Stuart Jeanne Bramhall's Blog: The Most Revolutionary Act , page 52
June 28, 2025
HPV Vaccine Increases Risk of Autonomic Dysfunction and Menstrual Irregularities in Young Women
After adjusting for age, girls and young women in the study cohort had a 23% higher chance of being diagnosed with autonomic dysfunction and a 30% higher chance of being diagnosed with menstrual irregularities, TrialSite News reported.
Adolescent girls and young women who get the HPV vaccine face an increased risk of developing both autonomic dysfunction, such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), and menstrual irregularities, researchers from the University of Maryland found.
“These risks are not insubstantial,” the authors wrote. After adjusting for age, girls and young women in the study cohort had a 23% higher chance of being diagnosed with autonomic dysfunction and a 30% higher chance of being diagnosed with menstrual irregularities, TrialSite News reported.
Lead authors Linda Wastila, Ph.D., director of research for the university’s Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging, and Yu-Hua Fu, PharmD, published their findings Tuesday in the peer-reviewed journal Drugs – Real World Outcomes.
Dr. Sin Hang Lee, a pathologist and expert in molecular diagnostics and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine researcher, told The Defender the study is significant because it’s the first self-controlled case study in the U.S. showing an association between HPV vaccination and autonomic dysfunction and menstrual irregularities.
“As we know, this kind of research has been suppressed in the past for a variety of reasons,” Lee said. Lee, an expert witness in the ongoing lawsuit against Merck, presented his research on Gardasil’s effects on the immune system. The lawsuit alleges Merck misrepresented the safety of its Gardasil vaccine.
Children’s Health Defense Senior Research Scientist Karl Jablonowski, Ph.D., said this new study provides strong evidence for its findings. The study was well-designed with a large cohort size, he said, and “no data source is perfect, but claims data are among the least biased.”
“These results validate the millions of Americans who were injured by the HPV vaccine while the media, the public health agencies and the doctors dismissed the possibility that the vaccine could injure,” Jablonowski said.
The authors said their robust methods offer valuable insights into HPV vaccine safety and indicate that providers should pay careful attention to symptoms in patients up to six months after vaccination.
“Our findings suggest that patients should be encouraged to consult with their primary healthcare providers to discuss the potential risks and benefits of HPV vaccination,” they concluded.
Their advice contradicts HPV vaccination advocates and public health agencies, which encourage physicians to use the “announcement approach,” which leads to greater vaccine uptake.
In this approach, providers skip any discussion of the risks and benefits of the HPV vaccine. Instead, they presume the family wants their child vaccinated and simply announce that they will receive it as part of their routine office visit.
Study adds to growing body of research on Gardasil’s dangers
The University of Maryland researchers analyzed insurance claims data from 78,238 commercially and publicly insured young women, ages 9 through 26, who received a first HPV shot between 2016 and 2020.
Using a self-controlled case series method — where each individual functions as its own control — they compared the young women’s conditions during the six months before they were exposed to the shot with a post-vaccination risk window of up to 36 months.
They identified 1,654 women with autonomic dysfunction and 3,140 with menstrual irregularities, both of which were statistically significant safety signals.
The younger cohort was at higher risk for menstrual irregularities than the older cohort. They hypothesized that the difference may be because the rapid and significant changes associated with puberty make younger girls more vulnerable to the vaccine.
The researchers said that although “a large body of evidence supports the efficacy and safety of HPV vaccination,” their study was motivated by “emerging work” that “has begun to question long term adverse effects.” [ED: a recent review of the relevant research reveals Gardisil DOES NOT prevent cervical cancer – see https://publichealthpolicyjournal.com/gardasil-on-trial-did-merck-mislead-the-public-on-cervical-cancer-prevention/%5D
They said there has been limited research investigating the safety of the vaccine, but that in recent years, a growing body of research has linked the vaccine “to chronic and potentially disabling side effects, such as those affecting the autonomic and reproductive systems.”
Safety signals evident during Gardasil clinical trials
A link between the HPV vaccine and premature ovarian failure, also known as primary ovarian insufficiency — of which irregular menstrual patterns is a key symptom — has long been suspected.
Although many vaccine recipients have reported symptoms of these disorders, research into the link has been limited, particularly in the U.S. The studies that do exist showed no elevated menstrual risks associated with the vaccine. However, the authors said these studies had “notable limitations.”
Previous research has also linked the HPV vaccine to autonomic dysfunction, including one of the most prevalent types — POTS. POTS is a chronic and disabling condition characterized by dizziness, chronic fatigue, brain fog, chest pain, tachycardia and other symptoms.
Research into the relationship between the HPV vaccine and POTS — including research by Merck, which makes the only HPV vaccine available in the U.S. — has provided mixed results.
