Dr Ruth Report 10-4-26

Here's another amazingly information-filled newsletter by Dr Ruth Ann Crystal. She always includes such helpful information, including the wastewater tracker that lets you get information for your own zip code. 

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Dr. Ruth Report, 10/4/26

Flu arrives to Pacific states; COVID wave seen in US, England, and Europe; Neuro-Long COVID and HHV-7; a 5th Pennsylvania measles death; Plague lab accident in Siberia; and much more.

Ruth Ann Crystal MD

11 hours ago

Respiratory Illnesses

The CDC notes that Rhinovirus/Enterovirus (RV/EV) and Group A strep are increasing nationally. Flu A is starting to increase especially in the Pacific states (see below).

Ryan McCormick MD has made a new hyperlocal tracker for Influenza A and for COVID- you can put in your zip code and the tracker will give you information closest to you.

Regional wastewater levels for COVID, RSV, Flu A, Flu B per Wastewater SCAN:

COVID levels in the Northeast may reflect hot spots in Millbury, MA and Dover, NH, but most likely this curve will be recalibrated in the next few days and will appear less steep.

Flu

According to the CDC, Influenza A test positivity is increasing significantly in HHS Region 9 which covers California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii, as well as Pacific Islands such as Guam, American Samoa, N. Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, and Palau. In California, test positivity for Influenza is moderate and is high in the Bay Area according to CDPH. Remember to get your Flu shot soon!

COVID

The PMC19 dashboard should update tomorrow, but as of today, it predicts that 1 in 92 people in the United States is currently infected with COVID equaling about 532,000 new infections each day. Levels of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater are extremely high in SW Orange County, FL (Orlando) and in Millbury, MA according to WastewaterSCAN.

Mike Hoerger noted in a recent tweet, “There is a lot of uninformed armchair ‘analysis’ that waves of [COVID] infection “keep getting smaller” when the area under the curve (AUC) is actually staying about the same (less tall but wider, similar number of infections).”

The CDC noted this week on their website, “CDC competitively awarded a new wastewater testing contract to Verily Health, Inc. (Verily) on September 28, 2026. There will be a brief gap in wastewater data affecting ~200 sites as sampling, testing, and reporting are restarted.”

 

Internationally, COVID testing and wastewater show increases in COVID in England and European countries such as France, Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland.

Acute COVID infections, General COVID info

ACE2-like Catalytic Activity in Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Monoclonal Antibodies | Pathogens 9/4/26

• Researchers from UVA screened for and discovered four anti-spike antibodies that were catalytic and acted like ACE2 enzymes. They noted that this “supports the hypothesis that antibodies induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection could help mediate the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and Long COVID, and, more generally, the hypothesis that catalytic antibodies induced by infectious agents can contribute to disease pathogenesis.”

Pregnancy

Maternal vaccination against COVID-19, influenza, pertussis, and respiratory syncytial virus: a scoping review | npj Vaccines 9/29/26

• In a scoping review of 635 publications, Austrian scientists found robust evidence supporting the effectiveness, safety, and immune benefits of vaccinating pregnant people against COVID, influenza, and pertussis. They noted that data on maternal RSV vaccination is more limited and warrants further investigation before firm conclusions can be drawn.

Pediatrics

Co-Designing an Online Narrative-Based Intervention for Breathing and Psychological Wellbeing for Adolescents With Post-COVID Syndrome | Clinical Child Psychology & Psychiatry 9/28/26

• UK researchers worked with 7 teens to co-design a telehealth group for adolescents with Long COVID. “Young people directly influenced the content, structure, and delivery of the programme, helping to identify what was useful and what changes were needed. The final intervention consists of an online group session and supporting resources that were shaped by participants feedback. This co-designed intervention aims to help young people manage symptoms more confidently, improve their relationship with their bodies and breathing, and reduce feelings of isolation.”

Vaccines

Invivyd Announces Positive Topline Results from LIBERTY Phase 3 Study | Invivyd Press Release 9/29/26

• Invivyd reports that in a 210 person Phase 3 trial, its COVID antibody VYD2311 caused fewer adverse events than the Pfizer mRNA COVID vaccine (56.5% vs 91.4% over six days) and did not blunt vaccine neutralizing titers. This is a company press release with preliminary data regarding safety and antibody levels. Efficacy data against COVID infection are still pending and will be presented later.

Long COVID

SARS-CoV-2-specific monoclonal antibody AER002 in Long COVID: an exploratory randomized phase 2a mechanistic trial | Nature 9/30/26

• UCSF scientists enrolled 36 participants with Long COVID in a randomized trial testing long acting SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody AER002 and found it did not produce meaningful improvement in overall symptoms or biomarkers. In a post-hoc analysis, participants with a lower baseline SARS-CoV-2 antibody level and higher drug exposure were more likely to perceive treatment benefit. Interestingly, exploratory imaging conducted after treatment revealed decreased T cell activation in the brain, spinal cord, and salivary tissue, pointing toward a possible biological mechanism worth investigating in larger trials.

Factors associated with persistent post-COVID-19 condition and functional limitation four years after SARS-CoV-2 infection | Nature Scientific Reports 10/1/26

• Hannover Medical School in Germany followed 992 people with Long COVID and found that 77.4% continued to meet diagnostic criteria for Long COVID four years after their initial COVID infection. Of note, >95% of participants had a mild COVID infection initially and did not require hospitalization.

Former OpenAI Exec Fidji Simo’s $20 Million Plan To Solve Her Chronic Disease And Others | Forbes, 10/1/26

• ChronicleBio, cofounded by tech executive Fidji Simo, who herself lives with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), is deploying $20 million alongside artificial intelligence and large scale biological datasets to identify potential treatments for POTS, Long COVID, and other poorly understood chronic illnesses. The company’s approach centers on mining deep biological data to uncover therapeutic targets that have eluded conventional research methods.

Characterizing Host Inflammatory Bioprofiles in People With Postacute Sequelae SARS‐CoV‐2 Infection (PASC) | J of Immunology Research 9/29/26

• Irish researchers measured 57 blood biomarkers mapping eight biological pathways in 356 people with Long COVID and found six inflammatory clusters that symptom-based groupings missed. One small cluster (19 people), marked by tissue damage, clotting, and axonal injury markers, had higher odds of cardiac and respiratory symptoms. The study lacked a non-PASC control group.

