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Tag: Health

  • Donald Glover says he had a stroke

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    Donald Glover is opening up about a recent health scare that forced him to cancel his tour last year. At the time, he described it as an “ailment,” but Glover said Saturday night at a performance that a doctor told him he’d had a stroke.

    Glover, who performs under the moniker Childish Gambino, shared the information on stage at Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival in Los Angeles. His remarks were shared widely on social media.

    “You guys voted for a ‘where have I been monologue,’” Glover, 42, said. “I had a really bad pain in my head in Louisiana and I did the show anyway. I couldn’t really see well, so when we went to Houston, I went to the hospital and the doctor was like, ‘You had a stroke.’”

    Glover said he felt like he was letting everyone down, lamenting that he still hasn’t been to Ireland. He also revealed that “they found a hole” in his heart and he had to have two surgeries.

    “They say everybody has two lives and the second life starts when you realize you have one,” Glover said. “You got one life, guys, and I gotta be honest, the life I’ve lived with you guys has been such a blessing.”

    His representatives did not immediately respond to request for comment.

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  • Childish Gambino reveals he had a stroke last year, which forced him to cancel tour

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    Donald Glover is opening up about a recent health scare that forced him to cancel his tour last year. At the time, he described it as an “ailment,” but Glover said Saturday night at a performance that a doctor told him he’d had a stroke.

    Glover, who performs under the moniker Childish Gambino, shared the information on stage at Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival in Los Angeles. His remarks were shared widely on social media.

    “You guys voted for a ‘where have I been monologue,’” Glover, 42, said. “I had a really bad pain in my head in Louisiana and I did the show anyway. I couldn’t really see well, so when we went to Houston, I went to the hospital and the doctor was like, ‘You had a stroke.’”

    Glover said he felt like he was letting everyone down, lamenting that he still hasn’t been to Ireland. He also revealed that “they found a hole” in his heart and he had to have two surgeries.

    “They say everybody has two lives and the second life starts when you realize you have one,” Glover said. “You got one life, guys, and I gotta be honest, the life I’ve lived with you guys has been such a blessing.”

    CBS News has reached out to Glover’s representatives for additional comment.

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  • Bay area center offers counseling as mental health diagnoses spike in seniors

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    PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — With an increase in the number of senior citizens being diagnosed with mental health conditions, the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas wants those 60 and older to know free mental health counseling is available.

    What You Need To Know

    • Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas offers free mental health counseling for 60 and older

    • The program provides screening, assessment, in-person and virtual mental health counseling

    • Fair Health reports 57.4% increase in mental health diagnoses for seniors 65 and older 


    “There’s a lot of pressures that seniors are dealing with or experiencing, whether that’s cost of living, isolation or loneliness, especially since COVID, grief, losing a spouse, a loved one,” said Director of Programs at Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas Christine Didion. “Seniors can receive talk therapy with a licensed mental health counselor. We’re able to do either telehealth or meet with them at a senior center that might be close to them.”

     Pinellas County resident Robert Palin, 81, has been seeing a mental health counselor through the program since 2022.

    “I just felt that a mental health counselor would be helpful in adjusting to the aging process for me, because I have a neuromuscular disability and hearing loss and sight loss, and even my voice is changing. I have difficulty negotiating large groups, public spaces,” he said.

    Palin is not alone. There’s been a more than 57% spike in mental health diagnoses in those 65 and older between 2019 and 2023, the most recent data from Fair Health. The most common are anxiety and depression. And there was a nearly 36% increase in adults 51 to 64.

    “When we lose our ability to do what we did for decades, we get depressed often,” said Palin, who says support has made a difference. “I feel more accepting of what it means to decline.” 

    He adds it has made a difference in self-confidence.

    “Bringing out what you can do. I can still play the piano. I still play chess. I still am fascinated and curious about so many subjects,” said Palin.

    The free mental health counseling program is provided through funding from the Older Americans Act.

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    Melissa Eichman

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  • Study shows eating ultra-processed foods can increase risk of colorectal cancer

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    TAMPA, Fla — Registered dietitian and nutrition coach Brooke Sobh makes her family a big balanced breakfast every morning, making sure they are getting the right amount of protein, carbs, fats, fiber and omega-3s.

    What You Need To Know

    • Research published in JAMA shows women who eat ultra-processed foods could be at a greater risk of colorectal cancer

    • The study looked at nearly 30,000 women and found that those who ate the most ultra-processed foods were at a 45% higher risk for early-onset colorectal cancer

    • Experts said ultra-processed foods are often considered convenience food and they don’t contain much nutritional value

    • The Moffitt Cancer Center said colorectal cancer could become the second leading cause of cancer death for young women by 2030


    “I want to keep their bellies full. I want to give them a lot of fiber. I don’t want to give them a lot of sugar in the morning because it doesn’t start the day off very good,” she said. “Adding more fruit to the diet, adding more vegetables, adding more fiber, reducing saturated fat, and doing that in combination with whatever else they are looking for.”

    A new study published in JAMA, which looked at nearly 30,000 women under 50, found that those who ate the most ultra-processed foods were at a 45% higher risk for early onset colorectal cancer. 

    “So all these convenience foods that are super sugary, or just in a package, don’t have the real good stuff in it, fiber, omega-3s, protein, that is probably what’s causing them to be sick later in life,” Sobh said.

    A nutrition scientist and registered dietitian at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa said ultra-processed foods can cause inflammation in the body, disrupting the gut microbiome and causing precancerous lesions in the rectum or colon.

    “This is a modifiable lifestyle factor; diet and exercise are typically thought to be modifiable lifestyle factors, so it’s things that we have in our control that could potentially prevent cancer,” said Dr. Sylvia Crowder, assistant member in the Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior at the Moffitt Cancer Center.

    That’s why Sobh prioritizes high-nutrient foods like egg and avocado toast for breakfast. She said not only does it prevent cancer, but it also boosts energy and stabilizes the moods of her two- and four-year-olds. 

    “So I want to keep their bodies nourished so they can learn better and grow up thinking this is how I’m supposed to eat,” Sobh said.

    The Moffitt Cancer Center said colorectal cancer could become the second leading cause of cancer death for young women by 2030.

    For men, it’s projected to be the leading cause of cancer death also by 2030.

