TOP SECRET TRUMP LEAKS! What Really Happened in Iran Nuclear Program Bombing & Israel Iran Ceasefire
PDS Published 06/24/2025
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Israel and Iran have “fully agreed” to a “Complete and Total CEASEFIRE.”
That’s what Donald Trump said last night – less than 48 hours after he dropped over a dozen 30,000 pound bunker-busting bombs on Iran’s most important nuclear facility and attacked two other sites with precision-guided weapons.
With this leading Iran to retaliate with an attack on the largest American military base in the Middle East – leaving the whole world fearing that this would just be the beginning of an even bigger conflict.
But now, as of recording at least, it looks like we may have avoided that – although it’s ultimately too early to tell.
And it definitely hasn’t been without its hiccups.
Right, to go back, you had Trump announcing the ceasefire on TruthSocial at around 6pm D.C. time yesterday evening.
With him explaining that it wouldn’t take effect until roughly 6 hours later, laying out a very unclear timeline for how it would all unfold, and ultimately claiming that the war would be officially ended within 24 hours.
Also adding there: “This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will!” []
But immediately there were doubts, right, neither Israel or Iran came out and confirmed the ceasefire at first.
And in fact, shortly after the ceasefire announcement, the IDF issued an evacuation warning for several parts of Tehran.
And over the night, the city was hit by what have been described as the “most intense and sustained airstrikes” since the conflict began – according to people who live there. []
The IDF also said that it has destroyed missile launchers in western Iran.
And Iranian media said nine were killed in the north of the country,[]
With that reportedly including a nuclear scientist staying at his parents’ place.[]
With that bringing the total number of scientists Israel has killed – including chemists, physicists, engineers – to at least fourteen.
And overall, you had Iran’s health ministry saying today that Israeli attacks since the war began killed 606 people and wounded more than 5,000 – also saying over 100 had been killed in the 24 hours up to that point. []
And with all that, shortly after Trump’s ceasefire announcement, you had the Iranian foreign minister writing on X:
“As of now, there is NO "agreement" on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations.”
But also saying: “However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards.” []
And with that, Iran also kept up its attacks against Israel, reportedly launching six barrages of ballistic missiles at Israel, and killing at least four people.
With that bringing the total killed in Israel to 28 – along with another roughly 1,300 people “affected” according to Israel's emergency services– most of whom were lightly wounded or being treated for anxiety. []
And soon enough, you did have the Israeli government confirming that it had agreed to the ceasefire brokered by the Trump administration.
But the Israeli military soon said it had detected another barrage of missiles from Iran after the ceasefire was meant to have gone into effect.
And specifically, it said that the ceasefire was set for seven in the morning, but that Iran launched one missile at Israeli territory at 7:06 – and two more at 10:25
And that “these missiles were either intercepted or fell in open areas, and caused neither casualties nor damage.” []
But still, you had the Israeli defense minister announcing that he had “instructed the IDF… to continue high-intensity operations targeting regime assets and terror infrastructure in Tehran…in light of Iran’s blatant violation of the ceasefire declared by the president of the United States.” []
Iran, however, denied violating the ceasefire and accused Israel of doing the same. []
Trump, for his part, blamed both sides:
“Do you believe that Iran is still committed to peace?”
“Yeah, I do. They violated it, but Israel violated it too.”
“Are you questioning if Israel is committed —”
“Israel—as soon as we made the deal—they came out and dropped a lot of bombs, the likes of which I've never seen before. The biggest load that we've seen. I'm not happy with Israel. You know, when I say, okay, now you have 12 hours, you don't go out in the first hour and drop everything you have on them, so I’m not happy with them, I’m not happy with Iran either, but I’m really unhappy if Israel is going out this morning because of one rocket that didn’t land, that was shot—perhaps by mistake—that didn’t land. I’m not happy about that.” (4:44-5:22)
“We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing.You understand that?” (5:26-5:33)
And with that, you shortly after had Trump warning in a post on Truth Social:
“ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS.”
“IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”[]
But just around 40 minutes later, he happily claimed that “ISRAEL wasn’t going to attack Iran” – adding:
“All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly “Plane Wave” to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!” []
And reportedly, what happened in between those two posts, is that Trump called Netanyahu and asked him not to attack.
And there, Netanyahu reportedly told Trump that he was unable to cancel the attack because Israel needed to respond to Iran’s violation in some way []
But also, notably, it was decided to significantly scale back the strike, canceling attacks on a large number of targets and hitting only one radar system outside of Tehran. []
With the office of the Israeli prime minister saying in a statement:
“Pursuant to the conversation between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel has refrained from additional attacks.” []
And so with all that, it seems like both sides are interested in this ceasefire holding – and everyone’s getting a chance to claim victory.
Right, which is actually a reason this ceasefire may have a chance of succeeding.
WIth one expert telling the New York Times:
“The United States can say it has set back Iran’s nuclear program. Israel can say it has weakened Iran, a regional adversary, and Iran can say it has survived and pushed back against much stronger military powers.” []
And to that point, you had Iran’s Supreme National Security Council council saying it was “imposing a cease-fire” on Israel by striking a U.S. base in Qatar and other targets.
And adding that it had “forced the enemy to regret and accept defeat and unilaterally stop its aggression.” []
And then, Israel? It’s been seen as so much of a win that it’s actually leading to a surge in Netanyahu’s popularity – so much so that he’s thinking about calling snap elections.
And here in the US?
Well, you’ve had Trump reposting his own praise – including a call by Charlie Kirk that he should get a Nobel Peace Prize.
And beyond just saying he’s “set back” Iran’s nuclear program, he’s claiming to have completely destroyed it, saying in one post:
“IRAN WILL NEVER REBUILD THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES!” []
Of course, experts are saying that while the damage may be bad, the nuclear sites aren’t totally destroyed.
And in fact, you have Iran’s nuclear chief saying the country will restore its nuclear program, which to be clear, isn’t a nuclear weapons program.
Right, Iran has for decades been “close” to having a weapon but no US intelligence has suggested it was pursuing one.
In fact, even after more than a week of Israeli strikes on Iran, senior intelligence officials said that a 2003 religious ruling by the country’s supreme leader prohibiting the development of a nuclear weapon was still held.[]
And notably, they also said that the US entering the war and striking its most secure nuclear facility would make Iran more likely to want to build one –
With it potentially seeing it as the only way to prevent future attacks or to ensure the country’s survival.
So while Trump celebrates getting rid of the perceived Iranian nuclear threat, he may have just created it.
But for now, even the idea that Iran’s facilities weren’t completely obliterated as he’s claimed is enough to send him on a tirade by Trump against the so-called “fake news” media:
“Iran will never rebuild its nuclear –from there? absolutely not. That place is under rock. That place is demolished.” (3:21-3:29)
“But when I see CNN all night long, they're trying to say, ‘Well, maybe it wasn’t really as demolished as we thought.’ It was demolished. If you take a look at the pinpricks, you’ll see—that place is gone. And I will say, I think CNN ought to apologize to the pilots of the B-2s. I think MSDNC ought to apologize. I think these guys—really, these networks and these cable networks—are real losers.” (3:42-4:09)
But with all that, even if Trump’s decision to attack Iran has actually worked as intended, that doesn’t change the fact that it may have been illegal.
Right, like we talked about yesterday, several Democrats, and even a Republican, have argued that it was unconstitutional since Congress didn’t give the okay.
With Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calling Trump’s actions “absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.” []
Right, which Trump actually responded to today with yet another post on Truth Social, calling her “stupid” and “one of the ‘dumbest’ people in Congress” and continuing on an insult-filled rant. []
But in any case, now, today, you have Rep. Al Green from Texas saying that he’ll actually be introducing articles of impeachment against Trump, saying in a statement:
“President Trump has not only violated his oath of office, he has also disregarded the separation of powers necessary to maintain the independence of our three branches of government.”
