"U.S.
— Following the harrowing incident at the White House Correspondents'
Dinner over the weekend, progressives across the United States applauded
the steadily improving diversity of would-be Trump assassins.
"With
many liberals concerned over the lack of minority representation among
people trying to assassinate Trump, Democrats breathed a sigh of relief
after learning that the latest failed assassin was black.
"For too
long, the would-be Trump killer space has been dominated by white men,"
said local liberal Jamie Gallagher. "Today was a long-overdue step
forward in assassin representation. It's really encouraging to see
people from different ethnic backgrounds engage in political violence. I
just hope it helps little kids know that their skin color and sexual
orientation do not have to hold them back from trying to kill Donald
Trump."
"While stating there was still more work to be done, DEI
advocacy groups hailed the news of a minority assassin as a landmark
victory. "When you see people of all different skin tones and
socioeconomic classes trying to murder political figures, you know
you've done your job," said DEI consultant Mary Harding. "To be clear,
we are not there yet. There are still so many underrepresented groups
who face significant barriers in trying to assassinate world leaders. We
will continue the hard work of ensuring real equity among people
shooting guns at President Trump."
"At publishing time,
progressives admitted that they had been crossing their fingers in hopes
that the failed assassin would also turn out to be gay."
Here's the latest info-packed newsletter from Dr Ruth Ann Crystal. It's nice to see some encouraging news about COVID, but don't let your guard down too much!
Viral respiratory illness activity as of April 24 per the CDC:
RSV activity is elevated but has peaked in most parts of the country.
Seasonal influenza activity continues to decrease. Influenza A activity is low across all regions and influenza B activity continues to trend downward.
COVID activity is low in most areas of the country.
COVID
According
to JP Weiland, “we are at the lowest transmission levels in almost 5
years”. He expects this lull in COVID transmission to last at least 6
weeks and he estimates that there are currently only about 90,000 new COVID infections per day in the United States.
According to the CDC through 4/18/26, wastewater levels of SARS-CoV-2 were moderate in Wyoming and West Virginia, and high in Mississippi. This translates to about 1 in 58 people infected with COVID in Wyoming and West Virginia, and 1 in 36 people in Mississippi per Mike Hoerger.
4/20/26
Medical Microbiology and Immunology: Acute COVID-19 is associated with
altered CD8 T-cells indicative of impaired ability to control
Epstein–Barr virus reactivation https://buff.ly/nkauvdc
German researchers studied moderate to critical hospitalized COVID patients and found that their T cells were no longer able to control latent viruseslike EBV.
In the 61 patients studied, 68% to 73% had EBV reactivation and this
was associated with CD8 T cell exhaustion as seen by reduced CD28 and
increased CD57 expression. These findings suggest that acute COVID
infection causes impaired antiviral control of latent viruses by T
cells.
Researchers
at Griffith University, using platelets from 9 donors, found that sugar
molecules attached to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein trigger platelets to
extend projections called filopodia and then aggregate into microclots.
The clotting effect was driven by sialic acid on glycan chains rather
than the spike protein itself. This carbohydrate-mediated mechanism may
help to explain COVID coagulopathy and vascular injury seen in Long
COVID.
Made with ChatGPT
Pregnancy
4/20/26 Nature: Higher expression of SOX1, miR-155, and miR-21 in the colostrum of SARS-CoV-2-infected mothers https://buff.ly/wEa4iVZ
A
Polish study of 19 people who had COVID during pregnancy vs. 21 healthy
women who did not found that “SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy
induces changes in the molecular composition of early breast milk,
promoting immunomodulatory (miR-155) and regenerative (miR-21, SOX1)
molecules.” These immune signals modulate the newborn’s immune
responses.
Pediatrics
4/22/26 Pediatric Research: Endovascular profiles linked to neutrophil activation in children and young adults with long COVID https://buff.ly/82qJh0y
Researchers
at Massachusetts General Hospital studied 84 children and young adults
and found that those with Long COVID had significantly elevated fibrin
amyloid microclot burden and markers of endothelial injury compared to
healthy controls. In vitro assays showed that SARS-CoV-2 spike immune complexes trigger neutrophils to release extracellular traps (NETs),
directly damaging blood vessel lining. They noted intravascular NETosis
from activated neutrophils as a key driver of ongoing endovascular
pathology in pediatric Long COVID.
More Microclot Info
4/23/26
Preprint (Kell and Pretorius): On the Correspondence of Diseases
Showing Microparticles, Fibrinaloid Microclots and Disorders of the
Microcirculation https://buff.ly/miIxfrD
In
a preprint, researchers Kell and Pretorius propose that numerous
chronic diseases share a common pathological signature: circulating
microparticles and amyloid rich fibrinaloid microclots that disrupt
microvascular blood flow. Their analysis points to a shared pathway of
persistent inflammation and vascular injury.
