Dr. Ruth Report, 7-12-26

Here's another very important newsletter from Dr. Ruth Ann Crystal, M.D.

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Dr. Ruth Report 7/12/26
OMB, Explosive diarrhea, COVID, and more

Ruth Ann Crystal MD, Jul 13, 2026

Last week, I told you about a proposed change to an OMB rule that could affect federal funding for Meals on Wheels for seniors, community health programs, scientific research and much more. I made a free online tool to make it easy to write your comment on the proposed changes to OMB rule in less than 5 minutes at https://ombcomment.netlify.app/.

The tool was made to get you to a strong, personal first draft fast, so that you can submit your comment before the July 13 deadline tomorrow.

How The OMB Rule Could Hurt You And Your Town | Dr. Judy Stone in Forbes

I Built You a Tool That Helps You Write Your Federal Comment in 2 Minutes |

Cyclosporiasis

You may have heard about an outbreak of Cyclospora which causes watery, and sometimes explosive, diarrhea for days to weeks. Symptoms typically start about a week after eating contaminated produce such as raspberries, fresh basil, or lettuce, but unfortunately the source has not yet been determined. The CDC has not given guidance on this outbreak, but we do know that there have been more than 3,000 confirmed cases in 31 states, with Michigan being hit the hardest. The case count is probably much higher, as most people do not need to seek medical care for Cyclospora. Until we know the source, it may be best to avoid raspberries and bagged lettuce as the parasite hides in tiny crevices of produce. In general, most cases of diarrhea are self limited and are often caused by something else like Norovirus, but if you get watery diarrhea that lasts longer than a few days, an antibiotic called Bactrim can be used to treat Cyclospora.

2023 USDA Report on Cyclospora cayetanensis

“The fruits and vegetables most frequently related to Cyclospora infections were: raspberries (34%), basil (31%), cilantro (10%) and salad mixes (10%). Sugar snap peas, lettuce, blueberries, blackberries, carrots, mangos, mint, scallions, mixed vegetable trays, and fruit salads were also associated with cyclosporiasis outbreaks (in some investigations, a single food vehicle was not identified).”

Explosive foodborne outbreak | Katelyn Jetelina YLE 7/11/26

Dozens hospitalized with cyclosporiasis as cases of gastrointestinal illness spike in 31 states | 7/10/26 NBC News

COVID

COVID levels are low through most places across America, but we are starting to see an uptick in Southern Florida, Central Texas, and Palo Alto, California. The Palo Alto finding may just be a blip, but you can follow it here on WastewaterSCAN.

It is wise to wear a mask indoors when the level of SARS-CoV-2 is above 100 PPMoV in wastewater. Here are the hot spots above 100 PPMoV according to WastewaterSCAN (omits 12 states, but is up to date):

• Key Biscayne, FL 370 PPMoV

• St Petersburg, FL 204 PPMoV

• Woodlands, TX 173 PPMoV

• Palo Alto, CA 140 PPMoV

• Atlanta, GA 119 PPMoV

• Tallahassee, FL 111 PPMoV

These numbers are high, but they are nowhere near what we have seen during COVID waves where levels of SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewater can easily reach over 1,000 PPMoV.

Using the CDC and Biobot data, Mike Hoerger estimates that as of July 4, every 1 in 250 Americans was actively infectious with COVID. Here is his COVID map with data from 7/4/26.

Acute COVID infection

Antiviral therapy and interleukin-6 blockade associated with lower thrombotic risk in hospitalized COVID-19: a target trial emulation | 2026-07-06 Nature

• Researchers in Spain analyzed outcomes among 2,524 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, finding that remdesivir and tocilizumab (Actemra) were each independently associated with reduced thrombotic events beyond what standard anticoagulation alone provided. Corticosteroids, by contrast, showed no similar protective association against blood clot formation in this population.

Gut barrier integrity biomarkers are associated with increased inflammation and predict disease status in hospitalized COVID-19 patients | July 4, 2026 Nature Scientific Reports

• University of Minnesota scientists studied 173 hospitalized COVID patients and found elevated levels of lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) and soluble CD14 in the blood, indicating that bacterial products were crossing the gut barrier (“leaky gut”) and entering systemic circulation. These two biomarkers tracked closely with levels of inflammation and were predictive of how severely ill patients became during hospitalization.

Pediatrics

SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection: A Possible Contributing Factor to Long COVID in Children and Adolescents | 2026-07-02 Frontiers in Pediatrics

• Researchers at the Mexican Social Security Institute studied 349 pediatric patients and found that 11.8% developed Long COVID after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among children older than 8 years, reinfection was associated with greater odds of Long COVID, though only 9 reinfection cases were documented in the cohort.

Post-acute sequelae of COVID in children: Pulmonary assessment using impulse oscillometry and the effect of vaccination | 2026-07-07 Pediatrics & Neonatology

• A Chinese study of 209 pediatric patients with respiratory symptoms after COVID and found that impulse oscillometry detected airway abnormalities in 74.6% of them, with small airway disease representing the predominant pattern.

Long COVID

Dr. Michal Tal posted on Twitter that her lab is making a website where people can upload capillaroscopy selfie images to get key features quantified. She shared these images of capillaroscopy findings.

Michal Tal, PhD@ImmunoFever

@Naomi_D_Harvey @NobleRingleader @einfachkaffee We're currently in the process of making a website where you could upload a self-taken capillaroscopy image and get key features quantified. In the meantime if you want to send me a photo I can tell you what I see by eye, though my eyes are not as good as what we're building.

