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PLANNED?
Get rid of the Fed Reserve. NOW.
THE CABAL needs power so we need a blackout.
SHIT HIT THE FAN
how WE win
What Remains: The Holdouts of Integrity
Amid the wreckage, some newsrooms still fight, proving that journalism’s spirit endures even where its infrastructure has crumbled.
At the national level, ProPublica has demonstrated how nonprofit investigative reporting can still hold the powerful accountable. Funded by foundations and readers, it has exposed Supreme Court corruption, billionaire tax evasion, and abuses of power too risky for many legacy outlets to touch.
In Texas, The Texas Tribune offers another path. Founded in 2009, it is a nonprofit sustained not by shareholders but by readers, sponsors, foundations, and its own creativity, from membership drives to its annual TribFest festival. Its diversified funding shields it from undue influence and enables it to focus on state politics with rigor and independence.
At the local level, a wave of community‑driven outlets has risen to fill the void left by corporate chains. In Chicago, Block Club Chicago sends reporters into neighborhoods that have long been ignored, covering housing, policing, and resilience. In California, Berkeleyside, a reader-owned cooperative, delivers grassroots reporting rooted in its city. And in Baltimore, after the collapse of the Sun, The Baltimore Banner emerged — nonprofit and fearless — already breaking major stories on city contracts and misconduct.
These organizations operate without the deep pockets or glossy brands of the old guard. They’re lean, dependent on donations, staffed by tireless teams, and yet they persist. What they lack in scale, they make up for in independence, rooted in their communities and accountable only to readers.
They are what journalism was always meant to be: fearless, public‑spirited, and embedded in the lives of those they serve.
They’re not just surviving. They are quietly redefining what journalism can look like in the 21st century.
flesh-eating bacteria?
At least four people in Florida have died this year after contracting a
flesh-eating bacteria typically found in warm saltwater or brackish
water, according to Florida’s Health Department. The state has reported
11 cases this year.
Vibrio vulnificus infections are rare; 150 to 200
cases are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
each year. But the consequences can be severe. It can cause necrotizing
fasciitis, a severe infection in which the flesh around an open wound
dies, and many people with Vibrio vulnificus infections require
intensive care or limb amputation, according to the CDC. About 1 in 5
people who contract an infection die, sometimes within two days of
becoming ill.
The Florida Health Department did not provide details about the deaths this year.
From
2016 to 2024, there were an average of about 49 infections each year in
the state and about 11 deaths annually. In 2022 and 2024, reported
deaths and infections were higher because of hurricane impacts.
What is Vibrio vulnificus?
Vibrio
vulnificus is a naturally occurring bacterium found in warm, coastal
areas in saltwater and brackish water — a mix of fresh water and
saltwater often found where rivers meet the sea. It is known as
flesh-eating bacteria because some infections “lead to necrotizing
fasciitis, a severe infection in which the flesh around an open wound
dies,” according to the CDC. Researchers at the CDC first identified it
as a source of disease in 1976.
It thrives in warmer waters —
especially from May to October — and in low-salt marine environments
such as estuaries, the CDC says. Infections from the bacteria have been
mostly reported in Gulf Coast states, but cases increased eightfold in
the Eastern United States from 1988 to 2018, while the northern
geographical range of infections has increased 30 miles per year,
according to the CDC.
How is it contracted?
People can
contract Vibrio vulnificus if open wounds are exposed to warm, salty or
brackish water containing the bacteria or sometimes by consuming raw or
undercooked seafood, particularly raw shellfish such as oysters.
Coastal floods, hurricanes and storm surges drive waters inland, increasing the risk of exposure and infection.
As coastal water temperatures increase, infections are expected to become more common, according to one recent study.
Vibrio
vulnificus can infect anyone, but people with liver disease, cancer or a
weakened immune system, as well as those taking medicine to decrease
stomach acid levels, are more likely to become infected or develop
complications during an infection, The Washington Post previously
reported.
