Snake Bites & Screwworm
And other such pestilences like the Newark Airport. Plus: Making Alcatraz great again, & Switzerland’s bunker habit.
Guess who’s back? Back Again. Screwworm's back. Tell a friend.
And if your friend is a cattle, they are, as advertised, screwed by this particular worm.
Screwworm infects cattle, causing them to fall into a deep, restful slumber from which they never wake. Just kidding! That describes the lullabyworm. Here's how a screwworm works: The larvae burrow into the flesh of living animals, feeding on their tissue and causing wounds that can expand and deepen, leading to secondary infections and death within 10 days!
The US eliminated screwworms in the 1980s through an innovative "sterile fly" program, saving billions in livestock losses. The program involved releasing sterile male flies to mate with females, making their eggs non-viable. But now, between crumbling infrastructure and labor shortages, it could take 10-20 years and a lot of money to re-eliminate them (meanwhile, Texas' economy could suffer $1.8 billion in damages).
Welcome to the Gist List—a news roundup, interesting things you should know, and my thoughts leading up to today’s podcast episode.
Here’s what’s on my mind:
🐍 A strange hobby results in life-saving antivenom.
🗳️ A tale of two elections around the world.
✈️ Flying somehow manages to get even more frustrating.
🇨🇭 Switzerland is basically planning on living out the plot of Silo.
🇮🇱 Israel’s aid embargo enters third month.
🏝️ Trump Makes Alcatraz Great Again.
The Gist List
After 856 'Snake Bites', Man's Blood Could Unlock Universal Antivenom (Science Alert)
Tim Friede—whose idea of a hobby makes stamp collecting look like... well, stamp collecting—has injected himself with snake venom 856 times over 18 years, developing unique antibodies that could unlock a universal antivenom. Like just about any guy making bad decisions, he posted them online (because did it really happen if you didn’t get some views?) and got the attention of a biotech company named Centivax that has now created an antivenom that has protected lab mice from the venom of 19 of the world’s most dangerous snakes.
A Tale of Two Elections: Australia and Romania (Reuters, Financial Times🔒)
Elections that are basically referenda on Donald Trump are happening the world over. These two caught my eye:
Australia: Australian opposition leader Peter Dutton both lost his seat in parliament AND in the national election due to his perceived alignment with President Trump. (Remind you of a certain Canadian leader?)
Romania: The exact opposite thing happened. Instead of opting for a more centrist candidate, the populist tide trounced the centrists, and far-right leader George Simion won with 40.3% of the vote. The result shows a dissatisfaction with mainstream politics, but I suspect it also has something to do with the robustness, durability and age of the Romanian political system.
United Airlines Cancels Newark Flights Over FAA Staffing (WSJ)
United Airlines is cutting 10% of its daily flights at Newark Liberty International Airport due to ongoing technical and staffing issues, including air traffic controllers taking trauma-related leave and equipment problems. Some of these technology failures have disrupted travel plans for thousands of fliers who, as it seems, are already getting fed up with travel, budget airlines and cost-cutting.
But here’s another, somewhat unrelated, thought about Newark Liberty International Airport: I love liberty as a concept. But having the word "liberty" affixed to a thing seems to be a consistent indicator of lack of quality. Liberty University (Fallwell U), changing sauerkraut to Liberty Cabbage, changing Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty until Trump changed it back, Liberty Mutual—not a bad insurance company, I assume, but the LeMu Emu is America's least beloved corporate mascot. Here's the theory: It's an easy but lazy name to reach for when you have little else going for you but want some cheap, borrowed glory. Even cheaper than the $20 you’ll save on your flight by flying out of there rather than going to JFK or La Guardia.
Switzerland: Bonkers for Bunkers (The Dial)
For a country that hasn’t fought a war since 1847, Switzerland is mighty prepared for an all-out nuclear holocaust. In fact, it has more bunkers per capita than anywhere else. Up until the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, these bunkers were seen as privileged (the bad kind) and unnecessarily expensive, but now they are seen as a capital P privilege.
The facilities include some impressive planning, including a seven-story underground command center and a tunnel that could shelter 20,000 people, featuring 1.5-meter-thick nuclear-blast-resistant doors, hospital facilities, and extensive supplies. Basically, it’s the plot of the show Silo.
As the Aid Embargo on Gaza Enters Third Month, Hunger is Stalking Gazans Again (Times of Israel)
Israel is putting new pressures on the Gaza strip by expanding its military offensive to “capture” the area. This occupation threat is an attempt to pressure Hamas after President Trump’s planned visit next week. No aid has entered the Strip since March 2, making hunger a huge problem and causing food prices to surge 50% since March and up to 740% since February.
Naturally, the U.N. and other aid agencies have argued that this blockade violates international law. BUT ALSO—not to further complicate this mess—wouldn’t allowing aid to be stolen and used by Hamas would mean THEY were using aid as a war tactic?
Israel’s courts, however, ruled in a case petitioning to resume aid that aid organizations had insufficient evidence that Israel was deliberately starving Gaza's population at that time (but also noted their ruling didn't address conditions after Israel completely stopped aid.)
In his decision, Chief Justice Isaac Amit wrote that terrorist organizations were embedded within the civilian population and seizing humanitarian aid. Israel’s obligations to assist Gaza’s civilian population must be balanced against operational needs, including preventing assistance from reaching terror groups, he said.
Trump orders reopening of Alcatraz prison (The Hill)
The president wants to reopen Alcatraz as a prison for detained immigrants. Why? Well, according to him, in simpler, more “serious” times, it was a “symbol of law and order.” While it might look imposing sitting out there in the Bay, let’s think about the logistics of rebuilding a "substantially enlarged" prison. On an island. In the San Francisco Bay. I know I’m not an engineer, but expanding is probably not as simple as knocking out a few walls for a breakfast nook and adding some throw pillows.
Also, if you're going to reopen a defunct prison built in 1934, you might want to consider that the costs that shuttered it in 1963 haven't exactly gone down. We're talking about a facility that was already triple the operating costs of other federal prisons back when gas was 30 cents a gallon, and the gift shop probably won’t bring in enough revenue to offset the costs.
Funny You Should Mention: Can Socialism and Ambition Coexist?
Michelle Buteau stops by to talk about getting high in the reptile house and why she caught flak for doing spon-con souptroversy. We also get into her Dutch husband, the spirituality she doesn’t buy into, and whether her socialism can coexist with her ambition to get paid. Plus, we ask: Can a buteau-pian society have luxe throw pillows?
There’s more where that came from. Listen to The Gist, and upgrade to Pesca Plus for the ad-free version.
Have a story you want us to talk about or an opinion you want to share? Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com or share your thoughts in the comments. We might give you a shoutout in our next newsletter or on the air.