Latest news with #RobertKennedyJr
Mail & Guardian
14-07-2025
- Health
- Mail & Guardian
US making diphtheria great again? Why SA's public health experts are worried about America's RFK Jr
Misinformation fuelled by US health secretary Robert Kennedy Jr is creating a dangerous lack of trust in vaccines and South Africa's public health experts are scared. Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr They used to call it the Before vaccines were widely available, But one That's when US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr accused RFK Jr's vaccine stance is completely at odds with the global public health community and years of science, ignoring It's the latest in a long and storied history of RFK Jr's South Africa has also been hit by But, says Heidi Larson, the director of the 'Events in the US absolutely have global repercussions,' she says. 'They embolden others, especially those still undecided about vaccination, and that's where the danger lies.' The trouble with RFK Since launching in 2000, Gavi has been credited for protecting an entire generation — The US had been among the top three To support his attack on Gavi and DTP, the US health secretary points to a 'He cherry-picks a poorly conducted study and ignores mountains of evidence to the contrary,' says Salim Abdool Karim, a leading epidemiologist and director of the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa, A recent South Africa, like many higher-income countries, uses a newer version of the vaccine than Gavi, called Recent diphtheria outbreaks show how quickly things can go wrong when vaccination rates slow down. The WHO found that the Because it is such a rare and deadly disease that spreads easily through coughing and sneezing, Deepfakes and institutionalised disinformation As RFK Jr took to social media to spread more disinformation about vaccines, a video of an AI-generated Abdool Karim, a South African epidemiologist and virologist internationally recognised for his work on HIV/Aids and Covid-19, surfaced. The video was a deepfake (a manipulated image created to misrepresent someone or something) and hijacked Abdool Karim's credibility and likeness to falsely warn viewers that those vaccinated against Covid-19 vaccines may be facing deadly danger. In reality, Abdool Karim has been a vocal advocate for vaccines, including during the pandemic, when he chaired the ministerial advisory committee which guided the In a ' institutionalised disinformation' , where the very institutions once trusted to uphold science are now the ones spreading doubt. He draws a straight line between former president Thabo Mbeki's Aids denialism which led to the 'Where the state now becomes the source of the disinformation, you lose your bearings as to where to get the truth,' Abdool Karim said. 'That's why the right information about vaccines is as important as the vaccines themselves'. MMR, autism and RFK In the US, measles vaccination rates have been slipping steadily for years, largely because of the He has claimed countless times that the This week, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention 'The chaos that is going on in the US … has a knock-on effect all across the world. It's critical for us to be proactive, rather than wait until the damage is done,' says Edina Amponsah-Dacosta, a virologist with the For Amponsah-Dacosta, the current Because measles is When people think about measles, they often just consider the rash, she says. But measles affects many organs and the effect of the disease on the body can linger. 'It actually causes disease through all your systems, and so it can affect the brain. Some of the consequences can be delayed even many, many years, so that if you have measles now, you may develop problems much later.' HPV wiped out cervical cancer Just like some diseases take years to show problems, it can take years to see a vaccine's benefits. An infection with certain forms of the Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer related deaths in South Africa too. In those not vaccinated, RFK Jr has also featured the HPV vaccine in his misinformation parade, Australia, While South Africa's Vaccine economics Despite the cost of vaccines, they save money for governments because there's so much less illness and disability. A large 'There are not that many things that are as amazing as vaccines for child health — a miracle intervention', says Susan Cleary, the director of the school of public health at the University of Cape Town. Her research group recently published a But the knock-on effects of vaccination also help in the long term. By preventing diseases, vaccinations help to ensure people won't become ill in the first place. 'It's not just about saving lives, it's also about safeguarding livelihoods,' says Amponsah-Dacosta. 'They can go on to study just as well as anybody else in school … and their parents can contribute to the economy instead of spending money looking for treatments.' Immunising against misinformation Despite overwhelming evidence that vaccines are safe and effective, Even more confusing for the public, says Larson, is that that fringe has now gone mainstream in the US. For example, in June, RFK Jr also 'Vaccines have become kind of a victim of their own success,' says Amponsah-Dacosta. Because of vaccines diseases like smallpox have been eradicated while deaths and disabilities from polio, tetanus, rubella have disappeared from view, lulling people into thinking vaccines aren't needed. 'Eventually, people get to hear misinformation, so the best practice is to provide people with sound information. This way, once they're faced with myths … they are already immunised against misinformation and can make the right decision.' This story was produced by the . Sign up for the .
