How's this for a sick analogy? Anne Frank, and 6 million other European Jews, were systematically exterminated: shot, worked to death, transported in cattle cars to the gas chambers in the Nazis' Final Solution.
How is Anne Frank's hiding from a 1-way trip to Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen in any way remotely comparable to illegal aliens taking advantage of living in our country?
Here's an excerpt from this repulsive article. I was too nauseous to read any further. The man who actually made this remark, and the woman who published it, should be ashamed.
"Both legal and undocumented workers of the city are afraid to come out, with masked agents snatching people everywhere
"The man swimming laps next to me in the public pool in Santa Monica
paused at the edge of the limpid water and sighed. A fifth-generation
Angeleno of Chinese descent, Colin said he’s been driving his two
daughters to their activities all over town – today is swim team
training — because their nanny won’t.
"The nannies will not come out of the house. He said: “It’s like Anne Frank or something.”
"The nannies in this town are mostly Hispanic and like so many other Latinos doing important jobs in our community, they’re now
living in a state of terror. Because ICE agents will pick up anyone
with brown skin, regardless of whether they are legal or not, and
sometimes even if they are American. It doesn’t seem to matter."
I've never heard of Bob Vylan before, and I hope to never hear of this disgraceful band again. It looks like the only way these so-called musical acts can get any attention is by attacking Israel. The moronic Glastonbury audience that actually cheered the antisemitic chants, and the BBC, which livestreamed it without cutting it off, are just as bad. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Also read the excellent Spiked-Online column below on "the banality of Jew-hatred",
"The Trump administration has revoked U.S. visas for
members of punk-rap duo Bob Vylan after the group’s inflammatory remarks
about Israel during a performance at the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival
over the weekend sparked widespread backlash.
"The musical group was scheduled to travel to Boston, New
York City and Washington, D.C., for shows this fall, but the performers
drew broad rebuke
after lead singer Bobby Vylan led concertgoers Saturday in chanting
“death, death to the IDF,” referring to Israel’s military, the Israel
Defense Forces.
“The [State Department] has revoked the US visas for the members of
the Bob Vylan band in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury,
including leading the crowd in death chants,” Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote Monday on the social platform X. “Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.”
"The administration has for months moved to restrict visas
for international students and others it has accused of promoting
terrorism and antisemitism following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on
Israelis.
"Bobby Vylan, who performs with drummer Bobbie Vylan, defended his remarks in an Instagram post Sunday captioned, “I said what I said.”
“Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need
is the only way that we make this world a better place,” he wrote in the
post. “Let us display to them loudly and visibly the right thing to do
when we want change and need change.”
"British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the chants at Glastonbury “appalling hate speech,” and the BBC apologized for continuing to livestream the performance after the remarks."
"If you can’t see it now, you never will. The sight of tens of thousands
of people at Glastonbury yesterday joining in a spirited chant of ‘Death, death to the IDF’
was the sight of us officially becoming a very different country, I
fear. One in which anti-Israel hysteria has so flawlessly rehabilitated
Jew hatred that it has become unthinking, conformist, almost mundane.
Something that Home Counties idiots can jive to before adjusting their
hot pants and heading off to catch Charli XCX. Something that is
broadcast by the BBC into millions of homes. The banality of the new
anti-Semitism.
"Let’s not muck about here. When punk-rap duo Bob Vylan called for the
killing of Israeli soldiers yesterday – as they warmed up the crowd at
the West Holts Stage for every Israelophobe’s new favourite Irish rap
trio, Kneecap – they weren’t opposing war. They were calling for war,
and on the one army on Earth charged with protecting Jews from genocide.
The army now at war with a jihadist cult that murdered, raped and
kidnapped its way through an Israeli festival not unlike Glastonbury on 7
October 2023. The army that almost all Israelis are expected to serve
in. Indeed, those making excuses for that sickening call-and-response
yesterday hopefully don’t know that Hamas justifies killing Israeli
civilians on the grounds that they are basically all tainted by national
service. That they are all enemy combatants. Death, death to that IDF?
"Whether we got here by ignorance or conscious hatred is pretty much
moot. The end result is British Jews – at Glasto or at home – watching
thousands whoop as Jew-killing slogans are recited. Frontman Bobby Vylan
also treated the crowd to a deranged rant about the indignities he
suffered working for a ‘Zionist’ at a record label, because he had to
listen to his boss talk favourably about Israel. I wonder if he knows
that the vast majority of British Jews are Zionists. I wonder if he
cares. ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’, Vylan
chanted at another point in his fetid little set. Surely he knows what
this means? Surely he recalls the tiny, 10million-strong nation that
lies between the River Jordan and the Med, 74 per cent of which is
Jewish? Surely he knows that when the Islamofascists currently menacing
Israel chant it they are explicitly calling for the genocide of Jews?
Bob?
"In a way, the murderous rantings of that cunt turn my stomach less than
the roaring adulation of the crowd. After 7 October, we knew how the
leftists and the Islamists were going to respond. They showed us who
they really were a long time ago, and true to form, they’ve been
subjecting us to carnivals of anti-Semitism on our streets for almost
two years now. Depressingly, that was all priced in. What’s been most
striking is how supposedly ‘respectable’ bourgeois opinion more broadly
has shifted so violently against Israel – and the Jews. The sort of
people who might previously have deferred to the Israel haters while
also mumbling something about it being complicated have been radicalised
by the Hamas propaganda in their feeds. The Gail’s crowd, the
Glastonbury goers, have imbibed the poison fully now. Screaming blood
libels against the world’s only Jewish nation is now what it means to be
a Good Person. To be on the ‘right side of history’ is to rail against
Those People.
"We have a cultural set that, above all else, defines itself as
implacable warriors against racism. And yet not only have these people
been silent about the horrific return of militarised anti-Semitism, to
smashed glass in Jewish areas, to firebombings on synagogues and Jews
from Colorado to Sydney, they have been giving it moral succour. Amid
the most violent explosion of racism for many decades, an alarmingly
high number of the ‘anti-racists’ aren’t just silent about it. They are
providing cover for it. They are condoning it. They are participating in
it.
