Ebola Is Back, Cassidy Is Out, and Sports Has a Wild Weekend

MayaGood Morning, and welcome to the Morning Rundown. I'm here with David, and we have got a packed show today.

DavidYeah, no slow news day here, like at all.

MayaZero. So let's get right into it. First up, the WHO has declared an Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda a full international emergency. At least 87 deaths, and here's the thing, no known vaccine for this particular strain.

DavidThat's... It's wild, right? And we've also got an update on the MV Hondius hantavirus situation.

MayaMm-hmm.

DavidA Canadian passenger has now been tested positive, so that story is very much not over.

MayaRight. Then on the politics side, Bill Cassidy just got knocked out of his Louisiana primary. He voted to convict Trump back in 2021, and, well, voters had a long memory.

DavidLong memory is an understatement. And Venezuela deported a close Maduro ally to face charges. There's charges here in the U.S., which is a pretty big deal.

MayaBig deal. And then we close things out on a lighter note. Conor McGregor is finally back fighting Max Holloway in July. Plus, Eurovision has a winner.

DavidLast year's Bulgaria. I cannot wait to get into that one.

MayaSame. Okay, let's start with the health news because it is serious. Okay, so two active disease outbreaks are making headlines this morning. And honestly, this is the kind of story that deserves your full attention before you dive into your day.

DavidYeah, and we're not talking about one of those slow burn situations. These are moving fast.

MayaRight, so let's start with Ebola. The WHO just declared the outbreak in the Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern. That's their highest level alarm.

DavidAnd the numbers are serious. NPR and the Guardian are both reporting at least. Least 87 confirmed deaths in Congo's Ituri province. That's not a rumor, that's confirmed.

Maya87 deaths. And the WHO is saying the actual scale could be much larger than what's being officially detected and reported.

DavidWhich is honestly the scariest part. Like what you see on paper is probably the floor, not the ceiling.

MayaExactly. And here's what makes this one different from past outbreaks. DW is reporting that the strain has no known vaccine. Vaccine.

DavidWait, no vaccine? That's a big deal.

MayaHuge. Previous major Ebola outbreaks, like the ones in West Africa and Eastern Congo over the last decade, had vaccine options in play. This strain does not.

DavidSo health workers are going in without that safety net. And the spread into Uganda, that's what triggered the international emergency designation?

MayaThat's a big part of it. When you've got confirmed cross-border spread, the WHO can't treat it as a contained regional problem. regional problem anymore. DW noted the WHO is warning of health risks to other countries.

DavidAnd an international emergency designation actually matters—it unlocks coordinated global response, resources, travel guidance. It's not just a label.

MayaStrong institutional response, early intervention—that's what contains these things, and the faster that machinery kicks in, the better.

DavidRight, you don't want to be playing catch-up with Ebola.

MayaOkay, and then there's the hantavirus situation, which we've been following.

DavidYeah, and there's actually a fairly reassuring update buried in the news this morning. CBS News reported that France ran genomic analysis on the virus found aboard the MV Hondius, the cruise ship we've been tracking. No new characteristics. The strain matches a known type, so it's not some mutated unknown. Still dangerous, but not novel.

MayaThat's good to hear, though the outbreak is still very much active. NBC News is reporting that a Canadian passenger on the on the MV Hondius tested positive for the Andes hantavirus.

DavidSo the circle is still widening a bit.

MayaIt is, and the Andes strain is significant because it's one of the few hantavirus types with documented human-to-human transmission. Most strains don't do that.

DavidHmm, so that's why public health agencies are still watching this closely, even with the reassuring genomic news.

MayaExactly. Two outbreaks, both still active, both being tracked across borders. The WHO is in emergency mode on Ebola, and Hantavirus is still producing new confirmed cases.

DavidI'll say this: when institutions move fast and early, outcomes are different. The worst-case scenarios in disease outbreaks almost always come from delayed response.

MayaOne hundred percent. That's the lesson from every major outbreak in the last 30 years.

DavidAnd right now the response seems to be happening in real time, which is encouraging, cautiously encouraging.

MayaCautiously, that's the right word.

DavidYeah, let's not jinx it.

MayaOkay, so we've got two serious health situations moving at the international level. But you know what else is moving fast right now? The political world. And the story we're turning to next makes you wonder, what does it actually cost a politician to vote their conscience? Shifting gears now, let's talk politics, and specifically what happened in Louisiana.

DavidYeah, so Bill Cassidy is done. He lost his primary, and it wasn't even close.

MayaFor folks who need a quick refresher, Cassidy was one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict Trump after January 6th, and Trump never forgot it.

DavidNever. The New York Times reported Cassidy couldn't even get enough votes to advance to a runoff. That's a statement.

MayaIt really is. I mean, this is a two-term senator, Louisiana Republican, not some moderate from a purple state.

DavidRight. And Trump backed Congressman Julia Letlow, called Cassidy a, quote, disloyal disaster. According to the BBC's coverage, that framing stuck.

MayaAnd it stuck hard.

DavidHere's the thing, though. Cassidy gave a concession statement and basically said he didn't regret the vote, called it a vote of conscience.

