Holocaust Denial is Alive and Well in 2026

It just never stops. Look at this 4-19-26 headline from the New York Post. The Holocaust was "exaggerated"?  What gives these hateful conspiracy theorists the right to say such things? Do they believe that evil happens to everyone but the Jewish people?

One thing is sure about the Holocaust and antisemitism: we Jews have never used it as an excuse. 

(Funny how nobody ever tells blacks to "just move on" from slavery and reparations, even though 6 million slaves were NOT exterminated.)

----------------------------------------- 

Survey shows shocking number of Long Islanders believe Jews need to just ‘move on’ from ‘exaggerated’ Holocaust 

"Nearly a third of Long Island residents don’t believe the Holocaust should be required teaching and suggest Jews just “move on” from the “exaggerated” genocide, according to a shocking new survey.

"The survey of roughly 400 Long Islanders revealed that a disturbing number of Nassau and Suffolk county residents believe Holocaust deaths have been exaggerated, with even more outright opposing the horror be part of required curriculum in schools.

“The survey is intended to provide a roadmap for all of us — regardless of faith or ethnicity — because indifference or ignorance of how the Holocaust occurred threatens everyone,” said Steven Krieger, a Long Island-based real-estate developer who helped fund the study conducted by national conservative pollster McLaughlin Associates.

The survey’s disturbing findings were released on the anniversary of the liberation of the infamous Buchenwald concentration camp. AP

"The findings — released on the anniversary of the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp — reveal that roughly 15% of respondents either straight-up believe the Nazi’s genocide was exaggerated to some extent or refused to answer the question.

"About 30% said they don’t believe that Holocaust education should be required to be taught in public schools and that Jews should collectively “move on.”

"The survey comes as antisemitism has surged to the highest levels ever recorded nationwide, according to the Anti-Defamation League — a trend that Jewish advocates link in part to the war in Gaza and now Lebanon, claiming a growing number of Americans are conflating the Israeli government’s actions with Jewish people as a whole.

“The government of Israel does not represent all Jewish people, but what we are seeing is a conflation of the two where people automatically associate all Jews with the actions of Israel, and I believe that is causing real antisemitism from extremists whose gripe is really with a foreign government,” an activist from Jewish Voices for Peace told The Post after viewing the survey.

"Gloria Sesso, president of the Long Island Council for Social Studies, which co-sponsored the survey, said, “It is inconceivable that there are those who would propose that Jews ‘move on’ from the Nazi’s Final Solution.”

"She said it is “irresponsible” to suggest the Holocaust is not relevant for classrooms and that the results of this survey should be a wake-up call for educators across the region, especially during a time where hateful online influencers, such as the “Groypers,” are taking over young people’s feeds.

Charred bodies were recovered from the human ovens at Buchenwald after liberation. ASSOCIATED PRESS

"World War II only gets covered for about 90 minutes of class time in New York state, leaving plenty of room for hateful misinformation to flood their timelines without challenge, according to various experts on the state curriculum.

"Dr. Bill Tinglin, an educator and author of the Holocaust book, “One of Humanity’s Darkest Hours,” called the poll’s disturbing findings dangerous.

“The world must remember,” Tinglin said.

“Future generations must understand where hatred begins and what happens when it goes unchallenged — hatred grows strongest where ignorance lives,” he said, adding that it is vital to teach young students these lessons early on."

Dr Ruth Report, 4-19-26

Here's the latest always-anticipated report on COVID and other respiratory viruses,  by Dr. Ruth Ann Crystal. 

------------------------------------------------------------- 

Dr. Ruth Report, 4/19/26
Ruth Ann Crystal MD

Respiratory Illnesses in the United States:

As of Friday, April 17, 2026:

• RSV activity is elevated, but has peaked in most regions.

• Influenza A activity is low and Influenza B activity is medium, but is trending downward.

• COVID activity is low in most places in the United States with some pockets that are higher. Overall, COVID levels are the lowest that they have been in several years.

Regional wastewater levels for COVID, RSV, Flu A, Flu B:

From: https://data.wastewaterscan.org/

Share

COVID

Wastewater levels of SARS-CoV-2 are at their lowest in almost 3 years, but there are still about 200,000 new COVID infections daily across the states with 1 in 226 people currently infected.

From: https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/data/activity-levels.html

COVID BA.3.2

As Ryan Hisner posted, “BA.3.2’s propensity for children is undeniable at this point.” JAMA had a new article this week on the BA.3.2 (Cicada) SARS-CoV-2 Variant.