4:23 AM · Jul 10, 2026 · 8.11K Views

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16 Replies · 39 Reposts · 158 Likes

Vagal cholinergic denervation of the gastric mucosa in Long-COVID-19: in vivo evidence of structural autonomic dysfunction | Int J of Infectious Diseases 7/9/26

• Italian researchers studied stomach biopsies from 12 Long COVID patients and 8 controls and found direct evidence that Long COVID causes measurable loss of cholinergic nerve fibers within the stomach lining. In Long COVID patients, nerve fiber density was half of normal in the fundus and the antrum, with cholinergic fibers affected most. Lower nerve density tracked with worse heart rate variability, higher NT-proBNP, and higher D-dimer. Structural damage to vagus nerve pathways as shown in the gastric mucosa may account for persistent autonomic dysfunction observed in many Long COVID patients.

Harshi Peiris PhD posted a Twitter thread with emerging evidence on butyrate-producing bacteria F. prausnitzii and how it is low in COVID, Long COVID, and other diseases. Low F. Prausnitzii leads to low butyrate which can lead to a weakened gut barrier, increased inflammatory signals in the blood, and eventually brain fog symptoms from microglial activation. I chose to use organic kiwi in our LC-02 synbiotic in order to boost F. Prausnitzii and Roseburia species which produce anti-inflammatory butyrate.

👁️👁️ Long-term ocular symptoms following COVID-19 linked to immune dysregulation, dysautonomia and peripheral neuropathy | 2026-07-08 Nature Communications

• Mild COVID can lead to long-term hidden eye problems. Swedish scientists from Linköping University found that people who experienced persistent eye problems (ocular pain, light sensitivity, reduced/blurred vision, and difficulties in reading) after mild COVID infection showed measurable corneal nerve fiber loss, diminished pupil reflex responses, and activated immune cells present in their tears. The findings suggest that prolonged eye symptoms in post-COVID patients may be driven by T cell mediated neuroinflammation affecting both the peripheral nervous system and autonomic function.

👁️👁️ Ocular Symptoms in Long COVID: A Cross-Sectional Study | 2026-07-08 Ophthalmology and Therapy

• Yale University researchers examined 595 individuals living with Long COVID and found that 57% reported developing new vision related symptoms. “Ocular symptoms were defined as self-reported new-onset blurring or loss of vision, dry eyes, or floaters/flashes of light attributed to Long COVID.”

🫀 Cardiac Findings in RECOVER Autopsies | 2026-07-01 USCAP 2026 Annual Meeting

• The RECOVER initiative examined 74 autopsy cases and detected actively replicating SARS-CoV-2 within heart muscle cells in 11 of those cases, with 82% of that group showing cardiac symptoms consistent with Long COVID. Researchers also identified accompanying immune and structural changes in the cardiac tissue, supporting SARS-CoV-2 viral persistence in tissues.

Implications of RNA virus persistence for post-acute sequelae and chronic inflammatory syndromes | 2026-07-07 Nature Immunology

• A new review in Nature Immunology shows that many RNA viruses (RSV, coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2, influenza and parainfluenza viruses, measles, chikungunya, and lethal viruses like Ebola virus and the henipaviruses) are capable of leaving residual RNA or proteins in body tissues and within circulating immune cells after the acute phase of infection has resolved. When the immune system fails to fully eliminate this lingering viral material, it may drive chronic inflammation that contributes to post-acute conditions such as Long COVID.

Autoantibodies could trigger neurological symptoms of long COVID | Nature Reviews Neurology 7/9/26

• A review of the recent article from Yale published in Cell shows a causal link between Long COVID autoantibodies and the neurological symptoms. “Passive transfer of IgG from patients with long COVID to healthy mice produced signs of fatigue, pain and heat sensitivity, resembling the symptoms reported by patients… The recipient mice [also] showed evidence of intraepidermal nerve fibre damage in the skin.”

Temelimab versus placebo in patients with post-COVID condition | 2026-07-07 eBioMedicine

• Twenty-four weeks of treatment with Temelimab, a monoclonal antibody targeting the HERV-W ENV protein, showed no measurable advantage over placebo in Long COVID patients.

Macrophage-specific targeting of histone demethylases with small-molecule inhibitors suppresses inflammatory response in vivo | 2026-07-07 Journal of Biological Chemistry

• University of Pittsburgh researchers discovered that lung macrophages from Long COVID patients showed elevated levels of histone demethylase enzymes, pointing to an epigenetic mechanism underlying persistent inflammation. In a mouse model, small molecule inhibitors reprogrammed inflammatory gene activity in macrophages and reduced expression of IL1b and iNOS following immune stimulation.

Postacute COVID-19 and Health Care Utilization and Spending in Medicare Beneficiaries | 2026-07-07 JAMA Network Open

• A cohort study of 937,077 Medicare patients found that healthcare utilization and spending spiked immediately following a COVID diagnosis, but declined in subsequent months. However, patient-reported symptom scores remained high, indicating that billing claims data substantially undercount the ongoing burden of Long COVID.

Chronic stress primes TLR3-mediated systemic inflammation to produce persistent post-viral fatigue syndrome-like symptoms in mice | 2026-07-06 Brain Research (IBRO Neuroscience)

• In mice, chronic stress prolonged TLR3 immune activation which led to a prolonged fatigue illness resembling post-viral fatigue syndrome with elevated IL-6 and CXCL10. Treatment with minocycline (an antibiotic and microglial activation inhibitor) reduced both fatigue behaviors and inflammatory markers, implicating neuroinflammation as a central mechanism.