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    Tyler O’Neill

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  • Bolsonaro’s Conviction Brings Vindication for Some Brazilians Who Lost Loved Ones to COVID-19

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    SAO PAULO (AP) — Simone Guimarães, a retired 52-year-old teacher in Rio de Janeiro, lost at least five relatives to COVID-19: her husband, sister, two brothers-in-law and the godfather of her grandchild. She also lost friends and neighbors.

    “It’s a small beginning of justice starting to be served,” she said. “Impunity has to end at some point. And in his case, we endured a lot.”

    Social media filled with posts Saturday remembering people lost to COVID-19, which also happened in September when the Supreme Court convicted Bolsonaro, even though the legal case had nothing to do with the former president’s pandemic response.

    Guimarães followed every vote in Bolsonaro’s trial. She was at a hospital with her sister in 2021 when Bolsonaro, who was president at the time, mimicked patients gasping for air.

    “I had my forehead against my sister’s. She said, ‘I can’t breathe,’” Guimarães recalled. Her sister later died. “I can’t even bring myself to say his name.”

    She now feels indirectly vindicated, like many other Brazilians who lost relatives to the disease. They say Bolsonaro’s conviction and imprisonment cleansed their souls without delivering justice for their grief.

    “I’m very afraid that this conviction for crimes related to the coup will lessen the convictions for other crimes committed during the pandemic,” said Diego Orsi, a 41-year-old translator in Sao Paulo, the nation’s largest city. “I feel a bit like the Nuremberg trials had convicted the Nazis for invading Poland, and not for genocide.”


    Growing up and then apart

    Orsi grew up alongside his cousin, Henrique Cavalari. They were like brothers. In old family photos, the two appear together blowing out birthday candles.

    As teenagers, Cavalari introduced Orsi to rock bands. Politically, however, they drifted apart. Orsi considers himself progressive while Cavalari backed Bolsonaro.

    “My uncle always leaned right, and my cousin grew up with that mindset,” Orsi said. “During the pandemic, he became convinced there was nothing to worry about, that social distancing restricted freedom and the priority should be protecting the economy.”

    Cavalari ran a motorcycle repair shop and was a staunch Bolsonaro supporter. He couldn’t afford to close his shop and the far-right leader’s rhetoric resonated with the mechanics, who attended his rallies even during the deadliest months of the pandemic.

    Orsi wasn’t 100% sure if Cavalari was at the motorcycle rally, but said his cousin attended previous similar events.

    “He was newly married, paying rent on his business. He needed the money,” Orsi said, recalling he couldn’t visit Cavalari in the hospital intensive care unit because only immediate family was allowed. “But I was told one of the last things he said was to warn his parents to take care, that the disease was serious.”

    Orsi’s family remains divided, much like the rest of Brazil, and he believes Bolsonaro’s conviction will not change public opinion or reconcile other families.


    Feeling grief and vindication

    Bolsonaro denied wrongdoing during his trial. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected an appeal from his legal team, though another may come this week. Before his arrest Saturday, he had been under house arrest since August.

    “I would have preferred that he was arrested for allowing 700,000 Brazilians to die, many deaths that could have been avoided, perhaps by speeding up the vaccine rollout,” Orsi told The Associated Press. “But since he is being tried and convicted for other crimes, it cleanses our soul. It gives us a sense that justice has been served.”

    There have been more than 700,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Brazil since 2020, the world’s second-highest toll after the United States.

    In 2021, epidemiologists at the Federal University of Pelotas estimated 4 in 5 of those deaths could have been avoided if the Bolsonaro administration had supported containment measures and accelerated vaccine purchases.

    Bolsonaro’s government ignored repeated pleas to sign additional vaccine contracts. He publicly questioned the reliability of shots and mocked contract terms, once suggesting Pfizer recipients would have no legal recourse if they “turned into alligators.” Brazil faced vaccine shortages and doses were released in phases by age and health risk.

    Cavalari died just weeks before he would have been eligible for his first dose, Orsi said.

    The same happened to the father of Fábio de Maria, a 45-year-old teacher in Sao Paulo.

    “When he was admitted to the hospital, he was about 15 days away from being eligible for his first shot,” de Maria said. “That delay was fatal for him and many others.”

    His father died in May 2021 at age 65. De Maria blames Bolsonaro and other officials he believes were complicit, but he said the former president’s conviction doesn’t bring justice.

    “Many people feel vindicated, and I don’t blame them. Bolsonaro provoked a lot of anger in many people, including me,” he said. “But I don’t believe there has been justice for those who died of COVID-19, because that is not why Bolsonaro was convicted.”


    Reaching a political turning point

    The pandemic marked a change in course for Bolsonaro’s popularity. During the 2022 campaign, which he lost to Lula, television ads replayed footage of Bolsonaro mocking patients struggling to breathe, which is a common COVID-19 symptom, and highlighted comments widely seen as dismissive of victims and their families.

    “Bolsonaro lost because of his denialist stance during the pandemic. The margin was very narrow,” said Eduardo Scolese, politics editor at the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper during Bolsonaro’s term and author of “1461 Dias na Trincheira” (”1461 Days in the Trenches”).

    The federal government was expected to coordinate Brazil’s early response, Scolese said, but Bolsonaro consistently downplayed the crisis.

    “No one knew how long it would last. Experts called for distancing, while he joined crowds,” Scolese said.

    As the Brazilian leader resisted public health measures, state and local governments imposed their own. The dispute reached the Supreme Court, which ruled states and municipalities could enact distancing, quarantines and other sanitary rules.

    “That’s when Bolsonaro lost control. He began to believe everyone was against him, especially the Supreme Court,” Scolese said.

    The case sat dormant until September, when Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino ordered police to expand the investigation. The case remains underway and sealed.