No detectable differences in peripheral blood immune profiles between patients with prolonged severe long COVID and convalescent controls | Nature 9/29/26

• Erasmus MC researchers compared 52 people with severe Long COVID who were sick for a median of three years to 52 recovered controls. Immune cell counts, monocyte gene expression, serum cytokines, and interferon signatures in the blood did not differ. The authors suggest disease processes may be tissue-specific and therefore not seen in the blood.

🧠 High Frequency of HHV-7 Reactivation in Neurological and Neuropsychiatric Long COVID: A Retrospective Observational Study | Viruses 9/20/26

• RED Laboratories in Belgium tested 30 people with neurological Long COVID and found that 77% were PCR positive for Human Herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7), versus 29% in a pre-COVID historical cohort. HHV-7-positive patients often reported neuropsychiatric symptoms, and in one patient followed longitudinally over time, viral load tracked with symptom severity. Latent herpesvirus reactivation may contribute to neurological Long COVID, but this study is hypothesis-generating and does not establish causation.

🧠 Microtesla magnetic therapy for cognitive impairment in long COVID: a randomized pilot study | Brain Communications 9/28/26

• A randomized pilot study of 30 adults with Long COVID cognitive impairment tested an at home, transcranial Microtesla Magnetic Therapy (MMT) device. Home MMT was feasible, safe, and well tolerated. Active treatment showed some gains over sham in verbal learning, executive function, and emotional well being, but larger trials are needed.

🧠 Neurocognitive Indices of Long COVID: Dysregulated Engagement of Inhibitory Control and Oscillatory Slowing | NeuroSci 9/28/26

• A small EEG study compared 18 young, previously healthy adults with Long COVID (mild, non-hospitalized infection, about 6 months out) to 20 pre-pandemic controls. Task performance was normal, but the Long COVID group showed weaker frontal theta activity during inhibition and error processing, plus slower resting alpha rhythms that persisted after adjusting for anxiety and depression. EEG slowing tracked with attention problems, poor sleep, and headaches.

🧠 Neurological Manifestations of Long COVID: Current Evidence, Emerging Concepts, and Future Perspectives | 9/15/26 J of Clinical Medicine

• “This narrative review [from Croatia] provides a critical synthesis of current literature regarding the clinical presentations, potential mechanisms, and biomarkers associated with neurological involvement in Long COVID. Reflecting the high heterogeneity of the available evidence, it is important to note that no neurological biomarker or disease-modifying therapy has yet been clinically validated.”

🧠 Autoantibody landscapes in Long COVID with neurological symptoms show heterogeneity without a shared disease signature | JCI Insight 9/29/26

• Researchers tested spinal fluid from 31 people with neurological Long COVID, and blood from 29 others with cognitive symptoms from a different cohort, for a shared pattern of autoantibodies against brain tissue. They found no common pattern. Each person’s results differed, and computer models could not tell the patients from controls. Small sample sizes and heterogeneity of samples from different cohorts mean some patients may still be affected.

🫁 Risk factors of post-COVID-19 symptoms, a cross-sectional study in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease | npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine 9/29/26

• In a Swedish study of 2,328 adults with asthma or COPD, 59% of the 494 with confirmed COVID infection reported Long COVID symptoms lasting over three months (55% asthma, 70% COPD). Severe acute infection, obesity, chronic pain, and anxiety or depression stood out as risk factors. Data were self-reported and cross-sectional.

Measles

CDC Measles Update

• As of October 1, 2026, 3,887 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States in 2026. This week, a fifth measles death was reported in Pennsylvania, but the CDC site incorrectly reports “2*” deaths from measles.

Pennsylvania Department of Health Measles Dashboard:

• As of October 2, Pennsylvania notes 977 confirmed measles cases with 102 new measles cases in the last 7 days. Less than 1% of cases were fully vaccinated. There have been 195 hospitalizations related to measles in Pennsylvania and 5 deaths.

Measles outbreaks could leave thousands vulnerable to infectious diseases for years | CIDRAP 10/2/26

• “The measles virus hijacks the immune system, using specialized memory cells to make copies of itself before blowing them up”, [Dr. Michael] Mina said. By deleting the body’s memory of earlier infections, measles causes a condition called “immune amnesia.”...Immune amnesia “happens in 100% of measles-infected individuals to some degree,” Mina said.

Johns Hopkins US Measles Tracker

Measles cases in the last 2 weeks:

Mumps

San Diego State football team dealing with mumps outbreak | ESPN 10/1/26

• Public health officials confirmed a mumps outbreak on the San Diego State football team, with 14 cases noted so far. Mumps can cause painful testicular swelling and sometimes infertility in young men. Two doses of the MMR vaccine protect against measles, mumps, and rubella.

The Plague (!)

Nearly 200 People Under Observation After Irkutsk Lab Worker Dies From Plague | The Moscow Times 10/2/26

• The Moscow Times states that a 28 year old woman working in a lab in Siberia has died from pneumonic plague after breaking a test tube containing plague at an “anti-plague institute”. 197 people with whom she came in contact have been put in isolation.

Plague Fact Sheet from the WHO 9/29/26

Plague has three clinical forms, all caused by the bacterium Y. pestis.

• Bubonic plague, the most common, follows an infected flea bite and causes painful swollen lymph nodes (”buboes”) that can become pus-filled sores. It rarely spreads between people but can progress to the lungs or bloodstream.

• Pneumonic plague, the most virulent, attacks the lungs, incubates in as little as 24 hours, and spreads person to person through respiratory particles. It can be fatal, but recovery is likely if treated within 24 hours of symptom onset.

• Septicaemic plague occurs when the bacteria multiply in the blood, can develop from either other form, and causes organ failure, tissue damage, and bleeding under the skin. It is fatal if untreated.

Plague has “a case-fatality ratio of 30% to 100% if left untreated. The pneumonic and septicaemic forms are invariably fatal unless treated early.”

Ebola in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

According to the DR Congo Health Ministry of 9/29/26:

• 8,224 confirmed Ebola cases

• 851 patients in isolation/hospitalization

• 2,121 recovered

• 3,982 Ebola deaths

• Case fatality rate: 48.4%

• Contact tracing: 78.7%

Other news

The ‘missed disease’ that affects 190 million: endometriosis drug shows early promise | Nature 10/1/26

• Washington State University researchers developed a modified form of niclosamide engineered to seek out the macrophages that drive endometriosis progression, reducing both pain responses and lesion size in a mouse model. Endometriosis affects 190 million people worldwide, and this targeted approach represents a potential non-hormonal treatment avenue but human studies are needed.

