Move over, Ozempic. There’s a new weight loss shot everyone’s freaking out about.
A new experimental weight loss drug called “retatrutide” is suddenly blowing up online after clinical trial results showed patients losing an average of more than 70 pounds, with some people dropping nearly a third of their body weight.
Yes, you read that right.
The once-weekly injectable drug, currently being developed by Eli Lilly and Company, is already being called the next giant leap in the booming GLP-1 weight loss craze that has completely transformed Hollywood, social media, and, honestly, half the conversations happening in America right now.
And based on these numbers, people are definitely going to pay attention.
According to new trial data, patients taking the highest dose of retatrutide lost an average of 70.3 pounds over roughly a year and a half.
Some participants reportedly lost closer to 85 pounds during extended testing.
To put that into perspective, researchers say the results are starting to approach what doctors typically see with actual bariatric surgery.
That’s a huge deal.
Unlike current blockbuster drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound, retatrutide targets three separate hormone receptors instead of one or two.
Experts believe that the extra mechanism may help the body burn more energy while also reducing appetite and improving blood sugar levels at the same time.
In normal-person language? People feel less hungry while their bodies potentially burn more calories.
Which is why the internet and half the medical world are losing their minds over these numbers.
One endocrinologist reportedly called it “the largest weight loss” she had ever seen in a medication trial.
But before everybody starts sprinting to Google looking for prescriptions, there’s a catch.
Actually, several catches.
The drug is still experimental and has not yet been approved by the FDA.
Analysts don&#8217;t expect approval until late 2027 or 2028, though Eli Lilly has said it could happen as early as this year.
The trial data have also not yet gone through a full peer review.
And then there are the side effects.
A pretty significant number of patients experienced nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, skin discomfort, and urinary tract infections.  Some people dropped out of the study altogether because of how rough the side effects became at higher doses.
In other words, while it might sound like magic, it&#8217;s technically not.
Still, the numbers are so dramatic that retatrutide is already being viewed as a possible next-generation successor to the current wave of wildly popular weight loss injections dominating the market.
Which means America’s obsession with these drugs probably is not slowing down anytime soon.

weightloss

Move Over, Ozempic. There’s A New Weight Loss Shot Everyone Is Freaking Out About

Health

Overweight

Ozempic

weight Loss

Passengers aboard the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius have officially begun disembarking in Spain’s Canary Islands, marking a major development in the international health scare that has already left three people dead and prompted quarantine operations across multiple countries.
Spanish health officials <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/10/world-news/hantavirus-ridden-mv-hondius-cruise-ship-arrives-in-canary-islands-after-deadly-outbreak/">confirmed Sunday</a> that evacuation efforts were “proceeding normally” as passengers were escorted off the Dutch-flagged vessel in small groups under strict biosecurity measures. Travelers wore face masks and protective coverings while hazmat-suited crews transported them directly to quarantine flights waiting at Tenerife Airport.
The operation comes after days of uncertainty aboard the ship, which had effectively been stranded at sea while governments and health agencies coordinated where passengers could safely disembark and quarantine.
The outbreak has drawn global attention because the Andes strain of hantavirus — believed to be responsible for the infections aboard the Hondius — is one of the only known hantavirus variants capable of human-to-human transmission. While officials continue emphasizing that the public risk remains low, the scale of the response reflects fears of potential wider spread if the outbreak is mishandled.
The World Health Organization, CDC, and multiple national governments have all deployed personnel to oversee the evacuation and repatriation process.
As previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-health-officials-monitor-cruise-passengers-in-multiple-states-after-hantavirus-outbreak">reported</a> by The Daily Wire, several Americans who may have been exposed to the virus had already returned to the United States before the outbreak was fully understood. Those passengers, located in Texas, Georgia, Virginia, Arizona, and California, are being monitored by state health officials after disembarking earlier during a stop on Saint Helena, the island famous for Napoleon Bonaparte’s second exile and death. Oceanwide Expeditions, the company operating the Hondius, previously confirmed it was attempting to track all passengers and crew who boarded or left the vessel since March 20.
At least nine confirmed or suspected cases have now <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2026-DON600">been linked</a> to the outbreak, including three fatalities. Officials believe the outbreak likely began after an elderly Dutch couple contracted the virus during travel in Argentina before boarding the cruise ship. The husband later died aboard the vessel, while his wife became seriously ill after leaving the ship and later died in South Africa. Another passenger, a German national, also died after developing symptoms.
Several additional suspected cases have since emerged across Europe and elsewhere, while dozens of former passengers scattered across multiple countries are now being monitored during the virus’ lengthy incubation period, which can last up to eight weeks.
The first evacuees Sunday included Spanish passengers, who were transported to Madrid for quarantine at a military hospital. Americans are expected to be flown to Nebraska for monitoring and isolation at a specialized biocontainment unit. British, French, Australian, Dutch, Canadian, and other foreign nationals are also being repatriated under varying quarantine protocols.
Despite the dramatic scenes unfolding in Tenerife, including security perimeters around the vessel, hazmat suits, respirators, and decontamination procedures, health officials insist the outbreak does not resemble another COVID-style pandemic threat.
Hantavirus is typically spread through prolonged contact with infected rodent droppings or saliva and is far less contagious than airborne viruses such as COVID-19. However, the Andes strain can spread through prolonged close human contact, making health authorities especially cautious. The virus primarily attacks the lungs and respiratory system, often causing severe breathing complications. Some strains carry mortality rates approaching 40% to 50%.
Officials say no passengers currently remaining aboard the Hondius are showing symptoms, though authorities caution that infections could still emerge in the coming weeks as quarantines continue worldwide.

