It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Friday, August 15, 2025
Perplexity AI offers Google $34.5 bn for Chrome browser
Perplexity AI offered Google on Tuesday $34.5 billion for its popular Chrome web browser, which the internet giant could potentially be forced to sell as part of antitrust proceedings.
The whopping sum proposed in a letter of intent by Perplexity is nearly double the value of the startup, which was reportedly $18 billion in a recent funding round.
“This proposal is designed to satisfy an antitrust remedy in highest public interest by placing Chrome with a capable, independent operator focused on continuity, openness, and consumer protection,” Perplexity chief executive Aravind Srinivas said in the letter, a copy of which was seen by AFP.
Google is awaiting US District Court Judge Amit Mehta’s ruling on what “remedies” to impose, following a landmark decision last year that said the tech titan maintained an illegal monopoly in online search.
US government attorneys have called for Google to divest itself of the Chrome browser, contending that artificial intelligence is poised to ramp up the tech giant’s dominance as the go-to window into the internet.
Google has urged Mehta to reject the divestment, and his decision is expected by the end of the month.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Perplexity’s offer vastly undervalues Chrome and “should not be taken seriously,” Baird Equity Research analysts said in a note to investors.
Given that Perplexity already has a browser that competes with Chrome, the San Francisco-based startup could be trying to spark others to bid or “influence the pending decision” in the antitrust case, Baird analysts theorized.
“Either way, we believe Perplexity would view an independent Chrome — or one no longer affiliated with Google — as an advantage as it attempts to take browser share,” Baird analysts told investors.
A US judge is expected to decide soon whether to order Google to sell its globally popular Chrome browser to weaken the tech firm’s dominance in online search – Copyright GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP Brandon Bell
Google contends that the United States has gone way beyond the scope of the suit by recommending a spinoff of Chrome, and holding open the option to force a sale of its Android mobile operating system.
“Forcing the sale of Chrome or banning default agreements wouldn’t foster competition,” said Cato Institute senior fellow in technology policy Jennifer Huddleston.
“It would hobble innovation, hurt smaller players, and leave users with worse products.”
Google attorney John Schmidtlein noted in court that more than 80 percent of Chrome users are outside the United States, meaning divestiture would have global ramifications.
“Any divested Chrome would be a shadow of the current Chrome,” he contended.
“And once we are in that world, I don’t see how you can say anybody is better off.”
The potential of Chrome being weakened or spun off comes as rivals such as Microsoft, ChatGPT and Perplexity put generative artificial intelligence (AI) to work fetching information from the internet in response to user queries.
Google is among the tech companies investing heavily to be a leader in AI, and is weaving the technology into search and other online offerings.
Tilapia farming in Brazil is a major industry, but US President Donald Trump's tariffs could hurt companies like Fider Pescados - Copyright AFP Nelson ALMEIDA Facundo Fernandez Barrio
When the water pump is switched on, hundreds of tilapia come to the surface of a pond at a Brazilian fish farm. Their final destination is now uncertain because of US President Donald Trump’s stiff tariffs.
Fish are one of the Brazilian products subject to a whopping 50 percent levy imposed by Washington a week ago — a stunning blow to the industry, which now fears layoffs, given that 60 percent of its exports go to the United States.
Fider Pescados, Brazil’s second biggest exporter of tilapia, manages 400 fish ponds along the Rio Grande in the southeastern state of Sao Paulo, the country’s most populous and richest.
Tilapia raised there are processed at a company factory in Rifaina, a small town of 4,000 residents.
Before the new wave of tariffs, 40 percent of the 9,600 tonnes of fish produced annually by Fider Pescados was shipped to the United States. Now, exports have already plummeted by a third.
“We’re expecting sales to the US to bottom out, as the 50 percent tariff is untenable,” company director Juliano Kubitza told AFP.
Once hatched, it takes eight months for farm-raised tilapia — a mild white fish — to reach supermarket shelves.
“This isn’t like the production cycle for chicken — that only takes 40 days and so you can recalibrate” the production schedule, explained Kubitza, whose company employs 500 people.
“In the fish industry, it’s like a moving train — you can’t hit the brakes too suddenly.”
Kubitza is now in a race against time to find new markets for his product, and he is under no illusions that it will be easy.
“No other country consumes as much (tilapia) as the United States,” he said.
