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| Team USA wins Pan American Qualifier game, drawing fans to Sioux City |
| Posted on Sunday, August 09 @ 02:14:00 PDT (16 reads) | |
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Team usa wins pan american qualifier game, drawing fans to sioux city
sioux city (ktiv) - people gathered at the long lines family recreation center on saturday, august 8, to watch team usa face team canada in the second of two qualifier games for handball.
team usa won, advancing america’s team to the 2027 pan american games in lima, peru.
fans new to the sport show up for team usa
for those in attendance, the game was their first time watching a handball game.
t.J. Fennell, a 34-year veteran with the air national guard, says he learned about the event at a local food truck friday gathering.
“i’m a sports enthusiast, and anything america, i’m all in. So when i met these guys down on food truck friday, i was like, let’s go,” said fennell.
the crowd got involved, joining in with chants of “usa! Usa! Usa!” During the match.
briar cliff university explores varsity handball program
team usa also met with students at briar cliff university, where officials are looking into the possibility of starting a varsity handball team. Dan mcdermott, briar cliff’s director of athletic operations, said the team’s presence in the area generated significant interest.
“i’m sure we’ll see a lot of team handball sprouting up in our club sports and then just in our intramurals type thing. And we’ll explore the possibility with, you know, to try and go and do that. Right now, there is not a single varsity university or college in the united states that has varsity team handball. There’s a lot of club teams, things like that. And so, yeah, it’s interesting,” mcdermott said.
fennell says he sees potential for the sport to grow quickly once it gains traction.
“well, it’s fantastic. Once it catches on, it’s going to go like wildfire because it’s so inexpensive and all you need is a court,” fennell said.
want to get the latest news and weather from siouxland’s news source? Follow these links to download our ktiv news app and our first alert weather app.
copyright 2026 ktiv. All rights reserved. |
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| SALCC Welcomes 60 Students for Faces of Development STEAM Camp |
| Posted on Sunday, August 09 @ 02:14:00 PDT (16 reads) | |
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. Sir arthur lewis community college welcomed approximately 60 primary and secondary school students for the annual faces of development steam camp, continuing a partnership that has spanned more than four years.
the initiative was designed to expose young learners to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (steam) while broadening their understanding of higher education and future career opportunities.
this year’s programme placed particular emphasis on mathematics, demonstrating how mathematical thinking underpins everyday problem-solving, innovation and a wide range of professions. Students also participated in presentations and practical sessions in biology, theatre arts and robotics, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of steam education.
the camp was led by salcc’s department of internationalisation, advancement and partnerships, with support from departments across the institution.
director of internationalisation, advancement and partnerships, tracy pilgrim-george, said the longstanding collaboration with faces of development continues to create valuable opportunities for young people to discover their potential and broaden their aspirations. She noted that “through activities such as this, students are encouraged to remain curious, recognise their talents and begin thinking about how steam subjects can prepare them to contribute to the future development of saint lucia.”
beyond the classroom activities, participants have engaged in interactive games, won prizes and toured the college campus, giving them a first-hand look at tertiary education. The visit also provided opportunities to interact with lecturers and staff, ask questions about academic pathways and gain insight into college life. |
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| Utopian Nightmares and Gnostic Political Religions |
| Posted on Sunday, August 09 @ 02:14:00 PDT (14 reads) | |
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Utopian nightmares and gnostic political religions
august 8, 2026
gnosticism: the enduring heresy and menace to western civilization
christianity and the west have been at war for hundreds of years with a succession of gnostic political religions and mass movements seeking to impose brutal elite rule and mastery of their subject peoples. These sinister efforts have been responsible for untold death, destruction, and misery. Over one hundred million persons alone perished in the 20th century as a result of these murderous totalitarian gnostic regimes.
the study of the construction of pseudo-secular gnostic religions has been one of the principal obsessions of my life since i heard gerhart niemeyer of notre dame lecture on it in 1975 at the intercollegiate studies institute’s western summer school at thomas aquinas college. Niemeyer was a keen student of eric voegelin on these matters, as was murray rothbard.
this is the penultimate menace that western civilization, and especially the united states, faces today. This is what has motivated the destructive riotous mobs of thugs and looters in the streets, the craven willfully ignorant “cancel culture” corporatists, the seditious professoriat in court academia, and the prestitutes in the establishment regime media.
send him mail] retired teacher who taught history in the murray n. Rothbard room at memorial high school in tulsa, oklahoma. |
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| Local organizations partner to support single mothers attending UTC, Chattanooga |
| Posted on Sunday, August 09 @ 02:14:00 PDT (17 reads) | |
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Local organizations partner to support single mothers attending utc, chattanooga state
chattanooga, tenn. — Chattanooga, tenn. — Balancing college, work and raising a family can be challenging for any parent.
for single mothers, finding affordable housing, childcare and transportation can add even more obstacles to earning a degree.
a local partnership is working to help student mothers at the university of tennessee at chattanooga and chattanooga state community college overcome those barriers.
the momentum network is partnering with dress for success and rise up chattanooga to provide resources and support to single mothers as they work toward their education and prepare for careers.
