Your Local Epidemiologist - The Dose, 4-14-26

Here's another fact-filled newsletter by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina:

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A bad tick season, CDC rabies testing paused, plus a new measles epicenter, stomach flu, and a late RSV season that's prompting great questions from parents.

The Dose (April 14)

Katelyn Jetelina, Apr 14, 2026

Happy Tuesday! We're back after a week off. Did we miss anything? (Don't answer that.)

Lots to dig into: Ticks are top of mind and showing up at a higher-than-normal rate this year, while the stomach flu is at its seasonal peak, and measles could be quietly becoming endemic in Utah. Plus: a CDC rabies testing pause that’s less scary than the headlines suggest but points to a major problem underneath the surface, and, as always, some genuinely good news.

Here’s what’s circulating and, most importantly, what you can do about it.

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Ticks are having a year

Tick season is off to an unusually bad start. Emergency department visits for tick bites are running at roughly 71 per 100,000 people per week, more than double the typical rate at this time of year (around 30 per 100,000).

Will the trend continue? It’s hard to say because three factors are colliding:

1. Weather. A bad tick season usually follows a mild winter, since ticks can only be killed by sustained temperatures below 10°F for several days. Northeasterners who just endured the region’s harshest winter in a decade may be skeptical, but much of the West and South saw record warmth, which could keep the national average high.

2. Reach. Ticks are expanding into new geographies.

3. Detection. Health systems are getting better at identifying tick-borne diseases.

All of which makes this trend worth watching as the season unfolds.

Data from CDC; Annotated by Your Local Epidemiologist

Tracking tick-borne diseases is hard because no single system captures the full picture. CDC tracks confirmed diagnoses reported by doctors and hospitals, and separately tracks ED visits, but both have limitations.

Field surveillance fills in another piece: one method is the “tick drag"— literally dragging a sheet through tick areas to test them. Shout-out to the Illinois Department of Public Health's vector surveillance team, who brought the public along for a day in the life of tick surveillance.

What this means for you: Keep enjoying the outdoors! But if you’re in a tick-prone area, take that extra minute to do a tick check. The most important thing is removing the tick properly (use fine-tipped tweezers, grab close to the skin, pull upward, no twisting, no Vaseline, no matches). Then watch for symptoms: fever, rash, fatigue, joint aches. If you find an attached tick and are in a high-risk area for Lyme disease, it’s worth calling your doctor if it was attached for more than 36 hours.

I recently stumbled upon the PA Tick Research Lab, where you can submit your tick for testing to identify the species and screen for tick-borne pathogens. Testing is free for Pennsylvania residents; $50 for everyone else.

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Norovirus is (hopefully) peaking

Norovirus (think diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea) is currently at its seasonal peak. There are early signs of a decline, but it will likely take another month or two to come down meaningfully.

Source: CDC; Annotated by Your Local Epidemiologist.

What this means for you: This is never a fun one for a household to get, because it’s extremely contagious. Wash your hands. Hand sanitizer doesn’t help.

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RSV is late—parents of infants should pay attention

RSV typically peaks in winter and is gone by March. This year, it's still elevated across much of the country in April. This matters because RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization in infants.

Data: PopHIVE; Annotated by Your Local Epidemiologist.

This late wave is not only unusual but also has real practical implications. The window for infants to receive monoclonal antibodies for proactive RSV protection typically closes in March, at the end of RSV season. Now that we’re in April, many parents and clinicians are left uncertain about whether to act:

1. Should my infant get RSV protection now, or wait until fall? If your baby is around 1 month old, the guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics is clear: don’t wait. Younger age and first-season administration should always be prioritized. For older infants who missed protection earlier this season, the calculus is harder, but given that RSV is still circulating at elevated levels, the case for acting now rather than waiting until fall is strong.

2. Will insurance cover it this late in the season? It should. Coverage for RSV monoclonal antibodies should remain in place through at least April 30. Private insurers and state Medicaid programs have signaled that they recognize the disease trend has shifted later this year, so barriers to coverage should not be an issue. And for the clinician readers out there, the Vaccines for Children program should also continue to pay for these immunizations, but we, of course, want to hear from you if you’re experiencing otherwise on the ground (comment below).

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Measles: one outbreak ends, another grows

The United States tally is currently at 1,748 confirmed measles cases. Two important developments this past week:

1. South Carolina’s outbreak is winding down, coming at a staggering cost.

South Carolina has not reported any new measles cases since March 17, bringing the total to 997 since the outbreak began in October 2025. If no new cases are reported, the state could officially declare the outbreak over by April 26.

The cost was staggering: an estimated $35.5 million in response spending as of early March, plus significant school disruption, missed workdays, and caregiver burden.

2. Utah is now the epicenter of measles in the United States.

Utah’s measles outbreak began in June 2025, with now 597 confirmed cases, and more than half of those have been diagnosed just this year.

What’s most concerning are two things:

• This outbreak has been spreading for more than 10 months.

• Many of the people who are getting sick had no known contact with anyone else who was infected. That means the virus isn’t just jumping from person to person in traceable clusters anymore. It’s circulating quietly through the community.

Both of these point to a disease becoming endemic, meaning it’s no longer an outbreak but a permanent presence.

Utah’s MMR vaccination coverage among kindergartners sits at roughly 88% (well below the 95% threshold for herd immunity), and around 10% of in-person kindergartners have a non-medical exemption or missing documentation. Utah has the second-highest exemption rates in the country.

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The CDC paused rabies testing. How worried should the U.S. be?

