Two Minor Items -- Both Bizarre Public Health Angle Stories... France, And Arkansas Editions.

Of this first nonsense, I hesitate to highlight mentally deranged idiots -- except to note that when they make credible threats of mass violence. . . they should be, and will be. . . jailed. That's this Arkansas man, who from his mom's basement, while playing multi-player online video games, threatened to shoot up the local Wal-Mart, if the US CDC were to decide, in the future, to impose any "lockdown" -- over the cruise ship / Hantavirus event in the Atlantic. [No such thing has even been discussed, in Trump-World, BTW. There are 17 US residents isolating in Omaha for two more weeks. That is all.]

The more serious / disconcerting public health/Ebola story comes to us, from Paris -- Air France had to divert from Detroit to Montreal, overnight -- since French authorities had allowed a Congolese passenger to board the flight in error. This week, Tangerine 2.0 restricted people who've been in Congo, South Sudan or Uganda in the past 21 days -- saying all such passengers must fly in to Dulles, for enhanced screenings, if they wish to enter the US.

. . .“Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane,” the CBP spokesperson said in a statement.

Montreal Trudeau International Airport directed request for comment to Air France, which confirmed that Flight 378 was diverted “at the request of U.S. authorities” after it departed Paris on Wednesday, landing in Montreal shortly after 5 p.m. ET.

“There was no medical emergency on board, and like all airlines, Air France is required to comply with the entry requirements of the countries it serves,” an Air France spokesperson said in a statement.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday that the U.S. will restrict entry for people without U.S. passports who were in Congo, South Sudan or Uganda in the last three weeks. The restriction is in effect for the next 30 days. . . .

This is a fairly minor thing, but I was not aware that owning a US Passport gave magical vaccinations / endless immunity dosages. . . to never get Ebola. My point, with the bolded bit above. . . is again, Tangerine 2.0 is playing on racist / xenophobic stereotypes: Any US Citizen can -- and might -- be carrying the Ebola virus after being in Uganda or DRC, in the last three weeks.

To exempt them from screening -- while forcing all others to enter through Dulles. . . makes zero public health / epidemiological abatement sense. Onward, just the same. These are truly. . . bizarre times. Just more of Trump's asinine "sh!t-hole countries" rhetoric. Out.

नमस्ते

Well -- This Is The Best "Indictment" I've Yet Seen -- Of Trump's Corrupt "Weaponization / Lawfare" Slush-Fund! Jim Comey Edition.

Many here will recall that Trump has insisted twice -- and baselessly so -- that Jim Comey be indicted by US DoJ MAGA acolytes serving under the tangerine dotard.

Apparently, overnight, Mr. Comey has sardonically raised his hand -- and said he will apply for $2 million to $5 million, from the slush-fund -- since both of these indictments were dismissed within weeks, as clearly baseless political stunts.

[Actually, though -- his next words were that "this must be an Onion piece -- it cannot be serious. . . ."] I love the satire -- and delicious irony. Mr. Comey is quite right, this Trumpian language is a tailored suit of clothes, to what has befallen him -- albeit from Trump's minions. He's entitled to a payout, and Acting US AG Todd Blanche has said both Democrats and Republicans are eligible, donchaknow:

. . .The so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund” will be administered by four commissioners appointed by Trump’s attorney general and one appointed “in consultation” with congressional leadership -- Trump, who can fire the commissioners, will have ultimate control.

It will have the authority to issue formal apologies for alleged mistreatment of conservative political actors by previous administrations. . . . When Trump leaves office, any remaining money will not be available for his successor to use similarly, but will instead be distributed back to the federal government. . . .

“The machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American,” said the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, which is probably news to all those who have been subjected to politically motivated prosecutions by the justice department since Trump returned to power. . . .

[T]here is no requirement that the fund’s work be made public, and required reports to the attorney general on its conduct are to be confidential. In addition to the creation of this massive slush fund, the agreement also requires that the IRS drop all audits of Trump and his family. . . .

