Latest news with #Yale-educated
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
What Happened to Ron DeSantis? From MAGA Sweetheart to Forgotten Man
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wanted to be king. For a moment — a real, electric flash between the fall of 2022 and the spring of 2023 — it looked like he might be. He was the governor of the third most populous state in the country, a combat-tested Navy veteran, a Harvard- and Yale-educated culture warrior who had turned Florida into a hard-right policy lab in the wake of his handling of the pandemic. He was the man who had just beaten Charlie Crist by nearly 20 points, flipped Miami-Dade red for the first time in two decades, and had Rupert Murdoch's empire begging him to take the Republican crown. Then he ran against Donald Trump. What followed was the kind of tailspin political strategists dread. Once hailed as the party's future, he's now struggling to stay relevant in a political landscape consumed by Trump. And while few are ready to rule out a comeback entirely, it's clear everything has changed. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference on February 05, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida. Among other topics, he addressed the upcoming influx of spring breakers and assured the public that law enforcement... Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference on February 05, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida. Among other topics, he addressed the upcoming influx of spring breakers and assured the public that law enforcement officials and resources were available to maintain order if needed. More Photo byThe Anointing DeSantis entered Florida politics the old-fashioned way: Ivy League pedigree, military valor, Tea Party credentials. But what really launched him was a blessing from Trump. "He ran for governor and won thanks to Donald Trump's endorsement," Eduardo Gamarra, a political science professor at Florida International University, told Newsweek. "He won, but just barely, in the 2018 election." His campaign leaned into the Trump effect hard. In a now-infamous ad, DeSantis taught his toddler to "build the wall" with toy bricks. He read bedtime stories from a "Make America Great Again" sign. The MAGA mimicry worked. DeSantis took office in 2019 and immediately set about turning Florida into a fortress of conservative values. He went all-in on culture war politics — from COVID-19 reopening battles to signing the "Don't Say Gay" bill, from six-week abortion bans to a high-profile war with Disney, the state's most important employer. The message was clear: Florida was the "free state," and DeSantis was the steward of that freedom. Donald Trump is pictured with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on November 26, 2019 in Sunrise, Florida. Donald Trump is pictured with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on November 26, 2019 in Sunrise, Florida."Despite being a young politician," Gamarra said, "he believed he could translate those Florida policies into national achievements and position himself as Trump's natural heir." By the time DeSantis cruised to reelection in 2022, national conservative media had already crowned him. Fox News couldn't get enough. The New York Post called him "DeFuture." It seemed the base was ready to move on from the chaos of the Trump years— toward someone who could deliver the same results with more discipline. DeSantis seemed to think so, too. What he didn't expect was that, while Trump might have been down, he was not out. In fact, he was about to embark on the greatest political comeback in modern U.S. history. The Gamble "In many ways, Trump's recent assault on DEI was inspired by DeSantis' policies in Florida's schools," political historian Matthew Dallek told Newsweek. "His anti-woke rhetoric — DeSantis' two terms as governor have provided the Trump administration with a template, a playbook, that is now being implemented on a national scale." That influence could have positioned him as a kingmaker. Instead, he tried to knock off the king. By 2022, DeSantis was openly flirting with a presidential run. But instead of striking early, he waited for Florida's legislative session to end. Trump, however, was not waiting. He launched fast and started swinging harder. By the time DeSantis announced his bid in May — on a glitchy Twitter livestream alongside Elon Musk — the "DeFuture" narrative was already slipping away. "His presidential campaign was poorly run, and he proved to be an awkward national candidate who never lived up to the 2022 hype," Dallek added. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (L) and former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley speak during the fifth Republican presidential primary debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 10, 2024. