by Frank Bergman, Slay News: A stunning new report from the House Oversight Committee is sending shockwaves through Washington, D.C., and it could spell the end for Dr. Anthony Fauci, whose sweeping pardon may now be “void” under federal law. New evidence has emerged that links Fauci to a high-level bribery scheme that sought to […]

This article was originally published by Block Club Chicago, a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to covering Chicago’s neighborhoods. Sign up for their newsletters here. As ICE patrols swarm Chicago, the tamale vendors who serve up steaming hot corn husks from the sidewalks or sell them to hungry bar patrons from coolers have retreated from their regular spots for fear of being snatched. That has prompted a brigade of bicyclists to take to the streets in a show of support, buying out the vendors so they can go home to safety while making the money they need to survive. At least three street vendors have been detained by federal agents since the Trump administration started operations Midway Blitz and At Large last month. The controversial immigration enforcement operations are supposed to target undocumented people with serious criminal histories — but many Chicagoans have reported loved ones being taken even if they do not have a history. Cycling x Solidarity rides take cyclists to Chicago neighborhoods to buy out street vendors and pass out their food to people in need. Credit: Cycling x Solidarity/Instagram. Cycling x Solidarity, a collective of Chicago cyclists who organize group rides and mutual aid efforts, will host a Street Vendor Bike Tour Saturday (November 1) with the Street Vendors Association of Chicago. The ride will begin 10 a.m. local time at Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park and wind through Pilsen and Little Village, where the group will buy food from street vendors. All purchases are considered funds for vendors and not donations since Cycling x Solidarity’s work is not tax-deductible, said Rick Rosales, a community organizer with Cycling x Solidarity. The Saturday ride is an extension of an initiative that started last month when the group decided to collect funds to buy out vendors in Pilsen and Little Village so vulnerable residents could pack up early and avoid federal agents. Riders paid the vendors in cash and then passed out the food to people in need throughout Chicago, Rosales said. Cycling x Solidarity’s rides benefit vendors of all types, including those who sell tamales, elotes and tortas throughout Pilsen, Hermosa and Little Village. Weighed down by negative news? Our smart, bright, weekly newsletter is the uplift you’ve been looking for. [contact-form-7] The group has organized similar events like Burrito Brigade, where cyclists deliver burritos to Chicagoans living in encampments and shelters, and an unemployment support group that provides resume help, networking and a place to air out job search frustrations. Rosales hopes to make the Saturday vendor tour part of a series, he said. “We’re providing an opportunity to support vendors and hearing their stories, to make this so it’s not just transactional,” he said, adding that the group is always looking for translators who can help. “They’re gonna introduce themselves so we can support them in that way.” Rosales lived in Indianapolis for 12 years, and he saw virtually no street vendors, he said. But in Chicago, where street vendors are a common sight, they stir “literally warm and figuratively warm” feelings in him. “To me, it embodies what it means to be an American,” he said. “My fondest memories are them handing these warm tamales for a reasonable price and being able to support them and their hustle. I think a lot of Chicagoans have a similar feeling toward them. They cherish the vendors in their neighborhood.” The tense political climate has pushed many vendors into the shadows, said Maria Orozco, development manager and outreach coordinator with the nonprofit Street Vendors Association of Chicago. The organization helps street vendors obtain insurance, licenses and Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers. Cycling x Solidarity’s initiative has inspired other cyclists to embark on their own vendor buyouts. Credit: Cycling x Solidarity/Instagram. “It’s been really tough on them. And then the people that have the opportunity to go out and sell or just risk it, they’re not getting as much sales as they used to,” Orozco said. “So it’s something very traumatizing for people to see … It’s very unexpected. I think Covid wasn’t even this bad.” For Orozco, the impact on street vendors is personal. Her family of four, including Orozco’s sister, began selling tamales, elotes and chicharrones about a decade ago on the corner of 79th Street and Pulaski Road in Ashburn. Both her parents still work as vendors, but her mother hasn’t ventured out for fear of ICE, nor have they gone to the church where they once set