Human brains are accumulating more microplastics than eight years ago, recent research has shown. A preprint study posted online in May 2024 reveals that brain samples collected from autopsies in early 2024 contained about 50% more tiny plastic shards than those from 2016. Lead author Matthew Campen, a regents’ professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of New Mexico, reported that these samples had concentrations of 4,800 micrograms of plastic per gram of brain tissue.

While this data underscores increased exposure, it does not yet clarify the health implications. Phoebe Stapleton, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Rutgers University, emphasizes that the study highlights exposure but not necessarily damage. The research team observed that brain samples had 7% to 30% more plastic shards than kidneys and livers, suggesting that nanoplastics may preferentially accumulate in the brain, possibly due to its high-fat content.

Nanoplastics, which are smaller than 1 nanometer, are particularly concerning because they can penetrate cellular structures and cross the blood-brain barrier. They might enter the brain by hitching a ride with dietary fats, according to Campen. Although plastics are found in various organs, including the heart, lungs, and placenta, their full impact on brain health remains unclear.

Dr Philip Landrigan from Boston College, who was not involved in the study, points out that while avoiding plastics entirely is impossible, reducing exposure is crucial. He advises minimizing the use of plastic bags, bottles, and containers, and opting for alternatives like glass or metal. A recent study found that bottled water often contains high levels of microplastics, further highlighting the need for caution.

The study also notes that polyethene, a common plastic, was predominantly found in brain tissues. This plastic type is linked to environmental and health risks, including cancer. Experts stress the importance of further research to fully understand the implications of these findings and advocate for reducing plastic usage to mitigate potential health risks.

California is once again seeing COVID-19 climb back into the headlines, with test positivity rates nearly doubling since late July, even as hospitalizations remain far below levels seen in previous summers. While some counties suggest the wave may be peaking, health experts warn the coming fall and winter could bring a much more challenging season for infections, hospital strain, and vaccine availability.

COVID-19 Levels Rising, But Milder Than Previous Years

Statewide data show California’s test positivity rate hit 12.8% for the week ending August 30, up sharply from 7% at the start of the month. Los Angeles County, which historically sees some of the state’s highest case counts, reported an even higher positivity rate at 14.8%, compared with 9.3% just four weeks earlier.

Wastewater surveillance, now one of the most reliable early indicators of community spread, shows elevated levels of coronavirus in multiple regions, including Santa Clara County, Northern California’s most populous county, where viral concentrations remain in the “high” category.

Despite the rise, this summer’s surge has been relatively mild compared with prior years. COVID-19 hospital admissions statewide have increased to 3.93 per 100,000 residents, up from 2.38 in early August. But hospitalization levels remain much lower than in the summer surges of 2023 and 2024.

“This is not the kind of severe surge we saw during previous pandemic years,” L.A. County’s Department of Public Health said in a statement. “But it is still enough to disrupt workplaces, schools, and daily life.”

Signs of a Possible Plateau

While statewide metrics remain high, there are early indicators that the current wave may be leveling off. In Orange County, positivity rates dropped from 18% in mid-August to 13.1% at the end of the month. Wastewater data in Los Angeles County also show a slight week-over-week decline.

San Francisco reported a similar trend: its positivity rate dipped to 8.1% after peaking at 8.7% the week prior, though it remains significantly higher than the 5.8% seen in early August.

Health officials caution that these declines could be temporary, and a return to schools and workplaces after summer holidays may affect transmission patterns.

Uncertain Outlook for Fall and Winter

Even if the summer wave continues to slow, epidemiologists warn that California is not necessarily in the clear. Historically, respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, intensify during colder months when people spend more time indoors.

State health models have left open two possible scenarios: either a stronger summer wave followed by a quieter winter or a mild summer followed by a more significant winter surge. “We are preparing for the possibility of a more severe wave later this year,” the California Department of Public Health said in July.

Vaccine Access Emerging as a Major Challenge

The biggest shift this year is not just viral activity, but how Californians can access vaccines. Federal policy changes under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal vaccine skeptic, have restricted eligibility for the latest COVID-19 shots.

The Food and Drug Administration now authorizes COVID-19 vaccines primarily for people 65 and older and those with certain underlying health conditions. Adults under 65 who wish to get vaccinated must either provide documentation of a qualifying condition or sign an attestation at a pharmacy.

Public health experts worry these new hurdles could suppress uptake just as protection from earlier doses wanes. “Barriers to vaccine access, even minor ones, can lead to fewer people getting immunized, which increases the risk of larger outbreaks,” said one infectious disease specialist at UCLA.

