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Kennedy Approves $779,689 NIH Grant Linked to Plague Incident

By Drooid · Oct 9, 2026, 4:11 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. approved a $779,689 NIH grant to Illinois for a Russian partnership.
The Russian institute worked with Irkutsk’s Anti-Plague lab where Darya Shipilova died after a broken test tube.
Russian officials quarantined nearly 200 contacts and denied a confirmed plague diagnosis.
WHO Director-General Tedros asked Moscow to clarify Shipilova’s cause and a second case.
President Donald Trump said he will call Vladimir Putin to discuss incident.

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Story summary

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. approved a $779,689 NIH grant to Illinois for a Russian partnership.
The Russian institute worked with Irkutsk’s Anti-Plague lab where Darya Shipilova died after a broken test tube.
Russian officials quarantined nearly 200 contacts and denied a confirmed plague diagnosis.
WHO Director-General Tedros asked Moscow to clarify Shipilova’s cause and a second case.
President Donald Trump said he will call Vladimir Putin to discuss incident.