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (L) and former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley speak during the fifth Republican presidential primary debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 10, 2024. AFP via Getty Images/Jim WATSON Trump formally announced his bid for a second term in November 2022, and his attacks on his former protege were relentless: "Meatball Ron," "DeSanctimonious," "Shutdown Ron." As Trump's polling numbers rose, DeSantis' sank in turn. Donors began to back away, even with the governor enjoying support from Musk, the world's richest man. Endorsements dried up. In the lead up to the Iowa caucuses, DeSantis had practically taken up residence in the state. It didn't matter. He placed a distant second and dropped out before New Hampshire. "I do not have a clear path to victory," he said in his video announcement. It was a quiet exit. He endorsed Trump immediately. Retreat to Florida The campaign's collapse was widely attributed to DeSantis's "lack of charisma" and Trump's iron grip on a fiercely loyal base. By the time he bowed out, even many conservatives had shifted their hopes to other contenders, like Nikki Haley. For DeSantis, it was time to retreat to safer ground. But back home, he found something had changed: Florida Republicans no longer feared him. As the governor nears the end of his final term, many lawmakers who were once loyal are now trying to limit his power. They've restricted his ability to transport migrants across the country, started reviewing his vetoes, and are pushing to ban the use of taxpayer money in political campaigns on constitutional amendments. This comes after his administration spent millions last year fighting ballot measures on abortion and marijuana. "This legislative session in Florida has shown how much his influence has weakened," said Michael Binder, a political science professor at the University of North Florida. "The State House has pushed back, he's been clashing with the Senate, and the session was supposed to end three weeks ago — but there's still no budget." Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (L) and his wife Casey DeSantis wave as they depart the third Republican presidential primary debate at the Knight Concert Hall at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in... Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (L) and his wife Casey DeSantis wave as they depart the third Republican presidential primary debate at the Knight Concert Hall at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida, on November 8, 2023. More MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images Even the party's inner circle began turning. "It's not just a relationship between DeSantis and Trump," Binder added. "It's really a dynamic between Team DeSantis — mainly him and his wife Casey — and Team Trump." Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, once seen as a rising star in her own right, is now facing growing scrutiny as well. Her political prospects have faded following a scandal involving the alleged diversion of $10 million from a Medicaid settlement to her Hope Florida Foundation. Reports suggest some of that money ended up benefiting PACs aligned with her husband, turning the issue into a major controversy in the Sunshine State. "There's going to be a federal investigation," Gamarra said. "It's become a serious issue for DeSantis." Casey had been seen as the governor's heir apparent, with rumors of a 2026 gubernatorial run. That plan now looks far shakier, especially with Trump publicly supporting Republican Representative Byron Donalds for the state's top job. "DeSantis misread the situation. He thought the party was ready to move on from Trump after three straight losses, but he failed to see that most Republican voters remain fiercely loyal to him. And you can't beat Trump from within the party," Todd Belt, a professor at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management, told Newsweek. Frozen Ambition DeSantis may yet run for Senate. He may even try again for president in 2028. But his path is clouded, according to the analysts who spoke to Newsweek. He burned his bridge to Trump, then tried to rebuild it — holding a quiet meeting with the president at a South Florida golf club and offering to raise money for Trump's reelection. But the famously resentful president didn't fully buy in. "Trump holds grudges, and DeSantis was seen as disloyal to Trump," said Belt. "His influence in the party is minimal at this point, mostly because he didn't articulate a vision for its future beyond anti-wokeness." "The DeSantis-Trump feud appears to have mellowed," added Binder. "But there are absolutely people in both camps who haven't forgotten—and won't forget." US Vice President J.D. Vance (L) swears in Marco Rubio as US Secretary of State, in the Vice President's ceremonial office at the White House in Washington, DC, on January 21, 2025. The US Senate... US Vice President J.D. Vance (L) swears in Marco Rubio as US Secretary of State, in the Vice President's ceremonial office at the White House in Washington, DC, on January 21, 2025. The US Senate unanimously approved Rubio as Secretary of State on January 20, putting the fellow senator on the front line of President Donald Trump's often confrontational diplomacy. MoreWhat DeSantis can't outrun, though, is the perception problem. Even among Republicans who like his policies, he's never been beloved. "His biggest issue is likability," Binder said. "He lacks the charisma that successful presidential candidates tend to have." It's a sharp fall for a man who once had a full media machine behind him. DeSantis has seen himself eclipsed by rising newcomers in Trump's circle, notably vice-president JD Vance and even fellow Floridian Marco Rubio, the former senator and current secretary of state, both named by the president this