Concerns about the link between the HPV vaccine and autonomic dysfunction have circulated among researchers, regulators and vaccine-injured people for well over a decade.
Safety signals were already evident during Gardasil’s clinical trials. By 2013, researchers were noting the “unusually high frequency of adverse reactions related to HPV vaccines reported worldwide.”
Regulators who looked into the issue and declared no link between Gardasil and POTS, among other neurological conditions, were accused by The BMJ in 2015 of mishandling the investigation.
Multiple lawsuits allege Merck knew about risks, failed to warn public
Over the last several years, hundreds of plaintiffs who suffered debilitating injuries after taking the Gardasil shot have filed lawsuits against Merck in state and federal court.
Using one of the few legal mechanisms allowing injured people to sue vaccine-makers directly, the lawsuits allege that Merck knew Gardasil carries multiple risks, including ovarian failure and POTS, but failed to warn the public.
The first case to go to trial in state court in California is on hold. The lawsuits in federal court were combined into a multi-district litigation. In March, a federal judge ruled in Merck’s favor before the trial even got underway, saying the company didn’t have the authority to add warnings to its label. Plaintiffs are appealing the ruling.
Expert reports made public in both trials, however, showed that Merck and regulators cherry-picked data to claim there was no link between Gardasil and POTS. They also showed that the company did not disclose an additional, aluminum-based adjuvant, present in the vaccine.
Another expert report from Danish physician and world-renowned research methodologist, Dr. Peter C. Gøtzsche, concluded that Merck manipulated its data to such an extent that it would be “difficult if not impossible” for any independent scientist — or even government regulators — to accurately assess the vaccine’s harms.
Gardasil is recommended for all boys and girls starting at age 11 and through age 26, although it can be started at age 9, and for some adults ages 27 through 45.
[…]
After Years of Silence, New CDC Vaccine Panel to Vote on Mercury in Flu Shot
by Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D.The committee will also vote on RSV vaccines for pregnant mothers, babies and young children at its meeting next week — the first since HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tapped eight new ACIP members, just days after removing all 17 former members in what he called a “clean sweep.”
The CDC’s vaccine advisory committee will vote next week on the mercury-based flu vaccine, according to an Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting agenda draft posted today on the ACIP website
The committee will also vote on RSV vaccines for pregnant mothers, babies and young children.
This will be the first meeting since U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tapped eight new ACIP members — just days after removing all 17 former members in what he called a “clean sweep … needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science.”
Before they vote, ACIP members will hear presentations on respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV vaccines, including Merck’s new RSV shot for newborns. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the new shot, even though clinical trials showed an 11.71% rate of serious adverse events, including death.
Discussions, but no votes, are slated for other vaccines, including COVID-19, Chikungunya, Anthrax and MMRV (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella).
ACIP decides which vaccines should be recommended to the public, who should take them and how often — recommendations the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) typically rubber stamps and publishes on its immunization schedules.
The committee will meet June 25-26 in Atlanta, Georgia.
ACIP to discuss thimerosal after years of silence
Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative used in multi-dose vials of the flu vaccine, according to the CDC. Most single-dose vials and pre-filled syringes of the flu shot don’t contain the preservative, as they’re intended for single use.
Over 25 years ago, vaccine industry leaders and public health officials concealed evidence from the CDC’s own database that linked thimerosal to neurodevelopmental disorders in children, including autism, according to transcripts from a meeting in Norcross, Georgia.
The U.S. government has long said thimerosal poses no harm to children. However, in 2001, out of what the agency said was an abundance of caution, the CDC said the ingredient would no longer be used in childhood vaccines.
A recent investigation by journalist Sharyl Attkisson proved both statements untrue.
Thimerosal’s potential to harm kids has been on Kennedy’s radar for over a decade. In 2014, he edited a book on the topic: “Thimerosal: Let the Science Speak: The Evidence Supporting the Immediate Removal of Mercury — a Known Neurotoxin — from Vaccines.”
The CDC webpage for flu shot safety considerations during pregnancy makes no mention of thimerosal, nor does it encourage pregnant women to be sure they get a flu shot from a single-dose vial or prefilled syringe to avoid mercury exposure.
Next week, ACIP members will hear a presentation on thimerosal in vaccines and a presentation on proposed recommendations for flu vaccines that contain thimerosal. The names of the presenters were not listed on the agenda at press time.
The committee will also vote on flu vaccines that don’t contain thimerosal.
Dr. Meryl Nass, who has attended many past ACIP meetings, said, “There is no need for thimerosal, a known neurotoxin, as it is not used in single-dose vials. Its use should be ended.”