Geez. I'm actually feeling. . . a lil' left out. No one ever bothers to indict me. Dammit. In any event, go get 'em Jim Comey! Grin. . . .

नमस्ते

First Federal Suit Filed, In DC, To Enjoin Trump’s $1.8 Billion Slush Fund Attempt.

Overnight, at another property, an alias named Rigby McGuire and I were discussing how quickly federal suits might be filed -- against what is likely the most brazen act of corruption, by any president in the history of our nation. This purported but illicit $1.8 billion slush fund is certainly that.

And. . . we will need to wait no longer. The first of what will be many suits to enjoin this lawlessness has been docketed; this one on behalf of police officers injured at the Capitol — when the J6 insurrectionists and a rioting mob of thousands beat them with sticks and stanchions, and pummeled them with fists. Over and over, again -- shouting "kill that cop with his own gun!" (in one case).

You literally could not make up a more corrupt set of sociopathic jamokes, here. In any event, here's the full 29 page complaint at law, from today's filing in the federal courthouse in DC -- and a bit:

. . .[The Slush] Fund endangers the lives and safety of Plaintiffs Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges — officers who defended the Capitol on January 6, 2021 — in two ways. First, by its very existence, the Fund encourages those who enacted violence in the President’s name to continue to do so. Dunn and Hodges already face credible threats of death and violence on regular basis; the Fund substantially increases the danger.

Second, if allowed to begin making payments, the Fund will directly finance the violent operations of rioters, paramilitaries, and their supporters who threatened Plaintiffs’ lives that day, and continue to do so. . . .

To prevent the public financing of paramilitary organizations in the United States, and to protect Plaintiffs from further violence, the fund must be dissolved. Dunn and Hodges bring this case to obtain that relief. . . .

In January of this year, President Trump, his sons Eric and Donald Jr., and the Trump Organization sued the IRS for $10 billion in alleged damages arising from the 2017 and 2020 leaks of their tax returns. Compl., Trump v. IRS, No. 1:26-cv-20609 (S.D. Fla. Jan. 29, 2026), ECF No. 1. . . .

That lawsuit was frivolous. Because Trump, as the sitting President, was both the plaintiff and in direct control of all defendants, Trump v. IRS lacked adversity, meaning there was no Article III case or controversy, and no subject matter jurisdiction. Trump all but conceded the lack of adversity earlier this year, he described the case as requiring him to “work out a settlement with myself. . . .”

Yep. That’s gonna leave. . . a mark -- and as I guessed before, this (whatever it ends up being -- if from a Trump organization coffer) -- it will never be from our taxpayer money -- being sent out, to those violent reprobates. Trust that.

Out.

नमस्ते

As We Approach Middle Age -- Most Of Us Are About As Healthy As We Truly WANT To Be -- If We Are Disciplined Enough... To ACT.

There will certainly be genetic factors, or random accidents in the street -- over which we exert essentially no influence.

But I certainly agree -- that well-more than half of how one's later life turns out. . . turns on which choices we make now -- and keep making, well into our 80s. Here's The UK Guardian's study this morning, to back that notion up:

. . .Individuals bear at least 80% of the responsibility for their ill health in old age, according to a report aimed at challenging the belief that physical decline is. . . inevitable. . . .

The report, launched at the Smart Ageing Summit in Oxford last week, argues that individuals have far greater control over their longevity than is commonly understood. The authors call on the government to take legislative action on alcohol comparable to restrictions on smoking.

Living Longer, Better -- the Oxford Longevity Project’s first Age-less report -- was co-authored by an interdisciplinary panel of UK-based experts in medicine, physiology, ageing and education policy. It was sponsored by Oxford Healthspan. . . .

[From the report itself, then:] As they approach the age of 70, many people find themselves thinking about their own hopes for longevity: how they might best prepare to live in reasonably good health until they reach 90, or even for several years beyond that milestone. . . . This Report is for them – and also for their advisers, GPs, and other health-care professionals, and their advisers and trainers, for those who offer guidance to the public on best practice in the quest for enduring good health, for the media, and for the government. . . . [A]bove all, we hope it might change behaviour, and improve the lives of older people in the U.K., and indeed worldwide. . . .