The headlines have been scarier than the immediate risk, but there is a serious underlying problem.

The testing pause: CDC posted a list of more than two dozen types of testing that have become unavailable, including rabies and mpox. This is a temporary pause for a quality review. This is not the first time the CDC has paused some of its lab testing, but it is pausing more kinds of tests than ever before. Testing should be back up and running in a few weeks.

Human rabies specifically: This pause is not raising major red flags for me. Human rabies is extraordinarily rare (<5 cases per year), and the CDC typically tests only a few dozen people annually. The testing that was paused is confirmatory testing for people who are already sick, and by that point in a rabies infection, there is usually very little that can be done. Critically, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), the treatment you get after a potential rabies exposure, is based on epidemiological factors, not on waiting for lab confirmation. So the management of exposures continues as normal.

Where I do have concern: About 1.5 million people seek medical care for animal bites each year, and rabies risk should be considered for most of them. Nearly all of those risk assessments are handled by clinicians or state and local health departments. The cases that reach the CDC are the most complicated ones—a bat found in a room with a sleeping child, a mass exposure at a summer camp—situations that are time-sensitive and require deep expertise.

But due to DOGE and budget cuts, CDC’s rabies and pox virus staff will soon be down to just one person to advise on these complex consultations. That could mean unnecessary treatment for some and missed treatment for others.

The erosion of specialized public health capacity at the federal level makes it harder to respond to rare but serious events when they do occur.

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Good news

1. The Artemis II crew splashed down safely, a beautiful reminder of what humanity can accomplish when thousands of people work in precise coordination toward a single extraordinary goal, through decades of scientific investment, expertise, and discipline. At a moment when the world can feel small and fractured, sending humans around the moon is a quiet insistence that we are still capable of choosing something bigger.

2. Menthol restrictions are working. Massachusetts data show that restricting menthol cigarette sales has reduced smoking prevalence by 1.4% since 2020. Although seemingly small, this reduction is estimated to have saved $200 million in health care costs over ten years.

3. Global maternal mortality has fallen by more than 40% since 2000, and deaths among children under five have dropped by over 50%. Maternal conditions that were once life-threatening (elevated blood pressure, cancer, HIV) are increasingly manageable, extending and improving lives worldwide.

4. NIH funding fight resolved: The Trump administration dropped its court fight to cap NIH payments for research overhead costs, effectively ending the 14-month standoff that had threatened universities, hospitals, and academic medical centers. (Read the YLE deep dive on indirect costs here.)

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Bottom line

Stay safe out there, do your tick checks, and remember that the public health system, even a strained one, is full of people working hard to keep you well.

Love, YLE

Disheartening News About Vaccines, Thanks to RFK Jr

From Wired 4-10-26:

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No One Knows Where US Vaccine Policy Goes Next

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s sweeping changes to federal vaccine guidance are paused for now. But even if they’re reversed, lasting damage has already been done.

"Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pursued an aggressive overhaul of federal vaccine guidance and infrastructure since he took office a little over a year ago. Now, his agenda is on hold after a federal judge blocked many of those changes and as reports surface that the White House is reining in his anti-vaccine rhetoric ahead of the midterm elections.

"What’s next for US vaccine policy will depend on the outcome of a federal court case, and whether Kennedy is allowed to resume his crusade against vaccines after November. Even if the Trump administration pivots to a more science-backed approach to vaccines, public health experts worry about the long-term effects of Kennedy’s tenure to date.

“It's unknown what these ramifications are going to look like,” says Syra Madad, chief biopreparedness officer at NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest municipal health care system in the US. “Already, we’re seeing more vaccine hesitancy. We're seeing the rise of vaccine-preventable illnesses such as measles.”

"A longtime vaccine conspiracy theorist, Kennedy dropped Covid-19 vaccine recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women last May. Shortly after, he ousted all 17 previous members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, which makes vaccine recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After he appointed new members with a history of criticizing vaccines, the reconstituted panel voted in December to end the recommendation for a universal birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, guidance that had been in place since 1991.

"In January, Kennedy announced sweeping changes to the childhood immunization schedule, bypassing his own vaccine advisory panel and reducing the number of routine vaccines from 17 to 11 without providing any scientific rationale for doing so.

"A lawsuit filed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups challenged these changes. A federal judge ruled in March that the new ACIP members were unlawfully appointed, voiding their previous actions. The decision also paused implementation of Kennedy’s changes to the childhood vaccination schedule, since he did not consult ACIP first.

"The Trump administration has said it will appeal, throwing vaccine policy into limbo. “HHS looks forward to this judge’s decision being overturned just like his other attempts to keep the Trump administration from governing,” spokesman Andrew Nixon told WIRED in an email.

"In recent weeks, Kennedy has toned down his messaging around vaccines, focusing instead on nutrition and microplastics and announcing a new podcast. Robert Malone, one of Kennedy’s hand-picked members for ACIP, who stepped down in March, said on a conservative podcast that Kennedy was ordered by a White House adviser to “shut down” any discussions about vaccines ahead of the mid-term elections in November, suggesting that Kennedy’s anti-vaccine views are unpopular with voters.

"How the US makes decisions about vaccines for the rest of President Trump’s term is an open question. ACIP recommendations become federal policy when they are adopted by the CDC director, but Kennedy fired previous CDC director Susan Monarez, allegedly because she would not rubber-stamp his vaccine changes. The position has been open since August, with National Institutes of Health director Jay Bhattacharya currently running the agency. Despite his boss’s anti-vaccine views, Bhattacharya recently told CDC staffers that it is “absolutely vital” to get the measles vaccine.