month as his potential successors. Gamarra, the FIU professor, put it bluntly: "Trump hasn't done anything to elevate or support DeSantis — he considers him a figure of the past." Too Early to Count Him Out The crown may have slipped, but the game isn't over. Even now, DeSantis continues looking for openings — not just in Florida, but nationally. This week, he criticized congressional Republicans for failing to codify federal workforce and spending cuts introduced under Elon Musk's semi-defunct Department of Government Efficiency. "We have a Republican Congress," DeSantis said Tuesday in an unusually sharp attack on his own party. "And to this day, we're in the end of May — past Memorial Day — and not one cent in DOGE cuts have been implemented by the Congress." With Musk formally stepping back from government roles, DeSantis is seizing the moment to cast himself as the fiscal hawk Trumpism has lacked, according to historian Matthew Dallek. "He could absolutely still emerge as a top presidential contender," he said. "Few things are permanent in politics." While Trump remains dominant today, his track record includes three national defeats: the 2018 midterms, the 2020 presidential loss and the GOP's underwhelming 2022 midterms. Another disappointing performance in 2026 could shift party dynamics. "There could absolutely be an opening," Belt said. "But it depends on how long Trump holds on to the center of gravity." Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference about a recent immigration enforcement operation, at the South Florida office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Enforcement and Removal Operations, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in... Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference about a recent immigration enforcement operation, at the South Florida office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Enforcement and Removal Operations, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Miramar, Fla. More AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell Dallek sees similar possibilities: "DeSantis is young, a two-term governor of one of the nation's largest states, and his policies have had a significant influence on the Trump administration." The road back to national relevance depends on variables beyond his control. One is time: at 46, DeSantis can afford to wait. Another is circumstance. If Trump's second administration stumbles further in the polls, he could present the right flank of the party with a conservative alternative, free from the MAGA label that either Vance or Rubio would carry. "We don't even know what will happen in 2026 yet. The full economic impact of Trump's tariff policies may not have hit. If Republicans get walloped in 2026, or the economy takes a nosedive, being closely tied to Trump might become a liability," said Binder, the George Washington professor. That message, while unsuccessful during his aborted 2024 campaign, may resonate more in 2028 — especially if voters tire of the chaos that follows Trump. The next two years could well determine whether DeSantis gets another shot.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ron Howard Reveals How He Really Felt About His 'Happy Days' Co-Star Henry Winkler
Ron Howard is revealing if it was a happy day when he met his co-star Henry Winkler. In the 1970s, Howard and Winkler starred in the ABC sitcom 'Happy Days' as Ritchie Cunningham and Fonzie — 'The Fonz' to fans. Now, more than half a century since the show first aired, Howard is reflecting on their first meeting. In an interview posted on Thursday, Howard told People that the two actors 'clicked.' Although it began strictly on a 'professional level' at first, Howard said he 'looked up to' his co-star. 'Henry's a few years older than I am. Yale-educated, and he looked at acting in a way that was — it wasn't Hollywood,' he said. 'It was a little more intellectual. It was theater-based, and that was new to me. But more than anything, we just got along beautifully and worked well together.' Howard also stated that Winkler stood out from others in the industry at the time. The camaraderie between the two may not have initially started jukebox magic, but it grew to a lasting creative partnership and friendship. In a May 22 interview with the outlet, Howard also credited Winkler with helping launch his directing career. While working on their sitcom, Howard was honing his craft — and after he left the series, opportunity knocked in the form of the 1982 film 'Night Shift.' 'Henry was always so supportive of that. When Henry said yes to Night Shift, that's what got that movie greenlit,' Howard reminisced. 'He played a hand in helping my dream ultimately come true, which was to be a studio, Hollywood, feature director.' Henry Winkler Drops The Hammer On Troll In Kimmel's 'Mean Tweets' Henry Winkler Rocks Impressive Lockdown Beard On 'The Tonight Show' Henry Winkler Busts Out Strenuous Fonzie Dance On 'Tonight Show'
New York Post
22-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Brain surgeon testifies John O'Keefe died from fall on frozen ground in Karen Read trial