"British Jews have known for some time that they cannot rely on that
lot for solidarity. All the more reason for the sane, truly anti-racist
majority – those who can see what is going on and are quietly
horrified by it – to stand with their Jewish brothers and sisters,
loudly and proudly. This really isn’t their problem. It’s ours."
Tom Slater is editor of spiked. Follow him on X: @Tom_Slater
I'm guessing the killer cowardly committed suicide, but why did he have to kill the firemen first? I don't care what his motive was, nor do I care about his life story. I care only about the stories of his three heroic victims.
"COVID levels have increased in the southern states which are now considered high by WastewaterSCAN, although older data from the CDC reports levels overall as low. Florida has high levels of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater in many sites and emergency department visits for children ages 0 to 11 in Florida
are higher than those for people over age 75. These are the highest
levels of COVID emergency room visits for kids in Florida since last
September. It is expected that the summer wave may be more significant
in the South and in the West as these regions did not have as large of a
COVID winter wave this year.
"Nationally, there are only about 148,000 new COVID infections per day in America, with about every 1 in 225 people currently infected according to JP Weiland. The CDC
states on their COVID variant website that they do not have enough
samples to accurately predict SARS-CoV-2 variants now. Although the CDC
reported that variant NB.1.8.1 is highest, JP Weiland posted that actually XFG is higher in the United States now and is growing faster. XFG was also made a Variant Under Monitoring (VUM) by the WHO this week.
"According
to WastewaterSCAN, which omits 12 states, COVID in wastewater in
southern states of Florida and Louisiana and the Houston area in Texas
are high. Mike Hoerger
reports that he expects US COVID transmission will increase quickly and
that it may be a good idea to restock on good masks, COVID tests and
air filters now.
"In California,
WastewaterSCAN reports that SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater is highest in
Vallejo at 200 PMMoV, Novato 182 PMMoV, Oceanside San Francisco 191
PMMoV, Palo Alto 151 PMMoV and San Jose 120 PMMoV. Los Angeles remains
low at 39 PMMoV. Santa Clara County
reports Palo Alto and San Jose wastewater levels as high, but they have
not yet risen to SARS-CoV-2 wastewater levels seen last summer (yet).
Acute COVID infections, General COVID info
"Researchers from Mexico analyzed sweat from COVID patients using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) to detect metabolic biomarkers. They identified unique chemical signatures in acute COVID infection,
including elevated levels of ketones and aldehydes, that may offer a
non-invasive way to monitor infection and disease progression. This
reminds me of past studies that showed that scent dogs could detect COVID infection in people’s sweat as accurately as PCR tests.
"A new preprint shows that the SARS‑CoV‑2 nucleocapsid (N) protein drives microglial cells into a senescent state
by shifting their metabolism toward glycolysis which led to cognitive
deficits in mice. In both cell culture and animal models, inhibiting
glycolysis (with 2‑DG) blocked microglial senescence and preserved
learning and memory function.
"A comprehensive review in Virology maps how SARS‑CoV‑2 interacts with human proteins
beyond ACE2, highlighting additional entry co‑receptors like C‑type
lectins, neuropilin‑1, CD147, and tyrosine‑kinase receptors. It also
details viral tactics to subvert immune responses, including disrupting
type I interferon signaling and hijacking host machinery for replication
and assembly (e.g. polymerases, lipid regulators, ATP processes,
vesicle trafficking). The membrane (M) protein and NSPs are shown to
manipulate ER, Golgi, and mitochondrial pathways to promote infection
and syncytia formation.
Vaccines
"A group from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology and UCSD followed 78 people longitudinally over three years to track how repeated mRNA COVID-19 boosters shaped immunity.
They found that while antibody levels rose with each booster,
spike-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses increased early and then
plateaued, remaining stable without signs of exhaustion. People with
asymptomatic infections developed more diverse T cell profiles,
suggesting that repeated vaccination plus mild exposure may strengthen
and balance long-term immune defenses.
"Invivyd, maker of the COVID monoclonal antibody Pemgarda, tested a new monoclonal antibody against COVID called VYD2311
in Phase 1 and 2 studies. VYD2311 was found to have a long half-life
and remained active in the blood for 6 months with no severe side
effects reported.
"Researchers from Saudi Arabia looked at the gut microbiome in people who had heart attacks after COVID
infection and sometimes after vaccination. They found that beneficial
bacteria like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (F. Prau) and Bifidobacterium
longum were significantly reduced, while opportunistic pathogens such
as Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis increased in these
patients. They concluded that shifts in the gut microbiome could alter
metabolite production and contribute to systemic inflammation and
increased cardiovascular risk.
"A report from the 5th symposium on regulatory autoantibodies against G-protein coupled receptors (RAB-GPCRs)
shows that “RAB-GPCRs have emerged as key players in the pathogenesis
of complex diseases, including systemic sclerosis, myalgic
encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, post-COVID syndrome
(ME/CFS/PCS), vasculitis, and transplant rejection.” SARS-CoV-2 can
trigger autoantibodies targeting GPCRs which can disrupt vascular,
neurological, and autonomic functions and contribute to fatigue and
brain fog. Overlap with ME/CFS suggests shared autoimmune pathways,
pointing to potential benefits from treatments targeting these
autoantibodies.
Fig. 2: Anti-AT1R Autoantibodies and Endothelial Damage with SARS-CoV-2
"A
group from the University of Washington at Tacoma used 3 RNA-seq
datasets of 142 samples from Australia, the US and Russia to look at
gene expression signatures in acute COVID infection and in Long COVID.
They found that TNF-α/NF-κB pathway signatures could identify patients at risk of severe disease progression from acute COVID infection and that OXPHOS and Myc pathway-associated signatures reflecting metabolic changes may be used as a biomarker for Long COVID
diagnosis and severity stratification. “Acute severe COVID-19 benefits
from anti-inflammatory interventions targeting the dominant TNF-α/NF-κB
pathway, consistent with the proven efficacy of corticosteroids and
immunomodulators. Conversely, PASC management should prioritize
mitochondrial function restoration and cellular repair mechanisms.”
Measles
"As of June 24, 2025, a total of 1,227 confirmed measles cases were reported by 36 states, 12% of cases have been hospitalized (148 of 1227) and there have been 3 confirmed measles deaths.
