Another Measles Death

  In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread. Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio. A top antivaxxer is HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.  Last year, he lied about it under oath.

Since  Trump took office in 2025, the U.S. has recorded more confirmed measles cases than in the previous 20 years combined.

 Teddy Rosenbluth at NYT:

A 40-year-old unvaccinated woman in Pennsylvania died Saturday, most likely because of measles complications, the Jefferson County coroner, Greg Furlong, said Sunday.

The news comes as Pennsylvania faces a rapidly expanding outbreak that has already sickened more than 670 people and hospitalized 124. The state department of health reported two deaths related to the outbreak last month, which set off a frenzied debate over whether the deaths were a result of measles or merely coincided with the infection.

In this woman’s case, the immediate cause of death was respiratory failure “due to suspected measles,” according to a preliminary death certificate viewed by The Times. Mr. Furlong said that testing had not yet confirmed the woman had measles, though she had many of the symptoms of the virus — including the telltale rash that often starts as flat red spots on the face and travels down the body — and had recently been exposed to someone with measles. A nasal swab will be sent to the state laboratory to be tested for measles, Mr. Furlong said.

The woman had several chronic medical conditions that made her vulnerable to severe complications from measles. She had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or C.O.P.D., and was on 24/7 supplemental oxygen.

The state health department has not included the death in its official tally but has been in close contact with Mr. Furlong, he said.

While most measles cases are mild, roughly one in five unvaccinated people in the United States who contract the virus lands in the hospital, often for complications such as pneumonia, severe dehydration and brain swelling. The virus is especially dangerous for young children, adults older than 20 and those who have a compromised immune system.

3,294 Measles Cases

 In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread. Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio. A top antivaxxer is HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.  Last year, he lied about it under oath.

Since  Trump took office in 2025, the U.S. has recorded more confirmed measles cases than in the previous 20 years combined.

From CDC:

As of September 10, 2026, 3,294 confirmed* measles cases were reported in the United States in 2026. Among these, 3,278 measles cases were reported by 47 jurisdictions: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. A total of 16 measles cases were reported among international visitors to the United States.

There have been 38 new outbreaks** reported in 2026, and 95% of confirmed cases (3,123 of 3,294) are outbreak-associated (1,748 from outbreaks starting in 2026 and 1,375 from outbreaks that started in 2025).

For the full year of 2025, a total of 2,289 confirmed* measles cases were reported in the United States.

The Community Integration Reversal and Transition Plans

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss court cases involving the civil rights of people with autism and other disabilities. 

Trump does not care.  He despises people with disabilities.  His head of the DOJ Civil Rights Division is a political hack who uses the r-word as a slur.

In August, the Department of Justice quietly released a memo pertaining to the landmark 1999 disability civil rights case Olmstead v. L.C.  That precedent, the memo claimed without evidence, increases homelessness.

Caitlynn Peetz Stephens at Education Week:

New federal guidance threatens to upend decades of progress in high school transition planning, which helps students with disabilities prepare for college, the workforce, and living independently, advocates and researchers say.

In 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Olmstead v. L.C. that states must eliminate unnecessary segregation of people with disabilities and ensure they receive services in “the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.” The ruling established that unjustified institutionalization constitutes discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

But in June, the U.S. Department of Justice stated it “will not rely upon the Olmstead Guidance in its enforcement” of the ADA, and that Olmstead is “not enforceable.”

The Olmstead ruling has for decades served as the backbone of students’ individualized education programs (IEPs) by requiring transition plans that teach students with disabilities 16 and older independent living skills.

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, transition plans must include goals related to postsecondary education or training, employment, and, if appropriate, independent living.

“To have a document that says segregated living is OK and transitioning into that integrated setting isn’t the priority, it’s really the antithesis of what we’re working for for 21 years of their lives in special education,” said Meghan Burke, a professor of special education at Vanderbilt University. “If now we’re saying it’s no longer the goal for youth with disabilities to be living in the community, it could potentially turn everything in transition planning on its head.”

Special Ed Official Quits

 In The Politics of Autism, I write about social services, special education, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. 

Project 2025 proposed to turn IDEA into a "no strings" block grant, effectively gutting the law and destroying protections that disability families have long relied upon. During the 2024 race, Trump denied any connection to the project, but now he proclaims it, praising OMB director Russ Vought "of Project 2025 fame."