“Vaccination recommendations are frozen in amber to the time before Kennedy took office,” says Elizabeth Jacobs, an epidemiologist at the University of Arizona and a founding member of Defend Public Health, a grassroots organization that formed in late 2024 after Kennedy’s nomination.

"Without a functional ACIP, new vaccines face a bottleneck in getting to patients, Jacobs says. While the Food and Drug Administration is the agency that approves new vaccines, ACIP issues recommendations on who should get them and when. In many states, those recommendations dictate prescribing and insurance coverage of vaccines. If the FDA were to approve a new vaccine without an ACIP in place, it could mean delayed access for individuals.

"On Thursday, HHS published a new charter for ACIP, as it is legally required to do every two years. It names groups that have promoted vaccine skepticism among those that will send liaisons to meetings and elevates the monitoring of vaccine adverse events to a primary function of the panel. Kennedy has repeatedly questioned the safety of vaccines and vowed to make changes to the country’s vaccine injury compensation system. The timing is coincidence, since the previous ACIP charter expired on April 1. For now, though, the March court ruling prohibits ACIP from meeting.

“We don't know how vaccine policy is going to work going forward. There's a lot of uncertainty here, and that’s the damage that's being done,” says Ben Lopman, an epidemiologist at Emory University who specializes in disease modeling.

"He worries that some babies born during this period will miss out on the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine because of ACIP’s recent decision to drop the recommendation. The virus can cause chronic liver infection and sometimes cancer. In many countries, the hepatitis B vaccine is given in the hospital shortly after birth since the virus can be transmitted from mother to child during delivery. In the US, an estimated 25,000 infants every year are born to women who are positive for hepatitis B. Without vaccination, up to 90 percent of them would develop chronic infections.

"Even though federal guidance has technically reverted back to recommending the hepatitis B birth dose, Lopman says that doesn’t mean it’s happening in practice.

“A court ruling can reverse the policy,” Lopman says, “but it doesn't change the erosion of public trust and the confusion that the recent policy statements have made.” 

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Emily Mullin is a staff writer at WIRED, covering biotechnology. Previously, she was an MIT Knight Science Journalism project fellow and a staff writer covering biotechnology at Medium's OneZero. Before that, she served as an associate editor at MIT Technology Review, where she wrote about biomedicine.

Here's the latest Dr Ruth report from Dr. Ruth Ann Crystal. I always look forward to, and learn a lot from, her newsletters.

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Dr. Ruth Report, 4/12/26

Ruth Ann Crystal MD, Apr 12, 2026

 

U.S. Respiratory Illness Summary:

• RSV activity continues to be high into April in many U.S. regions.

• COVID is low in the West, moderate in some Midwestern and Southern locations, and is still high in a few spots through the Northeast. JP Weiland estimates that we are down to 118,000 new COVID infections per day in the United States, which is one of the lowest levels in years.

• Flu A is low overall, and Flu B varies by region, but is still high in some places like the Northeast.

From: WastewaterSCAN

Acute COVID Infections, General COVID Info

4/7/26 Cell: SARS-CoV-2 directly infects the inner ear and causes hearing dysfunction https://buff.ly/zU3Rl4P

A study from Huazhong University showed that SARS-CoV-2 can invade the cochlea directly in mice, killing the spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) responsible for transmitting sound. Rather than causing damage through inflammation, the spike protein appears to trigger this cell death by disrupting the normal function of stress granules.

From: https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(26)00329-3

Pediatrics

4/2/26 Academic Pediatrics: School Difficulties and Long COVID in Children and Adolescents https://buff.ly/ssLaO9P

A RECOVER Pediatrics study of 1,976 children and teens found that those with Long COVID were more than twice as likely to experience falling grades, and also had greater difficulty with concentration and socializing with peers. Given how many children are affected, the authors call for urgent development of school-based support services.

Long COVID

2/2026 Journal of Advanced Research: SARS-CoV-2 damages cardiomyocyte mitochondria and implicates long COVID-associated cardiovascular manifestations https://buff.ly/WjLO5BU

Electron microscopy shows that SARS-CoV-2 harms myofibrillar bundles in heart muscle and also severely damages mitochondria, the energy producers for the heart cells. This can lead to Long COVID/post-COVID cardiovascular symptoms and heart arrhythmias.

From: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2090123225003066?via%3Dihub

4/8/26 BioRxiV (Yale Iwasaki lab): Intranasal Anti-CD3 Antibody Treatment Attenuates Post-COVID Neuroinflammation and Enhances Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Cognitive Function in Mice https://buff.ly/qEpRMVu

A Yale University mouse study found that nasal administration of an anti-CD3 antibody controlled neuroinflammation after COVID, restored neuron growth in the hippocampus, and helped to improve memory. The findings suggest a potential noninvasive treatment for Long COVID cognitive dysfunction.

4/8/26 BMJ: Long covid’s £8bn bill: OECD report warns pandemic continues to cast a “long shadow” https://buff.ly/YZ4s987

A new OECD report projects that Long COVID will cost OECD countries $135 billion per year because of people leaving the workforce and having lower productivity from disability. In addition, Long COVID will generate an additional $11 billion per year in healthcare costs across member countries over the next decade.

4/9/26 BioRxiV Preprint: An imaging flow cytometry method to study platelet-monocyte aggregates (PMA) using Long COVID as a model https://buff.ly/xMjVdvo

Researchers at Stellenbosch University found that people with Long COVID had far higher levels of platelet-monocyte aggregates (PMA) than healthy controls, roughly 29% versus 5%. They suggest that PMA could act as a biomarker for thromboinflammatory burden in Long COVID.

