Reporter/Editor/Analyst | Flâneur/gadabout/gimlet eye | bys @NewYorker @TheNation @Guardian @NewRepublic @AJAM | 2020 Alicia Patterson Foundation fellow
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Yes. It feels shocking to see so much power vested in this lunatic. But I guess I’m saying we should think about the role many have played in paving the way way for his lunacy. The othering of illness, the idea that public health is not a public responsibility—it made this moment easier to get to.
I’m probably less surprised by what Bobby is doing than I am by how shocked so many others seem to be. This country has spent 5+ years now saying “healthy” people needn’t be that concerned with an airborne infectious disease—even as it killed 100s-1000s every week. RFKjr is saying the same thing.
Not singling out Philip—I’ve seen a lot of posts this wk that express shock over RFKjr, and I gotta ask: had you never known of the multiple profit motives behind anti-science conspiracy mongering? + Have you not noticed just how selfish our culture was revealed to be during this current pandemic?
I’m hearing Upton Sinclair in my head saying something like “It is difficult to get a country to fight from the inside when a country’s acquiescence is rewarded by the outside.”
“all-Israeli project”… underwritten?… sponsored?… endorsed?… by the US, UK & a number of others.
“People Who Vociferously Objected to Doing Anything about Covid Now Asking Why No One is Doing Anything about Their Covid”
Yes. Thank you for noting it is more than just Bobby Brainworm. Since the earliest days, I worried about what Bhattacharya, Makary & Prasad would do to essentially make vaccinations impossible to get, even if they never outright said there was a ban.
Maybe it’s the fog of war, but I still feel like I’m missing something. Not saying I believe the collision was a targeted attack, just trying to figure out the part about Giuliani being where he was and why he felt he had to give these specific DV details to explain it.
New Mexico has issued a public health order that removes federal restrictions to COVID-19 vaccine access so that pharmacies in New Mexico can vaccinate people of all ages and risk profiles. Every state need to do this!
Except the version of this story I heard earlier this hour on WNYC specifically said that they do not believe the collision was a targeted attack.
Exactly my first thought….
As I post this, the story is just three grafs long—you tell me, is your spidey sense tingling?
Post a random picture or everything will go bad in September
When you say “covid is over” or refer to the pandemic only in the pastense you make it easy for RFK jr to withhold the vaccines & defund clinics. You make it easy for employers to end paid sick days. When you don’t mask up you make it easy to pass bans. We organize but what you do & say matters too.
I fear that even when gone, some LLM will generate Trump “Truths” for the rest of eternity.
Your groove I do deeply dig
First one that pops into my head: “Do You Want to Hold Me?” - Bow Wow Wow (One of the first vids I remember adding another layer of meaning to a song.) Three others that come to mind: “Take on Me” - Aha “Crackerbox Palace” - George Harrison “The Hardest Button to Button” - White Stripes
There’s a party in your mind!
I was just about to log back in with the very same. (I had to look it up to find the link)
Or do you mean before we even get to that?
?
I agree, it is best (if not imperative) for states to rewrite the rules, it’s just I got the feeling from the post you quoted that Dr. Jacobs expects ACIP to do the right thing next month. I’m feeling less confident.
But this is a new ACIP completely stocked with RFK Jr’s hand picked acolytes. Am I wrong to think there might be more maddening anti-science monkey business come September 18?
I’m hoping this fixes this one particular issue, but I have to note that today’s ACIP is not last year’s—so I fear the panel now stacked with RFKjr’s minions will give us all an awful surprise.
There is no amount of chaos and carnage Bibi Netanyahu won’t create to keep his corrupt, rapey, racist ass out of jail.
War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. But other people are still othered.
Serious question, actually,
Did OpenAI use AI to write its condolence press releases?
And, also, he came up at a time when “obstructionist” was a dirty word—or was sold as such by Clinton triangulators. “Bipartisan” became an end instead of a means.
