Tag: safety

Activists Hopeful as CDC Advisers Vote on Thimerosal Removal

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are set to vote on June 26 on whether to recommend that the CDC act to remove thimerosal from influenza vaccines, raising hopes from people who have advocated eliminating the preservative.

“We are hopeful that the consideration of thimerosal will spark a thorough discussion that it deserves, hopefully leading to its removal from all vaccines,” Brian Hooker, chief scientific officer for Children’s Health Defense, told The Epoch Times via email.

Thimerosal, approximately 50 percent mercury by weight, has been used in vaccines since the 1930s.

Concerns that the preservative could cause health problems resulted in a congressionally mandated 1999 review that concluded that some infants might be exposed to levels of mercury above recommended guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency.

A House of Representatives subcommittee in 2003, following the review, said that “mercury is hazardous to humans” and that it “should be minimized or eliminated entirely” from medicinal products.

The Food and Drug Administration, which has worked with companies to reduce or eliminate thimerosal from vaccines, says that the use of thimerosal has subsequently declined, but it maintains that studies “support the safety of thimerosal-containing vaccines.”

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GM crops fuel rise in pesticide use despite early promises, study shows

Spread of GM crops has not contributed to chemical reductions or land reclamations, but to increased use of the pesticides they were claimed to curtail. Report: Claire Robinson

GM crops have increased agriculture’s dependence on pesticides rather than reducing it, a study published in April 2025 found.

Drawing on data from four GM crops – Bt cotton, herbicide-tolerant (HT) soybean, HT and/or Bt maize, and HT canola, the researchers – including agricultural development expert Prof Glenn Davis Stone from Washington and Lee University and Bt cotton expert K. R. Kranthi of the International Cotton Advisory Committee – traced the surge in chemical use over three decades.

They found a paradox: while GM seeds were supposed to reduce pesticide use, their introduction caused pesticide use to soar. The researchers explain this outcome using the Jevons paradox, an economic theory that dates back to 1865. British economist William Stanley Jevons argued that efficiency in resource use often leads to more, not less, consumption. The study applies this idea to GM crops, which were claimed to reduce pesticide use, but in reality have made it skyrocket.

The researchers consider the two most prevalent GM seed-pesticide technology regimes: Bt crops and herbicide-tolerant (HT) crops. Both seeds are billed as efficient technologies: HT crops are claimed to facilitate more efficient weed control, and Bt crops are claimed to control insect pests more efficiently.

However, the researchers found that, “Like other technological efficiencies… the increased use of GM crops over the past 30 years has not contributed to input reductions nor to land reclamations, but to the expansion of agricultural land and increased use of the very pesticides these technologies are purported to curtail.”

This is due to the complexity of agricultural systems: “The efficiencies of GM crops not only lower the cost for individual farmers to use, in aggregate, more pesticides; they also make those pesticides ever more essential to the political economy of agriculture through the input-intensive monocultures in which they are embedded. In fact, increases in chemical usage occur throughout these GM crop systems because technological substitutions like GM seeds cannot be separated from their cascading impacts on labour, weed and pest ecology or agricultural decision-making.”

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Vindication For The Unvaccinated?

At a recent family gathering, I sat at the dinner table with a group of loved ones for the first time since the Covid-19 fiasco. Most of the cheerful discussion focused on the spectacular event of the week: my mother’s 100th birthday. 

I was the only person at the table who hadn’t had any form of flu for many years, while all of the guests had been ill to one degree or another. Almost everyone had tested positive for Covid at least once over the last few years with accompanying flu symptoms. Although no one in my family was hospitalized or died during the so-called pandemic; they all had been vaccinated repeatedly. As far as I know, my wife and I were the only ones in our families who didn’t get any Covid shot, and I haven’t been inoculated for anything in the last seventy years. 

On this happy occasion, the fear, masks, lockdowns, and accusations of the recent past had been mostly forgotten. It was not because the signs and symptoms of the disease had ended, nor that the call for vaccination or testing had been silenced. No one understood why they were still occasionally feeling unwell, with some continuing to report they’d been diagnosed with Covid. 

My view of healthcare has always been outside of the box, having practiced Traditional Chinese Medicine for many decades. I’d worked closely with medical doctors in treating some of their patients and also served as the chief medical officer of a volunteer fire department, appreciating life-saving emergency procedures of modern biomedicine. Through a range of experiences, I gained some knowledge of the causes and cures for suffering and illness.