"A measles outbreak at a jail in New Mexico
has infected five inmates, prompting quarantines, visitor restrictions,
and vaccine/testing efforts by New Mexico health authorities.
"A new review of Measles
outlines the global resurgence of measles as vaccination coverage dips
with nearly 396,000 confirmed measles cases globally in 2024 and over
16,000 in the first two months of 2025 alone. It details measles’
clinical features (like Koplik spots, rash, and severe complications),
updated diagnostic methods, and current immunization recommendations.
“Because measles is a systemic infection, it can affect the skin, eyes,
gut, and respiratory system. Complications that occur in approximately 30%
of measles cases — and frequently occur up to 1 month after infection.”
Measles complications (see Table 1) include pneumonia, diarrhea,
inflammation of the cornea and conjunctivitis, corneal ulceration,
blindness, ear infection, death, malnutrition, encephalitis, subacute
sclerosing panencephalitis and immune system amnesia. The review
emphasizes strengthening immunization programs, improving surveillance,
and countering hesitancy to address this disease’s resurgence.
"The American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) posted
that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting
this week was an “orchestrated effort to sow distrust in immunizations
and the vaccine approval process.” Therefore, the AAP will continue to publish their own vaccine guidelines.
"US
Representative and pediatrician Dr. Kim Schrier schooled HHS Secretary
Kennedy about her personal experience of what vaccine preventable
diseases (measles, meningitis, whooping cough) does to children in this
important video post.
"The National Science Foundation (NSF)
was blindsided this week when they found out from media reports, and
not internal channels, that they would be ousted from their headquarters
in Alexandria. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
will take over the space that the NSF presently occupies, and NSF staff
report there is no new site or budget yet identified, raising concerns
for the agency’s future operations.
"An adjuvant is
a substance added to vaccines to boost the body’s immune response to
make the vaccine more effective. A U.K.-U.S. study of 436,788 patients
found that vaccines containing the AS01 adjuvant (like the Shingrix vaccine for shingles and Arexvy for RSV) are linked to a roughly 29% lower dementia risk over 18 months, suggesting the adjuvant itself may offer brain-protective benefits.
"Eric Topol MD wrote an excellent article this week on the Gut-Brain axis.
He discussed four ways that the gut talks to and influences the brain
including 1) neural pathways via the Vagus nerve and the autonomic
nervous system, 2) hormones such as GLP-1, GIP, and Gherlin, 3)
neurotransmitters and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and 4) via the
immune system where inflamed T cells from the gut can go to the brain
and cause inflammation.
"Regarding neuroinflammation, a new review in Science
is a “comprehensive overview of the contribution of neuroinflammation
during the course of a range of neurologic disorders, including multiple
sclerosis, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.”
"APOE ε4 carriers with atrial fibrillation on apixaban (Eliquis) were found to have a higher risk of brain bleeding. Genetic testing may help personalize anticoagulation decisions.
"Researchers developed an AI model trained on over 10 million ECGs to predict heart conditions
with high accuracy. The model generalizes across populations and could
help detect arrhythmias, cardiomyopathies, and other silent conditions
using ECGs.
"The Arc Institute unveiled STATE, a machine learning model trained on 270 million single-cell profiles that predicts how cells change under genetic or drug perturbations.
It showed about 50% better discrimination of perturbation effects and
twice the accuracy in finding differentially expressed genes compared to
older models.
"The Turing Test, proposed by Alan
Turing, is a test of a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior
equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a person. Researchers
from the Arc Institute propose the Virtual Cell Challenge- a "Turing test" for computer models of cells,
to see how closely simulations can mimic real cellular behavior. The
Virtual Cell Challenge is a public competition, “sponsored by Nvidia,
10x Genomics, and Ultima Genomics, with a grand prize worth $100,000 for the machine learning model that best predicts how cells will respond to genetic perturbations.”
"Students
at a middle school in the UK are raising money to train their teacher's
puppy Nellie to be a therapy dog for the student body by holding Nellie-themed bake sales.
Nellie the future therapy dog
BBC: Nellie-themed cake sales have been held to help the cause
"Have a great week and Happy July 4th! I will be taking next week off for the holiday.
"For decades, when it came to confronting the Islamic Republic of Iran,
the so-called "international community," particularly the Western powers
that pride themselves on being defenders of democracy and human rights,
chose cowardice over conviction. Instead of drawing a red line then
sticking to it, they drew circles. Instead of acting, they offered
concession after concession. They fed the beast and even funded its
industry of death. They threw Israel under the bus again and again to
placate tyrants. They talked about diplomacy while Iran built
centrifuges, enriched uranium, and spread terror throughout Gaza,
Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and even inside Iran. This year alone,
2025, Iran's regime has already conducted 1,700 executions – and it is
only June.
"All the while, Iran has kept pushing, inch by inch, toward its dream
of acquiring nuclear weapons — and no one had the courage to stop them.
No one... except Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S.
President Donald J. Trump.
"After the savage invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023 by Iran-backed
Hamas, in an age where global leaders are more concerned with virtue
signaling and hosting summits that accomplish nothing, it took the
Jewish state — tiny, isolated, hated by the media and universities — to
stand up and say, "Enough." While the West wrung its hands, and its
bureaucrats talked about "proportionality" and restraint, Israel acted
-- not just for its own survival, but for the security of the free
world. Israel did what the international community, the West and the
United Nations would never do -- and what NATO would never even dream
of. What the international community and Western powers lacked the spine
to do, tiny Israel, under Netanyahu's steady leadership and Trump's
historic decision, put an end to the charade and finally delivered the
blows that needed to be dealt.
"Since the horrific October 7 massacre,
when Hamas butchered, raped, burned, and kidnapped Israeli civilians —
men, women, the elderly, children and even babies — Israel has been on a
relentless and unapologetic campaign to uproot terrorism at its roots.
This has not just been about retaliation; it is about making sure that
evil does not get rewarded with more money and more legitimacy – again.
Israel dismantled Hamas's infrastructure in Gaza, and decimated
Lebanon's Hezbollah, which had for years provided Syria's Assad regime
with critical military support.