– ‘Hammer blow’ –
Sergio Secco, a 43-year-old team leader in Fider Pescados’ fish ponds, knows that he is at serious risk of losing his job.
“I told the younger staff that tariffs would be a hammer blow. Whether we want it or not, it will have consequences on production and jobs, as we export a huge amount” to the US market, he said.
Some 20,000 employees in Brazil’s fish industry “could be laid off or made redundant by staff cuts,” warned the Brazilian Fish Industry Association.
While Fider Pescados has not talked about cutting any jobs so far, Rafaela Ferreira do Nascimento, a 26-year-old who prepares tilapia filets for export in the Rifaina factory, admitted she is “a bit afraid” to find herself without work.
In the short term, the company cannot let anyone go. Staff cuts would prevent it from handling all of the fish ready for harvesting.
– Search for new markets –
Once a fish reaches a certain weight, it must be taken to the factory for processing before being shipped — fresh or frozen.
US buyers mainly purchase fresh tilapia, which is sold at a higher profit margin.
“If the tariffs cut into exports, we will have to freeze some products” that were intended to be sold fresh, said production supervisor Samuel Araujo Carvalho.
“Few other countries could buy fresh fish from us,” said Kubitza, who hopes to boost sales at home, which already account for 50 percent of total production.
But those domestic sales would fetch a far lower price than the company intended to charge before the tariffs kicked in.
“Since the tariff hike, they are offering us sale prices, but before they were too expensive, and now I don’t plan to buy from them,” said one restaurant owner in Rifaina, on condition of anonymity.
As it looks for new markets, Fider Pescados has been forced to put on hold a planned expansion, which would have allowed it to increase production by 35 percent.
Op-Ed: Trump and Putin – Last dance of the senile superpowers, and history will sneer
ByPaul Wallis EDITOR AT LARGE DIGITAL JOURNAL August 14, 2025
US President Donald Trump (L) has grown increasingly frustrated with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over Ukraine - Copyright AFP/File SAUL LOEB, Pavel Bednyakov
The much hyped meeting of Trump and Putin to decide the future of the war in Ukraine is unlikely to do much. Headlines are full of spin, but not much substance.
For those under 40, this is old-style diplomacy, and it doesn’t work. In this case, it can’t work at all.
Ukraine has already said it won’t cede territory. Putin remains committed to his original failed position. Trump has so far achieved nothing at all after months of blather and useless talk.
There’s much more at stake:
For Putin, this is very much “his” war. His name is on it. The fate of Russia is at stake. Militarily, total failure has been achieved at a horrific cost.
The US is actually losing this war. Trump’s constant denigration and undermining of longstanding US alliances puts the US in a much more difficult position. Trump is creating his personal obstacle course for the future.
Europe has been pushed into a new military role that it didn’t want, upgrading NATO capabilities at great expense.
Ukraine knows it has support from Europe and elsewhere. Things are tough, but not impossible.
It’s the long-term damage that will decide. It will also define this war as a human reality. This is where history starts sneering.
This is no longer 2014. The geopolitical realities in the region have changed forever. The situation is so clear that the future will wonder why nobody saw the obvious.
A boy walks past a destroyed tank at an open air exhibition of destroyed Russian military equipment in Kyiv on August 13, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine – Copyright AFP Sergei SUPINSKY
Donetsk and Luhansk are devastated and severely contaminated with the chemistry of war. They have been war zones for many years. They will be a gigantic economic burden on Russia, even if Russia can hold them.
Crimea is now a barely supportable Russian outpost. Lack of water and continual exposure to increasingly penetrant Ukrainian attacks have made it more of a liability to Russia than an asset.
This is the physical reality that the Trump-Putin summit is supposed to “solve”?
The US can’t actually commit Ukraine to anything. Russia can’t force terms on Ukraine.
The military reality is that despite all the flailing away with drone strikes, the damage is comparatively superficial. Critically, the Ukrainians simply don’t believe Russia intends to end the war. This “summit of the senile” is therefore dead in the water before it starts.
Historically, the scenario is unambiguous to put it politely. The US is definitely not what it was. Russia is not the USSR. They no longer have the international roles they had. The world just doesn’t believe in them anymore.
The US isn’t seen as the leader of the free world, largely thanks to Trump. Russia isn’t considered the Red Menace anymore, just an aggressor.
Russia and the US also aren’t in anything like great shape themselves. Both economies are under tremendous self-inflicted stress. This doesn’t help credibility. Why would anyone believe these two meandering disaster areas can solve anything?