Original study:

2‐Deoxyglucose Dendrimer‐Enabled Niclosamide Delivery to FRβ‐Expressing Macrophages Alleviates Endometriosis Progression and Associated Hyperalgesia | Advanced Healthcare Materials 8/30/26

• Washington State researchers attached a tiny branched carrier (folic acid-targeted dendrimer) to an anti-parasite drug called niclosamide to target FRβ-positive macrophages that drive endometriosis. In mice, one intraperitoneal dose of this non-hormonal medication shrank endometriosis lesions and eased pain. The treatment has not yet been tested in humans.

@ScienceMagazine 10/1/26

“Historically, medical research has relied heavily on male participants, with findings often generalized to women and children. If women’s health is discussed at all, it’s largely framed around reproduction. This special issue of Science highlights the research that is seeking to close the critical gaps in Women’s Health. Learn more: https://scim.ag/4hy8ACT “

Reframing menopause and menopause hormone therapy as opportunities for healthy aging | Science 10/1/26

• This article in Science reframes menopause and menopause hormone therapy as opportunities for healthy aging. It moves the conversation beyond symptom relief alone and toward long term health in midlife and beyond, making the case that this life stage deserves a more proactive, prevention minded approach.

Microbiome signatures linked to cancer and treatment adverse events in a real-world cohort | Cell 9/29/26

• Mayo Clinic researchers profiled the gut microbiomes of 1,364 patients with cancer and 287 healthy controls. Most microbiome changes were shared across cancers and largely tracked with comorbidities, not individual tumor types. Early onset cancers had distinct signatures, and low levels of Anaerostipes hadrus predicted 5FU induced diarrhea but not carboplatin diarrhea.

 

Cranial bone marrow–derived monocytes promote neuroinflammation in chronic traumatic brain injury | Science Translational Medicine 9/30/26

• Researchers from China have found that “Cranial Bone Marrow (CBM)-originated inflammatory monocytes/macrophages (Mo/Macs) may serve as key inflammatory drivers of chronic traumatic brain injury (cTBI) and further show that fenofibrate represents a potential therapeutic strategy for cTBI treatment in older adults.”

Peripheral CXCR3 blockade mitigates T cell infiltration and neurodegeneration in a mouse model of tauopathy | Neuron 9/28/26

“These findings identify CXCR3-dependent chemotaxis as a critical signaling pathway for subtypes of T cells linked to tau-mediated neurodegeneration and highlight CXCR3 blockade as a potential disease-modifying therapeutic strategy for tauopathies.”

Cervical lymphadenectomy impairs brain lymphatic clearance and synaptic proteostasis | Neuron 9/29/26

• Removing neck lymph nodes is linked to cognitive impairment in patients as brain health depends on lymphatic drainage to clear waste. In rodents, cervical lymphadenectomy (neck lymph node removal) impairs brain lymphatic drainage, and causes redox stress and protein microaggregation. The molecular and structural features are distinct from Alzheimer’s disease.

Global burden of cancer attributable to infections in 2024: a worldwide incidence analysis | Lancet Oncology Oct 2026

• An estimated 2.3 million new cancers in 2024, about 12% of the global total, were attributable to infections. H. pylori (760,000) and HPV (750,000) led the list, and 77% of cases were in low and middle income countries. EBV now ranks fourth, strengthening the case for an EBV vaccine and for scaling up proven prevention tools.

‘We Didn’t Set Out to Make a Show for Animals!’ The Netflix Seal Cartoon That’s a Huge Hit With Pets | Guardian 9/22/26

• Sealook, a South Korean animated series about a colony of seals, has become an unlikely favorite among dogs and cats. Its high contrast colors sit in the visual range pets can actually see, and clips of cats and dogs glued to the screen have gone viral on social media.

Photograph: Rich Pelley

I will be taking next week off from the newsletter. Have a great 2 weeks!

Take care,

Ruth Ann Crystal MD

"American COVID" in England

I'm sure most Americans would rather not have a strain of COVID named for us.

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‘American Covid’ strain sees resurgence in England as hospitalisations rise

Experts have said the rise in Covid-19 levels is not unusual, but have urged vulnerable people to get vaccinated

Bryony Gooch, Independent (UK), Friday 02 October 2026 

Cases of the “American Covid” strain are on the rise in England with an increase in positive tests and hospital admissions.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed the rate of positive Covid-19 tests in hospitals had increased from 5.9 per cent to 7.0 per cent, according to the latest figures in September. Meanwhile, the hospital admission rate has surged by almost 50 per cent.

Hospital admission rates for Covid-19 were highest in the London region, increasing by 79 per cent.

More than half of the positive tests were found to be a variant of XFG, also known as the Stratus or “American Covid” strain, which was first identified last January and has since spread around the world. The World Health Organisation identified it as a mix of earlier variants LF.7 and LP.8.1.2.

Covid-19 hospitalisations peaked in January 2021, according to the UKHSA’s data dashboard, with more than 30,000 in hospital at one point. Vaccination campaigns have continued each autumn since then to try to prevent hospitalisations and deaths.

Health experts have advised those eligible for the autumn Covid-19 vaccination to get the jab, including people aged 75, residents in care homes for older adults, and immunosuppressed individuals.

Alex Allen, consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA, said: “While Covid-19 activity has shown some recent increases, cases remain at low levels in the UK.

“UKHSA is monitoring all the data relating to Covid-19 variants in the UK and abroad, and we continue to publish our findings in our regular surveillance reports.”

The UKHSA added as the Stratus strain has been in circulation for a year, this winter’s vaccine is specifically designed to protect against it and its variants.

Dr Matthew Siggins, lecturer in immunity and infection biology at the University of Surrey, said that the rise was not a “reason for alarm” as many people remained immune from previous infection and vaccination.

“There is no evidence that variants currently circulating in the UK are causing more severe disease,” he told The Independent. “However, Covid can still cause serious illness in those at greatest risk.” 