4/23/26 CIDRAP: Moderna’s combo flu-COVID vaccine receives European authorization https://buff.ly/PbRoyWf
The
European Commission granted marketing authorization to Moderna’s
mCombriax, the world’s first combination mRNA influenza and COVID-19
vaccine. A phase 3 trial showed a single dose produced statistically
higher immune responses against three flu strains and SARS-CoV-2 in
adults 50 and older, with no major safety concerns identified. Approval
by the U.S. FDA is pending, with a decision expected in August 2026.
4/19/26 Nature: Antibody profiling and plasma proteomics in SARS-CoV-2 infection: a pilot study https://buff.ly/FkAYCSn
Tokyo
University scientists tracked plasma antibodies and proteomics in a
single person over 310 days, finding minimal proteomic shifts after
vaccination but distinct, coordinated immune and inflammation changes
after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Antiviral treatments
4/22/26 NEJM: Oral Nirmatrelvir–Ritonavir for Covid-19 in Higher-Risk Outpatients https://buff.ly/C81nxdP
In
trials across the UK and Canada enrolling 4,232 predominantly
vaccinated, high-risk adults, Paxlovid did not reduce hospitalization or
death compared to placebo. The drug did shorten symptom duration and
lower viral load, suggesting potential benefit for recovery even where
it fails to prevent severe outcomes.
Long COVID
4/23/26 Physiological Reports: Impaired peripheral oxygen delivery during submaximal exercise in adults with long COVID https://buff.ly/J4umKr2
University
of Derby researchers studied 56 adults with Long COVID using a 2-day
submaximal CPET protocol combined with NIRS of the calf muscle and found
reduced muscle oxygen delivery during mild exercise that worsened on
day two of testing. Results suggest impaired peripheral oxygen extraction and delayed recovery, and not deconditioning, may be central drivers of post exertional malaise and fatigue in Long COVID.
Dr.
Putrino announced this week that the Mount Sinai Long COVID trial of
low dose Rapamycin will now be offering the medication to all study
participants.
Phase I Open-Label Safety Trial of Pembrolizumab for Neurological Post- Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PD1-PASC I) https://buff.ly/Sge4Exd
The NIH has launched an open-label, Phase I trial of Keytruda (Pembrolizumab) for Neuro Long COVID. Keytruda is an immunotherapy that may help T cell exhaustion in Long COVID as it does in cancer therapy.
4/21/26 Journal of Translational Medicine: Identification of novel reproducible combinatorial genetic risk factors for myalgic encephalomyelitis in the DecodeME patient cohort and commonalities with long COVID https://buff.ly/jfpIDpq
Using
the UK DecodeME cohort of 14,767 participants, researchers identified
22,411 reproducible genetic risk signatures for Myalgic
Encephalomyelitis (ME) across three independent patient groups, with
higher signature counts associated with 1.64 times greater odds of
disease. Notably, 76 of 180 genes linked to Long COVID also mapped to
ME, pointing to shared biological mechanisms and potential drug
repurposing opportunities for both conditions.
H5N1
4/23/26 CIDRAP: More California marine mammals confirmed to have H5N1 avian flu, as USDA tracks poultry outbreaks in Midwest https://buff.ly/Kq0gJNQ
Eleven
additional marine mammals tested positive for H5N1 in California,
bringing the ongoing outbreak total to 58 animals across four counties,
including 57 sea lions and one otter, mostly in San Mateo County.
Separately, four new commercial poultry facilities in the Midwest and
Southeast reported H5N1 outbreaks, though the overall pace of detections
has slowed compared to March.
David Cook / Flickr cc
4/6/26
BioRxiV (T. Peacock lab): Bovine H5N1 influenza viruses have adapted to
more efficiently use receptors abundant in cattle https://buff.ly/UEorl2r
Researchers
at the Pirbright Institute found that two mutations now common in dairy
cattle H5N1 strains allow the virus to bind NeuGc, a sugar molecule
present on cattle mammary cells but absent in humans and birds. This
increases viral replication in bovine tissue and may facilitate
cow-to-cow transmission.
The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) reports no new cases of measles
with the exception of an isolated case in Saluda County for which 41
people are in quarantine. The number of measles cases in the Upstate, SC
outbreak remains at 997.
The
Utah measles outbreak saw 197 cases in 2025 and 410 measles cases so
far in 2026. There have been 31 newly reported measles cases in Utah in
the last 3 weeks.
This
week, Pete Hegseth announced that the U.S. military will no longer
require flu shots. Infectious diseases like the flu can spread like
wildfire through the military, as soldiers live and work in close
quarters. If many soldiers get sick at the same time, it could become a
national security threat.
