Local health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo said an ‘unknown disease’ has killed 143 people. According to Reuters, infected individuals had “flu-like symptoms, including high fever and severe headaches.” “Women and children are hit hardest, and the cause remains a mystery. The outbreak is centered in Panzi, a rural area with medicine shortages, leaving many to die at home,” Mario Nawfal noted. “A medical team is collecting samples while the WHO and Congo’s health ministry investigate,” he added. MYSTERY DISEASE KILLS 143 IN DR CONGO—CAUSE UNKNOWN A deadly illness in DR Congo’s Kwango province has claimed 143 lives, with victims suffering high fevers, severe headaches, and flu-like symptoms. Women and children are hit hardest, and the cause remains a mystery. The… pic.twitter.com/lm75mxVk2f — Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) December 3, 2024 Per Reuters: The situation is extremely worrying as the number of infected people continues to rise, civil society leader Cephorien Manzanza told Reuters. “Panzi is a rural health zone, so there is a problem with the supply of medicines,” Manzanza said. Sick people die in their own homes for lack of treatment, Saki and Yumba said. A local epidemiologist said women and children were the most seriously affected by the disease. A WHO spokesperson said on Tuesday the UN health agency had been alerted to the presence of the disease last week, and it was working alongside Congo’s public health ministry to make further investigations. Statement from DR Congo's Health Ministry on unidentified illness: OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUÉConcerning situation in the Panzi health zone, Kwango province Since October 24, 2024, a disease of still unknown origin has been spreading in Kwango province, specifically in the Panzi… — BNO News (@BNOFeed) December 4, 2024 Statement from DR Congo’s Health Ministry on unidentified illness: OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUÉ Concerning situation in the Panzi health zone, Kwango province Since October 24, 2024, a disease of still unknown origin has been spreading in Kwango province, specifically in the Panzi health zone. To date, this disease has caused the death of 79 people, most of whom are children over 15 years old, and has affected 376 individuals. The reported symptoms among patients include: • Fever • Headache • Nasal discharge and cough • Difficulty breathing • Anemia The Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene, and Social Welfare expresses its deep sympathy to the families affected by this tragedy and offers them its sincerest condolences. To provide a rapid and effective response to this concerning situation, the Ministry, through the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) and the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (COUSP), has dispatched a rapid response team to the affected area. The mission of this team is to: 1. Ensure immediate care for reported cases. 2. Collect samples from patients for laboratory analysis. 3. Conduct in-depth investigations in the field to identify the nature of this disease. The results of laboratory analyses will be communicated as soon as they are available, and regular updates will be shared with the public and partners. While awaiting the conclusions of the ongoing investigations, the Ministry urges the population to remain calm, stay vigilant, and strictly adhere to the following preventive measures: 1. Avoid mass gatherings. 2. Report any suspected cases or unusual deaths to local health authorities. 3. Observe basic hygiene rules, including regular handwashing with soap and water. 4. Do not handle deceased bodies without the intervention of authorized health personnel. The Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene, and Social Welfare reaffirms its commitment to protecting the population and working closely with national and international partners to provide a rapid and effective response to this health crisis. Irish aid workers are monitoring a mystery illness that may have killed more than 140 people in the south-west of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).Read more here:https://t.co/GNyoOzCjg8 — TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) December 4, 2024 From the Associated Press: The deaths were recorded between Nov. 10 and Nov. 25 in the Panzi health zone of Kwango province. Symptoms include fever, headache, cough and anaemia, provincial health minister Apollinaire Yumba told reporters over the weekend. The deputy provincial governor, Rémy Saki, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that between 67 and 143 people had died. ”A team of epidemiological experts is expected in the region to take samples and identify the problem,” he added. Yumba advised the population to exercise caution and refrain from contact with dead bodies to avoid contamination. He called on national and international partners to send medical supplies to deal with the health crisis.