Those over 85 were most likely to be hospitalised according to the latest Covid-19 figures, with rates rising to 12.43 per 100,000, compared with 7.08 in the previous week.

Most people no longer need to take lateral flow tests for Covid-19, the NHS said, but advised those with positive tests to stay at home as much as possible and avoid contact with other people for five days, or three days for those under 18.

Everyone who tests positive should avoid meeting people with weakened immune systems for 10 days after the day they took the test.

Dr Siggins added: “Covid is increasing, which is not unexpected for this time of year, but remains at a low level. Waning immunity, changes in circulating variants, as well as increased indoor mixing can all contribute to increasing rates of infection.”

Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said: “Reported infections and hospitalisation are still quite a lot lower than this time last year.”

While symptoms can vary, the reaction associated with the XFG strain remains similar to other recent Covid-19 variants, including sore throat, cough, fatigue, and fever.

Dr Bruno Silvester Lopes, lecturer in microbiology at Teesside University, added Stratus was “linked to hoarseness and fatigue”.

"What Have Palestinians Done for Britain?"

I saw this video at the Israel Video Network. The comment read, "This Might be the Greatest Case for Israel and All it Took Was 35 Seconds.  What have Palestinians ever done except import Jihadism?

It's "What Have Palestinians Done for Britain?" by Jake Wallis Simons. It could well be called "What Have Palestinians Done For The World?" 

Why Ireland Has An Obsessive Hatred of Israel

Today I finally saw the answer to my question, "What have we ever done to Ireland to make them hate Jews and Israel so much?"

The answer?  "A pro-Palestine ‘cult’ has taken over the country’s politics."

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Lazar Berman and Alan Shatter, The Times of Israel 10/2/26.  Here's the link to their YouTube video on this subject. It makes you want to avoid Ireland if you're Jewish.

Alan Shatter: Palestine ‘cult’ endangers future of Irish Jews

As Ireland works itself into a fury over a soccer match, a leading pro-Israel ex-minister says Sinn Fein ‘poisoned’ Irish politics, and many Jews question whether they should stay  

"Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what’s behind the news that spins the globe.

"It was a stormy week politically in Ireland.

"It wasn’t over an attempted terrorist attack as we had here in Israel this week. It wasn’t over the rising cost of energy or immigration, like elsewhere in Europe.

"It was a soccer match against Israel.

"That was enough to dominate the country’s headlines.

"How did Ireland become so focused on Israel, and so hostile to the Jewish state?

"Alan Shatter, a leading Jewish figure in the country and former justice and defense minister, says a pro-Palestine ‘cult’ has taken over the country’s politics.

"The country has always had a checkered past with its Jews, Shatter said. The Provisional IRA had deep ties with Palestinian terrorists, and their political movement Sinn Fein ‘contaminated’ Irish politics by putting the Palestinian cause front and center.

"That obsessive focus has spread from politics across Irish society, Shatter lamented, and now trade unions, teachers, artists, and athletes have significant pro-Palestinian movements.

"The angst over the soccer match against Israel is a new “level of complete and utter absurdity,” he said.

"Now, he said, many Jews are asking whether they have a future in the country as they face daily abuse online and a toxic environment around Israel.

“There’s a deep problem here,” Shatter said. “It’s one the government refuses to recognize. It’s one the government is contributing to.”

Lazar Focus is available on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Yitzchak Ledee. 

Instantaneous Jew-Hatred and Conspiracy Theories

What took them so short?  Of course this kind of cancerous hatred and these sick conspiracy theories erupted so quickly -- it's because Israelis prevented the hijacked plane from crashing and killing nearly 200 Jews! If the plane had crashed as the terrorist co-pilot intended, then these same evil antisemites would be cheering instead.

I see our old friend Marjorie "Jewish Space Lasers" Taylor Greene has already sided with the "false flag" conspiracy theorists.

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Antisemitic conspiracies spread immediately after Flydubai attack

World Israel News, October 1, 2026

The researchers said the posts represented an inversion in which the Israelis endangered aboard the aircraft became the targets of allegations that Israel or Jews had secretly orchestrated the incident.

By JNS

Antisemitic conspiracy theories began circulating on social media just 67 minutes after the first emergency signal from the flydubai flight that was apparently targeted in a terrorist attack on Wednesday, according to a new study by the Combat Antisemitism Movement.

CAM’s Antisemitism Research Center identified 2,963 posts on X during a 12-hour monitoring period that attributed the incident involving Flight FZ1073 to Israel, the Mossad, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Zionists, or Jews.

The first such post appeared 67 minutes after the aircraft transmitted its initial emergency distress signal, according to CAM.

Within five hours, researchers had documented 1,000 posts promoting such claims.

The organization collected 4,136 posts containing the phrase “false flag,” of which approximately 72% advanced conspiracy claims blaming Israel or Jews.

In the final two hourly monitoring periods, that proportion rose to 81% and 82%, respectively.

“What’s striking here isn’t just the volume; it’s the speed,” said Oliver Marks, a research associate at CAM’s Antisemitism Research Center.

“Sixty-seven minutes is all it took for the near downing of a commercial airliner by a terrorist pilot to become fodder for antisemitic conspiracy theorists across the globe,” he said.

“It’s clear this isn’t a narrative that forms in response to an incident. Rather, it’s part of a script that already exists, sitting ready for use whenever opportunities arise.”

'Hidden hand’

The researchers said the posts represented an inversion in which the Israelis endangered aboard the aircraft became the targets of allegations that Israel or Jews had secretly orchestrated the incident.

“The pattern mirrors the influence operations that hostile states, Russia foremost among them, use to destabilize Western societies: sowing social division, exploiting breaking news events, and portraying Israel and Jews as the ‘hidden hand’ behind them,” the study concluded.

CAM said the speed with which the claims proliferated demonstrated how established antisemitic tropes can be applied to breaking news before the facts of an incident are known.

The organization said such narratives can erase victims’ suffering, redirect blame, and reinforce longstanding conspiracy theories portraying Jews as secretly manipulating world events.

Flight FZ1073 was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when the co-pilot allegedly stabbed Capt. Smit Machchhar and apparently attempted to crash the Boeing 737.

Despite being seriously wounded, Machchhar reportedly managed to open the cockpit door, enabling passengers to overpower the alleged attacker.

Two additional flydubai pilots traveling aboard the aircraft subsequently took control and made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Israeli authorities were participating in the investigation into the incident, whose motive remained under investigation.