    Eléonore Hughes reported from Rio de Janeiro.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Two UAB football players stabbed on campus, another player in custody

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    Two University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) football players are recovering after being stabbed by another player on campus Saturday morning.It happened shortly after 10 a.m. at the Football Operations Center.Two people were stabbed, according to Birmingham Fire and Rescue, which responded to the scene. Their injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.Both victims were taken to UAB Hospital for treatment.UAB issued the following statement: “We’re grateful to report that two players injured in an incident this morning at the Football Operations Building are in stable condition. Our thoughts are with them and their families as they recover. The suspect – another player – remains in custody, and an investigation is taking place. The team elected to play today’s game. UAB’s top priority remains the safety and well-being of all of our students. Given patient privacy and the ongoing investigation, we have no further comment at this time.”The team elected to play the afternoon game at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, where 29 players were being honored on Senior Day.UAB player Daniel Israel Mincey was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on Saturday afternoon on charges of aggravated assault and attempted murder. It has not been confirmed if his arrest is connected to the stabbings.UAB Police and Public Safety are handling the investigation.This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available. ____The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

    Two University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) football players are recovering after being stabbed by another player on campus Saturday morning.

    It happened shortly after 10 a.m. at the Football Operations Center.

    Two people were stabbed, according to Birmingham Fire and Rescue, which responded to the scene. Their injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

    Both victims were taken to UAB Hospital for treatment.

    UAB issued the following statement:

    “We’re grateful to report that two players injured in an incident this morning at the Football Operations Building are in stable condition. Our thoughts are with them and their families as they recover. The suspect – another player – remains in custody, and an investigation is taking place. The team elected to play today’s game. UAB’s top priority remains the safety and well-being of all of our students. Given patient privacy and the ongoing investigation, we have no further comment at this time.”

    The team elected to play the afternoon game at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, where 29 players were being honored on Senior Day.

    UAB player Daniel Israel Mincey was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on Saturday afternoon on charges of aggravated assault and attempted murder. It has not been confirmed if his arrest is connected to the stabbings.

    UAB Police and Public Safety are handling the investigation.

    This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.

    ____

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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  • Tatiana Schlossberg, granddaughter of JFK, reveals terminal cancer diagnosis

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    Tatiana Schlossberg, granddaughter of slain President John F. Kennedy, is battling a rare form of leukemia and may have less than a year to live.

    In an essay published Saturday in the New Yorker, the 35-year-old environmental journalist wrote her illness was discovered in May 2024 after she gave birth to her daughter. She was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia with a rare mutation known as Inversion 3 and has undergone several treatments, including chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants.

    Schlossberg is a daughter of former U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, the former president’s daughter, and Edwin Schlossberg. They live in New York.

    In her essay, Schlossberg acknowledged that her terminal illness adds to a string of tragedies that has befallen the famous political family. Her grandfather was assassinated in Dallas in 1963. Nearly five years later, his brother, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, was fatally shot in Los Angeles after giving a victory speech at the Ambassador Hotel following his California presidential primary win. Her uncle, John F. Kennedy Jr., died in 1999 when his small plane crashed.

    “For my whole life, I have tried to be good, to be a good student and a good sister and a good daughter, and to protect my mother and never make her upset or angry,” Schlossberg wrote.

    “Now I have added a new tragedy to her life, to our family’s life, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”

    She wrote her diagnosis was stunning. She had just turned 34, didn’t feel sick and was physically active, including swimming a mile one day before she gave birth to her second child at Columbia-Presbyterian hospital in New York.

    After the delivery, her doctor became alarmed by her high white blood cell count.

    At first, medical professionals figured the test result might be tied to her pregnancy. However, doctors soon concluded she had myeloid leukemia, a condition mostly observed in older patients. She ended up spending weeks in the hospital.

    “Every doctor I saw asked me if I had spent a lot of time at Ground Zero, given how common blood cancers are among first responders,” Schlossberg wrote. “I was in New York on 9/11, in the sixth grade, but I didn’t visit the site until years later.”

    She has endured various treatments. Her older sister, Rose, was one of her bone marrow donors.

    In the article, Schlossberg mentioned the Kennedy family’s dilemma over controversial positions taken by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., her mother’s cousin. Schlossberg wrote that while she was in the hospital in mid-2024, Kennedy suspended his long-shot campaign for president to throw his weight behind then-Republican candidate Donald Trump.

    Trump went on to name Kennedy to his Cabinet as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    In one of his early moves, Trump demanded a cut in government money to Columbia University, which employs her husband, George Moran.

    “Doctors and scientists at Columbia, including George, didn’t know if they would be able to continue their research, or even have jobs,” she wrote. “Suddenly, the health-care system on which I relied felt strained, shaky.”

    On Saturday, her brother Jack Schlossberg, who recently announced his bid for Congress in a New York district, shared on Instagram a link to her New Yorker essay, “A Battle with My Blood.”

    He added: “Life is short — let it rip.”

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    Meg James

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  • JFK’s Granddaughter Reveals Terminal Cancer Diagnosis, Criticizes Cousin RFK Jr.

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    John F. Kennedy’s granddaughter disclosed Saturday that she has terminal cancer, writing in an essay in “The New Yorker” that one of her doctors said she might live for about another year.

    Tatiana Schlossberg, the daughter of Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, and Edwin Schlossberg, wrote that she was diagnosed in May 2024 at 34. After the birth of her second child, her doctor noticed her white blood cell count was high. It turned out to be acute myeloid leukemia with a rare mutation, mostly seen in older people, she wrote.

    Schlossberg, an environmental journalist, wrote she has undergone rounds of chemotherapy and two stem cell transplants, the first using cells from her sister and the next from an unrelated donor, and participated in clinical trials. During the latest trial, she wrote that her doctor told her “he could keep me alive for a year, maybe.”

    Schlossberg said the policies pushed by her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, could hurt cancer patients like her. Caroline Kennedy urged senators to reject RFK Jr.’s confirmation.

    “As I spent more and more of my life under the care of doctors, nurses, and researchers striving to improve the lives of others, I watched as Bobby cut nearly a half billion dollars for research into mRNA vaccines, technology that could be used against certain cancers,” she wrote in the essay.

    Schlossberg wrote about her fears that her daughter and son won’t remember her. She feels cheated and sad that she won’t get to keep living “the wonderful life” she had with her husband, George Moran. While her parents and siblings try to hide their pain from her, she said she feels it every day.

    “For my whole life, I have tried to be good, to be a good student and a good sister and a good daughter, and to protect my mother and never make her upset or angry,” she wrote. “Now I have added a new tragedy to her life, to our family’s life, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Babies who drank ByHeart formula got sick months before botulism outbreak, parents say

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    As health officials investigate more than 30 cases of infant botulism linked to ByHeart baby formula since August, parents who say their children were sickened with the same illness months before the current outbreak are demanding answers, too.