John O'Keefe died from falling backwards and hitting his head on frozen ground, according to a Yale-educated brain surgeon who testified Wednesday in the murder trial of Karen Read. Read, 45, is accused of killing her then-boyfriend, the 46-year-old O'Keefe, by hitting him with her 2021 Lexus SUV on Jan. 29, 2022, then leaving him to die on the ground in a blizzard in Canton, Massachusetts, about 20 miles south of Boston. Advertisement The head trauma and skull fractures he sustained, coupled with hypothermia from the cold, would not have killed him immediately, according to Dr. Aizik Wolf, who testified he treated many similar injuries in his career working in Minneapolis. 'The only way he could get this kind of an injury was to fall backwards, hit the back of his head, and then the resulting energy forces going into his brain, into the base of his skull,' he told the jury during questioning from special prosecutor Hank Brennan. O'Keefe suffered 'a classic blunt-trauma injury,' Wolf said. O'Keefe fell backwards and hit his head, Wolf said, and the force of the impact fractured his skull and later resulted in 'raccoon eyes,' which look like black eyes. Advertisement 'This is what happens when soft tissue hits a solid ground,' he testified. Swelling in the victim's brain would have killed him under normal circumstances, usually within 24 to 48 hours, according to Wolf. Some victims have died in as little as one to three. 6 Yale-educated brain surgeon Dr. Aizik Wolf testified that John O'Keefe died from falling backwards and hitting his head on frozen ground. AP In the January nor'easter, O'Keefe's body temperature also tanked. When paramedics found him at 6 a.m., his temperature was just 80 degrees, below the threshold for what medical professionals call 'severe hypothermia.' Advertisement Wolf said he treated many patients with similar injuries early in his career, when he worked in a Minneapolis trauma center. The city can be brutally cold during winter. 6 Dr. Wolf testified that O'Keefe suffered 'a classic blunt-trauma injury.' AP 6 Karen Read covered her mouth as she talked with her lawyer, Elizabeth Little, in the courtroom on Wednesday. AP Advertisement Many of the wounds were fatal. Some were inflicted on drunken patients who slipped on the ice. Others involved people who fell over after suffering a heart attack. 'This testimony from Dr. Wolf sets up the commonwealth's argument for count 2, the involuntary manslaughter charge,' said Grace Edwards, a Massachusetts defense attorney who is following the case. 'The commonwealth will argue to the jury that if they cannot find that Karen Read caused John O'Keefe's death intentionally, counts 1 and 3, then her driving or sideswipe of him and then leaving him injured was the wanton and reckless act, which contributed to his death, then they should find Karen Read guilty of count 2.' According to Wolf's bio at the Miami Neuroscience Center, he is a world-leading authority in his field and the clinic's director. 6 Defense attorney Alan Jackson questioned Massachusetts State Police crime lab technician Christina Hanley on Wednesday about fragments of glass and plastic. AP A short cross-examination by defense attorney Robert Alessi discussed separate injuries that O'Keefe sustained, which were not connected to the head trauma that killed him. 'I thought Attorney Alessi did a good job redirecting Dr. Wolf from the back of the head to the front of the head and eliciting testimony that those injuries were likely not from a fall,' Edwards told Fox News Digital. 'This supports the defense theory that John O'Keefe was not hit by a vehicle and suggests it was something else because of the laceration to his face and the injuries to the arm, and the investigation did not pursue any other leads to determine how John O'Keefe sustained those injuries.' Advertisement Wolf started the day on the stand. After his testimony, Christina Hanley of the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab returned to the witness stand. 6 Read could face life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder. Courtesy of David Yannetti She is an expert on glass and plastic fragments who analyzed the broken cocktail glass found outside 34 Fairview Road and on the back bumper of Read's Lexus SUV, as well as pieces of the broken taillight. Advertisement Her testimony had been interrupted at the early end of the day on Tuesday. She said Wednesday afternoon that some of the plastic debris recovered from O'Keefe's clothing was 'consistent' with the materials used in Read's Lexus but could have come from another source with similar characteristics. 6 O'Keefe died in January 2022. AP During cross-examination, she revealed that none of the broken glass on Read's bumper matched the shattered cocktail glass found in the yard near O'Keefe. Advertisement Defense attorney Alan Jackson had her explain that the only thing any of the bumper glass matched was a glass sample recovered by former Trooper Michael Proctor, who was fired in March after an internal probe into inappropriate text messages he sent during the investigation. Earlier in the trial, the defense played video showing Proctor standing near the rear of the vehicle, out of camera view, while it was at the Canton Police Department headquarters. Proctor, through his family, has maintained that his investigation was in line with the evidence and conducted with integrity. Advertisement Read could face life in prison if convicted of the top charge, second-degree murder. She is also accused of drunken driving, manslaughter and leaving the scene of a deadly accident.