Trump and Vought are now accomplishing their goal of ravaging the law. Instead of turning it into a block grant, they have tried firing most of the staff who enforce it.   More recently, they have shifted  OSERS to HHS and OCR to the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, headed by a political hack who uses the r-word as a slur.

Zachary Schermele at USA TODAY:

The top Trump administration official overseeing special education is resigning ahead of a contentious reshuffling of her office's workforce to the Health and Human Services Department.

Kelly Rogers, the acting assistant secretary in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, is set to depart her job on Friday, Sept. 11, according to an email obtained by USA TODAY. She was in the job for fewer than four months.

The shift injects yet another element of volatility into the work of the federal division in charge of administering billions of dollars in taxpayer funds to states and schools to help students with disabilities. The office, which experts have described as the "engine room" of special education, has been particularly rocked over the past year and a half by President Donald Trump's crusade to dismantle the Education Department. The downsizing campaign has led to many morale-sinking changes, including major layoffs and a scrutinized plan to give HHS a greater role in the division's operations.

Rogers' abrupt exit comes as more than 100 employees in her division are set to physically move over to HHS this week, according to the Education Department's union, which opposes the move and calls it illegal. Congressional Democrats, and even some Republicans, have expressed doubts about the benefits of the reorganization, which Trump administration officials have said is part of their broader efforts to limit the federal role in education. Rogers struggled during a July 9 meeting to assuage disability advocates' concerns about potential bureaucratic dysfunction caused by the shift, USA TODAY previously reported.

Major Autism Organizations Criticize IACC Process

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee and research priorities.

A September 2 post from Autism Speaks:

Last week, we shared our deep concern that the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) was shutting the community out of important decisions about autism research and services. Our concern is reinforced by the IACC’s vote to approve its Strategic Plan.

We are a broad collection of advocacy, community, and research organizations with a focus on autism, intellectual and developmental disability, or disability at-large. We regularly have disagreements on matters of research and policy priorities. There are elements of this Strategic Plan we like, elements we dislike, and elements we are divided on. Working through these substantive disagreements and weighing public input in a thorough and orderly way is the most constructive course for the future of autism research and services. Reflecting and weighing the diverse viewpoints of our community in this manner is, in fact, one of the IACC’s core duties as a federal advisory body.

Our shared issue with the IACC is the failure to develop and approve the plan in a manner that is transparent, accessible, scientifically rigorous, and responsive to public input. Several members of the IACC made it clear that the last 4100 pages of public comments, nearly half of all comments, were not delivered until the day before the meeting. Office of National Autism Coordination (ONAC) staff made it clear their analysis of public feedback could only examine recurring themes across the comments because they lack the resources and staff capacity to fully engage with the volume of comments received. Similarly, when concerns about this Strategic Plan were raised, the Chair repeatedly redirected to two decades of past public input rather than the record actually before the Committee. While comments received over time can provide helpful context, this specific draft and the public comments submitted in relation to it were what the Committee was supposed to review.

Approving the plan without careful consideration of input and feedback from autistic individuals, family members, caregivers, doctors, researchers, advocates, and the full range of the autism community undermines the credibility of this important body and the Strategic Plan.

When a federal member of the IACC raised concerns about the inaccessibility of this process, particularly for individuals with delayed processing, his concerns were largely dismissed, even after he specifically named the committee’s obligation to meet Rehabilitation Act requirements about accessibility under Sections 501 and 504. Suggestions were made to use artificial intelligence (AI) or a program to read the comments aloud, and while we are sure these were made in good faith, these are at most band-aid fixes. Accessibility needs to be integrated from the start to ensure full engagement and participation of people with disabilities. This must be a shared value. Why else do we do what we do?

Inaccessibility, delay in comment delivery, reliance on AI summaries instead of full comment review by several members, and lack of proper notice for federal members to get input from agency decision-makers raise serious questions about whether the IACC has upheld its duty under federal law to engage with public input and avoid discrimination against people with disabilities.