Critics weigh in on ACIP agenda
Reactions to the ACIP meeting agenda were mixed. Some said it signaled that the CDC is veering off course, while others called for even more change.
Brian Hooker, Ph.D., Children’s Health Defense’s (CHD) chief scientific officer, said that although he was encouraged by Kennedy’s selections for the new ACIP members, he was disappointed in the slate of meeting presenters and moderators.
“It is the same old cast of CDC characters (from the National Center for Infectious and Respiratory Diseases) who present a very biased viewpoint,” Hooker said. “CDC’s culture is vaccinology as a religion, straight up. ACIP committee members desperately need an alternative view that is based on the very stark reality of vaccine ineffectiveness and the extremely high prevalence of vaccine adverse events.”
Dr. Jeremy Faust, editor of Medpage, said in a Substack post critiquing the ACIP meeting agenda that the planned vote on thimerosal “revives and elevates a longstanding anti-vaccine conspiracy theory.”
“Removing the compound will do nothing to improve vaccine safety,” Faust wrote, “but it certainly will undermine confidence in other existing vaccines.”
Faust also criticized the CDC for failing to put a COVID-19 vaccine vote on the meeting agenda, writing that the move will leave “fall policies unclear.”
HHS officials last month changed the recommendation for COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children, recommending “shared clinical decision-making” — meaning parents should discuss the risk-benefit profile with their child’s doctor and jointly make the decision. The guidance for pregnant women changed from recommended to “no guidance.”
‘This could mark a turning point’
James Lyons-Weiler, Ph.D. is president and CEO of the Institute for Pure and Applied Knowledge, an advocacy group that pushes for accuracy and integrity in science and for biomedical researchers to put people’s health before profits. He said the ACIP meeting agenda suggested that the CDC was making progress in “structure, balance, and transparency.”
“If public comment is taken seriously and if safety data are rigorously and honestly evaluated — then this could mark a turning point,” Lyons-Weiler said.
Lyons-Weiler said it’s also important that the CDC be “fully open” about its Evidence to Recommendations framework.
When ACIP makes a vaccine recommendation, it’s accompanied by what’s called an Evidence to Recommendations framework that describes the information the committee used in making its decision.
In the past, the CDC took shortcuts in showing this evidence, Lyons-Weiler said. He said he hopes the next ACIP meeting shows that the CDC is moving forward “with the full light of science, skepticism, and civic trust.”
ACIP guidelines don’t address full scope of possible vaccine injuries
Historically, states use ACIP recommendations to help shape vaccine policy and doctors use them in making decisions.
Some states consider the ACIP’s “General Best Practice Guidelines for Immunization,” which lists examples of contraindications and precautions for each vaccine, as the only acceptable authority when deciding whether to grant a child’s medical exemption request to a school-required vaccine.
However, ACIP’s list of contraindications isn’t exhaustive, according to attorney Sujata Gibson, who said:
“Right now, states like New York and California are overruling treating physicians and rejecting medical exemptions when they don’t see the condition listed in the ACIP best practices guideline as a contraindication or a precaution.
“But the guideline doesn’t provide an exhaustive list of all the reasons a child may be at risk of serious harm…. The way that New York, California and other states are treating these guidelines is reckless and dangerous, and children are being severely harmed as a result.”
In other words, it doesn’t matter how many doctors confirm that a particular child will likely be harmed by a certain vaccine, states like New York and California give medical exemptions only for conditions specified in ACIP’s guidelines.
The Defender reached out to the CDC to ask if the new ACIP committee will clarify that its guidance is not a substitute for clinical decision-making and should not be used as a standard for clinicians or schools in deciding whether to grant medical exemptions. The CDC did not respond by the deadline.
Update: This article was updated to note that COVID-19 vaccines remain on the CDC’s childhood immunization schedule, but the recommendation has changed to “shared clinical decision-making.”
[…]
Rethinking modern medicine: Dr. Mayer Eisenstein boldly critiques conventional healthcare practices
Dr Eddy Betterman
Dr. Mayer Eisenstein critiques widely accepted medical practices such as hospital births, routine vaccinations and antibiotic overuse, arguing they may cause harm. His book advocates for evidence-based, natural alternatives.He claims medicalized childbirth (e.g., inductions, C-sections) introduces unnecessary risks, citing data that home births can be equally safe for low-risk pregnancies. Standard procedures like episiotomies are criticized as overused.While not anti-vaccine, Eisenstein demands rigorous long-term safety studies and individualized schedules. He warns against antibiotic overprescription, linking it to resistance and gut health damage.Eisenstein’s book highlights the underpublicized risks of hormonal treatments (e.g., oral contraceptives, HRT) and stimulants like Ritalin, promoting non-drug alternatives (e.g., diet, lifestyle changes).His philosophy prioritizes “First, do no harm” and scientific rigor, accusing the medical industry of profit-driven practices. The book urges patient empowerment through skepticism, research and rejecting dogma.
