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Fear, Firings, and Fallout: Inside RFK Jr’s Tumultuous Reign Over US Health Agencies

At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, employees now whisper in soundproof rooms and scribble notes in paper notebooks to avoid detection. The fear of being watched is so intense that staff at Building 21 — once a hub of public health work — avoid Zoom calls entirely, terrified they’re being secretly recorded.

This climate of paranoia and chaos, according to insiders, has emerged under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appointed Health Secretary in February. Since his arrival, more than 10,000 federal health workers — many with decades of experience — have been dismissed. "There is a constant sense that we’re being watched and monitored," said one global health specialist at the CDC. "Doge leadership are located several floors above but they have this omnipotent presence … We’re counted when we swipe our badges into the building." Doge refers to the Department of Government Efficiency, a newly empowered agency enforcing Kennedy’s agenda with unwavering oversight.

Officials across the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) describe an administration bent on dismantling America’s health infrastructure in the name of reform. “RFK Jr is a disaster,” said a CDC grant specialist. “He is completely dismantling things to the point where the damage is going to become irreparable.”

Kennedy’s supporters claim his goal is to eliminate inefficiency and restore public trust in health science. “Streamlining outdated programmes, ensuring fiscal discipline and demanding transparency are not attacks on science — they are a defence of it,” said Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services. “Secretary Kennedy remains committed to evidence-based leadership that serves the American people.”

Yet inside the agencies, many see a different story unfolding. Longstanding research initiatives have been scrapped. Critical vaccine advisory panels have been gutted. Entire departments, such as the CDC’s childhood lead-poisoning prevention programme, have been closed, leaving states like Wisconsin unsupported during crises. Even the Prevention Research Centres, a network of hubs focused on chronic disease in low-income communities, faces termination.

“He’s shooting himself in the foot,” said one recently fired CDC staffer. “What this administration is doing, whether it’s RFK, Trump or Doge, is so antithetical to my own values that I can’t work there any more.”

Among the most controversial moves was Kennedy’s abrupt firing of all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Dr. Charlotte Moser, one of those dismissed, said vaccines were being “politicised” under Kennedy. “My fear at this moment is for the health of the people of the United States if vaccines become less available,” she said. The decision to remove COVID-19 vaccines from recommendations for pregnant women and children, made without committee consultation, “does not align with the science,” she added.

Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, another sacked committee member, echoed those fears. “The firings, disruption and the chaos of Kennedy’s administration are incredibly damaging,” she said. “I can’t think that these downstream impacts are going to be good ones.”

Kennedy’s “Generation Gold Standard” — a $500 million initiative to develop vaccines using 1950s-era technology — has further baffled experts. An NIH source called it a “waste of money” and said Kennedy had bypassed traditional scientific review processes. “He’s dropping half a billion dollars on God knows what,” the source said.

Inside the FDA, operations have ground down due to staff cuts. Project managers and administrators responsible for food safety inspections have been fired, forcing remaining inspectors to book travel on their personal credit cards — often waiting weeks for reimbursement. “As a result, things are going to slip and people will get sick,” warned an FDA official.

Ironically, Kennedy’s Department of Government Efficiency is said to have added more red tape. “It’s the exact opposite of efficiency,” said a CDC grant specialist, citing new bureaucratic requirements for accessing approved funds.

Many fired workers are awaiting court rulings on the legality of their dismissals, but few want to return. “There’s been a number of different steps that we could take to potentially get back into the agency and I haven’t taken any of them,” one said.

As RFK Jr. presses on with his radical health agenda, confusion reigns. “It’s unclear to me how much RFK is actually in charge versus other Trump appointees, like [OMB director] Russell Vought,” said a CDC programme coordinator. “Kennedy clearly has certain ideas he’s interested in but at this point it seems more about cutting programmes than anything else.”

Meanwhile, staff remaining at the CDC brace for what’s next. “There is no plan in place,” said the global health specialist. “This will have real consequences for people both here in America and overseas. It breaks my heart.”