    California public health officials confirmed late Friday that six babies in that state who consumed ByHeart formula were treated for botulism between November 2024 and June 2025, up to nine months before the outbreak that has sickened at least 31 babies in 15 states.

    At the time, there was “not enough evidence to immediately suspect a common source,” the California Department of Public Health said in a statement.

    Even now, “we cannot connect any pre-August 1 cases to the current outbreak,” officials said.

    Parents of at least five babies said that their infants were treated for the rare and potentially deadly disease after drinking ByHeart formula in late 2024 and early 2025, according to reports shared with The Associated Press by Bill Marler, a Seattle food safety lawyer representing the families.

    Amy Mazziotti, 43, of Burbank, California, said her then-5-month-old son, Hank, fell ill and was treated for botulism in March, weeks after he began drinking bottles filled with ByHeart formula.

    Katie Connolly, 37, of Lafayette, California, said her daughter, M.C., then 8 months old, was hospitalized in April and treated for botulism after being fed ByHeart formula in hopes of helping the baby sleep.

    For months, neither mother had any idea where the infections could have originated. Such illnesses in babies typically are caused by spores spread in the environment or by contaminated honey.

    Then ByHeart recalled all of its products nationwide on Nov. 11 in connection with growing cases of infant botulism.

    As soon as she heard it was ByHeart, Mazziotti said she thought: “This cannot be a coincidence.”

    ByHeart officials this week confirmed that laboratory tests of previously unopened formula found that some samples were contaminated with the type of bacteria that leads to infant botulism.

    Marler said at least three other cases that predate the outbreak involved babies who drank ByHeart and were treated for botulism, according to their families. One consumed ByHeart formula in December 2024. The other two were sickened later in the spring, he said.

    An official with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said federal investigators were aware of reports of earlier illnesses but that efforts are focused now on understanding the unusual surge of dozens of infections documented since Aug. 1.

    “That doesn’t mean that they’re not necessarily part of this,” said Dr. Jennifer Cope, a CDC scientist leading the probe. “It’s just that right now, we’re focusing on this large increase.”

    Because so much time has passed and because parents of babies who got sick earlier may not have recorded lot numbers of product or kept empty cans of formula, “it will make it harder to definitively link them” to the outbreak, Cope said.

    Connolly said it feels like her daughter has been forgotten.

    “What I want to know is why did the cases beginning in August flag an investigation, but the cases that began in March did not?” Connolly said.

    Cope and other health officials said the strong signal connecting ByHeart to infant botulism cases only became apparent in recent weeks.

    Before this outbreak, no powdered infant formula in the U.S. had tested positive for the type of bacteria that leads to botulism, California health officials said. The number of cases also were within an expected range. A test of a can of open formula fed to a sick baby in the spring did not detect the bacterium.

    Then, beginning in August and through October, more cases were identified on the East Coast involving a type of toxin rarely detected in the region, officials said. More cases were seen in very young infants and more cases involved ByHeart formula, which accounts for less than 1 percent of infant formula sold in the U.S.

    Earlier this month, after a sample from a can of ByHeart formula fed to a sick infant tested positive for the germ that leads to illness, officials notified the CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the public.

    Less than 200 cases of infant botulism are reported in the U.S. each year. The disease is caused when babies ingest spores that germinate in the gut and produce a toxin. The bacterium that leads to illness is ubiquitous in the environment, including soil and water, so the source is often unknown.

    Officials at the California Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program track reports of botulism and the distribution of the only treatment for the illness, an IV medication called BabyBIG.

    Outside food safety experts said the CDC should count earlier cases as part of the outbreak if babies consumed ByHeart formula and were treated for botulism.

    “Absolutely, yes, they should be included,” said Frank Yiannas, former deputy commissioner for food policy and response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Why wouldn’t they be included?”

    Sandra Eskin, chief executive of STOP Foodborne Illness, an advocacy group, agreed.

    “This outbreak is traumatic for parents,” she said. “They may have fed their newborns and infants a product they assumed was safe. And now they’re dealing with hospitalization and serious illness of their babies.”

    Connolly and Mazziotti said their babies are improving, though they still have some lingering effects. Botulism causes symptoms that include constipation, poor feeding, head and limb weakness and other problems.

    After months of uncertainty about the potential cause of the infection, Connolly said she “became completely obsessed” with the link to ByHeart formula. Now, she just wants answers.

    “We deserve to know the data that can help us understand how our babies got sick,” she said.

    ___

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • Gym owner didn’t know if he’d “ever see again” after severe stroke at 36

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    Gym owner didn’t know if he’d “ever see again” after severe stroke at 36 – CBS News









































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    Donald “Frue” McAvoy was having a quiet day at home when he had a severe stroke that would change his life forever.

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  • Trump’s plan to dismantle Education Department takes first major step

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    WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. Department of Education is starting to break apart its major offices and hand their duties to other agencies — an early sign of how U.S. President Donald Trump might follow through on his campaign promise to shut the department down completely.

    Several offices that support the nation’s schools and colleges will be moved to departments such as Labor, Interior, Health and Human Services, and even the State Department. Officials say federal funding for schools and colleges will continue as Congress intended, but they have not said whether current Education Department employees will keep their jobs.

    Since taking office, Trump has pushed to get rid of the Education Department, saying it is too influenced by liberal ideas. Department leaders have already been preparing to split up their work among other federal agencies. In July, the Supreme Court allowed major layoffs that cut the department’s staff in half.

    Education Secretary Linda McMahon has recently begun publicly arguing that her department should be closed, saying on social media that states and other federal agencies could handle its main tasks — such as giving out grants and answering questions from schools — more effectively.

    But questions remain about whether other agencies are prepared to take on these responsibilities. The Education Department manages billions of dollars in federal aid and helps states interpret complicated education laws. Closing it will test whether the administration can make the transition smoothly or whether students who depend heavily on federal support — including those in rural and low-income schools and students with disabilities — will be harmed.