There is no evidence of person-to-person transmission of Vibrio vulnificus, according to the Florida Health Department.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms
include vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. The bacteria can invade
the bloodstream, causing the breakdown of the skin and ulcers, fever,
chills, decreased blood pressure (septic shock) and blistering skin
lesions, Florida health officials said. Although healthy people can
display mild symptoms, those with weakened immune systems or chronic
liver ailments can suffer more serious complications, they said.
Medical professionals advise those who suspect they have a Vibrio vulnificus infection to go to an emergency room immediately.
Where is it commonly found in Florida?
Most
cases have been reported in counties that suffered damage from
overflowing water following hurricanes. In 2022, Collier and Lee
counties experienced a higher than usual number of cases in the
aftermath of Hurricane Ian. And last year, the counties of Citrus,
Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota experienced
jumps in cases following Hurricane Helene, state officials said.
How can you cure or prevent infection?
If
an infection is found early, doctors can use antibiotics to treat it
immediately. The Cleveland Clinic says providers are likely to prescribe
antibiotics such as doxycycline, ceftazidime, cefotaxime or
ciprofloxacin.
Other methods to help prevent skin infections from
spreading include surgical debridement, during which a provider cleans
dead tissue out of a patient’s wounds; draining fluid from blisters;
amputation of affected limbs; medication such as norepinephrine
(noradrenaline) that addresses low blood pressure; intravenous fluids;
and oxygen therapy.
Florida health officials said people with open
wounds or cuts should avoid contact with brackish water, saltwater and
seafood from such waters.
Thoroughly cooking seafood and avoiding the
consumption of raw seafood can prevent infection, they said. People
should boil shellfish until the shells open and continue boiling for
another five minutes, Florida health officials said, and people can
steam them until the shells open before cooking for an additional nine
minutes. Shucked oysters must be boiled for at least three minutes, or
fried in oil that is 375 degrees for at least 10 minutes. Cooks should
also avoid mixing raw seafood with other food. Leftovers should be
refrigerated, and protective gear should be used when handling raw
seafood.
People who are immunocompromised should wear proper foot
protection to prevent cuts and injury caused by rocks and shells in
aquatic settings, they added.
sick on cruise?
LINK:
https://www.newsweek.com/mystery-cruise-illness-poop-cruise-2100682
More than 140 passengers and crew members mysteriously fell ill during a
luxury Royal Caribbean cruise that recently departed Los Angeles for
Mexico. Newsweek has contacted Royal Caribbean for more information on
its latest cruises via email.
Why It Matters
The Navigator of the
Seas is a 2003 Voyager-class cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean,
with a capacity of almost 4,000 passengers. This means that around 4
percent of the total cruise was ill during the journey, which began
earlier this month.
What To Know
The U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the cruise, aboard the
Navigator of the Seas, concluded July 11 with at least 134 of 3,914
guests and seven crew experiencing vomiting, stomach cramps, and
diarrhea. The source of the outbreak remains unknown.This incident is
one of 18 gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships in 2025 that met
the CDC's threshold for public notification, with norovirus often the
culprit. According to the CDC, norovirus is the leading cause of
vomiting and diarrhea, and foodborne illness in the U.S.However, the CDC
stated that identifying the causative agent can take time, and cruise
ship outbreaks represent only 1 percent of all reported cases.Issues of
hygiene aboard large cruise ships have been put under new scrutiny by
the public after the release of Poop Cruise, a documentary about a 2013
cruise aboard the Carnival Triumph that left over 4,000 passengers
stranded with a backed-up sewage system.This month also marks the
beginning of new tourism taxes on cruises headed to Mexico, like the one
carried out by the Navigator of the Seas.Starting from July 1,
international travelers stopping in any Mexican ports have been required
to pay a tourism tax upon disembarking.Mexico is among some of the
most-visited cruise destinations in the world and attracts millions of
cruise passengers across its different ports. According to the
Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), this year could see around
3,300 cruise ships arriving in Mexican ports, bringing 10 million
passengers to the country.
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for
Royal Caribbean Group said in a statement responding to the illness, per
USA Today: "The health and safety of our guests, crew and the
communities we visit are our top priority. To maintain an environment
that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships,
we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed
public health guidelines."
What Happens Next?
The CDC continues to investigate the outbreak.
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