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health and human services

Owl Bar Aftermath–Clare Boyle Statement–Ethos, Pathos, Logos

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 Use Ethos, Pathos and logos to determine reliable narrator in following passage: 

Clare Boyle the niece of the alleged mass shooter Michael Brown of Anaconda Montana has released the following statement on behalf of their family. The Boyle’s written statement can be read in full below.

“We don’t know much right now unfortunately apart from what the police know.. My uncle is a very mentally ill veteran. He served in the army and was sent home a sergeant. He had developed schizophrenia during his time in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Then he joined the National Guard where he was not allowed to be deployed again due to his mental illness.. Mikee hasn’t been the same since he came back.. It’s been progressively worse with the passing of both parents and exceedingly worse since the trauma of my grandmas passing (his mother)… The VA turned us away stating that they weren’t able to help. The Montana state Hospital turned us away because they only accept patients who are court ordered which could not happen unless “He becomes a harm to self or others”.

The system failed.. We as people failed.. Failed to report suspicious behavior because “that’s just Mikee” patrons of the bar urinating on his porch and mocking his delusions to get a rise out of him because they know it will… You deal with that long enough… With a mental illness? Horrible things are going to happen. We begged people to listen and open their eyes.. 99% of the time Mikee is harmless. You can ask almost anyone in town. If you’re not mocking his delusions or being awful towards him he is one of the best people… I don’t know what happened Thursday night to provoke this and I don’t know what happened Friday morning to push this… what I do know is no amount of words or apologies will ever be enough to express the remorse and heartbreak I personally feel for these families effected. 5 families were destroyed on Friday morning.

To determine whether the narrator (Clare Boyle, via her written statement) is reliable, we can assess her use of **ethos** (credibility), **pathos** (emotional appeal), and **logos** (logical reasoning).

## **1. Ethos (Credibility):**

– **Connection to Subject:** Clare identifies herself as Michael Brown’s niece, establishing a close relationship and presenting herself as a family spokesperson.

– **Insider Knowledge:** She references family history and personal experience with Michael’s mental illness and medical treatment attempts, suggesting direct experience.

– **Transparency:** She admits, “We don’t know much right now unfortunately apart from what the police know,” and, “I don’t know what happened Thursday night… or Friday morning,” which suggests honesty about the limits of her knowledge rather than portrayal of certainty.

**Assessment:**  

Clare’s ethos partially supports her reliability; she’s up-front about what she does and does not know, speaks with empathy, and has direct involvement. However, as a family member, she may have unconscious bias in defense of her uncle.

## **2. Pathos (Emotional Appeal):**

– **Appeals to Sympathy:** The narrative emphasizes Michael’s mental illness and trauma: “mentally ill veteran,” “developed schizophrenia,” “wasn’t the same since he came back,” “trauma of my grandma’s passing,” “the system failed.”

– **Systemic Critique:** Expresses frustration at healthcare and systemic failures (“VA turned us away,” “Montana State Hospital turned us away”), and the community’s passivity or cruelty toward Michael.

– **Victim’s Remorse:** “No words or apologies will ever be enough to express remorse and heartbreak… 5 families were destroyed…”

**Assessment:**  

Strong emotional language (“horrible things are going to happen”) is meant to evoke empathy and perhaps lessen judgment of Michael Brown. While this is authentic in grief, it may also serve to shift blame from the accused to societal failures, suggesting some emotional bias.

## **3. Logos (Logic):**

– **Factual Claims:** Provides a timeline—service in the army, development of illness, attempts to get help, rejection by institutions. Cites specific causes for the situation (mental health deterioration, failing support systems).

– **Acknowledgement of Uncertainty:** Clearly states what is unknown about the events in question (“I don’t know what happened…”).

– **Rational Explanation:** Argues that long-term mistreatment and untreated illness leads to tragedy.

**Assessment:**  

The reasoning is logical within the framework of the story: trauma, untreated mental illness, and systemic neglect can contribute to tragedies. However, there is absence of direct evidence about the actual events (“I don’t know what happened Thursday night”), which underlines that her claim is interpretive, not eyewitness or fact-driven about the central incident.

 

## **Conclusion: Reliable Narrator?**

**Clare Boyle appears to be a **reliable** narrator regarding the family’s experiences, her uncle’s mental health, and efforts to get help.** Her transparency about gaps in her knowledge, firsthand experience, and emotional candor enhance her credibility about these aspects.

**However, she is not a reliable narrator for the details of the actual shooting incident,** as she explicitly admits her lack of knowledge (“I don’t know what happened…”). Her emotional closeness to Michael and the tragic situation could introduce some bias, mainly in her framing of events as systemic failures rather than addressing possible personal culpability.