Acute COVID

4/9/26 J of Physiology: SARS‐CoV‐2 targets mitochondria, exacerbating COVID‐19 pneumonia https://buff.ly/7g8fM0q

A review from the University of Cambridge looks at the biochemical processes in which SARS-CoV-2 disrupts mitochondrial function in lung cells, leading to impaired energy production and increased inflammatory responses that can worsen pneumonia severity. “Emerging studies suggest even after the active infection is resolved, residual viral proteins, particularly SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, may linger and continue to cause damage to the mitochondria by increasing oxidative stress and disrupting energy metabolism” in Long COVID.

From: https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1113/JP290297

4/10/26 BioRxiV (UC Irvine): Phagocytic Clearance of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid- and RNA-Containing Immune Complexes Drives Inflammatory Cytokine Production and Endothelial Dysfunction https://buff.ly/N7h6hCs

University of California Irvine scientists found that immune complexes (ICs) containing SARS-CoV-2 RNA + nucleocapsid (N) protein + human anti-N antibodies induce inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in monocytes which can lead to endothelial vascular dysfunction, severe COVID infection, and possibly Long COVID inflammatory and vascular complications.

4/10/26 Nature (Mt Sinai): Unveiling alternate pathways for SARS-CoV-2 infection via extracellular vesicle-mediated transfer of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 https://buff.ly/qaDZc2B

Icahn School of Medicine (Mount Sinai) scientists found that lung epithelial cells can transfer ACE2 and TMPRSS2 receptors via extracellular vesicles to macrophages, endothelial cells, and pericytes. These receptors enable SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells that would otherwise be resistant to the virus.

4/16/26 Journal of Virology: HuR enhances SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein translation through the genomic 5′-UTR, by promoting polypyrimidine tract-binding protein binding https://buff.ly/vQGzTRQ

SARS-CoV-2 hijacks the host protein HuR which boosts early production of viral proteins and simultaneously suppresses structural protein translation. Blocking HuR reduced viral RNA levels, decreased growth of the virus, and made cells significantly more sensitive to Remdesivir. Therefore, HuR may be a potential antiviral target.

4/6/26 Mucosal Immunology: Differential effects of SARS-CoV-2-targeted infection of ATII, club cells, and macrophages on lung immunopathology and antiviral responses https://buff.ly/Alf6sr4

A mouse study showed that SARS-CoV-2 infection in different lung cell types leads to different immune responses. Infection of club cells triggered early antiviral defenses and caused only mild damage, while infection of ATII cells led to higher viral loads and moderate inflammation. When macrophages were infected along with ATII cells, the combined effect caused severe lung injury, increased viral burden, and prolonged tissue damage, suggesting that interactions between cell types play an important role in COVID severity.

3/30/26 Frontiers in Immunology: Thymidine phosphorylase promotes SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-driven lung tumor development https://buff.ly/OIOu8Td

Marshall University researchers analyzed 166,807 patients and found a statistically significant increase in lung cancer risk among COVID survivors, particularly in smokers, Mouse studies showed that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein activates the enzyme TYMP, triggering fibrosis, and inflammation. TYMP may be a target for prevention.

Pregnancy

4/13/26 Nature: SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first trimester leads to profound immune dysregulation at the maternal-fetal interface despite limited virus detection in placental tissues https://buff.ly/Yc9Awdx

Chinese research teams studying 761 first trimester pregnancies found that SARS-CoV-2 was rarely detectable in placental tissues, but it triggered strong immune activation, including elevated cytokines and widespread interferon signaling at the maternal-fetal interface. The infection disrupted key signaling pathways and cell communication in trophoblasts, suggesting that immune dysregulation rather than direct viral invasion may drive adverse pregnancy sequelae.

Share

Long COVID

4/11/26 Journal of Translational Medicine: Immune dysregulation in prolonged Long-COVID: lymphocytes emerge as key mediators of persistent inflammation, exhaustion and cytotoxicity https://buff.ly/sFO33ry

Latvian researchers performed single cell immune profiling on 9 female patients who had been hospitalized with acute COVID October 2020 to January 2021 consisting of 3 Long COVID patients with cardiovascular symptoms, 3 Long COVID patients with pulmonary complications, and 3 patients who did not develop Long COVID. Long COVID patients had persistent alterations in T cells, natural killer cells, and B cell signaling up to 1.5 to 2 years after infection, with increased expression of exhaustion and cytotoxicity genes. The study also identified distinct early interferon responses in patients who later developed Long COVID, suggesting that lymphocyte dysfunction begins during acute infection and may predict long term disease risk.