Sick passengers evacuated by boat from Cruise Ship in Cape Verde’s port

Hantavirus-Stricken Cruise Ship Docks In Canary Islands — What’s Next For Passengers

Health Care

medicine

Travel

A number of American cruise passengers who may have been exposed to hantavirus are being monitored at home after returning from the Dutch ship M.V. Hondius.
<a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/07/us-news/americans-on-hantavirus-plagued-cruise-ship-return-home-to-three-states/">The passengers</a> — two in Texas, two in Georgia, one in Virginia, one in Arizona, and one in California — disembarked on the remote South Atlantic island of Saint Helena and are all reported to be in good health. They are still being monitored by health officials in their respective states, as life-threatening symptoms can still develop weeks after the initial exposure. None of the passengers were aware when they left the cruise ship that they might have been exposed.
Oceanwide Expeditions, the company that operates the Dutch cruise ship, released a statement on Thursday: &#8220;These disembarked guests have all been contacted by Oceanwide Expeditions. We are working to establish details of all passengers and crew who embarked and disembarked on various stops of M/V Hondius since March 20.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2026-DON599">Hantavirus</a> is most commonly transmitted through contact with rodent droppings, but the Andes virus — which primarily attacks the respiratory system and can carry a mortality rate of up to 50% — can be transmitted from person to person. The Andes virus, according to the World Health Organization, is responsible for the Hondius outbreak. Other strains of hantavirus can cause what&#8217;s known as Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), a condition that can cause the kidneys to shut down.
The ship has been stranded for several days — with travelers trapped on board — as officials determine when and where passengers will be permitted to disembark. The next destination is likely to be Spain&#8217;s Canary Islands.
Since the outbreak began, seven cases have been identified — two through lab testing and five through medical evaluation. According to the WHO, three of those patients have died and one still remains critical — and three more have had only mild symptoms of infection.
<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/07/world/hantavirus-ship-tenerife-outbreak-intl">Travelers in at least</a> seven other countries are also monitoring for signs of illness after leaving M.V. Hondius.

Hantavirus

Americans Across Several States Caught Up In Growing Cruise Ship Health Scare

U.S. Health Officials Monitor Cruise Passengers In Multiple States After Hantavirus Outbreak

Medical

World

GENEVA/MADRID, May 6 (Reuters) &#8211; A luxury cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak and marooned since Sunday off the coast of Cape Verde left for Spain on Wednesday, a Reuters witness said, after three people, two of them seriously ill, were evacuated.
The MV Hondius, with nearly 150 people on board, is expected to dock in Spain&#8217;s Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, within three days, Spain&#8217;s Health Minister Monica Garcia said, adding that those still on board were not presenting any symptoms of the disease.
Once in Tenerife, if they are still healthy, all non-Spanish citizens will be repatriated to their countries, Garcia told a press conference in Madrid.
The 14 Spanish passengers will be quarantined in a military hospital in Madrid, she said. The duration of the quarantine will depend on when they potentially had contact with the virus, she said, adding that it has a 45-day incubation period.
Three people &#8211; a Dutch couple and a German national &#8211; have died in the outbreak.
A total of eight people &#8211; including a Swiss citizen who has returned home and is being treated in Zurich &#8211; are suspected to have contracted the virus, with three of them confirmed by laboratory testing, the World Health Organization said.
Argentina&#8217;s health ministry will carry out rodent trapping and analysis in the southern city of Ushuaia, the origin point of the cruise ship hit by the outbreak, it said in a statement.
Officials are reconstructing the itinerary of the Dutch citizens who traveled in Argentina and Chile and later developed hantavirus symptoms on the cruise, the statement said.
No associated cases have been found in Argentina.
EVACUATIONS
South Africa confirmed it had identified among the victims the Andean strain of the virus, which can, in rare cases, spread among humans through very close contact. Argentina&#8217;s health ministry said it would send Andes virus RNA and guidelines for diagnosis and treatment to laboratories in Spain, Senegal, South Africa, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
&#8220;This is the only (hantavirus) strain that is known to cause human-to-human transmission, but such transmission is very rare and &#8230; only happens due to very close contact,&#8221; South Africa&#8217;s health ministry said.
Nevertheless, some Tenerife residents said they were worried about the ship docking there. &#8220;People are scared,&#8221; said Margarita Maria, 62, adding that the boat should go elsewhere in Spain.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X that the three people evacuated from the ship on Wednesday were on their way to the Netherlands.
The Dutch Foreign Ministry said these people included a Dutch person, a German, and a Briton, and that they would be transported to specialized hospitals in Europe.
One of the aircraft transporting two patients from Cape Verde to Amsterdam was scheduled to refuel in Morocco, but Morocco refused to allow the aircraft to land, and the plane was refueled at the airport in Gran Canaria, Spain&#8217;s health ministry said.
While in Gran Canaria, the on-board doctor reported a problem with the patient’s life support system, and the patient is now connected to the airport&#8217;s electrical supply, awaiting the arrival of a new aircraft to continue the journey, the ministry said.
Two of those evacuated presented acute symptoms, the ship&#8217;s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said. The third person was closely linked to the German passenger who died on the ship on May 2. The Dutch ministry said that person was possibly infected with the virus.
The ship set off from the southern tip of Argentina on April 1 and traveled to some of the most remote places on earth, including the British island of Saint Helena.
The Dutch government said in a letter to parliament that around 40 people disembarked at Saint Helena, including the Swiss national who has since developed symptoms.
Cape Verde had been intended as the ship&#8217;s final destination, but the archipelago nation off West Africa has not allowed the passengers to come ashore because of the outbreak.
&#8216;VERY, VERY DIFFERENT TO COVID&#8217;
Since the start of the outbreak, the WHO has said the risk to the wider public from a virus usually transmitted by rodents is low, and it stressed on Wednesday that this remained the case.
&#8220;So when we say close contact (for human-to-human transmission), we mean very close physical contact, whether it&#8217;s sharing a bunk room or sharing a cabin, providing medical care, for example, (that is) very, very different to COVID and very different to influenza,&#8221; Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO director of epidemic and pandemic management, told Reuters.
Van Kerkhove said the WHO was working with countries to follow up with passengers who left the boat at Saint Helena in the south Atlantic, before it reached Cape Verde.
South Africa has identified 65 people who have been in contact with confirmed or suspected hantavirus cases, and other countries have identified 12, the WHO&#8217;s South Africa representative, Shenaaz El-Halabi, told Reuters.
&#8216;OUR DAYS HAVE BEEN CLOSE TO NORMAL&#8217;
Passenger Kasem Hato told Reuters the ship&#8217;s captain was keeping passengers updated and that those on board had been advised to limit close contact with other passengers and use hand sanitizer regularly.
&#8220;People are taking the situation seriously but without any panic, trying to keep social distancing and wearing masks to be safe,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;Our days have been close to normal, just waiting for authorities to find a solution, but morale on the ship is high and we’re keeping ourselves busy with reading, watching movies, having hot drinks, and that kind of things.&#8221;
(Reporting by Sfundo Parakozov, Nellie Peyton, Tim Cocks in Johannesburg, Emma Pinedo and David Latona in Madrid, Bart Meijer and Charlotte Van Campenhout in Amsterdam, Madeline Chambers in Berlin, Makini Brice in Paris, Olivia Le Poidevin in Geneva, Catherine Cartier, Jennifer Rigby in London, Javi West Larranaga in Gdansk, Leila Miller in Buenos Aires; Writing by Ingrid Melander and Clement Bonnerot; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus, Robbie Corey-Boulet, Gareth Jones, Deepa Babington, Rod Nickel)