In an era where medical advancements are often hailed as unquestionable progress, one physician is challenging the status quo with a provocative new book. Dr. Mayer Eisenstein, a seasoned doctor, lawyer and public health expert, argues in “Safer Medicine Towards Clinical Scientific Evidence-Based Medicine” that many widely accepted medical practices – from hospital births to routine vaccinations – may do more harm than good.
His critique, grounded in decades of clinical experience, urges both medical professionals and the public to demand stronger evidence before embracing conventional treatments. With over 35 years of experience, including delivering thousands of babies at home without vaccines, Eisenstein presents a scathing assessment of 20th-century medicine’s greatest failures. His book identifies 10 key areas where he believes modern healthcare has gone astray, advocating instead for natural, evidence-based alternatives.
Eisenstein contends that hospital births, often accompanied by interventions like induced labor and cesarean sections, disrupt the natural birthing process. Citing data suggesting that home births can be equally safe for low-risk pregnancies, he argues that medicalized childbirth may introduce unnecessary risks.
Episiotomies, fetal monitoring and other standard procedures come under fire for being overused. Eisenstein asserts that many such interventions stem from outdated protocols rather than robust scientific evidence.
The book criticizes the medical establishment for failing to promote breastfeeding adequately, despite its proven immunological and nutritional benefits over formula. Eisenstein argues that corporate influence and insufficient education have led to a decline in breastfeeding rates.
While not outright rejecting vaccines, Eisenstein urges caution, emphasizing the need for rigorous long-term safety studies. He questions whether current vaccination schedules account for individual health risks, particularly in children.
Eisenstein warns that the overprescription of antibiotics fuels resistance and disrupts gut health. He instead advocates for stricter guidelines and greater reliance on natural immune support.
Oral contraceptives, he argues, carry underpublicized dangers, including heightened risks of blood clots and cancer. Eisenstein encourages women to explore non-hormonal alternatives. He points out that the widespread use of stimulants like Ritalin in children is fraught with risks, including addiction and stunted growth. Behavioral and dietary interventions are often overlooked.
Eisenstein links HRT to increased breast cancer and heart disease risks, suggesting that lifestyle changes should precede pharmaceutical solutions for menopause symptoms. Challenging decades of dietary dogma, he asserts that low-fat, high-carb eating contributes to insulin resistance and obesity, advocating instead for balanced, whole-food nutrition.
Processed low-fat foods, often packed with sugar, have misled consumers. In contrast, Eisenstein insists healthy fats are essential for metabolic health.
Eisenstein’s philosophy hinges on two principles: “Primum Non Nocere“ (“First, do no harm”) and “Show me the scientific evidence.” He accuses the medical industry of prioritizing profit and tradition over patient safety, urging a return to rigorous, independent research.
While his views are controversial – particularly on vaccines and home births – they resonate with a growing movement skeptical of institutionalized healthcare. Critics argue that some of his claims lack consensus support, but supporters praise his willingness to challenge entrenched norms.
“Safer Medicine: Towards Clinical Scientific Evidence-Based Medicine” is more than a critique; it’s a manifesto for patient empowerment. Whether readers agree or disagree with Eisenstein’s conclusions, his book forces a reckoning with uncomfortable questions about modern medicine’s foundations. In an age of increasing medical skepticism, his work underscores a universal demand: Healthcare must prioritize transparency, evidence and above all, the oath to do no harm.
For those seeking to navigate the complexities of medical decision-making, Eisenstein’s challenge is clear: Question boldly, research thoroughly and never assume that conventional always means correct.
Watch this video about Dr. Mayer Eisenstein’s book “Safer Medicine Towards Clinical Scientific Evidence-Based Medicine.”
[…]
Via https://dreddymd.com/2025/06/28/dr-mayer-eisenstein-critiques-conventional-healthcare-practices/
Red Sea ships faking links to Russia and China to dodge attacks
© Global Look Press / stevenallanRT
Iran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz over the US strikes, while the Houthis previously targeted Western ships in the regionShips traveling near the Red Sea and Persian Gulf have begun transmitting false Russian and Chinese affiliations to avoid potential attacks, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing maritime risk analytics firm Windward and vessel tracking data.
Tehran, which controls the Strait of Hormuz – a key route for global oil – threatened to close it if the US joined Israeli strikes on its nuclear sites. Iran’s parliament reportedly approved the move on Sunday, though the final decision lies with the Supreme National Security Council.
Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Houthis have attacked ships in the Red Sea since late 2023, citing solidarity with the Palestinians during the Gaza conflict. While US President Donald Trump brokered a deal in May to halt the attacks in exchange for a pause in Western airstrikes, the group has since warned that it would target US ships if Washington backed Israeli attacks on Iran.
Although a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Iran earlier this week, Ami Daniel, the CEO of Windward, said shipping companies remain skeptical about vessel safety in the area.
“The perception among shipowners is that due to the convoluted nature of shipping it’s hard to know or ascertain clearly a chain of ownership to nationalities which may be under higher threat in shipping, namely the UK, US and Israel,” Daniel told Reuters.Windward said 55 vessels sent a total of 101 atypical ID messages, such as “China owned” or “Russian crude,” between June 12 and 24 in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. The firm said these were likely used to reduce the risk of being mistaken for Western or Israel-linked ships. A Panama-flagged ship en route to Pakistan signaled “PKKHI all Chinese,” while a Singapore-flagged vessel transmitted “Vsl no link Israel.”
Daniel added that under normal circumstances vessels transmit destinations or neutral terms such as “For Orders,” while some use “Armed Guards on Board” in high-risk zones. But after Israel’s strikes on Iran, the use of non-standard messages spiked and spread from the Red Sea into the Persian Gulf.
[…]
Via https://www.rt.com/news/620713-red-sea-ships-fake-russia-ties/
12,000 German companies have gone bust in six months
FILE PHOTO. © Getty Images / DigitalVision
RT
Corporate insolvencies have hit their highest level in a decade, a new study indicates
Germany endured the highest wave of corporate bankruptcies in a decade in the first half of this year, a study by economic tracking agency Creditreform has suggested.
The first six months of this year saw some 11,900 German companies go bust, the study released on Thursday indicates. The figure represented a 9.4% increase over the same period last year, according to the agency. Some 141,000 employees worked at the companies affected.
“Despite some signs of hope, Germany remains mired in a deep economic and structural crisis. Companies are struggling with weak demand, rising costs, and persistent uncertainty,” Creditreform chief economist Patrik-Ludwig Hantzsch said.
The situation is expected to remain difficult as Germany continues to struggle with a recession that has dragged on for two years already. The wave of bankruptcies might ultimately increase in the next six months, given that the “persistently high level of insolvencies is increasingly triggering chain reactions,” Hantzsch warned.
While German GDP grew by a slight 0.2% in the first quarter of 2025, weak global demand and uncertainty in trade policies continue to take a toll on its economy. According to a new survey conducted by the Ifo economic institute released this week, expectations have worsened among German exporters this month over uncertainty regarding a potential trade war with Washington. The US was Germany’s top trading partner in 2024, with bilateral trade in goods totaling €253 billion (around $280 billion), according to official data.Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump imposed 20% tariffs on all EU goods, with 25% on steel, aluminum, and cars. When Brussels signaled its readiness to retaliate, most of the levies were put on hold for 90 days to allow for negotiations. A 10% base tariff and the 25% targeted duties remained unchanged.
“The tariff threats from the US are still on the table. An agreement between the EU and the US has yet to be reached,” Klaus Wohlrabe, head of Ifo surveys, said, adding that the uncertainty has lowered exporters’ expectations, with the respective index falling to -7.4 points in June from -5.0 in May. The index measures how optimistic or pessimistic German manufacturing companies are about their prospects for selling abroad over the next three months.
[…]
Via https://www.rt.com/news/620721-germany-corporate-insolvencies-record/
June 27, 2025
US, Israel Outline ‘two-state vision to stop Gaza genocide
(Photo credit: AP Photo/Oded Balilty)The Cradle
Hamas officials on Thursday said there is ‘no breakthrough’ in ceasefire talks, as Israeli forces continue to kill starving Palestinians seeking aid
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have reached a preliminary agreement on a new strategic vision for West Asia, according to a report by Israel Hayom published on 27 June. The proposal includes a roadmap to end the war in Gaza within two weeks, broaden the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia and Syria, and lay the groundwork for a conditional two-state solution.
The agreement reportedly emerged from a high-level call involving Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Netanyahu, and Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer. Sources familiar with the conversation described a mood of “euphoria” among the leaders, driven by what they say was a successful US strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities and enthusiasm for what they say is a transformative peace initiative.
The plan calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, followed by the international administration of the territory.
Four Arab states – reportedly including Egypt and the UAE – would oversee governance of the strip, replacing Hamas. The remaining Hamas leaders would be exiled, and hostages currently held in Gaza would be released.
The reconstruction burden is expected to fall heavily on international donors, while emigration options would be provided for displaced Palestinians.
Trump and Netanyahu also agreed in principle to expand the Abraham Accords.
The next phase would seek normalization between Israel and countries that have so far resisted such moves, including Saudi Arabia and Syria.