4/15/26 PLOS One: Acute SARS-CoV-2 viral load and systemic inflammation are associated with neuropsychiatric and musculoskeletal symptoms in long COVID https://buff.ly/ebQ8GB6

Scientists from Dow University in Pakistan studied 300 COVID patients and found that 59% had persistent Long COVID symptoms at 10 months, with higher acute infection viral load and systemic inflammation strongly linked to ongoing neuropsychiatric and musculoskeletal symptoms.

4/11/26 BMC Medicine: Acute COVID-19 severity and impaired cognitive function up to 32 months after diagnosis: an observational study https://buff.ly/9sDg5wv

In a European study of 153,841 people, non-hospitalized patients with acute COVID infection who felt sick enough to stay in bed for 1-6 days or more than 7 days, had 2x to 3x higher prevalence of impaired cognitive function 18 to 32 months after COVID diagnosis.

4/16/26 (7/2026 issue) J of Neurological Sciences: The neuropsychiatric features of Long COVID in older adults and the potential association with neuroinflammation: Preliminary observations in a small cohort https://buff.ly/8fZwbQG

Stony Brook University in New York studied 24 older adults and found that those with Long COVID had significantly higher levels of depression and fatigue compared to controls, with a subset of 6 patients showing increased neuroinflammation on PET imaging. These preliminary findings suggest that persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms in older adults may be linked to ongoing brain inflammation, though the small sample size limits generalizability.

From: https://www.jns-journal.com/article/S0022-510X(26)00197-8/abstract

4/13/26 Nature Reviews Neurology: Understanding the long-term neurological effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection https://buff.ly/5glOL0I

A review from the UK “summarizes the spectrum of neurological and psychological symptoms that occur following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection,” looking at evidence for underlying mechanisms. In addition, they discuss ongoing and completed large-scale treatment trials. Long COVID’s most persistent effects center on the nervous system, including cognitive impairment, fatigue, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression, with growing evidence that neurological and psychiatric symptoms interact bidirectionally and may share underlying biological mechanisms.

4/13/26 Nature (Melbourne, Australia): Divergent inflammatory and neurology-related protein levels in long COVID following primary and breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections https://buff.ly/d6SdzTa

Scientists from Melbourne, Australia analyzed 182 plasma proteins in 57 participants and found that Long COVID was associated with a distinct and persistent inflammatory and neurologic protein signature months after infection. Booster vaccination or breakthrough infection did not reproduce or worsen this pattern, suggesting that the immune response to re-exposure differs from the initial infection and may not drive Long COVID.

4/13/26 Nature: Site-specific wastewater-based surveillance in early detection of COVID-19 new cases and prediction of mass testing outcomes in long-term care facilities https://buff.ly/6tWjcKU

A study from the University of Alberta of 9 long term care facilities found that wastewater surveillance detected new COVID cases approximately 3 days before clinical confirmation and correctly predicted 85% of negative mass testing outcomes. Wastewater testing may be a faster and less invasive approach to outbreak monitoring in vulnerable settings.

4/13/26 (June 2026) International Immunopharmacology: Aminopeptides ameliorate long COVID symptoms in immunocompromised rheumatic patients through immune reconstitution https://buff.ly/5JlRmZM

Researchers from Beijing, China studied 171 immunocompromised patients with rheumatic disease and found that oral aminopeptides from bovine spleen taken for 3 months was associated with improvement in Long COVID symptoms, particularly fatigue. In addition, they found increased T cell counts and markers of immune recovery.

4/12/26 JACC Advances: Post-COVID Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia: Prevalence, Overlap, and Clinical Characteristics https://buff.ly/08MnHhe

A study of 270 Long COVID patients referred for tachycardia showed that postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) or a combined dual diagnosis of POTS and inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST) were more common diagnoses than IST alone in Long COVID. IST patients were more likely to have high blood pressure, while POTS patients showed higher rates of cognitive impairment, fainting, and nausea.

From: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772963X26001201

Share

Measles

As of April 16, 2026, 1,748 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States in 2026.

The South Carolina outbreak remains at 997 measles cases, with no new measles cases since March 17.

The Utah measles outbreak continues to spread with 75 new cases in the last 3 weeks and 602 cases since this outbreak started in 2025.

