This RFK Jr Vaccine Situation is Crazy, MrBeast Attacked by PETA, Trump's Weird Mike Waltz Shuffle
PDS Published 05/01/2025
-
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is about to radically change the way we test vaccines.
That’s according to the Washington Post, which cites a statement from an HHS spokesperson revealing the planned change. [Headline and IMage]
With it stating that all new vaccines will be required to undergo placebo trials. [Quote, find “saline shot”]
Meaning that a control group gets something like a saline shot instead of the actual vaccine. [Same quote]
Something vaccine skeptics argue would make sure they’re really safe and effective.
And RFK has hinted at this move for a long time, with him claiming on Doctor Phil’s show this week that only the covid vaccine had a placebo. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 40:27 - 40:33] Caption: “None of the others were ever tested against placebos, so we have no idea what the risk profile for these products are.”
Except as is usually the case with RFK, he’s just wrong.
Right, new vaccines do often undergo placebo testing.
Where Kennedy’s kind of right, but still not really, is that some types of shots go through a different process, arguably for good reason.
So for example, when a disease is well understood, like with measles or polio, we already know what the biological response that protects against it looks like. [Quote, find “correlate”]
So instead of comparing the real shot to a placebo, scientists can just observe that biological response, what they call “a correlate of protection.” [Same quote]
Also, if a vaccine’s already been proven safe and effective once, like with the covid shot for example, experts say we don’t need to put it through the full shebang of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial every time we update it. [Image]
Because when a booster shot gets developed, the fundamentals are basically the same; it’s just tweaked for a different strain of the disease.
And even Kennedy’s HHS understands this, because it said the placebo requirement won’t apply to the flu shot, which “has been tried and tested for more than 80 years.” [Quote]
But then, for some reason, it singled out the covid booster when asked which vaccines may need new placebo trials, even though it already underwent a placebo trial in 2020. [Same quote]
So for everyone listening, that raises questions about whether the covid boosters meant for this fall are going to get approved.
And when CBS asked FDA Commissioner Marty Makary [Pronounce 00:25] on Tuesday, he said: [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 02:42 - 03:06] Caption: “We’re taking a look. I can’t comment on any particular application. As you know, we have a bunch of applications for those booster shots. Remember, Major, 85% of American healthcare workers said no to the last covid boosters, so we have a bit of a public trust problem. I think there’s a void of data, and I think rather than allow that void to be filled with opinions, I’d like to see some good data.”
With HHS confirming his statement in even less ambiguous terms to the Washington Post, saying:
“Using the COVID pandemic as an eternal justification for blanket approvals of new products will not happen under the leadership of Commissioner Makary.” [Quote]
And we’ve already seen the White House throw up roadblocks in front of at least one covid shot so far, the Novavax vaccine.
Right, it’s the only one that uses a more traditional protein base instead of mRNA, and it’s been available under emergency use authorization.
With the FDA previously having been on track to grant it full approval by April 1, according to the Post, but Trump’s top officials reportedly paused that process. [Quote, find “full approval”]
With them also reportedly trying to get Novavax to conduct a new clinical trial once it does get approval. [Quote same link, find “seeking”]
So that’s pretty much all we know right now, because HHS didn’t specify which other vaccines the placebo rule might apply to, nor did it define what “new vaccine” means. [Quote same link, find “define”]
But another one experts are afraid RFK will target is the Measles, mumps, and rubella, or MMR, vaccine.
Right, because he’s repeatedly cast doubt on its safety, claiming it could cause neurological or autoimmune issues, and on Wednesday he told News Nation: [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 01:19 - 01:28] Caption: “The MMR vaccine contains a lot of aborted fetus debris and DNA particles.”
But whatever vaccines he goes after, experts fear that the consequences will be deadly.
Because requiring placebo-controlled trials could delay public access to life-saving vaccines by months, especially for seasonal boosters.
Right, there’s a narrow window of time roughly between June, when the FDA directs companies on which strains to prepare for, and September, when the shots are supposed to start going into arms. [Quote, find “June”]
And if Kennedy requires them to undergo multi-year trials, as he’s suggested may be necessary, then it’s not even clear how something like a yearly booster would be feasible.