3/28/26 European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology: Self-Reported Smell and Taste Disorders in the General Population: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Austria, Germany and Switzerland https://buff.ly/7FBxsi1

A survey of 2,340 people across Austria, Germany, and Switzerland found that roughly 40% reported significant loss of smell or taste, a striking prevalence that researchers have connected to COVID infections in the region.

4/9/26 Journal of Human Hypertension: COVID-19 and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with pre-existing hypertension https://buff.ly/Y7YgCeQ

A large study of 75,180 patients at Montefiore Health System found that COVID infection, irrespective of disease severity, raises long-term heart risks in people with hypertension. Hospitalized patients showed 65% higher rates of major cardiac events and 2.5x mortality, years after their infection.

4/6/26 JACC Case Reports: Atypical Presentations of Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction in Patients After COVID https://buff.ly/eCWD0Xw

University of Florida physicians describe 3 patients with persistent chest pain after COVID whose routine cardiac tests looked completely normal, but whose coronary flow reserve (CFR) was significantly impaired. They concluded, “Coronary microvascular dysfunction may be the etiology of post-COVID chest pain. An earlier CFR assessment may shorten diagnostic delays and improve quality of life.”

From: https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jaccas.2026.107508

3/24/26 Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology: Proteomic signatures of COVID-19 Post-Vaccination/Post-Infection Syndrome (PV/PIS) https://buff.ly/uwatuH2

In a small pilot study of 30 participants from Stellenbosch University, people with persistent symptoms following either COVID vaccination or infection showed signs of immune dysregulation and abnormal clotting patterns, with some differences from classic Long COVID. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.

3/27/26 Current Cardiology Reviews: Retrospective Analysis of Clinical Repurposing of Dipyridamole and L-Arginine for Treatment of Long COVID Endothelitis https://buff.ly/QzxljAj

In a retrospective study of 44 Long COVID endothelitis patients, “treatment with dipyridamole and L-arginine, particularly in combination, was associated with meaningful improvements in fatigue, dyspnea, ability to perform ADLs, and mental health symptoms in patients with Long COVID.” Larger controlled trials are needed before firm conclusions can be made.

4/8/26 CIDRAP: Eye symptoms may signal higher-severity long COVID https://buff.ly/kSk7OkY

A new study found that people who developed new eye symptoms such as blurred vision, dry eyes, or floaters after COVID were more likely to report worse overall health and greater financial and housing difficulties, suggesting that ocular symptoms may serve as a marker for more severe Long COVID.

4/6/26 Unilad: People with long Covid are turning to opera singing for a surprising reason https://buff.ly/SiQkz0O

A program rooted in opera based breathing techniques has now reached more than 5,000 Long COVID patients in England. Opera exercises teach people to breathe more slowly and deliberately can help with symptoms of shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain, and fast breathing. Organizers are now planning to extend the program to people living with asthma and COPD.

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SARS-CoV-2 envelope (E) protein

Three new studies about the SARS-CoV-2 envelope (E) protein show that it can 1) disrupt mitochondria, 2) can cause epithelial cells to dedifferentiate and then die, and 3) can increase iron within cells to help the virus replicate.

From: https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/sars-cov-2-up-close

4/1/26 J of Biological Chemistry: SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein mitochondrial localization reveals host metabolic disruption https://buff.ly/rHTTGj0

Purdue University researchers found that the SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein enters mitochondria, disrupts the cell’s energy and lipid balance, and causes a buildup of damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS) without killing the cell outright. This metabolic disruption may help the virus replicate more efficiently by shifting the cell toward aerobic glycolysis.

3/23/26 Cell Death & Disease: SARS-CoV-2 nonspike structural proteins hijack mucosa epithelial cell fate https://buff.ly/c3yeuex

Multinational researchers studying 64 COVID patients found that the SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein can push mucosal epithelial cells to dedifferentiate, stall tissue repair, and ultimately trigger cell death. A molecule called calponin 2 (CNN2) was identified as a potential new treatment target.

3/25/26 BioRxiV: Coronavirus envelope protein drives iron sensing disorder by hijacking the TAp73-FDXR axis https://buff.ly/0hQ5n6K

A preprint from Yangling, China reports that the coronavirus envelope protein disrupts iron sensing inside cells, causing iron to accumulate in ways that may help the virus replicate. The authors developed a new molecule called DPTP-FC that appears to reduce this iron buildup and limit tissue damage across several coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2.

Measles

As of April 9, 2026, 1,714 confirmed measles cases have been reported in the United States in 2026. Actual hospitalization numbers are unclear because some states, including South Carolina, do not report all hospitalized cases.

By the end of March, the US reported 1,671 measles cases in the first 3 months of 2026. “That’s 73% of the total [measles cases] from 2025, the worst year for the virus in more than three decades.”

4/7/26 South Carolina Department of Public Health: No new measles cases have been reported in South Carolina since March 17, keeping the outbreak total at 997, which is larger than the 2025 Texas outbreak.

Utah Department of Public Health (Measles): https://epi.utah.gov/measles-response/

4/9/26 AP News: Too young for the MMR shot, babies become ‘sitting ducks’ in measles outbreaks https://buff.ly/2Ri8PSO

Babies under 6 months of age cannot receive the MMR vaccine and are especially vulnerable during outbreaks. “Babies depend entirely on herd immunity — at least 95% of a community must be vaccinated to prevent measles outbreaks.” National MMR vaccination rates among kindergartners have fallen to 92.5% in 2024-25, with some communities far below that. As Dr. Martha Edwards, president of South Carolina’s American Academy of Pediatrics chapter commented, “The choice not to vaccinate impacts other parents’ rights to keep their children safe.”