‘at a point of survival’
michelle johan, a realtor and housing advocate with the momentum network, said many of the mothers who enter the program are focused on meeting their most basic needs.
“a lot of single mothers coming into the program, they’re not at the point where they’re buying real estate or they’re selling real estate. They’re at a point of survival,” johan said.
the momentum network provides affordable housing, and johan said six units are currently available for mothers ahead of the fall semester.
“we find single mothers who think that it is hopeless. Where am i going to live? I can’t even imagine going to school. All of this is completely undoable,” johan said.
“but here is a network of people, a community.”
childcare, housing among major barriers
johan said childcare is one of the biggest challenges facing student mothers.
“i would say childcare is probably the largest barrier, and the momentum network does have a daycare center. They do provide childcare,” she said.
she said having basic needs met can allow mothers to focus more on their education.
the organizations also help connect mothers with resources and navigate processes that can otherwise feel overwhelming.
johan said some women may not know what resources are available or how to access them.
“there are people who don’t have a birth certificate. There are people who, you know, have never filled out any kind of financial aid forms. They’re overwhelmed by that process,” she said.
‘invest in single moms’
johan said helping single mothers earn college degrees can have an impact on their entire families.
“these people survive and get a college degree because that college degree is one of the tools that they’re going to use throughout the rest of their children’s lives and their lives,” she said.
johan believes education can help families break cycles of poverty and create opportunities for future generations.
“it’s one of the greatest gifts i think that you can give a mother is an education and tools, so that she can then pass that on to her children,” johan said.
the partnership hopes to strengthen career opportunities, increase economic mobility and create greater financial stability for student mothers and their families.
for the momentum network, johan said the goal goes beyond providing advice about college. The organization aims to give student mothers a community they can rely on as they navigate school, parenting and their careers.
six housing units are currently available for the fall semester. |
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| DJ Herz Shines in First Start After Nationals Cleared Him to Resume Rehab Assign |
| Posted on Sunday, August 09 @ 02:14:00 PDT (16 reads) | |
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Dj herz shines in first start after nationals cleared him to resume rehab assignment
in this story:
at the beginning of this year, it seemed like the washington nationals were going to get left-handed pitcher dj herz back at some point during the second half of the season.
considering how the pitching staff looked at that point, his return was projected to be a huge boon despite the fact that herz was an unknown coming off tommy john surgery. But unfortunately, as he was pushing for his comeback in mid-june, he suffered a setback and was shut down due to a left flexor strain.
herzs timeline then became murky, and it was unclear when or if he would return this year. However, things have progressed well for the young lefty. He was cleared to resume his rehab assignment, and on saturday, he spun a gem in his return to game action.
dj herz has impressive outing during rehab start
with single-a fredericksburg, he threw only one inning. But during that frame, he struck out three batters while walking one and giving up a hit.
throughout herzs injury rehab, he stated that he might have better stuff than he had before he suffered the ucl injury that caused him to undergo tommy john surgery. Those three strikeouts -- even against single-a hitters -- are the latest example of that. And if he truly does have better stuff than when he finished the 2024 campaign with a stuff+ number of 99 across 88 2/3 innings during his mlb debut season, then herz should be a weapon for this starting rotation.
after all, the 25-year-old showed well during his 19 starts in 2024. While he had an era of 4.16 to go along with a 4-9 record, he did strike out 106 batters with 36 walks across those 88 2/3 innings. Thats why there is excitement about getting herz back in the fold, whenever that might be.
manager blake butera said they are going to take things slowly when it comes to herz, which makes sense considering his previous injury and the flexor strain he was diagnosed with during his first rehab assignment. Still, hes expected to return at some point before the end of the season, which would give washington the ability to see how he looks against big leaguers after hes been on the shelf for over a year.
when that might be isnt clear. But its a good sign that he was cleared to resume his rehab assignment. And its an even better sign that he performed well during his first start.
