Originally published at: https://peakprosperity.com/good-news-friday-fda-overhauls-adverse-event-monitoring-system-fl-to-teach-history-of-communism/
Health
The Food and Drug Administration launched the Adverse Event Monitoring System on March 11, consolidating multiple prior platforms into a single searchable database for tracking side effects from vaccines, drugs, and other products. FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary stated that the previous systems cost $37 million annually and limited access to data. The new platform integrates the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System and is scheduled to incorporate others, such as the Center for Tobacco Products system, in May. It employs artificial intelligence for data digitization and standardized protocols. Officials estimate savings of $120 million over five years while processing over two million annual reports. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. welcomed the upgrade, stating it addresses prior concerns about post-vaccination event reporting. Some experts have cited concerns that it remains unclear how events will be assessed for credibility or verified in the context of real-time reporting.
Kennedy also announced at a USDA event plans to deploy Commissioned Corps members and agency personnel to teach basic cooking skills, aiming to reduce reliance on ultra-processed foods associated with obesity, diabetes, and other chronic conditions impacting about 70 percent of adults. He noted that many Americans lack basic kitchen tools like pots, pans, or cutting boards and described cooking as a family activity that promotes connection. The initiative references higher rates of home cooking in some European nations and seeks to promote nutrition through education. Some critics on social media have described the initiative as government overreach into personal food choices.
Several U.S. gender clinics, including University of Utah Health, NYU Langone, Baystate Health, and Children’s Minnesota, paused or discontinued hormone treatments and puberty blockers for minors in early 2026. Officials at these facilities cited federal actions, including President Trump’s executive order restricting such procedures for children, a Supreme Court ruling upholding Tennessee’s ban, and Kennedy’s statement that the interventions lack evidence of long-term safety or effectiveness. The clinics continue to offer mental health support. These changes follow a New York malpractice verdict awarding $2 million and referrals of over a dozen clinics for investigation. Major groups, such as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, have recommended delaying such treatments until adulthood. Separately, New York Attorney General Letitia James ordered NYU Langone Health to resume gender transition programs for minors.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld class certification on March 9 for a lawsuit by United Airlines employees alleging religious discrimination related to the company’s 2021 COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case involves over 3,000 plaintiffs, including pilots and flight attendants who were reportedly denied religious exemptions and placed on unpaid leave. The policy provided varying accommodations by role, with customer-facing staff facing stricter terms, despite Title VII requirements for reasonable accommodations. Similar cases have led to multimillion-dollar settlements at other employers, such as Northshore University Health System and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. United Airlines argued that its accommodations were uniform and reasonable, posing no undue hardship.
Florida’s Senate passed the Medical Freedom Act (SB 1756) on a 23-15 vote. The bill would allow over-the-counter sales of ivermectin for adults 18 and older, create vaccine exemptions for K-12 students with required pre-vaccination information, and prohibit discrimination based on mRNA vaccination status, including during emergencies. Senate President Ben Albritton and sponsor Sen. Clay Yarborough emphasized parental rights in medical decisions. Kansas introduced Senate Bill 522, the Kansas Medical Freedom Act, which would bar employers, schools, businesses, and government from mandating or discriminating over vaccines, masks, tests, or similar measures, with protections applying during emergencies and civil penalties up to $50,000 enforceable by the Attorney General. Some health experts have argued that expanding exemptions risks outbreaks like measles among vulnerable children.
US Politics
Florida will require public schools to teach the history of communism starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The curriculum will cover atrocities, suppression of freedoms, and threats to liberty under communist regimes and Marxism, making Florida the first state with such a mandate. Critics have described it as a revival of McCarthyism promoting anti-communism.
Florida also advanced its own version of the SAVE Act, requiring voter ID, citizenship verification, and paper ballots as the default method. The bill is poised for Governor Ron DeSantis’s signature after quick legislative progress. Critics have labeled the bill voter suppression disenfranchising eligible citizens.
The FBI seized electronic election records, including ballots and voter data from Maricopa County’s 2020 audit, from the Arizona Senate as part of a grand jury investigation into alleged irregularities, according to Senate President Warren Petersen. This is part of broader Department of Justice efforts suing 29 states for voter records to verify compliance with federal law.
Epstein Files
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer announced a subpoena for prison guard Tova Noel, who was on duty during Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 death at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. Justice Department documents reportedly show irregularities, including $5,000 in suspicious bank deposits to Noel shortly before the incident—seven deposits totaling $11,880 since her assignment to Epstein’s unit—without investigators questioning her. She reportedly searched online for Epstein news 40 minutes before his body was found, admitted to napping and shopping instead of conducting checks, and appeared on camera near his cell the previous evening. Comer expressed doubts about the official suicide ruling, citing prior threats from Epstein’s cellmate and unresolved questions about Epstein’s properties, alleged spy connections, and government ties. The subpoena seeks a transcribed interview to promote transparency.