Sure -- the correlation won't be 1-to-1, in any individual case. But the broader object lesson is sound. Onward, smiling.

नमस्ते

The Able USDC Judge Tigar Re-Affirms -- In East Bay V -- That More Of Trump's 2025 Black Sharpie Orders... Are "Arbitrary And Capricious"

This was actually published about two week ago, but I've been off dousing other bonfires. . . smile. It is welcome vindication of what regular readers here well know: Tangerine 2.0 has no clue about the limits to his powers, via the US Constitution. Most of all, Congress must act -- to do the things he pretends to do, by Black Sharpie scribbles -- as to immigration policies. [One of dozens of my prior backgrounders, from across the last seven years, here.]

[And significantly, this Northen California class litigation now has the implied backing (of the last term rulings at the Supremes). . . on why faith based doctors' groups in Texas do not have standing to impose nationwide bans on the abortion pill by mail-order. Conversley, the organizations resisting lawless attempts to curtail lawful immigration pathways. . . do have standing to challenge the Black Sharpie scribbles.]

Do go read it all -- but here's a bit of it -- it is clearly correctly decided:

. . .Plaintiffs are legal services organizations challenging a rule imposing a rebuttable presumption of asylum ineligibility for individuals who do not utilize certain “lawful pathways.” Two events relevant to this case occurred while it was on appeal to the Ninth Circuit. First, the Supreme Court decided Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, 602 U.S. 367 (2024), which addressed organizational standing. Second, the Trump Administration took a series of executive actions foreclosing certain “lawful pathways” and otherwise restricting asylum. The Ninth Circuit remanded the case for this Court to reconsider its prior order granting summary judgment to Plaintiffs, in light of both intervening changes. Before the Court is the parties’ supplemental briefing addressing these issues.

The Court’s prior summary judgment order is hereby modified to reflect (1) that Alliance does not undermine Plaintiffs’ Article III standing and (2) that the termination of lawful pathways underscores the rule’s unlawfulness, as set forth below. The Court therefore reaffirms its prior order. . . .

Now you know -- onward, grinning.

नमस्ते

And Tonight, Tennessee Will Execute A Man In A Death Eligible Case, Where The State FORCED Him To Trial WITHOUT COUNSEL.

This is. . . deplorable.

Moments ago, the Supremes (the five of them, anyway) refused to hear / look at Mr. Carruther's emergency petition.

Later tonight, Tennessee will execute a man it never bothered to do DNA testing on, despite collecting DNA of the supposed killer, at the crime scene -- and then relied on jailhouse informants. Some years later, his co-death eligible defendant won a new trial -- and was released from jail, entirely -- in 2015.

Finally, this man was forced to represent himself by the local Tennessee prosecutor and judge, in a death eligible case -- in direct violation of Gideon v. Wainwright. Damn. This is. . . shameful. Out.

नमस्ते

The Fifth Cir. Is Clearly Wrong Here -- But As To The Del Rio Texas Razor Wire Injury Cases, It Won't Matter (Much).

I will only offer a shortish squib from the "opinion" on this, since (again!) the Fifth Circuit plays politics, rather than simply applying the well settled federal preemption law. It still applies nationwide, on the nation's navigable waterways. So. . .

Whatever.

As I said last month, the actual bodily-injury cases are now headed to a forced mediation -- down in Del Rio. Texas -- and MAGA Gov. Abbott's GOP mono-rule doesn't want to compensate the people -- and families of the deceased -- that MAGA Gov. Abbott's concertina wire barriers. . . maimed and drowned. Welp. That will no longer stand.

See the mediation orders. So this injunction, against conduct long ago completed -- as vacated by the goofy Fifth -- means almost nothing.

But you could tell from the first paragraph that it was mostly a political manifesto (riddled with half-truths, and outright lies) -- not so much any reasoned legal opinion. It darkly references (by the euphemism "surge"). . . as well as "an invasion", directly.