From: https://publichealth.jhu.edu/ivac/resources/us-measles-tracker

Government Health News

4/1/26 CIDRAP: Trump nominates Dr. Erica Schwartz, former deputy surgeon general, to head CDC

From: Unbiased Science

Other news

4/16/26 NPR receives $113 million in charitable gifts https://buff.ly/p80D5df

NPR announced two of the largest donations in its history, totaling $113 million, following Congress’s elimination of all federal public media funding. Philanthropist Connie Ballmer contributed $80 million, the largest gift ever from a living donor to NPR, while another anonymous donor gave $33 million.

4/2026 Cleveland Clinic: Woman Undergoes First in World Transvaginal Robotic-Assisted Dual Kidney Transplant https://buff.ly/Ev5Uvi4

Cleveland Clinic surgeons performed the world’s first robotic transvaginal dual kidney transplant in June 2025, placing two donor kidneys through an incision in the posterior vaginal wall with minimal post operative pain and a faster recovery. The dual kidney technique allows transplant of two marginal donor kidneys placed on one side of the body, preserving the other side for any future need.

4/14/26 Nature Genetics (USC): Multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of severe pregnancy nausea and vomiting https://buff.ly/PaP3bNM

Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) is a severe form of pregnancy nausea and vomiting that causes dehydration requiring hospitalization and affects about 2% of pregnancies. Dr. Marlena Fejzo from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and colleagues analyzed DNA from 10,974 women with hyperemesis gravidarum and 461,461 controls across diverse ancestries. They identified 10 genetic loci, including 6 new ones, linking the condition to pathways in appetite regulation, insulin signaling, and brain plasticity. These findings build on GDF-15 biology as a cause for HG.

4/1/26 JACC: GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Exposure During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes https://buff.ly/XA1CwQ6

A systematic review and meta-analysis shows that “GLP-1 RA exposure [during pregnancy] was associated with improved maternal and preterm birth outcomes, with no significant increase in congenital malformations or overall adverse fetal outcomes.”

4/9/26 NPR: 710,000 fewer babies were born last year in U.S. compared with two decades ago https://buff.ly/N7uACMg

The U.S. fertility rate has reached historic lows, with annual births dropping by 710,000 compared to figures from twenty years ago. Teen pregnancy rates have plunged to new lows and many women are delaying motherhood to their 30s and 40s. People are having fewer children, a shift that could permanently transform the global economy.

4/14/26 Cell Metabolism: The weight-loss-independent hepatoprotective benefits of semaglutide are orchestrated by intrahepatic sinusoidal endothelial GLP-1 receptors https://buff.ly/WyS7g1W

Scientists at the University of Toronto found that Semaglutide provides direct protection to the liver by activating specific GLP-1 receptors located on intrahepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells. This mouse study demonstrates that the medication successfully reduces hepatic fat accumulation, fibrosis, and inflammation through specialized pathways, showing that the drug has metabolic benefits independent of weight loss alone.

From: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1550413126001051

4/14/26 Nature: Unexpected detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis DNA in US-born patients in putative association with clinical syndromes https://buff.ly/XDaMA8Z

Boston University researchers used a new ultrasensitive molecular test and unexpectedly detected Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in up to 16% of respiratory samples from predominantly U.S.-born patients hospitalized at two Boston hospitals, despite negative standard cultures. The findings suggest hidden TB burden in low-incidence urban settings. Notably, all three patients with sickle cell acute chest syndrome, a life-threatening complication, tested positive for TB DNA, pointing to a potential overlooked association.

4/1/26 JAMA Psychiatry: Patients Use AI—Clinicians Should Ask How https://buff.ly/q0JaY40

More than 5 million U.S. youth, including 13% overall and 22% of those aged 18 to 21, have used AI for mental health advice, with nearly half of adults with mental health conditions also turning to these tools. Patients are using AI for emotional support, psychoeducation, and processing experiences, sometimes outside or instead of care, highlighting the need for clinicians to routinely screen for AI use to ensure safe integration with treatment.

4/3/26 Guardian: Nuns who broke back into their Austrian convent ‘are step closer to being able to stay’ https://buff.ly/Epj37zP

Austrian nuns Sisters Bernadette, Regina, and Rita, all in their 80s, are getting closer to being able to stay in their convent after the Vatican signaled it supports the idea in principle. The sisters had a locksmith come to break back into their convent last September after being moved to a care facility against their wishes. Nothing is final yet, but the three have now been invited to Rome, for a possible meeting with Pope Leo.

