News from the USA, United States of America


When Lifelong Runners Are Forced to Quit​

For those who rely on the sport for identity and community, leaving it behind can feel like a form of grief.

Ms. McDowell said that emotional pain caught her off guard. A psychiatrist told her that she was experiencing a kind of grief, and that she was allowed to mourn it.

“When you say you’re a runner, people automatically assume you are disciplined, you are ambitious, you know how to set a goal and go for it,” she said. “It has this sheen about it.” Letting go of that identity, she discovered, felt like losing a close companion. “I really thought of running as one of my best friends. I was ‘with’ running five times a week. And all of a sudden you have to say, ‘I have to step away from you.’”

Sidelined Slowly, Then All at Once​

Some runners are forced to give up the sport not because of creaky knees or worn-out hips, but because of illness.

Matt Fitzgerald, 55, an endurance athlete, author and coach who has written nearly 40 books about running (with another, “Dying to Run,” coming out in September) and finished 50 marathons, got long Covid in 2020 and found himself unable to walk. “With most injuries, you can still find something else,” he said. But Mr. Fitzgerald found out through trial and error that exercise made him feel worse. He spent three years unable to run at all, came back partly a few years ago, and is now once again unable to run.
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www.notus.org

Trump Administration Cuts Off Health Care Research Grants Without Warning

Researchers received notices Wednesday that their awards are terminated, after months of silence from the administration.
www.notus.org www.notus.org

Trump Administration Cuts Off Health Care Research Grants Without Warning​

Researchers received notices Wednesday that their awards are terminated, after months of silence from the administration.
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The only explanation given was that the AHRQ is adjusting grant awards “to better prioritize agency resources” toward areas that “best serve the interests of the federal government.”

The letters listed some of those priorities, which include Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s favorite topics, such as nutrition, autism and “overmedication of children,” as well as telehealth, long COVID and artificial intelligence. It also listed antibiotic resistance — which was the subject of at least one of the grants that was canceled.

“What concerns us most is very different projects appear to have received the same rationale for their cancellations,” Carroll said.
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Inside RFK Jr.’s push to dismantle decades of U.S. vaccine policy​

Insider accounts reveal the scale of the health secretary's ambitions to curb childhood immunizations and unearth a link between vaccines and autism.
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Early this year, Kennedy went to his director of the NIH, Jay Bhattacharya, with a costly proposal, according to two officials familiar with the request: The research agency should spend $5 billion studying the link between vaccines and autism.
That would have dedicated more than a tenth of the NIH’s annual budget to investigating a hypothesis already refuted by scientists worldwide.
Kennedy ultimately dropped the plan, which likely would have required congressional approval, after Bhattacharya convinced him the agency had dedicated enough resources to researching autism's causes, including a $50 million effort launched in September, the officials said.
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A Message to the ME/CFS Community​



In 2017, we founded Minnesota's first organization dedicated to supporting people with ME/CFS. Nearly ten years later, it's with mixed emotions that we've made the difficult decision to formally close the Minnesota ME/CFS Alliance—not because our mission is finished, but because Minnesota now has a far stronger foundation of resources and awareness than when we began.

When we first formed, we could barely find one doctor in the state willing to treat ME/CFS patients. Over the years, so much has changed—including the formation of Dr. Tam's ME/CFS Clinic in Minnesota. Thanks in large part to her tireless work and commitment, more Minnesotans are now finding effective care from providers across the state—something that was desperately needed.

We also spent nearly a decade raising awareness at the community, city, state, and national levels. We connected with dozens of individuals and families through personal support, support groups, quarterly book clubs, and Millions Missing awareness events that featured various guest speakers, including from Mayo Clinic, Dr. Tam, and MEAction. Together, we secured city and state proclamations recognizing ME/CFS Awareness Day—proof of what our collective voice could achieve. We provided personal testimony (virtual, written and in person) at the Minnesota State Capitol with #MEAction MN. We even brought our advocacy to Washington, D.C., participating in Day on the Hill. We brought awareness to the disease through numerous articles written throughout the years about the challenges faced by people like us.

But our greatest accomplishment was simpler: creating a safe place where people with ME/CFS could find others who truly understood. That validation, compassion, and hope are a bond we're proud to have fostered. While the organization is closing, the friendships, knowledge, and community we built together will endure.

Thank you for letting us be part of your journey.