The Supremes have repeatedly held that there is no "invasion" at all on the Southern borders. Damn. Nonsense, that:

. . .This case concerns whether the State of Texas, exercising its historic, sovereign police powers, can legislatively protect its citizens from a surge of illegal aliens in response to an unprecedented border crisis and a declared invasion. [Hah!] The district court judge and a divided panel held that it cannot. Because the Plaintiffs that are challenging the new statute lack standing, we vacate the preliminary injunction without addressing the merits of the pre-emption claim. . . .

What a load of crap. [Another broad hint that this is BS. . . is offered by the page count. The Fifth panel took over 150 pages. . . to make no ruling at all.] None that wold matter to any real world outcome, that is.

So. . . Onward, resolutely -- just the same.

नमस्ते

Well -- I Agree With The CDC's Assessment: This Andes-Virus H. Presents A High Enough Risk, To Enforce 21 Day Quarantine Orders... Still, IRONIC.

First things -- first: this is the right public health approach. And if she is in fact the study abroad university educator I think she is, she well knows this is a risk of "Semesters at Sea" programs. And she should be mindful of her fellow. . . humans (to say nothing of her students).

That said, it is deliciously ironic -- that after Tangerine's campaign was based in some large measure on saying the COVID-19 lockdown was a violation of people's civil rights. . . that now, he is in the position of having his acting CDC Director issue federal administrative arrest orders -- should Ms. Perryman forcibly try to leave the Univ. of Nebraska quarantine facility in Omaha, before her 21 days have elapsed. That's. . . fascinating.

In any event, here's that story -- and a bit:

. . .Angela Perryman, an American passenger exposed to the deadly hantavirus on a cruise ship this month, expected a short stay at a special quarantine facility in Nebraska after her arrival last week.

On Monday, after making plans to depart, she received a federal order requiring her to stay for at least two more weeks. Health officials said they would contact law enforcement if she tried to leave.

“They are requiring us to remain in a locked facility and threatening us,” said Ms. Perryman, 47, “and denying us the right to home quarantine.”

Federal health officials did not respond to requests for comment. But the order Ms. Perryman shared with The New York Times says officials believe she would “constitute a probable source of infection to other people” if she left the facility to travel to another state. . . .

W I L D.

These are simply wild. . . times. Onward to bike rides, and after school / dinner / park picnics. Out.

नमस्ते

CIDRAP Offers Some Very Sobering "Undiagnosed" Mpox Clade 1b Data... Yikes.

And again, we ought to look directly at the cuts to federal public health programs, engineered by DOGE / Musk / Tangerine 2.0 -- when assessing blame for excess infections, debilitating life long conditions, and even. . . deaths.

I am sick and tired. . . "of being sick and tired. . ." of these deeply dangerous morons. In any event, here is the latest:

. . .Asymptomatic mpox infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) may be far more common than previously recognized and could be playing a role in ongoing transmission, according to a study published last week in Nature Communications. Researchers estimate that actual infections may outnumber diagnosed cases by 33 to one. . . .

For the study, researchers led by teams at the University of California (UC) at Berkeley and Kaiser Permanente Southern California tested for mpox in MSM in Los Angeles during routine sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening from May to November 2024. Then they monitored the same group of MSM for clinically diagnosed mpox.

Among nearly 8,000 eligible participants, only 15 laboratory-confirmed mpox cases were identified through standard clinical testing. But when the team tested for mpox DNA in 1,190 specimens collected from the routine STI tests, they found infections in. . . men who never presented with mpox symptoms or received an mpox diagnosis. . . .

Ominously, the authors estimate that undiagnosed infections account for between 33-40 percent of all transmitted cases, and, under more realistic modelling assumptions, potentially much more. Damnation.

नमस्ते

The Speed Of The Latest Bundibugyo / Ebola Spread... Is Deeply Disconcerting, In DRC and Uganda Now: Over 130 Dead; Over 530 Are Ill.