follow
brad wakai
brad wakai graduated from penn state university with a degree in journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different penn state athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the lead contributor for nittany lions wire of gannett media where he continued to cover penn state athletics. Currently, brad is the publisher for washington nationals on si and covers multiple teams across the on si network. He is the host of the sports podcast i said what i said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the nfl, college football, the nba and other sports. You can follow him on twitter: @bwakai |
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| Underwriting Stagnation: Taxpayers Pay for Schools to Stand Still |
| Posted on Sunday, August 09 @ 02:14:00 PDT (15 reads) | |
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Underwriting stagnation: taxpayers pay for schools to stand still
california teachers can now veto ai
the union gets the final say
california’s largest school districts have done something unheard of in american management: they have given a labor union veto power over whether a promising technology may ever be used to reorganize work.
on january 22, 2026, the san francisco unified school district (sfusd) signed a one-year contract with openai for up to 12,000 chatgpt accounts for teachers and staff.
on march 10, 2026, one month after settling a four-day strike, sfusd approved an agreement with its teachers union and announced that it had accepted the union’s ai proposal. That proposal barred ai use “to eliminate, reduce, or replace work traditionally performed by bargaining unit members without prior written agreement of the union,” and barred using productivity gains from ai “as a basis for staffing reductions or increased workload expectations.” Weeks after buying the ai tool, the district agreed it could not use it to change how the work gets done. The district has yet to publish the final signed language.[[1]](#_edn1)
a few months later, los angeles unified school district (lausd) did the same thing, in language we can read. Its agreement with united teachers los angeles, titled “use of technology to support instruction,” says: “gai [generative ai] shall not be used to replace bargaining unit positions or members in doing work historically and generally performed by bargaining unit employees without the express written agreement of the union.”
even in the world of labor-favored public sector labor relations in california, this is over the top. As a former public sector manager, i was accustomed to giving the union notice before changing how work was done, and to negotiating over how the change would land on employees — schedules, workload, assignments. A manager who owes notice still gets to decide.
a district that must obtain written permission does not decide at all. These clauses set no deadline by which the union must answer, no standard governing a refusal, and no appeal. A teacher’s worry that a district in fiscal trouble will reach for ai to cut headcount is not irrational. But provisions are already in place requiring districts to negotiate workforce reductions. A veto is a different instrument.
experimenting vs. Standing still
meanwhile, the rest of the economy is working through the hardest management question of the decade—but not in the way the teachers unions’ demands suggest.
employers are overwhelmingly not firing people over ai. Gartner found that only about one percent of studied workforce reductions was directly attributable to ai productivity gains. The census bureau found that 66% of adopting firms use ai solely to augment tasks, and that ai-related employment decreases occurred in just 2% of firms. Boston consulting group projects that 50 to 55% of u.S. Jobs will be reshaped within two to three years: the same role, with very different expectations about how the work gets done.
yes, jobs are being reshaped. Employers are grappling with what their employees’ work should look like now that this robust new tool is available—not how many people they can cut. They are examining which tasks move, which roles change, what a job description should look like three years from now. Nobody knows how this will play out. That is precisely why organizations must preserve the ability to find out.
every major technological advance begins with uncertainty. No one knew in advance how spreadsheets would change accounting or how smartphones would change field work. Organizations learned by experimenting—not by negotiating permission to experiment. These agreements go far beyond opting for caution. They prohibit experimentation unless the union agrees first.
private schools face no such restriction. The best private schools will study what ai can do and adopt it where it improves learning. These new union contracts are the taxi medallion of 2013—a legal restriction that protects incumbents, raises the price, and holds only until the alternative arrives. While the world moves forward, we are inflating a government education productivity bubble. Taxi medallion owners bore their own losses. Public school districts socialize theirs, sending the bill to students and taxpayers. The students who pay first are those whose families cannot afford another school. The taxpayers pay next—including those who leave and continue paying for the district they left.
the students lose
the greatest cost of restricting ai is not administrative efficiency. It is what students lose. If ai turns out to be even a fraction of the tutor it promises to be, the children who gain most are the ones whose parents cannot afford one. Until recently, only well-off parents, or those willing to uncomfortably stretch their budgets, could afford tutors for their academically struggling children.
just as the internet brought world class libraries to the masses of children who did not live close to a library, ai brings the possibility of a versatile tutor. A tutor that will ensure that the precocious child is not held back by the class average and the tired school syllabus and struggling students without parental means can get the academic help they need.
that a school district would resist such technology is unconscionable.
who pays for standing still
lausd enrolled 408,083 students in 2024-25, down from 746,831 in 2002. Nearly half its zoned elementary schools are half-full or less. Per-pupil spending has nearly doubled in a decade, to roughly $27,000. About ninety cents of every dollar the district spends goes to people. The district is spending about $2 billion more this year than it takes in and has hired ernst & young to model school closures.
an organization can control costs in only two ways: by changing what it does or by changing how it does it. The freeze on ai effectively neutralizes the second lever in the context of an organization that is much more likely to expand its scope than trim it.
on june 16, 2026, lausd signed that lever away.