Symptoms of COVID Variant SW.2

This was a surprise, as I had not even heard of this particular variant before.

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7 Key Symptoms of the COVID-19 SW.2 Variant You Should Watch For This October

Parade, 10-1-26

COVID-19 is still here and is still quite dangerous for many, even if your aunt thinks it's "just a cold."

In addition to the risk that COVID poses to at-risk, aging and immunocompromised people in the immediate term, you also run the risk of severe impacts on brain health over time, and long COVID can wreak havoc on even otherwise healthy and younger people. Trust us: You do not want to play games here.

As always, vaccination is one of the best forms of protection against COVID-19, and current COVID vaccines and boosters can keep you from getting severe cases that require hospitalization. Vaccines have also been shown to prevent people who do get infected from developing long COVID.

Read on to find out about the current COVID-19 strains and variants for October 2026, as well as the most common COVID symptoms that doctors, infectious disease specialists and public health experts are warning about for the upcoming season.

What Is the Dominant COVID Variant Right Now?

"The leading variant nationwide is SW.2, at about 21% of cases, followed by XFG.1.1 at 16% and RW.1.1 at 9%," Tyler B. Evans, MD, MS, MPH, AAHIVS, DTM&H, FIDSA, public health expert and infectious disease specialist, tells Parade. "No single strain dominates the way Delta or the original Omicron did. That matters less than the trend line. As of September 18, CDC reports COVID-19 activity is elevated and rising nationally, though hospitalizations remain low."

The 7 Most Common Symptoms of the COVID Variant SW.2

According to doctors and infectious disease experts with whom we spoke, you can expect to see any combination of the following symptoms if you get infected with the SW.2 COVID variant (and these will apply to the other current strains as well):

1. Body aches

If you're feeling sore, even though you haven't hit the gym in a bit, beware!

2. Congestion

Your nose and sinuses may feel stuffy if you catch COVID-19 in October 2026.

3. Dry cough

The typical COVID dry cough that produces very little relief is another hallmark this month.

4. Fatigue

While you may or may not get that "bone tired" feeling from March 2026 variants, you will likely feel really sluggish if you get infected with COVID-19 this October.

5. Fever

Fever and chills that make it hard for you to feel comfortable will be common in October 2026 COVID infections from pretty much all common strains.

6. Runny nose

While some may get congested and stuffy noses, others may experience runny noses with SW.2 variants and those adjacent to it. Others who really hit the jackpot may get both. Awesome.

7. Sore throat

Thankfully, that "razor blade sore throat" seems to still be a thing of the past, but you'll likely still have some throat discomfort with October 2026 COVID strains.

"This is the same symptom complex that has characterized COVID for some time," Dr. William Schaffner, MD, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, notes. "They can become more severe, requiring hospitalization in persons who are older, have chronic medical conditions, are immunocompromised or who are pregnant."

How Are Today's COVID Symptoms Different From Earlier Strains?

They aren't! "The biggest change happened years ago, not this season," Dr. Evans tells Parade. "There has been no major shift in the latest variants. Compared with 2020, today's infections look more like an upper respiratory illness. Loss of taste and smell, once the signature symptom, is now uncommon. People who wait for that symptom before testing will miss most cases."

COVID-19 vs. Allergies vs. The Flu: How To Tell the Difference

Fall brings with it not just more cases of COVID-19 when everyone is getting cozy indoors, but also flu season, colds and autumn allergies. All of them suck, but obviously to different degrees. How do you know which one you're dealing with and what do you do about it?

"As an emergency medicine physician, one of the questions I get asked constantly this time of year is how to tell COVID apart from allergies or the flu," Dr. Niaz Farhat, MD, emergency medicine physician at Immediate Care Centers of Texas, explains. "The general rule of thumb: allergies don't cause fever and usually come with itchy eyes, whereas COVID and flu often do. Flu tends to hit harder and faster, with body aches and fatigue that come on suddenly, while COVID symptoms can build more gradually and are more likely to include loss of taste or smell in some patients. None of these are reliable enough to self-diagnose by symptoms alone, which is exactly why testing matters."

If you're not sure which affliction is making you feel crummy, see your physician or snag an at-home test (some will cover both COVID and flu) to suss it out and figure out how to treat it—if not to protect yourself, then at least to keep from infecting other people.

"Many people will describe it as a bad cold," Dr. Evans says. "And that is exactly why it spreads."

How Long Is the Incubation Period for the SW.2 COVID Variant?

Pay attention, because this one is important!

"The incubation period is similar to what we have seen with Omicron in general. Typically, it is about three to four days, although symptoms can appear anywhere from approximately two to five days after exposure," Dr. Suraj Saggar, DO, chief of infectious disease at Holy Name in Teaneck, N.J., tells Parade. "Compared with 2020, when the incubation period was more commonly around five to six days, the incubation period is now generally a day or two shorter."

Dr. Saggar adds, "Because the incubation period is shorter, testing too soon after exposure can result in a false negative. After a known exposure, if you have no symptoms, it is generally reasonable to wait three to five days before testing. If you develop symptoms, you should test when symptoms begin."

That said, if you know you've been exposed to COVID but still feel OK, you have options to keep feeling that way—if you hurry.

"Important, if you have been exposed to COVID (especially if you are in a high-risk group), there now is a medication you can take (XOCOVA) that will prevent the development of COVID," Dr. Schaffner says. "If someone tests positive, they can tell all their contacts, so that they can protect themselves. You never know when one of your contacts might have, for example, diabetes, which puts them at higher risk."

Do At-Home COVID Tests Still Work on the New Strains?

The good news: Yes, you can test at home for newer COVID strains!

"These tests generally target the nucleocapsid protein, which is part of the virus's inner structure. Most of the mutations associated with newer variants occur on the spike protein, so the core target of these tests remains relatively stable," Dr. Saggar explains. That said, he notes that test accuracy can depend on a few factors, including:

Proper COVID testing technique

"It's important to follow the instructions carefully and collect the sample correctly," Dr. Saggar explains. You'll also want to make sure your at-home test hasn't expired!

Timing

"Testing too early can result in a false negative," Dr. Saggar says. "If you've been exposed but don't have symptoms, waiting about three to five days before testing can improve the likelihood of detecting an infection. Testing on day zero or day one may simply be too early. If you test negative but still have concerns, you can repeat the test about 48 hours later."