Plus, another big criticism of the placebo requirement is that it’s unethical.
Right, because you have to deny the shot to everyone in the control group, effectively exposing them to the real disease without any protection.
So if you’re reasonably certain a vaccine is safe, critics argue that’s just unnecessary, especially for children who are vulnerable.
But when a woman in Doctor Phil’s audience asked RFK what advice he’d give to mothers of newborn babies considering vaccination, he said: [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 01:15:09 - 01:15:14] Caption: “We live in a democracy, and part of the responsibility of being a parent is to do your own research.”
Which is kind of a wild thing to hear from the nation’s top health regulator.
You know, the guy who’s supposed to review the research so you don’t have to.
So you have the likes of Professor David Gorski, the managing editor of Science-Based Medicine, telling the Post:
“Instead of just an anti-vaccine activist … saying this stuff, now the federal government, HHS and FDA is now saying this stuff. That matters.” [Quote]
As well as Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, adding:
“You are watching the gradual dissolution of the vaccine infrastructure in this country. The goal is to make vaccines less available and less affordable.” [Quote]
So according to that view, for RFK, delaying the rollout of vaccines isn’t a downside of the placebo trials; it’s precisely the point.
They’re trying to hamstring the industry as much as possible, whether out of a misguided sincerity or a quest for political gain.
-
MrBeast, STOP!
That’s what PETA is saying about Jimmy’s recent post on X.
Right, you may have seen the viral question - could 100 men beat a single silverback gorilla?
And while the answer is obviously no, MrBeast made what we can only hope is a joke about testing the theory, asking if anyone would volunteer to be in a video titled — and you guessed it — “100 Men vs a Gorilla.” []
To which PETA responded,
And referencing it again in another tweet, they said,
“Want to prove real strength, MrBeast? Ditch the gorilla fight and help retire bulls forced to haul tons of sugarcane in scorching heat by replacing them with tractors.” []
Of course, you saw people jumping all over PETA for their comments - telling them to calm down, it’s just a meme, and saying things like:
This all as the debate has gotten tons of major news outlets weighing in, talking to experts about who would win as though it’s a real possibility someone will do this.
And you might be surprised that some think we would have it, with Tara Stoinski, president and chief scientific officer of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, telling USA TODAY:[]
"[I think] in terms of kind of being able to prolong a battle that could eventually wear a gorilla out, and our, you know, our ability to really cooperate and coordinate, I think those two elements kind of work against a gorilla's favor.”
"So, you have a gorilla that's fighting off people in the front, but you can have people attacking them from the back. They can take turns, so their endurance is going to be a lot longer than a single gorilla who might be fighting for hours."
But I would love to know what you think about this debate, and if you really think men could take the gorillas, do you believe it enough that you would volunteer?
That’s right, I want your money where your mouth is.
-
Mike Waltz is out as National Security Advisor and is now nominated to be the ambassador to the United Nations.
Marco Rubio will now be the National Security Advisor. This will be in addition to him being the Secretary of State and the National Archivist.
It’s like the Wild West over there, the Sheriff is also the doctor and the bartender and the lawyer and judge.
This comes amid reports that Waltz was no longer going to be the national security advisor.
It’s unclear how long Rubio will be the NSA for, it’s not a senate confirmed job so he could in theory do it forever.
Potential replacements for Waltz are Steve Witkoff who the New York Post called an idiot yesterday and Ric Grenell who has so much bad blood with Germany that he was almost kicked out of the country as ambassador until Trump removed him from the post in 2020.__
Pete Hegseth is still employed as of now but there are lawmakers calling for his firing amid leak after leak of his mishandling of classified material.
Follow to stay in the loop
-
Trump just cut $1 billion in bipartisan school mental health grants, and experts are saying the move will result in more school shootings.
Right, in response to the Uvalde shooting in 2022, Biden signed a bipartisan bill passed by Congress that allocated $1 billion to grant programs aimed at helping schools hire and train more psychologists, counselors, therapists, and other mental health workers.