Government News

4/9/26 NBC: White House calls new ballroom a national security necessity that’s ‘vital’ to the Trump family’s safety https://buff.ly/xQpgcqw

The Trump administration described the proposed 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom as a “national security necessity” vital to the first family’s safety, and indicated it will seek Supreme Court review if a federal appeals court does not rule in its favor.

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Other News

4/8/26 Nature: Genetic predictors of GLP1 receptor agonist weight loss and side effects https://buff.ly/V0nKWDg

A genome-wide study of 27,885 people from 23andMe found specific variants in the GLP1R and GIPR genes that can predict both how much weight a person will lose on GLP-1 medications and whether they are likely to experience nausea or vomiting. The GIPR association for nausea was specific to people taking tirzepatide, and the findings may eventually help match patients to the right medication for them.

3/27/26 Gut Microbes: Circulatory dietary and gut-derived metabolites predict early cognitive decline https://buff.ly/yIb6nmB

University of East Anglia researchers analyzed blood and stool samples from 150 adults aged 50 and older and found that six metabolites produced by gut bacteria could classify people into healthy, mildly impaired, and cognitively declining groups with about 79% accuracy. The findings raise the possibility that a simple blood test based on gut-derived metabolites could one day help detect dementia risk before symptoms become obvious.

2/17/26 Fred Hutch Cancer Center: Scientists develop first-of-its-kind antibody to block Epstein-Barr virus https://buff.ly/11tV8e1

4/7/26 Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy: Triggering multiple sclerosis: infection with Epstein-Barr virus activates multiple pre-existing autoreactive B and T cells https://buff.ly/t9381TQ

Munich researchers found that the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may trigger multiple sclerosis by waking up pre-existing immune cells that attack myelin, leading to brain inflammation and myelin loss years after the initial infection.

4/9/26 Nature: One woman, three autoimmune diseases: CAR-T therapy vanquishes ultra-rare disease trio https://buff.ly/506I4gq

A single course of CAR-T cell therapy made three simultaneous rare autoimmune diseases into remission in one patient. More than a year later, she remains free of symptoms without any ongoing medication.

4/3/26 Science: Copper supports regulatory T cell energetic state to sustain peripheral immune tolerance https://buff.ly/J9pEecr

A Chinese study of 122 people along with a separate mouse study found that adequate levels of copper are necessary for regulatory T cells to maintain the metabolic energy they need to keep the immune system calm. Disrupting copper transport caused T reg cells to lose their ability to prevent excessive inflammation, suggesting that copper metabolism could be a meaningful target in autoimmune disease.

4/11/26 AP News: Artemis II’s record-breaking journey around the moon ends with dramatic splashdown https://buff.ly/9BysiBi

The four Artemis II astronauts completed humanity’s first crewed lunar voyage in more than 50 years with a Pacific splashdown on Friday, breaking Apollo 13’s distance record at 252,756 miles from Earth. Data will be used to prepare for a new landing on the moon by another crew in approximately two years.

NASA photos of Artemis II: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-ii-multimedia/#images

Zero gravity hug of pure joy

Lunar eclipse

“Echoing the iconic Earthrise photo captured by the Apollo 8 astronauts in 1968, during the lunar flyby, the Artemis II crew captured a shot of Earthset as they passed behind the Moon’s far side.”

Have a great week,

Ruth Ann Crystal MD

NYT: All The Anti-Israel Propaganda That's Fit To Print

Michael Goodwin: The New York Times’ hate-filled agenda drags on

Published in NY Post, April 11, 2026, 10:35 p.m. ET

"It’s not as if the ranks of antisemites were thinning and reinforcements are needed.

"Nevertheless, haters of Israel and President Trump, in the media and elsewhere, have a new rationale for their condemnation of America’s involvement in the Iran war.

"According to the latest blame-the-Jews- bile, Trump was persuaded to attack the Islamist regime only by a deceptive “hard sell” from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Otherwise, we are supposed to believe that peace would be breaking out in the Middle East instead of yet another war.

"A chief peddler of this fable is, predictably, The New York Times.

"A font of misinformation and biased reporting about everything Trump, starting with the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax in his first term.

"The paper was also a leading proponent of the false claim that Israel committed “genocide” in Gaza and was intentionally starving children.

"It saw no evil either in Hamas or a murderous Ayatollah seeking nuclear weapons and is now combining its obsessions to push distorted allegations against Trump and Israel over Iran.

"The “evidence” comes from two Times’ reporters who claim they got an exclusive view of a crucial February meeting of American and Israeli leaders in the top secret White House Situation Room.

"Because the room is supposedly secure, anyone who gave the paper details and even direct quotationes, assuming they are accurate, had to have been there– — and probably likely committed a federal crime.

"The story included descriptions of who sat where and who said what, including the reactions of Trump and members of his national security team to a presentation by Netanyahu.

Distorting the truth

"The story also revealed details of a supposed second meeting held the following day that involved only Americans.

"They were identified as the president, vice-presidentVice President J.D Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, DefenseWar Secretary Pete Hegseth and Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff.

"It contained what were supposedly direct quotationes from nearly everyone in the room.

"The most pointed ones were from Ratcliffe, Rubio and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff.

"The article said CIA head Ratcliffe described Netanyahu’s claim in the first meeting that an attack would lead to quick regime change in Tehran as “farcical.”

