By Caleb Hellerman

(CNN) — Vita Sara Blechner’s life changed on a Saturday afternoon. The middle school librarian was home in Oceanside, New York, when she felt shooting pains in her back. After an acid reflux pill couldn’t soothe the fiery feeling, her husband suggested a trip to the emergency room.

It was March 7, 2020, just days before Covid-19 would turn New York City’s hospitals into something approaching a war zone. If the doctors knew what was coming, they didn’t let on. They were cool and collected as they put Blechner, then 67, through a sonogram and a CT scan. But the pictures turned her world upside-down.

“They said I have a tumor on my pancreas. And I said, ‘No, it can’t be. This can’t be happening to me. I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. I’m leading a healthy life.’”

After an anxious two days in the hospital, Blechner headed home and weighed her options. There weren’t many. Pancreatic cancer is notoriously unforgiving: Just 1 in 4 patients lives a year after their diagnosis. Just 1 in 10 makes it two years.

Blechner felt the numbers in the pit of her stomach as she, her husband and their three adult sons made calls and pored over the internet, deciding her next move. They settled on a path that would land Blechner in a fast-moving and often misunderstood realm of cancer research.

Messenger RNA, or mRNA, is a single-stranded molecule that delivers genetic information from DNA to direct the formation of proteins. It’s known to most people from high school science classes or for its use in Covid vaccines. But long before anyone had heard of Covid, mRNA was generating intense excitement in the cancer research community. BioNTech, the German company that designed the Covid vaccine for Pfizer, adapted that vaccine from a platform it had been using to develop cancer treatments for nearly a decade.

The mRNA-based Covid vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna helped blunt the impact of the pandemic but also sparked political backlash that, in the past year, has threatened to slow or derail dozens of potential cancer treatments. Now, after a tumultuous 12 months, there are signs that the mRNA train is still on track.

“It’s exciting,” said Elizabeth Jaffee, deputy director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University. “There’s been a number of successes in early-stage, positive trials.”

Dr. Catherine Wu, a professor of medicine at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, says the recent stretch of positive real-world results helped drive the recent announcement by the National Cancer Institute that it would help raise $200 million specifically for novel cancer vaccines.

“We’re getting a lot of support from NCI in terms of developing and promoting cancer vaccines, and mRNA vaccines are a major part of that portfolio,” she said.

An unforgiving enemy

To guide her treatment, Blechner turned to doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, including Dr. Vinod Balachandran, director of MSK’s Olayan Center for Cancer Vaccines.

It’s more challenging to make a vaccine against cancer than it is to create a vaccine against a virus or bacteria, Balachandran says. “That’s because our body’s immune systems are hard-wired to recognize viruses and pathogens as foreign, so a vaccine is teaching our body to do something it already wants to do. In contrast, cancer is ourselves. It’s derived from our own tissues.”

Much of Balachandran’s work the past two decades has focused on pancreatic tumors because the disease is such a tough nut to crack. “It’s a cancer where nothing had really worked,” he said.

When Blechner arrived at MSK, he was just launching a trial of an experimental mRNA-based vaccin

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

Tariff refunds are finally beginning to roll out — at least in part. Two months after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s most sweeping tariffs, American importers who are owed more than $166 billion in refunds can begin applying today.

Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.

1⃣ Gas prices

US gas prices will remain far above pre-war levels for weeks, if not months to come. But there are ways to save at least a few cents per gallon at the pump by finding the cheapest station in your area and fueling up at certain retailers. Read more.

2⃣ Louisiana mass shooting

A man fatally shot eight children, seven of them his own, across three homes in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Sunday, according to police. It marks the nation’s deadliest mass shooting since January 2024. Read more.

3⃣ Peace talks

Iran’s military warned it would retaliate after the US Navy on Sunday fired on and seized an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman. The incident has raised fresh doubts about whether a second round of US-Iran peace talks will proceed in the coming days. Adding to the uncertainty, the current ceasefire between the US and Iran is set to expire on Tuesday. Read more.

4⃣ Tsunami warning

A tsunami warning was issued for Japan earlier today after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the country’s northeastern coast, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency and the US Geological Survey. Waves of up to three meters (9.8 feet) were possible in some areas, officials said. Read more.

5⃣ Animal rights protest

Police used rubber bullets and pepper spray as hundreds of protesters on Saturday attempted to enter a beagle breeding site in Wisconsin. Protesters tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and barbed wire, but were unable to enter the research facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept. Read more.