up shop, Orozco said. “We always used to complain that we can’t have family Funday Sunday, and now we haven’t worked in weeks,” Orozco said, adding that her sister does the grocery shopping so her mother can stay home. “It doesn’t feel real, what’s going on.” In spite of the bleak mood weighing over many Chicagoans since the Trump administration launched Operation Midway Blitz, Cycling x Solidarity’s initiative has inspired other cyclists to embark on their own vendor buyouts. Humboldt Park resident Stephanie Reid wasn’t able to attend one of Rosales’ recent rides but still wanted to help. “I stole Rick’s idea,” Reid joked. “When all the ICE activity increased, I said, ‘I have a pretty generous network of friends. Let me go buy out some vendors on my own.’” Reid posted on Facebook that she wanted to raise a few hundred bucks to buy out local street vendors. She received donations from all around the United States via Zelle and Venmo, she said. She drove around West Town, Logan Square and Humboldt Park with her husband and 14-year-old, buying out $200 worth of tacos from one vendor and $120 worth of tamales from another vendor so they could return to their homes. Wait, you're not a member yet? Join the Reasons to be Cheerful community by supporting our nonprofit publication and giving what you can. Join Cancel anytime The outing turned into a teachable moment for Reid, showing her teen the importance of helping her neighbors, she said. She was also surprised to learn that not only could her teen use the Spanish they learned in school to translate conversations with vendors, but her husband knew Spanish too. “They’re just a fixture on our streets, and it’s awesome what they’re doing,” Reid said of the vendors. “Personally, I’m a huge fan of Claudio, who goes around and sells his tamales at all the bars. They’re just hardworking people trying to make a living and supporting their families.” The post Chicago Cyclists Buy Out Tamale Vendors to Keep Them Safe from ICE appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.

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BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM 2025 Local Changemakers Series: Compassion-driven sustainability & care for the overlooked Welcome to the first installment of The Optimist Daily’s Annual Local Changemakers series. Over the next five weeks, we are highlighting ten extraordinary individuals and organizations making waves in their communities through heart-led innovation. This week, our theme centers on compassion-driven initiatives. We are spotlighting changemakers who are showing the world what it means to pay real attention to what so many people overlook, whether that’s discarded plastic or the gray-muzzled companions too often left behind. Join us as we head to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where a scrappy, joy-filled operation is transforming plastic waste into dignity, employment, and beauty. Turning litter into livelihood: PeaceCYCLE’s impact In Haiti, safe drinking water is often packaged in four-ounce plastic sachets sold for just a few cents. But with no national recycling infrastructure and limited waste management, millions of these pouches end up clogging streets, canals, and ecosystems every day. It’s estimated that 8 million are used and discarded daily. That’s where PeaceCYCLE comes in. Founded in 2014 by Amber Rose Heimann, PeaceCYCLE is a Port-au-Prince-based social enterprise that’s rewriting the story of waste. By collecting, cleaning, and creatively repurposing these ubiquitous plastic sachets into durable, eye-catching products like tote bags, lunch sacks, and pencil cases, the initiative doesn’t just tackle plastic pollution—it empowers people, especially those long overlooked by Haiti’s formal economy. “The concept is that inserting employment creates a positive cycle (of peace), and eliminates the many negative cycles that plague the nation—illiteracy, gang involvement, environmental degradation, prostitution, malnutrition, poverty, and lack of hope,” explains Heimann. The PeaceCYCLE process: a labor of love Turning waste into beauty is no small feat. The process begins with collection: sachets are flattened and brought in by community members. From there, the bags are washed, sanitized, dried, sorted, and fused into sheets using either charcoal irons or solar power (about 40 percent of their ironing is solar-powered to date). These patchwork-style sheets are then cut and sewn by local artisans into eye-catching, functional designs. A group of PeaceMAKERS working on the collected satchels. Photo courtesy of PeaceCYCLE. Without access to consistent electricity, much of the sewing is done on treadle machines. This results in a zero-electricity, maximum-ingenuity operation that proves sustainability doesn’t have to be high-tech to be effective. The impact is staggering: to date, PeaceCYCLE has upcycled more than 5 million bags and processes