With heartfelt gratitude,



The Minnesota ME/CFS Alliance Board
 
www.mecfssandiego.com

ME/CFS San Diego - ME/CFS Heat Tips

Link to PDF 2026 Guide for Tips for Managing Heat Intolerance in ME/CFS Patients
www.mecfssandiego.com www.mecfssandiego.com

Heat Intolerance Tips for ME/CFS & Related Conditions​

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Table of Contents​

 
calmatters.org

DEI keyword search led to billions in cancelled California university grants

The Trump administration cancelled $2 billion of research grants to UC professors. Their legal team says it has proof that was unconstitutional.
calmatters.org calmatters.org

White House admits it used keywords to kill billions worth of California research grants​

BY MIKHAIL ZINSHTEYN JULY 21, 2026
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IN SUMMARY

The Trump administration cancelled $2 billion of research grants to University of California professors. Their legal team says it has proof that those terminations were unconstitutional.
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Federal agencies that terminated more than a thousand research grants at the University of California last year admitted that they used keywords related to diversity, gender, vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 to screen for projects that ran afoul of the Trump administration’s priorities.
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Lawyers for the UC professors now contend that the admission proves three wide-ranging constitutional violations:
  • By using keyword searches to review hundreds of grants and terminate them en masse rather than reviewing them individually on their merits, the Trump administration targeted research it found politically disfavorable, which is a First Amendment violation.
  • In terminating 283 Department of Energy grants from states where a majority voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, and leaving untouched hundreds of grants that went to “red” states, the Trump administration wrongly punished researchers for merely living in states the White House politically opposed.
  • And by terminating billions of dollars in grants, and never rerouting that money to other grant opportunities, the Trump administration violated the constitution by not spending money in ways Congress specifically required through laws it passed on how research funds should be used.
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The US government seems to be taking the same road as the Norwegian government did, in arguing that if something they believe in hasn't been ruled to be false, if a negative hasn't been proven to be wrong, then it must be true, or whatever. Like two peas in a pod.

Autism and Vaccines

Answers to common questions about vaccine safety and autism.
www.cdc.gov www.cdc.gov

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I just saw this notice on the NIH website:


Web Modernization

Beginning in late July, NIH will begin introducing a new website experience designed to make it easier to find health information, research, funding opportunities, and other resources. During the transition, you may notice changes to navigation, page layouts, and where some information is located. Review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below for more information.
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This is just the summary at the top of the page, there's lots more info available.
 
Timko said:
Is there a thread on this paper? I tried different keywords but could not find it.
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@Timko, welcome to the forum.
Sorry, we don't have threads on those papers.

If you want threads on them and don't want to or can't make them yourself, you can post on this thread:
Thread for members to request a paper to be posted

If you want some help to make a thread, go to the forum you think the thread belongs in and look for the thread with instructions pinned to the top of the thread list, for example this one:
Considering posting a study here? Here's the best way to do it

Or, send a direct message to a moderator, and we will help you.
 
From Bateman Horne Center on Bluesky:
In Their Words
This August, we're inviting people living with severe ME/CFS and caregivers to share their stories.Video, audio, written, or an image with a reflection, whatever feels possible.
Submissions close Wednesday, August 5.
Share your voice:
batemanhornecenter.jotform.com

Clone of This is ME:

Please click the link to complete this form.
batemanhornecenter.jotform.com batemanhornecenter.jotform.com
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From that website:

In Their Words​

A storytelling series for Severe ME/CFS Awareness Day
  • What do you wish people understood about Severe ME/CFS?
  • What does a good day look like?
  • Is there someone you'd like to send a message to?
Your version only needs to feel like you. Submissions may be a short video (up to two minutes) or a written reflection of up to three sentences with an image. Anonymous submissions are welcome. Caregivers may submit their own story or on behalf of someone who cannot.
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www.lji.org

New HIV vaccine shows unprecedented success in preclinical study – lji.org

www.lji.org www.lji.org

New HIV vaccine shows unprecedented success in preclinical study​

Vaccine approach yields high numbers of HIV-neutralizing antibodies in non-human primates
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Highlights:​

  • Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology, Scripps Research have developed an HIV vaccine that trains immune cells to see past HIV’s defenses.
  • This HIV vaccine works by prompting the body’s immune system to make substantial numbers of rarely seen “broadly neutralizing” antibodies.
  • In this new study, this vaccine resulted in the best HIV-fighting antibody response ever seen in primates. Human trials have now started.
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What we’ve learned about Covid-19 since the pandemic​

Aug 4, 2026
By Deidre McPhillips
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Here are the subheadings:

Covid-19 vaccines are effective against severe disease​

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Covid-19 vaccines are safe and serious adverse events are rare​

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Children are less susceptible to severe outcomes – but aren’t immune​

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Herd immunity for Covid-19 is complicated​

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The US had one of the worst death rates from Covid-19 and ICUs were often full​

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Covid-19 continues to affect Americans​

Covid-19 was the third leading cause of death in the US in 2020, and it remained in the top 10 until 2024.