on july 2, 2026, the los angeles county office of education issued the district its first-ever lack of going concern determination.
the teachers unions are quick to frame any critique of the status quo government educational system as an attack on teachers and an unwillingness to pay them what they deserve.
sadly, it is the teachers union’s own bargaining agenda that restricts us from justly compensating teachers. State law puts every teacher on a salary schedule keyed to years of training and years of experience, and a district may depart from it only with the union’s agreement. So the teacher who excels is paid on the same scale as the one who does not, and the district cannot change that without the union’s permission. Now the district will need the permission of the same union before ai can do work its employees do today.
the district does not decide.
in a productive enterprise, technology makes a worker more productive, and the worker earns more because the output is worth more. That is a trade, and it provides a reasonable basis for a raise. These agreements reverse it and then some. The compensation increase comes first—an average of 13.86% at lausd, with nothing below 8%—and the productivity improvement that would have justified it is contractually prohibited. The bill goes to a taxpayer who had no say and to a student whose school is on a consolidation list.
there is a structural reason this keeps happening. In the private sector, a firm that refuses to adapt loses customers to one that does. Employer and workforce therefore share an interest in becoming more productive, because productivity is what makes higher wages possible. A government school district faces no such discipline. Its revenue arrives as per-pupil funding from the state. The people who bear the cost of stagnation are students and taxpayers, and they are not at the bargaining table. The organization across the table is an active participant in the elections that decide who sits or stays on the board.
meanwhile, the california teachers association is working to spread the ai restrictions adopted in san francisco and los angeles across the state. Its “we can’t wait” campaign aligns contract expirations in 32 districts covering 80,000 educators, and utla’s own platform lists a “ban on subcontracting and replacement of staff with ai or other tech.”[[2]](#_edn2)
approving the unknown in a public meeting
how does something so egregious as bargaining away one of the two levers a district has for controlling cost get approved in a public forum?
before a school board may vote on a labor agreement, state law requires it to disclose in public “the major provisions of the agreement, including, but not limited to, the costs that would be incurred.” The superintendent and the district’s chief business official then certify that the district can pay for it.
the problem: only the employee compensation provisions are quantified and identified. The fact of surrendering authority critical to the financial stability of the organization is not considered. With the state of our knowledge today, nobody could responsibly quantify the savings ai might produce for a school district.
but a district can recommend that its board forbid finding out.
three questions belong in front of every governing board before it ratifies a labor agreement: what operational authority are we giving up, how much is it costing us to give it up, and what would it cost to buy it back?
history will not record that ai failed california’s schools.
it will record that california negotiated away the right to find out.
mark moses is a senior fellow with the california policy center. He has thirty years of experience in local government administration and finance. His book, the municipal financial crisis – a framework for understanding and fixing government budgeting, was published by palgrave macmillan and is available from major online booksellers.
https://munifinanceguy.Com/ · x/twitter: @munifinanceguy
[[1]](#_ednref1) the account here rests on the union’s proposal text, the district’s own update, and press reporting.
[[2]](#_ednref2) these are proposed contract terms, not statutes — but the law is moving the same direction, and it reaches further. Since january 1, 2026, ab 339 has required a local agency to give its unions 45 days’ written notice — with anticipated cost and a draft solicitation — before issuing a request for proposals or even renewing an existing service contract. That one applies to cities, counties, and special districts; school districts and the state are excluded. Ab 2656 would extend the same 45-day notice to developing, purchasing, implementing, using, or requiring the use of generative ai within the scope of a represented job classification — and it carries no such exclusion. It reaches every public employer in the state: state agencies, cities, counties, special districts, k-12 districts, community colleges, the university of california and csu, the trial courts, and transit districts. It passed the assembly in may and sits in senate appropriations; the session ends august 31. Sb 951 would require 60 days’ notice before any “technological displacement,” give affected workers a right of first bid on other positions, and bar discharge without “reasonable and substantiated cause” during the notice period. It passed the senate 28-9 and is in assembly appropriations.
notice is not consent, and neither bill grants a veto. But notice is the on-ramp. Once the law establishes that deploying a tool is a labor event requiring advance notification, the demand at the next bargaining table is not for notice. It is for the answer. |
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| Von Tobel Middle school opens new safer campus on Alto Avenue in Las Vegas |
| Posted on Sunday, August 09 @ 02:14:00 PDT (15 reads) | |
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Von tobel middle school opens new campus after two-year construction
students, parents get first look at facility built to replace aging building
las vegas (fox5) — about 900 students at von tobel middle school will walk into a new building monday, marking the school’s first day at its new campus at 38-75 alto avenue — blocks from its former location on pecos.
the new campus took approximately two years to build. School officials said the facility was designed to be safer, more functional, and more comfortable for students.
more on fox5: ccsd asks for community’s help in naming new elementary school
new safety features throughout campus
security upgrades are built into the structure. Doors automatically bolt-lock when closed. Windows are reflective, preventing outside visibility into the building. All classes are now housed in a single building.
the new drop-off and pickup layout also drew attention from parents. Diana ramirez, a parent, said the change addresses concerns from the previous location.