"Israel took out
weapons shipments and terror command centers in Syria, which directly
led to the collapse of the Assad regime. Late in 2024, in a period of 10 days, the designated terrorist Ahmed al-Sharaa advanced his forces and finally ended the reign of slaughter and chemical attacks by Bashar al-Assad.
"Israel did not stop there. Israel, with Trump delivering the
difficult final blow, launched the most daring, comprehensive, and
devastating strikes inside Iranian territory in modern history. Israel's
operation alone, called
"Rising Lion," targeted more than 100 strategic sites tied to Iran's
nuclear weapons program. That program, costing the Iranian people $2-3 trillion, and decades in the making, took a fatal hit in less than 37 hours.
This was not just a series of airstrikes -- it was a message to every
tyrant: if you aim to annihilate Israel, if you chant "Death to
America," if you fund terror across the globe, there will be
consequences.
"Thanks to Trump and Netanyahu, the world now knows what real leadership looks like.
"Even more impressively, Israel managed
to assassinate some of the highest-ranking military leaders of the
Iranian regime. The commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps, Major General Hossein Salami, is dead. IRGC Chief of Staff
Major General Mohammad Bagheri is dead. At least 14 nuclear scientists, critical to Iran's atomic weapons program, have been neutralized. These were men plotting a second Holocaust while hiding behind diplomacy and Western cowardice.
Israel did not wait for permission. It did what needed to be done.
"What Israel, along with the United States, has done in the past two
years far surpasses anything the self-proclaimed defenders of freedom in
Brussels or Berlin have done in the past 80 years. As European leaders lecture
Israel about ceasefires, "de-escalation", "proportionality" and
"restraint" from the comfort of their distant homes and elegant dinners,
Israel has dismantled, destabilized, and struck a crippling blow to
four terrorist regimes and organizations, the Iran and its proxies as
well as Syria's Assad regime — all while under constant attack. It is a
miracle of military strategy, intelligence precision and moral clarity.
The world owes this tiny, demonized nation, its defense forces,
Netanyahu and Trump a massive debt of gratitude as well as a Nobel Peace
Prize.
"Israel did what Winston Churchill warned
that the West needed to do back in the 1930s —when appeasement gave
Hitler the space he needed to unleash World War II. Churchill's warning could not be more relevant today: "An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile hoping it will eat him last."
"The West has been feeding a lot of crocodiles for far too long.
Giving the Iranian regime sanctions relief, nuclear deals, and
diplomatic back channels, the so-called liberal world order enabled the
rise of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its lavishly funded war
machine. Israel has been doing the dirty work that Western powers
refused to do -- all of them.
"Israel has not just been fighting for its own people — it is fighting to prevent
World War III. If Iran were to acquire nuclear weapons, no capital in
the free world would be safe. Iran's ruling ayatollahs do not just hate
Jews. They hate Christians and all "unbelievers" in Allah. They hate the
West. They hate freedom. There is no reason to think they would not
have used a nuclear bomb. Just look at what their barrages of ballistic
missiles without nuclear warheads did to one tiny nation, the size of
New Jersey.
"Now that Israel, its military, Trump and the great U.S. Air Force
have acted with unmatched courage, the question becomes: will the West
finally grow a spine and stand with Israel? Will they stop hiding behind
"peace conferences" and empty UN resolutions, and finally support the
one country that is actually securing peace through strength? At the
very least, if they are too scared to lead, they should fully support
the small country that led unapologetically. Let Israel lead. Let Israel
strike. Let Israel save the world from the nightmare that the rest
allowed to fester.
"Peace is not achieved through weakness, funding the enemy,
legitimizing terror organizations or tolerating genocidal regimes. Peace
comes from defeating them. The world learned this the hard way in the
20th century, and too many people have become too dangerously close to
forgetting it. Netanyahu and Trump did not forget. That is why they
stand alone — victorious. It is time to stop treating Israel like a
burden or a pariah, and start recognizing it as the moral and military
powerhouse that it is.
"The democracies of the world -- the peace lovers, the free thinkers,
the believers in Western civilization -- owe Israel not just thanks, but
allegiance. In just two years, this tiny nation has done more to
safeguard global security than the entire EU, the UN, and most of the
free world combined -- which were busy condemning it and protesting
against it. Israel deserves admiration, not sanctimony. It deserves
support, not sanctions. If the rest of the free world is too cowardly to
act, then at the very least, they should hide behind Israel's courage
and pray that, with the partnership of the far-sighted Trump, it keeps
winning. If Israel falls, the rest of the West is next. Stand with
Israel, or fall with your silence."
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, is a political scientist,
Harvard-educated analyst, and board member of Harvard International
Review. He hasauthored several books on the US foreign policy. He can be reached atdr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu
"The new COVID-19 variant that now makes up about a
third of U.S. COVID cases has a signature symptom: a painful sore throat
that feels like "razor blades."
"This
'razor blade sore throat' was reported as a common symptom in China,"
where the variant first emerged in May, said Matthew S. Kelly, MD, MPH,
chief of infectious diseases in the Pediatrics Department at the
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. It's also been widely
reported in other countries, including the U.S., as the variant has
spread worldwide.
Why Does This Sore Throat Hurt So Much?
"NB.1.8.1
– or Nimbus – is a subvariant of Omicron, the dominant COVID variant
since late 2021. Omicron variants tend to cause more throat problems
than the virus's earliest forms.
"In the past few years, infectious disease specialist
Peter Chin-Hong, MD, has seen more and more COVID patients with sore
throats.
"Even before this variant, sore throat has
been reported in up to 70% of patients with COVID, and it can be
severe," said Chin-Hong, a professor at the University of California,
San Francisco.
"One possible explanation is that as the virus evolves, our body's response to it changes too.
"COVID viruses bind to ACE2 receptors, found on the surface of cells. Cells in the upper airway (nose, throat) have more ACE2
receptors than those in the lower airway and lungs do – making them
prime targets for Omicron variants, which bind to these receptors more
strongly. Research suggests that of all the variants circulating now, Nimbus binds to ACE2 receptors the most.