Hantavirus Scare Triggers Evacuations On Cruise Ship As It Heads To Next Port

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday temporarily restored access to the abortion pill mifepristone, blocking a federal appeals court ruling and teeing up a showdown at the high court.
On Friday, a three-judge panel of the ⁠Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a nationwide Biden-era policy allowing the abortion pill mifepristone to be prescribed online and delivered by mail. The court held that the regulation is likely unlawful and inflicts ongoing harm while litigation proceeds.
Over the weekend, manufacturers of the abortion drug filed emergency appeals asking the Supreme Court to intervene.
Acting alone, Justice Samuel Alito on Monday <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28093011-25a1207-admin-stay-and-cfr/">entered an administrative stay</a> of the Fifth Circuit ruling, which is a short-term, procedural order that freezes legal proceedings to maintain the status quo. 
The emergency order, set to expire next Monday, directs Louisiana to file briefs for consideration by the full court.
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the Biden administration expanded access to chemical abortion nationwide. Under the 2023 rules, mifepristone could be prescribed via telehealth and shipped without an in-person doctor visit.
The majority of abortions in the U.S. are obtained through medications, usually a combination of mifepristone and a second drug, misoprostol, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-mifepristone-supreme-court-louisiana-0533e83d67148fdfec53b1d0d30c1e8a">according to the Associated Press</a>. The policy aims to circumvent some of the abortion bans that conservative states have implemented.
Louisiana challenged the Biden-era policy under the Administrative Procedure Act, arguing the FDA relied on flawed or nonexistent data while eliminating safety protocols. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/court-issues-major-ruling-on-biden-abortion-pill-policy">The Daily Wire previously reported</a> that the agency acknowledged it had not adequately studied the safety of remote dispensing and is still conducting a review, with no clear timeline for completion.
The Fifth Circuit rejected the argument that courts should wait on the FDA’s ongoing review. Allowing the policy to continue, the panel argued, would effectively permit the agency to maintain a potentially unlawful regulation indefinitely.
“Every abortion facilitated by FDA’s action cancels Louisiana’s ban,” the court wrote, emphasizing that such sovereign harms cannot be undone.
The ruling outraged Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called the decision &#8220;<a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/2051307954926723410?s=20">an appalling overreach</a>.&#8221;
The Trump administration has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/justice-department-moves-to-shut-down-red-state-lawsuit-over-abortion-pill">defended the F.D.A. in court</a> as the agency conducts a new review of mifepristone. Some anti-abortion advocates have been frustrated with the speed of the review, putting the White House in an uncomfortable political position going into the November midterms.
Susan B. Anthony, a prominent Pro-Life group, blasted the Trump administration and called for the immediate termination of FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary.
&#8220;Indifference is completely unacceptable to millions of pro-life voters expecting the administration to act to save lives. Abortions are up, not down, after Dobbs, with at least 1.1 million deaths a year,&#8221; <a href="https://sbaprolife.org/newsroom/press-releases/sba-pro-life-america-intensifies-call-to-fire-makary">the group said in a statement</a>. &#8220;More than 90,000 abortions occur each year just in states that protect babies in the law throughout all nine months of pregnancy — a direct result of Biden’s Covid-era mail-order abortion drug rule, which the Trump administration inexplicably allows to continue.&#8221;
“This is a five-alarm crisis for the pro-life movement and for the GOP,&#8221; the group added. &#8220;The GOP cannot win without its base and simply will not get the enthusiasm that drives turnout without leadership from the top.&#8221;
In a statement to The Daily Wire, White House spokeswoman Allison Schuster said the Trump administration is closely following the litigation.
&#8220;In the meantime, the FDA continues to work on a rigorous, Gold Standard Science review to get to the bottom of widespread concerns about mifepristone,&#8221; Schuster said.

