Editor’s note: This post contains snippets about stories, resources, and observations that the SET authors didn’t quite develop into full-blown posts over the past week. I’m hoping we can catch up with our in-boxes, but we didn’t want you, Dear Readers, to miss them. Some of them may later appear as a part (or parcel) of a full-blown post.—JohnL
Reporting for Disability Scoop on 16 September 2026, Shaun Heasley reported the story of Poul Thorsen, MD-PhD, pleading guilty to charges that he diverted grant funds to his own person al use, in “Autism Researcher Admits to Stealing CDC Funds.” Dr. Thorsen’s research, which focused on connections between biological factors and developmental disabilities, is sometimes employed in the debate about vaccines and autism, is not the topic of the fraud changes; he misused grant funds to pay for vehicles (including a motorcycle) and other non-research costs. See also
Dutch Wikipedia article (in Dutch) about Poul Threson;
US Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia, 8 May 2026: “Autism researcher extradited from Germany to face federal charges of stealing CDC grant money’
Sasha Pazenik, 8 May 2026, ABC News: “CDC researcher accused of stealing over $1 million in grant funding extradited to US: Danish scientist Poul Thorsen was indicted on fraud charges in 2011” (she shows connections of Thorsen with the vaccine-autism topic);
Trevor Hughes, 9 May 2026, USA Today, “Vaccine researcher to face charges accusing him of stealing CDC funds"
In the Kansas City Star Gary Blumenthal published an editorial 4 September 2026. It’s entitled “60 years of disability progress helped my brother. I fear we’re reversing it“ and (as one can surmise from the title) it is about 2026 changes in public policy that may interfere with community living for individuals with autism (and those who have other disabilities). [The KC Star is paywalled.]