"Once
the virus reaches those cell receptors in and around your throat, your
immune system – likely primed by past infections, vaccination, or both –
kicks into overdrive to keep the virus at bay. Cue inflammation, fluid
buildup, redness, and swelling.
"Symptoms
of the sore throat are not from the virus itself," said Chin-Hong.
"They are from the inflammatory reaction to the virus."
"Another
possibility: A COVID sore throat might feel worse today than it did
earlier in the pandemic, because the original virus had more severe
systemic symptoms, diverting attention from individual ones like a sore throat, said Chin-Hong.
What Works for a Sore Throat?
Anti-inflammatory drugs.
"[Data shows that] the most effective thing for sore throat is systemic
therapy," said Chin-Hong. Think over-the-counter pain relievers such
as ibuprofen. If pill swallowing is painful, try a liquid form, he said.
Numbing agents, likethroat sprays and lozenges with benzocaine, can be effective for short-term relief. Just don't ignore the package directions because misuse can be dangerous. "You're just trying to dull the pain for a couple of days when it's at its worst," said Kelly.
Menthol lozenges. Menthol affects nerve activity in the throat, causing a mild numbing effect for a short time.
Warm or cold liquids. No
high-quality studies exist for these interventions, but many doctors
still recommend hot tea and soup, or ice chips and ice pops. "This is
sort of where medicine crosses over into: What seems to work for you? What did your mom do?" Kelly said.
"Here's what not to do:
Don't beg your doctor for antibiotics.
"Viruses are the most common cause of sore throat," said Chin-Hong –
and antibiotics only work against bacterial infections. Plus:
"Overprescribing antibiotics is bad for the microbiome and for
increasing the risk of thrush and yeast infections."
Don't assume steroids are a quick fix. "Sometimes
people try to reach for steroids for pain associated with sore throat,"
said Chin-Hong, but steroids can have an immune-suppressive effect. In
one 2025 study,
people who took a corticosteroid for mild or moderate COVID had
longer-lasting symptoms than those who took a nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory instead. They were also more likely to be
hospitalized.
Don't apply pressure. You
may have seen TikTok influencers touting "throat massage" techniques
for a sore throat. Your neck is rich with delicate blood vessels and
tissues that can be easily damaged with too much pressure, Kelly said.
Leave massaging to trained experts.
What Should You Do if You Have a Sore Throat?
"Take
an at-home COVID test. (They still work for new variants.) If the test
is positive, you can ask your doctor whether you're a candidate for an
antiviral medication to help you recover faster. If it's negative,
retest in 24 hours to confirm. When throat pain is your only symptom, it
can take a few days before nasal swab tests can detect the virus, said
Chin-Hong.
"Watch for symptoms that get worse, which could mean you have a severe bacterial infection or abscess. See a doctor if:
Throat pain is much worse, compared to other symptoms.
It's the worst sore throat you've ever had.
You notice signs of a throat obstruction, such as hoarseness, drooling, or trouble breathing.
"Your doctor might do a throat culture for strep.
If it's positive, you'll likely be prescribed antibiotics to keep the
infection from spreading. "We want to prevent bad stuff down the road,
like heart disease, rheumatic fever, or kidney disease," said
Chin-Hong.
Should You Worry About Nimbus?
"While
U.S. cases are still relatively low, "this could lead to a summer surge
or a surge in the next couple of months," said Kelly. Now's a good time
to get a booster vaccine, particularly if you're 65 or older or have a
chronic medical condition, he said. The COVID vaccines available now
were formulated to target Omicron variants."
"So committed are the Democrats who run cities like Denver to
preventing ICE from defending the country from foreign invasion that
they don’t mind boosting the high crime rates that prevail in such
jurisdictions even further into the stratosphere.
"The Denver City Council has voted unanimously to shutter a
highly successful anti-theft auto license plate tracking system. … It
was shut down because Democratic members believed that ICE could use the
data to deport illegals.
"In May, the council refused to renew the $666,000 contract with Flock
for camera monitors around 70 Denver intersections to screen for car
theft. That system resulted in the recovery of 170 stolen cars and 300
arrests. It is also credited with key evidence in the investigation of
hit-and-run and murder cases.
"If they don’t care if our country is invaded, why would liberals care if we are murdered?
"The moonbats confirm their intent in putting a lens cap on the cameras:
"Councilman Kevin Flynn explained it is all about Trump’s
election: “We know that it can help solve crime. But I think since maybe
Jan. 20 of this year, those concerns are greatly heightened and have a
new reality about them.”
"It isn’t only about protecting criminal illegal aliens from law
enforcement. They also want to facilitate their own obstruction of
justice. Barks councilkook Sarah Parady:
“We’re living in an era where just this last week,
actually, an executive order came out instructing the Department of
Justice and the FBI to look for reasons to prosecute local elected
officials and activists who they believe are, quote, unquote,
obstructing ICE enforcement. This kind of surveillance technology is a
gift if you have that kind of ill intent, and the federal government has
that ill intent right now.”
"If the FBI is serious about prosecuting local officials for
obstructing enforcement, they might want to open an investigation in
Denver.
"Like most of our cities, Denver has been lost to moonbattery. As the
crime rate continues to climb, sane citizens will get the hell out,
assuring the election of ever more radical leftists. The Mile High City
has begun its descent down the Democrat Death Spiral."
"On a tip from Htos1av."
--------------------
One of Moonbattery's commenters says, "It's becoming obvious that the Dem agenda is anti-law and order,
supporting murder, rape, theft, antisemitism, sexual perversion, child
trafficking, and abandoning all morality and rationality. Their souls
have been taken over by demons, and they have embraced pure evil."
Vaccine policy meeting: The essentials; Foxes in the hen house and rising above the noise for fall
"This week, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
held its first public meeting since the new HHS Secretary—an outspoken
vaccine skeptic—replaced all 17 members. More than 4,000 people tuned
in, a level of attention not seen since the height of the pandemic.
"That’s
because ACIP decisions have a profound weight in shaping vaccine policy
in the U.S. They determine which vaccines are recommended, for whom, if
insurers cover them, and when they’re available.