Though, notably, this is the fourth time Green has led an impeachment effort against Trump.[]
And there’s no reason to believe this effort will be any more successful than the other three.
But we’ll have to wait and see how this whole situation continues to play out between Israel and Iran, and then if and what kind of impact it has back in the States.
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The Ariana Grande body discourse is starting all over again, and this time, it’s Megyn Kelly’s fault.
It actually starts with a few posts Ariana made on social media over the weekend, including a photo she reposted of a sign that said:
“Could someone explain which crimes get you deported and which ones get you elected president?”[]
And then, following the news that the U.S. attacked nuclear sites in Iran, Ariana also shared AOC’s call to impeach Trump. []
And this is kind of business as usual for Ariana, she posts about politics pretty frequently, and she got a lot of applause from her fans for these posts here. [][][][]
But these posts also caught the attention of Megyn Kelly, who lashed out at Ariana on her Sirius XM show yesterday, specifically taking aim at Ariana’s physical appearance:
“I think that Ariana Grande needs to put more thought into how to add one half an ounce of fat back onto her body than she does thinking about president Trump being impeached. Obviously, she’s in the middle of a crisis. I’m sorry, but this woman looks ill.” (3:23-3:40)
“Someone needs to do an intervention to help her, I’m not saying this to be snarky. I genuinely think someone needs to help this woman.” (3:45-3:50)
With Megyn also questioning why anyone should listen to Ariana’s political opinions since she is a singer and actress, using clips from her time on the show “Victorious” to discredit her.
“And the reason she is qualified to make this conclusion is because of the segments she did for years on Nickelodeon, as follows…. ‘Sometimes I wonder if you can get juice from a potato….ughhhh.’” (0:36-0:53)
Right, you might recognize that clip from the Quiet on Set documentary that explored incredibly disturbing abuse allegations behind the scenes at Nickelodeon, with Megyn also sharing a scene where Ariana dumped water on herself, then saying:
“She was exploited as a young person, it’s not nice, it’s actually quite sad. But now she has decided to take that troubled youth and turn it around and make constitutional judgments about our president.” (1:21-1:30)
“There is a lot that went on, I think, on that Nickelodeon set that has never been fully threshed out and I think Ariana should work on her own well-being and keep her constitutional thoughts to herself.” (4:04-4:15)
And so those are just pretty harsh words, right, going after not just her weight, but also using those Nickelodeon clips and the concerning context they exist in against her.
Though, Megyn’s comments have not really taken off online, right, her words have not yet caught the attention of Ariana stan accounts, so a big backlash has not fully formed.
But you still have outlets like the Daily Beast calling Megyn’s tirade “gross,” and some Twitter users saying she was out of line to go after Ariana’s body.[]][
Because, as you likely know, this is far from the first time Ariana’s body and weight have made national headlines.
It is something that people have discussed for years, but the discourse was inescapable during the Wicked press tour when people would share photos and videos of her and speculate that she had an eating disorder. [][][]
And she did address some of this during an interview back in December where she was asked about the pressures and beauty standards that exist for women, and she actually got very emotional answering:
“My goodness…I’m not gonna…it’s okay.” (5:17-5:22)
“You know, I’ve been doing this in front of the public and kind of been a specimen in a petri dish since I was 16 or 17.” (5:30-5:43)
“It’s something that is uncomfortable no matter what scale you’re experiencing it on. Even if you go to Thanksgiving dinner and someone’s granny says, ‘oh my god you look skinnier, what happened?’ or ‘You look heavier, what happened?’ That is something that is uncomfortable and horrible.” (6:05-6:21)
“I think in today’s society there is a comfortability that we shouldn't have, at all, commenting on others’ looks, appearance, what they think is going on behind the scenes, or health, or how they present themselves.” (6:25-6:43)
And so I would love to know your thoughts on any of this here as it relates to body discourse, or as it relates to the fact that pundits feel it is okay to speak about someone this way just because they don’t like the president.
