Read Online |  July 18, 2026 

(Illustration by Sunny Lo/The Epoch Times)

Across the country, patients scheduled for planned, nonemergency care are asked to prepay hundreds or thousands of dollars before care is delivered, even when no one can say what the final bill will be. The statements arrive weeks or months later, with bills from multiple providers that are often far higher than expected. (Read more)

• Cyclosporiasis, a disease caused by a parasite present in food and water contaminated with feces, is still spreading across the United States. Health experts say pools and splash pads may be contributing to the spread.
• Kratom—widely available at gas stations and convenience stores across the country—is sending more people to poison centers than ever before.
• A travel advisory has been issued for Costa Rica due to an outbreak of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus.

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🏥 Health News

President Donald Trump’s latest nominee to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on July 15 that she will “never betray the science” when asked about how she would handle potential disagreements with administration officials on vaccines.

“We need a CDC director that will actually stand up to crazy, stupid things that are being said, that undermine faith in immunization,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, told nominee Dr. Erica Schwartz during a hearing in Washington.

Schwartz said: “You have my assurances that I will continue to lead by my integrity. I will never compromise on the science.” (More)

More Health News:

• U.S. lawmakers want to pass legislation that gives people injured by COVID-19 vaccines a better chance to receive compensation.
• The Food and Drug Administration has cleared Merck's new drug, enlicitide, to treat high cholesterol.
• Florida is investigating potassium bromate, a common food additive that has been linked to cancer and kidney problems.

💕 Relationships

Alistair Berg/GETTYIMAGES

The appeal of flexibility is easy to understand. In a world where careers change and identities shift, staying open can feel smart. Why commit when something better might be around the corner?

Without commitment, there is less pressure to compromise, less risk of conflict, and less chance of getting stuck in something that no longer fits. You can sidestep hard conversations and leave before things get complicated.

However, over time, that open freedom can create its own strain. In relationships, that pressure shows up as hesitation—every connection feels temporary, and every choice feels reversible. Instead of bringing peace, endless possibility can lead to constant second-guessing. (More)

☀️ A Few Good Things

• ✍️ Health Viewpoint: Before We Rush Death by Mollie Engelhart

• 📽️ Watch: We generally believe a mind requires a brain. But plants might give us the best reason to doubt that. (Watch the Upgrade on EpochTV) 

• 🎵 Music: The Oslo Philharmonic performs Sergei Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 in Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. (Listen)

🔬 Featured Article of the Week 👇

Illustration by Sunny Lo/The Epoch Times

🍵 Food & Nutrition

Terri Ward/The Epoch Times

Fermented foods were once a daily staple, but today they are the exception.

Most Americans eat far fewer probiotic foods than their great-grandparents did.

That likely leaves their gut microbiome in a poorer state than in previous generations. 

The gut microbiome influences everything from digestion and immunity to mood and energy. 

Water kefir—a naturally fizzy, dairy-free beverage made with water, sugar, and live kefir grains—is a probiotic drink that can enrich the microbiome.  (Learn to make it)

More Nutrition

• Cutting gluten early—even briefly—can make it extremely difficult to properly diagnose celiac disease. Often the true cause of gut issues isn’t gluten but the way grains are processed in the United States.
• A new study finds many plant-based meat alternatives are loaded with gums, emulsifiers, and stabilizers to mimic the taste and texture of the meat and dairy they’re meant to replace.

Thank you for reading 🙏

Have a wonderful day!

- Matthew Little, Holly Kellum, and Wanlun Lu

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