The Hill
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
The real ‘DEI hire' was Clarence Thomas
Was Amy Coney Barrett a 'DEI hire' to the Supreme Court? That's what President Trump's MAGA acolytes have been saying since his State of the Union Address last March, when Barrett allegedly glared at him as he walked down the aisle. The next day, she sided with the court's liberal justices in rejecting the Trump administration's bid to freeze nearly $2 billion in foreign aid. 'She is evil, chosen solely because she checked identity politics boxes,' right-wing activist Mike Cernovich posted on X. 'Another DEI hire. It always ends badly.' But the real DEI hire on the Supreme Court — chosen solely because of identity politics — isn't Barrett. It's Clarence Thomas. There, I said it. But so did every honest observer back in 1991, when George H. W. Bush nominated Thomas for the court. Bush claimed that Thomas was the 'best qualified' candidate for the seat vacated by Thurgood Marshall. But the real reason Bush selected him was that Thomas, like Marshall, is Black. Thomas knew it, too. Ten years before he joined the court, while serving as assistant secretary for civil rights in the Department of Education, he reportedly told a colleague that he had set his sights on Marshall's seat. In 1981, the Yale-educated Thomas was already the highest-ranking Black attorney in the federal government. Marshall 'wouldn't last forever,' Thomas said, and no one was in 'as good a position' to replace him as Thomas was. The year after that, President Ronald Reagan appointed Thomas to chair the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission. He won accolades from conservatives for condemning affirmative action, which he called 'belittling to minorities.' At Yale, he said, everyone assumed he was admitted because of his race rather than his merit. So long as Black people received special consideration, Thomas argued, they would be dismissed as 'second rate.' Behind the scenes, that's exactly what White House officials said about him. He was passed over for a judgeship on the D.C. Court of Appeals because the Justice Department said his legal scholarship was weak. But when George H. W. Bush replaced Reagan, things changed. A country-club Republican, Bush was eager to burnish his reputation among the right-wing rank-and-file. So he appointed Thomas to the D.C. Court of Appeals and even considered nominating him for the Supreme Court when liberal lion William J. Brennan stepped down. Don't do it, Bush's advisers counseled. Thomas had never litigated a case before a jury, they noted, and he hadn't issued any substantive constitutional opinions during his brief stint on the appeals court. Bush instead chose David Souter, who disappointed conservatives. But when Marshall announced his retirement the following year, Thomas got the nod. He had the requisite right-wing credentials. And he would become the next African American justice, which would insulate him from criticism on the left. The strategy worked. Democrats were afraid to attack Thomas' legal philosophy too harshly, lest they be perceived as racist. And when Thomas faced sexual harassment accusations from his former aide, Anita Hill, he famously denounced his confirmation hearing as a 'high-tech lynching.' That worked, too. America has an ugly history of violence against African American men, often triggered by false reports of sexual misconduct. Although Hill's charges were entirely credible, nobody wanted to be seen as dragging another Black man through the mud. No matter what Thomas says about race, then, it clearly helped him secure a place on the Supreme Court. And it's fair to say that gender gave Barrett an advantage, too. Just as Thomas replaced an African-American on the court, Barrett followed Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And even before he nominated Barrett, Trump announced that he would appoint a woman to Ginsburg's seat. But unlike Thomas, Barrett was a legal superstar. She graduated first in her class at Notre Dame Law School and clerked for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, whose other clerks routinely describe her as the sharpest of the bunch. She is also conservative, of course. Barrett voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, reverse affirmative action and expand gun rights. And let's not forget that she signed on to an opinion granting Trump immunity for official acts he takes as president. But she has also crossed Trump several times this term, which makes her a turncoat in the eyes of his disciples. In addition to bucking his freeze on foreign aid, Barrett joined an opinion that said Trump couldn't deport Venezuelan