**Summary Table:**

| Aspect | Reliable? | Reasoning |

|——————-|————-|————————————————–|

| Family history | Yes | Firsthand knowledge, direct experience |

| Michael’s illness | Yes | Observed over time, acknowledges uncertainty |

| Shootings details | No | Admits ignorance of facts |

| Motive/blame | Partially | Emotional, some bias towards systemic explanation |

**Overall:**  

Clare is a reliable narrator for her direct experiences and observations, but her narrative of the shooting itself is limited to secondhand information and emotional context, not factual account of the events.

 

source. perplexity.ai

 

Social Media.  https://x.com/jameslangelle

GROK.

Owl Bar Aftermath 08.02.25.2020pdt: #Anaconda, Montana quadruple homicide suspect Michael Paul Brown niece’s statement examined for reliable/unreliable narrator using ethos, pathos, logos; for factual claims vs unconscious bias toward uncle’s intent. perplexity.ai/search/use-eth
 
  • The post references a real-time investigation into a quadruple homicide at the Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana, where Michael Paul Brown, a 45-year-old army veteran with Iraq deployment (2004-05), is the suspect, as confirmed by Montana Department of Justice and BBC reports from August 2, 2025.
  • It suggests analyzing the niece’s statement using ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic)—rhetorical tools from Aristotle’s framework— to assess bias or reliability, a method supported by peer-reviewed studies like those in the Journal of Applied Communication Research (2019) on narrative credibility.
  • The event highlights a rare violent outbreak in a small community (under 10,000 residents), contrasting with FBI crime data showing rural areas typically have lower homicide rates (1.9 per 100,000 vs. 6.3 in urban areas, 2023), prompting questions about the suspect’s mental state post-military service.
 

Sputnik, Vietnam and the Department of Education

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https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaFamWebInKheSanh

BORDERLANDS

v.25, i. 03.21. khesanh068

Introduction

     The landmark act signed into law by President Carter didn’t exist in a bubble before then. The new bureau had been a part of a larger bureaucracy which was inadequate to serve the needs of the rapidly expanding educational system and its historic achievements in civil rights and minority admissions. Complicated by the need to keep up with the Soviet Union and eventually, with war on the horizon fostering student unrest, Congress set about to split up the bureaucracy and form what came to be known as the Department of Education in 1979.

(Image credit: Khe Sanh Combat Base,

https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaFamWebInKheSanh)

Capsules

     Background on the creation of the Department of Education can be recovered through synthetic intelligence (AI) search queries.

(Begin Perplexity-AI)

which department was department of education in before it became separate

Before becoming a separate cabinet-level department in 1980, the Department of Education was part of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW)12. The Department of Education Organization Act, signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, split HEW into two separate entities: the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services24. Prior to this, education-related functions were housed in various agencies over time, including the Department of the Interior and the Federal Security Agency24.

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/which-department-was-departmen-po5dU9LdSpq6OTsqCKtouw
 
the launch of sputnik was the principal reason for the creation of the department of education

The launch of Sputnik was not the principal reason for the creation of the Department of Education. While Sputnik’s launch in 1957 had a significant impact on American education, it did not directly lead to the creation of the Department of Education as we know it today.

The Department of Education as a cabinet-level agency was established in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter5. Its origins, however, can be traced back much further:

  1. The first Department of Education was actually created in 1867 under President Andrew Johnson, primarily to collect information and statistics about the nation’s schools35.

  2. This original department was demoted to an Office of Education in 1868 due to concerns about federal control over local schools35.

  3. The launch of Sputnik in 1957 did have a significant impact on American education, but it led to different initiatives:

    • It spurred the passage of the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) in 1958, which increased federal funding for education, especially in science, mathematics, and foreign languages24.

    • The NDEA aimed to improve American schools and promote postsecondary education to meet national security needs and compete with the Soviet Union in science and technology4.

  4. The modern Department of Education was created in 1979, more than two decades after Sputnik, as a result of various political and social factors, including calls for expanded federal funding in education and efforts to help minorities, women, and people with disabilities gain equal access to education15.

In conclusion, while Sputnik’s launch significantly influenced American education policy and funding, it was not the principal reason for creating the Department of Education as a cabinet-level agency. The department’s creation was the result of a long historical process involving various political, social, and educational factors.

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/the-launch-of-sputnik-was-the-0FBfDhotTi61IvwmW9Gy.w

student unrest related to vietnam contributed to the creation of the department of education

The student unrest related to the Vietnam War significantly influenced broader societal changes, including the establishment of new educational initiatives and programs. However, there is no direct evidence linking these protests to the creation of the U.S. Department of Education, which was formally established in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter.

Key Connections Between Student Protests and Educational Changes:

  1. Vietnam War Protests and Campus Reforms
    The Vietnam War protests were widespread on college campuses, driven by opposition to the draft and U.S. military involvement in Southeast Asia. These protests often led universities to accommodate student demands, such as creating ethnic studies programs and other academic fields addressing civil rights and social justice issues48. For example, San Francisco State University established the first ethnic studies department following student strikes4.

