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Is a Foreign Weapon Behind Havana Syndrome?

United States: The CIA and the Treasury Department do not believe a foreign power has caused the still-unexplained ailments that affected some U.S. diplomats and other officials while posted in Cuba, but two agencies now concede it is possible that an adversary might have developed or even used a weapon to produce the mysterious injuries, as reported by HealthDay.

The conclusion, which resembles the findings of the earlier probes, stems from a survey of seven intelligence bodies that analyzed the incidences of head impacts and other symptoms expressed by other American diplomats and various other military and governmental personnel who raised the concerns about involvement of a foreign competitor.

Intelligence Findings

The new assessment of the situation was unveiled by the U.S. intelligence on Friday. When assessing the data, five intelligence agencies stated that the external enemy’s participation is highly improbable, a U.S. intelligence official told reporters upon the briefing on condition of anonymity since it was the requirement of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Two of the agencies, however, concluded that it could be that a foreign power might have developed, or perhaps used, a weapon that might have caused the injuries reported by the US diplomats and the government officials.

Is a Foreign Weapon Behind Havana Syndrome?

The Ongoing Mystery

Headaches, balance problems, and problems with thinking and sleeping were first reported in Cuba in 2016 and in hundreds of American personnel in several countries later in the year. American diplomats stationed in Havana were the first to complain, which prompted the sequence of maladies to be nicknamed Havana syndrome.

The two agencies, which officials did not name, failed to trace any of these events to a particular foreign technology but came to their conclusions through some understanding of foreign weapons systems development and capabilities. Finally, one of the agencies discovered that the probability was roughly even that a foreign government utilized such a weapon or prototype device in a small, unknown number of cases involving U.S. personnel.

The other agency concluded that although it might have been developed by another nation, it is still doubtful that it has ever been used.

The Biden Administration’s Response

The Biden administration has been under pressure to probe the incidents after the American staff complained of brain injuries and other symptoms after keeping getting attacked in what some call an attempt to attack and harm US personnel operating in a foreign land. However, till now, officials have not been able to pinpoint any one reason for such events.

NEW: U.S. intelligence has found no evidence linking a foreign power to the mysterious “Havana syndrome” injuries reported by some U.S. diplomats and other government personnel, though two agencies now say it’s possible a foreign adversary may have developed or even deployed a… pic.twitter.com/BoclTBk9sz
— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) January 10, 2025

Friday revelations issued are a variant of a ‘change in key judgments by some intelligence components’ and require further research, National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said in an email communiqué to journalists.

“Our focus on these priorities remains unwavering and must continue,” Savett said. “It is vital that the U.S. government continue critical research, investigate credible incidents, and strengthen efforts to provide timely care and long-term clinical follow-up.”

No Direct Evidence

The intelligence official who briefed reporters on Friday dismissed the shift, stating that the two agencies that left open the possibility that a foreign government was developing or deploying a weapon that caused the injuries had reported low confidence in their assessment, as reported by HealthDay.

The official admitted that other NSAs were more sure that foreign governments were not involved and that certain intelligence leads discovered by some of the U.S. intelligence raised doubts about foreign involvement.

“There’s no intelligence linking a foreign actor to any specific event,” the official told reporters.

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Related Topics:Foreign Havana Syndrome Weapon

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Every U.S. Rice Sample Tested Shows Arsenic, Cadmium, or Lead

Be smart about the rice you consume and how you prepare it to reduce your loved ones’ intake of potentially dangerous heavy metals.

United States: A new study by Healthy Babies, Bright Futures has uncovered that many rice brands sold in U.S. supermarkets—especially in cities like New York and Miami—contain measurable and potentially dangerous levels of heavy metals. Every single rice sample tested had detectable arsenic, with one-quarter exceeding FDA limits set for infant rice cereal, as reported by HealthDay.

Infant Rules Don’t Apply to All

Although the FDA implemented a maximum arsenic level for infant rice cereal in 2021, no such rule exists for regular rice consumed by millions—including toddlers and young children. Researchers stress this loophole as a public health concern.

Major Brands, Major Findings

The report tested rice from 145 brands including Trader Joe’s, Ben’s, and Goya. Results showed heavy metal concentrations ranging from 63 to 188 parts per billion (ppb), with some samples reaching as high as 240 ppb. Arsenic was the most commonly found, followed by cadmium.

TOXIC ARSENIC IN RICE INCREASES WITH TEMPERATURE & CO2
Multiple very bad health effects.
Risk already recognized
Danger limit being exceededhttps://t.co/MIa4xewDK0 #rice #climatechange. #globalwarming pic.twitter.com/Q7pTPlqcrm
— Peter D Carter (@PCarterClimate) May 16, 2025

Industry Response: Consumers Deserve Reassurance

The USA Rice Federation acknowledged consumer concerns but insisted current arsenic levels in rice pose no significant public health risk, as reported by HealthDay.

How to Reduce Your Risk

The report offers key tips for safer consumption:

Cook it like pasta: Drown your rice in water (6–10 cups per 1 cup of rice) and let it brew.