When history sneers, it’s for a reason.
'Road to hell': NYT columnist warns Trump may get 'fleeced' with 'half-baked' plan
U.S. President Donald Trump disembarks Air Force One at Pittsburgh International Airport in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 15, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
Trump is scheduled to meet with Putin on Friday in Anchorage, Alaska. The meeting will focus mainly on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the potential for a ceasefire.
Bret Stephens, a Pulitzer-Prize-winning columnist for the Times who writes about foreign policy and domestic politics, gave Trump a piece of advice: ask Robert Kraft how a meeting with Putin can go south. Kraft, he said, "knows what it’s like to be fleeced by the Russian president."
Kraft showed Putin one of his $25,000 Super Bowl rings during a 2005 trip with other American business leaders. And Putin never gave it back.
“And he put it on and he goes, ‘I can kill someone with this ring,’” Kraft said in 2013. “I put my hand out and he put it in his pocket, and three KGB guys got around him and walked out.”
Kraft said the Bush administration urged him to pretend the ring was a gift, Stephens said.
"Putin later mocked Kraft’s complaint and suggested that the ring was embarrassingly cheap," Stephens added.
Trump is an admirer of Putin's "gangsterism," he added, but "he won’t want to emerge from the meeting as Putin’s poodle." Stephens warned there are many avenues in which Trump's summit could go awry, but there's also an opportunity to accomplish something "useful." Namely, he said, by giving a "good-faith" effort to allow Russia to cut its losses and end its invasion, even if the country will likely rebuff the offer.
Stephens said Trump ought to work with Europe to seize $300 billion in frozen Russian government assets to fund Ukraine's purchases of Western arms, and sign a bill that would implement steep 500% tariffs on all goods and services imported from countries that buy Russian oil and uranium. Stephens also called on Trump to supply Ukraine with F-16s and other weapons.
"The choice between these two sets of options — the off-ramp versus the road to hell — should be Putin’s to make," Stephens said. "Though public opinion counts for almost nothing in Putin’s Russia, Russians should still know that their president was offered an honorable peace and refused it."
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — USGS streamgages show flood conditions are now underway, with live cameras providing real-time views on the USGS HIVIS website. Glacier-caused flooding has become an annual threat since 2011, with record-breaking floods over the past two years that impacted more than 300 homes and threatened public safety.
The USGS is working with the City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to monitor conditions and provide real-time data on the glacier lake releases. A glacier-dammed lake forms when a glacier blocks the natural drainage of a valley, trapping water that eventually bursts through or around the ice barrier.
"Our real-time monitoring gives emergency managers the advance warning they need to protect Juneau residents," said Jeff Conaway of the USGS Alaska Science Center. "This information allows officials to make critical decisions about evacuations and road closures before flood waters reach dangerous levels."
The USGS monitors conditions in the glacier-dammed basin using two cameras and a laser to track water and ice levels. This information is used by the NWS to forecast when and how severely flooding will occur, allowing emergency managers to anticipate dangerous conditions and make informed decisions about evacuations and road closures.
Downstream of the glacier, the USGS streamgage on Mendenhall Lake measures water temperature and water elevation every 15 minutes. A decrease in water temperature combined with rising lake levels helps distinguish water releasing from the glacier-dammed lake from regular rainfall runoff. Working with the USACE, the USGS has installed three streamgages on downstream bridges over the Mendenhall River to measure water height and streamflow.
Cameras installed at the bridges provide near real-time views of the river and will update to the USGS HIVIS page during the flood. USGS will measure the river bottom depth at the bridges after the flood to help officials determine if the bridges are safe for reopening.
This comprehensive monitoring data helps resource managers and emergency responders protect life and property. The data can also improve flood forecasting models and assess the effectiveness of flood control measures the City and Borough of Juneau has installed along the river.
For more than 130 years, the USGS has monitored flow in selected streams and rivers across the U.S. The information is routinely used for water supply and management, monitoring floods and droughts, bridge and road design, determination of flood risk and for many recreational activities.
USGS scientists measure flooding on the Mendenhall River as water releases from Suicide Basin’s glacier-dammed lake on August 13, 2025.