  2. Broader Impact on Higher Education
    Universities responded to student activism by integrating more diverse perspectives into curricula, such as African American studies and women’s studies. This reflected a shift toward addressing societal inequalities and accommodating student voices in institutional decision-making8.

  3. Political Backlash and Public Trust
    The Vietnam-era protests undermined public trust in government, especially after revelations about misinformation from the Johnson and Nixon administrations regarding the war39. This erosion of trust contributed to calls for increased accountability in public institutions, including education.

While these developments shaped educational policies and priorities, the Department of Education’s creation was primarily driven by political efforts to centralize federal education policy rather than direct outcomes of Vietnam-era protests.

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/student-unrest-related-to-viet-tzm5HD8tRuuZbgMwCbcdmQ

(End Perplexity-AI)
 
     The problem here with AI is that it returns the most convenient query responses. As will be seen below, both Sputnik and Vietnam had much to do with the creation of the department, not necessarily related to any measures or legislation, but to the philosophic perspective on the floor in Congress.
 
Congressional Record

    Speaking on the House floor as recorded in the Congressional Record for 11 June 1969, Rep. JD Waggonner (D-LA) made a prophetic statement under the subtitle “Amending the Higher Education Act of 1965,” which would have consequences for years to come.

(Begin Congressional Record)

     “Education, for example, was confronted in the 1950’s with the challenge of competition from the Russians. The Russians beat us to the punch because of a different emphasis, and launched the first manmade satellite on the top of Sputnik I. People became alarmed all over this country and started asking questions. What permitted the Russians to do something we could not do?”

     (In consideration for an amendment to the Higher Education Act, the need to counter campus unrest was the priority. Waggonner, in a previous paragraph, stated.)

    “They say it is surprising that this anarchy exists. I do not know where the administrators of these colleges and universities have been in recent years when they now express surprise at the crisis which exists on the campuses of our country. I said at least 50 times during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 that the tragedy of that crisis would not be that we had a confrontation with the Russians because they placed intercontinental ballistic missiles on Cuban soil, but that the long road of history would allow us to point a finger at that moment of crisis and identify it as the beginning of a movement which would prove tragic to education in this country.” 

     “In October 1965 I asked this Congress by resolution to investigate the Students for a Democratic Society. Few then were aware of who these people were and what they were attempting to do. They said then, as they have said in even more definite terms since then, that they were going to destroy education in this country.”

(Congressional Record, https://www.congress.gov/bound-congressional-record/1969/06/11/115/house-section/article/15409-15466, page 15440)

(End Congressional Record)

Notes

     The details of the battle are included in the 9th Marines command chronology located at Records of War.

     The congressperson called out college students for, “they said in no uncertain way they were on the other side.”

     But it wasn’t the Russians the students were rallying against; it was the war in Vietnam. The prospect of atomic bombs raining down on the campus from Cuba was science fiction compared to KheSanh, being pulled from the college classroom or from the protest out on the quad and fitted into an army uniform to be shipped out to the DMZ. 

     Who was behind the “anarchy” on campus? Rep. Waggonner disagreed with those who blamed outside agitators, stating, “—the anarchy which prevails on these campuses is not being brought to these campuses but is being taught on these campuses by some.”

     Thus, the seeds were sown, even after an already tumultuous decade with desegregation and “racial balance” the priority for the federal government, to reign in protests, and those on, or off, campus who promoted it. The need for a more centralized bureau of education, with a direct voice to the White House, gradually evolved from a rather innocuous, but incredibly historic, event related to education. Sputnik.

Vietnam

(Begin Perplexity-AI)

vietnam october 1965

     “On October 3, 1965, Company M, 3d Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment suffered a devastating ambush by Viet Cong fighters in Quang Nam Province. The eight-hour firefight resulted in 13 Marine casualties, one of the costliest days for U.S. forces at that point in the war.”

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/vietnam-october-1965-XGpF6490S0iSZ0Bqn1BaaA

(End Perplexity-AI)

 

     The 9th Marines had barely been in country 6 months when the 03 October ambush cited in Records of War occurred. Third battalion relocated its CP to Duong son (2) (AT992678), just below the Song Cau Do River to the south of Danang that would earn a dual name of “Rocket Belt,” and “Dodge City;” the first due to where the VC set up rockets to hit the airfield, the second rather obvious. Duong son (2) was flanked by Cam Ne to the north and just below the river and Le Son to the south; each had a number of villages, all designated in parentheses. Under subheading g.) Civilian Affairs, on page 10, the chronology reported.

     Details of the 03 October ambush are found in a 2-page after action report at the command chronology. 

(Begin Records of War)

     “It has been 4 months since the VC had de facto control of the area which encompasses the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines TAOR.”

     5.) Lessons learned a.) Even though and area has been searched it can never be assumed that the area is definitely cleared of the enemy, and b.) The basic tactical principals of patrolling (…, security to the front, flanks and rear) must at all times be adhered to when on patrol. 