Viral load

The amount of virus present can affect whether the test detects an infection.

"A positive test is generally very reliable, with relatively few false positives," he adds. "A negative test, however, is less definitive, particularly if you test very early in the infection. For example, you could have mild symptoms but not yet have a high enough viral load in your nose for an at-home test to detect the virus."

When To See a Doctor for COVID Symptoms

Ideally, you'd see a doctor as soon as you start feeling bad, and that's especially so if you've already tested positive for COVID—because it's more serious, still to this day, than many people want to believe or remember.

"People who test positive for COVID-19 or flu should contact a clinician to discuss whether treatment with an antiviral is a good idea based on risk factors for progression to more severe COVID-19 such as lung or heart disease, significant immunocompromise and extreme age," Dr. David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine, co-principal investigator of U.N.C. infectious diseases clinical research trials unit, advises. "In mid-January 2026, one out of every 125 people who died in the US died from COVID-19. It's not gone or always mild."

If you're on the fence, Dr. Farhat urges you to get checked out to be safe.

"Come in if you have trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion, bluish lips, a fever that won't come down or if you're in a high-risk group (age 65 or older, pregnant, immunocompromised or with an underlying condition like heart or lung disease) and your symptoms aren't improving after a few days," he says. "Most otherwise-healthy people can manage mild COVID at home, but freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care exist for exactly this decision point when someone isn't sure whether their symptoms are serious enough to warrant care." 

Melanie Phillips on "Those Amazing and Heroic Israelis"

The brilliant and perceptive Melanie Phillips has written a column worth waiting for, as all her columns are.  This one should be required reading.

And that last paragraph ought to be posted in the polling places here on Election Day, so the ignorant voters can see it. 

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Those amazing and heroic Israelis 

An averted catastrophe in the air shows how the Jewish state chooses life while Britain and the West embrace a culture of death

Melanie Phillips, 10-2-26

"On Monday, Britain’s foreign secretary Ed Miliband delivered a diatribe against Israel, accusing it of ethnic cleansing and war crimes, and vowing to punish it for the crime of allowing Jews to “settle” in their own historic land.

"On Wednesday, four ordinary Israelis on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv averted a new 9/11 by overpowering the co-pilot who was attempting to crash the plane, possibly in Israel.

"There could hardly be a better illustration of the way Britain is now choosing to embrace a culture of death while Israel is choosing life.

"When they heard an alarming commotion in the cockpit, a small handful of Israeli passengers jumped out of their seats and burst in to see the Omani co-pilot stabbing the captain.

"One of the Israelis, a plumber by trade, got the assailant in a chokehold. As other Israeli passengers and Emirati crew members helped tie the terrorist up, the plumber seized the control stick and pulled the plane out of its lethal dive.

"When Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, asked him afterwards how he’d known what to do, he replied that he’d seen it done on a TV show.

"Only the Israelis could behave like this — regular people displaying raw courage, heroism and the lion-hearted, can-do Israeli spirit. Alerted to an existential threat, these ordinary guys immediately took matters into their own hands, neutralised the danger and saved countless lives.

"What an amazing, wonderful, heroic country. What a symbol of everything Israel has been doing for the past three years, ever since Hamas launched its genocidal onslaught against it on October 7, 2023.

"What a statement of defiance against Britain and a Western world now consumed (whatever they think they’re supporting) by a deranged agenda to wipe this country out.

"How this lifts the spirits. And how those spirits are instantly lowered by contact with the life-destroying venom of the Western intelligentsia.

"Western media outlets tried everything they could to downplay the near-catastrophe in the skies over Saudi Arabia.

"CNN called it “an internal personnel incident between pilots”. The New York Times called it “a clash in the cockpit”. Reuters headlined it: “A pilot brawl, then a rapid descent: Passengers recount chaos in flydubai flight.”

"As ever, the BBC excelled itself as a disgrace to journalism. BBC News reported: “Israel’s far right national security minister Ben-Gvir says that an Israel bound flight that landed in Saudi Arabia was due to a terrorist who wanted to crash the plane and kill Israelis.”

"By pointlessly singling out the left’s principal Israeli bogeyman as its source of information, the BBC primed its audience to believe that the Israelis must be assumed to be lying because they are political extremists.

"Remarkably, a BBC reporter subsequently referred to Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport as “Ben-Gvir airport” — a slip of the mind, perhaps, but all-too revealing about the state of that BBC mind.

"On Thursday, a BBC News headline ran: “Too early to say what motive for Dubai-Tel Aviv flight attack was, Israeli PM says.”

"No, he didn’t. Netanyahu made it clear that intelligence confirmed it was a terror attack, and merely said it was too early to tell whether Iran had been involved.

"In other words, the BBC grossly misreported what he had said.

"Such wicked distortions by the media reflect a far wider pathology. Left-wingers simply can’t process the fact that Israelis may be targeted for destruction by the Palestinian Arabs or act courageously to defend themselves. Primed to believe in the oppression of the Palestinians at the hands of their cruel and demonic Israeli oppressors, leftists can only see the Palestinian Arabs as victims.

"That’s why the British government is now to prioritise for refugee resettlement those “Palestinians who have fled the horrors of Gaza,” as well as Afghan women and girls.

"Giving the Palestinian Arabs priority is astoundingly reckless. Many still support Hamas, and they overwhelmingly support the murder of Jews and the destruction of Israel.

"Only recently, a Palestinian Arab to whom Britain had granted asylum and British citizenship, and who was formerly a bodyguard of assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, was arrested on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack against Jewish communities and Israelis in Europe.

"And a Palestinian Arab influencer who was jailed for illegally entering the United Kingdom in a dinghy and had previously called for the slaughter of Jews is now facing deportation after he was found to be living in the Midlands.

"The British government is blind to the risks posed by the Palestinian Arabs because, to the morally bankrupt left, the Palestinian cause is synonymous with morality.

"The spittle-flecked fanaticism of Miliband’s speech to this week’s Labour Party conference took many people aback.

"Having paid lip service to standing against antisemitism and for Israel’s right to defend itself, this scion of a Jewish family decimated by the Holocaust denounced Netanyahu’s responsibility for Palestinian “suffering” in Gaza and the West Bank as a “stain on the conscience of the world”.