4/22/26 NY Times: C.D.C. Cancels Publication of Study Showing Benefits of Covid Vaccineshttps://buff.ly/Oi4TlTW
CDC
Director Jay Bhattacharya blocked publication of a completed CDC study
in the agency’s flagship journal, the MMWR, after it had already cleared
internal scientific review. The study found COVID vaccines cut
emergency room visits and hospitalizations by roughly 50% last winter,
using a methodology long accepted for flu and COVID vaccine
effectiveness research and published without objection in a flu vaccine
study just weeks earlier.
4/25/26 NY Times: Trump Fires Board Members of Group That Oversees U.S. Science Funding https://buff.ly/vq7AjfA
“The dismissals from an independent board that oversees the National Science Foundation marked the president’s latest assault on scientific research organizations.”
Other news
4/21/26 Nature Medicine: Epigenetic fingerprints link early-onset colon and rectal cancer to pesticide exposure https://buff.ly/EFEReKw
4/20/26 Nature Medicine: Microbiome signature of Parkinson’s disease in healthy and genetically at-risk individuals https://buff.ly/3mjyfQL
A UK and France research group found that a gut microbiome signature typical of Parkinson’s disease
can occur in both genetically at-risk individuals and in healthy people
without known risk. These microbiome patterns are linked to disease
progression in Parkinson’s patients and to early, prodromal Parkinson’s
symptoms in both genetically and non-genetically at-risk individuals in
the general population.
4/18/26 NBC: Pancreatic cancer mRNA vaccine shows lasting results in an early trial https://t.co/13GBL8ujOV
This
is great news! “Scientists caution that more research is needed, but
nearly all of the [Pancreatic Cancer] patients who responded to the
personalized vaccine are still alive six years later.”
4/25/26 NEJM: Pulsed Field Ablation as Initial Therapy for Persistent Atrial Fibrillationhttps://buff.ly/AM07xtp
In
a randomized trial for preventing recurrent atrial arrhythmias, “Among
patients with persistent atrial fibrillation, the risk of recurrence of
atrial arrhythmia was significantly lower among those who received pulsed field ablation (PFA) as first-line treatment than among those who received antiarrhythmic-drug therapy.”
This week, I received a Health Advisory from the California Medical Board and CDPH regarding risking Silicosis cases in countertop workers who work with quartz countertops. Cutting engineered quartz
releases silica dust causing an accelerated, incurable lung disease
called Silicosis, which is now a reportable disease. As of April 23,
2026, 547 countertop workers in California have been diagnosed with Silicosis since 2019, 30 of whom died and 58 of whom required lung transplants.
A
new review in Nature looks at GLP-1 receptor agonists combined with
other hormone related medications and how they reduce cardiovascular
risk. Tirzepatide is a GLP1 and GIP receptor co-agonist, while Retatrutide is a GLP1, GIP and glucagon agonist that has been shown to reduce body weight by 24% in obese individuals.
Fig. 1: Potential complementary actions of multi-NuSH agents and ongoing cardiovascular outcomes trials.
A
hot air balloon with 13 people in its basket made an unexpected
emergency landing in a family’s backyard in Temecula, California this
week. After refueling, the balloon company flew the 80 foot balloon
over the houses to the street, where they were able to deflate it safely
and remove it. No one was hurt.
Trump was a rock as he gave that press conference afterwards at the White House.
For at least the third time, Donald Trump was the target of a killer, but at least this time the shooter was captured before he could get into the ballroom of the Washington Hilton where the WHCD was being held.
But just imagine if this terrorist - and he did create terror -- had had bombs rather than guns, or if he were a suicide bomber. The death and destruction would've been unimaginable.
As it was after Butler, there will have to be a reappraisal of the Secret Service and how they can better protect these venues and our President. They will also have to keep those radical protesters across the street and away from the venues. And most importantly, the vengeful Democrats have to stop their constant stream of vitriol and demonization, stop obstructing, and get DHS funded, because those Secret Service agents last night were working without pay!
Late last night, I looked online to see some of the reader comments, and as usual, the left is sure that the shooting at the Hilton was "staged" and "a false flag"; or that Israel was somehow involved; and that Erika Kirk's tears were fake as well. These people are soulless and lack any decency.
I had to turn off the TV because I was shaking so from anger. Thanks to the Democrat Trump-haters, the protesters outside, the constant vitriol, and the letter by the press calling for some kind of demonstrations tonight, the atmosphere was ready for violence. We should not be surprised at all.
If these people had any conscience at all, they would be chastened and ashamed. Or are there some who wish Trump had been shot tonight?
Hasn't this man been through enough already? And think of Erika Kirk, who must've instantly relived the shooting of her husband.
They are thinking of going on with the dinner as if nothing had happened. Better to cancel it, and send the press home to look in the mirror.
I came across this excellent article at The Sick Times today and wish everyone could read it and wear a mask, especially in doctors' offices and waiting rooms. It's not that hard.