Abortion – Miscarriage

Supreme Court Takes Unusual Step As Legal Showdown Intensifies Over Mail-In Abortion Drug

Abortion Drug

Supreme Court

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
Over the past few years, the story about microplastics has shifted from a focus on ocean pollution to human health, and the science has moved faster than many people realize. Researchers have detected these tiny particles — fragments that often are invisible — in human blood, breast milk, and most recently cardiac arteries and brain tissue. The question is no longer whether we’ve been exposed. It’s about what that exposure means and what, if anything, we can do about it.
It’s next to impossible to opt out of microplastic exposure. I want to say that upfront, because too much writing on this topic implies that the right combination of shopping and lifestyle choices will keep you clean. It probably won’t. By the time food gets to your kitchen — whether it’s labeled organic and brought home in a cloth bag or it was handed to you at a drive-through window — it has already traveled through a plastic-intensive supply chain. Factory equipment, storage, and transport all contribute layers of plastic exposure — often with the intention of preventing you from being exposed to other contaminates — long before you go shopping or open the refrigerator.
There’s a growing body of evidence showing <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2309822">harm from microplastics</a>, but some of the findings might feel distant from daily risk calculations. That’s where the animal studies on endocrine disruption come in. What we now understand is that <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12249724/">microplastics can disrupt the hypothalamus</a>, the part of the brain that sends hormonal signals that tell you when you’ve eaten enough or that it’s time to go to bed. I know that some people who are reading this are saying to themselves: The studies she’s talking about were done in mice, not people. Fair enough. We don’t have human randomized controlled trials on microplastics, and we probably never will. But we’ve been here before. We acted on the endocrine disruption that we saw in the animal literature related to BPA before we had definitive proof of human harm. We didn’t wait before pulling it from baby bottles. The precautionary logic was sound, and the same reasoning applies here.
So where is the exposure actually coming from? It turns out that it’s everywhere, everything, and all at once, but not equally. A recent study found that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749123022352">chicken nuggets</a> contain significantly more microplastic contamination than plain chicken breast. Same animal, radically different plastic load because every additional processing step means more contact with plastic manufacturing equipment. Ultra-processed foods aren’t just nutritionally inferior; they carry a higher plastic burden as a result of the process used to produce the food.
What you can do about it comes down to two habits, neither of which costs anything.
Heat is the enemy. Microwave heating causes the highest release of microplastics of any common kitchen scenario. One <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.3c01942">study</a> found billions of nanoplastic particles per square centimeter were released within three minutes of heating time. The label “microwave safe” means the container won’t melt. It says nothing about what it does to your food. If you’re heating something that was packaged in plastic — a frozen meal or leftovers in a takeout tray — transfer it to a glass or ceramic dish first. Same microwave, dramatically lower microplastic exposure.
Your dishwasher is doing more damage than you think. Heat degrades plastic, and repeated dishwasher cycles accelerate that breakdown, increasing the rate at which particles shed into whatever you store or eat from those containers. Wash plastic by hand.
That’s it. I’m not telling you to throw out your Tupperware. In an ideal world, replacing plastic storage with glass and stainless steel makes sense, but that’s a financial commitment that not everyone can make right away. I’m a doctor and a mom and I’ll admit to having heated up more than a few meals in whatever container they came in. The goal isn’t perfection or beating yourself up over your past choices. These are two easy habits that don’t require new equipment and address the highest-exposure moments in your daily routine. The science on microplastics is evolving, but the direction of the evidence is clear. Meaningfully reducing your exposure is free. That’s a pretty easy call.
***
Monique Yohanan, MD, MPH, is a senior fellow for health policy at Independent Women. As a physician executive and healthcare innovation leader, Yohanan has more than 20 years of experience at the intersection of clinical medicine, technology, and health policy.

GettyImages-2203432251

The Plastic Problem No One Can Opt Out Of And Two Easy Fixes You’re Probably Ignoring

MAHA

Upstream

A doctor asked the Supreme Court to intervene in her battle against woke California medical education requirements she says stifle her free speech.
Dr. Azadeh Khatibi and the medical watchdog organization Do No Harm filed a <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/1032366223/Khatibi-Pet-for-Cert-1?_gl=1*158e1y2*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTg1NjQ4MTE0NS4xNzc3Mzg2MDE2*_ga_Z4ZC50DED6*czE3NzczODYwMTUkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzczODYwMTckajU4JGwwJGgw*_ga_8KZ8BV0P5W*czE3NzczODYwMTUkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzczODYwMTckajU4JGwwJGgw">petition</a> on Tuesday asking the Supreme Court to take up a case challenging continuing medical education requirements that mandate instructors teach doctors about “implicit bias,” which is the claim that a person can unconsciously discriminate against another. Khatibi argues that the requirements, which were signed into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, force medical professionals to push politically charged ideas.
“By mandating ideologically charged racial theories be taught in continuing medical education courses, California infringes on physicians’ free speech rights,” Do No Harm Chair Stanley Goldfarb told The Daily Wire. “We are asking the Supreme Court to intervene to protect these critical rights in the field of medicine. Doctors do not need lawmakers telling them what to think when providing medical advice to patients.”
The petition filed Tuesday wants the court to address the question of whether a state can “compel private professionals to convey a contested ideological message as a condition of teaching courses required for a professional license.” Khatibi and Do No Harm are both represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation.
The requirements being challenged say that those giving continuing medical education must give examples of “how implicit bias affects perceptions and treatment decisions of physicians and surgeons, leading to disparities in health outcomes,” or suggest strategies to address how “unintended biases in decision-making may contribute to health care disparities by shaping behavior and producing differences in medical treatment.”
Previous attempts to challenge the requirement at the federal district and appeals court levels have been unsuccessful. Those courts have said the requirements are part of the state’s prerogative to regulate medical practice.
The petition filed with the Supreme Court argues that the implicit bias mandate exceeds the state’s regulatory power.
“That sweeping ruling erases the constitutional boundary between government and private speech, threatens the speech rights of countless professionals, and directly conflicts with this Court’s precedents limiting the government speech doctrine and protecting against compelled speech,” the petition said.
Goldfarb said that there is no evidence of implicit bias in health care and that doctors should be trained to address each patient’s unique needs rather than focusing on race.
“There is no evidence so-called systemic implicit bias exists in health care, and propagating such debunked pseudoscience only deepens suspicion between patients and providers,” he said. “We urge the Court to take up our case and resolve California’s overreach once and for all.”

