Free Republic

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton opened up about his bout with shingles Monday, saying he has gained weight, lost part of an eyebrow and is still feeling the aftereffects of a two-month battle with the disease in his face. "I couldn't even go in front of a camera if I wanted to early, because my eye was basically closed shut," Haliburton told reporters in Indianapolis a day after the end of the regular season. "It was all over my face." Haliburton, who has missed all of the 2025-26 season while recovering from a torn right Achilles, was diagnosed with the...

Iranian Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Masoumeh Ebtekar has tested positive for coronavirus, the state-run daily IRAN reported. Ebtekar is the first member of President Hassan Rouahni’s cabinet to be infected with the novel coronavirus. Earlier today, the chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign affairs committee Mojtaba Zolnour announced in a video that he had also been infected with the disease. Two other Iranian officials – Member of Parliament Mahmoud Sadeghi and Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi – have also previously confirmed that they have been infected with the disease. State media also reported on...

Scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology have crossed a terrifying new line. In a study just published in Science Advances, Wuhan researchers engineered Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to become flying weapons of mass destruction. They irradiated the insects to sterilize them, then fed them blood containing recombinant viruses. These modified viruses carry proteins from deadly pathogens like Nipah, which kills 40 to 75 percent of infected people, and rabies. The engineered viruses replicate inside the mosquitoes and accumulate in their salivary glands. When the mosquito bites, it delivers this viral payload directly into the bloodstream, like a flying hypodermic needle...

Wastewater SCAN data show that human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, is rampant in Northern California — specifically San Francisco, Marin, Vallejo, Napa, Novato, Santa Rosa, Sacramento and Davis, per reports. The virus peaked sharply in January and remains elevated in early March, although the seasonal winter wave is now tapering. “It is a single-stranded RNA virus, like flu and COVID,” Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital. “The virus is increasing not only in the west, but also around the country.” The wastewater data also show that HMPV is rising sharply in the Midwest and Northeast.

An outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus in India's West Bengal state has sparked concern in parts of Asia, with some tightening screening measures at airports. Thailand has started screening passengers at three airports that receive flights from West Bengal. Nepal has also begun screening arrivals at Kathmandu airport and other land border points with India. Two cases have been confirmed in West Bengal since December, reportedly in healthcare workers. Some 196 people who were in contact with them have been traced and tested negative for the virus, India's health ministry says. The virus can spread from animals to humans....

Indian authorities are rushing to contain a Nipah virus outbreak after five cases were reported and nearly 100 people quarantined in the eastern state of West Bengal, Azernews reports via The Independent. Among those infected are two nurses, a doctor, and a healthcare worker, raising concerns over hospital-based transmission. Health officials said some patients remain in critical condition, while others are showing signs of recovery. The Nipah virus is classified by the World Health Organization as a priority pathogen due to its high epidemic potential and fatality rate. At present, there is no approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for...

CUBA has been overwhelmed by a disease known as “the virus” – leaving hospitals on the verge of collapse as the Communist regime faces accusations of a cover-up. High fevers, red spots, peeling skin, swollen joints, vomiting and diarrhoea are among symptoms crippling the island’s population – but Cubans have no idea what they are suffering from. his week the Canadian government announced health screenings and quarantine of up to seven days for those coming back from the country. And in December, Spain told its citizens to stay away from Cuba due to a “serious epidemic”. Known just as “the...

https://x.com/ValerieAnne1970/status/2004864547929157860 Valerie Anne Smith@ValerieAnne1970·13h🚨WARNING: The Shingrix shingles vaccine is grown in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells using an SV40 Promoter—linked to cancer in lab studies.FDA black box warning: Guillain-Barré paralysis risk!New 2025 study: 11X shingles surge within 21 days post-vax. Is this "protection"?...NOShingrix production raises red flags: Immortalized CHO Chinese Hamster Ovary cells engineered with plasmids containing SV40 promoter to crank out viral antigens. SV40 drives high gene expression but has oncogenic potential—linked to cancerous tumors.Ingredients you won't love:• GMO Chinese hamster ovary cells (host proteins & DNA remnants)• AS01B adjuvant: MPL (Salmonella cell wall toxin), QS-21 (plant saponin), Polysorbate 80•...

Some health experts worry that the variant GII.17 responsible for last year's spike may have mutated and become more contagious.A nasty, highly contagious form of norovirus called “winter vomiting disease” is spreading across the country, according to an analysis of wastewater at NUMBER surveillance sites in the state. Norovirus cases typically spike after Christmas and New Year’s gatherings, but the number of new cases in November showed a notable increase, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The CDC tracks norovirus through voluntary reporting from clinics and state health departments, but says such data is unreliable because most...

