Why Tick Season Is Exploding This Year— How to Protect Yourself
Plus: New Drama for Senate Candidate Graham Platner & Cheers To The Freakin' Weekend
Good evening,
Before we get to the news this weekend, here’s what our team is up to this weekend in our Cheers To The Freakin’ Weekend section:
What We’re Watching:
Mosh: NBA Finals and the play, Giant, on Broadway (up for 4 nominations at Sunday’s Tony Awards)
Jill: Re-watching Off Campus ~Amazon Prime and Goat ~Netflix (a record-breaking animated film) 🐐🏀
Alec: Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu ~Tribeca Film Festival
Sam: Two buzzy horror movies from Gen Z filmmakers: Backrooms and Obsession
Lauren: “Summer House” reunion ~Bravo/Peacock
What We’re Reading:
Mosh: We Are the World (Cup): A Personal History of the World’s Greatest Sporting Event – Soccer’s Triumphs, Heartbreaks, and the Passion That Unites Fans Worldwide by Roger Bennett (stay tuned for our upcoming interview!) ⚽️
Jill: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (for the first time!)
Laura: How To Rule The World: An Education in Power at Stanford University by Theo Baker 🧑🍳
Alec: White Album by Joan Didion
What We’re Eating:
Mosh: Salads from Farmer J ~Midtown
Jill: Kerber’s Farm chocolate chunk cookies ~Huntington, Long Island
Lauren: Harry's Ocean Bar & Grille ~Cape May, NJ
Alec: Ace Royal Cocktails to watch the French Open 🎾
Have a great weekend!
🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING
Tick Season Is Getting Worse — Mo News Talks To An Expert On Why & How To Protect Yourself
This year’s tick season is shaping up to be the worst in nearly a decade – sparking renewed concerns about Lyme disease. The CDC says emergency room visits for tick bites are at their highest level for this time of year since 2017.
Dr. Nicole Baumgarth, director of the Lyme and Tickborne Diseases Research and Education Institute at Johns Hopkins University, tells Mo News that those numbers are “only the tip of the iceberg.”
WHY THE BAD SEASON?
Short answer: the weather. For years, warmer temperatures have helped ticks expand into new regions. But this winter may have given them an additional boost.
In the Northeast, where Lyme disease is most common, Baumgarth says ticks used “the snow like an igloo” this winter.
“They’re hiding out because there’s moisture in the snow cover, they’re not drying out, and so they have been able to survive much better than in some other years,” she explains.
Plus, suburban development patterns create the perfect environment for ticks, which love the “edge” between wooded areas and neighborhoods.
BIGGER PICTURE: Ticks are steadily moving north as temperatures warm. Parts of southern Canada that had virtually no Lyme disease 25 years ago are now seeing cases, Baumgarth notes.
According to the CDC estimates, the number of Americans diagnosed and treated for Lyme could be as much as 476,000 annually. Globally, it is estimated that 1 in 6 people in the world has been diagnosed with the disease.
NOT JUST LYME DISEASE
Different types of ticks can spread roughly 20 diseases. When infected ticks bite, they can transmit bacteria, viruses, or parasites directly into your bloodstream.
Lone star ticks, which Baumgarth calls “very aggressive,” can trigger serious food allergies in some people who are bitten.
Martha’s Vineyard, the picturesque island off the coast of Cape Cod, has been facing an outbreak of “alpha-gal” syndrome the past few years: an allergy caused by lone star tick bites that can cause life-long allergies to red meat and dairy.
HOW TO PREVENT A BITE
Prevention does not have to mean avoiding the outdoors. Baumgarth gives some practical options, including a workaround for parents trying to protect kids in the summer.
WARMTH & WATER: Ticks like warm, moist climate. That includes where they like to bite. Think: back of your knees, groin, armpits, and hairline.
One option is clothing treated with permethrin, which can remain effective through several washes and helps reduce tick exposure during hikes and outdoor activities.