🎵 Material-specific quarantine durations for SARS-CoV-2 inactivation on musical instruments and music-related materials | July 3, 2026 bioRxiv

• Researchers at Aix-Marseille University tested music instruments and found that SARS-CoV-2 remained infectious on metals and ABS plastic for up to 3 days, while porous materials such as reeds and printed scores retained viable virus for 6 to 7 days.

Efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban, colchicine, and famotidine–loratadine with specialist supportive clinical care for fatigue in patients with post-COVID-19 condition in the UK: a multisite, open-label, randomised controlled trial | Lancet 7/8/26

• The STIMULATE ICP trial randomized 778 UK Long COVID patients across 12 clinics to colchicine, rivaroxaban, famotidine plus loratadine, or no drug for 12 weeks. Colchicine and antihistamines added a small benefit which went away after stopping the medications. Rivaroxaban showed no added benefit.

ME/CFS

Gastrointestinal symptoms correlate with core clinical features and systemic inflammation in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome | Journal of Translational Medicine 6/19/26

• Columbia University researchers assessed symptoms in 116 ME/CFS patients vs 80 controls. Gastrointestinal symptoms tracked with fatigue, cognitive trouble, pain, and sensory sensitivity, and correlated with higher CRP. Patients with more flu-like symptoms had stronger antibody responses to gliadin and bacterial lipopolysaccharide indicating a leaky gut barrier.

Measles

CDC Measles update:

• As of July 9, 2026, 2,231 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States in 2026.

Ebola in DR Congo

According to the Minister of Communication in DR Congo, as of July 10th:

• 1,830 confirmed Ebola cases, including 780 patients currently under care, 284 recoveries, and 648 deaths. The contact tracing rate stands at 78% which means that contacts are unknown for at least 400 confirmed Ebola patients.

Ebola workers strike as CDC head says agency’s response will last months | 7/8/26 CIDRAP

• Unfortunately, some doctors and nurses treating Ebola patients haven’t been paid in months and are striking. This will certainly not help the situation.

First patients enrolled in record-breaking Ebola treatment trial in DRC | Guardian 7/12/26

• The first patients have been enrolled in a trial of Remdesivir and MBP134 (a monoclonal antibody) to treat the Ebola Bundibugyo virus in DRC. Both drugs have been shown to be effective in animal models and now will be tested in a randomized trial to see whether they reduce mortality for Bundibugyo.

Government News

As Montana’s Medicaid work requirements roll out, cancer patients fear they’ll lose coverage | NBC 7/8/26

• Montana became the second state to enforce Medicaid work requirements starting July 1, ahead of the federal 2027 deadline. “New Medicaid guidelines in Montana leave cancer patients vulnerable, with requirements that they must work, attend school or volunteer for 80 hours a month to maintain coverage, unless they qualify for an exemption.” Paperwork burdens and unclear medical frailty rules have been confusing for patients.

Other News

GLP-1 and MASH: When weight loss isn’t the whole story | 2026-07-08 Cell Metabolism

• A new MASH (fatty liver) mouse model study shows that semaglutide reduced liver fat accumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis through GLP-1 receptors located specifically on intrahepatic blood vessel cells, independent of the drug’s weight loss effects.

👾 Phage intervention improves colitis and response to corticosteroids by attenuating virulence of Crohn’s disease–associated bacteria | 7/8/26 Science Translational Medicine

• McMaster University scientists identified Phage HER259, which disarms adherent invasive E. coli linked to Crohn’s disease by switching off its FimH adhesin. In mouse models this reduced colitis and boosted low dose budesonide’s effect.

🌡️ Deaths in Belgium increased by 39% during June heatwave | Euronews 7/3/26

• Belgium recorded 1,222 excess deaths, a 39% rise, between June 18 and 29 during a severe heatwave. More than half of those who died were 85 or older. France saw a 29% jump in deaths the same week, with 2,025 additional deaths nationwide.

Prenatal Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) Use and the Risk of Autism and/or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Among Sibling-Matched Cohorts | JAMA Internal Medicine 6/29/26

• The University of Hong Kong analyzed 708,020 mother child pairs and built sibling matched cohorts of 124,333 children assessed for autism and 97,285 for ADHD. Prenatal paracetamol (acetaminophen) exposure showed no added risk for either condition across dose, timing, and usage pattern.

This 22-year-old engineer 3D prints dentures to give low-income Americans their smiles back | CNN 6/22/26

• Connor Gibson, a 22 year old engineer at Remote Area Medical, taught himself dentistry and 3D printing to build the first mobile denture lab in the United States. What once took three months now is completed in a single clinic weekend and patients are smiling with their new free custom dentures.

Remote Area Medical

Have a great week,

Ruth Ann Crystal MD

From Israel, A Tribute to Lindsey Graham

What a lovely tribute this is. And what a void he leaves in the Senate.

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Israel Loses Its Greatest Friend on Capitol Hill

Amit Segal, 7-12-26

Lindsey Graham addressing Chabad of Charleston, July 2025. (@LindseyGrahamSC/X)

"It’s Sunday, July 12, and this morning the office of South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham announced that he passed away Saturday evening after a sudden and brief illness—two days after turning 71. He had returned from Kyiv on Friday, where he met Volodymyr Zelensky, and was booked on Meet the Press for this very morning. Israel has lost its greatest friend on Capitol Hill.

"That isn’t an exaggeration; it’s the consensus of the Israeli opposition and coalition, who rose in unison this morning to eulogize the beloved senator.