Governor Gavin Newsom in Hayward, California

Government Forcing Ideology Into Medicine Vs. Doctors’ Right To Think And Speak Freely

California

Courts

Gavin Newsom

U.S.

A watchdog group is launching a new campaign targeting two of the nation’s largest nonprofit hospital systems, arguing they have strayed from patient care and should risk losing their tax-exempt status as a result.
Consumers&#8217; Research is set to roll out its “Woke Hospitals” initiative on Monday, ahead of a Tuesday hearing by the House Ways and Means Committee focused on rising health care costs. The campaign singles out New York-Presbyterian and CommonSpirit Health, accusing both of prioritizing political and social initiatives over core medical services.
The campaign includes a mobile billboard expected to circulate near Capitol Hill and <a href="http://wokehospitals.com/">a dedicated website</a> detailing the group’s allegations — what the group describes as “ideological overreach” by nonprofit hospitals benefiting from federal tax advantages.
Will Hild, executive director of Consumers’ Research, said the effort is intended to draw attention to what he describes as a misalignment between public subsidies and hospital priorities. “It is appalling to see hospitals indulge in woke politics while their patients struggle with long waits, surprise bills, and a continuous lack of price transparency,” Hild said in an exclusive statement to The Daily Wire. “Nonprofit status is not an automatic right; it is a public subsidy granted in exchange for a public benefit.”
According to the campaign materials, Consumers’ Research is highlighting programs at New York-Presbyterian that it says reflect an institutional focus on “health equity” and social justice. Among them is the hospital’s <a href="https://www.nyp.org/daliocenter">Dalio Center for Health Justice</a>, which promotes initiatives aimed at addressing disparities tied to race, socioeconomic status, and access to care. The hospital has described these programs as a core part of its mission, with leadership emphasizing that addressing long-standing inequities is essential to improving patient outcomes.
<div id="attachment_1084581" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1084581" class="size-medium wp-image-1084581" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/NY-Pres-MBB-300x169.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/NY-Pres-MBB-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/NY-Pres-MBB-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/NY-Pres-MBB-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/NY-Pres-MBB.jpeg 1280w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Billboard content provided by Consumers&#8217; Research</div>
Consumers’ Research points to the hospital’s own language as evidence of a broader shift in priorities. “Our goal is to contribute to equal healthcare and equal education because we believe that these are the most fundamental building blocks of equal opportunity and just society,” said Ray Dalio, founder of Dalio philanthropies and a hospital trustee.
Hospital CEO Dr. Stephen J. Corwin similarly emphasized the institution’s focus on broader social goals, stating, “We are living in a profound time where social, economic and health crises are converging at once. … New York Presbyterian hopes to be a leader in health justice.”
The group also points to New York-Presbyterian’s Compass Program, which provides support services for trans-identifying youth, including counseling, family assistance, and medical referrals. Hospital leadership has publicly affirmed its commitment to “gender-affirming care,” describing it as an important part of serving the patient population.
At CommonSpirit Health, Consumers’ Research is focusing on the system’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, which coordinates a multi-pronged strategy aimed at reducing disparities in health care access and outcomes. The hospital network has described its work as an effort to improve care delivery through better data collection, community partnerships, and workforce diversification.
The campaign also highlights CommonSpirit’s participation in initiatives such as the <a href="https://www.chausa.org/news-and-publications/publications/catholic-health-world/archives/november-1-2023/commonspirits-five-pillars-approach-is-about-creating-equity-for-all">Race to Zero climate effort</a>, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as partnerships designed to expand opportunities for underrepresented groups in the medical field.
The timing of the campaign is designed to intersect with congressional scrutiny of nonprofit health care systems. Lawmakers in both parties have increasingly questioned <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hospitals-posting-real-prices-before-care-could-soon-be-the-new-reality">pricing transparency</a>, executive compensation, and whether nonprofit hospitals are providing sufficient community benefit to justify their tax status.
Consumers’ Research says it hopes the campaign will push Congress to more aggressively scrutinize whether hospitals that engage in political or ideological initiatives should continue receiving favorable tax treatment. The group has also indicated that this is only the first in a series of efforts targeting nonprofit health care providers. Hild said the group plans to continue highlighting what it sees as misuse of taxpayer-supported resources. “As this new campaign shows, Consumers’ Research will continue exposing hospitals and hold them accountable,” he said.
“Consumers are right to be fed up,” Hild added. “They’re dealing with long wait times, high costs, and a lack of transparency—while the institutions meant to serve them are pursuing agendas that have little to do with patient care.”
The targeted hospital systems have not yet publicly responded to the campaign’s Monday launch, though both have previously defended their equity and community health initiatives as central to their missions.