“before, we were dropping off our kids on the side of the road and making it pretty dangerous,” ramirez said. “The roads are smaller, and there’s not as much traffic. So, the layout really provides a drop-off and a more secure pickup.”
expanded classrooms and new amenities
the new facility includes updated instructional equipment, science and stem labs, and larger mariachi and band rooms, according to amanda dupree, assistant principal.
“we have new up-to-date equipment for instruction. We also have labs,” dupree said. “We have a stem classroom built in, and our mariachi and our band rooms are bigger.”
dupree described the scale of the new campus compared to the previous building.
“the buildings are bigger; the campus is bigger,” she said. “It feels like a college campus to them.”
the campus also includes washers and dryers for student use.
students prepare for first day
isabella, an eighth grader, will be among the first class of students to attend the new von tobel middle school.
“it feels much cleaner, and i’m excited to come here because it’s a new experience,” she said.
health clinic held during campus preview
a free health clinic hosted by inspiration health was held during today’s campus event. Students received free physicals and eye exams.
more information:
copyright 2026 kvvu. All rights reserved. |
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| BEILAWSKI: Two Teenagers for TPUSA Get Love, Resistance, and Censorship From Ver |
| Posted on Sunday, August 09 @ 02:14:00 PDT (15 reads) | |
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Barre – turning point usa is trying to survive in deep blue vermont largely on the backs of two resilient teenagers.
tpusa had a booth at the barre heritage festival during the last week of july. They got lots of love and engagement, as well as the occasional middle finger from those who disapprove of the famous youth-focused, pro-free-speech, pro-free-market organization.
seth fewer and javion kastner will be sophomores at spaulding high school in barre this fall. Fewer is president of the local tpusa chapter; kastner is the vice president. Renee mcevilly, from upstate new york, is the organization’s high school field representative for much of the northeast. Together she and fewer managed the booth, helping register vermonters to vote.
spaulding high school teaching staff has been generally unsupportive.
“i will say that we asked nine teachers there to be the chapter advisor and every single one of them said no for one reason or another,” fewer said.
currently, tpusa in vermont exists as an independent organization separate from the school.
“they are definitely trying to censor us a little bit; they don’t let us pass out our flyers or put up our pins or anything,” fewer said. “So really word-of-mouth is the strongest thing you can do that they can’t take away from you.”
fewer talked about how he copes with doing activism in sometimes unfriendly territory.
“at the end of the day you’ve got to remember that not everyone is going to appreciate what you are doing,” fewer said. “The work that you are doing is important for different places like vermont. So even if people don’t like what you are doing, it’s important to never quit, never surrender.”
he talked about engaging with folks who think differently.
“so really i learned that with a lot of people, you can’t change their mind,” he said. “But you can discuss your different ideas, you can try to find the common ground, but with some people you can’t just change their mind, and you’ve got to come to terms with that.”
a woman who was a self-described socialist visited the tent. She appreciated the efforts of tpusa on the grounds that they share other values such as freedom of speech.
it doesn’t always work out when they engage with critics.
“they don’t take a dive into exactly what we’re doing,” mcevilly said. “The conversations that we do get to have with the people who disagree with us, they walk away.
“i want freedom of speech, i want the second amendment, i want our kids to go to school here. I want them to go to college and come back and have a job here. All of those things that are important issues that make us american.”
rather than focus on shared values, fewer said the opposition often tries to change the subject.
“usually they just try to bring it back to charlie kirk, or they bring it back to donald trump. They always bring it back to a person.”
nonetheless, they are still engaging with other students.
“we had an event a couple days ago with renee actually, bringing like ten students together, all like-minded,” fewer said. “We did some practice debating, we did a few different things just getting people ready and organized for this next school year so we’re looking to do some really good things.”
fewer was wearing a shirt that simply said “freedom” on the front, similar to the now-famous shirt worn by tpusa founder charlie kirk during his assassination last summer.
“this shirt actually comes from a chapter leadership summit in washington dc, they gave every single student one of these. Freedom, it’s extremely important. Especially in a time like this, freedom of speech and freedom of everything, all of your rights. Freedom is an extremely important message and in fact his legacy is your voice. Charlie kirk’s legacy is passing it down to the next generation, it’s extremely important.”
fewer and kastner went to washington dc that included a trip to the white house, meeting various political leaders, as well as a yankees and nationals major league baseball game. Mcevilly talked about how tpusa helps students gain new experiences by traveling america.