Switch it up: Switch to grains such as quinoa, barley, or couscous, since they contain less heavy metals.

Pick safer varieties: Look for white rice from California, sushi rice, Thai jasmine, or Basmati rice from India. Stay away from brown rice, Southern-grown white rice and arborio rice imported from Italy (Suggested Alternative: Skip those three varieties as they may contain higher levels of metals).

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News

Houston Wastewater Detected Measles Weeks Before Outbreak, Study Finds

Early detection and prevention of measles can be done by monitoring for the virus in wastewater.

United States: Measles virus showed up in Houston’s sewage water several weeks before the big measles outbreak happened in Texas in January, according to a new study.

Early Warning Signs in Wastewater

Wastewater samples taken on Jan. 7 were found to have measles virus DNA in them, which was reported by scientists in the American Journal of Public Health, as reported by HealthDay.

According to the researchers, the City of Houston Health Department found and reported two cases of measles in adults not vaccinated for the disease on January 17th. The survey is based on people living in the same areas where the water treatment plants supplied water.

Measles Resurgence in Texas

In all, 717 people in Texas had measles as of May 13, reported the Texas Department of State Health Services. Two children who have not been vaccinated have died.

#Measles in the #Sewers? #WastewaterSurveillance Offers Early Warning for #Outbreaks. #Houston @BCMTailorLabs @saracregeen @MikeTisza @bcmhouston @TEPHI_Texas @RiceUNews @UTHealthSPH #AJPH https://t.co/RNxDxBIaFV @DiscoverMag pic.twitter.com/xrlAPDCbsY
— From the Labs at Baylor College of Medicine (@BCMFromtheLabs) May 15, 2025

“With lessons learned from the Houston measles detection event, we are now working with our public health partners to gather data on the current measles outbreak in West Texas,” lead researcher Michael Tisza, an assistant professor of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said in a news release.

“Our program has been monitoring measles in wastewater from those sites as well, hoping the information can help officials get ahead of this virus,” Tisza said.

The sampled Houston treatment plans help more than 218,000 people, according to the researchers.

Researchers found that testing wastewater before an outbreak revealed that these methods can prepare officials for an infectious disease.

Wastewater Testing: A Promising Public Health Tool

“Systematically sequencing the genetic material in wastewater reveals dynamic changes in human viruses circulating in a community,” senior researcher Anthony Maresso, chair of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor, said in a news release.

“Importantly, analyzing these viral changes in wastewater can improve our understanding of outbreaks and transmission and inform public health preparedness, just as one uses meteorological data to better understand and predict weather patterns to anticipate potentially dangerous conditions,” Maresso said.

According to the researchers, there had not been any measles viruses found in any of the 821 wastewater samples collected in Houston in the past 31 months.

“Because no other cases have been reported and the detections occurred in the same area where the travelers resided, it is reasonable to assume that the measles signal detected in wastewater is from the two infected cases, which underscores the high sensitivity of the method,” Maresso said.

Vaccination Still the Best Defense

Co-researcher Eric Boerwinkle, dean of the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, said that “this work underscores the ability of sophisticated wastewater analyses to serve as an early detection system benefitting public health, healthcare, and communities in preventing a measles outbreak in Houston.”

If they haven’t already, Boerwinkle advised individuals to acquire the measles vaccine, as reported by HealthDay.

The best way to stop the contagion of measles is the MMR vaccine, since it has already proven to be both safe and effective.

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Health

Your Smartphone Might Predict How Well You Recover from Injury

With more smartphone data, there will be better ways to predict and guide recovery in orthopedics.

United States: According to a study published on May 9 in the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, smartphone data — including step count, walking speed, and gait — can predict how well someone recovers from bone or hip injuries. The findings suggest that mobility patterns before an injury may offer powerful insights into a patient’s post-surgical progress, as reported by HealthDay.

Data That Speaks Volumes

The study, led by Dr. Brian Shear at the University of Maryland Medical Center, followed 107 adults who had previously undergone surgery for a broken leg or hip. Using data from participants’ Apple iPhones, researchers analyzed their pre-injury activity levels — specifically, their steps, speed, and gait — and compared it with their recovery progress.

Patients who were more active before their injury tended to recover faster and return to mobility more easily. “This novel approach has the power to reshape how orthopedic care is delivered,” Dr. Shear explained.

A New Era of Personalized Rehab

The study found that patients with higher daily step counts before their injury had better recovery outcomes. Likewise, those with faster walking speeds and consistent gait patterns pre-injury also healed more effectively — highlighting the predictive value of everyday mobility metrics.

With this knowledge, doctors are able to plan treatments better, detect possible issues in patients’ progress earlier, and give patients more precise timelines for recovery.

Expanding the Technology’s Use

Senior researcher Nathan O’Hara, associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, announced plans to broaden the study’s scope to include other areas of orthopedics like sports medicine, joint replacement, and shoulder or foot surgery, as reported by HealthDay.

An app is also under development to support this initiative, with multicenter clinical trials expected to begin later this year.

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