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Times  2025-06-23

Nancy Pelosi’s Market Mastery: The Political Powerhouse Who Beat Wall Street at Its Own Game

Nancy Pelosi, the longtime Democratic congresswoman from California, may be known for her legislative prowess, but recent financial disclosures suggest she and her husband, venture capitalist Paul Pelosi, have also become titans of the trading floor. In 2024 alone, the couple reported raking in between $7.8 million and $42.5 million — a windfall that could push their estimated net worth to a staggering $413 million.

The precise number remains a mystery, as congressional disclosures only require reporting within ranges. Still, market analytics firm Quiver Quantitative, which tracks daily stock values, estimates their net worth at $257 million, up $26 million from 2023. But when factoring in the value of their non-market assets — a Napa Valley winery, stakes in a political consulting firm, and a Bay Area Italian restaurant — Pelosi’s fortune could stretch far beyond even that lofty estimate.

A significant portion of their wealth can be attributed to Paul Pelosi’s deft stock moves. Though the trades are made under his name, Nancy Pelosi’s proximity to the corridors of power has long drawn scrutiny, prompting Missouri Republican Josh Hawley to name legislation aimed at banning congressional stock trading after her.

Some of their 2024 trades raise eyebrows not only for their size but also for their timing. In July, the Pelosis sold 5,000 Microsoft shares for an estimated $2.2 million — just months before the Federal Trade Commission opened an antitrust investigation into the company. Similarly, they offloaded 2,000 Visa shares valued at $525,000 less than three months before the Department of Justice filed a monopoly lawsuit against the credit card giant.

But their most lucrative move may have been a call option exercised in December. Originally bought in late 2023 for a premium of $1.8 million, the option gave them the right to buy 50,000 shares of NVIDIA — the chipmaker at the center of the AI boom — at just $12 each. That’s less than one-tenth the market price. The $2.4 million investment is now valued at over $7.2 million on paper.

Their interest in AI didn’t stop there. In February 2024, the Pelosis paid between $600,000 and $1.25 million for call options on Palo Alto Networks, a California-based cybersecurity firm. This purchase came the same week lawmakers were briefed by the White House on a Russian national security threat. Palo Alto’s shares jumped nearly 20% shortly afterward, and by year’s end, the Pelosis had acquired 14,000 shares at $100 each — half the market value — resulting in a holding now worth about $2.8 million.

It hasn’t all been smooth sailing. The couple took a hit in June when they dumped 2,500 Tesla shares, losing somewhere between $100,000 and $1 million on the sale. The loss, however, hardly dented their overall performance.

Their investment portfolio ended 2024 with an estimated return of 54%, more than doubling the S&P 500’s 25% and outperforming every major hedge fund, according to Bloomberg’s year-end figures. The jaw-dropping returns come amid intensifying public pressure for legislation banning congressional stock trading, with critics pointing to potential conflicts of interest and privileged access to sensitive information.

Pelosi has long opposed such a ban, saying, “we’re a free‑market economy.” Yet more recently, she has shown signs of softening her stance. In May, when asked whether Congress should implement such a ban, she replied, “If they do, they do.”

A spokesperson defended her position, telling The Post, “Speaker Pelosi does not own any stocks, and she has no prior knowledge or subsequent involvement in any transactions.”

Their 2025 portfolio is already gaining momentum. In January, the couple bought call options for Tempus AI, a then-obscure health tech firm that has since doubled in value following a $200 million partnership with AstraZeneca. They also invested in energy firm Vistra just before it announced a $1.9 billion acquisition of natural gas facilities, a move that sent its stock surging.

Whether by prescience, shrewdness, or sheer luck, Nancy Pelosi’s financial record now outpaces even the savviest minds on Wall Street — earning her, in some circles, a new moniker: the She-Wolf of Capitol Hill.