    Money Will Still Flow

    Although most school funding in the U.S. comes from state and local governments, the Education Department plays a crucial role in sending federal money to schools and colleges. Officials say that money will continue to flow, but often through different agencies. For example:

    • The Department of Labor will now manage major funding programs, including Title I money for schools serving low-income students. Labor already took over adult education programs in June.
    • Health and Human Services will handle grants that help parents who are attending college.
    • The State Department will run foreign-language education programs.
    • The Interior Department will oversee programs for Native American students.

    One of the Education Department’s biggest jobs is managing the US$1.6 trillion federal student loan system. For now, this will not change, though both Trump and McMahon have said another agency might be better suited to run it. Pell Grants and federal student loans will still be issued, and borrowers must continue making payments.

    The FAFSA website, which students use to apply for financial aid, will stay open, and the department will continue to help families with the application. The department will also continue to oversee college accreditation, which allows schools to accept federal aid.

    For now, the department will continue to handle student disability funding, though McMahon has said it could eventually be transferred to Health and Human Services.

    The Education Department also oversees investigations into schools accused of discrimination — including cases involving disability rights, sex discrimination, racial discrimination, and shared ancestry bias. These responsibilities will stay within the department for now, though McMahon has suggested they could be moved to the Department of Justice.

    However, after the mass layoffs in March, the Office for Civil Rights has been operating with far fewer staff. The cuts have raised doubts about whether it can reduce its enormous backlog of student and family complaints. Department data shows it has been resolving fewer civil rights cases even as new complaints continue to rise.

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  • Joyride events from Orlando to St. Pete raises funds for HIV services

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Local advocacy groups are stepping in to support HIV services amid decreasing federal funding, with the annual Joyride event raising over $280,000.

    What You Need To Know

    • Local groups raised $282,431 for HIV services through the Joyride event

    • The 165-mile ride went from Orlando to St. Petersburg

    • Funds support EPIC’s HIV testing, prevention, counseling and housing programs


    In the shadow of St. Pete’s Albert Whitted Airport, cyclists finished their 165-mile journey that started in Orlando.

    “165 miles from Orlando to St. Pete was spectacular,” said Juan Orellana, the first cyclist to complete the annual Joyride. “I hadn’t found an organization or ride that donates 100% of proceeds of what I fundraise to the organizations that need it the most.”

    The money raised is going to organizations like EPIC, or Empath Partners in Care. Joy Winheim runs it.

    “Especially now, when the epidemic has changed, and people don’t think that HIV is quite as scary, the money is just still so important,” Winheim said.

    Winheim says her group provides testing and prevention, counseling, support groups, housing and so much more for the Tampa Bay community.

    She says with high costs for just about everything, and federal grants dwindling, there is need now.

    AHEAD, the American HIV Epidemic Analysis Dashboard, estimates there were 3,200 new HIV infections in Florida in 2022, the latest data publicly available. Worldwide, the World Health Organization says 630,000 died from HIV last year. 

    “People don’t think it’s an issue. Yet you have these individuals who go out there because they know that it is,” said Winheim.

    Organizers say they raised $282,431 cycling for those who can’t.

    “Cycling 165 miles is definitely a challenge, but the rush of being with your neighbors in the community on this ride. You can see the suffering in the face, but you can also see the joy when it’s done,” Orellana said.

    If you’d like to help contribute, you can find the details on the Joyride website.

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  • Pierce County, WA mom credits heart monitor for helping save her life from rare condition

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    PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. – A Pierce County mother is alive to tell her survival story, after her heart stopped, twice. New technology detected she was experiencing abnormal heartbeats due to a rare genetic heart condition she was unaware of. With the help of the device, doctors were able to diagnose the life-threatening condition and prescribe treatment that saved her.

    “I was pretty healthy until I wasn’t,” said Charissa Hudson. “I do believe that the technology saved my life.”

    Charissa, 40, is a wife and mother of three. She said she tries to live a healthy lifestyle. 

    “I do love to be outside. We love to go down to the beach. I love to walk. I have three dogs, so walking is a part of keeping them healthy too,” she said.

    The backstory:

    Charissa said she never really questioned her health. But in April 2024, a regular walk through her neighborhood with her mother changed that.

    “I started feeling really weird and had that sensation. My mom was a little ahead of me and I said, ‘Mom I have to stop. I don’t feel right,’” said Charissa.

    Charissa Hudson

    She passed out for more than four minutes. Charissa said when she woke up, she had a splitting headache, and her heart was pounding. Short moments later, local firefighters and medics rushed her to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma.

    The incident happened after Charissa had just returned home from a two-week trip abroad. She thought maybe she was experiencing jetlag or an illness.

    “You don’t think of the worst. You think, like, well that’s strange, but I did not know at that point the magnitude of what had happened other than how it felt coming out of it,” said Charissa.

    Healthcare providers at St. Joseph Medical Center checked her vitals and everything was normal, except an abnormal heartbeat. Doctors prescribed a Zio AT heart monitor to be worn on her chest for two weeks and sent her home.

    Zio AT heart monitor

    Charissa said she felt fine following that hospital visit, but then eight days later, she passed out again. This time she was alone in her home office.

    “That time I had no warning. I just went out,” said Charissa.

    Rushed back to the emergency room, doctors collected data from iRhythm, the maker of her heart monitor. The data report showed her heart was abnormally beating so fast to a point that it stopped.

    “The doctor basically said you’ve had a sustained ventricular tachycardia event that’s not compatible with life. And I was like, ‘Oh, ok!’” she said in shock. “Everyone kept saying, we looked at your report, we don’t know how you’re here. It’s pretty miraculous.”

    With additional imaging and testing by her doctors, Charissa was diagnosed with a rare genetic heart condition called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). Health professionals said ARVC causes the heart’s electrical system to beat too fast and to stop pumping. 

    ARVC has a prevalence of approximately 1 in 2,000 to 1 in 5,000 people. Its rarity is partly due to being underdiagnosed, as many individuals have mild or no symptoms, especially early in life. Symptoms can include palpitations, chest pain, fainting, lightheadedness, and shortness of breath.

    Charissa said she never knew she carried the gene for ARVC, and likely never would have known her heart was unhealthy. And at her age, she was pretty young to be experiencing cardiovascular issues.

    “If I hadn’t been wearing the heart monitor, I probably would have had another episode because my heart was getting weaker and weaker with each one. And that I probably wouldn’t be here,” she said.

    iRhythm explained arrhythmia is intermittent and can be hard to catch while someone is at the hospital. Continuous monitoring can help doctors make a more accurate diagnosis.