"Born and raised in his beloved South Carolina, Graham grew up living in a cramped room behind his parents’ combined pool hall, bar and liquor store. Later becoming a lawyer and enlisting in the U.S. military, he entered Congress in 1995, becoming the first Republican to represent South Carolina’s 3rd District since Reconstruction. In 2003, he moved up to the Senate, where he and John McCain became a trio with Joe Lieberman—dubbed the “Three Amigos” by Gen. David Petraeus on one of their endless trips to Iraq and Afghanistan. Hawks, travelers and crossers of aisles for wars worth fighting. Especially Israel’s.

"Sander Gerber, his partner on the Taylor Force Act, once quipped that the senator was “more pro-Israel than AIPAC,” while Christians United for Israel counted him among Israel’s most stalwart allies in Congress. His evangelical base—a pillar of both South Carolina politics and American Zionism—wasn’t a constituency he courted so much as one he belonged to.

"Addressing AIPAC’s annual dinner on March 22, 2010, he told the room the evening was about “our best friend in the world, the State of Israel”—and had every member of Congress present stand while he pledged that Congress had Israel’s back and would not let it down. In the same speech, he declared Jerusalem the undivided capital of Israel and the eternal home of the Jewish faith, said it was sometimes better to go to war than to allow a second Holocaust to develop, and closed with “never again.”

"He more than lived up to the commitment. From Obama’s JCPOA—which he fought—to Donald Trump’s short-lived rapprochement with Tehran this past month, through the Taylor Force Act, the anti-BDS legislation, the embassy move and the Golan recognition he personally championed, Graham operated on a single axiom, the one the Hebrew press identified this morning as his signature line: Israel’s security is America’s security. He applied it without exception. In 2013, he threatened to sink Chuck Hagel’s nomination as the most anti-Israel defense secretary in American history; in December 2014, standing in Jerusalem beside Netanyahu, he promised on Iran sanctions that “the Congress will follow your lead”—a sentence no other American senator would say to a foreign leader, and Graham said it on camera.

"Just 15 days after the October 7 massacre, Graham was in Tel Aviv leading a bipartisan delegation—noting that “10 percent of the United States Senate is in Israel.” Destroying Hamas, he made clear, was nonnegotiable, and he had stark words for Tehran: “We’re here today to tell Iran, we’re watching you”—if the war grew, it was coming to their backyard: “There won’t be two fronts, there will be three.” He told the room exactly why it had happened, insisting no one would ever convince him the massacre was about anything but stopping reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Israel—the very normalization project he had spent the preceding months building.

"He wasn’t shy about Biden’s flip-flopping either. When the administration threatened to withhold weapons over Rafah, Graham hauled Lloyd Austin before the Armed Services Committee and asked whether he’d have supported Hiroshima and Nagasaki—then demanded to know how Washington could dictate terms to a country whose neighbors want to kill all the Jews. He called Biden’s approach “ass-backwards.” When the ICC prosecutor moved on Israeli leaders, his warning was five words of pure Graham: “If they do this to Israel, we’re next.”

"When Israel launched Operation Rising Lion on June 13, 2025, his reaction was five words: “Game on. Pray for Israel.” The tweet drew fury from all directions—including from Meghan McCain, his late best friend’s daughter, who informed him it was not a game—but it was, in its way, the most honest sentence of the war: the fight he had demanded since at least 2010 had finally arrived, and he was not going to pretend otherwise. By August, he was telling South Carolina Republicans that if America pulls the plug on Israel, God will pull the plug on us. By 2026, per The Wall Street Journal, he was shuttling to Jerusalem to coach Netanyahu on making the case for war to Trump.

"In January, no sooner had he disembarked than he posted: “I just landed in Israel, the one and only Jewish State, and America’s strongest ally and friend since its founding.” He returned once more in February 2026—Netanyahu, Defense Minister Katz, the General Staff—the final visit of several dozen across the decades. In March, amid the MAGA backlash over the Iran war, he gave the line that now reads as a valediction: “I will be with Israel until our dying day.”

"Far too soon, that day arrived. It found him the same as always: back from an ally’s capital, stalwartly defending a country’s right to freedom and safety, and scheduled for Sunday television to explain why.

"In 1995, an American president needed two Hebrew words to bury an Israeli prime minister. In 2026, Israel needs the same two for a Baptist son of a South Carolina pool hall.

"Shalom, chaver."

Senator Lindsey Graham, R.I.P.

I was so shocked to see the breaking news headline this morning about the death of Lindsey Graham! Like everyone else in the Carolinas, I'm so used to his presence that I had to double-check online to make sure this news wasn't a mistake.

He was such an optimist, a friend to all, a champion of the people of South Carolina, and a staunch supporter of Trump. 

He was a supporter of Israel, a great patriot, and we will probably never see his like again.

The Republicans had better get their act together, and fast. Without Lindsey Graham on their team, it's going to be rough going for them.

How To Win An Election: Demonstrate Your Hatred For Israel

Here's Melanie Phillips on the contemptible Andy Burnham, the man who unfortunately will be England's new Prime Minister. He must be borrowing the Democrats' playbook of following the "free 'Palestine'" mob;  attacking Israel; and punishing Israel and the Jews in lieu of doing anything constructive for their own citizens.  These losers actually think that their anti-Israel stance is the #1 issue\that will get them elected. Let's hope they're very wrong.

After you've read this column, read this one by Spiked's Chief Political Writer, Brendan O'Neill: Andy Burnham’s shameful pandering to anti-Israel bigots.  His pompous, fact-lite sermon on Gaza is a transparent effort to win back Muslim voters and the keffiyeh classes.

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Amoral Andy sticks it to the Jews
Who cares that no-one knows how he'll govern Britain? He's passionate about Gaza

Melanie Phillips, Jul 10, 2026 

"Well that didn’t take long, did it?