For many, Covid-19 feels like a cold or the flu. But hundreds of people in the US are still dying from Covid-19 each month.

Millions of people in the US are also living with long Covid, a chronic condition with wide-ranging symptoms – including fatigue, difficulty breathing, neurological and digestive issues – that can persist months or years after a Covid-19 infection. Estimates vary, but one recent study suggests that 1 in 6 people who are infected with Covid-19 may develop the condition.
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www.panaccindex.info

What COVID-19 Does to the Body (11th Edition, August 2026)

Your Regular COVID-19 Research Update (70+ Studies)
www.panaccindex.info www.panaccindex.info

What COVID-19 Does to the Body (11th Edition, August 2026)​

Your Regular COVID-19 Research Update (70+ Studies)​

AUG 07, 2026

With the show trial in Congress blaming Fauci for the pandemic this past week, as taxpayer funded jackals squeal that “infection is the best protection” against a SARS virus, you might be surprised to learn that we are still learning about the devastating impacts of COVID-19. Having read through hundreds of studies over the years that have been casually omitted from the flood of poisonous disinformation & garbage opinion editorials meant to sabotage the pandemic response, there is still ample reason to protect yourself from repeated infections with COVID-19. This virus is still killing and disabling Americans at a steady pace, even after we collectively delude ourselves into insisting that this horrible event is behind us, having simply accepted a much higher threshold of pestilence.

Having maintained this resource since 2022, I would like to extend a thanks to the many subscribers who have supported this effort. While this was originally designed to help medical professionals and assist researchers in getting their work read, I greatly appreciate everyone who has supported the PAI financially, shared this with their communities, or just read through these compilations. It’s greatly appreciated!
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Lots of studies categorized as follows:
  • Children & COVID-19
  • Cognitive & Neurological Impairment (Brain)
  • Eyes, Ears & Nose
  • Heart, Lungs, and Cardiovascular Health
  • Immune System & Cancer
  • Livers, Kidney, and the Gut
  • Long COVID & Disability
  • Overall Mortality
  • Pregnancy
  • Reproductive Health
  • Viral Persistence
  • COVID-19 Prevention & Transmission
 
Putrino noted that the recent poor air quality spiked the incidence of PEM.

My inner grammarian chafed at his use of "lay down" when I think patients should still go "lie down."

He used the term "resilience" in a way I wanted to edit and replace as "resistance" as in (I'm paraphasing around the 60 min. mark) certain substances (like dextromethorphan) offer more "resilience" to developing PEM or the intensity of that PEM could/would/might be less.

The term resilience has the integrative medicine/alternative "medicine" whiff to it.

Lactic acid monitoring coming soon. Substance called Vinella breaks down lactic acid into fatty acids, he said.

Bateman referred positively (a plug?) to Dr, Zeest Khan's blog. Khan has LC.

Khan has a proprietary option of one to one coaching on her substack blog.

I did like Bateman's on Zeest Khan's observation about pacing---that it is hard work and we don't take enough pride in doing it.

Bateman promoted 15mg capsules of dextromethorphan pre- special events and post, not for daily use. I tried those 25 years ago, noting absolutely nothing, but "patients swear by it...." Damn, I'll have to try it again.

Participants didn't lack for enthusisasm and offered messages of hope.

(edited re Khan's blog)
 
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shak8 said:
Vinella breaks down lactic acid into fatty acids, he said
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This Vinella is a probiotic he’s been touting for a couple of years that has never had a trial come of it. I personally bought and tried, didn’t do anything. It’s another “health” company that has found themselves an eager snake oil salesman.

I think there’s like one study that looks at vinella in long covid microbiome. It’s probably of poor quality, I read and did all this a year or two before I found this forum and probably wouldn’t waste money on it now.

I wonder how much money patients have wasted on magnetic hats, doodads, and probiotics Putrino had touted as effective over the years…. I for sure was a sucker at one point, a desperate sucker
 
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