#749: Lyme Disease and Biowarfare with Kris Newby
5/23/2026 · 62 min · transcript via whisper
Tags
Key topics
— This episode does not discuss Bitcoin. The conversation focuses entirely on tick-borne diseases, government bioweapons research, and public health. Guest Chris Newby, an investigative journalist and author of "Bitten," discusses her two-decade investigation into:
— Historical U.S. military tick weaponization programs during the Cold War, including releases in Cuba and Virginia
— The connection between government experiments and modern Lyme disease and alpha-gal allergy outbreaks
— Alleged cover-ups and conflicts of interest within the NIH, CDC, and pharmaceutical industry regarding Lyme disease research and vaccine development
— Practical prevention measures for tick-borne illnesses and the importance of early treatment
— Upcoming declassification efforts and government accountability initiatives
Market & price signals
— None discussed
Actionable insights
— If bitten by a tick, seek treatment immediately with doxycycline (more than two pills) rather than adopting a "wait and see" approach; send the tick for DNA-based screening to local health departments or universities, which is faster and cheaper than human antibody tests
— Take precautions when outdoors in tick-prone areas: use repellent on clothing, wash clothes after exposure, perform thorough tick checks, and be aware that tick populations are expanding geographically, particularly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions
Episode sponsorships
Paid placements mentioned in this episode. BTC Pods is not sponsored by or affiliated with these advertisers. Links are included so you can find offers mentioned on the show.
— BitKey offers a hardware wallet with full screen and chain code delegation for sovereign Bitcoin self-custody without privacy sacrifice. Visit bitkey.world and use code TFTC for 10% off.
— CrowdHealth is a crowdfunded healthcare alternative to traditional health insurance that negotiates hospital prices and pools costs across members. Join at joincrowdhealth.com/TFTC and use promo code TFTC for $99 monthly subscription for your first three months.
— Unchained provides collaborative multi-signature Bitcoin custody securing over $12 billion across 12,000+ clients, offering vault services, Bitcoin-backed loans, IRAs, and inheritance solutions with institutional security while keeping you sovereign. Go to unchained.com and use code TFTC10 at checkout for 10% off a new Bitcoin multi-sig vault.
— AVEN Bitcoin Visa Card allows you to borrow up to $1 million backed by your Bitcoin without selling, with fixed rates up to 10 years, 2% unlimited cashback, and custody through BitGo with no re-hypothecation. Visit aven.com/bitcoin.