…France has confirmed its first case of Ebola – a doctor who had returned from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The doctor was “immediately admitted to a specialised facility” and is in a stable condition, the French health ministry said on Wednesday.
DR Congo announced an Ebola outbreak last month, but experts believe the virus had been circulating for weeks previously….
This is the first Ebola case to have been confirmed in Europe, although an American doctor who tested positive in DR Congo was treated at a German hospital last month….
The US physician was ultimately brought home to the US to recover, at the beginning of this month.
Isolation / “Altered States” tanking, up next, on a gray but pleasant June morning. Smile….
We remind casual readers, again (on the other hand, regular readers have long known this), the US collective bargaining / labor contract law is clear: these diplomats and other US foreign service workers have a right to come home, for treatment — if ill with Ebola. The Tangerine 2.0 attempt was thus. . . lawless. Again.
But it is over, now. Kenya will not build a holding pen for US people in DRC or Uganda, suspected of having / carrying Ebola. Here’s the Beeb on it, tonight:
…Kenya’s Health Minister Aden Duale has halted the construction of a controversial US-funded Ebola quarantine facility in the country a day after he was found in contempt of court for ignoring a judge’s ruling.
Appearing in court on Tuesday, Duale apologised and said he had “directed the immediate and complete cessation” of building work at a military base in the town of Nanyuki….
Lawyers for those who took Duale to court had asked the judge to impose a 15-month custodial sentence on the minister. [But] High Court Judge Patricia Nyaundi accepted Duale’s apology saying the minister was “discharged with a stern warning”.
Talking about what should happen next, Duale said that both the Kenyan and US governments had agreed to suspend the proposed collaboration concerning the Ebola facility following the court order. . . .
[O]n Monday the judge said the government could not “avoid compliance by recasting or re-characterising the ongoing construction”, adding that a court order “is not an invitation to ingenuity — it is a command to be obeyed….“
This attempt also plainly violated internal Kenyan laws — thus the able judge had put the brakes on it. Onward, to another hours long isolation tank / float, tomorrow afternoon. Woot!
I’d sure love to see John Hinderaker explain / defend / debunk this (as he and his fellow hard right MAGA groups are privately expressing the view that Trump has already “lost” the war, by capitulating to Iran’s demands day after day after day):
…The resolution does not have the force of law and is therefore unlikely to compel an immediate change in policy. But the 50-to-48 vote — in which four Republicans joined Democrats in favor — marked a striking break by the G.O.P.-led Congress with a president who has faced little resistance from his party on any topic, particularly matters of war and national security.
It came as Republicans in Congress have expressed skepticism and alarm about the cease-fire agreement Mr. Trump struck with the Iranians, after nearly five months of war. The measure underscored G.O.P. impatience about continuing to defer to the president, who has never sought approval from Congress for the war, as further negotiations over its end appear precarious and Mr. Trump has threatened more military action.…
The mid-terms will wipe MAGA off the national stage… mark my words.
This is very good news — for the people wrongfully detained, shot at, and beaten by ICE/DHS in Minneapolis last year.
Eventually, Tangerine 2.0’s administration is going to owe millions in damages to the people he abused — and in at least two cases, to the families of people he. . . killed. Here’s the latest, out of the USDC in Minneapolis:
…The parties are ordered to meet and confer before July 6, 2026 to develop a plan for limited discovery before the Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 174) is resolved….
Early Discovery requests must be tailored to issues that might inform the parties’ positions in the Motion to Dismiss, and information with a high risk of dissipation over time….
The Early Discovery plan should identify, as to each request, a reasonable time scope and a narrowly targeted range of custodians from whom such discovery is sought….
Failure by either party to negotiate Early Discovery in good faith will be construed as a waiver of arguments as to such discovery….
Increasingly, Lassa fever may appear in an ever widening section of Africa, as climate change renders much larger portions of the continent hospitable to the transmission of the virus. So a vaccine is sorely needed — and this one uses an inactivated strain of rabies to base the vaccine proteins on. [It comes out of University of Maryland efforts, in Nigeria.]