Before the Covid fiasco, my alternative approach to illness had been respected; I’d shared my knowledge with whoever might ask. My medical perspective was no secret from friends and family. When my daughters were young, they weren’t vaccinated as there were no threats of deadly or debilitating diseases. This was in a place and time when vaccination for infants could be considered and refused, not done by rote. There was reasonable dialogue about the topic — and non-compliance certainly did not elicit threats of excommunication. 

As the specter of a pandemic arose, my opinion about vaccination became dangerous and irrelevant. 

From the outset, it was apparent that the claimed benefits of the new vaccines did not outweigh their risks. I openly said and wrote that the technology remained untested — though never advised anyone to refrain from inoculation — only counseling those who listened to remain fully informed.

It wasn’t complicated. Using genetic-based technology in developing a new drug that attempted to manipulate the magnificent complexity of the human immune system was at a minimum, a gamble. As easily demonstrated, this new technology embraced the bold assumption that human design was flawed and could be improved. It was premature to declare that this experimental treatment was safe and effective. We still don’t know the actual long-term effects — particularly over generations.

This simple and logical evaluation was considered preposterous by those who responded to the seemingly new disease with unbridled fear. The danger of the Covid flu was deemed sufficient to quell all reasonable responses about the risks of the vaccines. Suddenly, there was an eclipse of medical autonomy, and debate was scorned. The actions and motives of corrupted government agencies and their profit-oriented allies in Big Pharma were blessed by devious leaders, who deemed them altruistic and unquestionable. 

This atmosphere, developed and enforced in a haze of authoritarian dictates, created an unprecedented climate of hostility that infected all relationships. Because of my views and unvaccinated status, I rapidly became a pariah to my family.

Early on, when the fear tactics were in high gear, my cousin, who is an attorney involved in healthcare issues, sent a blistering email, condemning one of my first articles skewering the pandemic response. He left no room for dialogue and writing, it is the height of irresponsibility to add to the disinformation that is everywhere about the Covid vaccine. He concluded…

I am really upset that you have chosen to use your talents and thoughtful manner to give credence to the kind of wrongheaded rhetoric and conspiracy theories that feed the mass hysteria over accepting the reality that if we are to beat this pandemic, we need to not just take the vaccine if we want to, but take it on a societal level whether certain individuals want to or not. Your call for “transparency” just further feeds a certain, huge segment of the populations’ belief that they know better than the experts on this issue. They do not. You do not. I do not. But every reputable researcher and medical professional who has reviewed this data agree – it is safe, it is effective, and it is critical.

The venom exuded in response to my unwillingness to join in the mass delusion supporting vaccination was palpable. My crime was unforgivable.

Although we had been very close, all contact ended. However, it was not his unconscious, misdirected anger that troubled me, rather that he shared his views and wrath with my daughters, supporting their inclination to distance themselves from me because of my independent views. This wound with my cousin may never heal.

My mother, who had cordially disagreed with me on vaccination, balanced his bias with sound advice to her granddaughters. She urged them not to be harsh, suggesting that whatever differences they see, these were not worthy of destroying their relationship with their father. Thanks to her wise counsel, the love my daughters and I share has survived.

This and similar events had been left smoldering. In the spring of 2025, at this happy gathering celebrating my mom’s longevity, to my surprise, the topic turned to Covid. (My cousin was not there.) Conversation comprised mostly of personal accounts of suffering and confessions of a lack of understanding of why the virus persisted. 

My sister said she’d attended a lecture at a local college on the history of the social response to mass infection. She described the common human responses and behaviors to past epidemics and pandemics, including how scapegoating was a dominant and destructive response. 

Managing to remain quiet until all had acknowledged these horrors of the past, I spoke up, voicing a simple question: Did the recent Covid pandemic fit this pattern?

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Second Patient Dies After Gene Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Company

A second patient has died after receiving the gene therapy Elevidys, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over concerns of staffers, according to the company that makes it.

The 15-year-old boy who died, and the 16-year-old boy whose death was reported earlier in the year, had both received Elevidys, the only gene therapy approved by the FDA for the treatment of a rare form of muscular dystrophy called Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), Sarepta officials said in a call on June 16.

The boys were both non-ambulatory and both died within 90 days of treatment, according to Sarepta.

