Air Force Major Being Involuntary Discharged for Refusing Flu Shot
Maj. Brennan Schilperoort is a C-130J transport aircraft pilot stationed at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois who is being threatened with discharge from the Air Force. He has served honorably for 17 years.
During the COVID-19 years, he put in for a religious exemption from the COVID-19 jab. The story at that time was that the Pentagon had denied all religious exemptions. Fortunately for Major Schilperoort, a federal judge in Ohio blocked the Air Force from taking administrative action against those who were requesting a religious exemption. That order was for only a two week period.
Major Schilperoort was to receive a very serious Letter of Reprimand during that same period. However, that did not happen due to the judge’s order. In the interim because of Congressional involvement, the Pentagon had no choice but to repeal its COVID-19 vaccine mandate when that requirement was added to the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. In doing so, the Pentagon warned such action could put service members at risk of serious illness.
Facial Recognition Cameras Secretly Spy on Airport Passengers
Facial recognition cameras have secretly been monitoring airport passengers under a scheme backed by the Home Office, documents obtained under freedom of information laws reveal. Unpublished Home Office orders reveal airports are required to carry out biometric face scanning of any passenger boarding a domestic flight.
The orders, made under Schedule Two of the Immigration Act 1971, are the first known examples of the Government making facial recognition a legal requirement. They have been in place for at least 15 years, since the last Labour government, but have never been publicly disclosed. The rules require airports with a single departure lounge to capture a facial biometric photo of domestic passengers entering and leaving this area before they board their planes.
Airports are expected to use biometric technology to compare the photos and verify that the correct people are boarding their flights.
Vaccines at Catholic School: Some Parents Question Exemption Policies
Elizabeth Clark and her family live in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.
Last year, her daughter attended an archdiocesan Catholic school, where she had an approved medical exemption for a childhood vaccination that she had not received.
But this year, when she reapplied for the exemption, it was denied. Initially, Clark said, her daughter received her childhood vaccines according to the recommended CDC schedule.
But then, Clark told The Pillar, her daughter developed severe eczema that doctors could not explain. She also began reacting to almost every new food her parents introduced. “She was having anaphylactic reactions and full body severe eczema that required steroids,” Clark said. “And so I just thought, I wonder if this has something to do with maybe she’s not tolerating so many vaccines well,” she said.
When it came time for Clark’s daughter to attend kindergarten, she had received all of the recommended vaccines except for one varicella — chicken pox — shot.
Clark said the insert for the varicella vaccine acknowledged a risk of eczema and other allergic-type responses.
Philippines Issues 84 Million Digital IDs, Leads Southeast Asian Digital Identity Adoption
The Philippines has reached a significant milestone in its digital transformation efforts, having issued 84 million digital IDs that have facilitated over 100 million transactions across public and private sectors. The achievement builds upon the country’s initial rollout of the Digital National ID system, which was jointly launched by the Philippine Statistics Authority and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to enable Filipino citizens to store their national identification credentials on mobile devices.
DICT has played a central role in implementing this digital ID system, which has expanded significantly since its launch. “The digital national ID is more than just an ID — it’s the foundation of a truly digital government,” said Undersecretary David Almirol Jr. “It enables seamless access to services, reduces red tape, and fosters trust between citizens and the government.”
The digital ID infrastructure incorporates blockchain technology through eGovchain, a government blockchain network designed to enhance security, privacy, and transparency. The technological framework supports the broader digitalization of government services, which is currently being formalized through the E-Governance Act under consideration by lawmakers. The system has already enabled new initiatives, including the issuance of digital IDs for overseas voting and the expansion of services through the eGovPH mobile application.
23andMe Files for Bankruptcy, CEO Resigns — Fate of Americans’ DNA Data Now in Court-Supervised Sale
Shares of 23andMe crashed in premarket trading on Monday after the genetic testing unicorn startup filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, following a slide in demand for its ancestry kits and a data breach. The bankruptcy raises one alarming question about DNA security: What will happen to the genetic data of the company’s more than 15 million customers?
23andMe announced that its CEO, Anne Wojcicki, has resigned immediately and will remain on the company’s board of directors. She led the cash-burning startup that never turned a profit and once commanded a market capitalization of nearly $6 billion in late 2021. Shares plunged 44% in the premarket to $1. “After a thorough evaluation of strategic alternatives, we have determined that a court-supervised sale process is the best path forward to maximize the value of the business,” Mark Jensen, Chair and member of the Special Committee of the Board of Directors wrote in a statement.
Jensen said, “We expect the court-supervised process will advance our efforts to address the operational and financial challenges we face, including further cost reductions and the resolution of legal and leasehold liabilities. We believe in the value of our people and our assets and hope that this process allows our mission of helping people access, understand and benefit from the human genome to live on for the benefit of customers and patients.”
