Swordsmyth
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Wired reported:
A research facility within the U.S. National Institutes of Health that is tasked with studying Ebola and other deadly infectious diseases has been instructed by the Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to stop research activities. According to an email viewed by WIRED, the Integrated Research Facility in Frederick, Maryland, was told to stop all experimental work by April 29 at 5 pm.
The facility is part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, or NIAID, and is located at the U.S. Army base Fort Detrick. It conducts research on the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases that are deemed “high consequence” — those that pose significant risks to public health. It has 168 employees, including federal workers and contractors.
The email says representatives from the Department of Homeland Security were padlocking freezers in biosafety-level-4 labs, those with the highest level of biosafety containment used for studying highly dangerous microbes. Only about a dozen BSL-4 labs exist in North America. These labs work with the viruses that cause Ebola, Lassa fever, and Marburg, types of hemorrhagic fevers. The facility’s director, Connie Schmaljohn, has also been placed on administrative leave, according to the email.
Politico reported:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s pledge to investigate autism’s “root cause” has split advocates for people with the condition: Some, like Kennedy, want to know what’s causing it, while prominent groups think his search could do more harm than good.
Kennedy’s grim depiction of the most profound cases of autism — many “will never use a toilet unassisted,” he said in April — sparked condemnation from several groups devoted to championing autistic people. They said his remarks perpetuate stigmas associated with a condition that has a broad spectrum of manifestations — and, coupled with his well-known vaccine skepticism, color any attempt by the agency he leads, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to conduct further autism research.
But others who say they speak for people with severe autism were heartened that Kennedy is promising to devote HHS’s resources to help them as autism diagnosis rates continue to climb. “America has a big problem, and we have to face up to it,” said one of them, Jill Escher, president of the National Council on Severe Autism.
The divide shows how Kennedy’s search for autism’s source — he’s pledged to have some answers by September — has inflamed a long-simmering debate among people who advocate for those with the neurodevelopmental disorder and suggests that his investigation, whatever its findings, will be politically explosive.
RFK Jr. Says Diabetes, Chronic Illnesses Pose ‘Existential Threat’ — Not Measles Outbreak: ‘Should Be Getting the Headlines’
The New York Post reported:
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. argued Wednesday that the media should pay more attention to diabetes and autism — not measles outbreaks — as an “existential threat” to the nation’s health.
“I want to say this, we’ve had four measles deaths in this country in 20 years. We have 100,000 autism cases a year. We have 38% of our kids now are diabetic or pre-diabetic. That should be in the headlines,” the HHS head said at a NewsNation town hall hosted by Chris Cuomo.
Kennedy said the media “never” covers the rates of autism or diabetes increasing, and they “only want to cover measles.” “What I’ve been saying to people is, let’s pay attention to other illnesses as well, the illnesses that are really, really damaging our country, that are existential for our country.” “Seventy-four percent of our kids cannot qualify for military service, so this is an existential threat to our national security,” the HHS secretary explained of the risks of rising chronic disease.
More at:
childrenshealthdefense.org
A research facility within the U.S. National Institutes of Health that is tasked with studying Ebola and other deadly infectious diseases has been instructed by the Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to stop research activities. According to an email viewed by WIRED, the Integrated Research Facility in Frederick, Maryland, was told to stop all experimental work by April 29 at 5 pm.
The facility is part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, or NIAID, and is located at the U.S. Army base Fort Detrick. It conducts research on the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases that are deemed “high consequence” — those that pose significant risks to public health. It has 168 employees, including federal workers and contractors.
The email says representatives from the Department of Homeland Security were padlocking freezers in biosafety-level-4 labs, those with the highest level of biosafety containment used for studying highly dangerous microbes. Only about a dozen BSL-4 labs exist in North America. These labs work with the viruses that cause Ebola, Lassa fever, and Marburg, types of hemorrhagic fevers. The facility’s director, Connie Schmaljohn, has also been placed on administrative leave, according to the email.
RFK Jr.’s Politically Explosive Search for Autism’s ‘Root Cause’
Politico reported:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s pledge to investigate autism’s “root cause” has split advocates for people with the condition: Some, like Kennedy, want to know what’s causing it, while prominent groups think his search could do more harm than good.
Kennedy’s grim depiction of the most profound cases of autism — many “will never use a toilet unassisted,” he said in April — sparked condemnation from several groups devoted to championing autistic people. They said his remarks perpetuate stigmas associated with a condition that has a broad spectrum of manifestations — and, coupled with his well-known vaccine skepticism, color any attempt by the agency he leads, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to conduct further autism research.
But others who say they speak for people with severe autism were heartened that Kennedy is promising to devote HHS’s resources to help them as autism diagnosis rates continue to climb. “America has a big problem, and we have to face up to it,” said one of them, Jill Escher, president of the National Council on Severe Autism.
The divide shows how Kennedy’s search for autism’s source — he’s pledged to have some answers by September — has inflamed a long-simmering debate among people who advocate for those with the neurodevelopmental disorder and suggests that his investigation, whatever its findings, will be politically explosive.
RFK Jr. Says Diabetes, Chronic Illnesses Pose ‘Existential Threat’ — Not Measles Outbreak: ‘Should Be Getting the Headlines’
The New York Post reported:
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. argued Wednesday that the media should pay more attention to diabetes and autism — not measles outbreaks — as an “existential threat” to the nation’s health.
“I want to say this, we’ve had four measles deaths in this country in 20 years. We have 100,000 autism cases a year. We have 38% of our kids now are diabetic or pre-diabetic. That should be in the headlines,” the HHS head said at a NewsNation town hall hosted by Chris Cuomo.
Kennedy said the media “never” covers the rates of autism or diabetes increasing, and they “only want to cover measles.” “What I’ve been saying to people is, let’s pay attention to other illnesses as well, the illnesses that are really, really damaging our country, that are existential for our country.” “Seventy-four percent of our kids cannot qualify for military service, so this is an existential threat to our national security,” the HHS secretary explained of the risks of rising chronic disease.
More at:
Code:
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/gnw-rfk-jr-hhs-orders-lab-studying-deadly-infectious-diseases-stop-research/RFK Jr.’s HHS Orders Lab Studying Deadly Infectious Diseases to Stop Research + More
The Defender’s Government NewsWatch delivers the latest headlines related to news and new developments coming out of federal agencies, including HHS, CDC, FDA, USDA, FCC and others. The views expressed in the below excerpts from other news sources do not necessarily reflect the views of The...
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