings program President Donald Trump signed into law “is a back door for privatizing Social Security.” Read more.

Key points:

• The children's savings program, Trump Accounts, can be created for babies born in the U.S. and come with a potential $1,000 deposit from the Treasury. Much like an individual retirement account, they can grow over time. But Bessent suggested they could eventually be the way Americans save for retirement.
  
  

• Bessent’s remarks, made at a forum hosted by Breitbart News, came after Trump repeatedly promised on the campaign trail and in office that he would not touch Social Security. Democrats quickly seized on the comment as a sign the GOP wants to revive a dormant but unpopular push to privatize the long-running retirement program.

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• Senate confirms Trump’s pick for counterterrorism agency, a former Green Beret with extremist ties
  
  
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• 12 members of Congress sue Trump administration to ensure access to ICE detention centers
  
  
• Judge orders Trump administration to explain why order to restore Voice of America wasn’t followed
  
  
• Federal Reserve leaves interest rates unchanged
  
  
• Pakistan and US reach a trade agreement to develop oil reserves and reduce tariffs
  
  
• South Korean president hails trade deal with US
  
  
• Brown University strikes agreement to resolve discrimination complaints and restore federal funding
  
  
• Trump administration freezes $108M at Duke amid inquiry into alleged racial discrimination
  
  
• NTSB finds Army chopper in fatal midair crash with plane was above altitude limit
  
  
• Puerto Rico declares emergency and activates National Guard over water outages
  
  
• Former Vice President Kamala Harris says she will not run for California governor in 2026
  
  
• Biden aide denounces GOP probe into former president’s health as baseless and denies any cover-up
  
  
• Ethics officials say Georgia PAC tied to Ponzi scheme illegally sought to influence elections
  
  
• Epstein and Maxwell grand juries did not hear directly from victims, prosecutors tell judges

WORLD

Foreign couples flock to Denmark to get married. Copenhagen wants to save room for locals

Couples who don’t live in Denmark are increasingly getting married in the Scandinavian country, which has relatively relaxed marriage laws. Couples who don’t live in Denmark are increasingly getting married in the Scandinavian country, prompting some to dub Copenhagen the “Las Vegas of Europe.” Read more.

Why this matters:

• Denmark’s marriage laws are liberal in several ways. In 1989, the country became the world’s first to allow the registration of same-sex civil unions. The legalization of same-sex marriage followed in 2012. For unions of all kinds, Denmark, unlike many other European countries, doesn’t require a birth certificate or proof of single status to obtain a marriage license. Non-resident couples can travel to Denmark and get married with just a valid passport and, if required, a tourist visa.
  
  

• Demand for ceremonies at City Hall now far exceeds the number of slots available. Local authorities are preparing to act, with plans calling for about 40% of wedding slots at City Hall to be reserved for Copenhagen residents.

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