(End Records of War)

     Those “principals” would be the hallmark of the United States’ long and bitterly contested campaign, both on the battlefield and “Back in the World’ (as the soldiers called America) of desegregation and student unrest on campus, that would pave the way for the creation of the Department of Education, signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in 1979.

Student Unrest

     Even before the Company M, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines were ambushed south of the Song Cau Do on 03 October 1965, campus unrest was beginning to be extracurricular. On the floor of the Senate on 26 April, Senator Jacob Javits (R-NY) was keen to notice the rising tide on campus.

(Begin Congressional Record)

     “Laying stress on teaching in American colleges, the New York University Alumni News of April features an article by Dr. Floyd Zulli, Jr., professor of romance languages at NYU.”

    Below are excerpts of the article the Senator has the article submitted for the record.

From the New York University Alumni News, April 1965) ZULLI DEMANDS REVIVAL OF TEACHING CONCEPT IN AMERICAN COLLEGES (By Floyd Zulli, Jr., professor of romance languages, New York University)

     “In the last 10 years, the jargon and theory of education have been notably enriched by such innovations as programed learning, new mathematics, educational television, language laboratories, data systems, computers, and countless other boons to civilization invented by IBM or Remington Rand to assure us that we are living in the space and lunar age. But the fact that Johnny still can’t read and often has difficulty writing, and that millions of Johnnies are floundering in colleges or about to storm their portals leaves the present-day teacher uneasy, to say the least…

     “Ever since Sputnik I soared into the empyrean and the less-than-literary expression, ‘population explosion,’ was coined, the groves of academe have not been the same. Reason, calm, moderation and measure, once the hallmarks of the cultivated man, are hardly anywhere apparent.”

     “Much of the student unrest on today’s college campus is owing not to the fact that the social consciousness of this generation’s youth glistens any more brilliantly than that of its father’s. It comes about largely because students are unmotivated in their studies and find the experience of a college education dull, impersonal, repetitive, or simply a mechanized rat race. The major responsibility for ameliorating this unhappy situation rests with the teacher.”

(Congressional Record: https://www.congress.gov/bound-congressional-record/1965/04/26/111/senate-section/article/8393-8503 ) Page 8425.

     Once again, the theory that the Russian launch of Sputnik into orbit is credited for the apparent lost-in-space Oort cloud covering youth. 

     The fact that student unrest was beginning to surface at all was a striking observation by Zulli, and even more so brought to the attention of Congress long before it peaked during the protests of 1968. Eight pages later, Senator Wayne Morse (D-OR), who had already become an anti-war activist, submitted for the record.

(Begin Congressional Record)

      “I ask unanimous consent that the brilliant argument and speech made by the Senator from Alaska [Mr. GRUENING] at the Students for a Democratic Society rally held in Washington, D.C., on April 17, 1965, at the Sylvan Theater be printed at this point in my remarks.”

     Senator Ernest Gruening (D-AK) voted along with Senator Morse against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in August 1964. 

     “I was unable to vote for the resolution sent to the Congress by the White House last August, approving not only of what had been done by the administration in Vietnam, but authorizing the President to use our Armed Forces as he saw fit anywhere in southeast Asia. Only two of us in the Congress voted against this resolution. My distinguished colleague, Senator WAYNE MORSE, of Oregon, who was the other Member of the Senate to vote against this resolution, has repeatedly pointed out that we are conducting war in Vietnam in violation of the Constitution of the United States. Despite congressional ratification of the resolution, there has been no declaration of war by Congress as the Constitution provides. Of course, there should not be such a declaration, but neither should we be carrying on a war as we are doing.”

(End Congressional Record)

     Senator Gruening made other appearances along with other notables to fan the flames of the antiwar movement, which had already been sparked across the nation. One of the unintended consequences would be the restriction of funding for colleges and universities that allowed students, organizations such as the SDS, and outside agitator counterparts to begin the burning down of the institutions of higher learning in the United States. All of this because of Sputnik.

HR 11941

    The 11 June 1969 House Congressional Record included headings such as “Pending Legislation Relating to Campus Difficulties,” (page 15427) On page 15456, one of the more lucid descriptions on why there was campus unrest was presented by Rep. John Brademas (D-IN).

(Begin Congressional Record)

     “For convenience, however, it might be possible to divide the causes into three chief kinds. 

     First, I believe there is a small, but nonetheless highly significant group of revolutionary extremists on our campuses who wish to destroy the university, not to elevate it and improve its quality. With this group and with the violent tactics that some of them are willing to employ, I have absolutely no sympathy; the criminal law should be enforced when they break the law-as with any other citizen. 

     But, Mr. Speaker, I believe it would be a great mistake to assert that the existence of this group is the only cause of disorders on the campus. 