    Fortunately for Charissa, after her first fainting episode, medics transported her to one of the only hospitals in the area that “orders ambulatory cardiac monitoring using the Zio heart monitoring device on patients at discharge,” according to iRhythm.

    “Programs like the cardiac patch monitor system are a great example of how we continue to innovate and embrace that technology. It improves the quality of care for these patients and really for our community,” said Chris Handy, program manager at the Center for Cardiovascular Health at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.

    Leaders at VMFH said advancement in technology is how their healthcare team is saving more lives, like Charissa’s.

    “These monitors have really helped our teams provide better care, and a good example that I’ll actually bring up is one of the programs that we started, which was in the emergency department. So, we identified this opportunity to really give more quality care to patients that were visiting our emergency departments,” said Handy.

    What you can do:

    For anyone who thinks they may be experiencing symptoms, Handy advises them to get medical attention.

    “We are always going to encourage them to come in and speak to a provider, but if they feel like it is more urgent, and they need to go into one of our urgent cares or the emergency departments at Virgina Mason Franciscan Health, we can place these monitors,” said Handy.

    Now living with a pacemaker, Charissa is finding new ways to maintain a healthy life and heart. Her diagnosis is also saving the lives of her family. Genetic testing revealed six people, including her daughter, also carry the ARVC gene. Two of her relatives will also need a pacemaker.

    Charisa said, “To me, the hidden gem in all of it is that, A, I survived. That’s pretty special. And B, my family is able to get some answers that they maybe otherwise wouldn’t have had, and hopefully and potentially avoid having a situation like I had.”

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    The Source: Information in this story came from Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.

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  • Washington state resident dies after contracting a bird flu strain never before detected in humans, officials say

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    A Washington state man is believed to be the first person to die from a rare strain of bird flu, but state health officials said Friday the risk to the public is low.

    The man, an older adult with underlying health conditions, was being treated for a bird flu called H5N5 after becoming seemingly the first known human infected by the strain, according to a statement from the Washington State Department of Health. 

    It was the nation’s first human case of bird flu since February.

    The man from Grays Harbor County, about 78 miles southwest of Seattle, had a backyard flock of domestic poultry that had been exposed to wild birds, health officials said.

    “The risk to the public remains low,” the statement from state health officials said. “No other people involved have tested positive for avian influenza.”

    Health officials said they will monitor anyone who came in close contact with the man, but “there is no evidence of transmission of this virus between people.”

    Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a statement about the infection that said no information would suggest “the risk to public health has increased as a result of this case.”

    H5N5 is not believed to be a greater threat to human health than the H5N1 virus behind a wave of 70 reported human infections in the U.S. in 2024 and 2025. Most of those have been mild illnesses in workers on dairy and poultry farms.

    The distinction between H5N5 and H5N1 lies in a protein involved in releasing the virus from an infected cell and promoting spread to surrounding cells.

    Bird flu has been detected in a variety of bird populations since January 2022, and in March of last year, it was found in dairy cows for the first time. 

    Bird flu can infect birds as well as mammals, including pigs, cattle and cats. People can also get infected when they come into close contact with infected animals, which is why farm workers are at high risk for infection. 

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  • WA resident dies from rare bird flu variant

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    KING COUNTY, Wash. – A person in Washington has died from the bird flu, health officials confirmed Friday.

    What we know:

    A Grays Harbor County resident was infected with H5N5 avian influenza in early November, the first recorded human infection of the variant in the world.

    The patient was receiving treatment in King County, and has now died. The Department of Health says they were an older adult with underlying health conditions.

    According to the CDC, this is the second person in the U.S. to die from the bird flu since 2024.

    What they’re saying:

    Grays Harbor County health officials say no other people involved in the case have tested positive for bird flu. They will continue to monitor anyone who came in close contact with the person who died.

    The risk to the general public is low, as health officials say there is no evidence that the virus can be passed between people. The infected resident had a backyard flock of mixed domestic birds, which is likely how they were exposed.

    More information about the bird flu can be found on the Washington State Department of Health website.

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    To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.

    Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.

    The Source: Information in this story came from the Washington State Department of Health and the CDC.

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  • Bill aims to increase early detection of colorectal cancer

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    TAMPA, Fla. — Doctors have been sounding the alarm for years that colorectal cancer is increasing at an alarming rate in people younger than 50.

    Now, legislation has been introduced at the federal level aimed at increasing early detection.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Colorectal Cancer Early Detection Act was recently introduced by U.S. Reps. Haley Stevens and Tim Burchett

    • The bill aims to increase early detection of colorectal cancer 

    • According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, the under 50 age group is the only one to see an increase in colorectal cancer diagnoses

    • This new legislation would provide a funding path for states to pay for screenings for high-risk people, education campaigns, and more


    Michael Sapienza, CEO of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, said the nonprofit worked closely with lawmakers to introduce the bill.

    “Colorectal cancer is the number one leading cause in cancer-related deaths for men under 50 and the second for women under 50. So, this Colorectal Cancer Early Detection Act is vital to keep Americans healthy,” Sapienza said.

    When Christen Pedigo, 34, first noticed symptoms four years ago, she never thought she’d end up at Moffitt Cancer Center.

    “It was always something like, ‘Oh, it’ll be Crohn’s or UC or something similar.’ They didn’t even bring it up. So, when they gave me the diagnosis the day of the procedure, it was very shocking,” said Pedigo.

    She learned the unexplained weight loss, digestive issues, and fatigue she’d been dealing with were signs of colorectal cancer. Christen was diagnosed with stage 4 last year at just 33 years old. 

    “It’s been a really rough year, just from dealing with everything from the treatment to the emotions around the effects to just seeing how it changes your friends, your family,” Pedigo said.

    In her case, Pedigo began experiencing symptoms when she was 29 years old. Her case is part of a disturbing trend. According to the CCA, about 10 percent of colorectal cancer cases diagnosed in the U.S. are people younger than 50. That age group is the only one seeing an increase, with diagnoses going up one-to-two percent every year. It’s something one of Pedigo’s doctors has seen firsthand.

