US HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rejects the idea that rising autism rates are due to better diagnosis, with CDC data showing a 17% jump from 2020 to 2022. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

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Health

Briefing for 18 April 2025

Kennedy rejects ‘epidemic denial,’ vows to fund research into environmental autism triggers

US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has rejected claims that rising autism rates are simply due to better diagnosis.

He accused the media of pushing a false narrative and pledging to fund research into environmental causes.

‘You’re gonna get it’: Former Te Pāti Māori candidate confronts Cabinet minister in public – Harawira calls it out

A former Te Pāti Māori candidate who confronted Cabinet Minister Casey Costello at a Wellsford food court is now under fire – not just from the public, but from veteran activist Hone Harawira.

Pere Huriwai-Seger sat down uninvited at Costello’s table and told her, “of course you’re gonna get it,” a comment she took as threatening.

News bosses pushed spy agency to investigate RNZ journalist over ‘Russian edits’

An official report confirms New Zealand’s intelligence agency spent two months investigating former RNZ journalist Mick Hall after he was accused of inserting Russian propaganda into a Reuters wire story.

The NZSIS probe concluded in August 2023 with no evidence of foreign interference and found Hall posed no threat to national security.

Why are taxpayers still funding The Spinoff? Sean Plunket slams $600k NZ On Air handout

In a recent monologue, broadcaster Sean Plunket questioned why taxpayer funds continue to flow to left-leaning outlet The Spinoff, which he called “woke rubbish.”

His remarks follow news that The Spinoff received over $600,000 from NZ On Air this week for two digital projects – a podcast series titled Juggernaut and a show called 60 Seconds, reportedly about sex and relationships.

Spike protein found in female stroke patients’ brains 17 months after mRNA vaccine

A new peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience has found SARS-CoV-2 spike protein lingering in the brain arteries of female stroke patients more than a year after receiving mRNA COVID vaccines – raising concerns about long-term vascular impacts and sex-based immune differences.

Although the sample size was small (19 patients), and causation not established, the authors argue the findings add weight to growing calls for a reassessment of mRNA vaccine risks – especially for women – and demand further investigation into long-term effects.

Te Pāti Māori’s donation scandals: big money, poor compliance

Te Pāti Māori still hasn’t filed an audited report for its 2023 financial statements, more than nine months after the legal deadline. The 2023 accounts were submitted months late and unsigned, with the audit still missing despite the party having paid for it and promising that it’s on its way.

The Electoral Commission referred this latest breach to Police. Yet, rather than issuing any fines or arrests, the Police opted to let the party off the hook with only a formal warning in December.

UK Supreme Court rules woman means ‘biologically female’ under Equality Act

The UK Supreme Court has ruled that under Britain’s Equality Act, the term woman refers to someone born biologically female, excluding transgender women from the legal definition.

The unanimous decision came in response to a challenge by feminist group For Women Scotland, who opposed a Scottish law calling for gender parity on public boards by including trans women with legal gender recognition.

The court ruled the law had effectively redefined woman beyond the scope of the Equality Act.