"Having falsely accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing” by the “settler terrorists of the West Bank,” “war crimes in Gaza” and the “illegal occupation of Palestine,” Miliband declared: “To the millions in Britain and elsewhere who have been moved and outraged by the plight of the Palestinian people, we hear you. You were right.”

"Precisely what does Miliband think those people were “right” about? Their claim that Israel is committing “genocide”? That Palestine must be Arab “from the river to the sea”? Their demand to “globalise the intifada”?

"Miliband, who came across as an unhinged demagogue, is a stain on the memory of his slaughtered family.

"The suicidal imbecility of Britain’s hostility to Israel was demonstrated by the incident at RAF Fairford, the base in southwest England from where US bombers have taken off for Iran.

"Last Sunday, five men were arrested on suspicion of being about to attack the base. Although much about this incident remains murky, Britain’s prime minister Andy Burnham has now said there are “strong indications” that Iran was involved.

"But as Netanyahu has revealed, it was Israel that gave the Brits the intelligence warning of such an Iranian attack — and pretty much the next day, he said, the United Kingdom announced sanctions against the Israeli “settlements”.

"Where Britain leads, the rest of the West follows. There is acute concern that these sanctions are intended to broaden out into a global financial strangulation of Israel, especially if the Democrats win the post-Trump presidency.

"There’s anxiety that American support for Israel is crumbling. Some reports suggest that, apart from CENTCOM, even the US defence establishment has become hostile to the Jewish state.

"This is fundamentally because the West is undergoing a rapidly progressive erosion of its core values, including the destruction of morality, truth and reason itself.

"Even today, diminished as it is, the UK sets the Western cultural pace. That’s why the British government’s defamation and delegitimisation of Israel are so important.

"Britain is leading the West into the heart of darkness — the abandonment of civilisation for the embrace of barbarism. And the people upon whose backs Miliband et al have accordingly stuck a bullseye are the Jews.

"But another narrative is emerging to counter this obscenity. Flydubai is a United Arab Emirates airline. The terrorist co-pilot was Omani. Oman is an ally of Iran. The UAE has become a close ally of Israel fighting Iran. The Emirati crew helped Israelis on the plane to avert catastrophe. And the plane was allowed to land in Saudi Arabia.

"A new order is being born in which Arabs and Jews are fighting together against the forces of barbarism in the Islamic world.

"On their way home to Israel, survivors of the hijacking sang the words written by the 18th-century Chassidic rabbi Nachman of Breslov: “The whole entire world is a very narrow bridge, and the main thing is to have no fear at all.”

"Britain and much of Europe — and even America if it allows the Democratic Party to gain power — are now hurtling downward towards a catastrophic crash. But Israel will live because it has seized the cockpit controls."

What Happened to America? They Did This in Nazi Germany, Too

This sounds sickeningly familiar.  Jewish art, authors, and performers were also banned in Nazi Germany.

What next, the firing of Jewish teachers? The yellow star? 

Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels must be smiling from their graves. 

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ADL report finds systemic exclusion of Jewish, Israeli artists across US cultural institutions.

Over 80% of respondents somewhat or strongly agreed that excluding Jews or their work from cultural spaces contributes to anti-Jewish hate, while 72% said the same about excluding Israelis. 

Jerusalem Post, 10-1-26 

"A comprehensive body of research released by the Anti-Defamation League on Thursday documents the systemic exclusion and marginalization of Jewish and Israeli artists across American cultural life. 

"The initiative, titled “State of the Arts: Advancing Jewish Inclusion in Arts, Entertainment and Culture,” examines institutional practices across art museums, the publishing sector, and live performance venues alongside a companion investigation into activist networks.

"Jewish artists are being canceled, blacklisted, and pushed out of American cultural life. We knew the situation was bad; we just didn't know how bad, and no one had documented it this way before," ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said. 

"Forty leading museums, not one includes Jewish identity in its DEI commitments. Authors are being told to strip Hebrew words and change Jewish character names just to get published. Jewish and Israeli performers are being harassed off stages and dropped from lineups. This is antisemitism and anti-Israeli discrimination, plain and simple, and the arts and culture sector needs to wake up before Jewish voices are silenced entirely."

"The museum sector report, titled “Behind the Frame: A Quiet, Systemic Erasure in America's Museums", evaluated antisemitism and Jewish representation across 40 leading US art museums, grading institutions on policies, artist representation, and programming.

"Of the 40 museums invited to review their assessments, 20 participated. The findings showed that only one museum, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, achieved the gold standard, while 12 museums received the lowest rating of "critically deficient," including the Whitney Museum of American Art and The Broad.

"Additionally, only one of the 40 museums recognized Jewish American Heritage Month in May 2026, even though 60% continued recognizing other heritage months during the same period.

Jewish, Israeli cultural motifs discouraged in publishing

"The publishing sector report, titled “Missing Chapter: Suppression of Jewish Voices in Publishing", identifies seven anti-Jewish trends reshaping the industry since October 7, 2023, based on secondary research and more than 30 interviews with authors and publishing professionals.

"These trends include the suppression of books with Jewish, Israeli, or Zionist characters at the acquisition stage, where manuscripts dealing with Jewish identity or contemporary Israel are increasingly treated as commercially risky. Authors face editorial pressure to remove Hebrew words, Israeli settings, and Jewish-sounding character names before their works can be considered for publication.

"Blacklistings and boycotts of authors have also proliferated across online reader communities and social media platforms like BookTok, Bookstagram, and X. This is highlighted by a viral May 2024 Google spreadsheet titled "Is your fav author a Zionist?" that sorted writers by political affiliation and urged readers not to buy, review, or promote their work.

"Additionally, transnational boycotts have targeted Israeli publishing institutions and translation rights. This includes a 2024 PalFest letter signed by more than 1,000 writers urging a total boycott of Israeli publishers, literary agencies, and festivals.

"Other documented trends include author-level exclusion from literary festivals and events, as well as struggles to secure and keep literary agents who view Jewish or Zionist identity as too risky for the market. The report also highlights an institutional failure by major literary bodies to name antisemitism directly rather than grouping it under generalized anti-bigotry.