    “It’s very concerning,” said Dr. Tiago Biachi de Castria, a medical oncologist with Moffitt.

    Biachi de Castria said about 20% of the hospital’s colorectal cancer patients are younger than 50.

    “Unfortunately, we’re still seeing all those patients coming in with late diagnosis or with more advanced disease,” he said.

    The American Cancer Society says screening is lowest among the 45-49 age group. The Colorecal Cancer Early Detection Act aims to change that. The bill from U.S. Reps. Haley Stevens and Tim Burchett would allow states to apply for grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that can be used to pay for screenings for people younger than 45 who are at higher risk, provide referrals for medical treatment, public education campaigns, and more.

    “Anything that can help to have access to this ideal care, it’s important for these patients,” said Biachi de Castria. “The interval between a polyp to a cancer is 10years, so we have time to act. This is the perfect disease to prevent, usually using screening procedures.”

    Pedigo said before coming to Moffitt, chemo and radiation didn’t have a big effect on her tumor. She’s started a more aggressive treatment and hopes to see improvement soon. The legislation is something she said can go a long way toward letting people know screening is important — no matter their age.

    “I think it’s so needed because after getting the diagnosis, you learn just how many people are experiencing it. I mean, there’s celebrities that are experiencing it,” she said. “We’re fighting a battle that we don’t have any information on. We’re so young, and it’s not a thought.”

    Emily Blasi, senior director of communications and public relations for the CCA, said the bill has been introduced and Stevens’s and Burchett’s offices are actively looking for support for it.

    According to CCA, symptoms of colorectal cancer can include a change in bowel habits, persistent abdominal discomfort, rectal bleeding, weakness and/or fatigue, and unexplained weight loss, but there may be no symptoms in the early stages. It’s yet another reason the alliance says it’s important for people to get screened once they turn 45.

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  • Let’s Talk About The Concerning Trend Of Celebs With Visible Chest Bones

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    “For people to strive for these very thin bodies, in general, isn’t healthy.”

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  • RFK Jr. Says He Personally Directed CDC’s New Guidance on Vaccines and Autism

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    His comments provide clarity into who directed the CDC’s website change, after many current and former staffers at the agency were surprised to see new published guidance on Wednesday that defies scientific consensus. Kennedy, a longtime vaccine critic, has upended the public health agencies he oversees and pushed for and enacted changes that have unsettled much of the medical community, which sees his policies as harmful for Americans.

    “The whole thing about ‘vaccines have been tested and there’s been this determination made,’ is just a lie,” Kennedy said in the interview, which was conducted Thursday.

    The CDC’s “vaccine safety” page now claims that the statement “vaccines do not cause autism” is not based on evidence because it doesn’t rule out the possibility that infant vaccines are linked to the disorder. The page also has been updated to suggest that health officials have ignored studies showing a potential link.

    Public health researchers and advocates strongly refute the updated website, saying it misleads the public by exploiting the fact that the scientific method can’t satisfy a demand to prove a negative. They note that scientists have thoroughly explored potential links between vaccines and autism in rigorous research spanning decades, all pointing to the same conclusion that vaccines don’t cause autism.

    “No environmental factor has been better studied as a potential cause of autism than vaccines,” the Autism Science Foundation said in a statement Thursday. “This includes vaccine ingredients as well as the body’s response to vaccines. All this research has determined that there is no link between autism and vaccines.”

    Kennedy, a longtime leader in the anti-vaccine movement, acknowledged to The New York Times the existence of studies showing no link to autism from the mercury-based preservative thimerosal or from the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. But he told the newspaper there are still gaps in vaccine safety science and a need for more research.

    The move creates another disagreement between the health secretary and Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician and Louisiana Republican who chairs the Senate health committee. During his confirmation process, Kennedy pledged to Cassidy he would leave the statement that vaccines do not cause autism on the CDC website. The statement remains on the website but with a disclaimer that it was left there because of their agreement.

    Kennedy told The New York Times he talked to Cassidy about the updated website and that Cassidy disagreed with the decision.

    “What parents need to hear right now is vaccines for measles, polio, hepatitis B and other childhood diseases are safe and effective and will not cause autism,” Cassidy posted on X on Thursday. “Any statement to the contrary is wrong, irresponsible, and actively makes Americans sicker.”

    Dr. Sean O’Leary, head of the infectious diseases committee at the American Academy of Pediatrics, told reporters in a briefing Thursday that the CDC’s website update was perpetuating a lie.

    “This is madness,” he said. “Vaccines do not cause autism, and unfortunately, we can no longer trust health-related information coming from our government.”

    The Department of Health and Human Services, which didn’t make Kennedy available for an interview with The Associated Press this week, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Nov. 2025

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  • Preparing to study abroad requires knowing what might go wrong during and after the trip

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    After spending two college semesters in northern Thailand, Sarah Jongsma found herself back home in the rural Nevada town where she grew up, surrounded by everything familiar yet feeling strangely out of place.

    “It caught me off guard,” she said. “I didn’t know what was going on.”

    Only later, after a summer studying in India and while preparing to go to France for another semester abroad, did Jongsma understand what she had been feeling: reverse culture shock.

    The 22-year-old’s experience shows that studying abroad can be challenging in unexpected ways. Experts say that’s why students need to study up on not only safety precautions and cultural differences, but also the emotional shifts that may come with leaving home — and returning to it.

    Planning for low points and potential disappointments, experts say, can help students focus on making the most of a trip that is exciting, challenging and life-changing.

    “The value and purpose of studying abroad is to learn about the rest of the world as well as learn about yourself. In fact, it is the juxtaposition of having your assumptions tested that you can gain from studying abroad and helps you understand yourself even better,” said Bill Bull, vice president of risk management for the Council on International Educational Exchange, which facilitates high school, college and faculty study-abroad programs.

    Here are some tips that experts and students recommend for anyone heading off to learn in a foreign country:

    Before you travel

    Along with having an up-to-date passport and a visa, if their host country requires one, students need to be aware of potential risks and cultural expectations based on their ethnicity, nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation and religion.

    Many countries do not recognize same-sex unions, so experts suggest being careful of open interactions with a partner of the same sex. Women may face cultural expectations around dress or hair, or find it hard to obtain birth control or feminine hygiene products they didn’t think to bring with them.