Breakfast browse

‘Once in a generation’ sale

A Titanic survivor’s life jacket sold for over $900,000 in a landmark auction.

Trump wants a sculpture garden for America’s 250th birthday

The garden is apparently set to feature 250 statues of figures such as Kobe Bryant, Elvis Presley and Rosa Parks. But it’s unlikely even one statue will be ready by July 4, sources say.

Video: DJs over 60 take the stage at music festival

Proof that cool has no age limit.

Potency of weed has skyrocketed

Levels of THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, have risen dramatically over the years — from approximately 4% in the 1970s to more than 20% today. CNN’s Sandee LaMotte shares how she discovered the cannabis of her youth is long gone.

Chilling case

Los Angeles County prosecutors are expect

CNN

By Aleks Klosok, Amanda Davies, CNN

Geneva, Switzerland (CNN) — Sprinting legend Usain Bolt has told CNN Sports he hopes teenage phenom Gout Gout “finds the right people” to have around him as the 18-year-old continues his meteoric rise in the world of track and field.

The Australian has set the sport alight with a series of eye-catching performances that have seen parallels drawn between him and the widely regarded greatest sprinter of all time.

So much so that Bolt has previously said that the wonder kid Aussie “looks like young me.”

Gout generated global headlines earlier this month by claiming the 200m title at the senior Australian championships in Sydney in an astonishing 19.67 seconds.

Not only did he set a new under-20 world record, the Queenslander surpassed the time of 19.93 seconds set by the Jamaican in 2004.

Bolt was just 17 back then and never improved on that time as a teenager.

With increased success and growing stardom comes greater scrutiny and susceptibility to distraction – something Bolt is all too aware of having been in Gout’s shoes.

“At that young age, because I was there, you start getting put left and right and then you forget track and field,” he says, speaking at the watchmaking show, Watches and Wonders, in Geneva, Switzerland.

“Hopefully, he has the right set of people to guide him and keep him focused on track and field because the rest of the stuff will always be there.

“But if you mess up on track and field, then it all goes away.”

Diamond League showdown

With every Gout improvement sparking a media frenzy in Australia, the teenager now has his sights sets on the international stage.

It was recently confirmed that the sprint sensation will make his senior debut on the Diamond League circuit, athletics’ premier global series, in Oslo, Norway on June 10.

And it won’t be any old race. It’s set to be a 200m showdown against none other than the reigning Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo.

The Botswana athlete has already showered praise on Gout, saying last year that he has the potential to be one of the greatest athletes in history.

Excitement and anticipation will undoubtedly mount in the coming months, but Bolt is wary of setting expectations too high as he transitions into the sport’s upper echelon.

“It’s so big … It’s totally different,” he recalls.

“I remember coming out of high school going on the circuit, I felt like I was on top of the world because I was winning and running good.

“When I got on

By Aleks Klosok, Amanda Davies, CNN

Geneva, Switzerland (CNN) — Sprinting legend Usain Bolt has told CNN Sports he hopes teenage phenom Gout Gout “finds the right people” to have around him as the 18-year-old continues his meteoric rise in the world of track and field.

The Australian has set the sport alight with a series of eye-catching performances that have seen parallels drawn between him and the widely regarded greatest sprinter of all time.

So much so that Bolt has previously said that the wonder kid Aussie “looks like young me.”

Gout generated global headlines earlier this month by claiming the 200m title at the senior Australian championships in Sydney in an astonishing 19.67 seconds.

Not only did he set a new under-20 world record, the Queenslander surpassed the time of 19.93 seconds set by the Jamaican in 2004.

Bolt was just 17 back then and never improved on that time as a teenager.

With increased success and growing stardom comes greater scrutiny and susceptibility to distraction – something Bolt is all too aware of having been in Gout’s shoes.

“At that young age, because I was there, you start getting put left and right and then you forget track and field,” he says, speaking at the watchmaking show, Watches and Wonders, in Geneva, Switzerland.

“Hopefully, he has the right set of people to guide him and keep him focused on track and field because the rest of the stuff will always be there.

“But if you mess up on track and field, then it all goes away.”

Diamond League showdown

With every Gout improvement sparking a media frenzy in Australia, the teenager now has his sights sets on the international stage.

It was recently confirmed that the sprint sensation will make his senior debut on the Diamond League circuit, athletics’ premier global series, in Oslo, Norway on June 10.

And it won’t be any old race. It’s set to be a 200m showdown against none other than the reigning Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo.

The Botswana athlete has already showered praise on Gout, saying last year that he has the potential to be one of the greatest athletes in history.