     A second explanation for some of the troubles is criticism by students on the way the college or university is run. I refer here to complaints about curriculum, defense-related research, the impersonality of faculty-student relations, the roles of students, faculty, and trustees in the governing processes of the institution, the relationship between the university and the community of which it is a part, and similar dissatisfactions. Whether one agrees with a particular criticism in any given instance is another matter. All I am saying here is that criticisms of this kind are one of the principal sources of some of the student disorders. 

     A third major cause of student unrest is the entire spectrum of problems within the wider American society-the war in Vietnam, the draft, racial discrimination, poverty, and the feeling on the part of many students that too many Americans are more concerned with material gain than with making real the dreams of our Founding Fathers.”

(End Congressional Record)

Notes

   The debate went on, in and out of the House and Senate, with various pieces of legislation designed to curb unrest, address poverty, marginalization, civil rights and disability as reason not to allow students to be given equal opportunity in education.

Afterword

     From low earth orbit to the rice paddies in Quan Nam Province, the seeds had been sown for the creation of a separate branch of government dedicated to education. Twenty-two years passed between the orbit of Sputnik and the official act of creation of the Department of Education on 17 October 1979; it was eleven years after the siege of Khe Sanh, a singular defining point in the Southeast Asia war that would bring the Marines Back to the World.

 

     

 

 

 

 

Measles USA: From Patient Zero to Zero Patience

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The Sacramento Bee, 01 January 2016, page A1.

BORDERLANDS

Measles USA: From Patient Zero to Zero Patience

Vol. 25. Issue 02.27-Exclusive

Introduction

     With the news of an infected child who died in Texas recently, a new concern is rising nationwide involving a number of issues, Medicare, retreat from the World Health Organization, medical qualifications of the new Health and Human Services secretary, an outspoken anti-vaccination advocate, cutting back funding for the National Institute of Health, to mention those directly on the radar. Much of that, although directly related to the outbreak, will be addressed only when context is needed to clarify the roots of the surge in measles case, beginning with background, the cure, much-touted “eradication,” a look at a previous similar spread, and ending with a focus on the Texas situation.

Methodology

The format will be:

a.) Introduction; b.) Methodology; c.) Capsules- containing artificial intelligence, AI, query results enclosed in parenthesis (Begin Perplexity-AI) and (End Perplexity-AI). The queries will have in-line links to where the information was recovered along with the generic link of the query; d.) Newspaper Archives; e.) Congressional Records; f.) Notes; g.) Afterword.

Capsules

(Begin Perplexity-AI)

measles

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection caused by the measles virus, a member of the Morbillivirus genus within the Paramyxoviridae family2. It is an airborne disease that spreads easily through coughs and sneezes of infected individuals, with a reproductive number ranging from 3.7 to 203.32.

Symptoms and Progression

Symptoms typically appear 10-14 days after exposure and include:

  1. High fever (often exceeding 40°C or 104°F)

  2. Cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis)

  3. Koplik’s spots (small white spots inside the cheeks)

  4. A characteristic red, maculopapular rash24

The rash usually begins on the face and neck, spreading to the rest of the body over several days. It lasts for about 5-6 days before fading4.

Complications

Measles can lead to severe complications, particularly in young children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals. These may include:

  • Pneumonia

  • Encephalitis (brain inflammation)

  • Blindness

  • Severe diarrhea and dehydration

  • Ear infections24

Prevention and Vaccination

The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is the most effective way to prevent measles. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective at preventing the disease3. Despite being declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, recent outbreaks have occurred due to decreasing vaccination rates and increased global measles activity3.

Recent Developments

As of February 27, 2025, there have been concerning developments regarding measles:

  1. A spike in measles cases has prompted county health officials to urge vaccination6.

  2. The first measles case in the San Antonio area has been confirmed in a first-grade classroom7.

  3. Tragically, an unvaccinated child in Texas has died from measles, marking the first such death in the United States in a decade8.

These recent events underscore the importance of maintaining high vaccination rates to protect individuals and communities from this potentially severe disease.

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/measles-G_FJg42tTiu.CmNKbwn6.w

measles texas outbreak

A measles outbreak in West Texas has resulted in the first measles-related death in the United States in a decade. An unvaccinated school-aged child succumbed to the illness in Lubbock, Texas, marking a tragic milestone in the ongoing outbreak145.

Outbreak Details

  • As of February 26, 2025, there are 124 confirmed measles cases across nine counties in rural West Texas14.

  • The majority of cases (101) are among individuals aged 17 and younger3.

  • 18 people have been hospitalized due to the outbreak4.

  • Almost all cases are in unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown vaccination status4.

  • The outbreak has spread to eastern New Mexico, with nine additional cases reported there1.

Affected Communities

The outbreak is primarily affecting the Mennonite community in an area characterized by small towns separated by expansive, oil-rig-strewn landscapes1. These communities are interconnected through travel for work, religious activities, and daily necessities, facilitating the spread of the virus.

