Unless someone coughs up a red, spotty corpse pretty quickly, power-mad Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro is going to have some serious 'splainin' to do.
Even more than he does already.
I've had two posts on the governor and aspiring presidential candidate this week. The first was about the revelation of a terrifying end-run around a PA constitutional amendment, which stripped the draconian emergency powers used against citizens during COVID from the governor (and enforced by Shapiro, who was the state's AG at the time), by now-Governor Shapiro in concert with his health department. These are literally authoritarian, kick-in-the-door, suspension-of-civil-liberties occupation powers we're talking about.
The second, two days ago, was about the 'measles epidemic' centered in Lancaster County, PA, with two deaths (with no accompanying details) 'from' measles announced by the governor at a dramatic news conference, and the subsequent war of words exploding between Shapiro and Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr.
My issue at the time was rumors about the victims themselves - reportedly two older gentlemen - and the lack of any hard details whatsoever, other than Shapiro's one assertion that both were 'unvaccinated,' which, as we know, is the greatest sin ever next to wrong pronoun usage to a progressive. I felt that this was a deliberate attempt to indirectly smear the Amish community in Lancaster and went into some detail on the rather large 'immigrant' (illegal and otherwise) population that lives in Lancaster City, a declared sanctuary city smack in the middle of Amish country.
As the afternoon waned, the story of the 'measles deaths' started zinging off in a completely unforeseen direction that was at total odds with what the state's chief executive had just told the world in that dramatic and alarming morning presser.
And, as it came from none other than a Lancaster County commissioner, I added it.
Commissioner Josh Parsons, doing his due diligence, took the time to talk to the Lancaster County coroner to learn more about the apparent deadly epidemic brewing in his county.
What he was told shocked him, because according to the coroner, there were no bodies on her slab - zero deaths - that had been unalived by the measles.
Important information about the measles press conference today: Today Governor Shapiro, members of Penn Medicine LGH, and members of the PA Department of Health (DOH) held a press conference announcing two “measles-associated deaths” in Lancaster County.
— Commissioner Josh Parsons (@CommissionerJP) August 25, 2026
Officials provided…
...Officials provided virtually no background information about these “measles-associated” deaths. DOH said to “protect the privacy of the individuals and their families, DOH will not release any additional details that could personally identify these individuals and their families,” however, they did release the medical information that the two were unvaccinated.
Thus, they did not release age, background, or comorbidity information, but did release vaccination information.
It is important to know whether these two people died OF measles or WITH measles.
Given this is important information for us to have, and that the public and media have many questions about this, I reached out to the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office for information.
Deaths attributed to a communicable disease, under the law, are required to be reported to the Coroner’s office.
The Coroner’s office indicates that it currently has ZERO reported cases where measles is the immediate cause of death.
They have one case where a person died WITH measles, but not FROM measles. Measles was definitely NOT the cause of death in that case.
Given this information, it appears at least on the surface that incorrect information was provided to the public today. That information set off significant media interest in Lancaster County, both locally and nationally.
Perhaps there is an explanation, but it is incumbent on the individuals and organizations that had the press conference today to provide that information to the public in a timely and accurate way.
Here we are, two days later, and holy smokes.
One of the deaths has been clarified, and it is both terribly sad and absolutely appalling that a public official would use something so tragic for his blatant fear-mongering.
A newborn baby - NEWBORN - died from a lacerated spleen during delivery shortly after being born at a birthing center.
This innocent child's few hours on Earth became one of Governor Shapiro's 'unvaccinated measles deaths.'
Coroner says baby with measles in Pennsylvania died of a ruptured spleen
The statement came a day after the state Health Department announced that an infant was one of the two people whose deaths were associated with measles.
After the Pennsylvania Health Department announced Wednesday that one of the two people whose deaths in the state were associated with measles was an infant, the coroner involved in the case has said he does not consider measles to be the cause of death.
The Lancaster County coroner, Dr. Stephen Diamantoni, said in an interview Wednesday evening that the baby died shortly after birth from an internal hemorrhage and “traumatic rupture” of the spleen. He said he found evidence of the measles virus in the infant’s lung tissue.
It is still unclear whether measles played a role in the infant’s death. An infection can cause the spleen to enlarge — which raises the risk of rupture — but that could be difficult to detect in an autopsy after a rupture has occurred. Diamantoni, a Republican who has held the elected position since 2008, said he did not find evidence that the infant’s spleen was enlarged.
He added that he was investigating the death further, saying the infant was born at a birthing center assisted by a lay midwife who was not certified in midwifery.
The governor's spin machine, including the press - notice how the coroner's political affiliation is mentioned as if those were medical credentials - are casting the coroner's determination as 'unclear' when he was perfectly clear about the cause of death.
And for Shapiro, a notorious vaccine fiend, to say an 'unvaccinated' child died of measles, when it was a newborn?
...2. The desired media response: The media, in large part, dutifully took their cue and reported two deaths “from” measles in Lancaster County. The New York Times: “Two unvaccinated people in Pennsylvania have died from measles, as a large outbreak there continues to spread, the state’s Health Department reported on Tuesday morning.” ABC News: “BREAKING: Two people have died in Pennsylvania from measles, the state health department said Tuesday. Both unvaccinated.”
Importantly, the Governor, his administration, and other officials at the press conference did not correct these stories. The message had been conveyed as apparently it was intended.
