Health
RFK Jr. has directed a multi-agency federal study on childhood vaccine safety. The study will compare health outcomes in vaccinated and unvaccinated children and examine possible links to autism, including the role of thimerosal. Biostatistician Martin Kulldorff and FDA deputy commissioner Sara Brenner are leading the effort, which carries an estimated $50 million cost at the CDC. Officials state the data will inform future recommendations. Critics have argued that the science is settled against any vaccine-autism link.
Additionally, Oklahoma and Louisiana have enacted laws requiring coroners to record any vaccines given within 90 days of death on autopsy reports for children under 15 who die from unexplained causes. The measures update public health statutes to allow the collection of data on sudden infant death syndrome and related conditions for analysis of possible links to immunization timing.
Turning to nutrition, RFK Jr. has ended the FDA practice of approving food chemicals without later review. The new policy requires ongoing evaluations of substances in cereals, breads, frozen foods, and packaged snacks, along with public disclosure of findings.
Turning to gain-of-function research, Tulsi Gabbard has launched a review of U.S. funding for more than 120 overseas biological laboratories in over 30 countries, including facilities in Ukraine. The review, prompted by a May 2025 executive order, aims to identify locations, pathogens, and research activities and to end gain-of-function experiments lacking adequate oversight. Some observers have expressed concern that the inquiry could fuel foreign propaganda.
Relatedly, a CIA operations officer testified under oath before the Senate Homeland Security Committee that Dr. Anthony Fauci influenced the 2021 intelligence assessment of COVID-19 origins by directing consultation with a specific list of experts. The testimony stated that senior analysts downplayed lab-leak indicators despite internal papers noting conditions consistent with such an event. It also covered issues of declassification oversight and monitoring of investigators. The testimony reportedly stopped short of alleging explicit coercion from Fauci.
US Politics
The Trump administration has withheld $1.3 billion in Medicaid reimbursements to California after identifying $630 million in billing from the top five percent of outliers and an additional $500 million at risk of improper payment. Officials noted that California’s spending growth on personal care services is twice the national average and that fewer than 20 of 800 providers removed for suspicious activity contacted the government to contest the action. Critics have framed the action as political retribution against Governor Newsom.
In other news, a public interest law firm has sued Illinois, alleging that the 2021 congressional map violates the Fifteenth Amendment and the Voting Rights Act by creating districts based on racial percentages. The complaint cites Governor JB Pritzker’s statements as evidence and follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that such practices are unconstitutional. Illinois Democrats have signaled they will defend the maps as necessary to reflect the state’s diversity.
Lastly, journalist Alex Berenson reached a settlement with the federal government that includes a written statement that officials violated the First Amendment by pressuring Twitter to suppress his reporting on COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and safety. The agreement provides monetary compensation and leaves separate claims against former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb and Pfizer intact.
Energy
The Department of Transportation has issued a request for information on small modular reactors for commercial shipping vessels. The goal is to eliminate fuel costs, reduce maintenance, and integrate production into U.S. shipyards. The initiative aligns with executive orders on domestic energy resources and involves the Maritime Administration, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Coast Guard. Concerns have been raised regarding nuclear transport risks, citing a 2024 incident involving a Russian ship.
Next, Chinese researchers have developed an aqueous battery using neutral pH electrolytes and covalent organic polymers. The battery withstands more than 120,000 charge cycles, corresponding to a projected 300-year lifespan, and allows safe environmental disposal of its components. The design addresses prior corrosion issues and targets grid-scale storage applications.
Lastly, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project received the final shipment of central solenoid magnet modules from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This completes a key assembly milestone for the 18-meter-tall component that forms part of a 3,000-tonne magnetic system. The delivery advances the multinational effort to demonstrate commercial nuclear fusion as a source of clean energy without greenhouse gases or long-lived radioactive waste. However, observers have noted that the project is not expected to achieve plasma operation until the mid-2030s.
Privacy & Surveillance
Signal has stated it would withdraw its service from Canada rather than comply with provisions in Bill C-22 that could require vulnerabilities in its end-to-end encryption. The company, which stores only phone numbers, last-login data, and join dates, warned that mandated changes would create exploitable weaknesses while preserving user chats and contacts solely on individual devices. Government officials have maintained that the bill does not require backdoors or break encryption.
Sources
CIA Whistleblower Accuses Fauci of Burying Lab-Leak Evidence
Dr. Fauci’s role in the cover-up was intentional.
Berenson Wins Settlement as Feds Admit Violating His First Amendment Rights
The government has now admitted, in writing, that it violated a journalist’s First Amendment rights.
ITER Reaches Key Milestone With Final Magnet Components for Fusion Reactor
The world’s biggest nuclear fusion experiment just got one huge step closer to completion.
US Bets on Small Modular Reactors to Power Commercial Shipping
The United States is seeking to develop small modular nuclear reactors (SMR) for commercial vessels that would potentially bring down shipping costs, the Department of Transportation (DOT) said in a May 7 statement.
China’s Aqueous Battery Breakthrough Promises 300-Year Lifespan and Non-Toxic Disposal
It can be charged and discharged over 120,000 times—more than ten times the lifespan of current lithium-ion grid storage batteries.
Oklahoma, Louisiana Mandate Vaccine Records in SIDS Autopsies
Two states this week moved to require that vaccine records be included in the autopsy reports of children who die from unexplained causes.
Illinois Sued for Race-Based Congressional Redistricting
States may not use race to allocate power.
Trump Admin Withholds $1.3B Medicaid Funds from California Over Fraud
The Trump administration will withhold $1.3 billion in Medicaid payments to California due to potentially fraudulent billing patterns.
Signal Warns It Would Quit Canada Over Encryption Risks in Bill C-22
Would rather pull out of the country than be compelled to compromise on the privacy promises we have made to our users.
Source (Paywalled) | Submitted by westcoastjan
Gabbard Probes U.S. Funding of Global Biolabs Amid Pathogen Risks
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the catastrophic global impact research on dangerous pathogens in biolabs can have.
RFK Jr. Directs Federal Study on Vaccine Safety, Autism Links and Vaccinated vs. Unvaccinated Outcomes
Researchers will also compare the health outcomes of vaccinated and unvaccinated kids, and examine possible links between vaccines and autism.
RFK Jr. Ends FDA’s “Approve and Ignore” Era on Food Chemicals
Now, the FDA says that era is over — with ongoing reviews, public transparency, and new scrutiny of chemicals found in cereals, bread, frozen foods, and packaged snacks.
In addition to sources submitted by community members, the following were also used in the creation of this report: X and CyberInsider.
