Good morning, it’s Monday. After a brief birthday break, I am refreshed and ready to take on the week.
On this day in 1925, a baby named Baruch Samuel Blumberg – a fellow Leo! – was born in Brooklyn. Unless you’re in the healthcare or public health space, this name probably doesn’t mean anything to do, but it should.
Blumberg, who went by the nickname “Barry”, grew up to be a doctor, geneticist and co-recipient of a Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1976 for his work on Hepatitis B. Working with his collaborator, Dr. Daniel Carleton Gajdusek, Dr. Blumberg not only identified this potentially deadly virus, but later developed a diagnostic test to detect it AND a vaccine to prevent its spread.
That’s a lot of significant achievement for one lifetime.
There are actually five kinds of viral Hepatitis – A, B, C, D, and E, which all primarily impact the liver, but differ in severity, transmission, and prevention methods. Hepatitis C is probably the most well known of the bunch, but that’s not because it’s most prevalent. That dubious distinction goes to Hepatitis B.
The focus on Hep C, as it’s sometimes known for short, might be because it’s the most difficult to prevent. There are vaccines for the A, B, and E varieties (though the last one was created in China and is not yet available in the U.S.) Hepatitis D requires the presence of B in order to cause infection, so if you’re vaccinated against the latter, you should be also protected from the former.
So, back to Hep B and C. Both are primarily spread through contact with someone who is already infected – whether by sharing needles, through sexual activity or passing from mother to baby during childbirth – and/or through exposure to contaminated medical equipment.
In the case of Hep C, if you got a blood transfusion before 1992, when screening for the virus was not common practice, you might also have been at risk of contracting the virus.
Unlike Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B cannot be cured. Through treatment with antiviral medication, more than 95 percent of people with Hep C get better, and in some cases – though uncommon – the body manages to clear the infection on its own.
The catch is that Hep C treatment is very expensive – ranging from $22,000 to $95,000 – and not all insurers cover it, which is why a low percentage of people who are sick, which the CDC estimates is about 2.4 million in the U.S. alone, are actually able to access treatment. Left untreated, Hep C can lead to liver damage and cancer, leading to about 15,000 deaths across the country annually.
Hepatitis B can be managed with a variety of medications, and in extreme cases requires the removal of the damaged liver. But truly, the best bet with Hep B – and all of the virus varieties, really – is to avoid getting it in the first place.
(WARNING: mild political commentary ahead, proceed with caution). The Trump administration’s cuts to medical research funding threaten to upend the efforts to find a cure for Hep B. In addition, staff reductions at the CDC, NIH, FDA, and other agencies that focus on health or combatting infectious diseases will limit services, surveillance and other initiatives critical to eliminating the spread of the Hepatitis viruses.
On top of that, the administration’s reduction in foreign aid and withdrawal from the WHO threatens the fight against all forms of Hepatitis across the world, particularly impacting low-and middle-income countries where populations are particularly vulnerable.
Against that backdrop of a rather depressing state of affairs: In celebration of Dr. Blumberg’s birth and his contributions to medical science, today is World Hepatitis Day, which, according to the aforementioned WHO “is an opportunity to step up national and international efforts on hepatitis, encourage actions and engagement by individuals, partners and the public and highlight the need for a greater global response.”
It’s going to be very hot and humid today, with intervals of sun and clouds and temperatures soaring into the low 90s. Also, an air quality alert remains in place through noon. The problem is fine particulates caused, yet again, by Canadian wildfires.
In the headlines…
President Donald Trump announced yesterday that the U.S. reached a trade deal with the European Union, following pivotal discussions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen days before the Aug. 1 tariff deadline.
Trump said that the deal imposes a 15% tariff on most European goods to the U.S., including cars. Some products, including aircrafts and their components, some chemicals and pharmaceuticals, will not be subject to tariffs, von der Leyen said.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that Trump would not grant any further extensions to countries wishing to negotiate trade deals ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline.
