DeSantis on 2028, Dem Donor Challenges Nazi Grandfather Report, Cruise Virus Outbreak： AM Update 5⧸6
Episode Stats
Harmful content
Misogyny
2
sentences flagged
Hate speech
5
sentences flagged
Summary
In this AM Update: Secretary of State Marco Rubio adds another job to his resume as White House Press Secretary, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appears to lay the groundwork for another White House run, a top Democratic fundraiser threatens legal action after an outlet reports on her Veterans Day tribute to her grandpa, and dozens of passengers and crew stranded on board a cruise ship amid a deadly virus outbreak. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update.
Transcript
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All right, full-time thoughts. Craig, who stood out?
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Brazil's lime cheesecakes started bright, didn't let up.
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Nah, for me, Italian cappuccino was the standout in the box.
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But if we're talking decadent performance, that's all France.
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Chocolate creme brulee had the richest finishes.
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We are, of course, talking about Tim's taste of the globe lineup.
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New globally inspired Timbits and ice cap flavors,
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Pick some up today, and while you're at it, check out Footy Prime Daily.
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Good morning, everyone. I'm Megan Kelly. It's Wednesday, May 6th, 2026, and this is your AM
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Update. I'll be filling in for Caroline today, obviously. So I'll have a brief remarks here,
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and then we'll get to your questions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio adding another job to his
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resume. White House Press Secretary. Joe, are you going to run for president? Who knows? Florida
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Governor Ron DeSantis appearing to lay the groundwork for another White House run. A top
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Democrat fundraiser threatening legal action after an outlet reports on her Veterans Day
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tribute to her grandpa will explain the problem. And dozens of passengers and crew stranded on
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board a cruise ship amid a deadly virus outbreak. All that and more coming up in just a moment on
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio stepping behind the White House lectern yesterday,
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adding press secretary to his already crowded resume, filling in for Caroline Levitt while
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she's out on maternity leave. Most of the briefing focusing on Project Freedom, the now paused U.S.
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effort to safely guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The Secretary telling reporters the
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war, meaning Operation Epic Fury, is over, its goals having been met, and that Project Freedom
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is a separate mission to rescue thousands of stranded seafarers aboard vessels trapped in
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the strait. Throughout Project Freedom, which began Monday morning local time, Iran attacking
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U.S. ships, which caused the U.S. military to sink at least seven Iranian vessels in what the
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described as purely defensive actions, Iran retaliating with missile attacks on U.S. ally
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the United Arab Emirates, all of which was jeopardizing the ceasefire. Just two ships
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passing through the Strait of Hormuz under Project Freedom, which seems to have ended
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almost as soon as it began. Hours after Secretary Rubio's briefing, President Trump posting to
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Truth Social, quote, the fact that great progress has been made toward a complete and final agreement
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with representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that while the blockade of Iranian ports
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will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom will be paused for a short period of
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time to see whether or not the agreement can be finalized and signed. The timeline on reaching
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an agreement is unclear. Nor is it clear what the president means about the great progress
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allegedly being made toward a final agreement with Iran. Iranian President Masoud Pazeshkian
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saying the U.S. expects Tehran to submit to its unilateral demands, which he says is, quote,
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impossible. Back in the briefing room, Secretary Rubio asked about the political fallout of rising
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gas prices now hitting $4.48 a gallon, according to AAA. If Iran had a nuclear weapon and they
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decided to close the straits and make our gas prices like $9 a gallon or $8 a gallon, we wouldn't
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be able to do anything about it because they have a nuclear weapon. And a nuclear-armed Iran could
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do whatever the hell they want with the Straits, and there's nothing anyone would be able to do
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about it. And that's one of the many reasons, apart from like the massive loss of life in a
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nuclear strike, why Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. Elsewhere in the briefing, Secretary Rubio
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pressed on his upcoming meeting with Pope Leo XIV, set for Thursday. The planned sit-down following
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a brief but public flare-up last month, President Trump criticizing the pontiff, who had criticized
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Mr. Trump's war against Iran, as being, quote, weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy,
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claiming Pope Leo would be okay with Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon. Last month,
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Pope Leo attempting to decrease tensions, saying he's not interested in debating the Trump
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administration. Yesterday, however, the Pope responding to President Trump's comments,
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reiterating the Catholic Church's longstanding opposition to nuclear weapons. Secretary Rubio,
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a devout Catholic, was asked whether this meeting is in response to tensions between the two leaders.
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No, I mean, it's a trip we had planned from before, and obviously we had some stuff that
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happened. No, look, there's a lot to talk about with the Vatican. I'll give you one example. The
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Pope just returned from a trip to Africa, where the church is growing very vibrantly. And we have
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shared concerns about religious freedom, religious freedom in different parts of the world. We'd love
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to talk to them about that. The topic of Cuba, you know, we gave Cuba $6 million of humanitarian aid,
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We're willing to give more humanitarian aid to Cuba, by the way,
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They won't allow us to give their own people more humanitarian aid,
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Florida Governor Republican Ron DeSantis on Monday
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not ruling out another run for the White House.