Business Times
12-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Kraft Heinz explores grocery business spinoff worth up to US$20 billion: source
[Bengaluru] Kraft Heinz is studying a potential spinoff of a large chunk of its grocery business, including many Kraft products, into a new entity that could be valued at as much as US$20 billion on its own, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday (Jul 11). However, the structure of the deal could change and there is no guarantee Kraft Heinz would move forward with any such deal, the source said. News of the potential move is the second effort this week by a storied US company looking to shore up shareholder value as shoppers ditch their pricey products in an uncertain economy. Earlier this week, cereal maker WK Kellogg agreed to a US$3.1 billion buyout deal from Italy's Ferrero. The Wall Street Journal first reported the development earlier in the day. According to the report, a split, which would leave the company with products such as its namesake Heinz ketchup and Dijon mustard brand Grey Poupon, could be finalised in the coming weeks. 'As announced in May, Kraft Heinz has been evaluating potential strategic transactions to unlock shareholder value,' a company spokesperson said. Its shares closed up 2.5 per cent. The company currently has a market value of US$31.3 billion. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Kraft Heinz was formed in 2015 after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and Brazilian private equity firm 3G Capital combined the former Kraft Foods with HJ Heinz, which they bought in 2013. But it has been a challenging investment for Berkshire. Inflationary pressures and a shift in focus towards fresher, less processed food have hurt demand for Kraft Heinz's lunch combos and other products. It lowered annual forecasts and reported a dour quarter in April, hurt by muted consumer spending. Kraft Heinz also said last month it would stop the launch of new products with artificial colours in the US after Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr outlined plans to remove synthetic food dyes from the US food supply to address chronic diseases and conditions. '(Kraft Heinz) spinning off its grocery business echoes the 2023 Kellogg spinoff in which the company spun off its cereal business, which had been in volumetric decline for some time,' said Connor Rattigan, analyst at Consumer Edge. 'As CPGs (consumer packaged goods makers) contend with both changing consumer preferences and a challenging consumer environment, other CPGs may look to mergers and acquisitions or similar corporate actions to improve their category exposures and improve their top-line trajectory,' Rattigan said. REUTERS
CBC
08-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
More than 160 people still missing after deadly Texas floods, says governor
5 campers and 1 counsellor from Camp Mystic still missing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says at least 161 people are still missing days after flash floods that killed more than 100 people across central Texas. Abbott spoke to reporters on Tuesday after taking a helicopter tour of the affected area. He said many of those who are not accounted for were staying in the state's Hill Country but did not register at a camp or hotel. Abbott said U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to provide whatever relief Texas needs to recover from the flooding, and he read what he said was a text from U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. in which Kennedy pledged to declare a public health emergency. Trump planned to visit the state on Friday. Meanwhile, authorities leading the search for victims of the devastating flooding in Texas deflected intensifying questions on Tuesday about who was responsible for monitoring the weather and warning that flash floods were barrelling toward camps and homes. Local officials in Kerr County, where searchers have found 87 bodies, said their priority is finding victims, not reviewing what happened in the hours before the floods inundated the state's Hill Country. During a sometimes tense news conference, officials faced questions about how quickly they responded and who was in charge. "Right now, this team up here is focused on bringing people home," said Lt.-Col. Ben Baker of the Texas Game Wardens. Hope of finding survivors was increasingly bleak. Four days have passed since anyone was found alive in the aftermath of the floods in Kerr County, officials said. Abbott planned to make another visit on Tuesday to Camp Mystic, the century-old all-girls Christian summer camp where at least 27 campers and counsellors died during the floods. Officials said five campers and one counsellor have still not been found. WATCH | Texas governor mourns young campers: Media Video | Texas governor pays tribute to campers lost in floods Caption: Gov. Greg Abbott took an aerial tour of the flood devastation left behind in parts of central Texas on Tuesday and spoke afterward about the young victims in the area. 'Nothing is as heart-wrenching as hearing the stories of what the girls around here — especially the girls at Camp Mystic — went through,' he said. Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages. The search efforts benefited from improving weather. The storms that battered the Hill Country for the past four days began to lighten up, although isolated pockets of heavy rain were still possible. A wall of water slammed into camps and homes along the edge of the Guadalupe River before daybreak on Friday, pulling people out of their cabins, tents and trailers and dragging them for miles past floating tree trunks and cars. Some survivors were found clinging to trees. Photogallery | Rescue and recovery operations after disastrous flooding in Texas Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages. Questions mounted about what, if any, actions local officials took to warn campers and residents who were spending the July Fourth weekend in the scenic area long known to locals as "flash flood alley." Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said that sending out warnings isn't "as easy as pushing a button." Answers about who did what and when will come later, public officials said. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county's chief elected official, said in the hours after the devastation that the county does not have a warning system. Generations of families in the Hill Country have known the dangers. A 1987 flood forced the evacuation of a youth camp in the town of Comfort and swamped buses and vans. Ten teenagers were killed. Local leaders have talked for years about the need for a warning system. Kerr County sought a nearly $1-million grant eight years ago for such a system, but the request was turned down by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Local residents balked at footing the bill themselves, Kelly said. Some camps were aware of the dangers on Friday and monitored the weather. At least one moved several hundred campers to higher ground before the floods. But many were caught by surprise. The bodies of 30 children were among those that have been recovered in Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic and several other summer camps near the river, Leitha said. Nineteen deaths were reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, local officials said. Among those confirmed dead were eight-year-old sisters from Dallas who were at Camp Mystic and a former soccer coach and his wife who were staying at a riverfront home. Their daughters were still missing. Elizabeth Lester, a mother of children who were at Camp Mystic and nearby Camp La Junta during the flood, said her young son had to swim out a cabin window to escape. Her daughter fled up the hillside as floodwaters whipped against her legs. Both survived. Piles of twisted trees sprinkled with mattresses, refrigerators and coolers littered the riverbanks.