Kazuhiro Takizawa, President & Chief Executive Officer of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., and Casey Wasserman, President of LA28, Chairperson & President of LA28, are seen before a press conference in June 2025 - Copyright GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File Joe Scarnici
Organizers of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will sell naming rights for some competition venues to “unlock an additional revenue stream” in a move that breaks with Games tradition of forbidding brand names on stadiums and arenas.
In a statement released on Thursday, LA28 organizers said the “landmark change” will apply to featured venues in support of the “largest commercial revenue raise in sports”.
“From the moment we submitted our bid, LA28 committed to reimagining what’s possible for the Games,” LA28 chairperson and president Casey Wasserman said in a statement.
“Today’s historic announcement delivers on that promise, creating the first-ever venue naming rights program in Olympic and Paralympic history while advancing LA28’s mission of a fully privately funded and no-new-build Games.”
Contracts are already in place with automaker Honda, an LA28 sponsor which already has the naming rights for the Anaheim, California, arena that will host volleyball, and with media and technology company Comcast — which will have its name on the temporary squash venue.
As previously announced, Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles will host boxing and weightlifting.
Wasserman said the “groundbreaking partnerships” will generate revenue beyond what is already budgeted and “will introduce a new commercial model to benefit the entire (Olympic) movement”.
“We’re grateful to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for making this transformation possible,” he added.
Naming rights for up to 19 temporary venues will be available, with the IOC’s sponsorship partners and LA28 partners having a chance to put their names on Games venues.
Companies that already have their names on such Olympic venues as SoFi Stadium and Crypto.com Arena “will have the opportunity to keep existing venue naming rights during Games time”, Wasserman indicated.
“Clean venue” policies that prohibit advertising on the field of play will still apply.
Striking Boeing defense workers turn to US Congress
Boeing defense workers in Missouri walked off the job after rejecting a contract on August 4 - Copyright GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File Michael B. Thomas
Boeing defense industry workers currently on strike asked for congressional lawmakers’ support on Wednesday as they seek to pressure the aviation giant to improve its bargaining offer to the union.
“We respectfully ask you to join us in supporting this vitally important, highly skilled workforce,” the machinist union said in letters to the Missouri congressional delegation, describing Boeing’s latest offer as “substandard.”
Some 3,200 members of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers District 837 have been on strike since August 4 after rejecting a contract proposal. The two sides have not held talks since the walkout, representatives of both sides said.
The strike affects Boeing facilities in St. Louis and St. Charles, Missouri and Mascoutah, Illinois.
“We ask you to urge the Boeing Company to promptly return to the bargaining table with new ideas and proposals in order to seek a fair and equitable settlement to this disagreement,” said a letter signed by IAM International President Brian Bryant.
Products produced at the affected sites include the F-15 and F-18 combat aircraft, the T-7 Red Hawk Advanced Pilot Training System and the MQ-25 unmanned aircraft.
Prioirties for the union include fair compensation, with wages that meet the cost of living and “a contract that respects seniority and experience,” the IAM said.
Boeing said its offer includes 40 percent average wage increases, as well as more vacation and sick leave.
“We’re surprised to hear the IAM International call our offer ‘substandard’ after hailing it as a ‘landmark’ agreement which they endorsed just three weeks ago,” said Boeing Air Dominance vice president Dan Gillian.
“We remain ready and willing to listen to any constructive proposals from the union.”
The St. Louis local’s stoppage follows a bruising Boeing strike last fall in the Pacific Northwest region of some 33,000 workers that halted production at factories that assemble Boeing commercial planes.
Boeing executives have characterized the St. Louis strike as manageable, noting that they had prepared for a stoppage before the workers joined the pickets.
A strike notice from Air Canada flight attendants has prompted flight cancelations - Copyright AFP/File Daniel SLIM
Air Canada began cancelling flights on Thursday after receiving a strike notice from the flight attendants’ union, warning all operations could be shut down by Saturday.
The airline that transports about 130,000 passengers daily announced this week that negotiations on a new collective agreement with its 10,000 flight attendants had reached an “impasse.”
Chief operating officer Mark Nasr told reporters Thursday that the airline had begun “a gradual suspension of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge operations.”
Without a deal, “all flights will be paused by Saturday early morning,” he said.
In addition to demanding a wage increase, the union has argued flight attendants are not compensated for work on the ground, including during the boarding process.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has dismissed Air Canada’s latest offer as “below inflation (and) below market value.”
CUPE issued a 72-hour strike notice at 12:01 am (0401 GMT) Wednesday, meaning the labor action could begin one minute past midnight on Saturday.