Canadian Politics
A British Columbia tribunal ruled that a University of Northern British Columbia student did not commit hate speech or discrimination by sharing a 21-minute 2020 video in a private chat group. The video questioned COVID-19 origins and global governance, referencing Maoism twice alongside topics like vaccines and the World Economic Forum. Adjudicator Ijeamaka Anika determined the content lacked intent to vilify any group under the Human Rights Code, distinguishing it from mere offensiveness, despite a complaint alleging it targeted Chinese people.
Environment
Hawaiʻi Pacific University’s Bounty Project recovered 84 metric tons (185,000 pounds) of derelict fishing gear from the North Pacific Garbage Patch over three years. The project compensated 77 commercial fishermen for retrieving gear during routine operations. Launched in 2022 with funding from NOAA and Ocean Conservancy, it conducted 690 recoveries, often within 12 hours of detection near areas like Kāneʻohe Bay, helping protect wildlife and habitats. Recovered materials were recycled into pavement and for energy recovery. Participants reported that incentives encouraged quick responses and vessel maintenance for continued efforts.
A Wiltshire, England, landfill operated by Crapper & Sons introduced a green dome powered by on-site methane from waste decomposition. The 8,450-square-foot hydroponic structure produces 10 tons of fruits and vegetables annually. The system captures biogas via wells to fuel engines providing heat, lights, and fans, while recycling CO2 for plant growth, supporting year-round crops including avocados. Sustain Wiltshire plans app-based local sales with waste return programs and aims to expand to 100 domes, potentially supplying 80 percent of produce for nearby towns, creating 130 jobs, reducing 3,800 tons of CO2 emissions yearly, and advancing plastic capture technology. Some media reports have raised consumer safety concerns regarding produce grown using landfill methane.
Sources
FDA Unveils Unified Platform to Streamline Side Effect Tracking
FDA Unveils New Platform For Tracking Side Effects
House Oversight Subpoenas Epstein Guard Over Mystery Cash, Jailhouse Searches
“Most people on the committee aren’t confident 100% that Epstein’s death was a suicide.”
Hawaiʻi Pacific University Hauls 84 Tons of Ghost Gear from Pacific Garbage Patch
In just over 3 years, Hawaiʻi Pacific University’s “Bounty Project” has removed over 185,000 pounds (84 metric tons) of derelict fishing gear from the North Pacific Ocean by turning commercial fishing trips into opportunities for ocean cleanup.
Fifth Circuit Clears Massive Class Action: United Airlines Sued for Religious Discrimination Over COVID Vaccine Mandates
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ruling allowing United Airlines workers to pursue their religious discrimination claims as a class action.
Florida First State to Mandate Communism History Lessons in Schools Starting 2026
Florida is set to become the first state in the nation requiring mandatory instruction on the history of communism in public schools — starting 2026-2027 school year!
RFK Jr.’s Quiet Revolution: Teaching America to Cook Its Way to Health
“And one of the things that we’re talking about now to HHS is to use the Commission Corps or other groups within our agency to go out and actually teach people to cook.”
World-First Green Dome: Landfill Methane Powers Year-Round Fruit and Veg Growth
A landfill 90 miles outside London is using methane from its waste to generate electricity and grow sustainable produce—even during the cold English winters.
FBI Seizes Arizona Senate’s 2020 Election Records in Grand Jury Probe
The FBI has collected a large volume of Arizona election records from the state’s Senate as part of a grand jury investigation.
Under Federal Pressure, More U.S. Gender Clinics Halt Minors’ Treatments
Mounting political, financial, and legal pressures are poised to put more youth gender clinics out of business – or could force them to scale back services.
Tribunal Clears Student: COVID Video Not Hate Speech
Offensiveness is not the same as illegal, and a government tribunal just confirmed that distinction holds.
Florida Senate Passes Medical Freedom Act: OTC Ivermectin and Vaccine Conscience Exemptions
Florida Senate clears Medical Freedom Act over the counter sale of ivermectin.
Kansas Unveils ‘Medical Freedom Act’ to Ban Vaccine Mandates and Medical Discrimination
A new bill introduced last week in the Kansas Legislature would prohibit government agencies, employers, schools, and businesses from denying services or employment based on a person’s medical decisions, including whether they accept or refuse vaccines, tests, masks, or other medical interventions.
Florida Poised to Pass Its Own SAVE Act: Voter ID, Citizenship Checks, and Paper Ballots
The bill fortifies citizenship verification for all voters and marks pen and paper as the default method of voting
In addition to sources submitted by community members, the following were also used in the creation of this report: CIDRAP, Amesh Adalja, Washington Examiner, Just The News, Bloomberg Law, OnLabor, CBS Miami, WLRN, Florida Politics, The Times, Harici News, Truthout, and Palm Beach Daily News.