Public Health Response

Health officials emphasize that the most effective method for preventing measles is through two doses of the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine, which can prevent over 97% of measles infections5. The outbreak highlights the importance of vaccination, as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that up to 90% of unvaccinated individuals exposed to the virus will contract it1.

Additional Cases

While the West Texas outbreak is the most severe, measles cases have also been reported in other states, including Alaska, Georgia, New Jersey, New York City, and Rhode Island3. A separate case was also confirmed in an unvaccinated adult in Rockwall County, North Texas, though it is not believed to be connected to the West Texas outbreak6.

This outbreak serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of declining vaccination rates and the continued importance of public health measures to prevent the spread of highly contagious diseases like measles.

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/measles-texas-outbreak-UDGo1X2UTTa_raXsKW.EkQ

budget cuts affecting measles outbreak

Recent budget cuts and policy changes have significantly impacted the response to measles outbreaks in the United States and globally. The current measles outbreak in Texas, which has infected at least 124 people and hospitalized 18, highlights the consequences of these cuts23.

Global Impact

The World Health Organization’s Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network (Gremlin) is at risk of collapse due to the loss of US funding. This network, which receives about $8 million annually from the US, is crucial for tracking and controlling infectious threats worldwide2. The potential collapse of Gremlin threatens measles elimination efforts and could impact the detection of other diseases like SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus, and rare infections such as bird flu and Ebola2.

Domestic Consequences

In the United States, budget cuts and policy changes have affected the response to the current measles outbreak:

  1. Reduced vaccination rates: Disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and misinformation have led to a decline in measles vaccination among schoolchildren, increasing the risk of outbreaks4.

  2. Staffing issues: Thousands of job cuts in health agencies have left public health departments understaffed, potentially hampering outbreak response efforts6.

  3. Policy changes: The new administration’s approach to public health, including the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services, has raised concerns about the government’s response to vaccine-preventable diseases3.

  4. Funding cuts: The DOGE cuts and executive orders pausing some government operations have complicated the administration’s response to both the measles outbreak and other health threats like avian flu3.

These budget cuts and policy changes could have significant political implications, especially for Republican lawmakers in the upcoming midterm elections if diseases like measles continue to spread3. The situation underscores the importance of maintaining robust public health infrastructure and funding to prevent and respond to infectious disease outbreaks effectively.

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/budget-cuts-affecting-measles-dryOtwFPTxme8r5HbPLoHA

social media blames illegal immigrants for texas measles outbreak

Social media posts blaming illegal immigrants for the recent measles outbreak in Texas are inaccurate and misleading. The current outbreak is primarily linked to low vaccination rates among certain communities, not immigration12.

The measles outbreak in West Texas has resulted in 124 confirmed cases as of February 2025, with the majority occurring among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated individuals, particularly children14. The first death from measles in the United States in a decade was reported in an unvaccinated school-aged child in Lubbock, Texas24.

Historically, similar misinformation has circulated during previous outbreaks. For instance, during a 2019 measles outbreak, a Facebook meme incorrectly blamed immigrants from South America, despite the virus being eliminated in that region in 20163.

The current outbreak is more likely due to:

  1. Declining vaccination rates: MMR vaccine coverage has dropped in Texas following the COVID-19 pandemic4.

  2. Travel-related cases: Recent outbreaks are often linked to travelers returning from countries with ongoing measles transmission3.

  3. Pockets of unvaccinated communities: The outbreak is largely occurring among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated members of certain communities5.

Health officials emphasize that vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles, with two doses of the MMR vaccine being over 97% effective in preventing infection7. The spread of misinformation on social media platforms can contribute to vaccine hesitancy and hinder efforts to control the outbreak6.

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/social-media-blames-illegal-im-IC.Q3shQRhydI00hKJmESA 

(End Perplexity-AI)

Newspaper Archive

The outbreak of 2015:

     Because there was a death in Texas related to the current situation, the news has glossed over most of the details on what happened in 2015, ignoring the events leading up to the single death in Washington state. The reason appears to be sensational, an effort to dethrone the new, unpopular HHS secretary, and an opportunity to drive a wedge in the new administration’s policy of “take no prisoners.” Much can be learned in the quest for a “patient zero” to determine who and where it began; in fact, it wasn’t Washington, but Disneyland in Southern California.

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Disneyland measles outbreak spreads

ANAHEIM, Calif — The measles out-break that began at Disneyland during the holiday season is now spreading beyond people who contracted the disease at the theme park, with those patients now exposing others after returning to their hometowns, health officials said Saturday. There are now 51 confirmed cases of the highly contagious virus across California, three other states and Mexico, and the Orange County Health Care Agency said the reports of new cases “indicate the measles outbreak will continue to spread. – Daily News wire services.

(Longview, WA Daily News, 18 January 2015, page A2)

5 Disneyland workers diagnosed with measles

LOS ANGELES — Several employees at Disneyland have been diagnosed with measles, health officials confirmed Tuesday, as the total number of measles cases in the California-centered outbreak rose to 53. Two of those employees had been vaccinated, the Orange County Health Care Agency said. Health officials are investigating whether the other workers have proof of measles immunization.