migrants under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. That led one right-wing activist to denounce her as — wait for it — 'Amy Commie Barrett.' That's an absurd moniker for someone so obviously conservative. So is the idea of Barrett as a 'DEI hire,' if that means someone who used identity — not merit — to get to the top. Yes, her gender might have helped her along the way, but her legal skills are beyond doubt, no matter what you think of her decisions. And nobody on the Supreme Court got a bigger boost from identity than Thomas. If you don't believe me, simply listen to the man who chaired his Senate confirmation hearing: 'Had Thomas been white, he never would have been nominated,' declared Joe Biden, who would later displace Trump from the White House. 'The only reason he is on the court is because he is Black.' Sounds like another DEI hire, chosen to check the right boxes. But it's so much easier to ignore that fact and flay Barrett. It will end badly for her two-faced critics — it always does.
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
CancerTok influencer's doctor reveals shock truth behind her diagnoses after critics claimed they spotted clues she was faking illness
A Yale-educated oncologist has hit out at detractors who claimed an influencer was faking her cancer diagnosis. Sydney Towle, now 25, already had scores of online followers on TikTok when she tearfully announced in 2023 that she had a rare and aggressive form of cancer, known as cholangiocarcinoma. As she shared her life undergoing chemotherapy and other treatments for the bile duct cancer, her fanbase grew and she now has more than 770,000 followers on the video sharing site. But as Towle's popularity grew - so did her critics, who maliciously claimed they found evidence the CancerTok influencer was faking her diagnosis, according to the New York Times. They pointed to her videos showing her traveling around the world and what they saw as contradictions in her treatment on an anonymous Reddit page. The detractors even put together a 28-page timeline of medical details Towle shared online, using it to bolster their claims that Towle was lying about having cancer for public sympathy and monetary gain. Yet Dr. Ghassan Abou-Alta, who specializes in liver and bile duct cancers and treats Towle - has now put an end to the debate. 'She has cancer,' he told the Times, categorizing her illness as Stage IV. He described how Towle's cancer started in the bile ducts in the liver, and after an initial surgery to remove the original tumor, the cancer recurred in her liver. Tumors were also detected in lymph nodes next to her liver, Abou-Alta said from his office at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. The doctor then went on to commend Towle for shining a light on young people who are fighting cancer, more and more of whom are diagnosed every day. Many of them can maintain a fairly normal schedule, even when undergoing chemotherapy, Abou-Alta explained. 'We literally have people who come to us for treatment on their lunchtime from the office and then go back to work,' he noted. 'Patients really can live with cancer. Not everybody should be looking as if they were dying.' Of course not everyone will tolerate chemotherapy as well as Towle, but a number are, he said. 'A young patient like Sydney, or at any age really, can keep going and look very good,' the doctor said. 'But it does not undermine that she's still living with a very serious matter.' When the oncologist was then told that skeptics on Reddit thought Towle was lying about her diagnosis, Abou-Alta reportedly hung his head and shook it in disbelief. He then recounted how he had told Towle that the point of undergoing chemotherapy is to preserve and prolong life - something that she should cherish. 'Always what I tell her is, "We want to steal from you one day per week" for treatment,' the doctor said. '"That's when you're a sick person. We have to keep the other six days for you."' Yet those on the so-called 'snark' Reddit page have claimed Towle's often cheerful videos are proof that she does not actually have cancer. They started the page last fall, as Towle moved from her native California to New York City for treatment. Its rules included: 'No defending Syd.' At the time, the Redditors noted that Towle had planned a three-week trip to Europe ahead of her move - questioning why someone with cancer would take a break from treatment for vacation, only to return to make dramatic videos about her illness. The backlash then intensified over the winter, when the anonymous posters argued that she was not undergoing much chemotherapy. They noted that Towle maintained her long hair, and zoomed in on videos Towle posted to look for signs of a port - a medical device that is implanted in patients to facilitate chemo treatments and ease blood draws. When they didn't find evidence of one, the Redditors concluded Towle must be lying about her diagnosis. Then, when she posted a video showing a port implanted not on her upper chest - as is usual - but on the underside of her arm, they remained skeptical. And even when Towle posted a video in which she appeared to be at a chemotherapy appointment in March, she was hit with backlash just days later, for posting another video showing her with her brother, Austin, in the Caribbean. 