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Free Speech Glitch? X Hides Epidemiologist’s Page After Autism-Vax Bombshell Post
Nicolas Hulscher, an epidemiologist affiliated with the McCullough Foundation, briefly vanished from X search results on Oct. 27 after sharing a report that claimed vaccines were the leading risk factor for autism, sparking a new round of questions about free speech on Elon Musk’s platform. The disappearance occurred in the late afternoon or early evening, according to multiple users who began flagging the issue shortly after Hulscher posted excerpts from the study.
At 5:49 pm, Hulscher appeared to acknowledge the development himself. “This is our study that appears to have resulted in a removal of my account from the search results,” he wrote in a response post. The Dallas Express independently verified that Hulscher’s account and posts were not visible at 9:29 pm local time that same day.
His post quoted an earlier thread introducing what he described as “The Most Comprehensive Analysis Ever Conducted on the Causes of Autism.” The 300-study review, attributed to the McCullough Foundation, asserted that “combination and early-timed routine childhood vaccination constitutes the most significant modifiable risk factor for ASD.” The study also listed other potential contributors, including parental age, premature delivery, and environmental toxicants.
Encinitas Settles Former Employee’s COVID-19 Vaccine Lawsuit
The Coast News Group reported:
The City of Encinitas has agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by a former employee, who claimed he was forced to resign in 2021 after the city denied his request for a religious exemption to its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy. The settlement, finalized earlier this month, ends a two-year court battle between the city and Scott Vurbeff, a former city environmental project manager, who filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California alleging religious discrimination and retaliation.
Vurbeff was fired after more than 20 years of employment following the city’s implementation of a policy requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. According to the complaint, Vurbeff alleged the city violated his constitutional rights by refusing to accommodate his Christian beliefs opposing vaccination.
The payment represents only a fraction of what Vurbeff said he was owed for lost wages and benefits following his departure, court documents show.
Can You Refuse a Face Scan at the Airport?
There’s a relatively new step built into the Transportation Security Administration process at more than 250 airports nationwide: Look into the camera. The “camera” is a second-generation Credential Authentication Technology scanner (CAT-2), designed to quickly scan a traveler’s face and then compare it with their driver’s license or other physical identification to verify a match.
Such biometric screening is increasingly used to create so-called frictionless airport travel, characterized by a seamless experience where your identity is your credential. That’s a good thing, in theory, but it does give some travelers pause. The Pew Research Center found that 71% of Americans are concerned about how the government uses their data.
In addition, it found that Americans 50 and older are most likely to opt out of phone lock security features, including facial and fingerprint scans. In a 2024 AARP travel and technology survey, travelers 50 and older expressed a preference for physical, rather than digital, boarding passes, as well as hesitation about the security of digital tools throughout all stages of travel.
Crossing the Border From Windsor? You’ll Soon Be Photographed When Entering and Exiting the U.S.
Crossing the Canada-U.S. border is part of daily life for some Windsorites. But a new rule may cause some Canadians to think twice before going south. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Friday that it will make it mandatory for all non-American citizens, including Canadians, to take part in the U.S.’s facial biometric program.
That means Canadians travelling to and out of the U.S. will have their picture taken and stored for up to 75 years in a DHS database, whether they’re travelling by air, land or sea. The regulation is set to take effect on Dec. 26 — even though full implementation of the program could take years.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Jessica Turner told CBC News facial biometrics “is about ensuring accurate records, enhancing security, and enforcing immigration laws.”