"Then, according to the Times, Rubio added, “In other words, it’s bullshi–t.”

"The paper cited a long quote attributed to Gen. Caine while he was speaking to the commander-in-chief: “Sir, this is, in my experience, standard operating procedure for the Israelis. They oversell, and their plans are not always well-developed. They know they need us, and that’s why they’re hard-selling.”

"Trump was quoted as responding that regime change would be “their problem,” but “it was unclear whether he was referring to the Israelis or the Iranian people.”

"Then came the conclusion that Trump was very interested in accomplishing two parts of Netanyahu’s presentation, described as “killing the Ayatollah and Iran’s top leaders and dismantling the Iranian military.”

"But the real problem with the story isn’t just what it says, it’s also what it doesn’t say that distorts the truth.

"Absent is the fact that Trump has waged a decade-long campaign to defang Iran and make sure it never acquires nuclear weapons.

"His decision to eliminate the mullahs’ terror mastermind, Qasem Soleimani, in his first term was a radical break from the appeasement policies of Barack Obama.

Love for Obama deal

"Trump fully repudiated his predecessor by withdrawing from the weak-tea nuclear agreement with Iran that Obama crafted.

"It involved a lifting of American sanctions and a shipment of pallets of cash to the mullahs, much of which was used to fund Hamas, Hezbollah and other terror proxies in the region.

"Of course, the Times loved ­Obama’s deal, and denounced Trump for withdrawing from it.

"So its coverage of Trump’s policies now must be seen through that lens.

"Similarly, its hatred of Netanyahu goes back years, and the paper supported the unsuccessful meddling by Obama and Joe Biden in Israeli elections that aimed to defeat Netanyahu.

"Its Iran coverage also conveniently overlooks how Trump’s 2024 opponent, then-Vice President Kamala Harris, whom the Gray Lady supported, even described herself as a hawk on Iran.

"Asked in an interview which country she believed was the US’s “greatest adversary,” she answered, “I think there is an obvious one in mind, which is Iran. Iran has American blood on their hands.”

"The Times also ignores Trump’s bid to negotiate with the mullahs this term, and how they boasted of their enriched uranium and said nothing could stop them.

"Unfortunately, the papers’ fact-challenged coverage is not without consequences.

"As the leading voice of the Democratic Party, its anti-Trump, anti-Israel campaigns carry great weight among many voters.

"That impact is magnified because leftist news organizations, including many newspapers, magazines, the major broadcast networks and most cable outlets, fall in lockstep with its positions.

"The impact of the widespread media tilt is enormous, with a recent Pew poll showing that 60% of U.S. adults hold an unfavorable opinion of Israel.

"Only 37% hold a favorable view, a 20-point decline since 2022, Pew reports.

"The survey found that 70% of people under 50 hold unfavorable opinions of Israel, including 80% of Dems and 41% of Republicans.

"The splintering of GOP support is happening rapidly, and is at least partially because formerly conservative media figures are turning against the Jewish state.

"Tucker Carlson is especially vicious, and Megyn Kelly increasingly is, too.

"On a recent podcast, she called Israel “the fly in the ointment” while accusing it of jeopardizing the cease-fire negotiations that started Saturday.

"She denounced Netanyahu as “bloodthirsty” for continuing to bomb Hezbollah in Lebanon despite Iran’s claims that the halt included Lebanon.

Low IQ pundits

"A transcript shows she also accused the White House of “pretending” Israel is right that the terms did not cover Lebanon and said Trump shifted positions “following a phone call” with Netanyahu, whom she said “won’t stop” bombing Hezbollah.

"Without mentioning Hamas, Hezbollah’s attacks or Iranian pledges to eliminate Israel, she claimed Netanyahu doesn’t want a cease-fire “just like the president’s most ardent, bloodthirsty supporters who got us into this war.”

"On Israel, she added, “we need to reevaluate our relationship with this country.”

“We can’t keep getting dragged into these never ending conflicts thanks to them,” she said, adding that “Israel is a liability for us.”

"Trump, to his credit, denounced Kelly and Carlson, as well as Candace Owens and Alex Jones, saying on Truth Social that “I know they think it is wonderful for Iran, the Number One State Sponsor of Terror, to have a Nuclear Weapon — Because they have one thing in common, Low IQs.”

"Intelligence scores aside, Trump is right that the defectors don’t grasp the stakes of the Iranian regime’s bid to get– — and promise to use– — nukes against Israel and the U.S.

"He might have added that their views make his former supporters a perfect fit for jobs at the Times and CNN– — or even Al Jazeera."

Hero Cops Save Lives

The New York detectives who shot and killed this maniac should get medals. Terrorists like this who deliberately target the elderly deserve a special place in Hell -- and thanks to these two cops, he's already there. 

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New York Post 4-11-26 

Machete-wielding NYC maniac fatally shot by cops after stabbing 3 elderly straphangers at Grand Central Terminal

"A maniac slashed three elderly people with a machete in an unprovoked attack and was fatally shot by cops at Grand Central Terminal Saturday morning — causing mayhem that sent panicked commuters fleeing the iconic station, police and witnesses said.

"An 85-year-old man and a 65-year-old man were slashed in their heads on the 4, 5, 6 subway platform at the iconic station at 9:50 a.m., police said. A 70-year-old woman was also slashed, but it wasn’t clear where on her body, cops said.

"Blood-soaked white gauze was wrapped around one victim’s head, photos from the scene show. The slasher appeared to be naked, but it wasn’t clear if his clothes were removed by emergency workers after he was shot.