"The June meeting
is especially important, as it sets the groundwork for the fall
respiratory virus season. Insurers finalize coverage. Clinicians place
orders. Distributors ship doses. Public health communicators prepare
messages. Disrupt this system or timeline, and the entire system
falters.
"Here are the essential takeaways from the meeting.
Bottom line up front
"Flushots
are recommended for everyone over 6 months. However, flu shots
containing thimerosal (4–7% of supply) are not, not because of
scientific evidence but because of falsehoods.
"RSVprotection
is recommended for pregnant women (vaccine), infants (monoclonal
antibody) up to 18 months old, and older adults (vaccine). This fall, a
second monoclonal antibody option will be available for parents (which is good) for kids up to 8 months old.
"Covid-19
will be available, but for whom, when, and what are still big
questions. There was no vote. No guidance today. And there should have
been.
Inside the meeting: Foxes in the hen house
"This
meeting followed the usual format: CDC scientists presented data, and
the committee discussed, questioned, and voted on certain policies.
"This
meeting, undoubtedly, demonstrated the high competence of CDC
employees, who were thorough, thoughtful, and well prepared. They
answered questions with precision and demonstrated deep expertise. I
continue to be incredibly impressed with this group.
"For the new
committee, it was clear that not all were vaccine experts—they
questioned basic epidemiologic methods, misunderstood fundamental
scientific principles, and repeated conspiracy theories that have
circulated for decades. At times, CDC scientists were educating them on
how vaccine trials work, what the immune system does, and how the
approval process functions. This is, of course, acceptable for a curious
member of the public—it is absolutely unacceptable for people
determining vaccine policy for 330 million Americans.
"Additionally,
many committee members clearly began with conclusions and then
attempted to force the evidence to fit. This is called policy-based evidence making
(not evidence-based policy making). It’s backwards. There is no new
evidence or data to change recommendations. In fact, the committee
removed documents that CDC scientists had posted. They stated procedure
reasons when asked, but presumably because it did not support their
foregone conclusions. This is not demonstrating radical transparency.
"And
although the committee has disclosed conflicts of interest, as it has
for the past 70 years, HHS cannot pretend that pharmaceutical companies
are the only conflict of interest. Selling supplements, profiting from
medical litigation trials, and holding a leadership position in
antivaxxer advocacy groups are all conflicts of interest. None of that
was disclosed.
"We fact-checked the proceedings in real time and counted (and countered) more than 50 falsehoods.
YLE and others compiled three briefings on these falsehoods in near
real-time for leaders, communicators, and media. Feel free to download,
use, or just view if you have questions about some falsehoods brought up
(there were a lot!). Get the briefs here:
"It’s easy to get caught up in the absurdity, and to be clear, much of it was absurd.
"But/and
the respiratory virus season is just around the corner, and that
matters more as lives are at stake. The CDC’s presentations were strong,
and the science behind them was solid. I’m confident that, despite the
chaos, the data shared wasn’t influenced by RFK Jr. or this new
committee.
"So I wanted to walk you through that science—what
we know, what protection options will be available this fall, and what
questions remain. Because at the end of the day, Americans deserve to be informed and empowered to protect themselves and their communities.
Covid-19 vaccines
"COVID-19
remains a serious health threat to Americans and a huge burden on
healthcare systems. Last year, hospitalizations for Covid were similar
to flu (and the flu season was the worst we’ve seen in past 15 years).
"Infants
and older adults continue to be most affected. This is why it’s so
important for pregnant women to get vaccinated. (Infants cannot get the
vaccine until they are at least 6 months old, when maternal antibodies
wane and their immune system is more mature.)
"Last
winter’s COVID-19 vaccines provided 30-40% additional protection
against urgent care visits, regardless of age, compared to people who
did not get the Covid vaccine, and 40-70% additional protection against
hospitalizations and ICU stays. Interestingly, protection isn’t waning
as quickly nowadays, remaining stable up to the study period (180 days).
Source: CDC; Annotated in red by Your Local Epidemiologist
"COVID-19 vaccines also continue to be safe based on the many systems the U.S. federal government has in place.
"Myocarditis—inflammation
of the heart—is no longer a safety signal like it was for the first two
shots of mRNA. Among adolescent boys who did get myocarditis from the
first two doses of the vaccine, 91% have fully recovered.
"Votes:
Usually, the ACIP votes for COVID-19 vaccine eligibility for fall.
However, this was taken off the agenda at the last minute for an unknown
reason. So, there was no vote. This means we don’t know what the
recommendations are for this fall. (See more below in “Next Steps.”)
RSV protection
RSV
is" among our most burdensome respiratory viruses, particularly for
children under 5. So, it was an absolute game-changer when not one, but
TWO options of protection became available two years ago for the first
time ever:
Vaccine for pregnant women (who pass antibodies to their infants) and
Monoclonal antibody for infants (not a vaccine, but provides antibodies in the short term)
"We’ve already seen a decrease in the burden of RSV in healthcare systems (as shown below).
Source: CDC; Annotated by Your Local Epidemiologist in red.
"Presentations showed that both continue to be incredibly effective in the “real world”:
Maternal vaccination: 70-79% protection against infant hospitalization
Monoclonal antibody (called nirsevimab): 79-82% effectiveness against infant hospitalization
"Both
options are also very safe and much better than the disease itself.
There is one small but true safety signal scientists are looking closely
at: people who get the pregnancy vaccine have a slightly higher rate of
gestational hypertension and preeclampsia. This could be due to data or
other factors, such as women who are pregnant for the first time.
Scientists are still investigating this. However, the benefits of the
RSV vaccine still significantly outweigh the risks.
"This fall, we will have a THIRD option:
A new monoclonal antibody (called clesrovimab) approved by the FDA
recently. It works about as effectively as the monoclonal antibody
introduced last year. It does wane quicker, so it may not protect as
long, but it’s enough for one entire season.
"Having another option is good because:
Lowers cost through competition
Better access with more choices
Slightly different virus target, which is good if the virus mutates
"The downside is that it’s not for 8-19-month-olds (like the other one), so providers have to stock both, which is a pain.
"Votes: The majority of members voted in favor of the monoclonal antibody, meaning it will be available to the public.
Flu vaccines
"Last flu season was really bad. The worst in the past 15 years.