Close-up of sterilized and ready for use surgical instruments on medical tray during surgery operation in operating room at hospital

Are Hospitals Putting ‘Woke’ Politics Over Patients? New Campaign Targets Major Systems.

Congress

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Healthcare

Hospitals

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spent a lifetime staring down death—whether it was Egyptian fire in the Suez Canal, a terrorist’s bullet during the Sabena Flight 571 rescue, or the crushing weight of leading a nation in a multi-front war for survival. On Friday, the world learned that he has spent the last two months quietly staring down a new enemy: cancer. And, true to form, the cancer blinked first.
In a characteristically <a href="https://x.com/netanyahu/status/2047625296396845425">blunt announcement</a>, Netanyahu revealed that a routine medical screening recently detected a &#8220;tiny spot&#8221; of a malignant tumor in his prostate. While many men his age might opt for the &#8220;wait and watch&#8221; approach, the former Sayeret Matkal commando—a man who once refused to let fellow soldiers carry his stretcher during grueling navigation exercises—chose the path of maximum aggression.
“You already know me,” Netanyahu said, in a statement that served as both a medical update and a warning to Israel’s enemies. “When I’m given information in time about a potential danger, I want to address it immediately. This is true on the national level and also on the personal level.”
Netanyahu delayed the publication of his annual medical report by two months, a strategic move designed to deny the Iranian &#8220;terror regime&#8221; the opportunity to weaponize his health for propaganda purposes during the height of the current conflict. It was a classic &#8220;Bibi&#8221; maneuver: subordinating personal vulnerability to national security.
Much like the resolve of a certain president who rose powerfully to his feet after an assassin&#8217;s bullet nearly took off his head, the prime minister’s resolve is backed by a medical history that reads like a manual on physical toughness. In July 2023, after undergoing emergency surgery to implant a pacemaker under general anesthesia, Netanyahu was discharged on a Monday morning and was back in the Knesset by Monday afternoon to vote on historic judicial reform. Less than a year later, in March 2024, he underwent hernia surgery and was back at his desk within 24 hours.
This latest skirmish with a malignant tumor was no different. Netanyahu opted for targeted treatments that he claims have now &#8220;removed the problem,&#8221; leaving no trace of the disease. During the procedures, he reportedly read a book and continued working.
For the man who survived the &#8220;Unit,&#8221; the message was clear: a tumor is just another insurgent to be neutralized. Whether it is Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in the north, or a rogue cell in his own body, Netanyahu’s philosophy remains the same: identify the threat, strike it with precision, and return to the mission.
&#8220;Thank God, I overcame this too,&#8221; Netanyahu stated. &#8220;I am in excellent physical condition.&#8221;
The prime minister concluded his announcement by urging Israeli citizens to take care of their own health—a rare moment of paternal warmth from a leader whose political identity is forged in the fires of elite special forces combat.
But make no mistake: the &#8220;commando&#8221; is still very much in the room, and he has no intention of retreating.