Diplomatic recognition from additional Muslim-majority nations is expected as part of the broader push.
On the Palestinian front, the proposal includes a statement of Israeli readiness to engage in a future “two-state solution,” though heavily conditioned.
Any such move would require significant reforms to the Palestinian Authority (PA). In return, the US would recognize Israeli annexation, or “sovereignty,” over parts of the occupied West Bank.
Despite this forward momentum, diplomatic sources indicated that President Trump had applied heavy pressure on Netanyahu to wrap up military operations in Gaza – a pressure that began even before Israel’s attack on Iran and resumed immediately after.
Tensions reportedly flared when Israeli strikes on Iran continued following Trump’s public ceasefire announcement on 24 June. Trump appeared to be furious that Netanyahu authorized a new wave of airstrikes, risking the ceasefire, after a “minor Iranian missile” was allegedly launched at Israel.
Hamas sources cited in Arab media on Wednesday said efforts to resume negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza are progressing “more effectively” than during the 12-day Israel–Iran war.
However, the sources, who spoke with Asharq al-Awsat, said “there is no real breakthrough to speak of at the present time,” while stressing that Hamas continues to insist on a full withdrawal and permanent ceasefire, as well as reject disarmament.
The sources also said Hamas is willing to show “flexibility.”
“A new round of indirect negotiations will be held within a few days, either in Cairo or Doha,” the sources went on to say. They added that mediators have resumed efforts to kickstart talks and that “some parties communicating with the US have also contacted the Hamas leadership again to make mutually agreed-upon arrangements.”
On Tuesday, sources close to Hamas allegedly told Reuters the resistance movement was open to discussing any offers that would “end the war and secure Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.”
Meanwhile, Israel continues to kill Palestinians, including starving civilians seeking aid distributed by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF).
Medical sources in Gaza told Al Jazeera on Friday that at least 72 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across the strip over the past 24 hours.
Gaza’s Government Media Office reported that in the past month, at least 549 Palestinians were killed and 4,066 injured by Israeli forces while trying to access humanitarian supplies distributed by GHF, Al Jazeera added.
[…]
Sen. Mike Lee Introduces Bill to Remove US From NATO
Libertarian Intitute
Senator Mike Lee introduced a bill to remove the US from the North Atlantic Alliance, arguing that the collective defence pact is not within US national security interests.
The legislation titled the ‘Not A Trusted Organization Act’ or the ‘NATO Act’ argues NATO expansion led to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “The dissolution of both the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union fundamentally altered the security environment in Europe and rendered NATO’s founding collective defense mission irrelevant,” the bill states. “Despite its waning relevance and prior assurances to the contrary, NATO began a profound eastward expansion in 1999, which, as of 2025, culminated in a land border with the Russian Federation that exceeds 1,500 miles and encircles the Baltic Sea.”
It adds, “The invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation in 2022 demonstrates the Russian Federation’s willingness to employ military action in response to perceived security threats.”
In 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Ukraine’s ascension into NATO would be a major national security risk for Moscow. Over the next decade and a half, the bloc would increasingly treat Kiev as a member, even if it would not grant Ukraine official membership in the alliance.
In 2021, the Kremlin sent a proposal to the White House that would have averted the war if NATO had agreed that Ukraine would not become a member. However, the Biden administration never seriously considered the offer, and NATO continued to express that the door to membership was open to Kiev.
In addition to starting a major war in Europe, Lee says membership in NATO is causing the US to pay for Europe’s defense. “Since the founding of NATO, the United States has shouldered the burden of what was characterized as a ‘collective’ security alliance, as the largest financial and hard power contributor,” the bill explains.
President Donald Trump is attempting to address the issue by mandating all alliance members to spend 5% of GDP on defense. However, Lee notes in the bill that nearly one-third of the bloc currently does not meet the current 2% minimum.
Lee argues that the current issues of the alliance create a situation where “Membership of the United States in NATO is inconsistent with the national security interests of the United States.”
[…]
Via https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/sen-mike-lee-introduces-bill-to-remove-us-from-nato/
RFK Jr. Axes ALL Funding for Bill Gates’ Global ‘Vaccine Alliance’
AP Photo/dpa,Bernd von JutrczenkaBenjamin BarteeWhereas the general modus operandi in legacy media is to smear RFK Jr. as an “anti-vaxxer” within the first sentence, the Washington Post courteously waited until the second paragraph to label RFK Jr. a “vaccine misinformation” spreader on its way to condemning him for cutting federal funding to Bill Gates’ global “vaccine alliance,” GAVI.
Via Washington Post (emphasis added):
The United States will halt its contributions to Gavi, the global alliance that works to expand access to vaccines for children in some of the world’s poorest countries, said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Wednesday — a move that public health experts said would have deadly consequences.