We urge the IACC to take this time after the meeting to properly and fully review the thousands of pages of public comments submitted to the IACC, produce a complete analysis of these comments, and revisit the strategic plan. This is an opportunity for the IACC to rebuild trust across the autism community. The autism community cannot afford to have such an important guiding document be pushed through despite this level of widespread concern. We need a plan developed through consensus. Our community is broad, but we agree that all voices should be heard.

Sincerely,

Association of University Centers on Disabilities
Autism Science Foundation
Autism Society of America
Autism Speaks
Autistic People of Color Fund
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network
Coalition of Autism Scientists
CommunicationFIRST
Institute for Exceptional Care
Profound Autism Alliance
The Arc of the United States

 

Backward on Community Integration

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss court cases involving the civil rights of people with autism and other disabilities. 

Trump does not care.  He despises people with disabilities.  His head of the DOJ Civil Rights Division is a political hack who uses the r-word as a slur.

In August, the Department of Justice quietly released a memo pertaining to the landmark 1999 disability civil rights case Olmstead v. L.C.  That precedent, the memo claimed without evidence, increases homelessness.

Jayme Fraser at USA Today:

On Aug. 31, the Trump administration moved to make it easier for states to place disabled and elderly people in institutions. To appease a lawsuit from several Republican-led states, government lawyers told a federal judge they were willing to erase a 50-year-old provision requiring federal funds be used to care for people in their homes, whenever possible.

In effect, it undermines a landmark Supreme Court case from Papadopoulos’ home state that said denying people the ability to live in their communities is discrimination.

Advocates say the government’s concession erodes hard-fought civil rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. And it threatens the return of a system where disabled people are locked in institutions instead of being allowed to live in their homes.

From the American Association of People with Disabilities:

The Defend Community Integration Coalition (DCIC) strongly condemns the recent proposed joint resolution filed August 31 in the ongoing case Texas v. Kennedy. The proposed resolution aims to strike down the 2024 community integration regulations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This action flies in the face of decades of judicial precedent and Congressional intent to ensure that community integration remains a civil right for all people with disabilities.

As national disability rights leaders and allies, we have worked hard for decades to advance community integration as a foundational civil right for people with disabilities. We condemn any attacks aimed at undoing this work led by and for people with disabilities.

For people with disabilities, there is no right more foundational than the right to make our own choices. Far too often, we find ourselves in the position where others decide our lives for us. It takes a lot to ensure that the choices we have are real choices. It has taken years to build the supports we need to go to school, work, eat, stay housed, and raise our children.

As humans, we deserve the security of knowing that we have what we need to live our lives.

Life is not just about getting three square meals a day and getting our meds on time. It is about growing, working, loving, dreaming, failing and reaching our potential. It is about deciding when to get up, when to go out, what to eat, and with whom to live. It is hard to do these things when we are forced to stay in congregate settings where we have no say over most aspects of our lives.

Disabled people are survivors. We are spouses, parents, siblings, classmates, colleagues, and neighbors. Most of all, we are Americans determined to fight back against ideas and actions that take away our dignity and roll back years of hard-fought progress and rights.

As a coalition we will continue to work together and fight for the full realization of the community integration mandate. Community integration of people with disabilities is non-negotiable.

This is a monumental fight. In a moment like this, we need to join forces and work collectively. We are stronger together.

Join the Defend Community Integration Coalition: https://bit.ly/3V8NfIy
Additional Resources and Calls to Action

• AAPD’s webinar “Understanding and Protecting Your Disability Rights Under Olmstead, the ADA, and Section 504” and action steps: https://bit.ly/4gCGaHi
• Statement of National Disability Organizations on the Proposed Resolution: https://bit.ly/4zTYapt
• DREDF’s Resource Page: https://bit.ly/4h78eEf
• An excellent summary from Red Line for Civil Rights: https://bit.ly/4qNSTeZ

Bee's Law

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between the justice system and autistic people.

Kayla Hamlett at KTXS-TV:

A Texas mother is taking her daughter’s story to the state Capitol, hoping it will help change how the justice system handles cases involving autistic victims.

The effort, known as Bee’s Law, grew out of one family’s experience with the justice system in Stephens County.

The mother said her autistic daughter was the victim of an assault, and questions were later raised about the child’s ability to testify.