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from NYP  2025-06-23

More off topic posts removed including some making inflammatory slurs on Jews in the US @ronnie50

Trump Confirms Surprise US Airstrikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites, Including Fordo

UPDATE: Pentagon Briefing:

Pentagon briefing on 'Operation Midnight Hammer' | U.S used deception tactics to hit Iran: Pentagon (more to follow)

Pentagon briefing on 'Operation Midnight Hammer' | U.S used deception tactics to hit Iran: Pentagon#Iran #Israel #US #IsraeliranWar #IranIsraelConflict #IranVsIsrael | @suyeshasavant pic.twitter.com/hYSqFP7Igz

— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) June 22, 2025

UPDATE:

Starmer Supports Trump’s Strike on Iran, Calling Nuclear Threat “Grave to Global Security”

Starmer Supports Trump’s Strike on Iran, Calling Nuclear Threat “Grave to Global Security”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has offered Britain’s full support for the surprise US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, declaring that Tehran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons represents “a grave threat to international security.” His endorsement came just hours after President Donald Trump confirmed that US forces had bombed three Iranian nuclear sites, including the heavily fortified Fordow facility.

In a statement released early this morning, Starmer said, “Iran's nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security. Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat. The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority. We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.”

The Fordow site, located roughly 80 miles south of Tehran and buried deep within a mountain, was reportedly hit with a 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bomb. The US also launched Tomahawk cruise missiles from submarines targeting other key nuclear facilities at Natanz and Isfahan. Trump described the strikes as a “spectacular military success” during a late-night address from the White House, claiming that the uranium enrichment base at Fordow had been “flattened.”

According to reports from US defense sources, the bombers used in the strike flew directly from the United States rather than operating from the joint UK/US base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. While the UK was not directly involved in the operation, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds confirmed that Britain was informed ahead of time.

The Prime Minister’s endorsement of US military action marks a notable shift, as Starmer had previously urged caution and emphasized the need for diplomatic solutions to avoid escalating tensions across the Middle East. However, following the strikes, he has publicly recognized the US’s actions as a necessary step to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Support for the US strikes extended beyond the government benches. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch said, “By targeting Iran’s nuclear sites, the US has taken decisive action against a regime that fuels global terror and directly threatens the UK. Iranian operatives have plotted murders and attacks on British soil. We should stand firmly with the US and Israel.”

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also endorsed the airstrikes, posting on social media: “Iran must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons, the future of Israel depends on it.”

The international fallout from the operation remains uncertain, but the political response in the UK has been overwhelmingly in favor of the strikes. With tensions in the Middle East already dangerously high, the backing of America’s actions by the UK’s political establishment signals a rare moment of unity in confronting what many see as a defining threat to global stability.

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Daily Mail  2025-06-22

If your not interested in discussing the topic because other subjects are more important to you, then move on. Any further off topic diversion attempts will be removed.

Trump Confirms Surprise US Airstrikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites, Including Fordo

@MalcolmB any more off topic troll posts and it will not be only posts removed

Please discuss the topic and do not try to divert it to what you want it to be:

Trump Confirms Surprise US Airstrikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites, Including Fordo

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

President Trump statement on U.S. Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Sites

WATCH: Complete statement from President Trump on U.S. Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Sites pic.twitter.com/n4QU97SHDH

— CSPAN (@cspan) June 22, 2025

New Topic:

Thank you, the topic is now in the world news, please continue there:

//closed//

Trump Confirms Surprise US Airstrikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites, Including Fordo

President Donald Trump has announced that the United States has launched a surprise military strike on Iran, targeting three of its nuclear facilities in what he described as a “very successful attack.” The move ends weeks of speculation over whether Washington would join Israel in its escalating conflict with Tehran.

Fordow pic.twitter.com/SnpRDnbLy2

— Israel News Pulse (@israelnewspulse) June 22, 2025

Ever since Israel began its offensive against Iran, there had been a tense and uncertain waiting game over whether Trump would involve the United States directly. His hesitation was particularly noteworthy given his long-standing criticism of previous American interventions in the Middle East. As recently as two days ago, Trump had told reporters he would make a decision on US involvement “within two weeks,” a remark that seemed designed to calm tensions and buy time for diplomatic maneuvering.

However, in a dramatic turn of events, Trump announced through a post on Truth Social that the United States had carried out airstrikes on three key Iranian nuclear sites—Fordo, Natanz, and Esfahan. Among these, Fordo is known to be heavily fortified and located deep underground, requiring specialized ordnance to penetrate its defenses.

“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space,” Trump wrote.

