36 Celebrities With Allergies To Foods, Animals, And Beauty Products

Fauci Admits Truth About School Closures

Former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci has finally conceded that it was a mistake to keep schools closed as long as they were during the coronavirus pandemic.

"How long you kept it was the problem, because there was a disparity throughout the country," he told CBS News in a recent interview promoting his new book.  "If you go back and look at the YouTube, I kept on saying, 'Close the bars, open the schools. Open the schools as quickly and as safely as you possibly can.' But initially to close it down was correct. Keeping it for a year was not a good idea."

As was clear at the time and as has been confirmed through academic research, school closures were generally associated with the power of teachers unions above all else.

As noted by Anthony Lynch at National Review, "Lengthy school closures contributed to generational learning loss, reflected in the generational declines in reading and math test scores observed by the National Assessment of Educational Progress's report card. The learning losses particularly impacted minority and lower-income students unable to afford tutors and other online educational resources. Academic rebounding from the lost learning could take as long as five years."

Who could forget, for example, the lengthy school closures in the Los Angeles Unified school district, which is effectively run by the United Teachers Los Angeles union. The union used the pandemic to issue a series of "demands" that a charter school moratorium be imposed, that law enforcement be defunded and that Proposition 13 be gutted.

Ultimately, it was the students who suffered the consequences. And, naturally, the union leaders learned nothing.

"Our kids didn't lose anything," UTLA leader Cecily Myart-Cruz said in a 2021 interview with Los Angeles magazine. "It's OK that our babies may not have learned all their times tables. They learned resilience. They learned survival. They learned critical-thinking skills. They know the difference between a riot and a protest. They know the words insurrection and coup."

We can only hope that the nation has learned something from the pandemic years. Alas, the same unions who kept schools closed continue to call the shots in California.

California Restaurant Owner 'very Angry' Over Debunked Fauci COVID Guidelines: 'It Destroyed Our Industry'

Pineapple Hill Saloon and Grill owner Angela Marsden discusses Dr. Fauci's remarks on the COVID social distancing rule and California's minimum wage law.

A California restaurant owner who went viral during the pandemic after her eatery was forced to close while a movie set operated next door is slamming Dr. Anthony Fauci over debunked COVID rules that "destroyed" the industry.

Angela Marsden, owner of the Pineapple Hill Saloon and Grill in Sherman Oaks, said she's "very angry" after learning from Dr. Fauci's recent testimony that social distancing rules were not backed by science during her appearance Tuesday on "Varney & Co."

"It's very traumatizing," Marsden said.

The restaurateur argued that people are "still going out of business" due to the rules that were set in place during the pandemic.

"It closed 30 percent of the restaurants in California. And the way he said it, it's just, I don't understand. Isn't there any liability, any responsibility that anybody is going to take for this? It destroyed our industry. It's very confusing," she stressed.

CELEBRITY CHEF SAYS RESTAURANT-GOERS ARE STILL SEEING HIGH MENU PRICES BECAUSE OF THIS 'NO. 1 PROBLEM'

During a hearing Monday, Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was grilled by lawmakers on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's six-feet distancing rule, the masking of schoolchildren and other pandemic-era restrictions. 

Marsden told host Stuart Varney that although she was "fortunate" to remain open, she still carries debt. 

"I carry debt, I have a huge loan payment that I have to pay, even though I was lucky enough and had donations that saved my bar," Marsden expressed.

"So, can you imagine what other restaurant owners are going through? I mean, and 30 percent of us in California were wiped out," she said.

Marsden said that fellow bar and restaurant owners who she was well acquainted with "killed themselves" during the pandemic because they were "losing their home and everything."

Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, reacts to Anthony Fauci denying responsibility for various COVID mandates on 'The Big Money Show.'

However, COVID guidelines haven't been the only setback for California restaurant owners; the state's $20 minimum wage law is also contributing to the downfall of businesses.

RESTAURANT OWNER FEARS CALIFORNIA MINIMUM WAGE LAW IS 'A SILENT TAX' ON CONSUMERS, 'COLLAPSING' BUSINESSES

"Listen, I don't understand what's going on, but they were raising minimum wage during COVID. They didn't even stop raising minimum wage during COVID when we were barely… open," Marsden explained.