around 1,500 sachets every single day. But the workshop isn’t just about production. It’s about joy. Each week, staff gather not only to review progress but to play. From hula-hoop contests and Jenga showdowns to raucous rounds of Left-Center-Right, the PeaceCYCLE team reclaims something often lost in difficult environments: laughter. “Although adults, our staff has never had the chance to be a child,” Heimann shares. “So we bring in games, laughter, and play to create not only opportunities for growth, but also resurrect a childhood joy that was never explored.” Reimagining value PeaceCYCLE is about more than just getting rid of plastic bags. It’s about restoring dignity, both to materials and to people. “We strive to provide dignifying employment, promote eco-friendly practices, and encourage creativity in Haiti,” the team shares on social media. Each PeaceCYCLE product is handmade by Haitian staff, many of whom would otherwise struggle to find stable work in the country’s informal economy. Yolene, fondly known as “the PeaceCYCLE mom,” has been with the organization from the beginning. She has done everything from collecting trash to being a manager.  She is essentially the wise mother figure of the PeaceCYCLE family. Photo courtesy of PeaceCYCLE. By turning a ubiquitous, throwaway item into something beautiful and long-lasting, PeaceCYCLE also invites a shift in mindset: from disposability to care, from waste to worth. Of course, the true impact of PeaceCYCLE’s work is best captured by the artisans themselves: “PeaceCYCLE transforms us and makes us valuable humans for society.” — Pierre, sewer “By working at PeaceCYCLE, I’ve learned to save money. I have never had a regular income I could depend on—this has changed my life. I’m sending my grandson to school, and I’m so proud of him. I never learned to read, but he’s six and can read already!” — Yolene, manager “When I first started sewing, I thought the plastic was too slippery and this was impossible. But with encouragement, I got better—and now I’m really proud of the products I make.” — Rosianie, sewer “Just as trash is discarded and seen as lacking value—but then transformed into something incredible—we strive to be the human side of that upcycling process.” — Rose, founder A global village of support While small in scale, PeaceCYCLE has inspired supporters around the world. Their products are stocked in select stores, featured by socially conscious retailers, and shared by buyers who want a story behind what they carry. These incredible PeaceMAKERS posed with their favorite PeaceCYCLE bags after installing their artwork around Sanford, Florida. Greg and Alex Mendez—brothers and public artists from Indiana—create striking sculptures that appear in cities across the U.S., featuring dancers, warriors, guitars, saints, horses, and thought-provoking forms. While all of their work is admirable, this particular installation holds a special place in PeaceCYCLE’s heart. Photo courtesy of PeaceCYCLE. Photo credit: @gregmendezgallery Longtime PeaceCYCLE supporter Suzie first connected with the organization during a workshop tour in Haiti years ago—and has stayed involved ever since through events, newsletters, and social media. In a recent update, she shared these photos from her most epic adventure yet: a 15-hour round-trip hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back. Several PeaceCYCLE bags helped keep her essentials organized throughout the journey. “Thanks for making a product I could count on,” she wrote. Photo courtesy of PeaceCYCLE. The organization is still growing, with plenty of challenges. Each item takes time, care, and effort. In a recent post, the team wrote: “Cutting and washing the plastic bags keeps us busy. Each step of the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive.” But they continue, buoyed by a shared sense of purpose and a belief that beauty and impact are worth the effort. Founder Rose Heimann (bottom, right) poses with graduates of PeaceCYCLE’s first-ever upcycling program in 2004. Photo courtesy of PeaceCYCLE. Want to support PeaceCYCLE? Visit their website to shop or donate: peacecycle.com Follow on Instagram: @peacecycle Learn more about their process: peacecycle.com/the-process  The post How PeaceCYCLE transforms Haiti’s water sachets into sustainable jobs first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM 2025 Local Changemakers Series: Compassion-driven sustainability & care for the overlooked Welcome to the first installment of The Optimist Daily’s Annual Local Changemakers series. Over the next five weeks, we’re highlighting ten extraordinary individuals and organizations making waves in their communities through heart-led innovation. This week, our theme centers on compassion-driven initiatives. We’re spotlighting changemakers who are showing the world what it means to pay real attention to what so many people overlook, whether that’s discarded plastic or the gray-muzzled companions too often left behind. Join us as we visit Central Oregon, where one woman has built a haven for senior dogs in need of one last chance at love. Meet Erica Psaltis-Medici, Founder, Silver Linings Rescue Ranch In 2020, Erica Psaltis-Medici saw a quiet crisis unfolding in animal rescue. Older dogs, surrendered due to illness, aging guardians, or life changes, were showing up at shelters in increasing numbers. And they were being passed over, again and again, for younger pups.  