The mother said her autistic daughter was the victim of an assault, and questions were later raised about the child’s ability to testify. (Courtesy of Mother of victim)

In a letter from the Stephens County Attorney’s Office, the county attorney raised concerns about the child’s ability to testify, including how her autism could impact that process. The mother said that experience is part of what led her to push for Bee’s Law.

The proposal calls for autism-specific and trauma-informed training for people working throughout the justice system, including judicial, prosecutorial and investigative professionals.

The proposal calls for autism-specific and trauma-informed training for people working throughout the justice system, including judicial, prosecutorial and investigative professionals. (Courtesy of Mother of victim)

Support for the effort has been growing. A petition for Bee’s Law has reached 1,000 supporters as the push moves closer to potential legislation.

The mother has been invited to potentially speak and represent Bee’s Law at Texas Autism Advocacy Day at the state Capitol in 2027, pending confirmation of the date.

KTXS reached out to the Stephens County courthouse for a response and is still waiting for a response.

SEE THE PETITION 

Autism and the Amish

In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread. Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio. A top antivaxxer is HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.

Since President Trump took office in 2025, the U.S. has recorded more confirmed measles cases than in the previous 20 years combined.

Carmen Paun at POLITICO:

This time, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and the Lancaster County coroner agree: An infant died of measles in the state, the first confirmed death in 35 years.

Shapiro cited the coroner’s confirmation Friday on X and took another jab at Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who said last week the Democrat’s staff might have fabricated the death to make Kennedy look bad.

“Instead of listening to the real doctors and public health experts, RFK chose to sow doubt, play politics, direct the CDC not to acknowledge these deaths, and even accuse me of fabricating these tragedies,” Shapiro posted on the social media platform.

The county coroner, Stephen Diamantoni, has previously said he disagreed with Shapiro about the cause of death of another newborn, an Amish boy who died soon after birth last month. Diamantoni said the baby, who had measles, died of a ruptured spleen and that he did not believe measles contributed.

Shapiro and his health department said last week that two Pennsylvanians had died of “measles-associated” causes.

Diamantoni said earlier Friday a 6-week-old girl from the county’s Amish community died of measles at home last month. The baby had microcephaly, a condition that usually leads to death by six months of age, but measles was the cause of death, Diamantoni said, according to local media reports.

When contacted by POLITICO, Pennsylvania’s health department did not directly say the baby is the second measles-associated death it reported last week, but Press Secretary Neil Ruhland reaffirmed there were two deaths in an email statement. “The Lancaster County Coroner has now publicly confirmed a second infant death involving measles,” Ruhland said.

Shapiro’s X post, referencing the coroner’s office, implied that this case is the second one he referred to last week.

The Amish community has long had low vaccination rates. Neither of the two babies was old enough to receive a measles vaccine, which is typically given at age 1.

Alice Gibbs at Newsweek:

David Mandell, the director of the Penn Center for Mental Health and a professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania whose research focuses on autism services and policy, told Newsweek that claims that Amish communities do not experience autism are inaccurate.

"It's untrue to say that Amish communities have no autism," Mandell said.

He said measuring autism prevalence in Amish communities can be particularly difficult because diagnoses often depend on parental reporting and access to specialists.

"Autism is behaviorally determined and highly reliant on parent report," Mandell said, adding that prevalence studies can be challenging in communities where families may be less likely to discuss developmental concerns with outsiders.

The Amish are often cited in vaccine debates because some communities have lower immunization rates than the wider U.S. population.

An article published by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that Amish communities generally have lower vaccination uptake, although vaccination practices vary significantly between settlements and families.

Experts caution against treating the Amish as a single, uniform population. Different communities can have different health care practices, levels of engagement with doctors and attitudes toward vaccination.

That distinction is important because claims about "the Amish" often imply that all Amish children are unvaccinated, when vaccination practices can differ considerably among communities and households.

Mandell likewise cautioned against treating Amish communities as uniformly unvaccinated.

"Amish people do get vaccinated," he said. "While the vaccination rates are much lower than the surrounding populations, more than half of Amish children do get vaccinated

 

Congressional Pushback Against Special Ed Transfer

 In The Politics of Autism, I write about social services, special education, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. 

Project 2025 proposed to turn IDEA into a "no strings" block grant, effectively gutting the law and destroying protections that disability families have long relied upon. During the 2024 race, Trump denied any connection to the project, but now he proclaims it, praising OMB director Russ Vought "of Project 2025 fame."

