Passengers aboard the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius have officially begun disembarking in Spain’s Canary Islands, marking a major development in the international health scare that has already left three people dead and prompted quarantine operations across multiple countries. Spanish health officials confirmed Sunday that evacuation efforts were “proceeding normally” as passengers were escorted off the Dutch-flagged vessel in small groups under strict biosecurity measures. Travelers wore face masks and protective coverings while hazmat-suited crews transported them directly to quarantine flights waiting at Tenerife Airport. The operation comes after days of uncertainty aboard the ship, which had effectively been stranded at sea while governments and health agencies coordinated where passengers could safely disembark and quarantine. The outbreak has drawn global attention because the Andes strain of hantavirus — believed to be responsible for the infections aboard the Hondius — is one of the only known hantavirus variants capable of human-to-human transmission. While officials continue emphasizing that the public risk remains low, the scale of the response reflects fears of potential wider spread if the outbreak is mishandled. The World Health Organization, CDC, and multiple national governments have all deployed personnel to oversee the evacuation and repatriation process. As previously reported by The Daily Wire, several Americans who may have been exposed to the virus had already returned to the United States before the outbreak was fully understood. Those passengers, located in Texas, Georgia, Virginia, Arizona, and California, are being monitored by state health officials after disembarking earlier during a stop on Saint Helena, the island famous for Napoleon Bonaparte’s second exile and death. Oceanwide Expeditions, the company operating the Hondius, previously confirmed it was attempting to track all passengers and crew who boarded or left the vessel since March 20. At least nine confirmed or suspected cases have now been linked to the outbreak, including three fatalities. Officials believe the outbreak likely began after an elderly Dutch couple contracted the virus during travel in Argentina before boarding the cruise ship. The husband later died aboard the vessel, while his wife became seriously ill after leaving the ship and later died in South Africa. Another passenger, a German national, also died after developing symptoms. Several additional suspected cases have since emerged across Europe and elsewhere, while dozens of former passengers scattered across multiple countries are now being monitored during the virus’ lengthy incubation period, which can last up to eight weeks. The first evacuees Sunday included Spanish passengers, who were transported to Madrid for quarantine at a military hospital. Americans are expected to be flown to Nebraska for monitoring and isolation at a specialized biocontainment unit. British, French, Australian, Dutch, Canadian, and other foreign nationals are also being repatriated under varying quarantine protocols. Despite the dramatic scenes unfolding in Tenerife, including security perimeters around the vessel, hazmat suits, respirators, and decontamination procedures, health officials insist the outbreak does not resemble another COVID-style pandemic threat. Hantavirus is typically spread through prolonged contact with infected rodent droppings or saliva and is far less contagious than airborne viruses such as COVID-19. However, the Andes strain can spread through prolonged close human contact, making health authorities especially cautious. The virus primarily attacks the lungs and respiratory system, often causing severe breathing complications. Some strains carry mortality rates approaching 40% to 50%. Officials say no passengers currently remaining aboard the Hondius are showing symptoms, though authorities caution that infections could still emerge in the coming weeks as quarantines continue worldwide.

Under pressure, CBS News reversed course and released the full interview with Los Angeles mayoral candidate and former MTV reality star Spencer Pratt. “FULL INTERVIEW: Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt spoke exclusively to CBS News this week about his campaign, his vision for the city, and why it’s resonating so strongly with voters on social media,” CBS shared the video on X Saturday afternoon. FULL INTERVIEW: Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt spoke exclusively to CBS News this week about his campaign, his vision for the city, and why it’s resonating so strongly with voters on social media. pic.twitter.com/DjXU4SwNVk — CBS News (@CBSNews) May 9, 2026 “A new era of responsible journalism! Thank you to CBS for posting our full interview so the voters can hear from their next Mayor!” Pratt praised the move. After initially releasing only a short clip of the interview, the network came under fired as Pratt claimed that incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, was being allowed to place her thumb on the scales. The full interview, he said, painted a very different picture — and he challenged CBS to release it without editing. Noting that he had filmed with CBS for “over an hour” at the site where his home once stood in the Pacific Palisades, Pratt said that he had discussed everything from affordability to crime — “things that voters care about” — but that the network had “turned it over to Karen Bass’s PR team,” and what they’d ultimately aired was a “comical” representation that included only a few minutes of the interview spliced with scenes from MTV’s “The Hills.”