Yes, but also, Schumer wants to be majority leader again, and sees his path there paved with large donor $$. He doesn’t want to be seen as a rabble rouser or as blaming elites….
It was bad enough to have a cabinet sec who can’t ever manage to match his tie width with his lapel width. Now I find the ties are polyester. Both should be grounds for impeachment.
Hate to imagine how Vance asks for a blow job.
This seems to be Vance’s only move. He’s like the dad you and all of your friends agreed was the absolute worst in the carpool group.
*and it should be noted that the 1.2 million total, along with periodic counts of Covid deaths throughout the pandemic, are widely acknowledged to be major undercounts. It should also be noted that death isn't the only bad outcome from a Covid infection (to say nothing of repeated infections).
Yes, many will die b/c of what RFKjr & Trump are doing to vax access, BUT When the 1st vaccines became broadly available—let's call that May 2021—less than HALF that 1.2 million had died of COVID. By abandoning mitigation & not pushing for 95% vax rate, more than 700K died after we had access.
Obviously the Trump GOP calls to drain the swamp were insincere, but that doesn’t mean the part that resonated with voters isn’t real. I hope Wahls will be one of many Dems who will hammer this point in their campaigns. It’s the corruption, stupid.
I got verbal pushback from Dem insiders on the idea that Dems should campaign against corruption. It felt like they were afraid it was an attack on status quo Dems & on big dollar donors… To which I say, damn straight. Lots of govt was captured by biz interests a long time ago—& voters feel it.
I want to boost this for one reason—Zach Wahls uses the “c” word: corruption. I’ve argued since 2016 that “it’s the corruption, stupid.” Dems were too quick to dismiss the appeal of “drain the swamp” b/c it came from Trump, but it was shorthand for ppl who saw govt working for Wall St, not Main St.
He will trash your memories like a duffle bag full of all your worldly possessions inside the tent you were forced to live in.
Thing is, there’s a group of MOTUs who, even if they know Vance doesn’t have the juice, will, if they think he’s the most viable thing they got going right now, flood us with attestations about how absolutely juicy he really is.
Vance’s milkshake will not bring all the boys to the yard, but there will be boys that will choke it down and insist you have to drink it anyway.
As I always say: The Constitution does not guarantee a right to spit-free restaurant food.
States absolutely need to immediately find a new ways to protect their residents. I’d suggest all call their state representatives & governors. There are attempts to set up independent vax integrity panels. But at the end of the day, we can’t manage airborne epidemics on a state-by-state basis.
It’s hard to save face when you refuse to look in a mirror.
If you've heard RFK jr. talk about bird flu, you know his BS theory is if we let it rip through the chicken population, the survivors would breed a sort of über chicken. In 2019, he sowed measles vax skepticism in Samoa to "test" a similar theory—but with humans. Now he wants to do it with Covid.
<> Which is just how RFKjr & Co wanted it.
"Those states are Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia, along with the District of Columbia."
"In some states, pharmacists are forbidden to administer vaccines that are not recommended by [ACIP].... But... the panel was not scheduled to meet for another 3wks & after a slew of high-level resignations at the CDC, Senator Bill Cassidy...has called for the meeting to be indefinitely postponed."
Heh. [Fernando Lamas voice] “It is better to look fascist than to feel fascist.” (You probably saw what I said earlier)
The entire US public health apparatus has fallen into the hands of a privileged cadre of Ayn Rand LARPers.
🎼 and I shouted out, “Who killed you and me?” When after all, It was a Kennedy. 🎶
This song has been in my head all day. #IYKYK
Or The Apprentice made flesh-ie.
t’s The Apprentice made flesh. Just like the TV show gave us simulacra of Trump as wealthy, powerful capitalist by amplifying the most cliche & nasty aspects of capitalism, down to building a phony boardroom, Trump’s minions present a pastiche of dictatorship, but where ppl are actually hurt.