Again -- USAID's early detection and arrest capabilities would have made all the difference here. Thus, these excess deaths are directly attributable to Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Damn.

To be certain, the wildly-difficult work here -- of getting the "evil djin back in the bottle" is all the more daunting because it is not clear that any of the existing vaccine stock will be effective, against the rather rare -- but presently circulating -- Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. In about five elapsed days, the fatalities have. . . TRIPLED. Here's the morning's tough news -- and a bit:

. . .At least 131 people are believed to have died and 531 suspected to have been infected, according to the Congolese Health Ministry. An American missionary was among those who tested positive for the deadly disease.

Global health experts are worried about the capacity of this outbreak to cause widespread illness and death in central Africa — not least because this rare strain of Ebola, the Bundibugyo virus, has no approved vaccine or treatment and a shortage of available tests.

The outbreak was also undetected for weeks, adding to the complexities in containing it. It has ripped through a region riven by civil war and conflict, while health officials said funding shortages were further hampering their ability to fight Ebola. . . .

Several metric tonnes of protective gear and sanitary supplies arrived in Buni, Ituri's capital city yesterday, from Doctors Without Borders. But that will only be a tiny child's finger -- in the now-bursting dyke.

So, let history record that it was MAGA fecklessness -- and racism -- that were the twin causes of this, the excess deaths now being recorded.

नमस्ते

While MAVEN May Be Lost/Dead Stick -- Its Older Data Is Still Offering Us New Martian Insights...

This is excellent -- file it under the heading of unexpected. . . new exo-planetary / space science learnings, from older spacecraft data -- being re-mined.

This is NASA -- multiple efficiencies; functioning on multiple levels. We now know that Mars experiences the same Zwan-Wolf effect we see in our own Earth-bound magnetosphere. Here's all of that, from NASA:

. . .In December 2023, scientists looking at Mars data stumbled across something completely unexpected — observations of an atmospheric effect never before seen in the Red Planet’s atmosphere. Using instruments aboard NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) mission, scientists identified a phenomenon known to occur in Earth’s magnetosphere, where charged particles are squeezed like toothpaste coming out of a tube along magnetic structures called flux tubes. This so-called Zwan-Wolf effect aids in the deflection of solar wind around Earth and has been observed and studied there for decades. Now, a new study published in Nature Communications provides the first comprehensive observations of the same effect in Mars’ atmosphere. . . .

Understanding the Zwan-Wolf effect at Mars will further our understanding of how space weather affects the planet and provides new insight into how this effect might occur at similar unmagnetized bodies, such as Venus and Saturn’s moon Titan. Observations like this also highlight the importance of knowing how large space weather events can lead to changes in the environment at and around the Red Planet and potentially affect assets on or near Mars.

“Knowing how space weather interacts with Mars is essential,” said Shannon Curry, the principal investigator of MAVEN and research scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder. “The MAVEN team continues making new discoveries with our datasets and finding these links between our host star and the Red Planet. . . .”

[As a reminder, the] MAVEN spacecraft, in orbit around Mars, experienced a loss of signal with ground stations on Earth on Dec. 6, 2025. In Feb. 2026, NASA launched an anomaly review board to assess the probable current state of the spacecraft and the likelihood of its recovery. . . .

And so, even well after loss of signal, it turns out the MAVEN's data is still teaching us things we never knew -- about Barsoom. Onward -- but I doubt MAVEN will ever phone home again. She is lost to the stars, now. Sigh.

नमस्ते

Gee -- It's A Small [High Finance] World: Oracle & Merck Use The Same Four Main US Investment Bankers...

Earlier this morning, we detailed the multi-tranche debt issuances being deployed by four of the most powerful investment banks on the planet -- to help Merck set up the balance sheet proportions for the Terns acquitision -- a modest $6.7 billion (by comparison to the ~$28 billion in 2022 Mr. Ellison needed to buy Cerner's EHR businesses).

