Independent US presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr has revealed that a worm ate part of his brain.
It has emerged the 70-year-old made the claim during a 2012 interview, known as a deposition, in his divorce proceedings from his second wife Mary Richardson Kennedy.
At the time, he said his earning power had been diminished by cognitive issues.
He said he had been having memory loss and mental fogginess and so contacted neurologists who spotted a dark spot on his brain scans.
Image: Robert F Kennedy Jr with his second wife Mary Richardson Kennedy in February 2009. Pic: AP
They said he had a tumour but another doctor reached a different conclusion, believing he had a dead parasite in his head, The New York Times reported.
In his 2012 interview, Mr Kennedy said the medic thought that the abnormality “was caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died”.
Mr Kennedy, who is a son of former US attorney general and ex-senator Robert F Kennedy, and nephew of former US president John F Kennedy and ex-senator Ted Kennedy, also said during the deposition that he was diagnosed with mercury poisoning.
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He said: “I have cognitive problems, clearly. I have short-term memory loss, and I have longer-term memory loss that affects me.”
He told The New York Times he was certain the mercury poisoning was caused by his diet that included lots of tuna. Tuna contains higher levels of mercury than other fish, according to the NHS.
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Environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist Mr Kennedy, who is also known by his initials RFK Jr, told the publication: “I loved tuna fish sandwiches. I ate them all the time.”
He said that tests showed his mercury levels were 10 times higher than what the Environmental Protection Agency sees as safe.
A chemist told the same publication that the mercury levels which Mr Kennedy described were high but not surprising for someone consuming that quantity and type of seafood.
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Mr Kennedy said he made changes after the health scares, including getting more sleep and cutting down on his fish intake.
He told the paper that he had now recovered from the memory loss and fogginess and had no after-effects from the parasite, which he claimed had not needed any treatment.
Doctors who have treated parasitic infections and mercury poisoning have said both conditions can sometimes permanently damage brain function, but patients also can have temporary symptoms and mount a full recovery, the publication reported.
Mr Kennedy said he did not know what type of parasite it was or where he may have contracted it.
But several infectious disease experts and neurosurgeons told The New York Times that based on what Mr Kennedy described, they believed it was likely a pork tapeworm larva.
Image: Mr Kennedy is far behind Donald Trump and Joe Biden in the national polls. Pic: Reuters
When asked if his health issues would impact his fitness to serve as president, a spokesperson for the Kennedy campaign told the publication: “That is a hilarious suggestion, given the competition.”
Mr Kennedy, along with two other third party candidates, philosopher Cornel West, 70, and physician Jill Stein, 73, face Democrat incumbent Joe Biden, 81, and Republican candidate Donald Trump, 77, in November’s presidential race.
In the national polls, Mr Kennedy is currently on about 10%, compared with 41% for Mr Trump and 40% for Mr Biden.
Jurors in the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs have reached a verdict on four of the five counts against him – but the hip-hop mogul will have to wait to learn his fate.
In tense scenes towards the end of the court day on Tuesday, jurors sent a note to say they had reached verdicts on two charges of sex trafficking and two charges of transportation for prostitution, but had been unable to reach a unanimous decision on the charge of racketeering conspiracy.
Combs‘s lawyers surrounded him at the defence table after the note was sent to the court, and at one point he held his head in his hands.
After discussions with prosecution and defence lawyers, Judge Arun Subramanian told jurors to continue deliberating on Wednesday rather than deliver a partial verdict.
Image: Combs and one of his lawyers, Marc Agnifilo, earlier in the day. Pic: Reuters/Jane Rosenberg
The jury has testimony from more than 30 witnesses to consider – including Combs’s former long-term partner Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and another former girlfriend called “Jane”, who testified under a pseudonym to protect her identity.
Prosecutors allege the 55-year-old rapper used his fame and power to force Cassie and “Jane” into drug-fuelled sex sessions with male sex workers, which were referred to as “freak-offs”, “wild king nights”, or “hotel nights”.
He was also physically violent and blackmailed them with footage, jurors were told.
They also heard from “Mia”, a former employee who alleged she was sexually assaulted by the rapper on several occasions during her career. She also testified using a pseudonym.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges and his defence team has argued that prosecutors are attempting to criminalise what they say was a consensual “swingers lifestyle”.
The rapper chose not to testify and his lawyers did not call any witnesses, building their arguments instead through lengthy cross-examinations of the witnesses called by the prosecution.
The charges against Diddy – and potential sentences
Count 1: Racketeering conspiracy – up to life in prison
Count 2: Sex-trafficking of Cassie Ventura – a minimum of 15 years and maximum of life in prison
Count 3: Transporting individuals including but not limited to Cassie Ventura to engage in prostitution – a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison
Count 4: Sex-trafficking of Jane* – a minimum of 15 years and maximum of life in prison
Count 5: Transporting individuals including but not limited to Jane to engage in prostitution – a maximum of 10 years in prison
What is racketeering conspiracy?
Racketeering conspiracy, which is count one on the verdict sheet, is the most complicated of the charges against Combs.
Jurors need to decide not only whether the rapper created a “racketeering enterprise”, but also if he was involved in various offences as part of this, including kidnapping, arson and bribery.
The charge falls under the US’s RICO laws (the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act), which is best known for being used in relation to organised crime and drug cartel cases.
After closing arguments last week, jurors began deliberation on Monday and had spent about 13 hours discussing in total by the time they sent their note.
Before reaching the verdict on the four counts, they had requested to review crucial testimony from Cassie about her account of an assault in a hotel in Los Angeles in 2016.
Captured on CCTV, the footage was played in court several times – showing Combs, wearing only a towel and socks, beating, kicking and dragging Cassie in a hallway.
His defence team admitted in their opening statement that this was domestic violence, and said the music star regretted these actions – but that they did not amount to any of the federal charges against him.
As well as Cassie’s evidence on that assault, they asked to see her testimony on an incident at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013 – when she said Combs accused her of taking drugs from him and kicked her off of his yacht.
On their way back to the US, she told the court, he threatened to release explicit videos of her having sex with an escort.
Jurors also wanted to review testimony given by a male sex worker at the start of the trial.
Combs could face 15 years to life in prison if he is convicted of all charges.
Jurors will continue deliberating on the racketeering conspiracy charge on Wednesday.
Elon Musk has stepped up his attacks on Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill – weeks after a spectacular fallout between the world’s richest man and the US president.
Following weeks of relative silence after clashing with Mr Trump over his “big beautiful bill”, the billionaire vowed to unseat politicians who support it.
In a post on X, Musk said those who had campaigned on cutting spending but then backed the bill “should hang their heads in shame”.
He added: “And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.”
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Musk also threatened to put their faces on a poster which said “liar” and “voted to increase America’s debt” by $5trn (£3.6trn).
The posts attracted a swift reply from Mr Trump, who claimed the billionaire “may get more subsidy than any human being in history” for his electric car business.
“Without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!”
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Elon’s dad on the Musk-Trump bust-up
Musk spent at least $250m (£182m) supporting Mr Trump in his presidential campaign and then led the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which sacked about 120,000 federal employees.
He has argued the legislation would greatly increase the US national debt and wipe out the savings he claimed he achieved through DOGE.
As the Senate discussed the package, Musk called it “utterly insane and destructive”.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO said the bill’s massive spending indicated “we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!”
“Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people,” he wrote.
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