The A.I.prentice
But that was the last war—it’s time to win the next one by learning from this grotesque mistake. Level with people. Build a shadow public health system that gives honest assessments of the risks and explains viable options for better health outcomes—for both individuals AND society as a whole.
Just like you know something is wrong when you’re paying $9 for a dozen eggs, ppl know something is wrong when grandma died or a child is chronically ill from a virus the pres told you had been “defeated.” It was a strategic & tactical disaster AND a public health disaster. And it cost Dems votes.
And I say this understanding the irony, since the previous Dem admin failed voters miserably by minimizing the pandemic & missing the opportunity to use a crisis to expand care. Instead they watched 100s of 1000s die, millions become chronically ill, while claiming the pandemic was over.
While Dems scratch their heads & wonder about how to fundraise for better messaging, might I suggest they instead elevate the folks who know how to message? Voters are going to feel the effects of gutting of public health. Can we set up shadow CDC/NIH/FDA etc & let them just speak the hard truths?
Loud call to boycott Cracker Barrel until they require a recent Covid vaccine to either eat or work there.
I came here to say same. The Pod Bros will do all those episodes, and MattY will be the grifting contrarian in each.
And, as I feared, the news of the attempts to push out the CDC head are overshadowing the news that three new COVID vaccines have been approved and are coming to market. We need to trumpet the vaccines’ availability and educate on ways around the new nonsense restrictions.
*Abbe Lowell (not Anne) (damn you, autocorrect!)
Additionally, Monarez has now issued a statement saying she did not resign, and has received no official notification of the cause for her being fired. She has retained counsel (Anne Lowell, who also represents Lisa Cook & Tish James).
It has been reported that Monarez was trying to reach out to lawmakers and warn them that further vaccine restrictions are in the works. RFKjr caught wind of this. And now it is reported four other senior CDC officials have submitted letters of resignation saying they can’t abide the anti-science.
Listening to a rundown on WNYC of @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social’s legislative record, and they say a lot of it would make political fodder for his opponents. What’s the worst one the two radio reporters can single out? As they put it, “decriminalizing prostitution.” Srsly? What decade is this?
You should fight for your right to vaccinate. Even if under 65, if it’s been more than six months since your last Covid shot, you should (after consulting a medical professional) try to get this new Covid vax. In the past, I’ve calmly said “I’m immune compromised” to overcome pharmacy objections.
While not exactly thought of as a hero to people concerned about public health, and though being the first CDC head in 70 years without a medical degree, Monarez did have a scientific research background… which is more than enough to make her a threat to a privileged buffoon like RFK Jr.
And just like that… the FDA has approved this fall’s Covid vaccination formulations, but thanks to Bobby Brain Worm and his his grifting minions, they come with anti-science, purposefully complicated restrictions. Everyone should consult a real medical pro & then consider getting a Covid shot now.
We’ve been tiptoeing around too many parts of this public health crisis for too many years. Level with ppl. Excess deaths in the US are still up 900-1400 each week. Long Covid is disabling millions. Repeated infections up your chance of bad outcomes. Masks are a must. Vaccines should be min 2x/year.
For instance, there was a Q abt whether a listener should get vax’d b4 traveling abroad, or was a jab last year enough. What I wanted to hear was a vax last year means you’re overdue for a new shot, no matter the version. & either way, you need to wear a respirator the whole time you’re on a plane.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s refreshing to hear straight talk about the pandemic from ppl who know their stuff, but even with these esteemed, informed voices, I find myself wishing for even stronger language about how many are still killed & sickened by COVID, and how mitigation is essential everywhere.
But after an hour, I’m really not feeling much better. In this show, you will hear @pauloffit.bsky.social talk about how so many preventable childhood diseases are on the rise, and you’ll hear @angierasmussen.bsky.social admit she can’t predict when the US will see new COVID vaccines, if at all.