Washington Post
08-07-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Water vapor July 3 to 4
RFK Jr. has big plans for your food. Here are the facts. May 2, 2025
Irish Times
05-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Scientific consensus is not a fruitful concept
The term scientific consensus – as in 'there is a scientific consensus on climate change' – is often used to characterise a matter considered to be scientifically settled. But the concept of consensus is poorly suited to science, where conclusions must always remain provisional and revisable in the light of new evidence. The concept of 'convergence' better describes the nature of the scientific enterprise. Convergence means we can begin to have confidence that science is accurately/truly describing a phenomenon when the evidence from many and diverse approaches all point to the same explanation. The relative merits of the concepts of consensus and convergence were discussed recently in a recent editorial in Science , and elaborated by Chuck Dinerstein in The American Council for Science and Health . The value of the convergence concept is illustrated by the history of the MMR vaccine and the claims that this vaccine causes autism. There is a huge amount of evidence from very many lines of investigation that MMR vaccines do not cause autism – in other words, there is extremely strong scientific convergence pointing to this conclusion. READ MORE Nevertheless, US secretary for health Robert Fitzgerald Kennedy jnr does not accept this conclusion, and has asked the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct a new study to demonstrate cases where MMR vaccination does cause autism. [ The global fight for science in the face of Trump's attacks Opens in new window ] Given the strength of evidence to date, it seems highly improbable the CDC will demonstrate any link between MMR and autism. Even if it does produce some evidence, the fact remains that innumerable past studies have found no link. A single contrary indication would not destroy the existing convergence of evidence, which will remain even if a single or a few exceptions come to light. If exceptions do emerge, the onus will be on proponents of the MMR/autism link to explain why scientific convergence so overwhelmingly indicates the opposite conclusion. And, of course, those who now argue for a link between MMR and autism, in the absence of evidence to date to support their claim, would seize on a single apparent demonstration of a link in some cases as a demonstration that 'scientific consensus' is broken, and they would be emboldened to greatly intensify their campaign against vaccination. In other words, as far as the evidence goes they would have the tail wag the dog and would certainly sow great confusion and persuade many parents not to vaccinate their children, with disastrous consequences. Creative people who are not completely shackled by existing paradigms are very important when science consistently struggles over a long period to make further progress in explaining a situation On the other hand, the convergence concept would not lend itself to any such easy manipulation. A single contrary demonstration, albeit interesting and demanding further investigation, would remain a single demonstration to confront innumerable published demonstrations to the contrary. Another weakness of the consensus concept is that it can be used to bully scientists who dissent from majority opinion. This can be done by refusing monetary support to fund the researches of scientists who question the consensus position. I would imagine that the minority of climate scientists currently seeking support to study potential natural explanations of global warming unrelated to greenhouse gas emissions are finding it very hard to win funding from grant-awarding bodies dominated by scientists hostile to any questioning of the conventional 'consensus'. [ Political correctness now a bullying tactic aimed at stifling legitimate debate Opens in new window ] Creative people who are not completely shackled by existing paradigms are very important when science consistently struggles over a long period to make further progress in explaining a situation. 'Thinking outside the box' may be the only way forward to full explanations in these cases. For example, research on Alzheimer's disease has heavily concentrated on amyloid plaques for a long time now, but has produced little progress in fully accounting for the disease. The problem calls for creative, not consensus, thinking. The strong majority position in science can sometimes be wrong and hostile to new opinions. For example, when the idea was first mooted that Earth's crust is divided into large fragments that 'float' on an underlying partly melted layer and that whole continents, once residing close together, gradually moved apart until widely separated (plate tectonics), it was widely resisted by geologists among whom a consensus to the contrary existed. It took many years for this intercontinental drift and plate tectonics model to become established, as the evidence in its favour gradually accumulated and neatly explained very many observations – in other words, as scientific convergence emerged. William Reville is an emeritus professor at UCC