(The Spokane Spokesman-Review, 21 January 2015, page A3)

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     Headlines on the Disneyland link didn’t start appearing in newspapers until the first week in January. By then, cases were beginning to be reported across the West. The actual victim was from Washington state and not until June.

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(Barstow Desert Dispatch, 10 January 2015, page A3)

19 measles cases tied to Disney theme parks

ASSOCIATED PRESS
SANTA ANA – Nineteen people from three states who visited Disney theme parks in California last month have now fallen ill with measles, health officials said Friday. The patients all visited Disneyland or Disney California Adventure between Dec. 15 and Dec. 20, the California Department of Public Health and the Orange County Health Agency said. Sixteen of the cases were in California, two in Utah, and one is in Colorado, officials said. Officials in California said that of the 16 cases in the state they have only verified that two were fully vaccinated against the disease. Some were partially vaccinated and at least two were too young to be vaccinated. More people may have been exposed when measles patients were treated at two local hospitals.

(Barstow Desert Dispatch, 10 January 2015, page A3)

(Peninsula Daily News, 03 July 2015, page 1)

Measles death is first in decade

Callam woman exposed in winter

BY ROB OLLIKAJNEN PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
PORT ANGELES — A Clallam County woman who died of measles in the spring was the first confirmed measles death in the U.S. since 2003 and the first in Washington state since 1990. . -The state Department of Health officials announced the death Thursday. “Our deepest sympathy goes out to the fam-ily,” said Iva Burks, Clallam County health and human services director. The woman, who was not identified, was likely exposed to measles at Olympic Medical Center during a winter outbreak in Clallam County, health officials said. Underlying disorder She was at the medical facility at the same time as a person who later developed a rash and was contagious for measles, state Health spokesman Donn Moyer said. “She had an underlying disorder, an autoimmune disorder, and she was taking a number of different drugs to modulate the immune system,” said Dr. Jeanette Stehr-Green, interim Clallam County health officer, in a Thursday interview. “Some of those medications would prevent her from mounting a good response to any infection.”

(Peninsula Daily News, 03 July 2015, page 1)

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     The Washington case was not without complications. The fact that the victim had an autoimmune system defect and was on medication at the time contributed to contracting the disease. During the week of 04 July, a dispute erupted as to where the victim had been exposed to the disease. She had been transferred to the Olympic Medical Center (Port Angeles) from a clinic, unidentified, before her death at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. The discovery of measles was made after her death. Other reports indicated the woman had been immunized as a child, but her symptoms showed lack of a rash. (Peninsula Daily News, 05 July 2015, page A4)

    In January 2016, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law SB 277 requiring schoolchildren to be vaccinated against measles. 

     “Likely which is most controversial is SB277, which eliminated all exemptions to vaccine requirements for enrolling in public or private elementary and secondary elementary school. With adoption of the bill, parents must homeschool their children if they want to avoid vaccinations for nonmedical reasons.” (Marin Independent Journal, 01 January 2016, page A1) 

Congressional Record

     News of the outbreak had spread almost as fast as the disease itself, infecting the public at large and eventually reaching the halls of Congress, with the issue of vaccination at the forefront. The record shows 21 references to “measles” for legislative search results for the 116th Congress (2015-16).

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Longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas has died at ...THE MEASLES OUTBREAK (H686-87) 02 February 2015.

CREC-2015-02-02-pt1-PgH686-6.pdf

     (Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.) 

     Ms. JACKSON LEE. (D-TX) Today, Mr. Speaker, I sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control requesting an alert to the public that highlights the importance of our children becoming vaccinated for this outbreak of measles, particularly the MMR. 

     The United States is experiencing a large multistate measles outbreak that started in California in December of 2014 and has spread to six additional States and Mexico. From December 28, Mr. Speaker, through January 21, 2015, 51 confirmed cases linked to this outbreak have been reported to the CDC: 42 from California and nine from six other States—three in Utah, two in Washington, one in Oregon, one in Colorado, one in Nebraska, and one in Arizona. 

     But the spread of this is enormous. The most disturbing aspect of this outbreak is that 86 percent of the patients who have contracted the disease had either been unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. The outbreak is aggravated by the large number of children whose parents have chosen not to get the MMR vaccine. 

     What I want to focus on, Mr. Speaker, is for us to be cautious and for us to be able to do the right thing. The saddest case was an 8-month-old baby in Arizona—innocent—who was exposed to the measles. 

     I ask that we take this seriously, as a member of the Homeland Security Committee, and find a way to alert parents to make the right decision for their children. I will be continuing to work on this and have asked my own community to send out an alert to help save those children and the others who are vulnerable to the measles outbreak. (Image credit: Longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas has died at age 74)

RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY (H5602) 29 July 2015.