'This is us before going scuba diving in the ocean - for the first time,' she wrote in the TikTok video. In the next scene, Towle and her brother were seen wearing wetsuits, which Towle said 'is us after our first dive.' The brother-and-sister duo were in Jamaica for a friend's wedding, but on Reddit, critics saw the stark juxtaposition as evidence she was not sick. 'Syd must WANT to be ousted,' one commentator wrote. 'Don't worry, she'll be back with the fake nausea and baby voice in no time,' another added. Eventually, the Reddit page had more than 1,000 members who accused Towle of manufacturing emotion on camera to manipulate sympathetic followers. One of the biggest detractors was a Redditor with the username Beginning_Field_2421, who was found to be Connie Wright - a privacy officer for Valley Health System in Bergen County, New Jersey who shapes and manages the organization's patient privacy practices, according to her LinkedIn. 'We have receipts, medical analysis, fact-checking discussions,' she wrote on the page, urging others to 'join the conversation and tell us how you found out and why you may have doubts.' She also shared posts with headings like, 'Sydney Towle- Were you lying then or now?' and 'How to spot when Sydney Towle is lying: Her biggest tells, which catalogued her 'slow blinks, pauses and squinting.' Wright also used some strong language in her posts, once reportedly writing: 'I've never disbelieved or hated this phony b more than today.' Others were also alarmed when Google said cholangiocarcinoma 'often affects adults in their 70s' and carries a 'usually poor' prognosis in cases in which the cancer advanced, as had Towle's. Many of the detractors did not seem concerned about their hostility, the Times reports. 'If she fabricated any part of her story, it's deeply unethical and she deserves backlash,' Beginning_Fields_2421 wrote as others hit out at Towle for accepting donations from some of her followers. 'Being a public figure comes with scrutiny - it's part of the job.' Eventually, the hostility spread beyond the Internet, as Wright urged people to complain about Towle to the companies whose products she endorsed and suggested that Reddit commentators show up at a cancer research fundraiser that Towle would be attending. Someone else also suggested sending Towle's photo to cancer hospitals, implying they need to be alerted of a potential fraudster, according to the Times. A third Redditor even contacted the Jamaican scuba company where she and her brother had gone diving, asking about the protocol for allowing cancer patients to participate. Meanwhile, Towle also noticed a surge in criticism on TikTok. 'My comments have been so inundated with people being like, "You will burn in hell. You are lying,"' she told the Times, adding that she also received death threats. The comments left her feeling stuck, because if she quit social media, she feared her followers would believe she had something to hide. 'I'm sorry that they are so angry that living with cancer can look different than they think it should,' she said. In a video after the article was published, Towle finally addressed the hatred she received to her TikTok followers. 'I haven't really addressed this because I was quite frankly shocked when I found out this was a thing - and I wasn't sure how else to prove I have cancer because I was posting at chemo every week,' she said. 'I also know that I know what I'm going through, my friends and family know what I'm going through and that is ultimately what matters the most. 'But it has taken a significant toll on my mental health... It has been a lot,' she admitted. Towle concluded by saying she hopes the article 'reinforces that you do not know what someone is going through. 'Just because I am traveling, hanging out with my friends and doing normal things doesn't mean that I don't have Stage IV cancer,' she said, before thanking 'everyone who has supported me, because none of the negativity negates how much I appreciate the support of everyone on here.'