But now, the Education Department has sent a notice to recipients informing them that the funding has been slashed.
Saying a review found that grantees were violating the purpose of federal civil rights law, and conflicted with the Trump administration’s priorities.
Specifically, the administration’s policy of “prioritizing merit, fairness, and excellence in education” — or, in other words, this is all about DEI.
With a spokesperson for the Education Department saying in a statement to POLITICO that the grants were intended to improve students’ mental health, but, quote:
“Instead, under the deeply flawed priorities of the Biden Administration, grant recipients used the funding to implement race-based actions like recruiting quotas in ways that have nothing to do with mental health and could hurt the very students the grants are supposed to help.”
With other outlets reporting that the administration also opposed programs “for educating mental health professionals about systemic racism and training therapists to focus on race-related stress and trauma, among other things.”
Now, notably here, the notice to grant recipients from the department did say that the agency, quote:
“plans to re-envision and re-compete its mental health program funds to more effectively support students' behavioral health needs.”
But, at least based on the reports we’ve seen, it doesn’t appear to elaborate on how that will be achieved.
Which is why you had many experts and education leaders condemning this move.
Like Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, who warned that “school shootings will only multiply” if student mental health programs are cut, adding:
“Really? Does this administration have to impose its ideological whims on everything?” Even, apparently, on bipartisan grants passed after the murder of students and educators in a school shooting.”
And that was also echoed by gun control advocates like Emma Brown, executive director of the Giffords gun violence prevention organization, who said:
“Republican leaders worked side by side with Democrats to allocate these funds to save lives and stop school shootings, and now the administration is trampling that progress.”
Adding, “This decision will cost American children their lives.”
But, unfortunately, that’s where we are with this one, and for now, we’ll just have to wait and see if the Trump administration actually fills this massive, dangerous hole they have now created.
Kickstart your passion project with a free trial today: Squarespace & enter offer code “Phil” to get 10% off your first purchase!
-
In immigration news, we gotta talk about more American citizens having run-ins with ICE, the surprising way the U.S. Postal Service is getting in on Donald Trump’s mass deportation effort, and the White House’s latest defeat in federal court.
But starting with that first one?
ICE allegedly raided a home in Oklahoma, forced the family outside in their underwear, and then confiscated their most valuable possessions.
Now, with that, I will say, law enforcement? They DID have a search warrant.
The only problem? The names on the warrant didn’t belong to anyone still living there (BROLL: 0:25-0:34).
Right, a family from Maryland – all citizens – they had just started renting the house a couple weeks earlier.
With the mother speaking to local news and saying she was inside with her three daughters when roughly 20 armed men busted through the door in the middle of the night last week.
“I didn’t know who they were. They had guns. It was dark. All the lights were off.” (2:58-3:02)
“I keep asking them ‘Who are you? What are you doing here? What’s happening? And they said, ‘we have a warrant for the house.’” (3:08-3:17)
“I did feel at times that I was going to die.” (2:11-2:14)
But with that, the women said the men identified themselves as federal agents with the U.S. Marshals, the FBI, and ICE.
Then saying that the men ordered her and her daughters to step outside into the pouring rain and barely gave them enough time to put on clothes.
“They wanted me to change in front of all of them, in between all of them.” (3:24-3:27).
“I just couldn’t understand how is this happening to us?” (2:24-2:26)
“We just moved here from Maryland. We’re citizens. That’s what I kept saying. We’re citizens.” (3:42-3:47).
But of course, that allegedly didn’t stop the agents from tearing apart the inside of the house and actually taking what few belongings they had – including their phones, laptops and their life savings in cash.
Right, claiming it was needed as “evidence.” []
And with that, the woman said the agents wouldn’t even leave her a business card, meaning she has no idea who to even contact to get her things back. []
Now, that said, as far as the government’s side of the story?
Well, for one, a spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals Service denied having agents present during the raid.
And then the FBI is reportedly referring questions to another agency within the Department of Homeland Security.