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The governor appearing at the Milken Institute Global Conference,
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Asked point blank by moderator Charles Gasparino.
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I'm in my mid 40s, 28, you know, maybe beyond that.
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I think what I will be able to say just from our party, Republican Party, is who took a
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state that had more Democrats than Republicans by 300,000 when he got elected and now has
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1.5 million more Republicans who had a state that had a trillion dollar economy now has
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$1.8 trillion, who as a state that had some school choice, now universal, 50-year low in
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the crime rate. So we've got a good story to tell. Governor DeSantis also scheduled to headline the
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New York Republican Party's May 19th annual gala at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, another sign he's
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laying early groundwork for a potential 2028 bid. Following November's midterms, the question of
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who leads the Republican Party next, is expected to take center stage, with several big names
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already in contention. Governor DeSantis set to leave the Florida Statehouse in January 2027,
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one full year before the presidential primaries begin. The New York Post citing a Republican
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insider saying, quote, it's not been a secret, he's running. Another GOP operative telling the
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Post, quote, I think DeSantis totally thinks he can win. He'd be top two in Iowa for sure.
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Governor DeSantis, a former congressman, rising to national prominence during the COVID pandemic,
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positioning Florida as a model of maximum freedom, reopening schools and businesses
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earlier than many states still gripped by lockdowns and restrictions.
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On that momentum, he launched a presidential primary bid,
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casting himself as a disciplined, results-driven, conservative alternative to President Trump.
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But when primary voting began, DeSantis failing to break through.
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A glitchy campaign launch on an ex-livestream and his stilted nature on the campaign trail
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not helping. Mr. DeSantis trailing in Iowa by 30 points, leading him to drop out and endorse
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Donald Trump. Despite a bitter early primary season, President Trump publicly praising the
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governor multiple times since retaking office, here to March shout-outs from the White House.
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Mr. President, do you see a role for Ron DeSantis in the administration?
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Do you see a role for Ron DeSantis after his term?
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I don't know, but I would certainly consider him.
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Ron DeSantis has been working very hard with us and wherever you may be, Ron.
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And has some great ideas and some great coaches that gave him some great ideas.
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President Trump coming a long way from the DeSanctimonious nickname.
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However, not all on Team Trump appear willing to move on from 2024.
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Team Trump is chomping at the bit to destroy DeSantis one more time. The Real Clear Politics
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polling average showing DeSantis facing an uphill battle. Vice President J.D. Vance leading the pack
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with an average of 45.5 points. Donald Trump Jr. in second with 14.8 points. Secretary of State
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Marco Rubio in third with 14 points. Governor DeSantis in fourth right now with 7.5. Everyone
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else trailing in the low single digits. Coming up, a Democrat female fundraiser threatening
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legal action against an online outlet over its reporting on a Veterans Day tribute
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to her grandpa. What gives? And dozens of people stranded on board a cruise ship amid a deadly
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virus outbreak. When there are supply constraints on commodities, prices surge. You see it with
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fuel prices, with everything happening in the Strait of Hormuz right now. And you know what
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A prominent Democrat fundraiser and trial attorney in Michigan threatening legal action
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against the Washington Free Beacon over its reporting on a Veterans Day Facebook post
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honoring her grandpa, who she freely admits fought for the Nazis. Kelly Newman, demanding the outlet
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retract its January 2026 article, headlined, quote, meet the proud Nazi spawn raising money
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for Democrats. Her now-deleted post dated November 11th, 2024, starting out fairly normal, quote,
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happy Veterans Day to all my family and friends who serve or served. Without you, America would
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not be here today. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Okay, not bad. But then it goes on,
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quote, interesting story. I do not talk about it much, but my grandfather, Albert Newman,
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was on the German side in World War I and World War II. Oh, you don't say. It continues, quote,
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he escaped to Brazil with my father after Germany lost in World War II and then made their way to
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Detroit, where they spoke no English and worked their way up to provide a stable life for their
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family. The classic American story, a former Nazi hanging out in Motown. But wait, there's more.