She went on to add that restaurant owners are getting pummeled by high liability insurance in addition to the $20 minimum wage.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum argues California's new minimum wage law will affect every business in the state that deals with food on 'Cavuto: Coast to Coast.'

"Most people are still paying back rent from debt. Fifty-one percent of the restaurants in L.A. That were supposed to get the restaurant revitalization grant never received the money. Some of those people mortgaged their house, being told they were going to get it, and Congress never fulfilled that completely," she revealed. 

Marsden argued that it was the "largest transfer of wealth from Main Street to basically, you know, the big guys."

"People are still suffering," she stressed.

READ MORE FROM FOX BUSINESS

Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report

Mother Supporting 6-year-old Son Raises Awareness About Food Allergies

Some 33 million Americans live with food allergies, and roughly two children in every classroom have a food allergy.

HAMPDEN, Maine — According to Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE), some 33 million Americans live with food allergies, which equates to about one in 10 adults and one in every 13 children who adjust their lives and diets to better manage allergies that can be life-threatening.

With May being food allergy awareness month, FARE is challenging people to join its 33-mile challenge to raise money for food research. Anyone can join by signing up online. 

Stephanie Joyce from Hampden signed up for the virtual 33-mile walk, bike, or run challenge. Her son, Connor. Gives her more motivation than most to raise awareness.

"When he was 6 months old, I gave him a baby yogurt, and his skin started to turn red around his mouth," Joyce said. "It spread down to his neck, and eventually, from head to toe, he was red."

Share to spread awareness and raise funds! 👟 Join the 33-Mile Walk Challenge this May and raise funds to create a safe...

Posted by Food Allergy Research & Education on Tuesday, April 30, 2024

For many children, lounging in fresh-cut grass or scaling ropes on tree limbs would be enough to trigger an allergic reaction. But for Connor, it's not the grass or the pollen that he has to watch out for. All of his allergens are stowed away in the pantry or in the fridge.

"Eggs, peanuts, cashews, tree nuts, hazelnuts ... And peanuts," Connor said when telling NEWS CENTER Maine about the foods he's allergic to.

Connor is also allergic to yogurt. He can't eat or touch any of his food allergens. His mother said he vomits or breaks out in hives when he comes in contact with food he's allergic to.

Northern Light Health allergist and immunologist Rung-chi Li said medical professionals are not entirely sure what causes food allergies. He said the severity of symptoms and allergic reactions vary from person to person. 

Some people can manage their allergies by practicing avoidance, but there are also two prescription therapies, Palforiza and Xolair.

Northern Light Allergy and Immunology is the only medical office in Maine that offers the FDA-approved therapies used to treat food allergies. 

"It can be very severe like anaphylaxis," said Li of the severe allergic reaction that causes a person's immune system to release a flood of chemicals that can cause them to go into shock. It also causes a person's blood pressure to drop and narrows their airway, making it harder for them to breathe. Li said other allergic reactions could result in someone passing out or even dying.

Research from FARE shows that roughly two children in every classroom have a food allergy.

While allergists like Li are trained to recognize the symptoms, Joyce spotted her son's allergic reaction through her own professional lens, flexing her registered dietician skills and mom instincts. 

"Now that I'm managing my son's food allergies, it feels very similar to what I was doing when I was worked as a school nutrition director," Joyce said. She preps Connor's meals following a strict food allergy treatment plan. His breakfast alone includes 15 different foods that are genetically similar to his allergens. The food is introduced in microdoses, helping build his body's tolerance over time.

He also visits the Food Allergy Institute clinic in California every eight to 10 weeks to receive allergy treatments geared towards putting his allergies in remission.

"For a long time, it really bothered me not knowing how I could control (things) when he wasn't under my care," Joyce said. But she said her son has been empowered to speak up for himself.

"He knows if someone else has touched his foods he can't eat it," she said.

Connor takes the initiative to manage allergies and practices administering EpiPen injection treatments.

Managing a food allergy can be hard for people to understand, Joyce said. Although it may be an inconvenience to limit various foods that her son or other children may potentially be allergic to in a group setting, Joyce said she always wants her son to feel considered.

"We want to be included, and we hate that it might be an inconvenience to someone else not to serve a certain food at a party. But just ask us ways that you can serve something that we can help participate in ... Or maybe we bring a special food," Joyce said. "We just want people to understand that this is really important, and for us, this is life-threatening. This is not just something we cannot do some days."

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