The president, also revealed that a “full payload of bombs” had been dropped on the Fordo site. He did not specify whether the sites were destroyed or merely damaged, and so far, no video or photographic evidence of the strikes has been released to the public. “All planes are on their way back to the US,” he added.

According to a report by the Reuters news agency citing a US official, the attack involved B-2 stealth bombers, aircraft known for their ability to penetrate dense air defenses and deliver bunker-buster bombs—suggesting that the operation was carefully calibrated to disable Iran’s most protected nuclear facilities.

The announcement is sure to raise fresh concerns over the prospect of a broader regional conflict. US airstrikes on Iranian territory—especially on nuclear infrastructure—represent a major escalation and risk triggering retaliation from Tehran or its allies across the Middle East.

Whether Trump’s decision will spark further violence or serve as a deterrent remains to be seen. But what is certain is that his unexpected move has brought an end to the guessing game that has dominated headlines since Israel began its assault—and ushered in a new, unpredictable phase of the confrontation with Iran.

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from BBC  2025-06-22

 

@TallGuyJohninBKK the posts you have made have had text size reduced to confirm to Community Standards aside from the headlines. Please do not keep doing this.

5. Do not post text with all capital letters or with over-sized fonts

@BLMFem your post was removed, any more of that and you will get more than a public mod post warning

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Further off topic diversion attempts have been removed. The topic title is below, feel free to read the OP and comment on it. 

Trump to make decision on US involvement 'within two weeks'

 An additional post over a month old article on Hegseth has been removed.

Trump Hails Court Ruling on National Guard Deployment as “BIG WIN” Amid LA Protests

President Donald Trump is celebrating a federal court decision that allows his administration to continue using National Guard troops in Los Angeles to counter protests against federal immigration raids. The ruling, issued Thursday by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, permits Trump to maintain the deployment despite objections from California state officials.

Trump wasted no time in declaring victory on his Truth Social platform, writing, “BIG WIN — Great decision for our country.” He praised the ruling as a validation of his authority to protect cities across America. “The Judges obviously realized that Gavin Newscum is incompetent and ill prepared,” Trump wrote, using a derogatory play on Governor Gavin Newsom’s name. “But this is much bigger than Gavin, because all over the United States, if our Cities, and our people, need protection, we are the ones to give it to them should State and Local Police be unable, for whatever reason, to get the job done.”

The court’s opinion, issued without a named author, marks a reversal of a lower court’s earlier decision. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer had previously ruled in favor of California Governor Newsom’s legal challenge, which argued that Trump lacked the authority to federalize the National Guard over the state's objections. The new appellate court decision blocks that ruling for now and allows the deployment to continue while the legal case proceeds.

In its unsigned opinion, the court wrote, “It is likely that the President lawfully exercised his statutory authority.” The judges noted that their conclusion was based on giving “appropriate deference to the President’s determination,” ultimately deciding that “he likely acted within his authority in federalizing the National Guard.”

The case centers on Trump’s decision to deploy approximately 4,000 National Guard soldiers and more than 700 Marines to respond to unrest in Los Angeles sparked by a wave of federal immigration raids. The move, which bypassed state consent, has intensified already strained relations between the Trump administration and California officials.

Governor Newsom has fiercely opposed Trump’s mass deportation plan and has repeatedly clashed with the federal government over immigration enforcement. His lawsuit aimed to halt what he described as an unconstitutional use of military force on U.S. soil without state approval.

While the court has allowed the federal deployment to proceed for now, it also emphasized the temporary nature of the ruling. The three-judge panel will continue to deliberate on the legal merits of the case in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has clarified the role of the deployed troops, stating that U.S. soldiers will not directly engage in law enforcement activities during the protests. Instead, they will focus on protecting federal buildings and personnel.

The ruling has further ignited the political divide over federal authority, immigration enforcement, and the role of the military in domestic affairs — issues that remain deeply contentious as Trump positions himself for a potential return to the White House.

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Independent  2025-06-21

Activists Claim Damage to RAF Military Aircraft in Protest Against Gaza Operations

Two pro-Palestine activists say they infiltrated RAF Brize Norton and caused damage to military aircraft in protest against British involvement in the war in Gaza. The incident, which reportedly took place on 20 June, was captured on video and released by the protest group Palestine Action.