Air Canada maintains its offers have been fair. CUPE rejected a request to settle outstanding issues through arbitration.
Air Canada’s head of public affairs Arielle Meloul-Wechsler said the union’s approach to recent negotiations has been “superficial,” in a press conference interrupted by more than a dozen flight attendant protesters.
Federal labor minister Patty Hajdu said the dispute was causing widespread “anxiety” and urged both sides “to come back to the bargaining table and get this done now.”
Air Canada, the country’s largest airline, flies to 65 countries and operates nonstop service to 180 cities.
Germany sacks rail chief with train network in crisis
Richard Lutz will leave his chief executive post two years before the end of his contract - Copyright dpa/AFP/File Soeren Stache
Sam Reeves
The German government sacked the embattled head of Deutsche Bahn on Thursday as it seeks to overhaul the ailing public rail network after years of criticism about deteriorating services.
Once widely admired for its punctuality and efficiency, Germany’s rail service has worsened dramatically in recent years owing to what critics say is chronic underinvestment.
Passengers now often complain of long delays and cancelled trains in Europe’s biggest economy — last year, almost 40 percent of long-distance services were late.
Richard Lutz, who took the helm of the publicly owned institution in 2017, will leave his chief executive post two years before the end of his contract, the government confirmed.
“The situation at Deutsche Bahn is dramatic, if you look at customer satisfaction, punctuality figures or profitability,” Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder told a press conference to announce Lutz’s departure.
“The company must become faster, leaner, more effective and also more economical.”
The 61-year-old will stay on until a successor is found, with the government saying the hiring process would start immediately.
– Funding pleas –
Karl-Peter Naumann from rail passenger association Pro-Bahn warned that changing the boss would not solve Deutsche Bahn’s problems.
The situation would only change if policies improved and funding was increased, he told AFP.
“All previous transport ministers have more or less failed and have contributed greatly to the railways being in the situation they are in today,” he said.
Lutz’s days had seemed numbered since a new coalition under Chancellor Friedrich Merz took power in May.
Schnieder had publicly complained earlier this month about the railways’ poor punctuality and suggested he was looking at personnel changes.
Workers on the railways — Deutsche Bahn has some 220,000 employees — had also spoken out against Lutz, with the GDL train drivers union calling in July for him to be sacked.
The transport minister also said he would present a major plan to fix the network in late September.
The government’s is seeking to fix crumbling infrastructure more broadly, establishing a 500-billion-euro fund.
Deutsche Bahn has already embarked on a push to renew parts of the network but it is likely to take years to complete.
It has seen falling profits in recent years and is also saddled with more than 20 billion euros in debt.
Addressing the bird flu outbreak requires a one health perspective integrating the entire dairy community
A new invited review in the Journal of Dairy Science® highlights the broad animal and human impacts of the H5N1 outbreak and emphasizes that mitigation will require cross-sector coordination
Dairy farms function as complex ecosystems of animals, people, and environments, where interconnected interactions can drive the spread of pathogens like H5N1, making mitigation efforts a shared responsibility.
Philadelphia, August 14, 2025 – Since its emergence in US dairy cattle, highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu, H5N1) has defied control, spreading to other species and disrupting every stage of the dairy sector. A newly published invited review in the Journal of Dairy Science presents the most comprehensive look yet at the virus’s impact and calls for a unified response. With current science pointing to complex transmission dynamics and broad consequences, the authors argue that only a One Health approach, taking into account the intersection of animal and human health with that of the environment, can effectively combat H5N1 and prevent future outbreaks.
Jason Lombard, DVM, MS, of Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, lead author of the review, explained, “The H5N1 outbreak in dairy cattle is unlike anything we have seen before—it has an exceptional ability to spread between farms and among cows within a farm—and is the first time an infectious disease of this magnitude has affected the US dairy sector in nearly 100 years. It has revealed challenges we still haven’t solved in our ability to detect, report, and manage new diseases.”
The review, building on both the current body of literature and best first-hand accounts and unpublished data of the outbreak, describes how the H5N1 virus, previously known for outbreaks in poultry, spilled over from wild birds into dairy herds and a range of other animal species, and maps the broad impacts of the virus to date.
“Our team wanted to describe the effects of H5N1 [on] agriculture as well as animal and human health in the US and demonstrate that a One Health perspective—or one that takes the health of animals, humans, and the environment as a holistic interconnected network into account—will be essential to navigating this outbreak,” Dr. Lombard added.