Top officials from the Trump administration will meet with their Chinese counterparts in Sweden this week for their third formal round of economic talks since the president raised tariffs on Chinese imports to triple-digit levels this year.
Israel yesterday announced a halt in military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and new aid corridors as Jordan and the United Arab Emirates airdropped supplies into the enclave, where images of starving Palestinians have alarmed the world.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new aid distribution plan — including “tactical pauses” in military activity for parts of Gaza, the establishment of aid corridors, and renewed airdrops — resulted in public criticism at home.
Israel has been facing growing international criticism, which the government rejects, over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and indirect ceasefire talks in Doha between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have broken off with no deal in sight.
Trump said that Israel is going to have to “decide what to do” with the Gaza Strip now that ceasefire talks have collapsed and vowed to send more US aid to Palestinians in the war-torn enclave.
Hamas decried the Israeli government’s move to resume air-dropping aid and establish corridors for humanitarian deliveries in Gaza as “nothing more than a formal and deceptive step aimed at whitewashing its image before the world.”
After Israeli restrictions on aid, hunger has risen across Gaza. Doctors and nurses, struggling to find food themselves, lack the resources to stem the surge.
A man armed with a folding knife who went on a random stabbing spree that left 11 people injured at a Michigan Walmart on Saturday afternoon faces a charge of terrorism in connection with the attack, the authorities said.
The man, Bradford James Gille, 42, of Afton, Mich., also faces 11 counts of assault with intent to murder, Sheriff Mike Shea of Grand Traverse County said at a news conference yesterday.
New York, once considered a national leader in renewable energy efforts, is conceding it will fail to meet its most significant clean energy goals — and critics say state officials aren’t even trying.
Fifty-eight state Senate and Assembly candidates made contributions to their own campaigns, while 113 had their spouses or family members do so, and then filed claims for matching state funds to amplify their platforms in 2024.
Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul is not ruling out a mid-decade redrawing of New York’s House lines, as deep red Texas and Ohio move to reshape their maps through redistricting.
Outside groups are raising concerns that Democrats risk violating the Voting Rights Act with redistricting plans, creating a new problem for the party as it seeks to answer GOP efforts to redistrict its way to more power.
The proposal to use NYPA to build a new nuclear plant in New York highlights the challenges of building energy megaprojects that take a decade or more to complete.
Long Island cops ripped Hochul for bragging about bringing down gun violence hours before an officer was shot in the face by a deranged homicide suspect last week.
A new campaign strategy memo, reveals how Team Hochul plans to win the governor’s race next year: She will relentlessly tie North Country GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik to Trump.
Hochul visited the Buffalo Bills training camp last week to sign Desha’s Law, a new piece of legislation aimed at improving safety in New York’s public schools.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James quietly circulated a petition Saturday to other Democrats pushing an end to the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza.
Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral primary victory in New York follows wins by other big-city progressives. Are voters more open to backing progressive stances? The results in other cities like Chicago, Boston, and LA indicate the answer is “yes.”
The results certified from New York City’s mayoral primary election provide the clearest picture yet — down to each voter’s ranked-choice ballot — of how Mamdani pulled off a major upset over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Here’s what the ballots show.
Young voters went for Mamdani by a large margin. Can they persuade their parents to do the same?
Mamdani hired a new campaign manager as he builds out his team for the November general election, the campaign announced Friday. Maya Handa, who ran State Sen. Zellnor Myrie’s mayoral bid earlier this year, will be the candidate’s campaign manager.
Mamdani’s victory in the New York mayoral primary is a sign that South Asian voters are beginning to assert themselves as an impactful political demographic.
Mamdani reportedly celebrated his recent marriage this week with a three-day-long exclusive bash in his native Uganda – in the Buziga Hill area outside the capital city of Kampala – that included masked military security and a cellphone jamming system.