Anything you think here, I would love to know.
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One of the most dominant and famous players of the Super Smash: Melee community -- Mang0 -- just nuked his entire career after doing this on stream:[]
[clip]
The incident happened at a booze-fueled event put on by Ludwig’s Mogul Moves and was meant to just be a fun time for creators to get together, play the new Mario Kart, and give away the new Switch to fans.
However, it didn’t take long for chaos to ensue -- especially from Mang0.
Right, as we saw in the clip, the dude decided to only run around in his boxers and was humping stuff left and right.
And actually targeting Maya Higa wasn’t the only time.
He also did something similar to Cinna, who was also clearly upset by it and directly told him to stop. [clip]
Not that it helped, he kept doing it.
Cinna even tried to ask someone to get Mang0 water, and instead someone laughed that they gave him another beer instead. @0:42
In both those clips, you can clearly see that the women involved are not happy about it or comfortable at all.
It’s not surprising that we quickly saw people bashing Mang0 for his actions and calling for something to be done.
Some said things like:
However, there was also a crazy amount of people defending Mang0 by claiming that no one told him to stop.
Which isn’t true -- we saw Cinna directly tell him to stop earlier and he didn’t care.
ExtraEmily is also getting some flak for just laughing about it the whole time.
(However, in past controversies she’s mentioned that she laughs when she’s uncomfortable to diffuse situations. She hasn’t responded about this situation specifically though)..
Mang0 also has a history of this it seems, getting banned in 2021 for humping a figurine on Twitch.
This time, he’s far more apologetic and tweeted a few times.
The first said, “Hate waking up and seeing I was a drunk dumbass. I don't like using the drunk excuse because it’s childish but at the moment I think everyone is as drunk as me and that’s not usually the case.” []
However, everyone else being as drunk as you isn’t an excuse to hump them while nearly naked, leading to responses like:
“Even back in the day in my early 20s, when I was plastered, I still asked women for consent before dancing with them or touching them. Didn't matter how wasted I was, I still knew better than to make women uncomfortable. Alcohol doesn’t magically make you a different person, it removes inhibitions and makes you feel like you can get away with things.” []
Mang0’s other tweets touched on reevaluating his relationship with alcohol and apologizing, saying:
“Everyone has coddled me for so long and kinda looked the other way when it came to my drinking.
Don't want anyone to feel bad for me / defend me.
Sorry to everyone I've let down or hurt. I know it just looks like I'm trying to save face but I genuinely feel so awful about it.. all I've done is reflect on my life and realized im a broken human.” []
(This also got some pushback since the first line sounds like he’s blaming his friends for his drinking problem).
The big question though is what was going to happen to his professional relationships?
This is what Ludwig had to say:
“No longer inviting Mang0 to Mogul Moves events. ‘Cause like, you know it’s a privilege to go to an event and it’s a fun thing to do. Have a good ass time, and if someone appearing jeopardizes somebody else having a good time… that just can’t be a thing. Now I see a lot of dialogue about broader implications, but I’m only worried about my team, my events. Like I don’t speak for the Melee community. I’m not like championing any other action.”
Even though Ludwig doesn’t speak for any other orgs or communities, it’s clear they are not happy.
CLoud9, which has sponsored Mang0 for over a decade -- essentially forever in the esports world -- ended their relationship with him.
The post was pretty long, but in it they made it clear that “regardless of tenure or accomplishments, the behavior demonstrated is entirely unacceptable and directly conflicts with our organization's core values. We maintain a zero-tolerance stance against harassment or any other form of inappropriate conduct.” []
And now Mang0 himself thinks that other tournament series are going to ban him also.
He does say that he has no one to blame but himself, and that “I had it all and fucking tossed it in the trashcan.” []
So what do you think?