"Two NYPD detectives, who were working overtime to provide transit security, confronted the 44-year-old man and told him to drop the machete.

"The slasher, identified as Anthony Griffin, ignored their commands and was shot three times, according to police sources.

"The victims were taken to local hospitals in stable condition, cops said.

"Griffin was taken to Bellevue Hospital and was pronounced dead a short time later, cops said.

"He has 13 prior arrests, including one for menacing with a sharp object, police sources said.

"The two officers were taken to the hospital for treatment of tinnitus, cops said.

"Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a post on X that he was “grateful to the NYPD for their quick response and for preventing additional violence.”

“The NYPD is conducting an internal investigation and will release body-worn camera footage, as it does in all incidents involving the discharge of an officer’s firearm,” he said.

"Claudio Delgado, 53, was in the main hall of Grand Central when the chaos erupted after getting off his train from Connecticut to visit his mother in the hospital.

“I was coming from Connecticut when ‘Boom!’ everyone got down on the floor fast,” the 53-year-old said. “Then the police said, ‘Get outta here! Get outta here fast!’ They said it was somebody with a gun and police were involved too. It’s scary. This is how New York City is now. It’s too much violence in New York City now.”

"A worker at the station, who declined to give his name, was also rattled.

“I saw them [paramedics], they came up with somebody on the stretcher, and they were pumping his chest,” he said. “It’s crazy. You could be on the platform minding your business, and someone had a machete, it’s scary, scary, scary.”

"Worker Jessica Munoz, who’s employed at the Bourke Street Bakery near the subway entrance, saw people running out of the station at East 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue.

“I was scared, we don’t know what we can do, we just see the people running, and I asked the guy and he said there was a shooting downstairs,” she said. “It’s scary, we didn’t know what we could do. It’s crazy.”

Why Are ANY Republicans For This Bill?!

I don't get this at all. If we had wanted this, we might as well have voted for the Democrats in 2024!

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From Brianna Lyman at The Federalist, 4-9-26:

Here Are The 8 Most Insane Things In The ‘DIGNIDAD’ Amnesty Bill

Despite President Donald Trump winning on the promise of “mass deportations,” a handful of spineless Republicans, alongside Democrats, are trying to push a mass amnesty act known as the DIGNIDAD Act — or, for English speakers, the DIGNITY Act.

The legislation is billed as not being amnesty, but would give millions of illegal aliens — both so-called DREAMers/DACA and non-DREAMers/DACA — a legal status. But co-sponsor Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., insists it’s not amnesty, so much so that she’s screaming at people on X to “READ. THE. BILL. BEFORE. YOU. OPEN. YOUR. MOUTH.”

So I read the bill.

And frankly, it might be worse than just amnesty.

Student Loan Forgiveness For Lawyers Who Provide Legal Services To Illegals

According to a “Section-by-Section Analysis” of the DIGNITY Act by Salazar and Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, the legislation creates a special loan forgiveness program for lawyers who provide legal services to illegal aliens at “Humanitarian Campuses.” “Humanitarian campuses” would be new facilities where illegal aliens get processed. Lawyers who complete four years of full-time service get 75% of their outstanding law school loans forgiven.

In other words, Americans will have to pay for lawyers to keep illegal aliens here. 

Importation Of Illegal Aliens Who Had Already Been Deported

The legislation also opens the door for aliens who were previously deported to come back to the United States and seek relief if they would otherwise qualify under the legislation.

“With respect to aliens who were removed or departed the United States on or after January 20, 2017, and who were continuously physically present in the United States for at least 5 years prior to such removal or departure, the Secretary may, as a matter of discretion, waive the physical presence requirement under section 2102 (b)(1)(A) or section 2302(1)(A) for humanitarian purposes, for family unity, or because a waiver is otherwise in the public interest.”

The section also stipulates the secretary of state should create a procedure for aliens to apply for the “relief” even if they had been deported but would otherwise have been eligible.

Exemptions From FICA Taxes

Aliens would be exempt from Social Security/Medicare payroll taxes but have to pay a 1 percent levy on adjusted gross income, according to Salazar and Escobar’s analysis.

“Dignity participants will be exempt from paying FICA taxes. However, they will be charged a separate 1% levy on their adjusted gross income,” the legislation reads.

The exemption from standard payroll taxes shifts the tax burden away from aliens while they receive work authorization and protection from removal.

Halts Deportations

The DIGNIDAD Act also includes protections that prevent aliens from being removed while their applications are pending. Under the legislation, aliens applying under the Dream provision can be given an opportunity to file even if removal proceedings have started, and those denied a change of status can seek judicial review without being subject to removal. According to the analysis, “Aliens that receive a denial of application for adjustment may apply for judicial review. Aliens seeking judicial review are exempt from removal proceedings during the review.” The analysis also states that the Dignity Program provides, among other things, “protection from removal proceedings, if conditions are being met.”

Further, the legislation is not merely for so-called Dreamers or DACA recipients, that is, aliens allegedly brought here as children. Under the legislation, there is a separate track for illegal aliens who do not qualify as DREAMers or DACA recipients. Section 2302 states the secretary of homeland security can register illegal aliens for the program if the alien “has been continually physically present in the United States since December 31, 2020,” pays a $1,000 fine, passes a background check, provides biometric data, and isn’t disqualified by any other section.

Such a provision, combined with a prohibition on deportations with paperwork pending, would effectively end mass deportations.

