Woman May Have Been Cured of HIV and Human Smuggling Ring Led by U.S. Marines

In good medical news, a woman in New York City appears to have been cured of HIV. The woman also had a form of leukemia which made her a candidate for a transplant of stem cells that carry a rare genetic mutation that blocks HIV. She received those stem cells in the form of umbilical-cord blood from a newborn. While scientists are encouraged by this development, treating HIV with transplants is still risky and costly and really only an option for those that need them for treatment for other diseases like cancer. Betsy McKay, senior writer at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Next, we are learning more about a massive human smuggling ring that was led by U.S. Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton. This story dates back to 2019 where Marines were recruited to pick up immigrants near the border and drive them inland to be released. They made perfect smugglers because no one would suspect them and wave them passed various checkpoints. It was obviously all about money and soldiers could make anywhere from $500-$750 per immigrant that they picked up. In the end, many of the Marines involved in the plot were let go on technicalities. Emily Green, reporter for Vice News, joins us for how it all went down.

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