Should Mang0 ever have another chance -- and if so how does that redemption look?
(PHIL: you own a company, maybe your thoughts are good here? What if one of us that has been with you for a decade was on camera and did something like this?).
Kickstart your passion project with a free trial today: Squarespace & enter offer code “Phil” to get 10% off your first purchase!
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The Supreme Court just said that the Trump administration can deport migrants to countries they’ve never even been to — even if it puts them at risk of torture.
That is what the conservative majority of the high court ruled yesterday in yet another monumental decision on immigration.
Right, the case in question centered around the Trump administration’s efforts to deport groups of migrants — particularly those charged with violent crimes — to “third countries” that they are not from and may not have any connection to.
But you had four individuals represented by immigrant rights groups filing a lawsuit against the administration in Boston, arguing that migrants subject to third-country deportations were entitled to due process.
Claiming they should be given adequate notice of their deportation and allowed the chance to raise objections if they were being sent to a country where they faced a risk of being harmed.
And back in April, U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy temporarily blocked the Trump administration from carrying out third-country deportations without first allowing the deportees to raise fear-based claims that they will face persecution, torture, or death.
And there, the judge argued in his ruling that the Trump administration was likely violating the U.S. Constitution's due process protections.
But a month later, Murphy ruled that the administration had directly violated his order by attempting to deport a group of eight men to South Sudan — a conflict-ridden country that most of them had never been to.
With the judge specifically finding that the men had not been given proper notice or the ability to raise fear-based claims about what might happen to them in a country with a record of human rights abuses.
So, as a result, the eight men were diverted to an American military base in Djibouti (Jih-Booty, here’s pronunciation) while the appeals process played out.
And after the First Circuit Court of Appeals declined to put Murphy’s ruling on hold, the administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene.
And in their filings, lawyers for the administration argued that Murphy had infringed on the executive’s authority over deportations —
And made the process too complicated by forcing officials to follow a treaty ratified by Congress that prevents the government from sending people to countries where they might be tortured.
With the lawyers further alleging that Murphy had undermined “the government’s ability to remove some of the worst of the worst illegal aliens.”
But, on the other side, you had lawyers for the eight deportees hitting back at that, arguing that many of the migrants targeted under this policy hadn’t been convicted of crimes and initially entered the U.S. legally.
Accusing the administration of repeatedly trying to deport people “as a punitive measure, to some of the most dangerous places on the planet, and with only hours’ notice.”
And further claiming that regardless of potential criminal status, migrants should still be given due process rights.
Noting that a lawyer for the Trump administration had openly acknowledged that due process rights are required for third-country removals during oral arguments in a separate case before the Supreme Court back in March.
Right, and that last point is super notable because the high court has also previously restrained the Trump administration in other deportation cases and criticized officials for failing to ensure due process protections for some migrants.
But apparently, they felt those rights applied differently in this case.
And I say apparently because we literally don’t know the logic behind their decision — the majority did not provide any reasoning in their order.
But, by contrast, you had the court’s three liberal justices writing a lengthy and absolutely scathing dissent, accusing the majority of ignoring a federal law that requires due process.
With Justice Sonia Sotomayor implying that the majority was contradicting past orders it had made emphasizing due process rights for migrants.
Arguing that this decision was “as incomprehensible as it is inexcusable.”
Beyond that, Sotomayor also accused the conservative majority of “rewarding lawlessness” by blocking a lower court order the Trump administration had openly defied, adding:
“The Government has made clear in word and deed that it feels itself unconstrained by law, free to deport anyone anywhere without notice or an opportunity to be heard. The episodes of noncompliance in this very case illustrate the risks.”
And going on to say that even if a higher court ultimately overturns a lower court ruling, the government is still required to obey them until that happens, writing:
“That principle is a bedrock of the rule of law. The government’s misconduct threatens it to its core.”
