7th Patient Cured of HIV

Plus - Venezuela Election, California Wildfire, and Destructive Bears

Adam Rogers
July 29, 2024

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Venezuelans voted on Sunday in a tense election that might end Nicolás Maduro's 13-year rule.

The socialist government faces a strong challenge from opposition candidate Edmundo González. The outcome of this election is expected to impact the entire region significantly.
Venezuela's economy has plummeted over the past decade, with GDP now a fifth of its 2012 peak. Poor management and sanctions have caused severe economic hardship and widespread hunger, prompting nearly 8 million people to flee. González, a retired diplomat, replaced main opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was barred from running. Maduro's past victories in 2013 and 2018 were controversial, with the latter boycotted by the opposition.
An exit poll by Edison Research predicted a win for González with 65% of the vote against Maduro's 31%. Some voters began lining up Saturday night, while some Venezuelans abroad reported difficulties voting. Official results are expected soon, with independent observers from several countries, including Brazil, monitoring the election.

A 60-year-old man in Germany is the seventh person to be announced free of HIV after a stem-cell transplant.

Unlike most others who received stem cells resistant to HIV, his stem cells only had one copy of a mutated gene that affects the virus's entry into cells. This case challenges the idea that targeting the CCR5 receptor is the only way to cure HIV. The patient, diagnosed with HIV in 2009 and later with cancer, received his transplant in 2015 and has been virus-free for nearly six years.
Researchers are studying why this and another recent case succeeded where others failed. They believe that a combination of antiretroviral therapy, chemotherapy, and the replacement of immune cells might contribute to the success.
Antiretroviral therapy lowers the virus levels, and chemotherapy kills infected cells. The transplant then replaces these cells with healthy donor cells, helping eliminate the virus.
The success of this stem-cell transplant provides hope for broader HIV treatment and expands the pool of potential donors.

U.S. authorities arrested a powerful Mexican drug cartel leader known as “El Mayo.”

Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, was tricked into flying to the U.S., where he was arrested along with Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of drug kingpin "El Chapo." Zambada thought he was flying somewhere else but was captured upon arrival in El Paso. He appeared in federal court and pleaded not guilty to multiple drug trafficking charges.
Zambada generally avoided gruesome violence that would draw attention but was deeply involved in drug trafficking operations. He began as an enforcer in the 1970s and became a major player by the 1990s. He formed strong ties with Colombian traffickers and partnered with "El Chapo" Guzman, which would make him a top leader in the Sinaloa cartel.
His arrest is a significant blow to the Sinaloa cartel, which traffics large amounts of drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine into the U.S. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador supported the arrest but noted that others might fill the power vacuum.

The United States had a strong showing at the Olympics over the weekend. In swimming, the Men’s 4×100 relay team brought home gold and Torri Huske took gold in the women’s 100M butterfly. Lee Kiefer won gold in Women’s Fencing. The U.S. men’s basketball & women’s soccer teams advanced, as well as Simone Biles, Suni Lee, and Team USA gymnastics. (More)

“Deadpool & Wolverine” slashed records at the box office. Marvel’s summer blockbuster made $205 million in its first weekend in North American theatres, destroying the previous R-rated opening record held by the first “Deadpool” ($132 million). It also bagged the 8th largest opening of all time. (More)

Kamala Harris’ campaign also had a massive week. Harris has raised $200 million during the first week after announcing her bid for the White House. 66% of that comes from first-time donors. She raised more in one week than Biden and Trump combined in June. However, Trump still has much deeper campaign pockets ($757 million). (More)

California’s largest active wildfire is getting larger. The Park Fire in NorCal is now the state’s seventh-largest on record. It was allegedly started by an arsonist on July 24 and has burned 353,194 acres as of Sunday morning. (More)

Israel vowed to retaliate against Hezbollah for a deadly airstrike. Israel and the U.S. blamed the terrorist group for a rocket strike that killed 12 teenagers and children at a soccer field in Golan Heights. It’s the deadliest strike on Israeli soil since the Oct. 7 attacks. Hezbollah denied involvement. (More)

Bear and cub destroy a car after getting trapped inside.

Why do some animals have a “third eye”?

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