Sister Rita, Bernadette and Regina back in their convent

Have a great week,

Ruth Ann Crystal MD

COVID Mistakes Worth Avoiding

Here's a good article by Beth Ann Mayer that should be handed out to patients in every doctor's office. It's just common sense, but too many people seem to be lacking common sense.

------------------------------------------------ 

The Common Mistake That Increases Your Risk of Catching COVID Twice This Season. Four doctors agree: This COVID mistake is worth avoiding.

Apr 19, 2026 8:25 AM EDT

Key points:  

• COVID-19 still poses risks, especially to vulnerable populations, despite life largely returning to normal.
• One action in particular increases risk of COVID reinfection, especially with emerging variants.
• Doctors advise vaccination, good hygiene, testing and staying home when sick to prevent spread.

"Back in the spring of 2020, we dreamt of a day when COVID would be gone. The reality is that isn’t how the virus played out, and we now live with it. Life has long returned to normal since those dark days six years ago, but that doesn’t mean doctors want people to wave off the virus.

“While it is not as deadly as it was early in the pandemic, COVID-19 can still result in hospitalizations and even death among older individuals and those with significant comorbidities, such as those with advanced lung, heart, liver or kidney disease and those who are immunocompromised,” explains Dr. Jimmy Johannes, MD, a pulmonologist and critical care medicine specialist at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center.

"COVID-19 also doesn’t go away once winter ends, though that is typically when hospitalizations and infections peak.

“We tend to talk more about COVID during flu season because respiratory viruses spread more easily in the colder months,” says Dr. Mike Richardson, MD, a family physician. “We continue to see cases and even outbreaks in the spring and summer. It can circulate year-round, but we typically see higher peaks in the fall and winter.”

"Dr. Richardson says that one of the biggest mistakes he sees people make is understimating COVID.

“I often see COVID trigger prolonged breathing issues in people who had asthma earlier in life. This is not just a week or two of symptoms,” Dr. Richardson explains. “Recovery can take months. The challenge is that it is hard to predict who will be affected this way. Because of that uncertainty, the best strategy is still to avoid getting infected in the first place.”

"Doctors say that there’s another common mistake that increases your risk of getting COVID twice this season. Here’s what it is and the simple way to avoid it.

Not getting vaccinated can raise your risk of getting COVID-19 twice in a season.

“Because COVID mutates around our immune response to prior exposure, it is very important to get the best, most up-to-date vaccine for the best protection against infection,” explains Dr. Linda Yancey, MD, an infectious disease specialist at the Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston.

"Another physician agrees. “Skipping vaccination leaves your immune system less prepared to recognize and fight the virus,” explains Dr. Raj Dasgupta, MD, the chief medical advisor for Sleepopolis. “Vaccines strengthen the body’s immune memory, so unvaccinated individuals have a higher risk of reinfection, especially with evolving variants that partially escape immunity from past infections.”

"Indeed, a not-new but previously dormant variant, Cicada, is currently under surveillance by the CDC and other major health organizations. The new variant matters, whether you’ve gotten COVID this season or not.

“COVID-19 reinfections can happen,” Dr. Johannes notes. “While an infection can protect against another infection, waning immunity over weeks to months and the possibility of changing variants can lead to reinfection, especially for those with a weakened immune system. The COVID-19 vaccine can reduce the risk of getting COVID-19 infection and reinfection.”

"In fact, JAMA Network Open research suggests that reinfection risk is higher among people who remained unvaccinated than in those individuals who rolled up their sleeves.

"Now, doctors agree that the COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t prevent reinfection or infection (though it can). “In the best-case scenario, vaccination helps prevent infection altogether,” Dr. Richardson explains. “If you do get infected, it can reduce the severity of symptoms and lower the risk of spreading it to others. It is not perfect protection, but it is a strong and effective layer of defense.”

"Your primary care doctor can advise you on the best frequency for COVID-19 boosters based on your health and risk factors.