"And last season, vaccinations continued to prevent a ton of disruption. Last year, it’s estimated the flu vaccine prevented:
12,000,000 symptomatic infections
240,000 hospitalizations
"But
the big point of discussion during the ACIP flu section was thimerosal.
Lynn Redwood, a former leader of Children’s Health Defense—an antivax
advocacy group—presented data. In short, it absolutely flooded the zone
with cherry-picked data out of context. It also had fake citations,
likely due to the use of AI. External presentations, like this one,
typically need to be fact-checked by CDC. Typically, this occurs days or
weeks in advance of ACIP meetings. It didn’t happen this time.
"There
was one sane person on the committee who said, “I don’t know where to
start” with all the falsehoods presented. And followed up by saying
“there’s no scientific evidence that shows the harm of thimerosal.” I
agree.
"We debunked many falsehoods in this brief in real time. Here are the facts:
Thimerosal is an ethylmercury-based preservative that keeps vaccines safe from bacterial contamination.
It was largely removed in vaccines in United States in 1999 as a precaution, even though no harm was ever demonstrated.
At the time, there was no specific data on ethylmercury’s toxicity, so safety assessments conservatively applied the limits of methylmercury
(the toxic form of mercury found in fish that many of us are familiar
with). Using those stricter benchmarks, cumulative exposure from the
full childhood schedule slightly exceeded what was considered safe for
prenatal methylmercury exposure.
Since then, numerous studies have demonstrated that ethylmercury is metabolized differently and is safe at the levels used in vaccines.
In
the United States, thimerosal is only found in multidose flu vaccines,
and trace amounts are found in TDVax, a tetanus and diphtheria vaccine
for people aged seven and older.
Thimerosal is still used in other parts of the world as a vaccine preservative.
Thimerosal and the use of multiple vaccines are incredibly important for pandemic preparedness.
"Votes: The
majority of ACIP members voted to remove flu shots containing
thimerosal. This means about 4–7% of the flu vaccine supply won’t be
used. This isn’t a huge deal, but it may ripple doubt globally, which
would have a significant impact because many global vaccines still
contain thimerosal. And the groundwork here is what’s most concerning
for future vaccines.
What’s next for fall season
"Flu and RSV vaccines will be available for the fall respiratory season. Covid-19 vaccines should be too, but major questions remain unanswered:
Who will be eligible to receive them?
Will people have to pay out of pocket, or will insurance and federal programs cover them?
What are states legally allowed to do if ACIP doesn’t make recommendations?
"Manufacturers are
making vaccines right now based on last year’s formula (because HHS
recently required them to do placebo trials—which is not feasible and
unethical—to update it). However, there is considerable confusion around
eligibility. I expect we’ll soon see the formation of professional
society-led recommendations or even a “shadow ACIP” to fill the vacuum.
"It’s
time for the broader health ecosystem—payers, providers, health
systems, and states—to step up. Americans need a coordinated, unified
front to ensure they have clear information, reliable access, and the
confidence to make informed decisions to protect their health, their
families, and their communities.
"On that front, we’re off to a promising start this week:
AHIP and the Alliance of Community Health Plansaffirmed their commitment to covering fall vaccines, ensuring patients aren’t left with unexpected costs.
The American Medical Association and nearly 80 professional organizationsissued
a strong joint statement: they will continue to follow and promote
evidence-based vaccine recommendations, regardless of political
interference.
Communication experts and trusted messengers
are mobilizing to combat confusion, clarify facts, and support local
decision-making, especially in the absence of consistent national
messaging.
"This is progress. However, we need
more unified voices and stronger commitments across the system,
particularly from governors, employers, pharmacy chains, and community
organizations. If we don’t fill the gaps with clarity, falsehoods and
confusion will flood in, and vaccine uptake will suffer.
Looking beyond fall: Routine vaccinations at risk
"Routine
vaccinations, like polio or measles, are still strongly recommended and
available. Given this meeting, though, I’m very concerned about their
future for three reasons:
The ACIP chair announced two new work groups
that will look into the cumulative vaccine schedule (examine the total
number of recommended vaccines, timing, and the supposed cumulative
effects). And they announced they will revisit vaccines that supposedly
haven’t been reviewed in over seven years. One target will be the
universal implementation of hepatitis B vaccination at birth.
Policy-based evidence making: The thimerosal conversation made it clear that this committee had come to a conclusion and then sought evidence to support it.
The number of falsehoods flagged was staggering. This suggests that discussions aren’t robust and aren’t anchored in the latest, best evidence.
Bottom line
"The
science is strong: Vaccines work, save lives, and are very safe. You
will have fall vaccines this fall. Covid-19 details are still a big
question.
"This week’s ACIP meeting made one thing clear: Americans
aren’t just fighting viruses this fall, but also confusion and
coordinated doubt. Americans deserve a unified health system that steps
up with courage to deliver facts, access, and choice, protecting what
matters most: lives."
The new populism of the Judeocidal left; The radical poised to become New York’s mayor embodies an alliance between reactionary Islamism and progressivism
"In the 12-day war with Iran that ended this week, 28 Israelis were
killed by Iranian missiles, more than 3,000 were injured, and much of
the country was repeatedly forced into safe rooms and shelters.
"Yet
it was the Jews of Britain who Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli
said were in such danger that they should leave the country and
immigrate to Israel.
"Chikli accused the Labour Government in
the United Kingdom of fuelling antisemitism and claimed that its voter
base consisted of “Hamas sympathisers”. He told the Daily Mail: “Without a dramatic change of course by Britain’s political leadership, I see no future for Jewish life in England.”
"Jews
are being subjected to a tsunami of antisemitism throughout the
countries of the West. Chikli singled out Britain because it is
considered the worst of them all.
"That’s because what can only be
described as the deranged belief that Israel is the epicentre of global
evil has now become a default narrative across Britain’s political and
cultural establishment.
"The Co-op, a grocery store chain, is
banning Israeli produce from its stores. Films, books and other
expressions of Jewish culture are being blocked and erased from public
space. At this week’s annual conference of the doctors’ trade union, the
British Medical Association, no fewer than 43 motions were put forward
to denounce the Jewish state over the war in Gaza.