Note – it is clear now that these stories are not true and any credible news source would retract them rather than just shrug and move on.
3. The lack of transparency: Officials provided virtually no background information about these “measles-associated” deaths. DOH said to “protect the privacy of the individuals and their families, DOH will not release any additional details that could personally identify these individuals and their families,” however, they did release the medical information other than the fact that the two were “unvaccinated.”
Importantly, the law DOES allow information to be released that does not violate privacy – i.e. more demographic and background information. I contend it was very important to do this when making such a big announcement, which made national news. Officials provided no corroborating evidence to their claims.
Despicable.
After a newborn died of a ruptured spleen during an at-home birth, Gov. Josh Shapiro said it was measles. The coroner says it wasn't.
— Emily Kopp (@emilyakopp) August 27, 2026
Health officials scold that the infant was unvaccinated. Babies receive the MMR vaccine at 6 months to a year. The newborn presumably was only a…
...Health officials scold that the infant was unvaccinated. Babies receive the MMR vaccine at 6 months to a year. The newborn presumably was only a few hours old.
Five days before the presser, a Democrat dark money group advised hitting Republicans on Trump's vaccine policy.
Not only did the Lancaster County coroner determine measles played no part in the baby's tragic death, but the forensic pathologist who did the tissue testing also confirmed that determination. Commissioner Parsons didn't bother to note the doctor's political affiliation, as NBC felt it had to.
...6. County Coroner and Forensic Patholgist report contradicts state officials: The County Coroner and the Forensic Pathologist, both of whom have many years of experience, rule out the claim that the infant can be one of the cases. “Lancaster County Coroner Steve Diamantoni said the cause of death was not from the measles. The newborn died shortly after birth from a laceration of the spleen, although measle antibodies were present in postmortem testing…” (Coroner interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer.)
Moreover, the forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy indicated the cause of death was not related to measles (Coroner interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer), thus ruling out the theory that has been raised by some that the spleen was enlarged or otherwise susceptible to this injury due to measles exposure.
Commissioner Parsons, as you can tell, is a pretty dogged and thorough investigator when he gets going on something, and the governor's underhanded actions, along with those of his state health department's hierarchy, seem to be really sticking in his craw.
So the good man asked what would seem to be the obvious next question - who was the second death in the county 'from measles'?
You know, it turns out to be just the weirdest thing - no one can say.
...10. The second case: We still know nothing about the second reported death. There has not even been an effort, to my knowledge, to explain this death or provide any details whatsoever – beyond “unvaccinated.” Again, under the law any death due to measles would be required to be reported to the County Coroner. He has no report.
Given the other apparent deception here it is fair to ask whether the facts of the second case have been materially manipulated similar to the first case, or whether the second case exists at all.
I think the people of Lancaster County deserve to have transparency over whether there were actually two measles deaths or not.
When the press started quizzing the PA health department, thanks to the commissioner's hard work exposing the baby's circumstances, they reverted to a very worrying explanation smacking of COVID-era death accounting. You all remember - where a coroner would count a corpse as a 'COVID death' because there were traces of the virus in the bloodstream, but it had really been more a case of the semi-truck that crushed his motorcycle with him on it that really killed the guy.
Yeah. That's how Shapiro's playing this.
Appreciate journalists like @AlexThillTV @CBS21NEWS pushing for answers. That is all we want - honest, transparent information. pic.twitter.com/xkfbX8IlUw
— Commissioner Josh Parsons (@CommissionerJP) August 28, 2026
And they still haven't found the dead measles guy No. 2 yet.
Governor Shapiro's unseemly rush to Lancaster County to convene a national press conference and his giddy delight in announcing two measles deaths was a morose commentary on the contemporary political dialogue. The performance was a replay of the Democrats' COVID playbook:… https://t.co/LvZf3br1dB
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) August 26, 2026
...fearmongering, misinformation, finger-pointing, and the weaponization of infectious disease fears for political gain.
The announcement appears to have been premature, and the deaths may even have been altogether fabricated by one of the Governor's hopeful staffers. The Lancaster County Coroner says that it has no record of any measles deaths. State law requires that all measles deaths be reported to the coroner.
Governor Shapiro shattered tradition and violated standard public health policy by refusing to share information with the County Health Department or CDC.
Since I have been in office, CDC has had a superb record of cooperation, information sharing, and professionalism with blue- and red-state governors and health officials. Those collaborations have resulted in effective control of the global measles outbreak in this country.
Governor Shapiro got his headlines. He correctly gambled that the slavish mainstream media would dutifully amplify his scolding without any effort to check his facts.
This is raising some uncomfortable questions about the ambitious and ruthless governor.
Public health should not be used as a tool for political influence. We learned that during Covid. https://t.co/mRCpkD1MlN
— Commissioner Josh Parsons (@CommissionerJP) August 28, 2026
As it should.
I'm sure there's more to come.
Beege ADDS: And I meant every bit of the 'ruthless' part. He'll use dead babies if he has to.
Shapiro's newly proposed rule would: Eliminate parental consent, create a vaccine tracking database and give the Dept. of Health access to children’s medical records without parental consentpic.twitter.com/xZsq0VyFDF
— Jefferey Jaxen (@JeffereyJaxen) August 27, 2026
Scratch a progressive, find a fascist, every. Single. Time.
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