…An investigational vaccine for the Lassa fever virus (Josiah strain) vectored with inactivated rabies has demonstrated clinically significant immunogenicity against both viruses and a favorable safety profile in a first-in-human, phase 1 clinical trial conducted by the Center for Vaccine Development (CVD) and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine….
“Climate change is causing Lassa fever to extend its reach far beyond its Nigerian and West African origins, putting an estimated 700 million people at risk worldwide,” said UMSOM Dean Mark Gladwin, MD in a statement released on the publication of the trial interim results….
Although the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa, exacerbated by late response and lack of vaccine for the circulating species, requires all possible measures, Lassa fever is another zoonotic viral hemorrhagic illness in the region that is a priority target of the World Health Organization (WHO). It is estimated to infect 300,000 people and kill 5,000 each year, with an 80% mortality of mother or fetus when contracted in late-term pregnancy, and with no vaccine yet available….
Onward, with baby-grrls day here — and sunshine at the park, in cool 70 degree air ahead — maybe a walk to the beach, to put our toes in sugary warm white sand, as well. Smile….
Well, after a lost appeal — this one is now back in the federal trial courts, in DC. And this capable Judge will not tolerate any Muskian nonsense. Trust that.
This below (in blue) is the pending schedule of court ordered new dates — buckle up, Elon!
…ORDERED that the parties shall adhere to the following deadlines:
➢ Deadline to Exchange Initial Disclosures: June 25, 2026
➢ Deadline to Amend the Pleadings without leave of court: June 5, 2026
➢ Deadline to Join Additional Parties without leave of court: June 5, 2026
➢ Plaintiffs’ Rule 26(a)(2) Expert Disclosures: August 26, 2026
➢ Defendants’ Expert Rebuttal Report: November 23, 2026
➢ Plaintiffs’ Expert’s Response to Defendant’s Expert: December 9, 2026
➢ End of Discovery: December 18, 2026
It is further ORDERED that the parties shall adhere to the following briefing schedule:
➢ Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment due January 25, 2027
➢ Defendants’ Combined Opposition and Cross-Motion due February 22, 2027
➢ Plaintiffs’ Combined Opposition and Reply due March 22, 2027
➢ Defendants’ Reply due April 12, 2027….
Now You know. It rumbles onward, against Mr. Musk. Flawless.
So, this all has a decidedly strong stank — of being part of a behind scenes bribe, from Trump surrogates, to the Minister of Health, inside Kenya. And now he may be jailed for it — for criminal contempt.
Charming. We will know one way or the other, in a few days.
Just as would be true in the US, no Kenyan health official has independent, unchecked authority to bind his nation to a deal with any foreign power — at least not without the Bunge (both houses of the legislature, there) or William Ruto’s (the President’s) prior approvals, in writing.
…Kenya’s Health Minister Aden Duale has been found guilty of contempt of court over his handling of the construction of a controversial US-funded Ebola quarantine facility.
Last month, the High Court halted the building of the 50-bed isolation centre at a military base in the town of Nanyuki until a case brought by a rights group could be heard.
But on Monday, a judge ruled that Duale had ignored the order and allowed the project to continue. He is to be sentenced on Tuesday.
The quarantine facility is intended for US citizens who are suspected to have contracted Ebola in the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo….
Now you know. Onward, resolutely. Just like the reflecting pool/swamp deal — this one stinks — to high heaven.
And, the notice of appeal comes on the very last day allowed under the federal rules — from the date of the judgment, dismissing Mr. Abrego Garcia’s criminal charges — and leaving him free of all non-civil entanglements. [He is largely free of all civil entanglements in Maryland too — under USDC Judge Xinis’ spearate orders, as well.]
To be certain, these jamokes will lose on appeal. There is not a stitch of thread in the actual evidence before the courts… that this was anything other than a baseless witch-hunt… resurrecting a 2022 TN highway patrol / traffic encounter (where not even a ticket or warning was issued!) to try to create indict-able felonies. All because Abrego Garcia asserted his right… to have… rights:
…Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291, 18 U.S.C. § 3731, and Rule 4(b)(1)(B)(i) of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, notice is hereby given that the United States of America appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from the Opinion and Order on May 22, 2026, by the District Court granting Defendant Abrego Garcia’s Motion to Dismiss the Indictment….
