Update on previous stories
It’s that time of year again, when we check in on the latest developments in some stories you’ve heard about in Plain English before.
Dengue in Italy and U.S.
Let’s start with a recent one . Earlier this year in episode 680 , you heard about how dengue fever is spreading rapidly in Latin America. This tropical disease is spread by mosquitoes and can cause a high fever and flu-like symptoms . Most cases in non-tropical countries come from people who have traveled to tropical areas. But now, Los Angeles and San Diego, both cities in southern California, have registered cases of dengue fever among people who have not traveled. That suggests that the mosquitoes there are spreading the disease.
And Italy has seen an outbreak of 500 cases this year, including 100 in the city of Fano, which has only 60,000 people. Rising global temperatures and increased travel to Asia and Latin America contribute to the spread of dengue to new areas.
M-pox vaccine in Africa
Speaking of diseases , they have renamed “monkeypox;” you learned about that in episode 495 . Monkeypox is now “M-pox” to reduce the stigma . And although there have been vaccines in the rich world for many years, those vaccines had never made it to Africa—until now. Africa has more cases of m-pox than any other continent in the world, and it is now spreading to new countries. Six African countries have m-pox for the first time ever in 2024. Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nigeria have started administering vaccines to high-risk groups .
Ohtani translator pleads guilty
Japanese superstar baseball player Shohei Ohtani is playing his first meaningful American games in October this year. That’s because he’s finally with a team that has made the postseason tournament : the Los Angeles Dodgers. You’ll remember from episode 673 that his translator was arrested for diverting —that’s a polite word for stealing —stealing about $17 million from Ohtani’s bank account to fund his (the translator’s) sports gambling habit .
He pleaded guilty to bank fraud charges in June, so there will not be a trial . He faces a maximum of 30 years in prison for what he did. Ohtani said he lost sleep over the matter —but it didn’t seem to affect his performance on the field. He’s a shoo-in to win the Most Valuable Player award in the National League.
New ‘Monsters’ tops Netflix charts
In episode 523 , we talked about the Netflix series about Jeffrey Dahmer, a serial killer . The ten-part series was not a documentary, but not purely fictional either . It was a dramatization of the case. It was called “Monster.” And now, the producers of “Monster” are back with a new series called “Monsters.”
It’s about another famous crime from around the same time: the Menendez brothers. Lyle and Eric Menendez—they call them “boys;” they were 18 and 21 years old—they shot their parents in their home in California in 1989. The series centers on their family circumstances , the way they were raised , and the abuse they faced in their family.
Enjoy the series—it is captivating ; I watched it recently—but be aware that this is fictionalized and there is a lot of steamy drama that…let’s just say is not fully supported by confirmed facts . Javier Bardem plays the father, José Menendez, and he is excellent in that role. “Monsters” was number-one on Netflix in the weeks after it was released .
‘Havana Syndrome’ still unsolved
In episode 118 —that was in early 2019—we talked about “Havana Syndrome.” U.S. diplomats and government workers say they were subjected to a new kind of weapon . They were in their homes in Havana, the capital of Cuba, when they heard a loud sound and felt a debilitating headache . They thought something was coming through their windows. They had to move to interior rooms in their houses to escape the sound. After the incidents, they had trouble with their balance ; they couldn’t read; they couldn’t function at work; they couldn’t concentrate .
Since those cases were reported , U.S. and Canadian diplomats and workers have experienced these symptoms around the world, in Europe, Latin America, China, other parts of Asia, and one person in the United States, across the street from the White House.
The U.S. government investigated whether this could have been the result of a new kind of weapon, and concluded that it was not. Some doctors speculated it could have been a “ mass psychogenic illness ,” the scientific term for mass hysteria —this theory holds that the people experienced symptoms only because they heard about other cases.
I am unconvinced by that explanation. Three journalistic outfits conducted a five-year investigation into the syndrome: they are Insider, the online publication; 60 Minutes, a news program in the U.S.; and Der Spiegel, a German news magazine.
In an extensive report released earlier this year, those publications conclude that the most likely explanation is a targeted , non-lethal acoustic weapon , which might have used lasers , sound waves , or microwaves to debilitate specific people. The journalists said the evidence points to Russian military intelligence , although the exact cause remains unknown and unproven. Russia called the conclusions “baseless,” and the White House said it was “very unlikely.”
Years after the victims first reported symptoms, and even after multiple public and private investigations, the mystery of Havana Syndrome endures.
Oreo Coke
In episode 151 , you heard that Coca-Cola was introducing a new permanent flavor , this one coffee flavored . I believe I said in May 2019 that I would try it; it’s now October 2024 and I still haven’t had one, despite the fact that they sell it in the 7-11 in my building.
I’m bringing this up because for most of its history, Coca-Cola resisted introducing too many new flavors, but they’re now starting to experiment more. The company released a “Spiced” version of its classic flavor. It was to be a permanent flavor, but they retired it after just six months; consumers said it tasted like cough syrup .
Even so , Coca-Cola has been leaning into temporary or promotional flavors . Coca-Cola recently released an Oreo flavor. I tried it. You know what it tastes like? It tastes like Oreos. It really does. In my opinion, it tastes more like the filling than the chocolate cookie part of an Oreo. The mouthfeel is like normal Coke, but it does feel a little creamy , almost like drinking cream soda. If you had not told me it was Oreo flavored, I might have guessed that it was marshmallow flavored.
Jeff’s take
Really quick, football player Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are still together . That was episode 623 . JR played his first game of Pickleball and he liked it—that was episode 570 . I still haven’t played.
There are some really good podcasts about the Havana Syndrome. I’ll link to them in the part of the transcript called “Jeff’s take.”
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