Excitement and anticipation will undoubtedly mount in the coming months, but Bolt is wary of setting expectations too high as he transitions into the sport’s upper echelon.

“It’s so big … It’s totally different,” he recalls.

“I remember coming out of high school going on the circuit, I felt like I was on top of the world because I was winning and running good.

“When I got on the circuit, I didn’t win one race!

“I know it’s going to be an eye-opener, and I hope it doesn’t get him down but motivate him to work even harder.

“I think in the first year you will learn a lot and understand what you need to do to be better.”

‘Every day is not gonna be a great day’

Gout won’t be taking part at this year’s Commonwealth Games as he focuses on pursuing gold at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Oregon in August.

It was back in 2002 at these championships (formerly known as World Junior Championships) where Bolt announced himself as a sprint prodigy.

Por Zoe Sottile, CNN

Ocho niños, de entre apenas 3 y 11 años, murieron a primera hora del domingo en Shreveport, Louisiana, en un impactante acto de violencia que marca el tiroteo masivo más mortífero del país en más de dos años.

Un padre, identificado como Shamar Elkins, de 31 años, mató a tiros a sus siete hijos y a un primo, e hirió de gravedad a dos mujeres, incluida su esposa, en una serie de ataques en al menos dos lugares antes del amanecer.

Tras el tiroteo, que las autoridades describieron como “de naturaleza doméstica”, el atacante huyó de la zona en un vehículo robado mediante asalto y fue perseguido por la Policía; posteriormente, fue herido y murió a manos de los agentes.

La oficina del forense de la parroquia de Caddo identificó a las víctimas como Jayla Elkins, 3; Shayla Elkins, 5; Kayla Pugh, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Markaydon Pugh, 10; Sariahh Snow, 11; Khedarrion Snow, 6; y Braylon Snow, 5.

Mientras se desarrollaba el tiroteo, algunos niños intentaron escapar por la puerta trasera, dijo la representante estatal Tammy Phelps durante una conferencia de prensa con otros funcionarios de la ciudad. Un niño de 13 años escapó desde el techo y resultó herido, informó la Policía.

Aún no está claro mucho sobre las circunstancias y el motivo del tiroteo.

“Esta es una situación trágica, quizá la peor situación trágica que hemos tenido en Shreveport”, dijo el alcalde Tom Arceneaux en una conferencia de prensa.

Mientras la Policía continúa reconstruyendo lo que condujo a la masacre, esto es lo que sabemos hasta ahora.

La Policía respondió por primera vez a reportes de disparos en la comunidad de Cedar Grove, en Shreveport —una ciudad del noroeste de Louisiana con unos 180.000 habitantes— poco después de las 6:00 a.m. hora local del domingo, según el cabo Chris Bordelon, del Departamento de Policía de Shreveport.

La Policía cree que Elkins primero le disparó a su esposa en una vivienda de Harrison Street. Luego fue a otra casa en West 79th St., donde les disparó a los ocho niños y a la otra mujer, la madre del octavo niño fallecido.

La esposa de Elkins sufrió “lesiones muy graves”, dijo Bordelon a la afiliada de CNN KSLA. La otra mujer, que se cree es la madre del octavo niño fallecido, tiene “lesiones que ponen en peligro su vida”, añadió.

Arceneaux dijo a CNN que se cree que el atacante tenía una relación con las dos mujeres.

El niño de 13 años que saltó del techo del edificio y resultó herido tiene “algunos huesos rotos”, pero se espera que se recupere, según Bordelon.

“Estamos muy agradecidos de que haya podido escapar”, dijo Bordelon.

Una vecina, que pidió no ser identificada, dijo que su cámara de seguridad captó un video de lo que parece ser el atacante huyendo y corriendo hacia una tienda de neumáticos.

Armado con un rifle, Elkins robó un vehículo mediante asalto y condujo a la Policía en una persecución hacia la parroquia vecina, dijo Bordelon. La Policía hirió y mató al atacante en la parroquia de Bossier, informó el Departamento de Policía en Facebook.

“Los agentes localizaron el vehículo robado e iniciaron una persecución. La persecución continuó hacia la parroquia de Bossier, donde los agentes finalmente se enfrentaron al sospechoso. Los agentes se vieron obligados a disparar sus armas reglamentarias, neutralizando al sospechoso, quien fue declarado muerto en el lugar”, dijo la Policía de Shreveport.

El tiroteo es el más mortífero en Estados Unidos desde enero de 2024, cuando un Read more