"The report documents cases of review-bombing, coordinated waves of negative ratings and reviews on public book platforms such as Goodreads, which function as critical marketing and discovery tools within the publishing industry. These malicious campaigns often occur months before a book is published and before reviewers could plausibly have read the work, damaging an author's commercial viability, retail visibility, and professional standing based on identity or perceived politics rather than the book's content.

ADL: US cultural institutions failing Jewish, Israeli artists

"The entertainment sector report, titled “Dark Stage: Jewish and Israeli Performers Are Being Canceled, Harassed and Silenced", alongside its accompanying case archive, catalogs 65 incidents across 41 US locations detailing the rising hurdles faced by Jewish, Israeli, and openly Zionist artists in live music, comedy, theater, dance, film, and campus events.

"The findings highlight how political demonstrations have increasingly shifted away from standard advocacy and toward targeted campaigns aimed at excluding Jewish and Israeli performers from the stage entirely, utilizing petitions, boycotts, and organized protests to block appearances.

"Venues frequently lean on safety rationales to enact a security veto, where the mere prospect of public outcry or disruption, rather than any confirmed danger, is enough to scrap a show. This environment also fosters informal cultural boycotts and quiet professional distancing, where bookings silently vanish.

"Furthermore, artists encounter frequent mid-performance harassment and audience heckling, exemplified by comedian Judy Gold facing hostile remarks during two separate shows in April 2026, including an audience member shouting "You're a Jew," and singer-songwriter Regina Spektor being interrupted by a protestor during a concert in Portland.

"Compounding these pressures is widespread institutional inconsistency, where venues and cultural organizations respond unpredictably to controversies without clear standards, leaving performers unable to anticipate how their events will be handled and forcing administrators into reactive decision-making that frequently leaves Jewish and Israeli artists to absorb the professional and reputational fallout alone.

"To accompany these sector analyses, the ADL Center on Extremism released an investigation into how external activist organizations target cultural spaces, detailing how groups work to pressure venues and museums to isolate Jewish and Zionist creators through coordinated demonstrations, blacklists, and confrontational tactics.

"To examine public attitudes toward these dynamics, the ADL Ratings and Assessments Institute fielded an online survey through Prolific in July 2026 with an analytical sample of 951 US adults.

"The survey found that 88% of respondents somewhat or strongly agreed they would visit an art gallery exhibiting work by Jewish artists, 87% would attend a performance featuring Jewish performers, and 84% would buy an interesting book even if it included Jewish topics or characters.

"Support remained robust for Israeli-identified work, with 77% saying they would visit a gallery exhibiting Israeli artists, 75% attending a performance featuring Israeli performers, and 73% buying a book with Israeli topics or characters.

"Furthermore, 85% of respondents somewhat or strongly agreed that excluding Jews or their work from cultural spaces contributes to anti-Jewish hate, while 72% said the same about excluding Israelis.

"Despite this widespread recognition of harm, 32% somewhat or strongly agreed it was understandable for people to avoid art galleries showing work by Jewish artists, and 46% said the same regarding Israeli artists.

"This research shows a clear and consistent gap between perceived market risk, what Jewish and Israeli authors are being told, and actual audience demand," said ADL Vice President of Public Affairs and Special Initiatives Shira Goodman.

“The interview ADL carried out with literary professionals for this research surfaced a recurring pattern of authors being told by agents and publishers to strip Jewish and/or Israeli themes and characters from their work over fears it won’t sell or is too much of a risk," she added. "The survey findings suggest this risk aversion is a misperception, not a market reality, and something that urgently needs to be addressed by the industry.”

"The ADL is calling on cultural institutions, museums, publishers, literary agents, and venue operators to close these gaps by naming antisemitism explicitly in policies and DEI commitments, recognizing Jewish American Heritage Month alongside other heritage observances, resisting pressure campaigns rooted in identity-based exclusion, and trusting data that shows American audiences want and will support Jewish and Israeli inclusion in the arts."

A Serious Case of JIDS in Texas

JIDS: My term for Jewish/Israeli Derangement Syndrome. And this guy sure has a bad case. His name is Benny Caldera Jr., not a typical name for a Jihadist.  What the Texas State Capitol has to do with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) isn't exactly clear.

What is clear from his own words is that he wanted to "exterminate these people", proving once again that not only is JIDS highly contagious, but it's also deadly. 

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Texas man accused of plot to attack state Capitol, was reportedly mad at AIPAC.

Benny Caldera Jr. charged with making a terroristic threat after reportedly saying he'd shoot up statehouse in Austin

By AP and Times of Israel Staff, 10-1-26

"AUSTIN, Texas — A 40-year-old man was arrested in Texas early Wednesday on suspicion of plotting to attack the state Capitol, authorities said, in an act reportedly motivated by anger at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobby group.

"The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said in a statement that it received “credible information about an individual planning a violent attack” for Thursday in Austin. Officials did not provide details about the alleged plot, citing an ongoing investigation.

"The tip came in Tuesday evening, and SWAT officers made the arrest at about 3 a.m. Wednesday at a residence in Converse, near San Antonio.

"Benny Caldera Jr. was charged with making a terroristic threat against a public servant, a felony, the DPS statement said. He made bond, according to online court records in Bexar County, but DPS said later Wednesday that Caldera was in federal custody after being arrested by the FBI to face additional federal charges.

"DPS did not provide further details, and the FBI’s San Antonio press office did not immediately respond to an email late Wednesday seeking comment.

"Messages were left seeking comment from John Bunk, an attorney listed for Caldera.

"DPS notified state lawmakers about the threat and arrest early Wednesday. The Capitol remained open during regular operating hours.  

"Gov. Greg Abbott said DPS was assisted by the FBI in making the arrest.

“Texas will NOT tolerate threats of violence against our Capitol,” the governor said in a statement on social media.

"Officials did not provide details about the alleged plot, citing the ongoing investigation. But an arrest warrant affidavit cited by NBC News quoted a friend of Caldera who said he was angry at the AIPAC, and believed that “these people have to be exterminated.”

"He also reportedly said: “I am going to the Capitol and I am going to shoot it up.”

"AIPAC, which once enjoyed broad support from both sides of the aisle, has seen its standing fall in American politics as Americans have grown increasingly hostile toward Israel, amid the war in Gaza and the subsequent conflicts in Lebanon and Iran.

"Critics say the demonization of AIPAC is linked to age-old antisemitic tropes about Jewish wealth and Jews wielding outsize power in politics."