Israeli Authorities Announce Rescue Of Four Hostages From Gaza

No Room For Weakness: Why Bibi Refused To Let a Tumor—Or Iran—Slow Him Down

Benjamin Netanyahu

Cancer

Israel

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
Two massive cultural trends have begun to reshape American conservatism.
The first is that conservatives are becoming “crunchy.” Not long ago, natural-health advocacy seemed to belong to a small but vocal tribe of stereotypically left-leaning, organic-loving, non-deodorant-wearing activists. But after the Fauci fiasco of 2020, culminating in today’s MAHA movement, things have changed. Regular moms are baking sourdough, raising backyard chickens, and avoiding vaccines and seed oils. Conservative men, once content to guzzle Diet Coke and microwave Hot Pockets, are now experimenting with carnivore diets and cold plunges.
The second trend is more surprising: the apparent halt of decades of secularization and a renewed openness to religion. Poll after poll suggests increases in church attendance and religious interest, particularly among young people and men. Some commentators suggest that this movement may even be accelerating as a result of the “Charlie Kirk Effect.”
Taken together, these two trends have created a cultural moment for something that would have sounded strange not long ago: health advice rooted in Scripture — especially dietary advice. Many Christians are now asking a simple and reasonable question: Does the Bible tell us how we should eat?
The answer is not as straightforward as many people assume.
The Bible is not a nutritional field manual. Attempts to treat it as one almost always lead to cherry-picking verses from the broader biblical story to support whatever health trend happens to be in vogue. 
Take the so-called “Garden of Eden” diet. In this approach, whatever foods were available to Adam and Eve in the Garden are considered ideal, while meat and other animal products are ruled out. Of course, this arrangement lasts only until the great flood, after which God explicitly gives the animal kingdom into the hands of mankind. Still, the argument goes: If plants were God’s original design for humanity, then a plant-based diet must represent the gold standard.
Another approach points to the Jewish dietary laws as the pinnacle of biblical nutrition advice. God gave Israel detailed food regulations: no pork, no shellfish, no camel, and certainly no deep-fried rattlesnake or vulture stew. Surely, some argue, the diet prescribed for God’s chosen nation must represent the healthiest way to eat.
Then there’s the &#8220;what would Jesus do?&#8221; approach to nutrition. If Jesus was a first-century Mediterranean Jew, and if Christianity is about following Jesus, then perhaps Christians should adopt a Mediterranean diet as well. Jesus presumably ate fish, bread, olive oil, dates, pistachios, and perhaps milk, honey, curds, and other delicacies of the ancient Near East. As it happens, many of the world’s so-called “Blue Zones,” regions famous for longevity, follow a broadly similar pattern of eating. The conclusion seems obvious: If it worked for Jesus, it must work for us.
Add in the “Daniel Fast” and a handful of other biblical trends, and almost any modern health movement can find some scriptural support and some reason to believe it represents God’s gold-standard advice even today.
But while the Bible contains many diets and countless references to food, the real question is this: What does the New Testament say about the Christian diet?
In reality, it says surprisingly little (at least directly). What guidance it does give is fairly simple. We should receive food with gratitude (1 Timothy 4:4). Our dietary choices should not create unnecessary division among believers (Romans 14:1–3). And our freedom should never lead others into sin (Romans 14:13–21 and 1 Corinthians 8:9).
These instructions remain relevant, but they address a different set of concerns than the ones that dominate modern conversations about food. In the early church, the central questions were theological and communal: Could Jewish and Gentile believers eat together? Should Christians observe Old Testament dietary laws? Would certain foods create scandal among new converts?
Today, our questions look different because our problems are different. Modern societies face an unprecedented wave of chronic disease: diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, alongside rising infertility, autoimmune disorders, and autism. At the same time, the food environment itself has become increasingly complex. Grocery store aisles are filled with engineered “food-like substances,” while a booming health industry promotes countless supplements and restrictive diets. Amid this complicated landscape, many well-meaning people find themselves caught somewhere in the middle.
Yet the Bible’s relative silence about our modern diet questions does not leave Christians without guidance. 
When read in its proper context, the entire story of the Bible, Old Testament included, ultimately points to Jesus Christ, “the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). And it is only when we understand food in relation to Him that a truly Christian approach to eating begins to come into focus.
The Bible may not give us a diet plan. But it does give us something far more important: a framework for understanding the body, health, and food themselves. And Jesus is at the center of that framework.
Start with the body. Christianity does not treat the body as a disposable shell or a temporary “earth suit.” The Son of God took on human flesh (John 1:14), lived in a real human body, and rose again in a glorified body (Luke 24:39). In doing so, Christ affirmed the goodness and future of embodied human life. Our bodies are not incidental to who we are; they are a visible expression of our personhood and a gift through which we live, work, worship, and serve one another.
Next comes health. During His ministry, Jesus was often known as the Divine Physician, healing the sick and restoring the broken. Yet these miracles were never simply demonstrations of medical power. They were signs pointing to the restoration of the whole person in the kingdom of God. The theologian Karl Barth once defined health as “strength for life,” and it’s a worthwhile pursuit — so long as Christ Himself animates our lives.
Finally, Christ does something even more striking: He describes Himself as food. In the Gospel of John, Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). Our daily need for food is not accidental. It constantly reminds us that we are dependent creatures, sustained by gifts we did not create. In the deepest sense, our hunger for food points beyond itself to our deeper hunger for God.
Put these truths together and a distinctly Christian picture of nutrition begins to emerge. The body is affirmed and redeemed, health is reoriented toward faithful living, and food itself becomes a sign pointing us back to the Creator who sustains all life.
This is not yet a diet plan, and it is not meant to be. It is a way of seeing. A Christian approach to nutrition begins not with a list of approved foods, but with a vision of reality shaped by Christ Himself. Only within that vision can the science of nutrition be properly understood and applied.
In a cultural moment obsessed with both health trends and rediscovered faith, Christians don’t need to invent a “biblical diet.” What we need is a Christ-centered approach to nutrition. When we start there, the question is no longer simply, &#8220;What should we eat?&#8221; but, &#8220;How can even the ordinary act of eating reflect the goodness and wisdom of the God who made us?&#8221;
***
Andy Felton writes about the intersection between nutrition and theology and is the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nourished-Design-Christ-Centered-Approach-Nutrition/dp/B0F7GJDK4K/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2C15C0A5QG41Q&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.7CaR8DykxETvy9V8QhFu-eVzuelbIBFxJMBx6qKD4Vs.4lZrjLTYTpH9RP7S8FV6gwnchZWmmb5fi7m-OasofFI&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=Nourished+by+Design%3A+A+Christ-Centered+Approach+to+Nutrition&amp;nsdOptOutParam=true&amp;qid=1776793991&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=nourished+by+design+a+christ-centered+approach+to+nutrition%2Cstripbooks%2C82&amp;sr=1-1">&#8220;Nourished by Design: A Christ-Centered Approach to Nutrition.&#8221;</a>

