Brett Wattles
The Latest
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Cancer-Causing U.S. Sweets Pulled From U.K. Shelves as FSA Warns Jolly Rancher Contains Banned Oils
British and American health authorities have issued urgent warnings over multiple U.S. snack products-ranging from Jolly Rancher sweets to Dr Pepper Zero Sugar-citing serious health concerns including cancer risks and dangerous sugar mislabeling. The U.K.'s Food Standards Agency (FSA) announced Thursday that several Jolly Rancher products must be withdrawn from sale after tests found banned mineral oils linked to cancer, while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) escalated its recall classification of Dr Pepper Zero Sugar following discovery of high sugar content. 
British and American health authorities have issued urgent warnings over multiple U.S. snack products-ranging from Jolly Rancher sweets to Dr Pepper Zero Sugar-citing serious health concerns including cancer risks and dangerous sugar mislabeling. The U.K.'s Food Standards Agency (FSA) announced Thursday that several Jolly Rancher products must be withdrawn from sale after tests found banned mineral oils linked to cancer, while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) escalated its recall classification of Dr Pepper Zero Sugar following discovery of high sugar content. -
RFK Jr. Fires Entire CDC Vaccine Panel, Sparks Outrage from Medical Community
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday dismissed all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an unprecedented move that immediately drew backlash from public health leaders, lawmakers, and vaccine experts. The announcement, made through an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal and a formal statement from HHS, marks a sweeping restructuring of the committee that guides federal vaccine policy in the United States. 
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday dismissed all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an unprecedented move that immediately drew backlash from public health leaders, lawmakers, and vaccine experts. The announcement, made through an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal and a formal statement from HHS, marks a sweeping restructuring of the committee that guides federal vaccine policy in the United States. -
1.7 Million Eggs Recalled in Nine States as Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 79, CDC Confirms
At least 1.7 million eggs have been recalled across nine U.S. states amid a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 79 people and hospitalized 21, federal health officials said. The eggs, distributed by the August Egg Company, are believed to be the source of a multi-state contamination event now under investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 
At least 1.7 million eggs have been recalled across nine U.S. states amid a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 79 people and hospitalized 21, federal health officials said. The eggs, distributed by the August Egg Company, are believed to be the source of a multi-state contamination event now under investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). -
Ozempic Linked to Rare Eye Disorders That Can Cause Blindness, EU Regulator Warns
Novo Nordisk's flagship diabetes and weight-loss drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy, have come under heightened scrutiny after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) confirmed that in rare cases the treatments may lead to severe eye conditions causing irreversible vision loss. The development follows a wave of lawsuits, including one from a U.S. patient who alleges the drug left him completely blind. 
Novo Nordisk's flagship diabetes and weight-loss drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy, have come under heightened scrutiny after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) confirmed that in rare cases the treatments may lead to severe eye conditions causing irreversible vision loss. The development follows a wave of lawsuits, including one from a U.S. patient who alleges the drug left him completely blind. -
Chinese-Led Team Discovers Super-Earth in Habitable Zone Using New Detection Method
An international team of astronomers led by China's Yunnan Observatories has identified a potentially habitable super-Earth using a novel detection method, marking a major breakthrough in exoplanet research. The newly discovered planet, Kepler-725c, has a mass approximately 10 times that of Earth and lies within the habitable zone of a Sun-like star, according to findings published in Nature Astronomy on June 3. 
An international team of astronomers led by China's Yunnan Observatories has identified a potentially habitable super-Earth using a novel detection method, marking a major breakthrough in exoplanet research. The newly discovered planet, Kepler-725c, has a mass approximately 10 times that of Earth and lies within the habitable zone of a Sun-like star, according to findings published in Nature Astronomy on June 3. -
MMR Vaccination Rates Drop in 78% of U.S. Counties as Measles Cases Surge Past 1,000
A new analysis from Johns Hopkins University reveals a sharp decline in measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates across most U.S. counties since the COVID-19 pandemic, coinciding with a troubling resurgence of measles outbreaks nationwide. The study, published Monday in JAMA, found that 78% of 2,066 counties across 33 states reported lower childhood MMR vaccination rates between 2019 and 2024. 
A new analysis from Johns Hopkins University reveals a sharp decline in measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates across most U.S. counties since the COVID-19 pandemic, coinciding with a troubling resurgence of measles outbreaks nationwide. The study, published Monday in JAMA, found that 78% of 2,066 counties across 33 states reported lower childhood MMR vaccination rates between 2019 and 2024. -
Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Cucumbers Expands to 18 States, 45 Sickened and 16 Hospitalized
A multistate salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers grown by Florida-based Bedner Growers has now sickened at least 45 people across 18 states and hospitalized 16, according to the latest update from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The illnesses, spanning from April to May, have prompted widespread recalls by major retailers including Target, Walmart, Kroger, and Harris Teeter. 
A multistate salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers grown by Florida-based Bedner Growers has now sickened at least 45 people across 18 states and hospitalized 16, according to the latest update from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The illnesses, spanning from April to May, have prompted widespread recalls by major retailers including Target, Walmart, Kroger, and Harris Teeter. -
Global Heat Record Likely by 2029, UN Warns, as 2°C Threshold Looms
Global temperatures are poised to break at least one annual heat record within the next five years, according to a sobering joint forecast from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the UK Met Office. The five-year outlook warns of an 80% chance of another record-breaking year before 2029 and a growing risk that the planet will breach the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming limit set by the 2015 Paris climate accord. 
Global temperatures are poised to break at least one annual heat record within the next five years, according to a sobering joint forecast from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the UK Met Office. The five-year outlook warns of an 80% chance of another record-breaking year before 2029 and a growing risk that the planet will breach the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming limit set by the 2015 Paris climate accord. -
Packaging Says ‘Healthy,’ But Nutrition Says Otherwise: Sugar and Fat Surge in U.S. Cereals
Children's breakfast cereals in the United States have become significantly less nutritious over the past decade, according to a new study published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open. Researchers found that newly launched or reformulated cereals from 2010 to 2023 contain higher levels of sugar, fat, and sodium-despite being marketed as healthier options. 
Children's breakfast cereals in the United States have become significantly less nutritious over the past decade, according to a new study published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open. Researchers found that newly launched or reformulated cereals from 2010 to 2023 contain higher levels of sugar, fat, and sodium-despite being marketed as healthier options. -
NB.1.8.1 COVID Variant Linked to China Spike Surfaces in Multiple U.S. States and Airports
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed multiple cases of the new COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1 in the United States, a strain linked to a sharp surge in infections across China and parts of Asia. The variant, a descendant of the JN.1 lineage, has become dominant in China and is now appearing among international travelers entering the U.S., according to data published by the CDC's testing partner, Ginkgo Bioworks. 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed multiple cases of the new COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1 in the United States, a strain linked to a sharp surge in infections across China and parts of Asia. The variant, a descendant of the JN.1 lineage, has become dominant in China and is now appearing among international travelers entering the U.S., according to data published by the CDC's testing partner, Ginkgo Bioworks.