We need masks in healthcare. Now. By Tesla Bellina-Gustafson, 4-24-26
"Last month I passed out while getting my
blood drawn. I woke up with both phlebotomists inches away from my face,
and, to my horror, my 3M Aurahad been taken off. It had been
removed without my consent, presumably to check if my lips were turning
blue. No one else in the lab, including the technicians, wore a mask,
save for one other patient in a surgical mask.
"As a person with Long COVID,
losing consciousness was a terrifying experience made worse by a
potential exposure risk. I quickly put my mask back on and thankfully
managed to escape unscathed. But this experience reinforced how much
power healthcare providers have over those in their care.
"I often bring N95s with me to medical
appointments, especially if I will be in a room with a specialist for a
long time. This is not ideal for multiple reasons. It can get quite
costly and I have to call reception ahead of time to check if the
physician will be amenable to the request — which comes with the risk of
discrimination or a blanket diagnosis of anxiety. It would be
ridiculous if I needed to bring my own hand soap to an appointment and
remind my doctors to wash their hands before a physical examination, and
yet it has become my responsibility to manage my care in this way.
"Sometimes I get lucky and the specialist
will happily don their own mask. But nine times out of ten I am coldly
reminded that “masking is no longer mandated.” When it is mandated,
staff are often outfitted in loose-fitting surgical masks slung beneath
their nose or chin. During a recent visit to the dermatologist, I handed
the assistant a 3M Aura. She reluctantly accepted it but had no idea
how to navigate the head strap or nose wire, or how to check for fit. I
had to coach her through it.
"The onus should not be on patients to
provide adequate PPE to the health professionals charged with their
care. Nor should we have to beg for safer environments. People with
compromised immune systems should be able to access healthcare without
fear of leaving the facility with another infection.
All healthcare facilities should require masking: It benefits everyone
and protects both patients and healthcare workers from the continued
risk of Long COVID.
"Campaigns from organizations such as DoNoHarm BC in British Columbia, Canada, and Senior and Disability Action
in California are raising awareness and calling for year-round mask
protections. I’ve personally participated in grassroots campaigns with
DoNoHarm BC in the past. By using a fact-based approach and making
clear, actionable demands, they’ve moved the needle on reintroducing
masks in healthcare settings.
"Prior to 2020, masks were commonplace in healthcare settings, particularly during surgery, as they were designed to stop droplets from entering into open wounds. However, surgical masks do not provide
a reliable level of protection from aerosolized particles due to their
looser fit, whereas respirator masks such as headstrap N95s significantly reduce infections in healthcare settings. In one recent study, researchers found SARS-CoV-2 in 39% of hospital air samples during outbreaks, even though the facility had good air filtration — making the need for widespread masking even more urgent.
"Some Canadian provinces have adopted a “seasonal”
approach with mandating masking, reintroducing them for “respiratory
illness season.” This is contrary to how COVID-19 actually spreads, with
waves of infection all year round. Not to mention that masks also protect people from other airborne viruses, such as measles; Canada recently lost its elimination status after 27 years of keeping the virus in check, and the U.S. may soon, too.
"Waiting for an infectious illness surge
before implementing preventive measures is as effective as waiting to
put on your seat belt until after a car crash.
"Generally speaking, patients have an
expectation that when they visit a healthcare setting, they will leave
in better shape than when they came in. However, many people end up with
healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). In the U.S., roughly 1 in 31
hospital patients has at least one HAI on any given day, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). HAIs range from
antimicrobial-resistant bacteria to pneumonia.
"Accurate reporting on SARS-CoV-2
infections transmitted in healthcare settings is hard to find, if it is
published at all. The CDC does not track COVID-19 as an official HAI at
the federal level. In Canada, 70 hospitals participate in a viral respiratory infection program,
tracking HAIs weekly. Healthcare-acquired COVID-19 infections increased
after Canadian provinces ended their mask mandates throughout 2022.
Healthcare-acquired
COVID-19 infections increased after Canadian provinces ended their mask
mandates throughout 2022. Chart from the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program, data through April 2026.
"A few scientific studies have found severe
outcomes from hospital-acquired COVID-19 cases, further demonstrating
the risk of letting it spread without precautionary measures. One 2023
study in Helsinki, Finland, concluded that hospital-acquired COVID-19
was linked to high mortality, and another 2022 study in Quebec, Canada, found hospital-acquired cases led to higher mortality than in community-acquired cases, especially in young people.
"Year-round required masking is good for
healthcare workers, too. A 2025 review study found that 40% of
healthcare workers globally have experienced Long COVID. So why don’t healthcare workers mask? Some might argue that masks are expensive, but that makes little sense when workplace-illness claims, staff shortages, healthcare-acquired infections, and Long COVID all cost far more. One study
suggests healthcare workers wearing N95 masks could save $1 billion USD
per year in healthcare spending. Healthcare administrators could also
address other common concerns, like the waste from disposable masks and
comfort of long-term wearing.