Trump and Vought are now accomplishing their goal of ravaging the law. Instead of turning it into a block grant, they have tried firing most of the staff who enforce it.   More recently, they have shifted  OSERS to HHS and OCR to the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, headed by a political hack who uses the r-word as a slur.

A release from Rep. John Mannion (D-NY):

Representatives John W. Mannion (NY-22), a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the Committee, and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) today introduced bipartisan legislation to protect key offices and programs at the U.S. Department of Education from being transferred through interagency agreements to other federal agencies that lack the staff, experience, and expertise needed to administer them.

The legislation is the House companion to S.5046, a bipartisan bill led by Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) that advanced out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in July.

Representative John W. Mannion said, “Congress created the Department of Education, and its troubling we must take this step to preserve the constitutional order and stop the executive branch from illegally dismantling the department. I’ll continue to put students’ services and rights first, and I strongly oppose all efforts to move these critical education programs – including those serving students with disabilities - to agencies that lack the staff and expertise.”

Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott said “The Trump Administration’s plan to illegally dismantle the Department of Education is disastrous for students, educators, people with disabilities, and the communities that support them. I will not stand on the sidelines and let this Administration dismantle this agency brick by brick. This legislation is important to keep the bipartisan momentum from the Senate going and defend the programs that so many Americans rely on.”

Representative Brian Fitzpatrick said, “The families I represent should never have to wonder whether a federal reorganization will cost their child a service, a protection, or an opportunity. When concerns were raised about moving OSERS out of the Department of Education, I took those concerns directly to the Administration and demanded answers about how it would protect IDEA, preserve critical resources, and prevent disruption for students. This legislation builds on that effort. As Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus, I will continue working side by side with families, educators, and advocates to ensure their voices drive the decisions that shape special education.”

The bipartisan bill safeguards programs serving students with disabilities, K-12 schools, colleges, and Native students. It prohibits the Secretary of Education from transferring programs overseen by four Department of Education offices:

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
The Office of Postsecondary Education
The Office of Indian Education

...

Joseph P. Joyce, President and CEO of the Autism Society of America, said, “Students with Autism and other disabilities deserve a coordinated federal system that protects their rights and supports them from education through employment. We thank Representatives Scott and Mannion for introducing this legislation to prevent the transfer of critical IDEA functions out of the Department of Education. Congress must preserve the expertise and infrastructure that students with disabilities and their families rely on to access the education and supports they need to thrive.”

Representative Mannion has consistently opposed efforts to abolish the Department of Education, introducing the Protecting Students with Disabilities Act that would prohibit federal funds from being used to eliminate or restructure Department of Education offices that administer programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), including the Office of Special Education Programs. Mannion has also repeatedly used his position on the House Committee on Education and Workforce to defend IDEA and the rights of students with disabilities.

Representative Mannion taught science in public schools for nearly 30 years, including in a 15:1 special education classroom. Before serving in Congress, he was the founding chair of the New York State Senate Committee on Disabilities.

Measles, Early September 2026

 In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread. Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio. A top antivaxxer is HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.  Last year, he lied about it under oath.

Since  Trump took office in 2025, the U.S. has recorded more confirmed measles cases than in the previous 20 years combined.

CDC:

As of September 3, 2026, 3,134 confirmed* measles cases were reported in the United States in 2026. Among these, 3,118 measles cases were reported by 47 jurisdictions: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. A total of 16 measles cases were reported among international visitors to the United States.

There have been 38 new outbreaks** reported in 2026, and 95% of confirmed cases (2,969 of 3,134) are outbreak-associated (1,594 from outbreaks starting in 2026 and 1,375 from outbreaks that started in 2025).

For the full year of 2025, a total of 2,289 confirmed* measles cases were reported in the United States.