    “Make plans for what you will do when things go wrong, because things can go wrong and things will go wrong,” said Bull, who recommends connecting with students who studied abroad, as well as their parents, for advice they wished they’d had. “It doesn’t mean it has to be the end of your experience. It just means that you need to be ready to manage it.”

    Some study-abroad programs offer basic health coverage, but students should consider medical evacuation insurance and check whether any of their regular prescribed medications are illegal abroad. The U.S. Department of State also recommends enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, a free safety and security alert service for U.S. citizens.

    Advance research also is important for students still thinking about whether to apply for a study-abroad program.

    Financial and academic planning are equally important, as they are among the biggest barriers for students seeking to study abroad, said Phoebe Stears-Macauley, a Germany and Spain program advisor for the University Studies Abroad Consortium, which offers study-abroad programs for university students.

    “Meet with your academic advisors, talk through the classes you will take and how those will transfer back, and meet with your financial aid office,” she said.

    While a lot of the preparation and precautions are about practical needs, experts and students say it’s just as much about setting realistic expectations.

    When Jongsma left for the Thai city of Chiang Mai in 2023, it was her first time traveling internationally and being away from her parents.

    “When you’re getting ready to leave, you get really focused on your own personal goals and how you’re going to meet them,” she said. “I don’t think you realize that when you get there, you’ll miss your community a lot.”

    Homesickness may feel even sharper around holidays like Thanksgiving, especially for students who have not spent them away from family before. Jongsma suggests bringing small reminders of home with you and keeping a journal. She also packed a small portable printer for her summer studies in Bengaluru, India, in case she wanted to print out pictures of family and friends.

    While abroad

    Once students arrive at their destination, experts suggest slowing down and observing their surroundings. A common regret Stears-Macauley said she hears from returning students, especially those who studied in Europe, is that they spent every weekend traveling and not getting to know their host city.

    Bull advises students to think about why they are studying abroad in the first place and what they hope to get from the experience. Choosing to be present in the moment instead of constantly taking photos can make the time far more meaningful and yield cultural clues that help you fit in, he said.

    “Anyone can go be a tourist,” Bull said. “You want to notice what’s going on around you. You want to look at what people are wearing and what they’re not wearing. You want to see, do people stop at the red lights or do they cross anyway?”

    Programs can last anywhere from a few weeks to more than a year, and students may face mental health challenges such as loneliness, depression or language-related anxiety. Many programs offer on-site support, but experts say students should have a plan in place before those symptoms occur.

    For Dominic Motter, who spent a semester in London in 2023, familiar routines helped when homesickness struck. Like Jongsma, Motter’s trip abroad was his first time away from family and friends for an extended period of time, and he was surprised when confronted with the feeling of homesickness.

    “I’d never known that feeling before,” he said.

    An avid runner, Motter would jog in the park whenever he felt overwhelmed, a simple ritual from back home that helped him feel more grounded. He also found comfort in decorating his room, both with items from home and new souvenirs from his travels. At the end of the day, he said it helped him feel like he was “coming home.”

    “Instead of it feeling like a temporary dorm room or hotel room,” he said, it put him in the mindset that “this is now my new home.”

    Upon return

    Experts say many students returning home are going through a transition and may struggle with reverse culture shock without realizing it.

    “You’ve had this transformative experience. You’ve changed and grown so much, and you come back to the place where you were before and it’s all different because you’re so different,” Stears-Macauley said. She suggests joining local international clubs or alumni associations from the foreign school you attended to find support.

    Students can also prepare by answering the following questions, Bull said: How will you contextualize your experience? What aspects are most important to share? Which details are suitable for brief conversations, and which are better saved for deeper conversations with people who want to understand what made the experience meaningful?

    For Jongsma, it helped to create new experiences in a familiar place — even something as simple as checking out a new museum, she said. Motter, who spent his first few weeks wishing he were back in London, said it helped to talk with the friends he’d made there because they actually understood what he was feeling.

    As he put it: “It’ll eventually feel like home again.”

    ___

    Mumphrey reported from Flagstaff, Arizona. Yamat reported from Las Vegas.

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  • New play looking at friendship between AIDS activist Larry Kramer and Anthony Fauci in the works

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    NEW YORK — A new play exploring the complex relationship between playwright and AIDS activist Larry Kramer and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime top U.S. infectious disease expert, will make its premiere early next year in New York under the direction of Tony Award-winner Daniel Fish.

    “Kramer/Fauci” will star Tony-winner Will Brill from “Stereophonic” and Thomas Jay Ryan, who starred in the film “Henry Fool.” It will play The Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts between Feb. 11-21, The AP has learned.

    Fish, whose 2019 production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” won the Tony Award for best musical revival, is using the transcript of a 1993 C-Span face-off between the two men as the text of the play, which included call-ins from across the country.

    “I’m looking at a particular moment in time, at a particular exchange that has resonances into their relationship, has resonances into the politics and culture of the time, and seeing what happens when we do that now. That’s really where I’m coming from,” said Fish.

    Kramer and Fauci went from adversaries to friends as they confronted the AIDS crisis from different sides in the 1980s and ’90s. Kramer, who wrote “The Normal Heart” and founded the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, or ACT UP, demanded the government do more and faster for those with symptoms.

    Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, insisted on a pragmatic approach. He would became a lightning rod again as leader of the national response to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

    The exchange in 1993 was heated and illuminating, with Kramer acknowledging their complex relationship: “He is a man, an ordinary man, who is being asked to play God,” Kramer said at the time. “And he is being punished because he cannot be God. And that is a terrible position to be in.”

    After Kramer’s death in 2020, Fish stumbled across the C-Span exchange. “I just thought it was really compelling and it kind of just stayed with me,” he said. “And after a while I thought, ‘I wonder what would happen if we made a performance out of this?’”

    Fish doesn’t want to mount a literal recreation of the exchange, instead reaching for something more theatrical. In 1993, Kramer was beamed in from New York while Fauci was in the C-Span studio in Washington, D.C. For the play, Fish will put the two — plus the moderator — in the same room on stage.

    “There’s a moment where Kramer at one point says, ‘You know, I love Tony Fauci,’ and later on he says, ‘Tony, when you talk like that, I hate you.’ And Fauci says, ‘I know you do, Larry.’”

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