“being able to meet with other students and other people from across the country and that fellowship really makes you think that you really are not alone,” she said.
michael bielawski is a freelance news writer with over a decade’s experience covering news in vermont. He works at youtube.Com/@thelastdefense26 covering international politics.
vermont daily chronicle
authors’ and speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of grok media, llc, granitegrok.Com , its sponsors, readers, authors, or advertisers.
disagree, agree, got something to say? We want to hear it. Comment or submit op-eds to steve @granitegrok.Com |
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| Seven Lessons From Nearly 40 Years of Treating Lyme Disease |
| Posted on Sunday, August 09 @ 02:14:00 PDT (15 reads) | |
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Seven lessons from nearly 40 years of treating lyme disease
lyme disease does not always follow the textbook
testing and symptoms require clinical context
treatment and recovery should be individualized
i began treating patients with lyme disease in private practice in 1987. At the time, much less was known about the infection, available testing was limited, and many of the questions physicians face today were only beginning to emerge.
nearly four decades later, lyme disease continues to challenge patients and clinicians.
we know far more about the infection than we did when i entered practice. Yet diagnosing and treating lyme disease is not always straightforward. Symptoms can differ widely, laboratory tests have limitations, and some patients remain ill despite receiving treatment.
over those years, i have learned that rigid, one-size-fits-all approaches do not always address the needs of patients with complicated presentations.
here are seven lessons i have learned from caring for lyme disease patients.
lesson 1: lyme disease does not always follow the textbook
the classic description of lyme disease begins with a recognized tick bite, followed by an expanding erythema migrans rash and flu-like symptoms.
some patients follow that pattern. Many do not.
a patient may never see the tick. The rash may be absent, overlooked, hidden beneath the hair, or mistaken for another skin condition. Early symptoms may resemble a viral illness, stress, migraine, arthritis, or another common medical problem.
later manifestations can involve the joints, heart, nervous system, cognition, sleep, mood, or autonomic nervous system.
the absence of a textbook presentation should not automatically remove lyme disease from consideration, particularly when a patient lives in or has traveled to an endemic area.
lesson 2: a negative test does not always settle the diagnosis
laboratory testing is an important part of the evaluation, but results must be interpreted in context.
antibody tests can be falsely negative during the first several weeks of infection because the immune response may not yet be detectable. The sensitivity of conventional two-tier testing is particularly limited during early infection.1,2
a test result should not be considered in isolation. The patient’s history, possible tick exposure, symptom pattern, physical findings, timing of testing, previous treatment, and alternative diagnoses all matter.
testing can support clinical judgment, but it does not replace a careful clinical evaluation. Learn more in my guide to lyme disease test accuracy.
lesson 3: listening carefully can reveal what a checklist misses
patients often arrive with long and complicated histories. They may describe fatigue, migrating pain, brain fog, disrupted sleep, dizziness, palpitations, sensory symptoms, or a decline in their ability to work, attend school, exercise, or manage daily life.
these symptoms can be difficult to summarize on a standard intake form.
one of the most useful questions is often: what can you no longer do that you could do before you became ill?
a patient who previously worked full time may now struggle to complete a morning routine. A child who once played sports may stop participating. A college student may no longer tolerate lectures or complete assignments.
changes in function can provide important clinical information even when the physical examination or routine laboratory studies appear normal.
lesson 4: treatment cannot always be reduced to a single formula
many patients with early lyme disease improve with an appropriate course of antibiotics. Prompt recognition and treatment remain important.
however, patients do not all arrive at the same stage of illness. Some are treated shortly after a tick bite, while others have been ill for months or longer. Some have primarily joint symptoms. Others have neurologic, cardiac, cognitive, or autonomic complaints.
a patient may also have a tick-borne coinfection or an unrelated medical condition that contributes to the clinical picture.
some patients are unusually sensitive to medication and may need treatment introduced cautiously. Read more about what may happen when a patient cannot tolerate lyme disease antibiotics.
the treatment plan should consider the individual patient’s history, examination, testing, response to previous therapy, medication tolerance, and competing diagnoses.
guidelines are valuable, but thoughtful medical care still requires clinical judgment and shared decision-making.3
lesson 5: persistent symptoms deserve a careful reevaluation
some patients report persistent or recurring symptoms after treatment for lyme disease.4,5 when symptoms continue, it is important to ask why.