There, a senior DHS official has notably confirmed that the raid took place without commenting on the woman’s characterization of the whole ordeal – telling NBC News:
“The search warrants included the location of an address where U.S. citizens recently moved. The previous residents were the intended targets.” []
And with that, the official further claimed that the “court-authorized search warrant” had been issued in connection to a “large-scale human smuggling investigation" involving eight Guatemalan nationals indicted in a federal case. []
So naturally the internet has been somewhat divided.
Right, some finding the idea that the house may actually be owned by human smugglers changes things…
Others saying it never should’ve happened, and that it doesn’t excuse law enforcement’s alleged actions after it became clear the family weren’t the ones on the warrant.
But moving on, this next piece of news, it kind of makes you wonder if we’re gonna see ICE going to more homes where the people they’re looking for have moved out.
Right, we know immigration officials have previously partnered with tax, housing and public health authorities…
And now, you have The Washington Post reporting that the U.S. Postal Service has quietly started helping find people suspected of being in the country illegally.
Right, specifically, this has to do with the little-known law enforcement arm of the postal service – which is called the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, or USPIS.
Whose main job is maintaining the safety of the mail system – including by investigating threats and attacks on workers and facilities as well as keeping illegal items like drugs and child porn out of the mail. []
But notably, and controversially, it’s also been spying on thousands of Americans through its so-called “mail covers program” –
Which involves documenting names, addresses and other details from boxes and envelopes being delivered and passing that info along to law enforcement – all without a court order. []
Right, postal inspectors claim they fulfill such requests only when mail monitoring can help find a fugitive or investigate a crime.
But an investigation last year revealed that the agency received more than 60,000 requests from federal agents and police officers since 2015, and that they rarely said no. []
And now, immigration officials are reportedly asking for this information as well, and also seeking access to the agency’s other surveillance systems –
Including online account data, package- and mail-tracking information, credit card data and financial material, and IP addresses. []
With WaPo claiming this “collaboration is a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.” []
And I mean, to back that up, postal inspectors actually participated in a recent drug enforcement and immigration raid in Colorado (BROLL: 0:10)
Right, the one that reportedly resulted in the arrest of more than 100 undocumented immigrants at an underground nightclub.
Although, there I will say, it’s not unusual for these guys to be “out in the field” so to speak.
Right, postal inspectors were actually the ones who arrested former Trump adviser Steve Bannon on a yacht off the coast of Connecticut in 2020.
But what is new is its involvement in immigration enforcement specifically.
With one source saying:
“The Inspection Service is very, very nervous about this.”
“They seem to be trying to placate Trump by getting involved with things they think he’d like. But it’s complete overreach. This is the Postal Service. Why are they involved in deporting people?” []
And that brings us to our third and final immigration-related story, which actually goes back to a deportation operation conducted in California’s Central Valley in January.
Right, then, about 60 border patrol agents based near the U.S.-Mexican border traveled roughly 300 miles to the city of Bakersfield to conduct sweeps through immigrant communities in the area –
Ultimately arresting nearly 80 individuals the agency said were unlawfully present in the country. []
And in case you’re wondering what the hell border patrol was doing that far from the border?
Well, basically, there’s a federal law that says CBP can board vehicles and vessels and search for people without documentation “within a reasonable distance from any external boundary of the United States.” []
And notably, these “external boundaries” include not only land borders but also the entire coastline –
Meaning nearly two-thirds of Americans actually live in that area – including many people around Bakersfield.
That said, the fourth amendment, you know the one about "unreasonable searches and seizures”?
It’s still a thing, with organizations like the ACLU saying there are limits to what Border Patrol can do even in the 100 mile zone. []
And with that, lawyers for those arrested in January have argued that the agents went past those those limits by simply rounding up people who appeared to be day laborers and farm workers –
Regardless of their actual immigration status, and without having a legally sound reason to suspect they were in the country illegally. []
And with that, according to public CBP data, of 78 people arrested during the operation?
And so you had one ACLU attorney claiming:
“Border Patrol’s lawless practices do not make anyone safer.”