First, the team outlines the latest science on how bird flu is impacting the US food supply, of which poultry, beef, and dairy play a key role. “Before anything else, it’s critical to convey that pasteurization remains a very effective tool in inactivating the virus in milk, which means our commercial supply of milk and dairy products remains safe, as are properly cooked beef, poultry, and eggs, based on several US Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service studies,” Dr. Lombard emphasized. Still, reduced production and supply disruptions have driven up prices for consumers, and the virus’s broader impacts—from farm operations and management to worker health—continue to ripple across the dairy industry.
Stopping the spread of H5N1 starts with an understanding of exactly how the virus spilled over into cattle, and the routes it is taking to spread among dairy cattle and between farms—both of which are still unknown. The evidence suggests that cows’ initial exposure may occur through feed or water contaminated by wild birds, although it is possible the virus could also spread through aerosols (tiny airborne particles) or via fomites (contaminated surfaces or objects). After their initial exposure, cows can easily spread the virus to others in their herd.
“The H5N1 virus attaches to sialic acid receptors, which are abundant in the udders and respiratory tracts of cows, which means breathing in the virus and coming in contact with infected milk are both options for spread on the farm,” outlined Dr. Lombard.
“We have information from experimental and field-based studies, but right now, we are missing some key pieces of the puzzle regarding cow-to-cow viral transmission, and more information is needed,” added Chloe Stenkamp-Strahm, DVM, PhD, of Colorado State University and co-author of the article.
Dr. Lombard and the co-authors were clear that understanding transmission will be critical to stopping the spread of H5N1, and that this is uniquely challenging because of the structure and complexity of the dairy industry in which cattle, humans, other animals, and equipment are frequently in close contact and moved from location to location.
“Overall, it’s important to think of our dairy operations as ecosystems,” said co-author Brian McCluskey, DVM, PhD, DACVPM, of Colorado State University. “It’s not just cows that make up a dairy farm, but a dynamic and interconnected community of living organisms—birds, cats, flies, and people—as well as their physical environments—water, vehicles, bedding, housing, and equipment.” All of which interact with each other to potentially spread pathogens like H5N1, which is why tracking, understanding, and mitigating the virus is complicated and will require the collaboration of multiple partners: producers, herd veterinarians, government and state partners, and researchers.
The human element of this outbreak is the final area the team reviewed, touching on the impact on human health to date and the potential for a larger H5N1 human pandemic in the future. “We’ve seen 70 confirmed H5N1 cases associated with this outbreak, most of whom were people working with cattle or poultry,” said co-author Cherissa Abdul-Hamid, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, of the Texas Department of State Health Services in Lubbock, Texas. These cases have generally been mild, mostly involving conjunctivitis (pink eye) or mild flu-like symptoms. The article is clear, however, that H5N1 extends beyond physical illness; the outbreak has exacerbated mental health challenges for dairy workers, who often face pre-existing disparities in healthcare access, as well as for veterinarians and producers, who contend with increased workloads and financial, and emotional strain.
The virus has not only affected the dairy industry, but the “cattle strain” has also greatly affected the poultry industry. “According to the American Association of Avian Pathologists, more than 28 million commercial birds on almost 100 premises have been depopulated, and there are many gaps in our knowledge of how it is being transmitted from cattle to poultry,” said co-author Kay Russo, DVM, MAHM, DACPV, of RSM Consulting in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The virus’s potential for causing a larger human health event is much less clear and will require significantly more data than we have available. “So far, we don’t truly have enough information to predict the likelihood of H5N1 developing into a virus that can spread [from] human to human and trigger a pandemic,” said co-author Carol Cardona, DVM, PhD, of the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, Minnesota, “but it is safe to say the potential increases as we continue to fail to control the virus.”
How can all of these impacts be addressed in the dairy industry? Controlling the spread of H5N1 will demand a coordinated effort across the dairy sector to strengthen biosecurity practices on farms (including the role of dairy workers), broad viral surveillance and reporting, a review of current control measures, and potentially a vaccination option—all while protecting the livelihoods of dairy producers. Although the article referenced several published One Health recommendations, it emphasized the three from a recent RAND article as particularly impactful:
Declare H5N1 a public health emergency and mandate ongoing nationwide testing of representative samples of dairy and beef cattle, free of charge to farmers. Implement increased testing of farm and dairy workers, livestock vaccinations, and indemnity payments.