possible considerations may include:
- an incomplete response to treatment
- reinfection following another tick bite
- a tick-borne coinfection
- residual inflammation or tissue injury
- autonomic dysfunction
- medication side effects
- sleep disruption or deconditioning
- an unrelated illness that resembles or complicates lyme disease
persistent symptoms should not automatically be attributed to ongoing infection. But they also should not be dismissed simply because a patient has already received antibiotics.
the appropriate next step is a careful reassessment rather than an assumption in either direction. My persistent lyme disease overview discusses these challenges in greater detail.
lesson 6: recovery is often measured by function
laboratory results can be useful, but they do not always capture how a patient is doing in daily life.
improvement may first appear as the ability to:
- read or concentrate for longer periods
- walk farther without a significant increase in symptoms
- sleep more consistently
- return to school or part-time work
- stand without becoming as lightheaded
- participate more fully in family activities
recovery may also be uneven. One symptom can improve while another lingers. Patients may have good days followed by setbacks, particularly when they increase activity too quickly.
tracking functional changes over time can offer a more meaningful picture of progress than relying on one symptom or laboratory value. Read more about recovery from lyme disease.
lesson 7: learning cannot stop when medical training ends
lyme disease remains an evolving field. Researchers continue to examine diagnostic testing, immune responses, bacterial persistence, post-treatment symptoms, neurologic complications, coinfections, and the reasons patients experience different outcomes.
private practice does not provide the automatic learning structure of an academic medical center. Physicians must deliberately remain engaged by reviewing the medical literature, attending conferences, discussing difficult cases with colleagues, and listening to patients.
experience matters, but experience should never become a substitute for continued learning.
the importance of an individualized approach
the most important lesson i have learned is that lyme disease care begins with taking the patient’s illness seriously.
that does not mean assuming every unexplained symptom is caused by lyme disease. It means conducting a careful evaluation, considering competing explanations, recognizing the limitations of current testing, and remaining willing to reconsider the diagnosis when the clinical course changes.
some patients recover quickly. Others face a longer and more complicated course. Both groups deserve thoughtful, individualized care.
after nearly 40 years in practice, i continue to learn from the medical literature, from other clinicians, and from the patients i have cared for throughout my years in practice.
frequently asked questions
what has nearly 40 years of treating lyme disease taught you?
lyme disease does not always follow a predictable pattern. Diagnosis and treatment require careful attention to the patient’s exposure history, symptoms, test timing, previous treatment, alternative diagnoses, and ability to function in daily life.
can a lyme disease test be negative early in the illness?
yes. Lyme disease antibody tests can be falsely negative during the first several weeks of infection because the immune system may not yet have produced a detectable antibody response. Test results should be interpreted alongside the patient’s history, symptoms, exposure risk, and timing of testing.
why might symptoms continue after lyme disease treatment?
persistent symptoms may have more than one possible explanation, including an incomplete response to treatment, reinfection, a tick-borne coinfection, residual inflammation or injury, autonomic dysfunction, medication effects, sleep disruption, deconditioning, or another medical condition. Continued symptoms deserve a careful reevaluation.
how can recovery from lyme disease be measured?
recovery can be measured by changes in daily function as well as symptoms. Improvements may include walking farther, concentrating longer, sleeping more consistently, tolerating standing, returning to school or work, and participating more fully in normal activities.
can you ever fully recover from lyme disease?
many patients recover fully, particularly when lyme disease is recognized and treated early. Other patients experience a slower or more complicated recovery. Improvement may occur gradually and can be measured through changes in symptoms, stamina, concentration, sleep, and the ability to resume normal activities.
clinical takeaway
lyme disease does not always produce a recognized tick bite, an obvious rash, or an immediately positive test. Diagnosis and treatment require attention to the complete clinical picture, including exposure history, symptoms, objective findings, timing of testing, response to treatment, alternative diagnoses, and changes in daily function.
after nearly 40 years in practice, i have learned that careful listening, continued reassessment, and individualized clinical judgment remain essential to lyme disease care.
related articles
references
- centers for disease control and prevention.
clinical testing and diagnosis for lyme disease.2024. - Moore a, nelson c, molins c, mead p, schriefer m.
current guidelines, common clinical pitfalls, and future directions for laboratory diagnosis of lyme disease, united states.Emerging infectious diseases. 2016;22(7):1169–1177. - Cameron dj, johnson lb, maloney el.
evidence assessments and guideline recommendations in lyme disease: the clinical management of known tick bites, erythema migrans rashes and persistent disease.Expert review of anti-infective therapy. 2014;12(9):1103–1135. - Marques a.
persistent symptoms after treatment for lyme disease.Infectious disease clinics of north america. 2022;36(3):621–638. - Rebman aw, aucott jn.
post-treatment lyme disease as a model for persistent symptoms in lyme disease.Frontiers in medicine. 2020;7:57.