Kennedy, who has a history of spreading vaccine misinformation, announced the decision in video remarks made to a Gavi summit in Brussels, during which he accused the group of neglecting “the key issue of vaccine safety.”…
In his remarks, Kennedy cited a study linking the DTP vaccine — for diphtheria, a highly contagious bacterial infection that kills 5 to 10 percent of those affected, as well as tetanus and pertussis — to increased child mortality. Kennedy also said Gavi should “consider the best science available,” and “re-earn the public trust.”
The Bezos paper didn’t actually cite or quote the DTP study referenced by Kennedy, so I went and found it.
Via Frontiers in Public Health, 2018 (emphasis added):
In the 1980s, the suburb Bandim in the capital of Guinea-Bissau was followed with demographic surveillance and tri-monthly weighing sessions for children under 3 years of age. From June 1981, routine vaccinations were offered at the weighing sessions. We calculated mortality hazard ratio (HR) for DTP-vaccinated and DTP-unvaccinated children aged 6–35 months…
Though lower mortality compared with not being DTP-vaccinated was… expected , DTP vaccination was associated with a non-significant trend in the opposite direction…
Although having better nutritional status and being protected against three infections, 6–35 months old DTP-vaccinated children tended to have higher mortality than DTP-unvaccinated children. All studies of the introduction of DTP have found increased overall mortality.
“That’s a shocking conclusion. If it’s true the DTP vaccine results in greater death in children, not less, then why haven’t these findings been replicated in the U.S.?” is the rational follow-up question.
The answer is that the Public Health
authorities refuse to conduct straightforward vaxxed vs. unvaxxed (treatment vs. control group) experiments on childhood vaccines.
Related: Study: COVID Shots Cripple Immune System — Possibly Permanently
Furthermore, credible estimates suggest that “fewer than 1% of vaccine adverse events are reported” to the clunky and intentionally labyrinthine VAERS system, the mechanism by which the government measures vaccine injuries.
Via Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Inc. (emphasis added):
Although 25% of ambulatory patients experience an adverse drug event, less than 0.3% of all adverse drug events and 1-13% of serious events are reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Likewise, fewer than 1% of vaccine adverse events are reported. Low reporting rates preclude or slow the identification of “problem” drugs and vaccines that endanger public health. New surveillance methods for drug and vaccine adverse effects are needed.
For the record, far from a purely humanitarian organization delivering medicine to the Global South, GAVI is also quietly central to the construction of the global biomedical monitoring regime — AKA the “vaccine passport.”
Via Biometric Update (emphasis added):
Ghana has been leading the way in the adoption of new tools like biometrics to improve patient identification. The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has collaborated with Simprints to use privacy-first biometric ID within its digital health registries to track the delivery of routine immunizations and boost coverage rates.
Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance is a public-private global health partnership that aims to increase access to immunization in low income countries . Simprints CEO Toby Norman said it was an honor to welcome Dr. Nishtar to see their technology in action in clinics.
“In partnership with Ghana’s Ministry of Health, we’re deploying Simprints privacy-first biometric ID to trace the delivery of malaria and routine immunisations to rapidly identify dropouts or zero-dose children ,” he said…
Gavi CEO Dr. Nishtar was shown the Simprints ID app at the Ominako Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) facility in the Eastern Region of Ghana by a Community Health Worker (CHW). Using the app, CHWs can effectively monitor vaccine delivery, allowing for rapid identification and intervention for those who may drop out of routine immunization programs.
[…]
Trump Mobile drops ‘Made in USA’ label amid China copycat concerns
© trumpmobile.comRT
The launch of a new smartphone has raised questions after experts noted similarities to Chinese devices and doubted US production capabilities
Trump Mobile has removed the ‘Made in the USA’ label for an upcoming smartphone from its website, sparking renewed speculation over whether the $499 T1 device is a rebranded Chinese model. Launched by the Trump Organization on June 16, the company now says the T1 phone is “designed with American values in mind.”
The change was first flagged by The Verge on Wednesday and confirmed through archived captures. The T1 8002 is currently described as “brought to life right here in the USA,” replacing earlier claims of domestic manufacturing. The phone’s specifications were also changed, including a screen size drop, and the September 2025 shipping date has also been removed.
The changes appear to have been made after industry analysts questioned whether the US has the capacity to produce the device. Todd Weaver, the CEO of US-based smartphone manufacturer Purism, told CNN last week that building a secure, scalable phone production line in the US would take years, and that even his company, which sells a $1,999 ‘Made in the USA’ phone, sources some components from abroad.