And further accusing the conservatives of setting a horrible precedent by essentially rewarding the Trump administration for disobeying a direct court order, arguing:
“Each time this court rewards noncompliance with discretionary relief, it further erodes respect for courts and for the rule of law.”
Now, as far as what happens next, following the Supreme Court’s ruling yesterday, you had Murphy issuing an order saying that the 8 migrants being held in Jih-Booty were protected from immediate removal under a separate ruling he had previously issued.
But, regardless, the Trump administration has now been given a blank check to move forward with deporting migrants to countries they have no connection to.
With the Department of Homeland Security applauding the ruling as a victory on social media, writing:
“Fire up the deportation planes.”[]
While DHS Secretary Kristi Noem shared a screenshot of the decision with a gif of Trump doing a celebratory dance… because… he can now freely deport people to countries where they can be tortured and killed… I guess?[]
But yeah, on that weird note, that’s where I’m gonna end this one, but I’d really love to know what you make of all this in those comments down below.
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Y’all remember how RFK Jr. fired the CDC’s entire vaccine advisory panel and replaced them with anti-vaxxers?
Well they’re now getting to work, and it Ain’t pretty.
With the new panel holding its first meeting Wednesday and Thursday, but instead of following the old draft agenda that had policy discussions on stuff like Covid vaccines, [Image]
It’s scheduled to have a discussion and vote on thimerosal [Pronounce], a preservative used in a small fraction of flu vaccines to prevent fungal or bacterial growth. [Image]
And although studies have repeatedly confirmed that it’s safe in the low doses given in vaccines and does not cause autism, RFK Jr. wrote a book a decade ago claiming the opposite. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 05:09 - 05:21] Caption: “It is the most potent neurotoxin that is not radioactive. It’s 30 times as neurotoxic as lead. Why would we put that in a child or a pregnant woman if we didn’t have to?”
Now where he goes wrong is in assuming that because thimerosal contains mercury, it’s necessarily dangerous.
But as many have pointed out, there are two kinds of mercury: ethyl mercury, the scary kind, and methyl mercury, which the human body clears much faster.
And thimerosal contains the latter.
In fact, just today, the CDC published a very nicely timed report reviewing the evidence on thimerosal in vaccines and concluding that there is no link between it and autism. [Headline]
But instead of heeding that report’s findings, it appears that the CDC panel is going to listen to a presentation Thursday by Lyn Redwood, the former president of RFK’s anti-vaxx group Children’s Health Defense, previously known as the World Mercury Project. [Quote, first line]
Which is quite unusual, because as CNN notes, presenters typically come from the panel’s working groups and have spent months gathering and discussing evidence on a given topic. [Quote, find “working groups”]
And also unusual is the fact, according to the Vaccine Integrity Project, that Redwood's presentation has not been vetted by CDC subject matter experts. [Quote, find “vetted”]
With the group saying, “These are clear signs that the true intent of the meeting is to sow distrust about the safety of vaccines.” [Quote same link]
And that actually brings us to another piece of news from the Washington Post about how the Vaccine Integrity Project is fighting back against RFK.
Right, because with this key advisory panel gone rogue, experts say they can no longer rely on federal authorities to reccomend vaccines, traditionally a key step in determining which ones get covered by insurance.
So the Project, which is funded by an unrestricted gift from a philanthropic foundation, is leading an effort to set up an alternative, parallel vaccine system apart from the federal government in the private sector. [Quote, find “vaccine integrity”]
With it looping in professional medical associations, pharmacists, state health officials, insurance companies and vaccine manufacturers.
These reportedly including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Pharmacists Association, and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. [Same quote]
Now their plans are still in the works, but what they’re reportedly talking about include ordering vaccines directly from manufacturers and giving greater weight to recommendations from medical associations, rather than the CDC. [Quote same link, find “greater weight”]
So hopefully, if all goes well, insurers will continue covering vaccines even if the federal government drops support for them.