"Doctors say a multi-layered approach is still best for avoiding COVID-19 infections and reinfections (and protecting your community). Besides staying up to date on vaccinations, doctors advise people to:

• Wash your hands. Dr. Johannes calls good hand hygiene “probably the most practical and reliable way to reduce the risk of getting COVID-19 infection.”
• Get tested. Dr. Johannes suggests getting tested if you suspect you have COVID-19, especially if you’re at a higher risk for severe illness, such as because of your age or underlying conditions. “Testing for COVID-19 early and seeking treatment with an antiviral treatment, such as Paxlovid, can reduce the severity of illness and reduce the risk of complications or hospitalization,” Dr. Johannes says.
• Stay home if you’re sick. Remember, we’re all on the same team. Sometimes, you need to return to a life that isn’t normal to protect others. “Don’t ignore early symptoms and continue normal activities, spend extended time in enclosed spaces when transmission risk is high or return to work or social settings too soon when you are still symptomatic and have a fever,” Dr. Richardson says.

"In short, get vaccinated. And if you feel sick? Stay home and rest up. If you are sick and coughing or sneezing, wearing a mask can also help reduce transmission until you are no longer contagious."

Links To Articles On Antisemitism

At Elder of Ziyon, there's a link dump from yesterday on the subject of Jew-hatred.  Of course we Jews read these articles, but it's too bad the perpetrators of these antisemitic acts, and their enablers, don't read them and maybe learn something about themselves from them. (But I doubt it.)

--------------------------

04/16 Links Pt2: The Holocaust began with words and then ordinary people normalising hate – the same pattern we see today; Israel Memorial Day 2026: 170 soldiers killed, 79 victims of terror

Fired For Faking COVID Vaccine Paperwork

Better late than never. This wasn't a "mistake", as he says; it was a deliberate attempt to bypass COVID safeguards. Think of the damage he may have caused by his selfishness.

As seen at ESPN, by Associated Press 4-15-26:

-------------------------------------------- 

Swiss hockey coach fired over false COVID vaccine paperwork

"ZURICH -- A Swiss hockey coach who admitted he used a certificate falsely claiming he'd been vaccinated against COVID-19 to get around China's travel restrictions for the 2022 Winter Olympics has been fired.

"In a statement late Monday, head coach Patrick Fischer said he made a "serious mistake in this matter" by traveling to Beijing with the Switzerland men's team using false paperwork.

"The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation initially supported him, saying the case was closed because he had admitted to his mistake. But that changed Wednesday with news of his dismissal.

"The case is legally closed but has triggered a public debate about values and trust, which ​the federation takes very seriously," federation president Urs Kessler said ​in a statement.

"From today's perspective, our initial assessment -- that the matter was ‌concluded -- ⁠was too short-sighted. This is about values and respect, that are fundamental to Swiss Ice Hockey and which Patrick Fischer did not uphold in 2022."

"Fischer had said before he was fired that "I'm very sorry if I've disappointed people with this situation."

"I was in an extraordinary personal crisis because I didn't want to be vaccinated," he added. "At the same time I certainly didn't want to let my team down at the Olympic Games."

"Swiss public broadcaster SRF said it confronted Fischer with documents showing he was fined nearly 39,000 Swiss francs ($50,000) by local authorities in 2023 for document forgery after buying the certificate on social media. SRF said he went public with his admission shortly after.

"Switzerland hosts the world championship next month. Fischer was already due to step down after that.

"Jan Cadieux, Switzerland's former under-20 coach who had already been announced as Fischer's replacement beginning next year, will take over in the new job immediately, the federation said.

"Fischer was one of Switzerland's most successful hockey coaches. He'd been in the post since 2015 and took the team to three Olympics as well as winning three world championship silver medals.

"His team reached the quarterfinals at the 2022 Olympics, where COVID-19 testing was a requirement and the NHL stayed away because of the pandemic.

"Ahead of the 2022 Olympics, China had some of the strictest COVID-19 rules in the world. It insisted any athletes heading to the Games had to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or sit out a three-week quarantine in a hotel, as Swiss snowboarder Patrizia Kummer did." 

A Powerful Piece on Murder Without Consequences

This must-read column is by Kelly Rae Robertson at American Thinker, 4-16-26. I've been following this case in the New York Post.

------------------------------- 

NYPD Jonathan Diller case: If this isn’t murder, the word has lost its meaning

How many more funerals does it take for the killer of a New York City police officer to be brought to justice?

Kelly Rae Robertson | April 16, 2026 

If Guy Rivera isn’t guilty of murder, then what do we call the killing of Jonathan Diller?

Because that’s what it was.

Jonathan Diller was 31 years old — a husband, a father, a New York City police officer, later posthumously promoted to detective. By every account, he was deeply in love with his wife, Stephanie, and devoted to their young son.