“Unless the Trump family secretly built out a secure, onshore or nearshore operation… it’s simply not possible. There are areas where you’re going to still need a global supply chain,” he said, citing a crystal in Purism’s GPS chip that is made in China.Max Weinbach of Creative Strategies noted similarities between the T1 and the Revvl 7 Pro 5G, a $169 phone made by China’s Wingtech. “There are only four or five smartphone ODMs that could manufacture this – and they’re all in China,” he said, referring to ‘original device manufacturers’ – companies that design and make products based on the specifications of another company.
“It is likely that this device will be initially produced by a Chinese ODM,” Blake Przesmicki, an analyst at Counterpoint Research, told CNBC.
Eric Trump – who now co-leads the Trump Organization – effectively acknowledged that the phones are not currently made in the US. In an interview last week, he said, “eventually all the [Trump] phones will be built in the USA,” while avoiding any direct claim of domestic production.
Company spokesman Chris Walker, however, told USA Today on Wednesday that “the T1 phones are proudly being made in America,” and dismissed speculation to the contrary as “simply inaccurate.”
The news comes amid President Donald Trump’s push to boost domestic manufacturing. Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on trading partners earlier this year, citing unfair trade imbalances and saying the move would provide an “incentive for re-shoring production to the US.” China was hit hardest, and the two sides engaged in a tit-for-tat tariff war that paused after a preliminary deal earlier this month until a final trade agreement, which is expected by August 10.[…]Via https://www.rt.com/business/620616-trump-phone-china-copycat/Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art
Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art
By Rebecca Wragg Sykes (2020)
Bloomsbury Sigma
Book Review
This fascinating book summarizes all the most recent DNA evidence, isotope dating and high tech archeological layering to create a complex portrait of Neanderthal life. Sykes’ main premise is that Neanderthals were every bit as human as our own Homo sapiens species.
The Evolution of the Homo Species and Stone Tools
Homo erectus split off as a distinct hominin species 2-3 million year ago. The earliest evidence of stone tools dates from 3.3 million year ago. 2.5 million years ago. The first australopithecene* individuals acquired a knowledge of geometry necessary for flaking technology 2.5 million years ago. The earliest mass migration of Homo eretcus species from Africa to Eurasia occurred two million years ago.
The best available evidence indicates that Neanderthals became a distinct species between 400 and 450 thousands years ago. The absence of any remains after 40,000 BC suggests they became extinct after this date. Neanderthal remains are found as far north a the UK, as far south as the Middle East and as far east as Siberia. Neanderthals arrived in Europe around 45,000 year ago.
Diet
Neanderthals were much squatter and heavier than modern humans. Owing to the massive number of calories (3,000-7,000 per day) they required to maintain their weight, they had a preference for megafauna (mammoth, massive prehistoric horses, rhinoceros,** musk ox and aurochs***) when it was available. They also ate predators (especially hibernating bears), fish, birds, shellfish, rabbit, crab, tortoise, eel, dolphin, insect, a well as vegetables (sorrel, dock berries, fungi, roots, tuber, lichen, fruits, nuts, lentil, peas and bulbous barley). They carved digging sticks to harvest root vegetables. Both meat and vegetable required extensive processing and cooking, chores they shared among nomadic bands of 25 that followed migrating animals. The animal remains found with them indicate they used spears as their primary weapon, as well as cooperative effort to exhaust their prey.
Technology
Neanderthal teeth show a distinct pattern of wear suggesting both men and women used them extensively to process hides. They were also extremely skilled at producing specialized stone tools by hammering and flaking them. They also developed the technology to resharpen tools when they became dull. Their stone tools included axes, hammers and blades for butchering meat and processing skin for clothing and primitive shelters. They also carved tools from wood and bone and used sinews, tendons and plant fibers to fasten their blades to handles. Birch tar or pine resin fortified with bees wax was used as adhesive.
Interbreeding with Homo Sapiens
Existing remains suggest most lived into their forties, with some living to age 60. DNA studies indicate there was some in-breeding during periods of intense glaciation.
There is also clear evidence they interbred with Homo sapiens, which co-existed with Neanderthals between 100,000 and 40,000 years ago. Except in sub-Sarahan Africa where none is found, 1.8 – 2.6% of modern humans have some distinctively Neanderthal DNA. Indigenous Americans, Asians and Oceanians (including Australian aborigines) have one-fifth more Neanderthal DNA than other ethnic groups). Neanderthanls arived in Europe around 45,000 year ago.
It’s believed cimate stress and loss of animal food sources during a severe glacial period (45,000-11,700 BC) led to their ultimate demise
*Belonging to the species Australopithecus, one of the oldest primate species to walk upright.
**During the last 400,000 years, Europe experienced a tropical climate at least once during its interglacial periods.
***An auroch was a very large cow.
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