West Coast Pushes Back With Alternative Guidance

In response, California has joined Washington, Oregon, and now Hawaii to form the West Coast Health Alliance, a regional pact aimed at issuing independent, science-based guidance on vaccines. State officials hope this will reassure residents and counter mixed messaging from federal authorities.

However, it remains unclear whether this alliance will improve actual access to shots at major pharmacy chains, where most Americans receive their vaccines. Medical associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, are also issuing their own recommendations to guide individuals and families.

California’s current COVID-19 wave is not yet overwhelming hospitals, but the rise in cases serves as a warning ahead of the fall and winter respiratory season. Health experts recommend Californians stay alert to local data, consider masking in crowded indoor settings, and speak with their healthcare providers about vaccine eligibility, especially those with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.

With vaccination policy now more fragmented than at any time since the pandemic began, public health agencies stress that timely communication will be key. Whether California can maintain relatively low hospitalization rates through winter may depend as much on clear access to vaccines as on the trajectory of the virus itself.

A decade-old clip of Fox News host Greg Gutfeld has resurfaced recently. In that video, Gutfeld can be seen fiercely defending vaccines, and calling out Donald Trump for spreading anti-vaccine rhetoric. The video that made waves is going viral again, sparking fresh debate over how the right’s stance on public health has shifted in the years since.

The resurfaced clip, originally aired on The Five in September 2015, shows Gutfeld taking direct aim at then-candidate Trump, who had linked vaccines to autism during a Republican primary debate. “This is a really bad thing to happen to the Republican Party, an anti, hysterical anti-science point of view about vaccines,” Gutfeld said at the time. “Using the anecdote with a child is destructive and it’s ignorant because it’s not science.”

He didn’t hold back, calling the claim “stupid,” “dangerous,” and “bad for Republicans.”

A Clip From the Past: Why Is It Relevant Today?

The clip was compiled and circulated by Media Matters for America this week, drawing attention to how starkly Gutfeld’s position appears to have shifted since those pre-Trump years. The timing of its resurgence is no accident: it comes as Gutfeld has recently thrown his support behind Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of the most prominent vaccine skeptics in American politics.

Kennedy, who was confirmed to the post earlier this year with unanimous Democratic opposition, has since pushed out top vaccine officials from federal agencies, including the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His tenure has seen a wave of resignations from CDC scientists and a renewed push to examine debunked theories linking vaccines and autism, a position rejected by decades of research.

Gutfeld Then vs. Gutfeld Now

In 2015, Gutfeld used one of his sharpest analogies to dismantle the idea that vaccines cause autism:

“It’s a false causal argument to say because vaccines and autism symptoms appear at the same time, ergo, the vaccines cause autism,” he said. “That’s the same as saying, you know, when you have ice cream and you get sunburns in the summertime, therefore ice cream causes sunburns.”

Fast-forward to 2025, and Gutfeld is singing a different tune, reports several media outlet, in fact, his own statements echoes that of the HHS leader.

In January, during Kennedy’s confirmation process, Gutfeld praised him as “passionate,” “persuasive,” and “not woke.” While he conceded that Kennedy’s views on vaccines “seem more reliant on his gut instinct than science,” Gutfeld ultimately told viewers, “If I were in the Senate, and who’s to say I’m not?...I would vote for him. All Republicans should say yes.”

By September, his tone had grown even warmer. On The Five last week, Gutfeld defended Kennedy after a tense Senate hearing, framing Democrats as “unglued” in their criticism of the HHS secretary and presenting Kennedy’s ousting of the CDC director as justified.

“Junior says it’s time for new blood at the health agency after they failed Americans during COVID,” Gutfeld said on air, with no hint of the skepticism that once defined his coverage of vaccine conspiracies.

A New Shift, But At Health's Cost

The resurfaced clip is more than just a personal contradiction, it’s a reflection of Fox News’ broader transformation over the last decade. In 2015, the network was still somewhat divided on Trump’s rise and occasionally hosted sharp criticism of his more controversial claims. But as Trump cemented his hold over the Republican Party and conservative media, Fox News’ editorial line increasingly aligned with his agenda.

Today, vaccine skepticism is a recurring theme on the network, often framed as a matter of personal freedom rather than public health. Gutfeld’s evolution from calling vaccine misinformation “dangerous” to defending one of the country’s most prominent vaccine skeptics underscores that shift.