"Personally, I find it challenging to put
my faith in healthcare workers to give me accurate and reliable medical
advice when they are choosing to not protect themselves or their
patients. Many healthcare workers do not understand how COVID-19 is spread or that many infections are asymptomatic. On average, it takes 14 to 17 years
for new medical knowledge to become common practice. In the meantime,
patients are left on our own to educate the experts we are expected to
trust, on top of the power imbalance.
"But that could change: what we consider
the “norm” in modern medicine is actually pretty recent, and it changes
all the time. The practice of handwashing and sanitizing in medical settings is less than 200 years old — and that was stigmatized, too.
"DoNoHarm BC began as many grassroots
organizations do: turning feelings into action. Several British
Columbian residents reacting with outrage to the removal of mask
mandates led to a protest outside of the health minister’s office in 2023. From there, it has evolved to include campaigns
to improve vaccine and treatment access, weigh in on provincial
budgets, and help shape laws with accessibility at the forefront.
"Masking in healthcare remains the
priority. After pressure via phone calls, faxes, and emails, lawmakers
reinstated the mask mandate in healthcare settings for two consecutive
years, though respirators were unfortunately not the default. Through campaigning, DoNoHarm BC also secured a $3 billion commitment from the BC government to continue funding for pandemic-related health measures, and managed to get Paxlovid covered for high-risk patients.
"During the successful 2024 Keep Masks in Healthcare campaign, participants sent more than 18,000 letters
to lawmakers. There is an incredible power in numbers: it may seem like
one person can’t make a difference, but banding together as a
collective voice works. For example, DoNoHarm BC signed on to one letter
along with over 1,700
healthcare workers, scientists, engineers, occupational health
specialists, advocates, and major unions calling for improved,
evidence-based mask use in healthcare as standard practice.
"For those interested in starting an organization like DoNoHarm BC, here are tips from the organizers:
Look for existing advocacy groups in your area. You may be able to learn from them or form a coalition.
Identify your primary target (e.g., a particular institution or leader) with the most influence on the issue.
Develop an understanding of the barriers to change. A lot of the
“work” is actually pretty boring, like reading existing policies and
processes to know how to best shape them going forward.
Make your actions as easy as possible. Many participants are
disabled or suffering from chronic conditions, so using platforms such
as Action Networkmakes getting involved take very little capacity.
"Masking in healthcare settings should be
the norm all year round. I dream of a future where masks are normalized
and I can access healthcare spaces without the increased risk of
breathing in a new issue to contend with. Advocating for myself as a
patient is challenging enough as it is."
------------------------------ Tesla Bellina-Gustafson is an advocate and
longhauler based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She has
organized with various groups including DoNoHarm BC and Vancouver Still
Cares.
This case shows how normalized Jew-hatred and Jew-killing is now.
I'm willing to bet that the father (who claims she was merely playing an online fantasy game) is an antisemite himself. "Hicks" perfectly describes these parents, and I think the daughter sure fooled them.
The first article is straightforward. Notice that the second article is all about this family, and not about the Jews who would have been murdered.
4-23-26: "A North Carolina woman and a juvenile
in Harris County have been arrested and charged with crimes for
allegedly plotting to "kill as many Jews as possible" by driving a
vehicle through the Congregation Beth Israel in Houston, according to
court documents and the FBI.
"Angelina Hicks, 18, was arrested in
Davidson County, North Carolina, on Wednesday and has been charged with
felony conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit assault with
a deadly weapon, according to jail records. As of Thursday, Hicks was
being held in the Davidson County Jail on a $10 million bond.
"The Houston Police Department (HPD)
confirmed in a Thursday statement that a 16-year-old had been charged in
Harris County with conspiracy to commit capital murder in connection
with the alleged plot. HPD said the Alief ISD Police Department assisted
in the arrest.
“At this time there is no other known credible threat,” HPD said in its statement.
"According to court documents, Hicks
is accused of planning an attack against the Congregation Beth Israel on
April 21, 2028. Court documents describe the alleged plot as a
conspiracy “to kill as many Jews as possible by driving through a
congregation at a synagogue."
"Hicks is also accused in court
documents of having planned the attack with two other co-conspirators
referred to as “Teegan” and “Angel.” The last names of alleged
co-conspirators were not known as of Thursday, and it was not
immediately clear if the juvenile charged in Harris County is one of the
alleged co-conspirators mentioned in court documents. In a news
release, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office said other alleged
co-conspirators had been identified outside of North Carolina.
"The FBI Charlotte Field Office
in North Carolina said it began investigating Hicks on Tuesday after it
received a tip that Hicks was “believed to be targeting members of the
Jewish community for [a] potential act of violence.”
“A fast-moving, multistate FBI investigation led to the arrests of
one adult and one juvenile accused of planning an attack at a Jewish Day
School in Houston, Texas,” the Charlotte FBI office said in a
statement. “The joint FBI multistate investigation is ongoing.”