Rather than turn a blind eye, Erica leaned into the problem. Silver Linings Rescue Ranch (SLRR) was born out of that moment of compassion, and in just under four years, it has placed nearly 300 senior dogs into loving forever homes. “I didn’t know if people would embrace senior dogs with the same enthusiasm that I did,” Erica shared. “Man, was I wrong!” With a network of dedicated veterinarians, volunteers, and fosters, many of whom commit to older dogs again and again, SLRR goes far beyond rehoming.  Adopting a pet is not a decision to be taken lightly, and SLRR knows that older dogs may come with some extra concerns. That’s why the ranch provides full medical evaluations, bloodwork, dental procedures, and specialist referrals when needed. Taking care of these daunting hurdles for prospective adoptive families allows these dogs a true second chance at comfort and care. Erica calls this “going the extra mile,” and it’s become her rescue’s calling card. “Truly, it takes a village (or a globe) to do what we do, and people have really come out for it.” But the numbers only tell part of the story. The heart of Silver Linings lies in its people and the resilient, loyal dogs who get to live out their final chapters surrounded by love. From heartbreak to happily ever after Take Elmer, a Great Dane-Basset Hound mix adopted at the age of eight by a family with two young children. The family knew that getting a puppy would be a challenge to handle along with a five and one-year-old, so they opted to look for a more mature dog.  “He loves to snuggle with them, overcame his fear of stairs to follow them, and is tolerant when he gets an ear or tail tug,” the family shared. “This sweet older dog teaches our children that love has no age limit, either in dogs or people.” Or Wallace, a terminally ill dog saved from the euthanasia list and placed into “pawspice” care with a loving foster named Brooke. “Under the guidance of a veterinary oncologist, we did try chemo,” Erica wrote, “But unfortunately, he did not respond well, and we opted to let him live out his life in happiness. Man, has he!”  Wallace even dressed up as Matt Dillon (with Brooke as Miss Kitty) to win “Cutest Couple” at Silver Linings’ adorable annual fundraiser, the Senior Dog Prom. Wallace, one of Silver Lining’s Rescue Ranch’s beloved “pawspice” dogs, came to them from a euthanasia list in Southern California in summer 2024. Diagnosed with multiple mast cell tumors, he found a loving hospice home with Brooke, who had recently lost her own dog to cancer. Though chemo was attempted under veterinary care, Wallace ultimately got to live out his days in joy and comfort. Here he is at Prom 2025 (theme: Pawhide!), dressed as Matt Dillon alongside Miss Kitty (Brooke), winning Cutest Couple. Photo by Taneya Hayden Photography. And then there’s King Chewy, an anxious senior surrendered in early 2024. After bonding with his foster’s other dog, Theo, he was adopted and crowned King of Prom 2024: Pups in Paris. “Love has no age limit,” Erica says. And at Silver Linings, that belief is more than a motto. It’s a promise. Chewy arrived at the rescue in early 2024 as a private surrender—an anxious little guy in need of stability. Once placed in a foster home, it became clear he was exactly the companion their other dog, Theo, had been waiting for. The two became instant best friends, and Chewy was adopted by his foster shortly after. At Prom 2024 (Pups in Paris), Chewy was crowned king! Photo by Erica Psaltis.   Where compassion meets community The rescue’s success is buoyed by partnerships with local and regional veterinary professionals, including East Bend Animal Hospital, Cascade Veterinary Cardiology, and the Veterinary Referral Center of Central Oregon. Businesses like Bend Pet Express, Scoop Rangers, and Midtown Yacht Club have also stepped in to support fundraisers and adoption events. Their flagship event, the Senior Dog Prom, deserves special mention. With themed nights like “Pups in Paris” and “Pawhide!” (Western-inspired), the event is equal parts community celebration and awareness-raising effort. It also offers a rare stage for seniors like Wallace and Chewy to shine, sparkle, and find their people. Looking ahead, Erica and her team hope to continue expanding their impact. While running a rescue comes with no shortage of emotional and financial challenges, Silver Linings Rescue Ranch is proving that compassion and community can write new endings for dogs once given up on. “When we send them home, we want them to be healthy, loved, and ready to start again,” says Erica. In a world that often values youth and novelty, Silver Linings Rescue Ranch is showing us how rewarding it welcome a senior dog into our lives, families, and homes. Learn more or support their work: silverliningsrescueranch.org Follow them on Instagram: @silverliningsrescueranchThe post Silver Linings Rescue Ranch proves senior dogs deserve love, care, and a new leash on life first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