John Fetterman just said the quiet part out loud about where he thinks today’s Democratic Party is heading and he does not sound thrilled about it. During an appearance on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast, the Pennsylvania Democrat expressed alarm over the growing normalization of socialism inside parts of the Democratic Party, warning the trend should concern Americans. “And people that are proud to be labeled as a socialist, that used to be a smear,” Fetterman said. “Now it’s becoming more normalized, and now I think that’s a very dangerous slippery slope for us to be.” Fetterman went even further, saying immigrants and people who have actually lived under socialist or communist governments often understand the consequences better than American progressives romanticizing the idea online. “I’ve spoke to people that had to live under socialism and or communism, and they are like they are morons if they think that socialism is the answer,” he said. The exchange quickly turned into a broader conversation about how dramatically political language on the Left has shifted in recent years. Maher argued that while America already has some government-run systems like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, modern progressive activists are pushing something far beyond that. He then pointed to growing acceptance of openly communist rhetoric among some younger activists and political figures. “What really was a dirty word, which isn’t anymore, is communism,” Maher said. The HBO host specifically referenced comments from people connected to New York City’s socialist movement and warned that ideas once considered politically toxic are suddenly becoming socially acceptable in parts of elite progressive circles. “I think we need to pause here and say, OK, this is a watershed moment in American history where we should pay attention,” Maher added. Fetterman responded bluntly: “Well, I sure hope not.” The conversation is notable because Fetterman has increasingly become one of the few Democrats willing to publicly criticize parts of his own party’s activist wing, especially after the October 7 Hamas attacks and the internal Democratic civil war over Israel, policing, socialism, and progressive activism. While many progressives initially embraced Fetterman during his Senate run because of his populist image and anti-establishment style, he has increasingly frustrated the Left by sounding far more moderate on issues involving Israel, law enforcement, and now socialism itself. The interview also highlights a growing panic inside parts of the Democratic Party ahead of 2028 as leaders try to figure out whether the future of the party belongs to moderates trying to win back working-class voters or activists pushing the party further left. For conservatives watching the conversation unfold, hearing a sitting Democratic senator openly warn about socialism and communism becoming normalized probably says a lot about just how far the debate has shifted in recent years.

Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) announced his plan to make California the first state to provide “free diapers” to newborns leaving the hospital — funneling the money for the program through a nonprofit headed by a friend of California’s self-described “First Partner.” Baby2Baby co-CEO Norah Weinstein sits on the board of Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s group “California Partners Project” — and it’s Baby2Baby that will take point on the $20 million diaper project, which is supposed to provide every family leaving the hospital with a newborn with 400 diapers.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) renewed her attacks on former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), accusing the disgraced California Democrat of continuing behavior she said mirrors that of “an alleged predator” after reports emerged that Swalwell is still messaging women connected to the allegations against him through Snapchat. Speaking with Fox News’ Kayleigh McEnany, Mace reacted to a recent report revealing Swalwell contacted a former intern on Snapchat as recently as this week.“It’s traumatic,” Mace said. “This is very typical behavior of an alleged predator continuing to harass and prey upon their own victims.” Mace, who has frequently spoken publicly about being a survivor of sexual assault herself, said she has spent years working alongside abuse survivors and argued the continued outreach described in reports reflects familiar patterns of manipulation and intimidation. “I’ve seen it in my own life. I’ve seen it in victims that I’ve been working with,” she said. “A lot of times women — and men too — are attacked and blamed, and that’s what I feel is happening when I read those messages.” Rep. Nancy Mace says America’s culture on dealing with predators MUST change—and it starts at the top: Kayleigh McEnany: “This behavior of Eric Swalwell, that he says these messages are routine and then yet he’s still messaging these women at 1:57am saying it’s about… pic.twitter.com/vAoRCGNERs — Julia