"On the day that 322 politically bankrupt and panicky Labour MPs made it all but certain through their backing that Andy Burnham’s coup against Sir Keir Starmer had succeeded and he would replace him as prime minister, Burnham — whose only claim to fame is the common touch he brought to his role as mayor of Manchester — chose to celebrate by sticking it to the Jews.

"After meaningless bromides about condemning the Hamas-led atrocities in Israel on October 7 2023 and the “appalling” rise in antisemitism, as well as having “felt first-hand” the anxiety of British Jews about the “very real threat they face” after the lethal Manchester synagogue attack last year, he proceeded to parrot Hamas propaganda defaming Israel for defending itself against genocide. He did so using the same falsehoods about Israel that have fuelled the onslaught against British Jews as the presumed supporters of the cosmic and diabolical evil that apparently is the State of Israel.

"In his video on X yesterday, Burnham said:

"The terrible suffering in Gaza is a scar on our collective conscience. It’s completely unacceptable that innocent Palestinians including children continue to be killed. That there’s still a humanitarian crisis with too little aid getting in, and that the Israeli military continues to expand the area it controls in Gaza. We’ve got to do more to put pressure on the Israeli government.

"He approved of the pressure already imposed by the Starmer government including recognising “the Palestinian state”, placing sanctions on Israeli ministers and imposing “waves of sanctions on violent settlers and the organisations that support them”. He also supported the restrictions imposed on arms licences, he said,

"to make sure that no British bombs or bullets can be used by the IDF in Gaza or in the West Bank.

"He went on:

"Israel continues to violate the ceasefire agreement killing innocent Palestinians. Netanyahu’s government is clearly attempting to make a two state solution impossible. We need to do more, including … looking at further sanctions, both against those involved in the violence in Gaza but also measures to ban trade in goods with illegal settlements. I like many others feel passionately about Gaza and I will work with international partners to stop the suffering, to ensure the Israeli government adheres to international law…There’s increasing evidence that war crimes appear to have been committed. … holding the Netanyahu government to account… I will always take a fair and balanced approach and stand up for what is right.

"This was all an obscene travesty of truth and fairness and a shocking display of either brainwashed ignorance or the most shameless cynicism.

"There was zero condemnation of Hamas for causing that suffering in Gaza by using “innocent Palestinians including children” not just as human shields but as cannon fodder — war crimes against their own people.

"He made no mention that Hamas has been regularly torturing and murdering Gazans who dare oppose the tyrannical terrorist group.

"No mention that Hamas hid in the tunnels they built to commit war crimes against innocent Israelis, including children, while failing to build one single shelter for their own civilians. Hamas prevented the Gazans from sheltering in the tunnels because the Islamist barbarians wanted as many of them as possible to die under bombardment as a strategy of war to get the credulous, post-truth progressive world to support barbarism against civilisation. As has happened, and as Burnham has now done.

"It is Hamas, not Israel, that’s been repeatedly breaching the ceasefire in Gaza. Burnham omitted that bit, thus reversing aggressor and defender as is routinely done against Israel to delegitimise and destroy it.

"No mention that Hamas, although much depleted, are still attacking Israeli soldiers in Gaza and refusing to disarm because, as they have repeatedly declared, they intend to commit more atrocities against Jews.

"No mention of putting more pressure on Hamas and its state sponsors in Qatar and Iran to abandon their genocidal agenda.

"Instead, Burnham stated that Britain would refuse to provide a single bomb or bullet to help defend civilians in Israel under attack from Gaza or in the disputed territories known as the “West Bank”.

"Just think about that. The incoming British prime minister believes it’s doing “what is right” to refuse to assist the prospective targets of genocide against their attackers.

"Defaming the half million or so Jewish residents of these disputed areas, of whom a few hundred delinquent boys are genuinely mounting unprovoked attacks against local Arabs — a real issue that’s being grossly exaggerated as another weapon of delegitimisation against Israel — Burnham made no mention of the dozens of murderous attacks and plots against these Jewish residents that are being perpetrated or hatched every day.

"He also parroted the untruth that the Jewish “settlements” in these areas are illegal. This reflects Britain’s long-standing and cynical misrepresentation of international law. The fact is that the Jews alone are entitled to live in the “West Bank” under international law many times over.

"As for Israel committing war crimes, this is the foulest lie. Israel, which goes to enormous lengths to behave in accordance with the laws of war, has committed no war crimes. These have been committed instead in their thousands by Hamas against Israeli and Gazan civilians.

"Why is Burnham parroting this disgusting rubbish? Why, indeed, is he giving Gaza top priority while the British public is still waiting to hear how he proposes to govern the United Kingdom? Why doesn’t he identify the murder of more than 40,000 Iranian men and women by the fanatical Tehran regime as a “stain on our collective conscience”?

"The reason is simple. Amoral Andy is falling over himself to suck up to the “Gaza first” Islamists and the “Zios out” gang in his own party and throughout so-called liberal Britain, because he believes that this is where electoral success now lies.

"Referring to Starmer saying shortly after October 7 that Israel had the right to defend itself, and subsequently being criticised for being seen to be slow to call for Israel to cease fire, Burnham also said:

"I know many people feel that, at the start of Israel’s military action in Gaza, my party didn’t get it right, and I am sorry about that. The response has too often not been good enough.