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Quote, my grandfather was one of my best friends. He was one of the first people in my life that
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accepted me as gay when I was nervous and scared. I'll never forget him embracing me and loving me
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for who I am. His story is a true testament that people can change and love can win. A tolerant
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Nazi? Accompanying the post, multiple vintage photos of grandpa dressed in what appears to be
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a Nazi officer's uniform. Across the front of his cap, the Nazi eagle, wings extended, claws
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clutching, you guessed it, a swastika. The Free Beacon reporting Kelly Newman serves as co-chair
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of Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow's finance committee, holding multiple
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fundraisers for her. McMorrow's campaign declining to respond to the Free Beacon's request for comment
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Newman's social media pages show her frequently photographed with high-ranking Dems, including
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former President Joe Biden, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and former Transportation
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In her professional capacity, Newman runs the Newman Law Group, specializing in personal
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injury cases and, in some ads, seeking out new clients who may have been injured by ICE
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Newman's own lawyer, Eugenie Erdly, reportedly sending a letter to the Free Beacon demanding
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a formal retraction of the article, referring to one of its statements as, quote, false and
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defamatory. The outlet responding, quote, Eardley accuses the Free Beacon of describing Newman's
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grandfather as a member of the Schutzstaffel, the Nazi paramilitary group that played a central
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role in the Holocaust. That's false. We described him as a former Nazi soldier who fought for Hitler,
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which is true. Eardley reportedly providing the Free Beacon with records from a German
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Military Institute, confirming her grandpa served in the Wehrmacht, meaning the Unified
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Armed Forces of Germany, during the Nazi regime. The letter did not contain evidence regarding
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Grandpa Newman's party affiliation. One could serve in the Nazi army without being formally
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registered in the Nazi political party, early going a step further, accusing the Free Beacon
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A nightmare scenario for about 150 passengers and crew,
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stranded on a cruise ship off the coast of West Africa
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Three passengers dying so far, and several more believed to be infected.
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Hantavirus spreads primarily through contact with infected rodent waste.
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In rare cases, particularly with the strains suspected here, it can pass between humans.
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The virus drawing national attention last year after Betsy Arakawa, wife of actor Jean Hackman,
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died from a hantavirus infection at her home in New Mexico.
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It causes flu-like symptoms and carries a fatality rate of about 40 percent. With no
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known cure, treatment focuses on managing symptoms. That's the concern on the Dutch-flagged ship
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MV Hondias, which departed early last month on a weeks-long expedition, stopping in quote
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remote and ecologically diverse parts of the Atlantic Ocean, offering passengers the opportunity
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to explore some of the most isolated ecosystems on the planet. On April 6th, a 70-year-old Dutchman
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developing fever, headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Days later, on April 11th, he died on
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board of respiratory distress, according to the World Health Organization, or WHO. His 69-year-old
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wife then transported to South Africa on April 26th, where she collapsed at the airport, later
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dying at a nearby hospital. She tested positive for hantavirus, her husband's status never
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officially confirmed. Dr. Maria von Kirchhoff, Director of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness
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at the WHO, speaking at a press conference yesterday addressing the suspected origin
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of the outbreak. The initial case and his wife, they joined the boat in Argentina.
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And with the timing of the incubation period of hantavirus, which can be anywhere from one to six
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weeks. Our assumption is that they were infected off the ship, perhaps doing some activities there.
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This was an expedition boat, and many of the people on board were doing bird watching. They
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were doing, you know, a lot of things with wildlife. So our assumption is they were infected
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off the boat and then joined the crews. We do believe that there may be some human-to-human
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transmission that's happening among the really close contacts, the husband and wife, people who
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shared cabins, etc. So that's why we are operating and working with the ship to make sure that anyone
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who is symptomatic, you know, anyone caring for patients is wearing full personal protective
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equipment. A third victim, a German national, died on board the ship on Sunday. Her cause of death
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remains unconfirmed, but is being treated as suspected Hantavirus. One passenger evacuated
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from the ship on April 27th, becoming the second confirmed case after testing at a medical facility
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in Johannesburg. Oceanwide Expeditions, the company operating the crews, releasing a statement
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yesterday indicating plans are being made to medically evacuate two more crew members requiring
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urgent care as well as another passenger. The remaining passengers advised to stay in their
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cabins. Can you imagine? Once the evacuations are complete, the ship will continue on a three-day
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journey to its planned final destination, Spain's Canary Islands. Travel influencer Jake Rosemarin,
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a passenger on the ship, posting a video about the experience.
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I normally wouldn't make a video like this, but I feel like I need to say something,
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so I wrote a few things down. I am currently on board the MV Hondias,
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and what's happening right now is very real for all of us here. We're not just a story.
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we're not just headlines we're people people with families with lives with people waiting
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for us at home there's a lot of uncertainty and that's the hardest part all we want right now
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is to feel safe to have clarity and to get home so if you're seeing coverage about this
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just remember that there are real people behind it and that this isn't something happening
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somewhere far away. It's happening to us right now. According to Dr. Van Kirkhove,
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risk of an outbreak to the general public is low. Quote,
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this is not a virus that spreads like flu or COVID.
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And that'll do it for your AM Update. I'm Megan Kelly. Join me back here for the MK Show,
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live on SiriusXM's The Megan Kelly Channel, 111 at noon east,
00:19:26.380
on youtube.com slash megankelly, and on all podcast platforms.