The neighborhood is home to some of Uganda’s richest, including billionaire businessman Godfrey Kirumira, a tycoon with stakes in real estate, tourism, petroleum and infrastructure, and houses neighboring the Mamdanis easily fetch more than $1 million.
Gleeful Republicans will make socialist Democratic Mamdani a key campaign issue as they pound “Mamdani Democrats” running for election across the state, party insiders said.
A viral video showing a desolate publicly funded grocery store in Missouri has drawn fresh scrutiny of Mamdani’s signature proposal to bring city-owned markets to the Big Apple.
Former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D’Amato editorialized against Mamdani in the Daily News and endorsed Cuomo for mayor.
Cuomo and Mayor Eric Adams took aim at one another yesterday over their pasts while marching in the Colombian Parade in Queens and the Bronx Dominican Parade, respectively.
Adams on Saturday blasted Cuomo for stepping down as governor as he was being investigated over sexual harassment allegations — and swiping his political “playbook” by running for mayor as an independent.
Cuomo says young voters “have real issues” but should “make sure the solutions aren’t so simplistic” because it will make them cynical and turned off to government.
For months, Cuomo opponents urged voters to leave the former governor unranked on their ballots in favor of the numerous other candidates in the crowded Democratic field, and a new analysis of primary-election data found that many did just that.
Adams, after taking a jab at Mamdani’s decision to take a trip to Uganda after “winning half an election” in a video released last week, said Friday he was joking and conceded politicians need a getaway every once in a while.
City animal shelters, bursting at the seams due to an unprecedented influx of animals, have been given an additional $1 million from the city to tackle their critical capacity issues.
“My commitment to serving all New Yorkers truly means ALL!” Adams wrote on his @ericadamsfornyc X account. “And that includes New York City’s pet population.”
The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Adams over the city’s sanctuary policies. Officials argued that the rules, which restrict city officials from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement, are unconstitutional.
Eight percent of households citywide are overcrowded, but the figure balloons to 27 percent for families who have at least one child and less than $100,000 in income, according to data from the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
Officials warned that smoke-filled air would blanket the New York City area yesterday, creating unhealthy conditions for some, as soot and ash from Canadian wildfires drifted across the border.
A Bronx woman was arrested on Friday in connection with the deaths of two newborn boys who were discovered behind a Bronx apartment building in the fall of 2020, according to the police.
The NYPD has removed more than 3,000 illegal guns from New York City streets since the beginning of the year, officials announced yesterday.
More bicyclists reported being hurt after riding into string drawn at neck- and head-level across the Marine Parkway Bridge pedestrian path this week — following similar encounters earlier this summer.
The Justice Department is investigating whether the renowned NewYork-Presbyterian health system violated antitrust laws through hidden deals with insurance companies that kept hospital prices high, according to a subpoena reviewed by The New York Times.
The city health department has launched an investigation after a cluster of Legionnaire’s disease cases were identified in Harlem over the weekend — with officials urging New Yorkers to take precautions.
Todd Shapiro, the Manhattan PR agent who opened the political hangout the Albany War Room Tavern, has purchased the former La Serre building downtown and intends to open a private club and restaurant catering to the under-40 crowd.
The Capital Region is taking strides to establish itself as an epicenter for technology research and development, but is still struggling to retain young, educated populations choosing to leave for more established tech sectors, Census Bureau data shows.
Protesters called on Albany County to drop Avelo Airlines from the Albany Airport roster because of its participation in ICE deportation flights.
An air quality alert that was issued for a large swath of New York on Saturday, including the Capital Region also extended into yesterday.
A 16-year-old boy is in custody after he allegedly fired in a gun in Washington Park and ran from the police Saturday evening.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame added five members with the 2025 class inducted during the 53rd annual ceremony at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown yesterday.
Ichiro Suzuki, the first Japanese Hall of Famer in baseball history, brought down the house with one of the most humorous speeches since the late Bob Uecker, surprising much of the audience, most of whom were unaware he even spoke English.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