As I say, the able USDC Judge Waverly Crenshaw took his time, and very carefully offered the government every opportunity to prove that the indictment was pursuant to unbiased, “regular” criminal investigatory processes. When nothing supported that conclusion, he held multiple hearings, and even asked direct questions, of the government witnesses himself, from the bench, in open court.
Welcome to the majors, you Trumpians. [And were Mr. McGuire a wise man — he should be preparing at the same time, for proceedings against his license — to practice law, in Tennessee. Damn.]
The latest EU member of the ISS crew — running a near daily all internet media log of her time in space — and thrilling millions of schoolkids, in the process [with over 210 million views, thus far]… has reached the half-way point, of her stay — in the international “hotel” for near Earth orbit / space travel. [With one of my several prior backgrounders, here.]
She is inspiring STEM kids the globe over, with real, hands on looks at what space-life is like: ocassionally very exciting, sometimes mundane and boring — maitenence work… but never the same thing, more than a few days in a row. And then, there are those endlessly breath-taking views, out the cupola window. Here (below) is the latest video installment from the European Space Agency’s feed:
…Sophie is halfway through the εpsilon mission onboard the ISS, and she has already accomplished so much. Between hundreds of hours of scientific research and thousands of photographs taken from space, she has taken the time to share many unforgettable moments with us — inspiring millions along the way on social media.
“Many thanks to all of you following along on social media, and to all the incredible teams behind εpsilon! It’s been an amazing adventure so far, and I couldn’t be more grateful for your support. Looking forward to sharing the second half of the journey with you all!”, says Sophie….
And… a lil’ closer to home, on a Zoom last night — we learned that our youngest son had endured another bike crash — he’s fine — except for some limited mobility in his left shoulder, which means he’ll skip swim workouts for a few weeks. We are thrilled the cut under his chin is the only thing that will leave a more permanent scar… but at mid-day, in sunny weather, a pickup truck (without the right of way) didn’t see him, and turned left dead in front of him — as he was pedaling straight ahead at ~22 miles an hour. It T-Boned him, but he mostly flew onto/into the truck bed, and had a pretty soft landing, relatively speaking. The carbon-fiber race bike did its intended job, and provided a crush zone for him — it can be replaced. [This is a common hazard, even in the very-biker friendly environs around Eugene, Oregon — especially at the smaller county road intersections.]
But at 30, he is now less-inclined to ride at absolute max speed on the very mountainous, shaply curved bike course outside Nice, France — this September for the Half Iron world championships.
He says he still intends to enter and finish the race — but may pull his “go fast, or go home” horns in — just a bit. [His prior two crashes were more serious, most recently having to have surgical steel plates and screws put into his right elbow three years ago, and two years before that, having to have his left shoulder repaired with cadaver tendons, from an extremely severely-separated shoulder.] So, crashes are a part of life, for him — but he is now of an age that he does not want to be debilitated, should he ever suffer a serious crash again.
And we are grateful that he is coming to that conclusion, all on his own. We will still do the full month in France in September with extended family in tow — but it will more a vacation, and a lil’ less an intensely competitive nerve wracker. [Paris, and now Florence and Sienna, Italy in Tuscany are all likely to be one week stays, in addition to the week (or so) in Nice, proper.] All in all, all good. Onward — and back to Sophie, now:
…“I want you to know that this race against hate was intended to be more than a physical event,” said Sherialyn Byrdsong at the start of the Ricky Byrdsong Memorial Race Against Hate on Sunday. “The finish line is about more than completing a course. This race was intended to remind all of us of the journey we are called to take together. Every step you take today represents a commitment to build communities where people are treated with the dignity, worth and the value that God bestows upon them.”
Byrdsong is the widow of Ricky Byrdsong, the former head coach of the Northwestern men’s basketball team, who was killed by a white supremacist during a Chicago-area shooting spree in July 1999.
She founded the Race Against Hate in 2000….
More than 2,800 athletes — from ages 2 to 89 — as well as an equal number of well-wishers took part in the 27th annual event along the lakefront. The event raises money for YWCA Evanston/North Shore….
And so, we run. Happy Fathers’ Day, to one and all of good will… smile.
There will be more of this, to be certain.
Powerline Lies... 