AN EASY OPTION: Take a hot shower after spending time outdoors.
Ticks often take time to fully attach, Baumgarth explains, meaning some can be washed off before they bite.
She also recommends performing frequent tick checks.
IF YOU GET BITTEN
One of Baumgarth’s biggest pieces of advice: save the tick. Knowing what species bit you can help doctors determine which diseases may have been transmitted if symptoms develop later.
HOW TO REMOVE: The recommendation is to use tweezers and grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
Pull straight upward with steady pressure. Avoid twisting or jerking the tick, which can leave parts embedded in the skin.
HOW LONG IS TRANSMISSION? While Lyme disease generally requires the tick to remain attached for 48 to 72 hours before transmission occurs, other tick-borne illnesses can spread much more quickly.
If you know you’ve been bitten and live in an area where Lyme disease is common, contact a healthcare provider sooner rather than later. Early treatment can be a game-changer.
And even if you test positive for Lyme, she notes that 90% of people will make a full recovery with treatment.
UP NEXT
The Department of Health and Human Services recently launched a multimillion-dollar effort to reduce tick populations and Lyme disease cases. At the same time, scientists are testing a Lyme disease vaccine in Phase 3 clinical trials, which will require three shots plus an annual booster. Baumgarth says it looks promising for frequent hikers, campers, and outdoor workers frequently exposed to ticks.
🚨 ONE THING WE’RE FOLLOWING
Senate Candidate Graham Platner Hit With New Allegations as Ex-Girlfriends Speak Out
Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner is facing new scrutiny just weeks before state’s primary. In a New York Times investigation published Thursday, multiple ex-girlfriends describe volatile, toxic relationships and, in one case, physical intimidation. The allegations could threaten Democrats’ chances of flipping a key Senate seat.
WHO IS PLATNER: A 41-year-old Marine combat veteran and oyster farmer from Sullivan, Maine, Platner is the Democratic frontrunner in the June 9 primary to challenge 30-year incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins.
He has the backing of Senator Bernie Sanders, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senator Elizabeth Warren, and has been one of the fastest-rising Democratic figures in the country this cycle.
THE ACCUSATIONS: Three women who dated Platner at different points in his life described him as a heavy drinker, and regularly unfaithful.
One woman, Lyndsey Fifield, said he grabbed her hard enough to leave marks, yanked her from a cab by her wrist, twisted her arm behind her back and shoved her into a bedroom during arguments.
Platner “strongly disputes” any physical altercations and says any characterization beyond acknowledging he was “a far from perfect boyfriend” is “politically motivated.”
Platner’s campaign dismissed Fifield as “a lifelong GOP operative who’s dedicated her career to electing Republicans.”
Another woman, Maine Democrat Jenny Racicot, said she cut off contact after he showed up drunk at her house in 2021 after she asked him not to come over. “This person does not respect women,” she said.
THE BACKLASH: Fifield accused the Times of softening her account after publication. “Why does it say ‘nobody could corroborate’ when I offered them sources that COULD corroborate?” she wrote on X.
REWIND — THE FULL LIST OF CONTROVERSIES:
The Texts: Platner exchanged sexually explicit messages with multiple women while married. His wife Amy Gertner discovered the messages and informed a campaign aide before his first rally alongside Bernie Sanders. Gertner has since publicly defended her husband and their marriage.
The Tattoo: His chest tattoo, a Totenkopf skull widely associated with the Nazi SS, became a major issue last fall. He claimed he had no idea it was a Nazi symbol when he got it in Croatia in 2007. His ex-girlfriend says he knew exactly what it was and joked about it being a Nazi tattoo.
The Posts: Deleted Reddit posts resurfaced show him saying derogatory things about sexual assault victims and soldiers.
