What's up, sunshine? I'm Koi Wire, and
today on CNN 10, could a tiny tick
really make us allergic to burgers and
barbecue? Then, NASA reveals its bold
new plan to build humanity's first
permanent foothold on the moon. Plus, a
flight attendant whose career has lasted
longer than many airlines. Let's get to
it. We start with a bite-sized bug
causing superersized problems. Some tick
bites can trigger a condition that makes
people allergic to red meat. Now, US
Health and Human Services Secretary
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is launching a new
initiative to combat Lyme disease and
other tick-related illnesses. The
initiative includes funding for tick
control programs and more research into
Alpha Gal syndrome, a condition that's
been spreading to more parts of the
country. CNN's Meg Terrell explains.
People don't want to go outside anymore.
They don't want to go hiking. They are
scared to go gardening or even walk the
dog.
>> In Martha's Vineyard, an island people
visit, especially in the summer, to
enjoy its gorgeous beaches and trails
and great food scene, ticks are making
life difficult.
>> We're surrounded by what is apparently a
tick haven.
>> Tom Murphy, his wife Chris, and several
of their neighbors have all contracted
an allergy called Alpha Gal. Spread by
ticks. It makes them allergic to red
meat.
>> I had a uh steak dinner with my son. I
went to bed and everything was fine.
Everything was normal. And about 2 or so
in the morning, I woke up and I was
having trouble breathing.
>> So, what were the things you can't eat
anymore?
>> Well, you can't eat beef, no lamb, no
pork, no venison. A lot of people can't
eat dairy.
>> It's spread by a tick called the lonear,
which can transfer a sugar molecule with
its bite that can spark the allergy. We
found two on a quick hunt with a tick
biologist in Tom and Chris's yard.
>> So, lone stars were first recorded on
the island 2011. They're probably here
before that.
>> Why is it grown so fast?
>> We've got a good climate here for ticks.
Since we're out on the ocean, we have
plenty of hosts, like very overabundant
deer that the ticks just have no problem
finding a meal.
>> When it bites us, our immune system
might decide for an invader. Don't like
it. And I'm going to create an allergic
response. Leah Hamner is an
epidemiologist on the island. She says
there's still a lot to learn about the
allergy.
>> We don't exactly know who's most likely
to develop alpha gal syndrome and who's
not. There's people who get lonar tick
bites and do not become allergic.
>> Martha's Vineyard Hospital tested nine
people for alpha gal in 2020 and only
two came up positive. In 2024 we did
over,200 tests and 523 of those tests
were positive. So you can see that we
went from like a positivity rate of
22.2% 2% up to 41.7%.
It can be quite frightening for patients
because the allergy can be mild
including itching, rashes, some GI
symptoms, but it can also be very severe
and unfortunately quite unpredictable.
About onethird of our customers that
come in have Alpha Gal.
>> Farm stands and restaurants on the
island are also adapting to try to help
their customers. So many people were
just shell shocked that they had to
change their diets immediately and so
they needed support with that. So I've
been buying alternative dairy
plant-based cheeses. Um this is like a
oops like a feta-ike cheese and I bake
with this and it's melty.
>> So here we have our turkey bolognese uh
which is completely alpha gal friendly.
We want to make sure we can accommodate
this allergy because it's spreading like
wildfire.
>> Pop quiz hot shot. Which of these items
left on the moon by astronauts is still
there today? A golf ball, a family
photo, a feather, or all of the above?
If you said all of the above, ding ding.
In the 1970s, astronaut Charles Duke
left a family photo. David Scott left a
feather after testing Galileo's famous
science experiment. And Alan Shepard hit
a golf ball across the lunar surface.
NASA has announced a series of upcoming
missions to establish a long-term human
presence on the moon. During the
historic Artemis 2 mission this past
April, NASA tested systems to help
astronauts live and work beyond short
visits. The goal? Build knowledge for
sustained exploration on the moon and
eventually missions to Mars. At a
conference in Washington DC, NASA said
there will be three parts to this
initiative called Moonbase. Phase one is
expected to begin this fall with
critical equipment and infrastructure
being launched towards the moon. If
successful, Moonbase will become
humanity's first permanent outpost
beyond Earth. NASA is funding private
companies to develop lunar vehicles,
rovers, and technology that could help
astronauts work, travel, and even live
on the moon. Just when we thought her
story was finished, one of the greatest
athletes of all time is picking up the
pen again. The queen returns. That was
the message from Queens Club in London
after confirming Serena Williams will
make her comeback in the doubles draw
ahead of Wimbledon. This is massive.