Episode Description: In this week’s episode, Arielle and Karissa gab about two groundbreaking medical solutions changing lives: a one-time gene therapy that helps children with ADA-SCID develop healthy immune systems, and new pediatric guidelines that could drastically reduce peanut allergies. Plus, meet this week’s inspiring Local Changemakers — the Oregon senior dog rescue, Silver Linings Rescue Ranch, and PeaceCYCLE — both proving compassion can fuel sustainability and hope. Want to be part of the Optimism Movement? Become an Emissary. Subscribe to our FREE Daily Newsletter and follow us on Instagram, X, and Blue Sky. The Optimist Daily is a project of the World Business Academy. Donate link: https://www.optimistdaily.com/donate-to-support-the-optimist-daily/?gift=Y%20http:// Transcript: Theme music  Arielle  Hello, and welcome to the Optimist Daily’s weekly roundup. I’m Arielle.  Karissa  And I’m Karissa. And we’re working hard to put solutions in view and optimism in movement.  Arielle  Hello, everyone. We are back with another episode of our pod to share the solutions from the Optimist Daily this week. And just so you guys know, it will be our last episode before a fall break for two weeks. So, we’re not going to be gone for too long. It’s just a little pause.  Karissa  In the meantime, if you want our solutions, you can sign up for our free daily newsletter to get all of this positive news straight to your inbox.  Arielle  Yes, and we are also on socials like X, Pinterest, Instagram, Blue Sky… all of that fun stuff. We are @OptimistDaily on basically everything. The only difference is on X. There we are @OdeToOptimism.  Karissa  We want to shout out our Emissaries who are our financial supporters. They help us bring our mission of putting optimism out into the world to life. And if you want to find out how you can also financially support us, the link is in the show notes.  Arielle  We also really appreciate everyone who just listens to this podcast or forwards the newsletter if they get it, interacts with us on social media. All of those are really valuable non-financial ways to support our mission.  Karissa  Well, we’re switching things up this weeK Instead of doing I’m An Optimist, But… because we’ve got something really special to announce.  Arielle  Today is the official launch of our Local Changemaker series on OptimistDaily.com. So, every Friday for the next 5 weeks, we’re highlighting people and organizations doing seriously inspiring work in their communities. And the fun part is that you guys, our fellow optimists, have nominated them.  Karissa  This first week’s theme is all about compassion-driven sustainability and care for the overlooked. And we’ve got two beautiful stories to start things off.  Arielle  One is about a senior dog rescue in Oregon that’s giving older pups a second chance at love. And the other takes us to Haiti, where PeaceCYCLE is turning discarded plastics into jobs, dignity, and really cool upcycled goods.  Karissa  We won’t spoil the full stories here, but you can read them now on the website.  Arielle  And we’re hoping to get some of these changemakers on the podcast next year for interviews, which is really exciting. But for now, just head to the website and look for the Local Changemakers series. Actually, better yet, we’ll link this week’s Changemakers in the show notes too.  Karissa  Yep, super exciting!  Arielle  All right, well, I guess I’ll just jump into my solution.  Karissa  Yeah, Arielle, what caught your eye this week?  Arielle  Okay, so I’m going to talk about something that offers a solution for a problem that has fascinated me since that movie Bubble Boy came out. Do you know the one with, like, Jake Gyllenhaal?  Karissa  Okay, I actually have never seen it, but I know the concept of it. He kind of stays in a bubble, right?  Arielle  Yes, yeah, exactly. I think it came out in the early 2000s, so I must have been in grade school.   Karissa  Yeah.   