“They terrorize communities, violate the Constitution, and disregard limits that Congress has imposed on immigration agents.” []
Now with that, a federal judge in California has now issued a preliminary injunction stopping border agents from stopping individuals without having a reasonable suspicion of illegal presence.
Also saying they can't make warrantless arrests unless they have probable cause to believe the person is a flight risk. []
And one key thing here is that this isn’t a nationwide injunction, right, it only applies to the federal district where the sweeps occurred – in this case the Eastern District of California.
And of course, it’s not a final decision, so we’ll ultimately have to wait and see what happens, but it could be an important precedent.
-
After months of rocky negotiations -- which is putting it lightly -- the US and Ukraine have finally signed a rare earth mineral deal.
A deal was supposed to be signed back in February but spectacularly blew up after Zelensky visit to the White House where President Trump and Vice President Vance berated him in front of the press and then canceled a lunch. [broll]
After that things were looking pretty grim, with Trump and his administration seemingly getting a bit friendlier with Putin.
So much so that the US was trying to facilitate a peace agreement between the two countries that seemed to favor Russia’s position on key issues.
For example, Trump called Zelensky a Dictator and even went as far as to say that such an agreement would likely include the US recognizing Russian claims to Crimea and other occupied territories.
But attempts at a peace agreement went nowhere and then we saw figures like Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning that unless progress was made towards a ceasefire at least then the US would stop trying.
Which is why this mineral deal has kinda come out of left field…
The minerals and subsoil will still belong to Ukraine, with Economic Minister Yulia Sveer-ee-denko saying: [read][]
“All resources on our territory and in territorial waters belong to Ukraine.”
“It is the Ukrainian state that determines what and where to extract. Subsoil remains under Ukrainian ownership – this is clearly established in the Agreement.”
Additionally, both the US and Ukraine will equally manage and pay into an infrastructure fund for Ukraine.[]
One really important thing is that both sides seem to be able to stretch the narrative to fit their long term demands.
Right, one thing Trump wanted out of this deal was for Ukraine to “payback” previous aid the US has given Ukraine and demanded that the US essentially be “given” $500 billion worth of Ukraine's rare earth minerals.
But this deal doesn’t require that, although Trump was still able to spin it as a win and told NewsNation last night: [trying to find audio]
“We made a deal today where we get, you know, much more in theory, than the $350 billion but I wanted to be protected.”
“I didn’t want to be out there and look foolish.” @16:20
But once again I need to make it clear that Trump has thrown around this $350 billion number and it’s just objectively not true.
Even the US government’s own numbers show that we’ve given Ukraine less than $200 billion in aid… and likely much closer to $100 billion.
This deal won’t serve as payback for that money -- Zelensky has made it clear that it wasn’t a loan and just aid.
BUT in a win for the Trump administration all FUTURE aid -- including military -- will be counted towards its contributions in this fund that’s supposed to help rebuild Ukraine.[]
At the same time, it’s a win for Ukraine because it’ll finally be getting US funds and access to US military equipment again.
The US Treasury Department’s tone about the deal also seems to show another shift in America’s feelings about Ukraine.
Now it’s far more conciliatory and even calls out “Russia’s full-scale invasion” of Ukraine -- a stance that Moscow isn’t going to be happy about.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also added that the deal “signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term.”
Which is a near total 180 from Trump’s statement earlier this year that “Ukraine may be Russia some day.”
There are some things missing from the deal that were probably a compromise from both sides.
First off is that there are no security guarantees, which is something Zelesnky REALLY wanted.[]
This was such a contentious issue that it’s arguably what led to February’s meeting getting completely derailed.
However it leaves the door open for Ukraine to enter into other agreements that have security guarantees, such as the European Union.
At the same time this isn’t an exclusive deal.[]
Right, so the US isn’t going to be the only ones able to get in on Ukraine’s vast rare earth minerals.
It also doesn’t apply to existing investments and only to new ones -- which kinda forces the US to spend a lot of money in Ukraine to make it worthwhile.[]
That’s a process that would likely take YEARS to complete.