In a matter of seconds, all of that was taken.

He was shot during a traffic stop in Queens — a routine interaction. The shooting was captured on video, along with the screams of a police officer dying in the street.

Officer Diller didn’t make it home that night — and he never would.

His wife didn’t just lose her husband. She lost the love of her life. Their son lost his father. He will grow up knowing him through stories, photographs, and medals — never through memories of his own.

That is what this “manslaughter” case is really about.

Rivera — a man with 21 prior arrests — was convicted of first-degree aggravated manslaughter and other charges, but not murder.

Not murder.

So again, what do we call it when someone guns down a police officer?

Because when a repeat offender — someone the system has cycled through again and again — pulls a gun and shoots an officer during a lawful stop, ordinary people don’t hear legal technicalities.

When the verdict was read, Rivera smiled. Not relief — satisfaction. The same face Detective Diller saw before he was shot. If that doesn’t chill you, it should. Because that is exactly what getting away with murder looks like.

No matter what the verdict says, people see it for what it is.

And they are asking how we got here.

How did we reach a point where a man with that kind of record was still on the street? Still able to come face-to-face with Diller?

How many chances does someone get before the system admits what they are?

And how many lives must be destroyed before we stop pretending these are isolated failures instead of a pattern?

Because this isn’t just about one case.

It never is.

I saw this long before New York.

On April 4, 2009, three Pittsburgh police officers were shot and killed in an ambush. I was working in the courts at the time.

A coworker’s husband — a Pittsburgh police officer — had worked with the fallen officers. I went with them to the memorial service and one of the burials.

I will never forget what I saw.

Three buses waited outside Zone 5, filled with officers in dress blues. Polished badges. Faces quiet and set. The rest of us wore black — suits, ties, mourning bands across badges.

No one spoke.

You could feel it before we even moved.

When the buses pulled out, motorcycle officers moved with precision — blocking intersections, stopping traffic, then rotating back into position.

And we never slowed.

Not once.

Mile after mile through the city.

Washington Boulevard. Shadyside. Into Oakland.

Busy streets filled with lights and traffic — and everything stopped for them.

Inside the bus, voices were barely above a whisper.

I remember one officer saying, “It couldn’t have happened to nicer guys.”

It didn’t feel real.

As we approached the University of Pittsburgh, people stopped what they were doing. Conversations died mid-sentence. Some stood frozen. Others placed their hands over their hearts.

And then they began to salute.

Not because anyone told them to.

Because they understood.

At the cemetery, the reality hit in a way words never could.

As one officer was laid to rest, the echo of gunfire carried from another burial nearby — another fallen officer receiving a 21-gun salute at the same time.

I remember the riderless horse.

I remember the sound of taps.

And I remember something I will never forget — grown men collapsing over the coffin of their friend. Strong men, broken by grief so raw it stripped everything else away.

That was a country that understood loss.

That understood sacrifice.

That understood exactly what had been taken from those families.

And now?

Now we debate what to call it.

Now we downgrade, reinterpret, and explain away.

As the funerals keep coming, what message does that send — not just to the public, but to every officer putting on a uniform?

Because there is already a target on their backs.

And every time the system fails to hold violent repeat offenders accountable, that target grows.

Every time we blur the line between what is and what we wish it to be, that target grows.

I fear for them.

I fear for their families.

For the wives who will get the knock on the door.

For the children who will grow up with folded flags instead of fathers.

For the parents who will bury their sons and daughters.

How many more funerals does it take?

At what point do we say enough?

At what point do we stop pretending this is complicated?

Because some things are not complicated.

A man with a long criminal history shoots a police officer during a lawful stop.

A wife loses her husband.

A child loses his father.

If that isn’t murder, then the word has lost its meaning.

-----------------

Kelly Rae Robertson is a former criminal court investigator with over 14 years of experience inside the Allegheny County justice system. She writes about crime, public safety, and the real-world consequences of failed pretrial policies. 

Jew-Hatred and The Despicable Graham Platner

I came across this excellent column from The Calais Advertiser and would hope that Maine voters are smarter than to elect the likes of Graham Platner. Unfortunately, being an unapologetic Jew-hater no longer disqualifies people from office and seems to actually make them more popular, God help us!

------------------------------------------------------------ 

Freedom Studies - Platner, Pogroms, and Progressives  

By Jon Reisman, 4-15-26 

"Graham Platner is a nazi-tattooed antisemitic socialist. Maine’s progressive left has embraced his antisemitic socialism and seeks to impose it on the rural racist recidivists his Reddit rants ridiculed and railed against. 