American Oversight:

Thursday, American Oversight launched an investigation into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) apparently manipulated reporting surrounding two measles-associated deaths reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The alterations reportedly came at the command of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

We filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with HHS and CDC seeking records that could shed light on why the agency departed from its normal classification practices and altered its public reporting on the deaths following Secretary Kennedy’s demands as well as unsubstantiated claims that the data may have been “manipulated” by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

The investigation comes amid a nationwide rise in measles cases, including in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, home to the largest current outbreak in the country. On August 25, the Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed two measles-associated deaths of unvaccinated residents, the state’s first deaths linked to the virus in 35 years. One of the deaths involved a newborn who died shortly after birth. The baby’s mother had reportedly been severely ill with measles during her pregnancy. Under standard CDC practice, deaths reported by state health departments — including deaths that occurred in Texas and New Mexico during last year’s outbreak — are included in the agency’s national tally and the CDC does not challenge the state’s determination.

According to reporting by multiple outlets, newly confirmed CDC Director Erica Schwartz directed agency staff to exclude the two Pennsylvania deaths from its measles outbreak web page, which is typically updated each Friday. The demanded change reportedly came directly from Kennedy. The web page update was delayed until Sunday, August 30, and the dashboard’s national death total changed several times over the weekend before the agency added a note stating, “At this time, available information does not establish whether measles caused or contributed to the deaths or whether the individuals died from other causes while infected with measles.” CDC employees reportedly said the repeated changes stemmed from confusion among staff about what they were supposed to do.

The CDC’s break from standard practice came after Secretary Kennedy publicly accused Governor Shapiro of “manipulating” the truth and suggested on social media, without evidence, that the two deaths may even have been “fabricated” by Shapiro’s staff. The repeated dashboard revisions raise the question of whether the CDC’s public data was reshaped to align with Secretary Kennedy’s demands and political messaging rather than with the agency’s own longstanding classification practice.

State health officials, who classified the deaths as “measles-associated,” have stood by their findings.

Family Stress and Resilience

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families.

Duncan, A. L., & Shepley, C. (2026). Stronger Yet Stretched: Resilience and Stress in U.S. Families Raising Autistic Children. Autism, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613261480171

Lay abstract:

Raising a child with autism presents families with unique challenges and strengths, often characterized by heightened stress but also remarkable resilience. This study looked at data from the 2022 and 2023 National Survey of Children’s Health administered by the U.S. Census Bureau to examine the resilience and stress of U.S. families with and without a child diagnosed with autism. Statistical models revealed that although families of autistic children experience significantly higher stress, they also report higher levels of resilience compared with families of nonautistic children. Specifically, families raising a child with autism reported higher ratings of family communication, problem-solving, inner strength, and hope. These findings offer evidence of the adaptability and emotional growth present in households raising a child with autism.

From the article:

Given the disproportionate levels of stress reported by families raising a child with autism, alongside the widespread recognition of stress as a major contributing factor to detrimental mental and physical health conditions, it is logical to assume that families may seek treatments to mitigate their stress or service providers may proactively recommend treatments targeting stress. Studies on parent-directed treatments for decreasing stress have surged in recent years (Mo et al., 2024), with small-scale efficacy trials suggesting that mindfulness-based interventions and acceptance and commitment therapy may demonstrate potential viability as effective treatments (Li et al., 2024). Regarding treatments that should be avoided for decreasing stress, the use of applied behavior analysis for improving child skills will likely not have spillover effects that impact caregiver stress (Duncan et al., 2024; Duncan & Shepley, 2022). Similarly, studies that aim to improve caregiver abilities by training them to implement interventions based on applied behavior analysis will likely not result in improvements to caregiver stress (Mo et al., 2024). There is ongoing research looking to modify well-established treatments for reducing caregiver stress (Parent-Child Interaction Therapy [University of California, Los Angeles, 2024]) for families raising a child with autism; however, results from these studies will likely not be available for some years.

2,903 Measles Cases in 2026

In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread. Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio. A top antivaxxer is HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.  Last year, he lied about it under oath.

Since  Trump too office in 2025, the U.S. has recorded more confirmed measles cases than in the previous 20 years combined.

From CDC:

As of August 27, 2026, 2,903 confirmed* measles cases were reported in the United States in 2026. Among these, 2,887 measles cases were reported by 47 jurisdictions: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. A total of 16 measles cases were reported among international visitors to the United States.

There have been 37 new outbreaks** reported in 2026, and 94% of confirmed cases (2,737 of 2,903) are outbreak-associated (1,362 from outbreaks starting in 2026 and 1,375 from outbreaks that started in 2025).

For the full year of 2025, a total of 2,289 confirmed* measles cases were reported in the United States.