"On Wednesday afternoon, the
Congregation Beth Israel — the oldest Jewish congregation in Texas —
sent a statement to its members saying it had closed for the day based
on the guidance of the Houston Police Department and would reopen on
Thursday. The statement also said The Shlenker School — an elementary
school associated with the congregation — was also closed.
"We are grateful for local law
enforcement and for the support of our local and national security
partners throughout the day," Rabbi David Lyon said in a statement. "We
appreciate your patience, flexibility, and care for one another as we
worked through this situation with diligence and thoughtfulness."
"Hicks’ defense attorney was not immediately available for comment Thursday."
"HOUSTON — The parents of an 18-year-old Lexington, North Carolina, woman charged in connection with an alleged plot to attack a Houston synagogue
say their daughter had no means or intention to carry out any attack,
describing the online activity that led to her arrest as nothing more
than fantasy role-play.
"It's ludicrous. It's a fantasy game. And that's the way she looked at it as a fantasy game online," Dannie Hicks said.
"He questioned how his daughter could have carried out any real-world attack.
"It wasn't no dagone terror attacks. How in the world would you pull
something like that off? She don't drive. She ain't got a car. She don't
have guns. She don't know how to use a gun. She never shot a gun. How's
she gonna get to Texas? It's nuts what they've done to her," Dannie
Hicks said.
"Hicks'
father said the charges have upended the family. He and her mother are
older, he said, and deal with medical issues. Hicks had been living with
them and, by their account, rarely left home on her own.
"She never left us more than a day or two at a time, and that was with adults, not no teenagers," her mother said.
"The family described Hicks as a well-liked, trouble-free teenager who
was weeks away from graduating from Valley Regional Academy and was
enrolled in a dual-enrollment program at a local community college.
"She was supposed to graduate in two weeks," her father said.
"Her parents also raised concerns about the conditions of her
detention. Hicks is being held at the Davidson County Detention Center,
where bond was set at $10 million secured.
"Her father described a recent phone call with her.
"She told us, fearing for her safety. In the situation she's in, they
won't let us bring her any clothes. She don't have socks. She don't
have underwear. She wears the same jumpsuit, and they don't wash them,"
Dannie Hicks said.
"He said she is being held in a cell with minimal bedding.
"She's in a cell with no blanket, no pillow, a towel for a blanket,
and no pillow, and a thin mattress. I didn't know it was that bad. I had
no idea," Dannie Hicks said.
"Her father also noted that Hicks takes high-powered medication and
suggested that could be a factor in whatever she may have said or done
online. He said the family is not tech-savvy and had no insight into the
gaming platforms she used.
"She loves playing these fantasy video games on Roblox. That's what
started her out with," he said, adding, "We're not up on the technology
of these computers and gaming platforms and all that. We don't know
nothing about them."
"Hicks is scheduled to appear in Davidson County District Court on May
13. The Davidson County Sheriff's Office has noted that all defendants
are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The joint
FBI investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to
contact Detective H. Hall at 336-242-2105."
He's wrong. Americans, except for criminals, murderers, and illegal aliens and their supporters, like and respect ICE and Border Patrol, who are doing heroic work to remove dangerous aliens and to protect Americans.
What I don't respect are Democrats who openly badmouth our country; who let Americans get attacked and killed by illegals who shouldn't be in our country at all; and who protect these menaces. The Democrats are supposed to represent the people. Unfortunately, they have become so radical that the only people they represent have no business being here.
"Tom Cruise agreed Friday to be in Top Gun 3 if he's allowed to do his
own stunts. In his 2015 Mission Impossible movie, Cruise hung onto the
wing of a U.S. military cargo jet as it took off and made it onto the
plane. Thousands of Iranians are converting to Scientology this week
hoping they can do the same thing."
"President Trump marked the day after Tax Day Thursday with a speech
in Las Vegas where he touted the benefits of all the tax cuts in his Big
Beautiful Bill passed last year. Citizens who would cheat on their
taxes just disgust me. This is not the world I want to raise my 99
dependents in."
"The White House launched a probe into the mysterious disappearance of
eleven top scientists with defense and space security clearances. They
have knowledge and access to America's top secrets and there's no trace
of them. It makes me wonder what they could've possibly done to anger
the Clintons."
"When does cowardice become complicity? I wondered this on Sunday morning
when my bike ride through Woodcock Park in Harrow was interrupted by a
vast stretch of police tape. It was jarring to see this leafy enclave
with its trickling brook turned into a crime scene. But I knew two
things right away: first, that the target would have been the synagogue
that sits on the edge of the park; and second, that the chattering
class’s response to this latest brutalising of England’s Jews would be
as meek and quiet as this park normally is.