The 15-year-old died from acute liver failure, Sarepta said in a statement on Sunday. Acute liver injury is listed as a side effect of the product.

Sarepta said it was investigating the cases independently and in relation to each other to identify any common risk factors. The company suspended its Elevidys sales forecast for this year and said it would provide an update with its second-quarter results.

Sarepta officials said the company is pausing shipments of Elevidys for non-ambulatory patients and halting a clinical trial while it develops an “enhanced immunosuppressive regimen,” utilizing the sirolimus drug. They said there is no timeline right now for resuming dosing for the population and that they would try to speak soon with FDA officials about the situation.

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EPA cancels limits for several PFAS chemicals in drinking water

More than 150 million Americans drink water contaminated with toxic forever chemicals. Last year, after decades of inaction, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set limits to protect public health. Now, that same agency is undoing those defenses.

Some protections designed to save lives from a dangerous class of chemicals in drinking water are being shut off.

It’s a move being called “devastating” by some experts, including Melanie Benesh, Vice President for Government Affairs at the Environmental Working Group.

“Every time we look at these chemicals, we discover that they are more toxic than we had previously thought,” Benesh said.

She’s been working to protect Americans from PFAS chemicals for years.

Linked to developmental issues in kids, cancer, and reproductive harm, these toxic “forever” chemicals contaminate the water supply from industrial releases, landfills, and firefighting foam.

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Some Jolly Rancher sweets unsafe to eat, FSA says

A number of products from a brand of US sweets are “unsafe to eat” and contain ingredients which could damage DNA and increase the risk of cancer, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned.

UK businesses and consumers are being urged to stop buying and selling the Jolly Ranchers products, owned by US company Hershey.

The FSA says they contain chemical compounds – mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) and mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) – which are “not compliant with UK laws”.

The products pose a safety risk if consumed regularly over time but there is “no immediate cause for concern, as [the] food safety risk is low”, the agency adds.

In a food alert published on Wednesday evening, the FSA said: “MOAH can cause damage to DNA and has the potential to increase the risk of cancer, particularly if consumed in high quantities over a prolonged period of time.

“MOAH is a genotoxic carcinogen, therefore no exposure is without risk to human health.”

MOAH and MOSH are used in confectionery to prevent stickiness and create a glossy appearance.

According to the agency, The Hershey Company has been working with the UK government body to remove the affected Jolly Rancher products from the UK market since 2024, but some businesses in Britain have continued to import the products.

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Aspen Police Department Warns Kids Having Fun Is a Crime

“When you see this, do you think it’s just fun? Or do you think that it’s illegal? It is definitely the latter. Whether it’s fun or not.”

This is the beginning of a Facebook post by Colorado’s Aspen Police Department (APD). What is this possibly fun but definitely illegal activity?

The post includes a photo that shows two children on a bike—one child sitting on the seat and the other on the first rider’s lap—riding on a sidewalk. 

“Colorado law says that two-up riding on a single seat bike is against the law, and of course, bikes are not allowed on sidewalks,” the post continues. “These ‘Sidewalk Sallys’ could potentially hurt themselves or others.” (If you had to Google “Sidewalk Sally” you are not alone, as it’s not a real term. A daytime talk show seems to have coined and used it once, unrelated to riding a bike on a sidewalk.)

The APD post goes on to inform Aspen’s citizens that this behavior could result in a “ticket or a trip to the emergency room,” both of which seem like rather dramatic consequences for an activity that has been popular since the invention of bikes. The tone-deaf post is signed “The Aspen Police Department—protecting the Wild West on two wheels since the 1880s,” which seems to inadvertently imply that APD officers get around exclusively on bikes.

The post has garnered over 300 comments—far more than the department’s other posts—most of which are not thankful for the Department’s caution and concern:

“Tell me you don’t have real crimes in Aspen without telling me you don’t have real crimes.”
“‘Kids never go outside anymore!’ Proceeds to police every single thing kids do.”
“Lol yes. Our children should really be playing IN the traffic. Not away from it. Got it.” (That one really resonated. My mom made me ride on the sidewalks, so it’s not obvious to all of us that biking on the sidewalk is a crime.)

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Invasive Asian needle ants with potentially deadly sting spreading across multiple states

Asian needle ants that carry a potentially fatal sting have spread across multiple states, with experts warning people to be cautious when spending time outdoors.

The invasive species has been found in more than a dozen states from Washington to Florida, but is expanding more rapidly in the southeastern United States.