Grants Permanent Residency

The DIGNIDAD Act also includes a loophole that basically hands aliens a green card. So long as an alien has entered the country before turning 18 and has been here continuously since January 1, 2021, the alien is eligible for green card status. After meeting basic education, work or military requirements and passing a background check check, the alien can get a green card status which could eventually lead to citizenship if they want to seek it.

AG Can Stop Deportation For Family ‘Hardship’

The attorney general is given broad discretion to terminate deportation proceedings for family “hardship” reasons. This means the attorney general can stop removal cases when an illegal alien claims extreme hardship to a lawful permanent resident spouse, parent, or child.

Wipes 3/10 Year Bans

Illegal aliens who are in the country illegally for more than 180 days but less than a year are currently subject to a three-year re-entry ban, according to Section 212 (a)(9)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Illegals here for more than a year are subject to 10-year bans. But the DIGNITY Act lets the Secretary of Homeland Security waive those bans for eligible participants of the DIGNITY Program so long as they meet the other requirements.

Illegals With DUI Or DWI Convictions Can Stay

During an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-NY, who is co-sponsoring the bill seemingly had no idea that it allows for illegal aliens convicted of DUI and DWI’s to stay in the country.

“How about multiple DUIs?” Ingraham asked Lawler. 

“That should be included [for deportation],” Lawler agreed.

“It’s not!” Ingraham explained to him. “They can stay under this legislation!”

Under the legislation, an alien with a misdemeanor DUI or DWI conviction would still be eligible to participate in the DIGNITY program. Section 2302 Eligibility, subsection (3), states an “alien is ineligible for participation in the Dignity Program if, excluding any offense under State law for which an essential element is the alien’s immigration status, and any minor traffic offense, the alien has been convicted of any felony offense, two or more misdemeanor offenses, a misdemeanor offense of domestic violence…”

The legislation specifically carves out “minor traffic offense” from convictions that could impede eligibility. While DUI/DWI are not always classified as a minor traffic violation, first offenses are typically misdemeanors in most states. The legislation states that “two or more” misdemeanor offenses can make someone ineligible for the Dignity program. Therefore, an alien convicted of one DUI/DWI may still be eligible.

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Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2 

Good Vaccine News is Bad News For RFK, Jr.

I saw this on the news. So, because RFK, Jr. is an anti-vaxxer, the CDC is blocking a release of a study proving that the COVID vaccine works? How does that make any sense? Does he only want to print negative news so that more Americans will refuse to get vaccinated and get sick instead?  I just don't get it.

For me, the quick release of the COVID vaccine in 2021 was one of the greatest medical achievements in my lifetime, and seeing so many of us rushing to make appointments or standing in long lines for shots was one of the best things that could happen.

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CDC study shows COVID shot benefits; Trump official blocks release; Study found shots cut urgent care and hospitalization by about 50% in healthy adults.

Beth Mole – Apr 9, 2026 11:26 AM 

"Under anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been blocked from publishing a scientifically vetted study finding significant health benefits from this season’s COVID-19 vaccines, according to reporting by The Washington Post.

"The move adds to longstanding concern among health experts that chaos and political interference under Kennedy—a staunch anti-vaccine activist who has long falsely maligned COVID-19 vaccines—is deeply undermining science at federal agencies and beyond.

"CDC scientists and insiders told the Post that the COVID-19 vaccine study went through the agency’s standard scientific review process and was slated for publication on March 19 in the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). But acting CDC director Jay Bhattacharya blocked the scheduled publication and is holding the study, claiming he has concerns about its methodology.

"Agency scientists talked with the Post on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation from the Trump administration.

"According to a summary the Post obtained, the study concluded that between September and December of last year, healthy adults vaccinated with a 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccine saw the risk of emergency department or urgent care visits cut by 50 percent, and the risk of COVID-19-associated hospitalizations cut by 55 percent, compared with healthy adults who did not get this season’s shot.

"Bhattacharya reportedly took issue with the test-negative design of the study, which is a well-established method to examine real-world data on vaccine effectiveness. This type of observational study looks at people who have symptoms related to the disease of interest (in this case, COVID-19) and have the same test-seeking behavior. Those who test positive for the disease of interest become positive cases in the study, and those who test negative are test-negative controls. Researchers then compare the two groups based on vaccination status.

Routine methods

"Test-negative case-control design studies have been widely used to assess the effectiveness of many types of vaccines. In fact, the CDC published a study in the MMWR last month—a week before the COVID-19 study was set to publish—examining this year’s flu shot effectiveness with the same design. But the method gained a higher profile during the pandemic, with hundreds of studies using it to estimate COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness. Analyses have found that, like any observational study design, there are potential biases, but it’s generally considered to produce reliable estimates when those biases are controlled.

"Andrew Nixon, spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, told the Post in a statement that “It’s routine for CDC leadership to review and flag concerns about MMWR papers, especially relating to their methodology, leading up to planned publication.”

"Nixon said Bhattacharya, who is also head of the National Institutes of Health under Kennedy, was concerned by “the observational method used in the study to calculate vaccine effectiveness” and “wants to make sure that the paper uses the most appropriate methodology for such a study.” Nixon added that the agency’s “scientific team is working to address these concerns.”

"Dan Jernigan, who headed CDC’s influenza division for six years and resigned last year in protest of Kennedy’s political interference at the agency, suggested to the Post that stalling the paper fits with Kennedy’s anti-vaccine agenda.

“The secretary has already taken steps to try and remove the availability of the vaccine from children and others, so if you’re putting out an MMWR that the vaccine is effective at preventing hospitalizations and medical care visits … that message is not in line with the direction you’ve been taking with the removal of the vaccine,” he said."