"In fact, by parroting Hamas’s propaganda and then rewarding its murderous behaviour by recognising “Palestine”, Labour’s response to Gaza helped cause the killing of yet more Israelis at the hands of a galvanised Hamas that actually thanked it for “justifying” the October 7 atrocities. By defaming Israelis as diabolical and wanton killers, Labour also ramped up the Jew-hatred which has subjected British Jews to unprecedented vilification, intimidation, harassment and murderous attack.

"If Britain had been subjected to a fraction of the thousands of missile and terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians, not to mention the increasing stranglehold through a “ring of fire” by a regime intent on wiping it off the map, does anyone doubt that Britain wouldn’t have gone to war just as Israel has been forced to do — and would have been far less scrupulous than the Israelis have been about trying to safeguard civilian lives?

"Yet for Burnham and the entire progressive west, Israel alone is not to be allowed to defend itself against annihilation. For Burnham and his ilk, all of Israel’s defensive military measures are instead acts of aggression.

"This is not morality but depravity, and the disintegration of reason.

"Burnham’s video will have caused a shudder among all who respect truth and justice, and all who understand the threat to Britain and the west from the Islamist onslaught that’s being laundered through the Palestinian cause. And he hasn’t yet even got his feet across the Downing Street welcome mat.

"Nevertheless, it’s still not enough for the Israel-baiting far-left. The Telegraph reports:

"But on Thursday night, both the Greens and Your Party said the comments had not gone far enough, as Mr Burnham refused to accuse Israel of committing war crimes unequivocally.

"Robespierre, the architect of the French revolutionary terror who went to the same guillotine to which he had condemned an entire class of people, had the same problem.

"Progressives always eat their own. But they help kill the rest of us first."

The Despicable Things Democrat Socialists Stand For

I saw red when I saw this headline today at The Times of Israel: 

Citing apparent war crimes, likely next UK PM urges ‘more pressure’ on the Israeli government. 
Andy Burnham, who remains unchallenged as incoming Labour leader, says outgoing PM Keir Starmer ‘didn’t get it right,’ and he would weigh ‘further sanctions’ on Israel 

Is this how you hope to win votes these days, by showing your complete contempt for Israel and of Jews, even if it means lying?

Our American Democrats have resorted to this as well. It seems the signs of a "good" candidate now include the following:

* Hatred of Trump
* Hatred of Jews
* Hatred of Israel
* Hatred of capitalism
* Hatred of earned wealth
* Contempt for I.C.E & police
* Against jails and punishment for criminals
* Continues to protect illegal alien criminals
* Supports sanctuary cities
* Supports amnesty for illegal aliens
* Supports Medicare for All
* Supports political correctness
* Supports green energy
* Supports transgender surgery for children
* Thinks men can be women

Are voters that far gone that they no longer vote for candidates whose main goals are protecting our country and keeping us safe?  

It's just hard for me to believe that voters are so obsessed with Israel that they vote for someone based on whether he stands for Israel, or against Israel.  And it's also hard for me to believe that we've gotten to the point where candidates are this brazen about their Jew-hatred.  Years ago, expressing that publicly would have been the end of that candidate's career. Now, it's a badge of honor.

I switched my party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 1991, and I'm glad I did. Democrats have somehow gone from being the party of John F. Kennedy to being the party of hate.

Cyclosporiasis Outbreak

This important information is from the July 8, 2026 issue of Dr. Caitlin Rivers' Force of Infection newsletter.

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A large cyclosporiasis outbreak is underway

An overview of the current outbreak of cyclosporiasis.

•  Caitlin Rivers

"There is currently a large outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a foodborne illness, that’s making headlines. Here’s a brief look at what you need to know.

"There is a very large outbreak of cyclosporiasis underway. Current reports are concentrated in southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio – Michigan has reported over 700 cases since late June, which is approximately 14 times the state's annual average. Cases have been identified in at least 18 states, including New York, North Carolina, Indiana, and Texas, with an unofficial national count (based on state reports) likely exceeding 1,200. It's not yet confirmed whether these state clusters share a common source.

"Cyclospora cayetanensis is a microscopic parasite that inhabits the small intestine. Infection begins when someone ingests contaminated food or water. Fresh produce like herbs, leafy greens, fruits, etc. are most commonly implicated. Unlike some other stomach bugs you may be familiar with, like norovirus, cyclosporiasis is not transmitted through direct contact with e.g., an infected household member.

"Symptoms include prolonged watery diarrhea, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, abdominal cramping, bloating, nausea, and low-grade fever. These symptoms typically develop one week after exposure. Cyclosporiasis often follows a relapsing pattern. If untreated, symptoms improve and then return over several weeks or months. This pattern, combined with the fact that routine stool tests don’t detect this parasite, can lead to missed diagnoses or misdiagnoses like irritable bowel syndrome.

"The parasite typically contaminates produce at the farm or irrigation source, and then the product is distributed to stores and purchased by consumers. U.S. outbreaks are commonly associated with imported fresh produce, including bagged salads, leafy greens, fresh basil, fresh cilantro, and raspberries.

"No specific food source has been identified or recalled as of this date. State health departments, the CDC, and the FDA are still working to identify the source.

If you're higher-risk

"Cyclosporiasis is highly unpleasant but often self-limiting in healthy adults. For older adults and people with immunocompromise, though, infection can be dangerous. People at higher risk include, for example, chemotherapy patients, solid organ transplant recipients, or others on immunosuppressive medications.

"For those high risk populations, the illness may be more severe, prolonged, and prone to relapse. Chronic diarrhea increases the risk of dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, which can complicate heart, kidney, or other underlying conditions. However, the infection is treatable with appropriate medical care.