It always seems to be the same players -- at the top of high finance, for investment grade borrowers. Fascinating:

. . .The initial $28.3 billion purchase of Cerner was primarily financed through a $15.7 billion bridge loan, which was later refinanced through term loans and a multi-part corporate bond sale.

The leading US banks involved in managing this multi-billion dollar debt and bond issuance included: JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc., Bank of America Corp., and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. . . .

Now you know. Onward -- but I suspect Merck's Terns acquisition will generate a better return over the long haul, than Mr. Ellison's Cerner buy.

नमस्ते

Power Alley: To Finance The Terns Purchase, Merck Will Offer A Series Of Layered-Maturity Bonds, Under Existing SEC Shelf Registrations. Smart Finance, That, Mr. Davis.

We are seriously looking at grabbing a few of the longer dated coupons, since this makes a nice low risk add -- to the retirement draws. The interest will be taxable -- but at around 5% a year, this is a nice add. And, Merck is smart to get the deal done before summer, when Tangerine 2.0's "global calamity risk" looks to. . . rise.

What an odd. . . world. He is the opposite of what big business needs: stability. He offers. . . none [but he is finally dropping his $10 billion supposed (and preposterous) suit against the IRS today. Damn.] Existing Merck debt is trading in both deep, and liquid oceans -- and this morning is yielding. . .Merck 4.90% (Due 05/17/2044): Trades around a 5.62% yield to maturity. Sweet.

In any event, while Barron's reporting is incorrect that this is a "private" matter, the numerical details are accurate, as Rahway has this morning filed an SEC 424(b) red herring prospectus detailing the ~$6 billion offering of a series of debt securities.

. . .Merck is seeking to raise about $6 billion from an investment-grade bond sale to help finance its acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals Inc., according to people familiar with the matter.

Merck is selling the notes in as many as seven parts, according to a separate person with knowledge of the matter. The longest portion of the offering, a 30-year security, may yield about 1.05 percentage points above Treasuries, said the person, who asked not to be identified as the details are private. . . .

Nope. Not private -- being very publicly offered at Wall & Broad this morning. And if the yields on any of these bonds approach 5%, they are great long term, low risk ways to enhance your annual retirement draw -- at a risk level almost identical to US Treasuries. You heard it here first. Onward, smiling.

नमस्ते

TRIVIA: Musk Is The LAST PERSON On Earth Who Should Be Talking About ANYONE'S "Looks".

Elon apparently thinks Lupita is "not pretty enough" -- to play Helen of Troy.

. . .Musk added that Nolan has “lost his integrity” by casting the Oscar-winning actress, 43, in the role....

Okay -- look, Elon's views are... odious -- and irrelevant. Mr. Nolan has ALREADY decided.

But let's be clear -- the guy at right has zero room whatsoever, to speak. . . about anyone else's looks.

Z E R O.

Out.

नमस्ते

Rotors That Can Whir -- With Stable Atmospheric/Dynamic Properties -- On Mars, At Above Mach 1? That's A Tough Materials Engineering Problem, For The 2030s.

The next time we fly choppers, on Barsoom, it may be in the mid-2030s, and perhaps four or more will be encircling the Martian globe, at a time. . . that is the vision of the aptly named "Project Skyfall" at NASA | JPL.

Because the Martian atmosphere is only about 1% as dense as Earth's (but her gravity is out of proportion, to the atmosphere -- at about 1/6^th of Earth's -- that's. . . heavy lifting!), these rotors must spin much faster -- much, much faster -- to generate adequate lift, for flight operations -- with real payloads aboard. And the lift dynamics must remain stable -- even in Barsoomian dust devils, should these choppers fly through them.

This, in turn, means we'll need rotor blades that won't disintegrate, when spinning at more than the speed of sound. Yikes.

That is a materials engineering challenge of the first order. One the NASA team is now tackling. Here's that story:

. . .The rotor blades that will carry NASA’s next-generation helicopters to new Martian heights broke the sound barrier during March tests at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Data from the tests, which took place in a special chamber that can simulate environmental conditions on the Red Planet, indicate that the fastest traveling part of the rotor blade, the tips, can be accelerated beyond Mach 1 without breaking apart. Data gathered from 137 test runs will enable engineers to design aircraft capable of carrying heavier payloads, including science instruments.