With one former industry executive telling the Post:
“Insurers are absolutely trying to find ways to cover services that are so widely understood as beneficial and proven. I wouldn’t want to be the first insurer to start to decline coverage for what are clearly incredibly important and valuable public health interventions.” [Quote same link]
But there are many reasons to believe this parallel private system won’t be a perfect fix.
Right, first of all, without the government’s reccomendations, there is no formal guarantee that health plans will cover every shot.
Second, if different groups put out conflicting reccomendations, that could cause confusion.
And third, different states could enact different policies, depending on whether they follow the White House’s lead or someone else’s.
Though unless they take immediate action, some may not even have a choice.
Right, because it turns out, nearly 600 statutes and regulations across 49 states, three territories, and D.C. reference the CDC’s advisory panel. [Quote, find “600”]
Meaning that if the panel’s reccomendations change, then many of these states’ policies will automatically follow suit, per the statutes. [Same quote]
So in effect, an otherwise liberal, Democratic, science-loving state government could end up doing RFK’s bidding by default.
And the types of policies that’ll be affected are very wide-ranging.
With them dictating school immunization requirements, mandatory insurance coverage, mandatory vaccination for healthcare workers, notifications about reccomended or overdue vaccines, and vaccine purchases, among other things. [Same quote, eight bullet points below]
Plus many states tie the legal authority that pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and other healthcare providers have to administer vaccines to the panel’s reccomendations. [Quote, find “legal authority”]
Meaning that if RFK stops reccomending a particular shot, it’ll be illegal for those professionals to give you that vaccine.
Now fortunately, the Vaccine Integrity Project is preparing for this.
With major pharmacy associations reportedly crafting draft emergency orders that governors could issue allowing pharmacists to continue administering certain vaccines if the federal guidance were to change. [Quote, find “emergency”]
Also, reports say that some states are considering forming their own vaccine advisory groups. [Quote, find “Rhode Island”]
And officials from Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York are reportedly discussing a regional group for northeastern states. [Same quote]
But of course, the future’s a bitch to predict, and some think that if vaccines actually become less accessible and more expensive, Trump will suffer a political backlash.
And already, we’re seeing some nervousness from a key Republican Senator, Bill Cassidy.
Right, he’s the chair of the Health Committee who agreed to support Kennedy’s confirmation as health secretary only after obtaining a promise that RFK wouldn’t touch vaccines. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 01:00 - 01:11; Clip, 01:57 - 02:06] Caption: “Now mr Kennedy and the administration reached out seeking to reassure me regarding their commitment to protecting the public health benefit of vaccination. … If confirmed, he will maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization practices’ reccomendations without changes.”
But now, with this week’s CDC panel meeting coming up, he’s apparently getting cold feet.
With him writing on X:
“Although the appointees to the panel have scientific credentials, many do not have significant experience studying microbiology, epidemiology or immunology. In particular, some lack experience studying new technologies such as mRNA vaccines, and may even have a preconceived bias against them. … Wednesday’s meeting should not proceed with a relatively small panel, and no CDC Director in place to approve the panel's recommendations. The meeting should be delayed until the panel is fully staffed with more robust and balanced representation—as required by law—including those with more direct relevant expertise. Otherwise, the panel’s recommendations could be viewed with skepticism, which will work against the success of this Administration's efforts.” [Post]
So we’ll see what happens there; I mean, the meeting starts tomorrow, so if it’s gonna get delayed, that’s gotta happen now.
But in the meantime, I’d love to hear what y’all reactions and feelings are about everything going on.
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Scientists just out-performed the pancreas of millions of Americans!
The American Diabetes Association just had their annual meeting and during that meeting, a study was presented that just may hold the cure to type 1 diabetes.
But in order to actually understand how the potential cure works, first we have to understand how the problem works.
Right, there are roughly 2 million Americans with type 1 diabetes - which is what happens when the immune system destroys islet (eye-lit) cells. [] [B Roll 0:08-0:23]
A subset of which secrete insulin and without insulin, glucose can’t enter cells.