Arielle Anyway, I know this sounds really random, but I promise it’s related. So, for the listeners who don’t know, basically Bubble Boy is about this young guy whose immune system doesn’t work, so he spends all his time indoors in this sterile plastic bubble. But then the girl he likes gets engaged to this awful guy, and he goes on this mission to stop her, in the bubble, of course. I don’t think the movie was very good, to be honest. But what piqued my interest about it is that this condition, though very rare, is real, and it’s called severe combined immunodeficiency, or S-C-I-D. “SID” (phonetic pronunciation), I suppose, for short. For kids born with it. Everyday germs can be life-threatening because their immune systems just don’t work. Untreated, most won’t survive past the age of two. Most fascinating of all is that in the ’70s, there was a real bubble boy named David Vett who spent his life confined to this NASA-designed plastic bubble to keep him in a germ-free environment. He sadly passed at the age of 12 due to unforeseen complications with a bone marrow transplant, which is one of the ways people with this condition can be treated. But there have been serious advancements in SCID treatment since David Vett’s day. And before I get into my actual solution, which you all have probably guessed has to do with a new treatment for this condition, it’s worth mentioning that a lot of the progress and research has been made possible because specialists were able to study Vet and others like him.  Karissa  Yeah, that’s pretty interesting. And I know the concept of living in a bubble has been portrayed in different shows too. I’m thinking of the Suite Life of Zack and Cody.  Arielle  Did they have an episode of that?  Karissa  I don’t know if you’ve ever seen that show…  Arielle  Yeah, I did!  Karissa  They had an episode, I think, where Cody was, you know, being a germaphobe and wrapped himself up in a bubble or something like that. So that’s like my exposure to the whole bubble concept. And yeah, I’ve heard of the Jake Gyllenhaal one, but yeah, it’s so interesting that this is based on a true story.  Arielle  Now to my solution! It’s titled. A one-time gene therapy is helping kids beat a deadly immune disease. According to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine, a single-dose gene therapy has been developed for kids with ADA-SCID immune systems. So, 62 children with this specific subset of SCID received the treatment, and every single one of them is alive.  Karissa  Every single one? After getting treated just once?  Arielle  Yes, with follow-up going back as far as 12 years for some of the patients. One of those kids, Eliana Nachem, got the treatment a decade ago. Her dad said they were in complete lockdown to keep her safe. He’d shower and change clothes before even holding her. But now she’s playing basketball, singing in the choir, and just generally doing great.  Karissa  Oh, okay, well that’s such a huge shift. So, what exactly does the treatment involve?  Arielle  Okay, so ADA-SCID is a specific type of SCID caused by a mutation in the ADA gene, which leads to a deficiency in the adenosine deaminase, or ADA, enzyme. SCID has multiple causes, but this specific one is uniquely defined by the absence or low levels of the ADA enzyme, leading to a buildup of toxic substances that damage immune cells. How this treatment works is that it starts by collecting the child’s blood stem cells. Scientists then use a lentivirus to insert a working copy of the ADA gene. Those edited cells are reinfused back into the child, giving them the ability to fight infections. It’s a highly targeted correction, and the results so far are lasting.  Karissa  And I suppose it’s safer than earlier treatments.  Arielle  Yes, alternatives include weekly enzyme injections or bone marrow transplants, which carry more risk. Plus, the team has found a way to freeze and ship the modified cells, which could expand access globally.  Karissa  That sounds amazing. There’s always a catch, though, so…  Arielle  Yes… the treatment currently runs up to a cool one million euros per patient. I know that that’s high, but as Dr. Donald Kohn, the lead researcher at UCLA, points out, enzyme therapy is also expensive and ongoing, so this one-time treatment could end up being more cost-effective over time.  Karissa  Still, commercializing gene therapies for rare diseases is pretty tricky.  Arielle  Yes, that’s what happened with Strimvelis, which was another gene therapy. It was developed in Milan, approved in 2016, and showed strong results, but its commercial backers pulled out due to financial concerns. Now, a non-profit helps it keep it available. But one child treated with the Strimvelis did develop leukemia, which obviously raised concerns. But this newer treatment uses lentiviruses instead of retroviruses, which haven’t shown the same side effects. And I wish I could tell you the differences between those two techniques, but I’ll be honest with you, I can’t. I was looking it up, and I just couldn’t get my mind around it well enough to explain it at all.    Karissa  Yeah. I mean, it sounds like the science is advancing, but the economics are still catching up.  