this article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
dr. Daniel cameron, md, mph
lyme disease clinician with over 30 years of experience and past president of ilads. |
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| Washingtons New NCAA Rule Could Quietly Change Jedd Fischs Roster |
| Posted on Sunday, August 09 @ 02:14:00 PDT (13 reads) | |
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The ncaa’s new five-year eligibility rule has opened a complicated door for washington, and the huskies are already dealing with the ripple effects.
this offseason, college sports’ governing body moved away from its long-standing four-year model and shifted to five years of eligibility for student-athletes. The change applies first to players who enrolled in the 2023-24 academic year, and it wipes out redshirts and medical waivers while also counting junior college time.
the point of the change was to clean up a system that had become messy. Between medical waivers, legal injunctions, redshirt seasons, nil and a transfer portal that is far less restrictive than it used to be, eligibility decisions had turned into a case-by-case maze.
even with the new rule in place, the situation is still far from settled. A class-wide injunction was recently filed against the ncaa that would allow class of 2022 athletes - those not grandfathered into the new setup - to chase a fifth year. Former washington women’s basketball player hannah stines is among the athletes who joined that lawsuit.
washington head coach jedd fisch was asked about the issue at his introductory news conference before fall camp on tuesday, but he didn’t get into specifics about any talks with players who might be able to come back. He said he wasn’t sure what he could say under the new rule, and added that the program is focused on 2026.
for now, the most likely outcome is that the huskies won’t get a returning player from last year’s team who had already exhausted eligibility. Still, the rule could create a path for several veterans on this year’s roster to be back next season.
there’s still uncertainty because of the lawsuit, academic classification, previous redshirts and waivers. One player who could be in the mix is fourth-year edge rusher jacob lane.
obviously the possibility is there, but the mindset hasnt changed this year, whether its my last year or if i have two years (left) going into it, lane said after practice at husky stadium on friday. Gonna attack it the same way regardless. ...
weve known for the past couple years theres been talks about it, so kind of anticipated it coming. But, i was never relying on that option.
to make things clearer under the new system, washington is listing players on its public roster by years played instead of class designations. If every fourth-year player ends up with a fifth season available, that group would include lane, linebacker xeree alexander, offensive lineman aidan anderson, defensive lineman darin conley, offensive lineman parker cross, defensive lineman elinneus davis, offensive lineman kolt dieterich, punter luke dunne, tight end kade eldridge, offensive lineman soane faasolo, edge rusher logan george, center landen hatchett, offensive lineman elisha jackett, cornerback emmanuel karnley, running back jayden limar, safety alex mclaughlin, edge rusher hayden moore, kicker tyler robles, linebacker beck walker, defensive lineman desean watts and wide receiver rashid williams.
in other news...
washingtons defense could change everything if ryan walters delivers
the most intriguing part of washingtons buildup to the new season might be on the other side of the ball, where optimism is starting to sound a little less like camp talk and a little more like expectation. The huskies bring back veteran pieces such as edge rushers jacob lane and isaiah ward, and there is a growing belief inside the program that this group has the look of a defense that can stack up with the nations best if it comes together the right way.
much of that hope runs through ryan walters, whose emphasis has been on consistency and the kind of daily habits that usually separate a promising unit from a truly dependable one. Washington also has key returning starters on offense, with demond williams jr. Leading that side, but the defensive ceiling is what could change the feel of the season if walters can get the group to play with championship-level discipline from start to finish. [Read more ????]
washington may be closing in on a massive recruiting statement
washingtons recruiting momentum could be headed toward a major headline with five-star defensive end jalanie george, a prized arizona prospect who has become one of the most closely watched names in the 2028 cycle. George has spent time around multiple power four programs, and the buzz around him has only grown because of the traits that make him such a difficult player to ignore: his versatility and his play speed.
for the huskies, landing a player of that caliber would be more than just another early win on the trail, it would be a statement about how far the program can reach nationally when it comes to elite talent. Washington has not officially secured georges commitment yet, which leaves the door open for the usual recruiting twists, but the noise around this one is strong enough to keep the huskies squarely in the center of the conversation. [Read more ????]
four former huskies still define what washington football is
the history of washington football still leans heavily on the players who helped shape its identity long before the next season arrives. Beno bryant, nate fellner, aaron jenkins and ernie steele all come up as reminders that the huskies legacy was built by more than just recent stars, with each leaving behind notable achievements and defining moments during their time in montlake.
fellners passing in january 2024 adds a more reflective note to that backdrop, turning the spotlight from nostalgia to the way a program carries its past forward. With the countdown on to the 2026 opener against washington state, the old names still matter because they frame what the huskies have been, and what this rivalry game will once again ask them to prove. [Read more ????] |
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