What to do

"Until a source is identified, readers who are more cautious or at higher risk may want to limit foods historically linked to these outbreaks, like leafy greens and bagged salads, fresh herbs like basil and cilantro, raspberries, snow peas, and green onions. But to be clear, no specific source has been identified, so this option is a best guess for precautions.

"Evidence on the effectiveness of rinsing produce to prevent cyclosporiasis is sparse. From my quick review, I came to the conclusion that rinsing can help to reduce risk, but not reliably because the oocysts are sticky. I wasn’t able to find clear guidance on veggie sprays, but the parasite is quite hardy and resistant to chlorine sanitization, so I think they are unlikely to work.

"Cooking does eliminate it, so cooked vegetables are a safer choice while the investigation continues. 

"Persistent watery diarrhea accompanied by fatigue and appetite loss should prompt a visit to the doctor, particularly with dehydration (reduced urination, dizziness on standing, dry mouth, or feeling faint). Routine stool tests do not detect Cyclospora, so clinicians must specifically request testing for this parasite. More information for clinicians is available at our sister site, FOI Clinical.

"I'll keep you updated as the source investigation continues."

Platner Enthusiasts Rushing Toward The Exits

All I can say about Platner -- and the latest scandal that has his (former) endorsers and fellow campaigners rushing to dump him, is -- it serves the Democrats right!

In their zeal to find some of the most extremist, disagreeable, Trump-hating, antisemitic, America-hating candidates, they are now paying the price. I  hope he resigns and takes Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth "He's my kind of man" Warren with him, among others.

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Excerpt from Townhall 7-8-26:

The Platner Campaign Fires Back at Maine Democrats As Their Senate Hopes Crumble

"There are reports that Platner is refusing to drop out unless he can name his successor, and the current kerfuffle with the Maine Democrats seems to lend credibility to that report. Murphy-Anderson said the Platner campaign reached out to the state party to influence the process of selecting Platner's replacement, and that the party informed Platner's campaign they would not be involved in the process in any way."

Eye Problems After COVID

More damage from COVID revealed six years later. This shows how incredibly damaging COVID has been and that it's definitely not "just a cold" as many deniers still insist it is. 

I was never diagnosed with COVID, yet I suffered from intense hypersensitivity and had to see an opthalmologist. This article now makes me wonder. 

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From News-Medical.net 7-8-26:

Study explains long-term ocular symptoms following mild COVID-19 

"Mild COVID-19 can cause severe and long-lasting eye problems, according to a study from Linköping University, Sweden. The study also explains why it has been difficult for sufferers to get help: the abnormal eye behavior cannot be detected by standard methods. The researchers have developed a diagnostic model to detect COVID-related eye problems.

"I think it's very important that the problem is recognised and that we show that it can be measured by objective testing. Patients don't have access to that today. We've studied people in Sweden, but believe that many people around the world are experiencing these problems," says Neil Lagali, professor of experimental ophthalmology at Linköping University, who led the study published in Nature Communications.

"The study originated with people seeking care for eye problems following a mild COVID-19 infection. They were experiencing a lot of discomfort, sensitivity to light and in many cases severe eye pain, difficulty reading and focusing their gaze.

"Following examination of those affected, the research team realized that the problem was substantial, not only in terms of prevalence but also in impact on quality of life. Among those affected were people who wanted to continue their studies or work but were unable to do so, as they could no longer read text and were suffering from pain and extreme eye fatigue. Healthcare professionals could not find anything wrong with their eyes, nor provide any explanation for their symptoms, let alone a diagnosis.

"In the current study, the researchers examined 100 people with eye problems following COVID-19 who had not been hospitalized. They had suffered from eye problems for 3 months up to 3 years, and one in three were on full or part-time sick leave. The researchers compared the affected group with a control group of 32 people, who had also had mild COVID-19 but without eye problems.

"In their study, the researchers found long-term inflammation and deterioration of several eye functions controlled by the nerves in the brain.

"One of the advanced tests involved proteomics, where a variety of proteins in the tear fluid are analysed. In those with eye problems, the researchers found an abnormal pattern of proteins regulating nerves and immune cells, so-called T cells. The findings were consistent with advanced eye microscopy that they used to measure the T cells and nerves in the eye. Strikingly, the same protein pattern has been found in blood and tissue in cases of severe and fatal COVID in other studies.

"Our findings suggest that these people have suffered a severe reaction to COVID-19 manifested in the eyes, with long-term inflammation and an impact on the nerves that control multiple eye functions," says Petros Moustardas, senior research associate at Linköping University and lead author of the study, who performed the proteomics analyses.

"Many of those affected became highly sensitive to light. The researchers can now provide an explanation: their pupils let too much light into the eye. The impaired pupil function was furthermore linked to headaches, difficulty reading text and in focusing the eyes.

"Another finding was that both eyes could not cooperatively function in a normal way. Known as strabismus, or crossed-eyes, this occurs almost exclusively in young children. This type of adult-onset strabismus is unusual. According to Neil Lagali, it can be explained by the fact that the nerves that control the eye muscles have been affected.

"The various abnormalities discovered by the researchers point to an eye syndrome that occurs following COVID-19. To develop diagnostic criteria, which do not exist today, the researchers came up with two diagnostic models. One model uses only measurements from instruments usually found in eye clinics in larger academic hospitals. In the second model, a few tear fluid protein values are added, making it even more accurate.

"These people are really struggling in their daily lives. Now we know what's wrong with their eyes, and have several clues as to how COVID-19 may have caused these problems. We hope that the findings can lead to effective treatment and that in the long run their problems will ease, but unfortunately we don't know yet," says Neil Lagali.