Entomologists at the University of Georgia are tracking these ants and have warned that their stings could be deadly.

People who have strong reactions to stings from insects like bees, wasps or yellowjackets should be especially careful, experts said. If you suffer from anaphylaxis, you should be especially vigilant and carry an EpiPen.

The insect has been in the U.S. since at least the 1930s, but only recently has started to disrupt local ecosystems by competing with other ant species that are important to the ecology of that area.

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California scientists sound alarm on role of pesticides in raising resistance to antifungal drugs

The proliferation of new fungicides in the U.S. agricultural sector may be raising resistance to critical antifungal medications in humans and animals, infectious disease experts are warning. 

Although antifungal pesticides have become vital to combatting the spread of crop disease, the ongoing development of new such fungicides may be leaving people more vulnerable to severe infections, according to new commentary published in the New England Journal of Medicine. 

“Antimicrobial resistant pathogens are a constant reminder for us to use agents judiciously,” lead author George Thompson, a professor of medicine at the University of California, Davis, said in a statement.

“We have learned that the widespread use of antibiotics for livestock resulted in the rapid development of resistance to antibacterials,” Thompson continued. “We have similar concerns regarding the use of antifungals in the environment.”

In the past few decades, fungi that cause severe infections in humans — such as the difficult-to-treat Candida auris — have undergone a rapid increase, the scientists noted.

Yet because there are relatively few antifungals available to eradicate such microbes from the body, Thompson stressed that “preventing resistance is of paramount importance.”

In the U.S. today, the researchers found that there are about 75,000 hospitalizations and 9 million outpatient visits linked to fungal diseases every year, with direct annual costs amount to $6.7 billion to $7.5 billion.

At the same time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that fungi cause between 10 percent to 20 percent of crop loss, at a cost of $100 billion to $200 billion annually, according to the report.

However, scientists have now become increasingly aware that antifungal pesticides and antifungal drugs share some of the same mechanisms. The authors therefore warned that the promulgation of these chemicals “may select for resistant fungi in the environment, which can then endanger human health.”

The development of antifungal medications, meanwhile, is a difficult task due to the metabolic similarities shared by human and fungal cells, as well as the surge in antifungal resistance, the authors explained.

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Liver Injuries Reportedly on the Rise: Common, FDA-Approved Meds Linked to Alarming Trend

As more people find themselves using more vitamins, supplements, and everyday medications, more related health issues keep cropping up.

And a recent spate of reports highlights a particular danger for one part of your body: the liver.

“As cases of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) are on the rise, experts are warning of the hidden dangers associated with some common medications and supplements,” Fox News reported Monday.

The outlet added, “Statistics show that DILI, also known as toxic hepatitis or hepatotoxicity — which is known to be a significant cause of acute liver failure — has been growing in Western countries since the 1960s.”

“Even medications that have been tested for safety and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can potentially cause liver injury in rare cases,” Fox reported.

Just days earlier, on May 27, NBC News had posted a similarly alarming report regarding these health ramifications.

The outlet spoke to Robert Grafton, a former medical technologist who noticed signs of liver failure in himself and largely traced it back to various supplements and vitamins he had been taking.

“I stopped taking everything, thank goodness,” Grafton said. “If I hadn’t known, if I was not in the medical field, I might have thought, ‘Oh, I think I’m getting sick. I need to take some more of these supplements to help me feel better.’”

Despite stopping, symptoms worsened and test results pointed toward devastating liver failure.

It turned out to be a case of DILI.

“It is estimated that between 13.9 and 19.1 cases of DILI occur for every 100,000 people, according to recent research published in the journal Toxicology Reports,” Fox noted.

The triggers of DILI can vary, from the vitamins and supplements that Grafton had been taking, mentioned above, to aspirin, the common over-the-counter painkiller.

Those with health conditions are more susceptible to DILI, but as Grafton — someone who began taking his health seriously after having children — shows, it can hit very healthy people, too.

Fox News medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel told his network that the unregulated nature of supplements could betray some of their purported health benefits.

“The biggest problem with herbal supplements is that the amount you are taking of active chemicals isn’t strictly regulated, so you don’t know exactly what you are getting,” he said. “And since several of the supplements are metabolized through the liver, there is now an increasing incidence of liver toxicity in users.”

According to the National Institutes of Health, “nearly all classes of medications” can cause DILI.

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