Especially because actually getting these rare materials is only the first half of the process.
The second involves actually refining them… which is almost exclusively done in China right now.
It’s unclear whether this deal will actually affect the peace process.
It probably gives Ukraine a slightly stronger position than it had before, but at the same time it’s somewhat stifled by the fact that a sizable chunk of its rare earth minerals are in the Russian-occupied territories.
Something that stood out in the reporting is that this deal may have been facilitated by Pope Francis’ funeral.
(I’m looking at you, Vance).
[play clip of “DID YOU EVER SAY THANK YOU?”]
Then after that Trump started questioning whether Putin really wanted a peace deal and now we have this agreement in place.
I guess while we’re talking about this war it should also be noted that it’s heavily affecting places outside of Ukraine and Russia.
Right, it’s been confirmed that thousands of North Koreans have died in the war fighting for Russia and the two sides are getting quite close.
Europe is also betting that Russia won’t stop with Ukraine if it wins and after the Trump administration started limited arms shipments abroad and questioning NATO the EU has been scrambling to arms itself.
So much so that over half of the countries in the EU are planning to get special permission from the bloc to ignore some budgetary restrictions and spend MORE on defense.
Which could arguably be considered a win for Trump as one of his complaints about NATO was that many nations weren’t actually spending what they agreed to spend on defense.
Regardless, we’ll have to wait and see how things go from here.
Because it increasingly looks like the US is confident that a peace deal is going to be made anytime soon.
-
This woman just finished the London Marathon in her wedding dress!
Right, this is Laura Coleman-Day and she married her husband Xander in April of 2019.
And their son Amos was born in 2021.
But just as their lives were starting, Xander was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. []
And after 3 months of chemotherapy, he received a stem cell transplant from a donor he found through Anthony Nolan, a British charity with a stem cell register.
But then Xander got sick again - his liver and kidneys were deteriorating and he was diagnosed with graft-versus-host disease. []
Which is when transplanted donor cells attack the recipient’s tissues.
And in February of 2024, he passed away.
With Laura telling the Washington Post that she was devastated that her husband wouldn’t get to see their son grow up. []
And she wanted something good to come from his death.
So she started her marathon project - she would run 12 marathons in 12 months to both honor her husband and raise money for the Anthony Nolan charity.
Since then, she’s run marathons in scorching hot and freezing temperatures, in rain and wind and mud, and each one helped her a little bit with her grief. []
And she’s reportedly raised more than $23,000. []
But it wasn’t always easy - at one point during the holidays, the first Christmas without Xander, she told herself that she couldn’t do it anymore.
Saying,
“But then I looked at it, and I thought, ‘What I’m putting myself through is nothing compared to what Xander had to go through.’” []
And she was determined to run the London Marathon when she realized that it would be taking place on her 6th wedding anniversary. [B Roll]
Which is technically the 13th race she’s run since starting this journey.
When the day came, Laura ran the entire race in a veil and then she stopped with 3 miles left to go to put on her wedding dress. [B Roll]
And for those last three miles, she ran in that dress.
She said that it was hot and uncomfortable and both she and her friend needed to hold the dress up so Laura didn’t trip on it.
But as she crossed the finish line nearly 6 hours after starting the race, she said she felt incredible. []
Saying,
“The challenge has brought me through the worst year of my life.” []
And as Laura winds down on her 12 races in 12 months project, another runner has taken up the baton - if you'll forgive the race pun.
With Kate Walford, a friend of Laura’s, running the London Marathon with her in honor of close friend Mark who died of leukemia in 2018. []
And agreeing to keep the challenge going and keeping raising funds for the Anthony Nolan charity. []
For her amazing accomplishment and dedication, Laura Coleman-Day is absolutely the DeFranco Certified BAMF of the Day.
And we’re going to have to keep our eyes on Kate to see how her leg of this challenge ends up.
Use code “PHIL” for $20 OFF your first SeatGeek order & returning buyers use code “PDS” for $10 off AND your chance at weekly $500 prizes!