"I was right on both counts. A quick Google confirmed that, overnight, the Kenton United Synagogue
had been targeted for fiery destruction. A bottle containing
‘accelerant’ was hurled through a window. More simply, a synagogue was
firebombed, in London, in 2026. Mercifully, the homemade device of
fascist terror failed to ignite and the synagogue suffered only a little
smoke damage. Then came the next act in the anti-Semitic drama, the one
that follows with baleful predictability every outrage against our
Jewish compatriots: the snivelling, gutless silence of ‘the virtuous’.
"We need to speak plainly: England’s Jews are being terrorised and the
left is silent. Jews are being subjected to a campaign of fascist-style
animus and so-called anti-fascists are saying fuck all. The world’s
oldest racism has burst back to bloody life and ‘anti-racist’
influencers either haven’t noticed, don’t care, or they like it. How
else to explain their craven self-gagging in the face of racist
violence? ‘We would have hidden Jews in the attic’, these preening
‘progressive’ moralists love to say, when the only thing in their attics
are Palestine flags, spare keffiyehs and placards saying ‘Zionism is cancer’.
"The situation could not be more serious. The attempted burning of
Kenton United Synagogue was the third violent assault on a Jewish
institution in London in a week. There was also the attempted
firebombing of the Finchley Reform Synagogue on Wednesday. In the dead
of night, two people in balaclavas hurled petrol-filled bottles at it.
Thankfully, the damage was minimal. Then on Friday, a man placed a bag
containing three bottles of flammable liquid outside the former offices
of Jewish Futures in Hendon, a Jewish educational charity. They failed
to fully ignite. And it was only last month that four Jewish ambulances were destroyed in Golders Green in a fiery act of racial hatred. And only last year that two Jews were slain on Yom Kippur in the Islamist atrocity at the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester.
"The events of the past week, those three attempted incinerations,
leave no doubt: a campaign of terror is underway against the Jews of
Britain. The message of these Nazi-like arsonists is as clear as it is
sick: you aren’t safe here. In the suburbs where you live, in your
educational institutions, even in your places of worship, we will find
you. This is a violent crusade to strip our Jewish citizens of their
sense of security, to plunder them of the thing every British citizen
should enjoy – the feeling that we belong, that we are safe. These
petrol-pouring lowlifes want nothing less than to make life intolerable
for the Jews of this kingdom.
"Worse, there are suspicions the Islamic Republic is involved in this
violent rebirth of anti-Jewish persecution. A group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia
has claimed responsibility for some of the anti-Semitic arson in the UK
and other attacks on Jews in Europe. It is thought to be a proxy or at
least a fanclub of the tyranny in Tehran. After the failed burning of
the synagogue in Kenton this weekend, the Metropolitan Police said it is
‘alive’ to the ‘threat of Iranian state aggression in the UK’.
"Think about this: it is possible British Jews are being terrorised at
the behest of a foreign regime. It is possible the Islamist theocracy
in Iran is engaged in a war of attrition against Jews in Hendon, Kenton,
Finchley. If the Iranian link is substantiated, the government’s
response should be the immediate closure of the Iranian Embassy and the
expulsion of all Iranian diplomats. No quarter whatsoever can be given
to regimes that encourage militant racists to take up arms against
Jewish Britons. As for that sickly, suicidal Islamo-left alliance that
makes excuses for, or outright cheers, the Islamic Republic and its ‘axis of resistance’ – they are now completely morally indistinguishable from Oswald Mosley and his mob who did fascism’s bidding in Britain.
"The brainless apologists for Tehran among Britain’s affluent
faux-socialist classes will say: ‘It was only a few makeshift petrol
bombs. And they didn’t ignite.’ Yet those three dreamt-of fires will
have made Jews across London feel fretful. Is their synagogue next? Will
the next bag of accelerants catch fire? That’s terrorism’s mission – to
terrorise. What’s more, the explosion of Jew hate in Australia after 7
October 2023 also started with the ‘low-level’ intimidation of
synagogues, including firebombings. And we know how things ended there.
It is at the very start that the Islamo-fascist menace must be quashed,
before it leads to more than smoke damage, and to the harming of more
than bricks and mortar.
"I am now at the point where I find the ‘progressive’ silence in the
aftermath of these attacks more unnerving than the noise of the violence
itself. Anti-Jewish savagery is tragically to be expected from the
Islamic Republic and its simps in the West. It’s the cowardice of the
cultural elite that feels truly foreign, truly unsettling. A whole week
of terror against Jews in London and the government just issues a few
perfunctory comments while the media elites briefly wring their hands
before getting back to the Mandelson scandal. Where’s the anger? Where’s the righteous fury of those liberals who said everything from Brexit to Trump was ‘like the 1930s’ yet who now seem so soullessly unfazed by literal firebombings of synagogues?