The footage shows the activists approaching the aircraft on electric scooters before spraying red paint into the turbine engines using what appear to be modified fire extinguishers. They are then seen using crowbars to cause further physical damage to the planes.

Palestine Action stated that the target was chosen due to the airbase’s regular flights to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, a key hub for British military operations in the Middle East. "Flights leave daily from the base to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus," the group said. "From Cyprus, British planes collect intelligence, refuel fighter jets and transport weapons to commit genocide in Gaza.”

The group claims that the two individuals involved in the sabotage managed to leave the base without being apprehended. “The two activists escaped undetected,” Palestine Action reported.

RAF Brize Norton, the largest station in the Royal Air Force and a vital point for air transport, aerial refuelling, and strategic airlift, has yet to issue a statement in response to the incident.

The protest highlights growing tensions over Britain’s perceived military role in the conflict in Gaza. The activists’ use of symbolic tactics—red paint to mimic blood, for instance—echoes previous Palestine Action demonstrations aimed at raising awareness of what the group alleges is UK complicity in Israeli military actions.

While the authenticity of the activists' claims and the extent of the damage have not yet been independently verified, the incident marks a serious breach of security at one of the UK’s most important military installations.

RAF Brize Norton has been contacted for comment.

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Independent  2025-06-21

Pope Leo’s Surprising Family Tree: From Pop Stars to Revolutionaries

Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church, has a family tree more intertwined with modern celebrity and historical upheaval than many might expect. According to new genealogical research, the Pope shares a distant ancestral link with global pop icon Madonna—making the two ninth cousins through a common ancestor born around six generations ago.

The discovery is particularly striking given Madonna’s contentious history with the Catholic Church. The singer has frequently courted controversy for her provocative use of religious symbols in music videos and stage performances, most notably in her 1989 hit “Like a Prayer.” Despite their opposing public personas—one a conservative spiritual leader and the other a rebellious pop provocateur—they are bound by shared heritage.

This familial connection is just one of many uncovered by a deep investigation conducted by The New York Times Magazine in collaboration with genealogists from American Ancestors and the Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami. Their five-century sweep through Pope Leo’s lineage uncovered a host of well-known relatives. Pop singer Justin Bieber, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie, Canadian political figures Justin and Pierre Trudeau, and Beat Generation author Jack Kerouac all share ancestry with the pontiff, through the same 16th-century forebear—Louis Boucher de Grandpré, a Canadian born in the 1590s.

The researchers describe Pope Leo’s ancestry as a mosaic of nobility, enslavement, and resistance. “Noblemen, enslaved people, freedom fighters and slaveholders are all part of the family tree of the first American pope,” the magazine stated on social media. One of the most striking revelations was that Pope Leo has 17 identified African American ancestors, a finding the team called “earthshattering.”

This complex background includes ancestors who were both enslaved and slaveholders. Pope Leo’s maternal fourth-great grandmother, Marie Jeanne, was enslaved by François Lemelle, who fathered at least six of her children. In 1772, Lemelle freed her and two of their daughters. When he died in 1789, he left Marie Jeanne one-fifth of his estate, which included 15 slaves.

Pope Leo also descends from military and revolutionary figures. His fourth-great grandfather, Charles Louis Boucher de Grandpré, served as a militia commander in Louisiana during the American Revolution and was responsible for capturing several British outposts in 1777. Another ancestor, Antonio José de Sucre, was a Venezuelan general who fought alongside Simón Bolívar in the liberation of Latin America from Spanish colonial rule.

Sucre’s decisive victory at the Battle of Ayacucho in 1824 helped secure Peru’s independence. He later became Bolivia’s first constitutionally elected president in 1825, only to be assassinated in Colombia five years later.

What emerges is a portrait of a Pope whose background defies expectations—marked by unexpected celebrity connections, deep American roots, and a lineage threaded through both the darkest and most triumphant chapters of history.

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Telegraph  2025-06-21

Topic clean up. A number of off topic posts and replies removed. @PatThaiM please discuss the topic not what you want the topic to be.

Troll posts removed @BLMFem please stop the baiting and continued bickering