Whenever I hear a promo for a segment about Covid these days, I start to tense up, expecting expecting a bunch of gladhanding pandemic minimizers to spout Pollyanna claptrap. But my body initially unclenched when I heard this show would speak w/ real experts Dr. Rasmussen & @pauloffit.bsky.social.
I guess this what happens when you have leadership that came up 35 years ago & still think the Clintons were some sort of second Camelot.
🫠
For years now, we have been told by civic leaders and private sector business that PUBLIC health is a matter of personal responsibility. That’s not actually how it works, but even if it were, there has been a concerted effort to take away all the tools ppl would need to be personally responsible.
Houston (and everywhere else in the US), we have a problem. The Walgreens Covid Tracker has disappeared. It appears it was still live on Sunday, but looking today, it just redirects to a generic Walgreens brand page.
It occurred to me recently, after listening to too many Dem leaders read from the same hymnal, that they still think being labeled “obstructionist” is a bad thing. Like, they saw a bad poll from 1993 & by golly, they’re gonna “make govt work!” (Because: “swing voters!”)
They say a prosecutor can get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich… but, apparently, NOT a footlong ham sandwich.
Don’t hold your breath. I mean, forget Trump, obvi, but my feed is full of electeds voicing shock & condolences, but not one I have seen includes any call for gun control, for limits to access, to ammo, nor for removing legal protections for gunmakers.
You can’t unring a bell, Junior… but dagnammit, Junior is gonna die trying.
The Cracker Barrel logo war is like a consumer culture version of the Lost Cause.
You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube, but, apparently, you can put the cracker back in the barrel.
Cracker Barrel showing as much backbone as a barrel full of crackers. Or as Congressional Republicans. (I know, same difference.)
Is there a Nobel Prize for knob polishing?
Ah, yes, the all-powerful siren song of lemon ricotta pancakes and bottomless mimosas.
I think I blocked that out. Was that Jeffries?
I remember how, after everyone screamed for weeks, some Dem members of Congress held rallies in front of government buildings, made speeches, and then went home. And then, later, a few members went to the doors of some agencies, & when told by private security they couldn’t come in, then went home.
On a day when we have it confirmed that the govt has basically become the world’s largest spam bot, the DCCC sends me this.
![Screen grab of email header that reads: “• Message for ID#: [obscured] (via... 8:47 AM > it's brief. This is a short but extremely important email -- but I need you to read every word. Here's FIVE things...](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:k77if5kfdhshbodwowsi3uk2/bafkreia325jgli7srpp5atzs3cy5pmj22bl57pr75jyrv4uhiy6udzstdy@jpeg "Click to view full size")
Here’s a little reminder that if you don’t have a recent hard copy of your Social Security Statement, showing things like your projected benefits, you should get one (assuming you still feel comfortable logging into a govt site). SMH that we now have to monitor this ourselves, but here we are.
Um, Senator, it’s month eight of this. We’re still waiting for all y’all’s plan.
You see… the still-open barn doors are over here…. But that galloping horse you’re talking about is way down there….
Reason 6 gazillion on why you can’t cut inch-long deals with people who will always take a mile… but also, this will be the umpteenth time I’ll advise you think about any vaccines you might need to get or boost in the next 5 years, consult with a medical professional, and then go out and get them.
The Nikkei is plummeting… Tomorrow is Tuesday, you know… TACO Tuesday.
We hold this TRUTH to be self evident… The President is not just mentally incompetent, he’s mentally incontinent.
My other question: With these attacks on women and people of color coming daily now, is Trump spiraling or is this just a case of no one with any power calling a naked racist a naked racist, so he feels empowered?
Trump Administration Live Updates: President Removes Lisa Cook From Federal Reserve Board — “a legally dubious maneuver” (to quote NYT). Or, we could just say he’s breaking the law again and ask if there’s anything of anyone that will stop him.
Maybe someone will rise from THE streets (though I’d argue there are no singular saviors), but not the streets most traveled by Moore, Newsom and the like.