"As for the left, their claim to oppose racism lies in the gutter
where it belongs. It has been exposed as a gross lie by their own
wordless timidity as synagogues are targeted with fire. These people got
angrier over the Supreme Court ruling saying men aren’t women
than they did over a week of anti-Semitic arson in London. I don’t know
what we’re meant to call an activist class that shows more interest in
the right of men to piss wherever they fancy than it does in the right
of Jews to live in safety. But I know it’s not anti-fascist.
"The terrorisers in our midst are not only goading England’s Jews –
they’re goading all of us. They’re laying down a gauntlet alongside
their petrol bombs, to see if Britain will stand with its Jews or betray
them. And right now we are failing, badly. Civil society sleeps. The
government is too busy saving its own arse to save British Jewry. And
‘progressives’ just carry on with their one-eyed, unhinged demonisation
of the Jewish State and everyone who supports it, effectively hanging a
target sign around the necks of Britain’s Jews. There is a moment in
which silence becomes complicity. When moral nonchalance helps to
normalise savagery. When our collective failure to speak out is viewed
by the fascist enemy as permission for further violence. We’ve reached
that moment."
------------
Brendan O’Neill is spiked’s chief political writer and host of the spiked podcast, The Brendan O’Neill Show. Subscribe to the podcast here. His latest book – After the Pogrom: 7 October, Israel and the Crisis of Civilisation – is available to order on Amazon UK and Amazon US now. And find Brendan on Instagram: @burntoakboy.
What a sorry state of affairs! People had better use their brains when it comes to getting vaccinated, because being gullible and listening to these anti-science "doctors" doesn't work.
I remember seeing Marty Makary offer his opinions on Fox News during the start of the pandemic and thinking "What a quack! I'd never listen to him!", so when I saw he had been appointed head of the FDA, I knew it wouldn't end well.
"During the recent measles outbreak, the largest in more than 30
years, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. refused to clearly recommend the measles
vaccine, saying instead that it was a “personal decision,” and that parents should “do their own research.”
Similarly, during her recent confirmation hearing for United States
Surgeon General, Casey Means was questioned by Senator William Cassidy
(R, La). “You’re the nation’s doctor,” said
Cassidy. “Would you encourage [a mother] to have her child vaccinated!”
“I’m not an individual’s doctor,” Means said. “And every individual
needs to talk to their doctor before putting a medication in their
body.” In June 2025, Marty Makary, Commissioner of the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), said
that COVID vaccines for pregnant women should be a “personal choice”,
even though every other country in the world recommended the COVID
vaccine during pregnancy due to a higher risk for severe disease.
"It doesn’t end there. On January 5, 2026, RFK Jr. reduced
the number of routinely recommended vaccines from 18 to 10. For
vaccines that protected against influenza, COVID, and rotavirus, parents
were urged to speak with their doctors—to make an individual choice.
(On March 16, 2026, in a ruling by a federal court in Boston, RFK Jr.’s revised schedule was invalidated.)
"What’s
happening? Why are public health officials moving away from making
recommendations for the public? The origin of this change might be
rooted in the first two years of the COVID pandemic. In 2020, during the
first year on the pandemic, we didn’t have anything to stop a virus
that was killing hundreds of people a day and could be spread
asymptomatically. We didn’t have antivirals until October, monoclonal
antibodies until November, and vaccines until December. All we could do
was restrict travel, close businesses, shutter schools, and mask,
isolate, quarantine, test, and social distance. During the second year
of the pandemic, when we had vaccines to prevent COVID, people couldn’t
go anywhere without their vaccine cards. They couldn’t go to their
favorite bar or restaurant or sporting event or place of worship without
proof of vaccination. Some people were fired from their jobs for
refusing to get vaccinated. For many, this was seen as massive
government overreach and energized what has been called the “medical
freedom movement.” Indeed, a headline in the New York Times declared, “How Health Freedom Became a Winning Rally Cry.”
"As
expressed in the comments of RFK Jr., Casey Means, and Marty Makary,
the medical freedom movement focuses on the individual not the
community—the opposite of public health. In an article
titled “Ethics and Social Value Judgments in Public Health,” ethicists
from Yale University distinguished public health from medical freedom.
“Public health policies,” they wrote, “are population oriented. Because
individual health affects the health of others, public health measures
regulate individual behavior to achieve population health goals. All
raise questions about how individual autonomy and freedom should be
balanced against public health interests…which respects individuals’
sovereignty over their bodies and actions as long as their actions do not harm others.”
"The
medical freedom movement fails to recognize that it often limits the
freedom of others. For example, a parent who is afraid to send a child
to school where many of the students are unvaccinated. Or immune
compromised children who depend on those around them to for protection.
The question then becomes “Freedom for whom?” Is it your right, in the
name of medical freedom, to catch and transmit a potentially fatal
infection—and in so doing, take away the freedom of others?
"In Four Essays on Liberty, Isaiah Berlin sums it up best. “Liberty for the wolves,” he wrote, “is death to the lambs.”
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