Arielle  That’s what Juan Antonio Bueren from CIEMAT, which is short for Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, which translates to the Research Center for Energy, Environment, and Technology, that’s in Madrid. He pointed out producing gene therapies and doing long-term follow-up is expensive. That’s a hurdle, especially for really rare conditions like this one.  Karissa  Yeah, exactly. This latest study feels like a turning point.  Arielle  Yes, it’s such a hopeful development. The team behind it has launched a company, Rarity PBC, and secured major funding to develop scalable production. So, there’s some infrastructure being built to support this. Right now, lentivirus-based therapies are being explored for about 15 rare diseases. The challenge will be making them affordable and accessible.  Karissa  I can’t help but think of all the little babies who just want a fighting chance at life. None of them should be deprived of such a life-saving treatment.  Arielle  Agreed. That’s where the conversation is headed now. How to make sure medical breakthroughs actually reach the people who need them most?  Karissa  This is a strong case study in what science can do and definitely a motivation to get the work done to make those solutions equitable. So, hope to see this continue to develop.  Arielle  Yeah, this is a really good step in the right direction, but we’ll be needing the price to go down. We’ll be keeping our eyes and ears open to see where the solution heads. And yeah, we’re looking forward to more developments.  Karissa  Thanks for sharing.  Arielle  Of course, my pleasure. I think your solution also has to do with health?  Karissa  Yeah, it does. Kind of a more common condition. It has to do with peanut allergies, which could also make someone feel like they have to live in a bubble as well! Before I dive in a little further, Arielle, have you ever known anyone with a peanut allergy?  Arielle  Yes. Some of my really good friends have peanut allergies, and one of them didn’t tell me when we began our friendship. And I bought him a bao bun with peanuts in it!  Karissa  Oh no!  Arielle  I know. He was like, oh my gosh, this is so good. It tastes so good! And then suddenly he’s like, I can’t feel my tongue.  Karissa  Nooo!  Arielle  People with peanut allergies, please tell your friends.  Karissa  Don’t be shy about it.   Arielle  Yeah, I’ve known a couple of people throughout my childhood that had a peanut allergy and always felt super bad. They couldn’t enjoy, like, you know, the classic staple of a PB&J. And they had to be super careful at all times, which is a lot of pressure for a child to be vigilant about.  Arielle  Yeah, peanut allergies are no joke. And peanuts are used in so many products and cuisines around the world, from my favorite pastries to granola bars, even, like sauces! It’s pretty easy for this nut to sneak into our food.  Karissa  Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, the measures to accommodate people with peanut allergies often fall short in public establishments, like schools for one, and at restaurants. And peanut allergies affect over 2% of US children. So, we’re talking well over a million kids just in the United States.  Arielle  It’s a pretty common allergy. And as you mentioned, having to be so hypervigilant as a child or, apparently, an adult (laughs) about what you consume could open the doors to anxious feelings or, in the worst case, being bullied for something you can’t control.  Karissa  There’s a great emotional side effect that researchers have observed in their studies on the allergy. I took a look at a journal article called The Global Burden of Illness of Peanut Allergy, a comprehensive literature review, and it discussed such points. Additionally, peanut allergies have some more severe side effects, even more so than other food allergies. They include hives, difficulty breathing, or even anaphylaxis.  Arielle  Yeah, such a good point. Luckily my friend had his EpiPen on him.  Karissa  The allergy has about a 75% to 80% chance of following kids into adulthood, so it makes sense that your friend is still suffering. Other common food allergies are actually more likely to resolve in adulthood. That’s why I was impressed to see this new science-backed solution this week called peanut allergies drop in kids thanks to new early feeding guidelines.  Arielle  Sounds like a pretty profound change in pediatric nutrition. What are these new guidelines?  Karissa  Newly released research confirms that introducing peanut products to babies as young as four months is not only safe, it’s effective in preventing these potentially life-threatening peanut allergies.  Arielle  That seems very young. What was the guideline before?  Karissa  Doctors have been warning parents to delay peanut exposure until age 3 for generations now.  Arielle  Oh, okay. So, we are talking a pretty significant age difference.  