“NASA had a great run with the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, but we are asking these next-generation aircraft to do even more at the Red Planet,” said Al Chen, Mars Exploration Program manager at JPL. “That’s not an easy ask. While everything about Mars is hard, flying there is just about the hardest thing you can do. That’s because its atmosphere is so incredibly thin that it is hard to generate lift, and yet Mars has significant gravity. . . .”

Yep -- I love a challenge -- where science is at the forefront.

These brilliant and fine people. . . will meet the moment. I know they will. Onward. [And yes, I went off, in search of some good news today. . . we sorely need it.]

नमस्ते

Ebola 2026: Another Eight Deaths Overnight, And WHO Now Includes Neighboring Uganda, In The Outbreak Alert...

This is very troubling news, out of WHO -- but it is what logically flows from gutting international public health aid, in these countries. We must all be certain that Elon Musk and Donald Trump are not able to shirk responsibility for these excess deaths. [And RFK, Jr., herre stateside, as well -- with his nonsense about vaccines being dangerous.]

In any event, here is the story now including Uganda in the outbreak:

. . .The World Health Organization declared the Ebola disease outbreak caused by a rare virus in Congo and neighboring Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday, after more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths.

WHO said that the outbreak doesn’t meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency like COVID-19, and advised against the closure of international borders. . . .

WHO said on X that a laboratory-confirmed case has also been reported in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, which is about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the outbreak’s epicenter in the eastern province of Ituri, suggesting a possible wider spread. It said the patient had visited Ituri and that other suspected cases have also been reported in North Kivu province, which is one of Congo’s most populous and borders Uganda. . . .

There is no approved vaccine for this apparent variant of Ebola. This is not the Sudan version -- it is called "Bundibugyo". That in turn is is very tough news -- in two countries short on the sorts of resources needed, for full arrest of the viral spread.

Onward, resolutely just the same.

नमस्ते

Supporting The "Super-Spreader" Theory, For This, The Andes-Virus H., A Man Has It -- In Vancouver, BC -- But His Wife Does Not. Both, Ex-Hondius.

As CIDRAP's Executive Director, Michael Osterholm, indicated just under two days ago, it is increasingly likely that this Andes-Virus H. was sent over the air, on the Hondius liner, by a so called "super-spreader". That would explain a husband being positive (from the spreader) -- but then he did not transmit to his wife (since the husband was not a super-spreader). So it may be less about the strain of Hantavirus, itself -- and more about the host carrying it, onboard -- a super-spreader.

Thus, it may well turn out to be something unique -- about the biological makeup of the person who was the "index case" -- onboard the liner. . . now over two weeks ago.

In any event, here is the latest word, out of the UK's Guardian, tonight:

. . .Canadian officials said on Saturday that a test for one of the four Canadians currently quarantining in British Columbia after being exposed to the hantavirus while on board the cruise ship where the outbreak occurred indicated a positive result.

Speaking at a news conference, Dr Bonnie Henry, British Columbia’s provincial health officer, said the individual developed mild symptoms, including fever and headache, two days ago, and that the individual and their partner, who had also been on board the cruise ship where they had been isolating together, were transferred to a hospital in Victoria for assessment and testing.

Henry said that on late Friday evening the test results for the individual who had been experiencing mild symptoms came back positive, but she stressed that the results were currently “what we call a presumptive positive” and that the samples have been sent to the national microbiology lab in Winnipeg for confirmatory testing. Results from those tests were expected to be confirmed over the course of the weekend, Henry said. . . .

Onward -- and I did cash a $53.50 ticket -- on a $6 exacta box bet, with Napolean Solo winning the Preakness, and Iron Honor coming in second. I also had Great White, the Japanese horse who threw his mount before the start of the Derby (I was figuring he would be very ready to run, but alas -- he finished out of the money). So it goes -- babygrrl is in the air now, to Heathrow.