MayaWhich, okay, I respect the consistency, but politically... Politically, that ship has sailed.

DavidSailed and sunk, yeah. CNN's Patrick Svitek framed it well: Trump wanted this race to send a message, and it did.

MayaThe message being, cross the president, lose your seat. Full stop.

DavidThat's the math right now. And look, from a party unity standpoint, you can see why the base is on board. They want loyalty. They want someone who's going to push the agenda forward, not re-litigate 2021.

MayaRight. And voters get to decide. That's how primaries work.

DavidExactly. Letlow now almost certainly heads to the Senate. This is just what consolidation looks like in 26.

MayaOkay, so before we hit the fun stuff, one more story I don't want to bury.

DavidThe Venezuela one?

MayaYes, so AP News reported that Venezuela deported Alex Saab, a close ally of Nicolas Maduro, to face criminal proceedings in the U.S.

DavidWait, they just... Handed him over?

MayaKind of. DW's reporting adds context here: Saab fell out of favor with the new administration after Maduro was ousted and captured by US forces back in January. So there's no loyalty left to protect him.

DavidSo this isn't Venezuela suddenly playing nice, this is the new government cleaning house.

Mayahouse.

DavidExactly. And what's wild is that Saab was actually pardoned by President Biden during a prisoner swap just a few years ago. Now he's being sent back to face federal charges.

MayaThat's a full circle right there. I mean, U.S. pressure, diplomatic maneuvering, and now someone actually facing accountability for it.

DavidAnd it matters because this kind of thing doesn't always happen. The U.S. puts pressure on countries. sanctions get thrown around, and half the time nothing moves.

MayaYeah, this one moved, and it's a signal that the leverage is working.

DavidNot a bad week on that front.

MayaAlright, look, we've done two pretty heavy segments. Outbreaks, political fallout, diplomatic chess moves.

DavidGenuinely a lot before 9am. So here's some good news. The sports world had a completely wild weekend and we need to talk about it.

MayaConor McGregor alone is worth a whole conversation.

DavidWith excitement, five years away and he's back. We've got that, we've got Rousey versus Carano, and somehow Bulgaria won Eurovision? With a song called Bangaranga. I need to hear it.

MayaWe're getting into all of it right after this.

DavidAll right, let's shift to something fun. McGregor is back!

MayaFinally, right?

DavidNBC News confirmed it. Conor McGregor fights Max Holloway on July 11th in Las Vegas, first time in the octagon since 2021.

MayaFive years. That's a long time to be away from fighting.

DavidAnd he's jumping straight into it against Holloway, who is no pushover. Like, come on, that's a statement fight.

MayaDana White announced it Saturday. A Welterweight bout should be a huge card.

DavidYou think McGregor actually pulls it off?

MayaMmm, I want to say yes because it's McGregor, but five years is five years. Holloway has been active. I'd say it's anyone's fight.

DavidFair. I'm just glad we finally have a date.

MayaSame.

DavidSpeaking of fights this weekend, Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano went at it on Netflix.

MayaWait, that actually happened?

DavidIt did. Saturday night, Inglewood. Yahoo Sports had live coverage.

MayaI mean, Netflix doing live boxing now, that's kind of wild when you think about it.

DavidStreaming is eating everything.

MayaYeah.

DavidSports, boxing, live events, it's all moving that direction.

MayaIn two names people actually recognize, Rousey was the biggest star in women's MMA for years. Carano had her whole Hollywood moment.

DavidExactly. It's smart programming. You don't need hardcore boxing fans when the story sells itself.

MayaTwo fighters with beef, a big platform, and a Saturday night. Night, Netflix knows what it's doing.

DavidOkay, last one. You ready for this?

MayaHit me.

DavidBulgaria won Eurovision.

MayaNo way.

DavidYes, Dara, the song was called Bangaranga. NBC News had the story out of Vienna this weekend.

MayaOkay, I did not see that coming at all.

DavidNobody did. That's the fun of Eurovision. It's held in Vienna this year, and apparently there was some controversy swirling around Israel's participation again? Again.

MayaThere always is with Eurovision lately, but Bulgaria taking it with a song called Bangaranga is genuinely the most Eurovision outcome possible.

DavidRight? It's delightful.

MayaGood for them, honestly.

DavidSo there you have it. McGregor's coming back, Netflix is turning into a sports network, and Bulgaria just won the most chaotic singing competition on the planet.

MayaNot a bad weekend for sports and culture.

DavidNot bad at all. Okay, so a lot today. Any Ebola strain with no known vaccine, the WHO calling an international emergency, and the hantavirus situation still not fully resolved.

MayaYeah, and on the politics side, the Cassidy loss was about as clear a signal as you can send. Cross the president, lose your seat.

DavidCold, but that's where the party is right now. Oh, and Conor McGregor's back July 11th. I mean, come on.

MayaChuckling that one I did not see coming. Alright, if you got something out of today's show, subscribe and drop us a review. It genuinely helps.

DavidThanks for spending your morning with us. We'll be back tomorrow.

MayaSee you then!