"They may well succeed, but if they think this Jew will quietly submit to the progressive Totenkopf Death’s Head tattooed concentration camp guard/secret police admirers, they better buy a gag and hire more Maine People’s Alliance thugs. 

"Platner’s campaign and popularity mean Pogroms are on the immediate horizon -- that’s what Iran has been pushing for 47 years. What do you think “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” mean?

"The Oct. 7, 2023, Gazan/Iranian pogrom featured all the murder and rape a good progressive antisemite could wish for. The claim that antizionist and anti-Israeli sentiments are not antisemitism is complete progressive BS -- at least Hitler and the national socialists (that’s where “NAZI” comes from) were relatively honest about their plans to kill Jews. Having smug progressives tell me that I’m overreacting and misunderstanding them is pretty rich. 

"I understand them perfectly -- they hate Jews, capitalism and freedom, and love oppressed Islamic terrorists. Most of them have deluded themselves into believing that socialism will work and be better. Historical evidence to the contrary (Russia, China, Cuba, Cambodia, Venezuela) is ignored. The same folks who gave New York City Mandami are pushing Platner for Portland and Maine. Freedom and prosperity are not likely consequences -- and I believe that is exactly what the left wants, along with a Juden free Maine and Middle East.

"Some 120 years ago, my paternal grandfather fled Russian/Ukrainian pogroms and emigrated to the United States. His name was changed to Reisman at Ellis Island. Grandpa Harry was a peasant/serf. His sons became a lawyer (my father) and a doctor (my uncle). His grandson became an economist and college professor. 

"Most assimilated secular Jewish-Americans have been on the left, and I certainly was. I left the Democratic Party over their insistence on supporting racial and gender discrimination against white males, also known as affirmative action. Supporting such discrimination is the policy path that has led to the antisemitic policy present. Progressive claims to the contrary are pure hypocrisy. 

"Telling Jews that they are imagining/misunderstanding progressive advocacy as antisemitism seems like telling an African American that they misunderstand white-robed KKK rallies.

"Graham Platner is a clear and present danger to Maine’s and my freedom and prosperity. I am considering filing a red flag request to relieve the wannabe Jew killer of his firearms."

----------------- 

Jon Reisman is an economist and policy analyst who retired from the University of Maine at Machias after 38 years. He resides on Cathance Lake in Cooper, where he is a Statler and Waldorf intern. Mr. Reisman’s views are his own, and he welcomes comments as letters to the editor here or to him directly via email at jreisman@maine.edu.

Smarter Older Americans Choose Vaccinations

Vaccine skepticism has never been the norm for THIS American, nor for my parents when we were kids. I didn't vote for Kamala Harris, but I was smart enough to get vaccinated.

-------------------------------------------------- 

By Stephanie Soucheray, MA at CIDRAP 4-14-26:

Vaccine skepticism now the norm for many Americans 

"A new poll today in Politico suggests that vaccine skepticism is now just as prevalent as vaccine confidence for Americans, with one-third of respondents reporting they see reducing vaccines as a core principle of the Make America Healthy Again movement.

"Overall, 46% of poll respondents said facts on vaccines are still up for debate and it is damaging to enforce their uptake. Thirty-nine percent said science on vaccines is clear and it is damaging to question it. Results were further split daily neatly down political lines, with Trump supporters the most likely to question vaccine safety and argue against vaccine mandates. 

"Forty-four percent of polled adults said they believe vaccines should be mandatory for children to attend school. In a telling question, 47% of the more than 3,800 adults polled said the return of measles was not worth the risk of having personal freedom to make decisions about vaccines, compared to 39% who said it was worth the risk and preferred personal freedom over vaccine mandates. 

"Of note, 49% of Republican voters said the return of vaccine-preventable diseases was  a price worth paying for the ability to refuse vaccines.

Older Americans remember vaccine-preventable diseases 

"Age was a major factor in how respondents thought about the personal duty of vaccination as a tool to prevent others from illness. 

"Two-thirds of adults 65 and older, who are old enough to remember a time before vaccines controlled serious childhood illnesses, said it was their duty to get vaccinated to protect others, Politico said. So did two-thirds of adults who said they voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election." 

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

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

----------------------------------------------------- 

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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).

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.)

---

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:

----------------------------------------- 

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.” 

--------------------- 

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.