We're not just talking about a 23-time
Grand Slam singles champ. A player who
spent more than 300 weeks ranked number
one. This is a global icon who helped
transform women's sports. Serena turns
45 in a few months. hasn't played a pro
match in years. She lost in singles in
the third round of the US Open in 2022.
And yet, her return instantly sends a
jolt of electricity through the tennis
world. Who will be her doubles partner?
That hasn't been announced. How far can
she go? Does this mean she's preparing
to play Wimbledon as well? That's
anyone's guess. Remember, she appeared
on an international testing pool list
dated from October of 2025. That sparked
the initial rumors about a potential
comeback, but she shot those down by
tweeting in December, "OMG, y'all, I'm
not coming back." But one thing's
certain, when Serena Williams walks back
onto the court, the sporting world will
be watching. She's a true legend that
has the power to bring everything to a
standstill. Now to an update on Russia's
ongoing war on Ukraine, where rats are
being used to help find hidden and
deadly danger lurking underground in
large parts of the country. While
Russian drones continue to pose a daily
threat from the skies across Ukraine,
our Isabel Rosales has more on
landmines.
>> Step by step,
>> sweep by sweep, the slow and painstaking
rhythm of mine clearance in Ukraine.
Some 25 miles or 40 km outside Kev, this
team is working to make sure the fields
and forests are safe from mines and
other potential dangers. It's slow but
critical work. Since the start of
Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022,
the United Nations says Ukraine has
become the most heavily mined country in
the world. According to the UN, an
estimated 20% of Ukraine's territory, an
area larger than England and Wales
combined, is now contaminated with mines
and other unexloded ordinance. And
experts with the Halo Trust, the world's
largest humanitarian demining
organization, say the process in Ukraine
will take at least 10 years. That's time
when fields will go unplanted. Homes and
businesses will remain in ruins and
people's livelihoods will continue to
suffer. Already, Ukraine is feeling the
impacts from human casualties. The UN
says hundreds of civilians have been
killed or wounded by landmines and other
explosive material.
To the rising economic toll, the UN
estimates that the presence of landmines
and other munitions is costing the
country 11 billion a year. While the
scale of the demining project is vast.
The Halo Trust says the same advances in
technology that have transformed the
battlefield are already helping to speed
up their own process. The group has
started using drones and AI to survey
contaminated land and identify potential
threats. Technology Prince Harry was
able to test out during a recent visit
to Ukraine. Elsewhere, the Halo Trust
has turned to unmanned systems like this
remote control digger, which excavates
soil littered with mines, then chews it
up in a specialized grinder. Despite the
advances in technology, it's not suited
to every task. That's when deminers rely
on a more old-fashioned and more
dangerous approach. Removing the mines
by hand.
Today's story getting a 10 out of 10.
The retirement to end all retirements.
Joan Prince is hanging up her wings
after more than 66 years as a flight
attendant. Delta Airlines says she may
be the longest serving flight attendant
in airline history. When she began her
career at Pacific Airlines in 1959, the
plane still relied on propellers and
only carried a few dozen passengers.
Alaska and Hawaii were brand new states.
She's witnessed the jet age take off.
And she's helped train generations of
flight attendants. After tens of
thousands of treks and safety
demonstrations, she says one flight
flies above the rest.
>> I flew a craft trip, a military flight,
and we flew to Frankfurt. We got out to
the airport at midnight and we were
about to pick up 220
refugees from Afghanistan
who were leaving their country forever
to come to the United States to be safe.
That was my favorite.
>> Her favorite destinations Paris, Mumbai,
and Hong Kong. Miss Joan Prince, you are
now cleared for retirement. That's about
all we have time for today, but we have
shout outs. This first one goes to Miss
Goodidge at Lyman High School in
Longwood, Florida. Congratulations on
your retirement. Here's to opening the
DOA to your next chapter. Thank you for
inspiring generations of TV production
students, including our very own Brendan
Buckley B. Double. He's a gift that you
didn't even know you'd be giving us one
day. This show would not be what it is
today without teachers like you and Miss
Everheart, Mr. Merrill, and Mr.
Fitzgerald at Roland Grize Middle School
in Wilmington, North Carolina. Sailor,
you did this hand knitted this banner.
This is epic. Glad you are hooked on CNN
10. We love this so much. Thanks for
spending part of your day with us. Keep
that curiosity skyhigh. Your kindness
turned up to a 10. And remember, you are
more powerful than you know. I'm Koi
Wire and we are CNN 10.