It was the most momentous event in UK history since World War Two. As a new virus took hold, millions of us were told to stay at home and billions of pounds were spent propping up the country's economy. The Covid inquiry will publish its second set of findings on Thursday, looking in detail at the huge political choices made at the time - including how lockdowns were introduced, the closure of businesses and schools, and bringing in previously unthinkable social restrictions. Five years on from those dramatic 12 months, the inquiry's findings are long-awaited, particularly by the 235,000 families...

In a startling first, a Washington state man has been infected with a strain of bird flu previously only detected in animals. The “severely ill” man was hospitalized with a high fever, confusion and respiratory distress earlier this month and confirmed to have H5N5, a subtype of avian influenza carried by wild birds such as ducks and geese. The Washington State Department of Health described the unidentified patient as being “older” and having “underlying health conditions.” The agency noted that the man has a “mixed backyard flock of domestic poultry” at his home in Grays Harbor County, in the southwest...

A senior EU official has said he expects the US "not to interfere" in global climate negotiations in Brazil next week, citing aggressive behavior at last month’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) meetings in London. At those talks, US officials reportedly intimidated diplomats from Africa and the so-called Small Island States, warning some they might lose US transit rights or face entry restrictions for themselves and their families if they did not help block the UN-backed Net Zero Framework for shipping. The official said they were unaware whether commission staff had been targeted directly. “We have no indication our colleagues were...

The Department of Defense has ordered a review of all labs following revelations that the number of labs that received live anthrax samples is larger than first reported."As of now, 24 laboratories in 11 states and two foreign countries are believed to have received suspect samples. We continue to work closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who is leading the ongoing investigation pursuit to its statutory authorities. The Department will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates to the public," Defense Department said in a statement.The Defense Department had previously reported labs in nine states...

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Ursula's new "European Media Freedom Act" permits the arrest of journalists if it is in the "public interest." ... The act also allows surveillance software to be deployed on devices used by media service providers, editorial staff, or related persons in the “public interest. Who decides the “public interest?” Sophie ... The new law also contains numerous provisions that call for action against alleged "disinformation." Ursula von der Leyen, EU Commission President ... "national lists" are to be created listing the owners and addresses of media outlets, as stipulated in Article 6. Despite its intent to strengthen media freedom, critics...

A mosquito-borne virus that leaves victims in crippling pain and has triggered Covid-era restrictions in China is already in the US, experts say.Chikungunya virus can cause sudden, agonizing joint pain in the hands and feet, sometimes so severe that it leaves sufferers unable to move normally for months.Southern China is currently battling its largest outbreak since at least 2008, with more than 7,000 cases recorded in Foshan, at the epicenter, and infections in 12 other major cities. Heavy rains and warm weather have fueled a surge in mosquitoes, driving the outbreak.Dr Louisa Messenger, a mosquito researcher in Nevada, told the...

As Covid cases begin to rise this summer, many may be wondering: What are my risks, and is it time to get another vaccine? As of July 15, Covid cases were growing or likely growing in 27 states including Texas, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia and Ohio, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rates of positive Covid tests have also been increasing in recent weeks, the CDC says, specifically in the southern region of the country. N.B.1.8.1 is the current dominant variant in the United States, accounting for 43% of all new Covid cases, according to the CDC. It’s...

Author John Lednicky’s cat Pepper and its prey helped discover yet another new strain of virus. Credit: John Lednicky ======================================================================== When a Florida virologist’s cat brought home a dead shrew, no one expected it to lead to the discovery of a previously unknown virus. But that’s exactly what happened. The shrew carried a new strain of orthoreovirus—a virus family known to infect mammals, including humans. While its effects on people are still uncertain, some orthoreoviruses have been linked to serious illnesses. Feline Assistant Strikes Again Pepper, the house cat who gained attention last year for helping scientists identify the first...

What is PCPartPicker?PCPartPicker is a popular online platform that assists users in selecting compatible PC components, such as CPUs, motherboards, RAM, graphics cards, power supplies, storage devices, and more. It offers a user-friendly interface with powerful tools that help streamline the process of building a PC. Key features of PCPartPicker include:Component Compatibility Checking: PCPartPicker automatically checks the compatibility of selected components to ensure they work together seamlessly.Price Comparison: It provides real-time price comparisons from various retailers, allowing users to find the best deals on components.Build Guides: PCPartPicker offers pre-configured build guides for different budgets and purposes, making it easier for...

We’re talking Windows 10, of course, which will soon retire from service. “On October 14, 2025,” Microsoft has just confirmed, again, “Windows 10 PCs will no longer receive feature or security updates, increasing security risks and operational challenges.” Microsoft is taking this opportunity to push Copilot+ PCs, complete with a raft of new AI tools including its controversial Recall. But the primary benefit is the upgrade to Windows 11, which combines with a compatible PCs security module to better protect against all those threats targeting the world of Windows.Those using Windows 11, Microsoft says, “have reported a 62% drop in...