नमस्ते

In One Elapsed Day, Fatalities Leapt By 23% From Ebola In The Ituri Provincial Capital City, Bunia -- In The DRC...

This Ituri Ebola outbreak, in the remote eastern wilds of DRC. . . is plainly a runaway. Nearly 300 are sick now, and 15 more people have died, overnight. The total now stands at 80 deaths, but it certain to rise, in the coming days and nights.

This is from PBS | NPR reporting:

. . .At least 80 deaths have been reported in Congo's new Ebola disease outbreak in the eastern Ituri province, authorities said, as health workers raced Saturday to intensify screening and contact tracing to contain the disease. Officials first announced the outbreak on Friday, with 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases.

Meanwhile, Associated Press journalists in Ituri's capital, Bunia, interviewed locals who recounted their fears and constant burials.

"Every day, people are dying. . . and this has been going on for about a week. In a single day, we bury two, three, or even more people," said Jean Marc Asimwe, a resident of Bunia. "At this point, we don't really know what kind of disease it is," said Asimwe. . . .

This is what happens when the US turns its back on real preventative public health funding -- thanks to Musk and Trump. I wish I had more upbeat, happier news today -- but I. Do. Not.

नमस्ते

In STAT+: The Common Themes Emerging -- From The Twin Outbreaks -- Ebola And Hantavirus... Listen To An Expert, Here.

This cannot be repeated often enough: RFK, Jr. and his fellow "non-sciency" Luddites. . . are increasingly endangering us all.

As the whole world hops on jets, trains or ocean liners -- no outbreak will remain local and isolated for very long. . . not without real, thoughtful (and yes, sort of expensive) advance preparation methods, well-vetted and at the ready. That is her central object lesson -- and she well-knows. Do go read it all:

. . .These outbreaks are biologically different, geographically distant, and epidemiologically unrelated. But together they reveal something deeply important about the current state of global health: Outbreaks are becoming more frequent, more complex, and increasingly difficult to contain in a world that is less prepared than it should be.

For years, experts warned that Covid-19 would not be the last major infectious disease crisis of our lifetimes. Yet only a few years later, the world appears to be moving in the opposite direction of preparedness. Public health funding is under strain. Trust in health institutions has eroded. Global coordination mechanisms are increasingly challenged by geopolitical tensions. In some countries, scientific expertise itself has become politicized. . . .

[The author, Dr.] Krutika Kuppalli is an infectious diseases physician in Dallas. Her work focuses on emerging infectious diseases, outbreak response, vaccine policy, and clinical care of complex infections. She has extensive experience with Covid-19, mpox, and Ebola, including working for the World Health Organization. . . .

Kennedy and his ilk will be remembered most, when history of this time is written -- as a procurer /enabler of hundreds of thousands of excess- and completely- preventible. . . deaths. Deplorable.

नमस्ते

On Tuesday May 19, The French Guiana Spaceport Will Host A Launch Of A Joint EU / Chinese Mission Called... "SMILE"...

This will be around 11:50 pm Eastern US time.

But it will be on the 18^th, our time (our night before) -- while it is almost dawn, in Central Europe. Do tune in, assuming there is no weather event that might push the launch out of limits -- near the Eastern Equator off South America:

. . .Smile (the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is a joint mission between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It will give humankind its first complete look at how Earth reacts to streams of particles and bursts of radiation from the Sun. . . .

ESA will be broadcasting live as the European-Chinese Smile mission launches at 04:52 BST/05:52 CEST on 19 May 2026. Smile will launch on a European Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Dates/times subject to change at short notice [due to weather and overhead traffic, among other matters]. . . .

Tune into ESA Web TV directly or via the ESA YouTube livestream to follow the launch live.

The launch programme will run from 05:30–07:09 CEST [11:50 pm, to 1:10 am Eastern US time on May 19]. . . .

Now you know. Multinational cooperation is the rule. . . in space science. Politics? Not. So. Much. Onward, just the same.

नमस्ते