"Although this
lunacy stretches across a liberal-dominated society, the energy behind
it comes from Islamists. This Judeocidal alliance has been given
traction in the West by left-wing governments that subscribe to the
false and libellous narrative about Israel and refuse even to criticise
the Islamic world.
"Left-wingers and Islamists marching together in
support of “Palestine” — and now the Islamic regime of Iran — make
common cause over the destruction of the West and hatred of Israel and
the Jews.
"Britain’s prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, is
disgracefully riding this tiger. Under pressure from an increasingly
powerful Muslim political bloc and with the hard left in his own party
always one round-robin away from deposing him, he refused to back either
Israel’s or America’s attack on Iran and called instead for
“de-escalation”.
"His new decision to ban Palestine Action as a
terrorist group inadvertently demonstrates the political paralysis that
arises from this unprincipled position. The last straw in this group’s
“long history of unacceptable criminal damage” came when it broke into
RAF Brize Norton, the military airfield in Oxfordshire, and damaged two
military aircraft.
"Government officials are now investigating the
possibility that Palestine Action is funded by Tehran. Yet around 11 of
Starmer’s own members of parliament have supported this terrorist group.
"Now
America is facing a similar nightmare in the shape of Zohran Mamdani,
whose victory over former New York governor Andrew Cuomo in the
Democratic Party primary this week puts him in pole position to become
mayor of New York. This spells a potential catastrophe for the iconic
citadel of American cultural and financial power, and a security
disaster for the city’s Jewish community, the largest outside Israel.
"Mamdani
is an extreme leftist who four years ago tweeted: “Queer liberation
means defund the police.” In his campaign, he ran on taxing the rich,
government-run grocery stores, free bus travel and a freeze on rent.
Such policies are unworkable but offer New Yorkers what many want to
hear — a programme of left-wing, anti-capitalist populism.
"He also
has a deep hatred of Israel. He supports a boycott of the Jewish state;
he has refused to condemn the Hamas-led atrocities in Israel on October
7, 2023; and he has sanitised the slogan “Globalise the intifada,”
which is a call to murder Jews around the world.
"As a result of all this, and his charismatic and telegenic personality, he’s become an overnight rock star.
"The
kind of people who drape themselves in the keffiyeh and mindlessly
parrot Hamas propaganda about Israel’s supposed “genocide,” young,
college-educated progressives and the vacuous narcissists who people the
entertainment industry, are going wild for him.
"The support by
such people for such a man is bizarre. Mamdani isn’t just a Muslim. He
is a practising member of the Islamic Shia Twelver sect, which holds
that an apocalypse will bring down to earth the Shia messiah, the
Twelfth Imam.
"The most prominent member of this sect is Iran’s
supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — the genocidal fanatic whose
defining slogan is “Death to America!”
"Given Mamdani’s affiliation
to such an uncompromising jihadi sect, one does wonder about his pledge
to create an “office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs” at City Hall.
"Whatever
the theological legerdemain behind such contradictions, Mamdani
represents the alliance between reactionary Islamism and left-wing
progressivism that we have seen on the streets of Western cities. This
has produced the surreal spectacle of liberals marching alongside
Islamists who, should circumstances be different, would remove these
liberals’ progressive heads from their shoulders.
"As with
Britain’s Labour Party, Mamdani represents the deeply disturbing future
of progressive politics in Britain and America — a movement that has
Zionism, capitalism and the West in its sights under the banner of human
rights, humanitarianism and anti-racism.
"While its followers
demonise and dehumanise the Jewish targets of extermination, they are,
astoundingly, moralising as conscience an agenda for exterminating the
Jews.
"This shocking mindset now has a large and growing following
among younger voters. They are the products of an education system that
has progressively destroyed their ability to think, fuelled by a
sulfurous cocktail of resentments over perceived racial, ethnic, sexual
and economic marginalisation.
"Twelver Shi’ism is noted for its
encouragement of political activism. Israel may have smashed the Shia
axis in the Middle East, but the Islamic revolutionary regime in Tehran
has seeded it throughout the West.
"Yet those who have drawn
attention to Mamdani’s religious background have been denounced for
“Islamophobia”. Those accusers are the useful idiots who are
facilitating the rise of Islamic extremism in Britain, Europe and now,
increasingly, in America.
"They are also weakening the ability of
the West to defend itself against the most dangerous of the Islamist
groups waging war on the West: the Iranian regime.
"Although Israel
and America have won a great victory against that regime, the war
against it is far from over. While it remains in place, it still poses a
grievous threat to Israel, America and the West.
"In Israel,
there’s concern that President Donald Trump, after his great act of
boldness and tactical brilliance in destroying Iran’s principal nuclear
sites, may nevertheless think he has thus destroyed Iran’s ability to
continue its genocidal war.
"This belief may not be accurate. There
are concerns that supposedly 400 kilograms of enriched uranium may have
been transported to other secret sites before the US attack.
"The
Tehran regime has an unrivalled record of deceit and manipulation with
which it has bamboozled the West for decades and hidden parts of its
nuclear programme from United Nations inspectors. Trump seems to believe
he can now dragoon a greatly weakened Iran into verifiably destroying
the remainder of that programme. Few others would bank on that.
"Aside
from the nuclear threat, the regime has long installed thousands of
sleeper cells across the West. Britain’s security service, MI5, says
Iranian terrorism is now a principal threat to Britain. And along with
Hamas operatives, Iranian groups have been instrumental in organising
the menacing pro-jihadi demonstrations on Western streets.
"Israel
is still locked into a terrible war in Gaza with Iran’s proxy, Hamas.
Hostages remain incarcerated in the Strip, both living and dead. The
threat posed by Iran itself remains unfinished business.
"Nevertheless,
Jerusalem has inflicted astonishing damage on its mortal enemy. It’s
achieved this by recognising the threat and using immense courage,
brilliance and boldness to fight it. So did Trump.
"By contrast,
the West’s elites are paralysed in the face of the same threat because
they remain gripped by their drive toward cultural suicide.
"Israel,
despite or perhaps because of its embattled state, is far safer. That’s
why Chikli’s warning to diaspora Jews is on the button."
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