U.S. and world news for Aug. 15

For the first time, many people in the United States who want to protect themselves against the flu this respiratory virus season can order a vaccine to give themselves at home.
AstraZeneca via CNN Newsource

Retail sales climbed 0.5% in July

Washington (CNN) — Americans are still opening their wallets, boosted by low unemployment and improving consumer sentiment. Spending at US retailers, including at restaurants and online, rose 0.5% in July, the Commerce Department said Friday. That’s down from June’s upwardly revised 0.9% gain, and in line with economists’ expectations. Retail sales are adjusted for seasonal swings, but not inflation. Consumer sentiment plummeted in the spring as President Donald Trump carried out his erratic trade war, but Americans haven’t cut back. Consumers are still powering the US economy with their spending, which contributes about 70% of economic output.

Judge: Nursing mother in ICE custody can be released from detention

Minnesota (WCCO) — A nursing mother who has spent more than three weeks in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody will soon be reunited with her children following a federal judge’s ruling on Tuesday. Antonia Aguilar Maldonado, 26, was arrested by federal agents on July 17. She came to the United States from El Salvador as a teenager and has no criminal history. She is now seeking asylum and lives in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. Her attorneys filed a writ of habeas corpus challenging her detention because an immigration judge authorized her release on bond on July 31. Soon after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security then filed an automatic stay to keep her in custody at the Kandiyohi County Jail despite that order. They sought injunctive relief to block that from taking effect and require her release while her case moves forward. Hannah Brown, one of her attorneys, told the court Tuesday that her client is experiencing emotional and mental distress while separated from her two U.S. citizen children, including her youngest whom she is breastfeeding.

It’s now possible to give yourself a flu vaccine at home

(CNN) — For the first time, many people in the United States who want to protect themselves against the flu this respiratory virus season can order a vaccine to give themselves at home. AstraZenca’s FluMist, the only nasal spray flu vaccine in the US that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, is now available for home delivery in 34 states under the brand name FluMist Home. It can be self-administered by adults under 50 and to children as young as 2 with the help of a parent or caregiver. The online ordering platform includes a brief medical screening questionnaire to be reviewed by a licensed health-care provider before prescribing the vaccine. It is covered by most commercial insurance, with an $8.99 fee for shipping and handling. FluMist has been on the market for more than two decades, receiving initial FDA approval in 2003. In September 2024, the FDA gave the green light for the nasal spray vaccine to be self-administered but it wasn’t ready to reach the public in time for last respiratory virus season.

Dozens dead, 200 missing after sudden, heavy rain in Indian Kashmir

(CNN) — A sudden burst of heavy rain has claimed dozens of lives in India-administered Kashmir and sparked frantic rescue efforts, the second recent disaster to underscore the vulnerability of those living in the Himalayas to the effects of extreme weather. At least 46 people have died and more than 200 are missing in the town of Chashoti, a popular pilgrimage destination for Hindu tourists, Reuters reported citing local officials. Flash floods caused by the rain turned roads into raging rivers while the downpour devastated entire buildings and swept away vehicles, dramatic video shared on social media showed. A wall of water, mud and debris could be seen rolling down the mountainside, one of the videos showed. Rescue operations are ongoing with army and police personnel working to find those missing.