Expand the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Wastewater Surveillance program to test for H5N1 and associated variants from different hosts.
Make H5N1 vaccines available to anyone likely to have been exposed to infected animals, and prepare a plan for nationwide distribution.
Paul Kononoff, PhD, editor in chief of the Journal of Dairy Science, underscored the importance of the article: “While there are still many unknowns and more science still to understand, this outbreak is a clear reminder that the health of our dairy herds, farm workers, and the broader dairy community and the general public are deeply interconnected. This invited review helps to equip producers, veterinarians, and policymakers with an evidence-based perspective on why One Health is essential for navigating the challenges and opportunities this outbreak presents.”
Invited review: The One Health challenges and opportunities of the H5N1 outbreak in dairy cattle in the United States
Indigenous researcher revives traditional medical practices of his people
The study accessed ancestral knowledge and cataloged 175 medicinal plants used to treat diseases such as parasitic worms, diabetes, and hypertension. Community participation was central to all stages of the study
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
A groundbreaking study by ethnobotanist Hemerson Dantas dos Santos Pataxó Hãhãhãi has revived the ancestral healing knowledge of his indigenous people. Currently a doctoral student at the Institute of Environmental, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Federal University of São Paulo (ICAQF-UNIFESP) in Brazil, he belongs to the Pataxó Hã-Hã-Hãi people. According to his doctoral advisor, Eliana Rodrigues he is “the world’s first indigenous ethnobotanical researcher.”
An article reporting on the study, signed by Pataxó Hãhãhãi and Rodrigues, was published in the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. “This work was done by us and for us. It recovers knowledge that was being lost and shows that we can do science without giving up who we are,” the researcher celebrates.
The study sought to meet the demands of the Pataxó Hã-Hã-Hãi people themselves in the face of the progressive disappearance of ancestral knowledge. Initially, the focus was on finding treatments for the three most common complaints in the community: parasitic worms, diabetes, and hypertension. These diseases had been caused or aggravated by the fragmentation and dispersion of the people, deteriorating living conditions, and contact with the surrounding society.
However, based on the initial objective and within the parameters of academic research, the scientist broadened the scope of his study, cataloguing 175 medicinal plants used by the Pataxó Hã-Hã-Hãi. Forty-three of these plants were used specifically to treat the three diseases that inspired the investigation, and 79% of their uses are consistent with recent scientific literature.
“One of the discoveries that most caught my attention was that the main medicinal plants used are exotic species, not native, but introduced into the territory. This attests to the fact that the fragmentation and forced displacement of the original population were accompanied by extreme environmental devastation, with land grabbing and the establishment of large farms,” says Pataxó Hãhãhãi.
Among the most commonly used plants are mastruz (Dysphania ambrosioides) for intestinal worms, moringa (Moringa oleifera) for diabetes, and lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) for hypertension. Two of the three, lemongrass and moringa, are exotic and originated in Asia. They were introduced to Brazil during the colonial period or more recently. Many botanists believe that mastruz already existed in tropical areas of South America before the arrival of colonizers and that indigenous peoples have used it for centuries. Another plant considered native that is also used to treat intestinal worms is purgative potato (Operculina macrocarpa). “But so far, I’ve only been able to find a few native species. Many plants mentioned by the elders have disappeared from the forest,” laments Pataxó Hãhãhãi.
Historical context
The Pataxó Hã-Hã-Hãi Indigenous Land, also known as the Caramuru-Paraguassu Indigenous Land, is located in the south of the state of Bahia and has an official area of 54,105 hectares. The region was officially reserved for indigenous peoples in 1926 by the then Indian Protection Service (SPI). However, starting in the 1940s, with the expansion of cocoa cultivation, farmers invaded the area, resulting in the expulsion of a large part of the original indigenous population. In the 1970s, the Bahia government abolished the reserve and granted property titles to the invaders.
In 1982, the then National Indian Foundation (FUNAI, renamed the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples in 2023) filed a lawsuit to annul the titles granted to farmers. After years of litigation, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) ruled in favor of the indigenous people in 2012, recognizing their traditional ownership of the land and ordering the removal of non-indigenous people. Despite the STF’s decision, conflicts persist. In 2024, an indigenous woman from the region was murdered during a land retaking. In April of this year, the National Public Security Force was sent to the area to ensure the community’s safety amid new threats.