MILLS IS STILL ON THE BALLOT: Former Maine Governor Janet Mills, who suspended her campaign in April, reminded voters this week that she never formally withdrew. “I simply suspended active campaigning. I am still on the ballot,” she said. Under Maine law, if Platner wins the primary and withdraws by July 13, Democrats can replace him with a party-selected nominee by July 27. There is no indication Platner plans to withdraw.
🚨 ONE THING TO SHARE
Disaster Relief Fleet: P&G Expands Aid Efforts with Matthew 25: Ministries and Walmart
Procter & GambleWalmart announced a significant expansion of its national disaster response fleet, together with Walmart and Matthew 25: Ministries.
HOW IT WORKS: For decades, P&G and Matthew 25: Ministries have partnered to provide disaster relief, delivering essential health and hygiene essentials from P&G brands like Head & Shoulders, Pampers, and Tide, and often setting up mobile services in Walmart parking lots after hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and other disasters.
Since 2015, Matthew 25: Ministries has also operated the Tide Loads of Hope mobile laundry program, expanding the P&G Disaster Relief Fleet to offer free laundry services to even more people during disasters.
In 2023, P&G and Matthew 25: Ministries launched a new partnership with Walmart, adding an additional Tide Loads of Hope laundry truck and two new mobile bathroom and shower units to expand the program’s impact and provide clean clothes, warm showers, and bathroom services to affected communities.
THE GOAL: Be within an 8-hour drive of 90% of the U.S. population, allowing aid to reach disaster zones more quickly – even in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
BY THE NUMBERS: By 2027, the expanded fleet is expected to support 48 disaster deployments per year.
Last year, Matthew 25: Ministries shipped more than 23 million pounds of supplies, including 3.5 million pounds of disaster relief aid, helping more than 32 million people worldwide.
Since 2005, Tide Loads of Hope has done over 100,000 loads of laundry for people impacted by disasters.
Matthew 25: Ministries says the expanded fleet, expected to be fully operational by June 2027, will help deliver critical services during the first days after a disaster, when communities are often at their most vulnerable, restoring comfort and a sense of normalcy when it’s needed most.
⏳ THE SPEED READ
🚨NATION
Senate OKs $70B immigration bill after rejecting efforts to permanently ban Trump’s settlement fund (AP)
US House lawmakers release draft bill to prohibit state AI rules (REUTERS)
House Republicans break with Trump again to approve Ukraine aid (BBC)
Trump says Reflecting Pool work is done and it’s set to be filled with water (PBS)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
‘Albania is not for sale’, protesters say over Kushner-linked luxury resort near a protected wetland (REUTERS)
Putin says Russia will bolster air defenses in response to Ukrainian drone attacks (NPR)
Australian cockroach kingpin caught with 100,000 illegal insects in record bug bust (AP)
Armenia’s election offers a choice between Russia and EU (DW)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
Anthropic urges AI development ‘pause’ and conversation about risks (GUARDIAN)
Upgraded ‘Severe’ Northern Lights Alert For 25 States Thursday (FORBES)
Bitcoin sinks to lowest level since October 2024 to cap a brutal week (CNBC)
The S&P 500 won’t bend its rules to let SpaceX in early (QUARTZ)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
2026 Tonys Will Feature A Chorus Line, Rent Performances (PLAYBILL)
Anthony Head, ‘Buffy’ and ‘Ted Lasso’ Star, Dies at 72 (VARIETY)
Veteran actor James Handy fatally stabbed in Los Angeles, police say (ABC)
Report: Bears lied about extent of stadium negotiations with City of Chicago (WGN)
ICYMI FROM THE 📲
In case you missed it… Is this fur-real? New York Knicks fans blasted Elmo for his X post about the NBA Finals.
Ahead of Game 1 between the Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, the official Elmo account on X posted: “Elmo hopes both teams have fun!”
Many users were upset that Elmo did not openly support the Knicks, pointing out that it was his home team: Sesame Street is famously set in New York City.
“KNICKS that last message! Elmo didn’t mean to SPUR you on!,” Elmo posted in response to the controversy.