"The study was conducted in collaboration with Helen Setterud and Björn Johansson at the Linköping University Hospital Eye Clinic, and partners at Linnaeus University in Kalmar. The study was financed by the Swedish Research Council."

An Anti-American American Traitor In Iran

I agree 100% with the reader comments: this vile American should either be arrested and charged with treason as soon as he arrives back in the United States; or taken hostage by the Iranians he seems to love.

The only people he is "influencing" are haters like himself, so let him stay there! We don't want him here.

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Click the link to see the disgraceful video clip.

WATCH: At Khamenei’s funeral, American influencer leads Iranians in ‘Down with USA’ chant

World Israel News, July 7, 2026

"Anti-Israel and anti-American social media personality Jackson Hinkle was spotted at Ali Khamenei’s funeral, where he led ‘Down with the USA’ chants and handed out beverages to mourners."

Sasha Stone: "Trump Became a Legend Over the Weekend".

Boy, do I ever agree with that statement!

Please read her wonderfully-written column, and you'll feel the same way.  It's filled with wonderful graphics, videos, and tweets, but I've never really figured out how to copy videos into this blog, so look at the whole thing on her website to see the full effect for yourself. (Hat tip, 7-6-26 Power Line picks).

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Trump Became a Legend Over the Weekend
And yet, it was still a "middle America party" greeted with a sneer.

Sasha Stone, Jul 05, 2026

 

The two Americas faced off over Independence Day Weekend, the nation’s 250th birthday. To the Left and the ruling class, it was the worst-case scenario. How could they celebrate the administration they’ve called “fascist” for ten years? And worse, if Trump pulled off a successful Fourth, and the people felt happiness for even one second, what of their ongoing mass delusion?

A gathering storm, lightning cracking in the sky, buckets of rain pouring down, it looked like a weather intervention to prevent the nation’s big celebration with the biggest fireworks display in history. Nothing would have made them happier. But Trump was never going to let that happen. 

 

I had that feeling, the same one I’ve had so many times. Trump decides to push through anyway, as he did in Butler after almost being assassinated on live television.

Or just after the Correspondents’ Dinner, where another shooting almost massacred reporters and the Trump administration. He wanted to go back into the room and give his speech.

That kind of heroism can’t be taught. It is true grit. It comes from being raised to be tough, resilient, and to stand there, allow yourself to be pummeled by every force imaginable, and remain standing. It always reminds me of that scene in Raging Bull when Jake La Motta refuses to be taken down by Sugar Ray.

“You never got me down, Ray.”

Yes, that’s Robert De Niro before he lost his mind to TDS, and when he was still an actor, all of us could admire. He and everyone else in the upper crust of Liberal society believe it’s their right to rob the American people of representative democracy. They might have won, but they underestimated the kind of stuff Trump is made of. “You never got me down, Ray.”

I kept wondering, is he really going to show up that late and give a speech? Are they really going to push through with the fireworks? The crowd drenched? An unpredictable weather pattern swirling overhead? Sure enough, the minute Lee Greenwood took to the stage, we knew what was coming next. 

I knew I was watching the stuff of legends as Trump took to the stage to give his speech. It was something beautiful and spectacular to behold. I’ve never seen anything like it, and it was pure Trump. The real Trump, not the fake version sold by the legacy media and the Left every day.

I just kept thinking, there will be another one like him. We’re all so lucky to be living through this moment, and we have to make sure the story is told right.

I know I sound like a sycophant for Trump. I know what people think when they read the kind of adoring words I use to describe him, and how I neglect to write about his flaws, his bad decisions, or his mistakes. I won’t deny it.

To quote the great Teddy Roosevelt, “The poorest way to face life is to face it with a sneer.” That’s all we’ve gotten from the most powerful people in the country for the last ten years: one long sneer.

I knew how the elitists who believe this country belongs only to them would respond. I used to be one of them. I hated Trump right alongside them. I mourned the death of democracy, too. The difference is that, at some point, the hate became too much for me. I couldn’t be part of it. I had to find out what was true and what wasn’t.

I feel like I have to write about what I am seeing, but also to correct the record each and every time, because I know what the legacy media will report and how they’ll want to tell their version of the story in history books. My admiration for Trump has only grown as I’ve watched him deflect the slings and arrows.

Deep down, guys like Robert de Niro and Bruce Springsteen know who they are. They know they have everything and are used to getting their way. They can’t face their own irrelevance. They don’t want to go down in history as losers to their sworn enemy. What does that say about them?

They pretend it’s Trump who is the bully, but who are we kidding? They live in their own bubble. How could they ever know what was real anymore? They’ve become the antagonists, the bullies, the villains. because they’re the side that still has all of the power.

They threaten and intimidate anyone who would dare participate in a Trump-backed celebration of America at 250. Do they think we don’t notice? They’re the bad guys now. They’re the rich kid villain in a John Hughes high school movie.

To many other people, Trump represents the most famous guy in the world who has their back and is their voice. The best way to have prevented his rise was to understand that this is a big country that didn’t want to be ruled by the coastal elites.

And yes, it’s a cosmic joke that the Gray Champion, the hero of our time, is the guy who was on Celebrity Apprentice and hosted beauty pageants. Trump’s rise is about him, but it’s also about them - those at the top whose reaction to Trump has been their downfall. They destroyed themselves trying to destroy him.

Does that mean I think he’s perfect? Of course not. I wish he’d fund the National Parks. But I know a legend when I see one.

If you can’t stand back in awe over something like this, there is nothing left.

Thank you, President Trump, for giving your supporters the thrill of a lifetime and for showing people like me what real courage looks like.