“In this context, the environment changed and much of the culture was lost. The traditional language, belonging to the Macro-Jê language family, became extinct in 1992 with the death of Bahetá, the last speaker. Before she died, she collaborated with researchers in the preparation of a primer, called Cartilha Bahetá, with dozens of words and a few phrases,” says Pataxó Hãhãhãi. “We discovered that many of these words are exactly the same as those of the Maxakali, who live in northeastern Minas Gerais [a state bordering southern Bahia]. In the past, the people here used to meet with the Maxakali. There were trails that crossed the forest between Bahia and Minas Gerais,” says the researcher.
The ancient rituals of pajelança were also forgotten with forced displacement and the imposition of religions. Today, the Pataxó Hã-Hã-Hãi people are no longer made up of a single ethnic group, but rather a mixture of several groups that came together in the region after the territory was retaken. Spread across ten villages, the indigenous land is home to about 3,600 individuals belonging to the Baenã, Kamakã, Tupinambá, Kariri-Sapuyá, and Gueren ethnic groups.
“During my research, one of the things that struck me most was the extent of the loss: of plants, practices, entire cultural aspects. Despite all these losses, some elders still remember what they learned from their parents or grandparents. And it was these elders that I sought out to recover ancestral knowledge. Many are evangelicals. Evangelical indigenous people still use plants, but the traditional prayers used in healing rituals have been replaced by Christian prayers, quotes from the Bible, and fragments of psalms,” reports Pataxó Hãhãhãi.
The study involved 19 indigenous experts who are recognized for their knowledge of healing practices. At the time they were interviewed, between February 2022 and November 2023, these experts were between 50 and 85 years old, with 84% over 62 years old. “The elder I had the most contact with was Dona Marta Xavier. She has a very strong gift for healing. She knows many medicinal plants and is able to discover others. When an indigenous person has a more serious problem, she’s the one they turn to. Dona Marta has a brother named Aniraldo, an elderly but very active man who works on the farm. Where he lives, there’s a health center and a nursery has been built to grow medicinal plant seedlings,” recalls the researcher.
In addition to being a healer, Dona Marta was a midwife, and many members of the community were born in her hands. Today, births usually take place in hospitals, but midwives were essential in the past. Pataxó Hãhãhãi quotes a phrase spoken by his grandmother: “If it weren’t for the midwives, there’d be no more Indians.”
The study was based on a research approach developed by Eliana Rodrigues called “participatory ethnobotany.” It places the studied population at the center of all phases of the work, from defining the objectives to publication, including data collection and analysis. “It’s a procedure that empowers traditional peoples and challenges the colonial logic that’s always dominated the production of scientific knowledge. In it, the indigenous people themselves, or quilombolas, or caiçaras, or Amazonian riverine communities, collect and record their traditional knowledge, becoming, at the same time, the object and subject of the study,” explains Rodrigues.
She trains traditional researchers in cultural anthropology and botany. They learn to interview experts in their communities, discover which plants are used and how, access taxonomic classifications of the species used, and record all the knowledge acquired, eventually in their own language. “They do what they want with their traditional knowledge. This is very important because it points to a contribution to a globally controversial issue, that of intellectual property rights over traditional knowledge,” emphasizes the researcher.
She gives an example: “Consider the Guarani. They live in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. If a study accesses traditional Guarani knowledge, to whom does it belong? To the country? To the people? To the village? To the family group? This is still an open question. We don’t have well-defined international mechanisms for this. But if the indigenous people themselves, trained in academic methods, anthropology, and botany, collect and record this knowledge, they have the autonomy to decide what to do with it. That’s the logic: empower indigenous people so they have the power to decide about their own knowledge.”
Pataxó Hãhãhãi’s research involved visiting ten villages and conducting more than 240 days of fieldwork. Because the researcher lives in the community itself, he had access to situations that are usually off-limits, such as the use of prayers in preparing medicines. “It was a dive into my own history. Listening to the elders and recording their memories taught me things even I didn’t know about my people,” he says.
In addition to the written records, the project resulted in a book and an audiovisual presentation. There was also collaboration on the implementation of a medicinal plant garden in the villages. A booklet with safe medicinal plant recipes will also be distributed to young people and indigenous health professionals.
The study was supported by FAPESP through a doctoral scholarship awarded to the author.
About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe.