The Feeding Of The Five Thousand

Why Some Conservatives Are Opening The Bible Before Deciding What’s For Dinner

Food

The United Kingdom is taking a dramatic step beyond discouraging smoking, moving to eliminating the choice altogether for future generations after Parliament approved legislation banning cigarette purchases for anyone born on or after January 1, 2009.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has now cleared both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, but it does not become law until it receives Royal Assent from King Charles III. The last time Royal Assent was refused was in 1708.
If formally approved, the law will set up a system where the legal smoking age effectively rises every year, meaning a 17-year-old today born in 2009 will never be legally allowed to buy cigarettes.
Government officials are celebrating the measure as a sweeping victory for public health. As British news <a href="https://www.nationalworld.com/health/tobacco-and-vapes-bill-to-introduce-complete-ban-on-smoking-7059426">reported</a>, Health Secretary Wes Streeting called it “a historic moment for the nation’s health,” adding, “Children in the UK will be part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm.” 
“Prevention is better than cure – this reform will save lives, ease pressure on the NHS, and build a healthier Britain,” he said.
Health minister Baroness Merron echoed that sentiment in the Lords, calling it “a landmark Bill&#8221; that &#8220;will create a smoke-free generation.”
Public health advocates have gone further, presenting the legislation as the culmination of decades of anti-smoking activism. Hazel Cheeseman of Action on Smoking and Health said, “This is a decisive turning point for public health… the end of smoking, and the devastating harm it causes, is no longer uncertain – it’s inevitable.” Michelle Mitchell of Cancer Research UK called it “a historic achievement that will shield our children from the devastating grip of tobacco addiction.”
By tying restrictions to birth year, the law effectively creates a lifetime ban on purchasing tobacco products for those affected.
Even within Parliament, that approach has raised concerns. Conservative peer Lord Naseby warned that the bill risks missing the deeper issue. “What we really need is a proper understanding of how we educate people not to take up smoking,” he said, noting the legislation “does upset a great many people in that industry,” particularly small retailers now tasked with enforcing the rules.
The bill extends beyond cigarettes to include hand-rolled tobacco, cigars, and pipe tobacco. It grants ministers broad authority to regulate vaping and nicotine products, including their flavors and packaging, and expands restrictions on where they can be used. 
The legislation introduces financial penalties for stores in England and Wales that sell tobacco or vaping products in violation of the law.
New smoke-free zones will include playgrounds, schools, and areas around hospitals, while leaving private homes and some outdoor venues untouched.
Supporters argue these measures are necessary given the scale of smoking-related harm, which remains one of the UK’s leading causes of preventable death. Groups like <a href="https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/">Asthma and Lung UK</a> have described the bill as “transformative,” with CEO Sarah Sleet <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn08jy6w0l5o">saying</a> it will help ensure “the tobacco industry will no longer be able to wreak havoc on the lungs of the next generation.”
For a policy framed as a landmark, the precedent may prove just as significant as the public health gains it promises. The government is betting that this approach of phasing out smoking by design rather than discouragement will succeed where past efforts have only reduced the habit. Whether it becomes a model for future public health policy or a flashpoint in debates over government authority will depend on how it is implemented and how the public responds in the years ahead.

FDA To Propose Ban On Menthol Cigarettes And Flavored Cigars

Major Nation Slaps Lifetime Smoking Ban On Youth Just As Cigarettes Become ‘Cool’ Again

Cigarettes

United Kingdom

President Donald Trump on Saturday signed a sweeping executive order aimed at fast-tracking access to psychedelic-based treatments for veterans suffering from PTSD, depression, and other severe mental health conditions.
On paper, the order directs agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs to accelerate clinical trials, cut bureaucratic delays, and expand “right to try” access for patients who have exhausted traditional treatment options. But the real-world impact is far more immediate, and far more personal. For millions of Americans, this isn’t an abstract policy debate, it’s about whether treatments that show real promise are stuck in years of red tape while people continue to struggle, relapse, or fall through the cracks of a mental health system that often relies on trial-and-error prescriptions.
Trump framed the move as a long-overdue shift toward urgency.
“These treatments are currently in the advanced stages of clinical trials to ensure that they&#8217;re both safe and effective,” Trump said. “But usually with things like this, nothing ever happens … we’re changing that.”
The executive order builds on a growing body of research suggesting psychedelic therapies, particularly compounds like ibogaine, can deliver dramatic results where conventional treatments fail. Trump pointed to a Stanford study in which special operations veterans saw an 80 to 90 percent reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms within a month.
At the signing ceremony, one veteran put it more bluntly.
“This treatment saved my life,” he told the president. “Helped me get off opiates … sleep for the first time in over 10 years.”
“And you have no doubt?” Trump asked.
“Zero,&#8221; he answered.
“To me, that’s the best research of all,” Trump said.
More than 14 million Americans suffer from serious mental illness, according to the White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/04/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-is-accelerating-medical-treatments-for-serious-mental-illness/">fact sheet</a> accompanying the order, and for many, existing medications and therapies simply don’t work. Even when they do, they often come with significant side effects or require years of adjustments. Among veterans, the crisis is even more acute, with more than 6,000 suicides per year for over two decades, a statistic that has remained stubbornly high despite billions in federal spending.
The order attempts to break that cycle by not just funding research, but forcing the system to move faster. It directs the FDA to prioritize psychedelic drugs already designated as “breakthrough therapies,” a classification reserved for treatments that show substantial improvement over existing options. It also pushes regulators to shorten review timelines that can typically stretch close to a year, and in some cases, much longer.
At the same time, the administration is expanding access before full approval. By opening a clearer pathway under federal right-to-try laws, patients with treatment-resistant conditions may be able to access these therapies under medical supervision rather than waiting years for final regulatory clearance.
That shift could prove significant not just for veterans, but for civilians facing similar conditions; first responders, trauma survivors, and millions of Americans dealing with depression, addiction, and anxiety disorders.
Health agencies are also being pushed to coordinate more aggressively. The order mandates increased data sharing between federal departments, expanded clinical trial participation, and at least $50 million in federal support for state-level research efforts. States like Texas have already invested heavily in ibogaine research, and the federal government is now stepping in to match those efforts.
Even skeptics in the medical field say the evidence is becoming harder to ignore.
“One single administration can change behavior toward a therapeutic effect,” a researcher at the signing said. “We have a tool that could allow the body to heal itself, if we know how to properly use it.”
That’s the gamble behind the order: that accelerating access doesn’t just help veterans, but could reshape how the country approaches mental health treatment altogether, moving away from long-term symptom management and toward therapies that may offer more lasting change.
For everyday Americans, the implications are straightforward. If these treatments continue to show results, they won’t remain confined to niche trials; they could become part of mainstream medicine, available through doctors rather than years-long waitlists or costly alternatives abroad.
If these therapies work — and early data suggest they might — the question is no longer whether they should exist, but how quickly people can access them.
Trump’s answer, at least for now, is simple: faster.

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