CREC-2015-07-29-pt1-PgH5602.pdf

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. POSEY) for 5 minutes.

     Mr. (Bill) POSEY. (R-FL) Mr. Speaker, I rise today on matters of research and scientific integrity. To begin with, I am absolutely, resolutely provaccine. Advancements in medical immunization have saved countless lives and greatly benefited public health. That being said, it is troubling to me that, in a recent Senate hearing on childhood vaccinations, it was never mentioned that our government has paid out over $3 billion through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program for children who have been injured by vaccinations…

     For these reasons, I bring the following matter to the House floor. In August 2014, Dr. William Thompson, a senior scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, worked with a whistleblower attorney to provide my office with documents related to a 2004 CDC study that examined the possibility of a relationship between the mumps, measles, and rubella vaccine and autism.

HIRE MORE HEROES ACT OF 2015 (S6673-74) 16 September 2015

CREC-2015-09-16-pt1-PgS6669-3.pdf

     The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.

     Mrs. BOXER. (D-CA) Thank you very much, Mr. President.

     The Centers for Disease Control, we know how important they are when we have an epidemic looming. It would be slashed by the Republican budget by $245 million, hurting our efforts to protect communities from diseases such as Ebola and the measles. We all thought the measles were gone. It came back in California and thank God for the CDC for helping us when we needed them.

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     The degree of alarm over the spread of infectious disease such as measles gradually lost its appeal in Congress following the Disneyland outbreak of 2014-15. Curiously enough, if anything came of it was the growing grass roots movement against vaccinations, due in part to an effort to link them to autism. With the 2015 outbreak background in mind, congressional hearings surrounding the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. brought the subject of measles back into focus.

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NOMINATION OF ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR.; (S947-48 ) 12 February 2025.

CREC-2025-02-12-pt1-PgS947.pdf

     Mr. (Chris) VAN HOLLEN (D-MD). Madam President, I want to start by commending my colleague, the Senator from Vermont, Mr. WELCH, for his strong argument as to why we should all vote no on the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, and I come to the floor tonight to voice my strong opposition to this nomination… 

     But when you look at that wide range of important subjects that HHS covers, Mr. Kennedy has no experience, no qualifications, in the vast majority of that work. Now, I don’t think any of us expect that one Secretary of HHS can know everything. But if you monitored the hearings and listened to Mr. Kennedy’s answers, you can see that Mr. Kennedy knows virtually nothing about all those important subjects. In fact, he was stunningly unprepared to discuss even the most basic programs at his confirmation hearing. 

     Unfortunately, his nephew, RFK, Jr., has spent decades unraveling that hard-won legacy by spreading lies and conspiracy theories about vaccines. It wasn’t that long ago that he spread vaccine conspiracy theories in Samoa, where his misinformation contributed to a measles outbreak that got 83 people killed, mostly infants and children…

     And, right now, there is a measles outbreak in West Texas that is threatening our children. And it is not the first one we have seen in recent months, and it will not be the last if these conspiracy theories continue to spread.

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     Gathered from the nomination hearings in the senate, the Texas outbreak was already news.

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NOMINATION OF ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR.; (12 February 2025) (S952-53)

CREC-2025-02-12-pt1-PgS952.pdf

     Mr. (Jeff) MERKLEY (D-OR). Mr. President, my colleague from Connecticut is here past midnight. Why is he here past midnight? Because the health and welfare of our children and our families are at stake…

     In the middle of a 2017 measles outbreak in Minnesota’s Somali-American community, he falsely told parents the following: Africans and African Americans may be particularly vulnerable to vaccine injuries including autism. 

     He also falsely claimed that the global decline in measles was caused by ‘‘nutrition and clean water,’’ not the measles vaccine, and that children in California were getting measles ‘‘from the vaccine or . . . from somebody who got the vaccine.’’ …

     Mr. Kennedy has spent years undermining one of the greatest public health achievements in history: vaccines. His rhetoric directly contributed to the tragic 2019 measles epidemic in Samoa, which infected thousands and killed 83 people, primarily children. 

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Notes   

     From the above, it is clear that not only are the measles not always detectable by the telltale rash, but any autoimmune deficiency, reliance on medication for particular health related issues, the fact that it takes a while for the symptoms to develop, leaves no assurance whatsoever that a source can be traced; compounded by the fact that social media used it as another opportunity to demonize a marginalized community, immigrants.

Afterword

     Before any conclusions can be drawn, it is clear the new White House administration needs to become more proactive in addressing even the slightest hint of another epidemic on the doorstep of the United States. Do not assume it was brought in by grubby illegal aliens from south of the border when it could have been by a millionaire from South Africa. Do not repeat the tired, stale argument that autism is anchored in vaccinations. Do not expect an HHS secretary with no experience not just in the medical field but settling down a terrified public with kids about to come home from school with red dots all over them, to have any answers at all. Do not cut the budget for health-related care and research. This, of course, is the short list.