With ballot counting lasting an entire month, California’s 13th Congressional District has been called in favor of Democrat Adam Gray. Gray has allegedly won the U.S. House seat by only 187 votes, defeating incumbent Republican John Duarte in the last Congressional race to be called. This win, if it stands up to scrutiny, will give the Republicans a very narrow majority margin in the House. That margin will be even smaller if all of President Trump’s Cabinet picks are confirmed, since two of his current picks hold seats in the House. The fact that this single voting district took a full month to count a few hundred thousand votes, resulting in the narrowest of Democratic wins, makes this just another in a long list of election results ultimately going to the Democrat ticket after an exceedingly prolonged ballot count process. Adam Gray (D) just flipped a House seat in California. The election was a month ago. Nothing to see here… pic.twitter.com/XKIWaxY3Fl — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 4, 2024 Republican Rep. John Duarte conceded to Gray earlier today according to CNN reporting. The contest was the last unresolved House race in the country, and with Gray’s victory, Republicans won 220 seats to Democrats’ 215. Overall, Democrats gained one seat from their pre-election total. The Republican majority is likely to be even tighter in the early part of next year – former GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida resigned from the House last month and won’t take his seat in the new Congress. Republican Reps. Elise Stefanik of New York and Mike Waltz of Florida are expected to leave the chamber to take positions in the Trump administration. If all three seats are vacant at once, a 217-215 majority would mean that Republicans couldn’t afford to lose a single member on a party-line vote. Adam Gray issued the following statement via his account on X when the Associated Press called the race in his favor last night. Thank you #CA13! Let’s get to work. pic.twitter.com/FftFIUNkei — Adam C. Gray (@AdamGrayCA) December 4, 2024 BREAKING: Democrat Adam Gray wins election to U.S. House in California’s 13th Congressional District, beating incumbent John Duarte. #APRaceCall at 12:51 a.m. EST. https://t.co/FjgpZFcJ4E — AP Politics (@AP_Politics) December 4, 2024 You know it’s bad when even CBS reporters sound surprised that the vote counting took as long as it did. Nearly a month after Election Day, the final outstanding congressional race has been decided. Democrat Adam Gray has been elected to represent California’s 13th House District by less than 200 votes. The GOP will maintain a slim majority in the House. pic.twitter.com/3rIZZF4XTj — CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) December 4, 2024 Only a few days ago there were reportedly 1,500 votes still in question, mostly with signature issues. Ultimately, the official tally has Gray winning by under 200 votes according to Fox News. Democrat Adam Gray has won California’s 13th Congressional District race by a mere 187 votes, defeating incumbent Republican Rep. John Duarte, according to The Associated Press. California’s 13th Congressional District was the last seat to be called, with the district being one of the most competitive races in the Golden State. Republicans maintained the majority with 220 U.S. House seats, and Democrats at 215. Gray was the ninth Democrat to flip a House seat in the 2024 election, while the GOP flipped eight seats – slipping the Republican majority. Three Republican members – Elise Stefanik, Michael Waltz and Matt Gaetz – were picked for the incoming Trump administration, though Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration, and it may take several months to fill those seats. The race has been characterized as one of the tightest in the country. In 2022, Duarte narrowly defeated Gray by just 564 votes. As has been pointed out countless time in the last few weeks, every race that ended up counting votes for multiple weeks ultimately went to a Democrat, as did the state races in states that have either lax or no voter ID requirements. Adam Gray flips California’s 13th congressional district. We have lost every single race in CA that counted for 4 weeks after the election. We now have a one seat majority in the House of Representatives. When every Republican loses the longer it takes to count the vote, it… pic.twitter.com/sDb3AyKsA3 — Scott Adams (@scottadamsshow) December 4, 2024 President Trump, as expected, will have his work cut out for him considering such a small Republican majority when the 119th Congress convenes. Republicans can afford to lose only two votes when passing legislation in the House, according to a report by NBC News. Republicans will have a narrow majority in the House next year with Democrats flipping one final seat in California, leaving GOP leaders with even less margin for error as they try to advance President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda. The GOP can lose just two votes on legislation in the House in the next Congress if Democrats all vote in opposition, giving them little wiggle room for absences, internal fighting and vacancies. The slim GOP majority underscores the close fight for the House this year, with operatives in both parties acknowledging that the recent redistricting process narrowed the battlefield by creating fewer competitive races. Just over 40 seats — around 10% of the chamber — were decided by less than 5 percentage points, according to data from the NBC News Decision Desk. That slim majority over the Democratic seats in Congress isn’t the only issue. Adam Gray’s win means Republicans have won 220 House seats this election cycle, with Democrats holding 215 seats. https://t.co/JVEx9g5kUe — Newsweek (@Newsweek) December 4, 2024 With President Trump getting an early start naming his Cabinet picks and nominations for key administration roles, we’ve already had a glimpse at the impact the RINOs clinging to power are going to have when it comes to President Trump’s agenda. Without a doubt, that short House majority will be a point of constant contention during President Trump’s next term.

President Biden earned his reputation as “sleepy Joe” Wednesday when he dozed off in the middle of an event in Africa. Joe Biden is out COLD. pic.twitter.com/2Wo0bVyBVl— The First (@TheFirstonTV) December 4, 2024 Watch the embarrassing moment above.

Nine Inch Nails might be back with us sooner than we had imagined

President-elect Donald Trump is considering replacing Pete Hegseth with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as his defense secretary pick, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare, was murdered outside the Hilton Midtown Hotel in a targeted hit. His wife said he had received some threats. “I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him,” she told NBC News by phone. “I can’t really give […] The post United Healthcare CEO Killed in a Targeted Hit in Manhattan appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

The New York City police commissioner said at a press conference on Wednesday that the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson appears to be a targeted hit. “I want to be clear: at this time, every indication is that this was a premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack,” said New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. The suspect arrived on foot outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan around five minutes before Thompson was seen walking alone without any security detail toward the hotel where his company was holding a conference, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said. The suspect, who appears to be a white male, approached Thompson from behind and shot him in the back just after 6:45 am, according to Kenny. The suspect continued walking toward Thompson, shooting him multiple times. The shooter then fled on foot before getting onto an electric city bike and riding into Central Park. The last known location of the suspect was in Central Park, and Kenny said the city e-bikes have GPS locators on them. Kenny added that authorities still do not know the motive for the shooting. The UnitedHealthcare CEO was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after the shooting. New York City Democratic Mayor Adams told reporters, “We want to be clear to New Yorkers that this does not appear to be a random act of violence,” The New York Times reported. The Times reported that the shooter appeared to know which entrance Thompson would use to enter the hotel. CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE A surveillance photo taken near the hotel showed the suspect wearing all black with a backpack and appearing to hold a long handgun. Another photo showed the suspect fleeing on a bike after the shooting. At the press conference on Wednesday, police released a flyer showing the surveillance images and offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who has information on the suspect. New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul said she has been briefed on the shooting and called it “horrific.” “Our hearts are with the family and loved ones of Mr. Thompson, and we are committed to ensuring the perpetrator is brought to justice,” she said.