Karissa  Exactly. And these updated findings actually started with a study from 2015 where Dr. Gideon Lack and his team at King’s College London published the stirring LEAP, which stands for Learning Early About Peanut Allergy trial. Their findings showed that introducing peanut products in infancy reduced allergy development by more than 80%, and later follow-up revealed about 70% of that protection lasted into adolescence.  Arielle  I see. So, what does the newly released research have to add to this finding?  Karissa  Well, according to a study published last week in the journal Pediatrics, the rate of peanut allergy among U.S. children aged 0 to 3 has dropped by more than 27% since those 2015 findings, when guidelines first recommended early peanut introduction for only high-risk infants. But after those recommendations were brought in 2017 to apply to all infants, the rate declined by over 40%.  Arielle  What a difference a decade has made! But if the findings from those early trials are just now showing promising change, I can imagine that not everyone implemented those 2015 findings right away.  Karissa  The new guidelines from 2015 were undeniably hopeful, but uptake was pretty slow. And early surveys showed that just 29% of pediatricians and 65% of allergists were following the updated advice.  Arielle  Yeah, I can see how this is a tricky situation after following generations of the same advice. I’d probably also be doubtful.  Karissa  Yeah, for many families, the new guidance has required a total shift in thinking. As Tiffany Leon, a registered dietitian and director at Food Allergy Research and Education, FARE, recalls, she introduced peanuts and other allergens early to her two young sons, which was a move that initially shocked her own mother.  Arielle  New wisdom can be quite the culture shock.  Karissa  Yeah, for real. And additionally, according to an accompanying commentary by Dr. Ruchi Gupta of Northwestern University, confusion over how to safely introduce peanuts outside clinical settings contributed to the hesitation as well.  Arielle  Lots of factors at play here.  Karissa  Yeah, most definitely. But this new advice goes beyond just the peanut because Dr. David Hill, the lead study author and allergist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, emphasized that today’s advice encourages introducing common allergens between four and six months of age.  Arielle  Oh, so more common allergens besides peanuts?  Karissa  Yeah. He says that peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and milk-based products should also be included in exposure.  Arielle  So, should parents try to screen or test their children before exposing them to these products?  Karissa  Not particularly, but parents should definitely consult with their pediatrician if they have concerns.  Arielle  And it sounds like continued research, and most importantly, time, are needed to keep reducing the number of peanut allergies.  Karissa  Right. The data here is promising, but researchers acknowledge that their findings come from a subset of pediatric practices and may not represent the entire US population, and even broader, of course, a global population.  Arielle  But the trend here is clear. Early allergen introduction is gaining traction, and it appears to be making a real impact.  Karissa  As always, consult with your own medical professionals in your life when it comes to applying health-related findings like these.  Arielle  This is great news. Thank you so much, Karissa, for sharing it.  Karissa  And we have some more great news on the Optimist Daily this week too.  Arielle  How to mouse-proof your home this fall: 5 entry points to seal and what attracts them. Things to consider when deciding on the perfect Halloween costume. New dementia research highlights 2 surprising risk factors you can address today.  Karissa  And The Maldives sets a global milestone by ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B. We also have Spain expands marine protections with six new biodiversity hotspots, 3 common debt myths that might be hurting your finances, and as we mentioned earlier, we have our first round of our Local Changemakers series, How PeaceCYCLE transforms Haiti’s water sachets into sustainable jobs, and Silver Linings Rescue Ranch proves senior dogs deserve love, care, and a new leash on life.  Arielle  Well, hopefully all of our listeners will head over to the site and become more inspired and optimistic.  Karissa  Hope everyone enjoys the Local Changemakers series. We look forward to talking a little bit more about them when we return in two weeks. But until then, of course, all these solutions and more are on optimistdaily.com.  Arielle  All right, well, we’ll be back in two weeks with more solutions.  Karissa  Bye, everyone!  Arielle  Bye!  The post Podcast Transcript October 31, 2025—The science of saving lives: new breakthroughs in immunity and allergy prevention first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

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