Why It Resonates Now

The clip’s resurgence resonates in a moment where public health policy remains politically charged. COVID-19’s aftermath, declining vaccination rates for children, and growing partisan divides over science and medicine have brought vaccine debates back into the spotlight.

For critics, Gutfeld’s change of heart exemplifies how leading conservative voices have moved from defending science to embracing figures who question it. For supporters, it shows a willingness to challenge the “establishment” health bureaucracy, even if it means revisiting debunked theories.

Fox News did not respond to a request for comment on the resurfaced clip, reported The Wrap.

Canada’s leading drug regulator is facing a growing wave of concern over the popular diabetes and weight-loss medication Ozempic, after thousands of reports of adverse effects, some of them being severe, were recorded nationwide.

A Surge in Reports

Health Canada confirmed it has received 11,707 individual reports of adverse reactions linked to drugs containing semaglutide, including Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy, since their introduction to the Canadian market seven years ago.

The agency has collected 2,706 separate reports detailing these side effects, about half coming from health professionals and half from patients, according to data obtained by Le Journal de Montréal.

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The reported issues range from relatively mild gastrointestinal discomfort to severe events such as poisoning, vision loss, and psychiatric disorders. Gastrointestinal complaints alone account for one-third of the reports — highlighting how common nausea, vomiting, and constipation are among users.

Patients Speak Out

For patients like Liliana Mejia, the experience was devastating.

“It was horrible,” she told Le Journal. “Everything made me want to vomit, my vision was blurred, [I was] tired and constipated for 10 days.”

She stopped using the drug after a little over a year but says she wishes she had been warned about the potential impact earlier. “I don’t think we talk about it enough,” Mejia added.

Her story mirrors that of many Canadians now speaking out about their struggles.

Also Read: Weight Loss Drugs Like Ozempic, Mounjaro And Wegovy Under Scrutiny After Deaths And Pancreatitis Reports in UK

Powerful But Not Risk-Free

Ozempic was originally designed as a treatment for type 2 diabetes but has skyrocketed in popularity due to its ability to suppress appetite, leading to rapid weight loss.

“It’s a powerful and effective drug that has many benefits, but also side effects that need to be managed,” explained Dr. Rémi Rabasa-Lhoret, endocrinologist and researcher, in comments to Le Journal.

He emphasized that the reports do not necessarily prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship between Ozempic and the complications, but said that listening to patients is crucial. “It requires proper medical monitoring,” he noted, stressing that it should not be used casually or without supervision.

Psychiatric Concerns and Risky Trends

Among the most worrying findings are the psychiatric problems reported by patients, 470 cases have been logged so far. Dr. Rabasa-Lhoret said he has seen patients spiral into eating disorders such as anorexia due to overuse of the drug.

He also pointed to the unprecedented demand for Ozempic, comparing the craze to the hype around Viagra when it first launched. “Many people have started prescribing it without providing proper support to patients,” he lamented, adding that the rise of online pharmacies has made it dangerously easy to obtain the drug without adequate oversight.

Vision Loss and Rare Neuropathies

One of the most troubling side effects being investigated is non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a rare condition that can lead to permanent vision loss.

Jacques Pépin, 69, of Repentigny, Quebec, believes Ozempic played a role in the two strokes he suffered in his eyes over the past year.

“I wouldn’t have taken it if I had known,” Pépin told Le Journal.

He has now lost much of his sight and says he can no longer drive, read, or enjoy his favorite hobby — building model airplanes. “I break glasses, I have no balance,” he said, describing how the vision loss has upended his life.

Health Canada has logged 10 cases of NAION and is currently “reviewing relevant preliminary information on the potential risk.” Novo Nordisk, the drug’s manufacturer, denies a causal link, though its European labels are being updated to include NAION as a potential adverse reaction.

Balancing Benefits and Risks

Despite the concerning data, experts caution against panic. Sherbrooke endocrinologist Dr. André Carpentier told Le Journal that while the list of side effects can seem alarming, the drug’s benefits, from controlling diabetes to protecting heart and kidney health, are significant and must be weighed carefully against the risks.

“The link with Ozempic is difficult to establish beyond doubt,” Dr. Carpentier said, noting that certain complications, like sudden drops in blood sugar, can themselves trigger issues like vision problems.

Health Canada continues to collect and analyze data, and experts stress that the key is proper prescription, patient education, and close monitoring. For patients like Mejia and Pépin, however, the damage is already done, and their stories are sparking calls for more transparency about what users can expect before starting these medications.