And so patients with Type 1 diabetes have to inject carefully calibrated doses of insulin into themselves in order to compensate for that lack of natural production. []
Which is a constant and often expensive process.
Which is where this study comes into play - centered on an experimental treatment made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals of Boston.
And this treatment involves stem cells that scientists have turned into pancreatic eye-lit cells and then those cells are infused into the body and bada bing, they take up residence and do their thing. []
With the lead author of the study saying,
“In the liver, they’re sensing a patient’s blood glucose level, and they’re secreting the appropriate hormone.” []
Adding that the replacement cells appear to be sensing the changes within seconds or milliseconds - saying,
“Essentially, it’s the same as your native islet cells would function.”
Now, this study specifically focused on patients with a complication to their diabetes called hypoglycemic unawareness.
Meaning that they don’t get the same signs that their glucose is dropping that most people do like shakiness or sweating. []
And without these signs, these people don’t know their glucose levels are dangerously low and so they could suddenly pass out, have a seizure, or even just die.
But what makes this our good news story of the day is that of the dozen participants in this study, 10 of them no longer need to inject insulin at all - they appear to be cured after a single infusion. []
Of course, this isn’t an immediate cure - participants received the infusion at least a year ago.
But within a few months of doing so, patients in the study began to need less and less insulin and most stopped needing it altogether after 6 months. []
And their episodes of hypoglycemia went away within the first 90 days.
With doctors marveling at the results - like Dr. Mark Anderson, a professor and director of the diabetes center at the University of California in San Francisco, who said,
“It’s trailblazing work. Being free of insulin is life changing.” []
And Dr. Peter Senior, director of the Alberta Diabetes Institute at the University of Alberta, saying,
“I think the data is just so very exciting, so very, very powerful.”
“The primary objective of the study was just to show that the blood sugars were better and that people were not having severe hypoglycemia. They blew past that. Ten of the 12 people are off insulin.” []
And at least one of those 10 patients says that this treatment completely changed her life.
Right, Amanda, a 36-year-old nurse and mother from Ontario, told a local outlet that when she got her diagnosis of late-onset juvenile diabetes at 25, she knew the risks were diabetic coma or worse, saying,
“I took it as a death sentence, I knew, eventually, like the end is always some sort of complication with diabetes.” []
But this treatment totally changed that for her - with Amanda saying,
“I get emotional because I’m free from those handcuffs... I don’t have that looming over me every day.” []
Now, there are a couple of caveats we need to point out here.
With the big one being the trade-off of this treatment.
Yes, patients may not have to inject insulin and worry about their glucose levels at all times but they do need to stay on an immunosuppressant indefinitely to prevent the immune system from destroying the new cells. []
And those immunosuppressants come with their own dangers - including an increased risk of infection and, in the long term, an increased risk of cancer.
With one diabetes expert saying,
“The argument is this immunosuppression is not as dangerous as what we typically use for kidneys, hearts and lungs, but we won’t know that definitely for many years.” []
And we do need to mention that not everyone made it to the other side of this experimental treatment.
The first patient to receive an infusion, Brian Shelton, died shortly after receiving the treatment.
With Vertex saying that the infusion did cure him and his death was caused by dementia symptoms that began before his treatment. []
Now, while this is looking very promising, it is just the beginning - there are still a lot of unanswered questions.
Like how long these cells will last, whether this will reduce long-term complications associated with diabetes, how much it’s going to cost if approved by the FDA, just to name a few.
But there is no doubt that this is a massive step forward - a culmination of more than 2 decades worth of work and tens of millions of dollars in research. []
With Dr. Peter Butler, a professor of medicine at UCLA and a consultant to Vertex, saying,
“The fact that it worked at all is just freaking amazing to me. I can guarantee there were a thousand negative experiments for every positive one.” []
So this is definitely something to keep our eyes on as it progresses forward but I would love to know your thoughts.
Especially if you or someone you know is dealing with type 1 diabetes.
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