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Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

@howtoreadthisch.art

Part of this week’s newsletter was inspired by the post below. Was there a way to show the distance between normal Americans and the super wealthy?
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www.howtoreadthisch.art/putting-the-...

November 15, 2025 at 4:55 PM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf

@revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social

I wanted to share probably the most important sermon I’ve given and it’s while I’m being arrested. It’s torture pure and simple what happens at #Broadview. I’m ok, though I was thrown to the ground and choked with my pectoral cross. A review of the video shows I was peaceful - did I deserve this?

November 15, 2025 at 5:57 AM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Howdoyousaythat, BBQ

@triagenursemd.bsky.social

Holy smokes

November 12, 2025 at 3:22 AM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Senator Ron Wyden

@wyden.senate.gov

Senate update: Republicans are now trying to sneak a backdoor national abortion ban into their government funding bill. Republicans will stop at nothing to control women's health care decisions.

November 8, 2025 at 9:05 PM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Nature Portfolio

@natureportfolio.nature.com

A study in Nature Neuroscience shows that the moments of failed attention we experience after sleep deprivation reflect brief ‘sleep-like’ episodes in the brain, corresponding to a brain- and body-wide event with altered brain activity, pupil size and brain fluid movement. #neuroskyence 🧪

Attentional failures after sleep deprivation are locked to joint neurovascular, pupil and cerebrospinal fluid flow dynamics - Nature Neuroscience

Yang et al. show that moments of failed attention we experience after sleep deprivation reflect brief ‘sleep-like’ episodes in the brain, corresponding to a brain- and body-wide event with altered brain activity, pupil size and brain fluid movement.

go.nature.com

November 8, 2025 at 2:11 AM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Joshua J. Friedman

@joshuajfriedman.com

I love that Ingraham actually says the sentence!

(The chyron "BY WINNING, DEMOCRATS ARE ACTUALLY LOSING" appears just after)

November 6, 2025 at 1:14 AM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Matt Novak

@paleofuture.bsky.social

I have to imagine far-right Catholics are really struggling with the fact that they can now hear this stuff in English directly from the pope.

America's Voice @americasvoice.bsky.social · 10d

“How did you receive the foreigner? And did you receive him and welcome him or not?”

Pope Leo XIV challenges us to reflect on the moral cost of policies that target deeply-root immigrants and families.

November 5, 2025 at 5:52 PM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Michael Bazaconomicon 💀 🎃 👻

@mcbazacophd.bsky.social

I love kids. I have two of them. They’re amazing. However, kids are the absolute least self aware, clumsiest little puffins on the planet.

Please don’t drive tonight unless you have to, and if you do drive, drive super slow and pay 100% attention at all times.

Happy Halloween! 🎃 👻 💀

#PublicHealth

October 31, 2025 at 11:35 AM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Brendan Nyhan

@brendannyhan.bsky.social

"Local authorities apprehend immigrants. Private contractors deliver them to either a local jail...or a detention site run by a private corporation... turning immigration enforcement into ... a continuous, privatized, and largely unseen system capable of moving detainees hundreds of miles overnight"

dell cameron @dell.bsky.social · 16d

NEW: ICE is planning to build a shadow deportation network in Texas. A proposal outlines a 24/7 transport operation run by armed contractors—turning Texas into the logistical backbone of an industrialized deportation machine.

My latest @wired.com: www.wired.com/story/ice-is...

Early planning documents reviewed by WIRED describe a statewide transport grid designed for steady detainee transfers across Texas, with ICE estimating each trip to average 100 miles. Every county would have its own small, around-the-clock team of contractors collecting immigrants from local authorities deputized by ICE. It is a subtle transfer of the physical custody process into the hands of a private security firm—authorized to carry firearms and perform transport duties “in any and all local, county, state, and ICE locations.”

October 31, 2025 at 2:36 AM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Kyle Cheney

@kyledcheney.bsky.social

BREAKING: The full bench of the 9th circuit has agreed to take up the Portland National Guard case and vacated the panel decision that had blessed Trump’s deployment.

October 29, 2025 at 12:13 AM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Jeff Yang

@originalsp.in

A musician, Oriana Korol, was peacefully playing clarinet with her protest band outside ICE facilities in Portland, OR.

When the band started playing “Ghostbusters,” ICE thugs suddenly poured outside, slammed her into the mud, arrested her and took her to a jail 9 miles away in Vancouver, WA.

Musician playing ‘Ghostbusters’ outside ICE facility is arrested by agents

‘Taking us citizens out of state to detain them without charge is a new action from the Feds and should be opposed,’ her band said

www.independent.co.uk

October 15, 2025 at 3:54 AM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

paris martineau

@paris.nyc

my latest investigation for @consumerreports.org is based on months of reporting and 60+ lab tests of leading protein supplements

we found that most protein powders and shakes have more lead in one serving than our experts say is safe to have in a day (🧵)

www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein...

Protein Powders and Shakes Contain High Levels of Lead - Consumer Reports

CR tests of 23 popular protein powders and shakes found that most contain high levels of lead.

www.consumerreports.org

October 14, 2025 at 4:37 PM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Chris Kluwe

@chriswarcraft.bsky.social

Honestly, it needs to go further than this.

We need to confront the fact that democracy and wealth hoarding cannot coexist. Allowing people to amass the resources of a small state/country allows them to act as such, which is inimical to a shared society of “one person, one vote.”

John Rogers @johnrogers.bsky.social · Oct 13

“No Kings” is great , but we really don't get a functioning democracy back until we internalize, bone deep, the instinctive response to this and every other statement like it: “I don’t care what that rich guy thinks.”

Make it your morning affirmation. Say it ten times at the top of every hour.

The Independent @the-independent.com · Oct 13

Elon Musk calls for US troops to be sent to San Francisco for war on drugs: ‘It’s the only solution’

October 13, 2025 at 4:37 PM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Barred and Boujee aka Madiba Dennie

@audrelawdamercy.bsky.social

aaand we are officially in the hide-your-neighbors stage

Sophie Sherry @sophiesherry.bsky.social · Oct 10

During a military-style raid on a building in Chicago’s South Shore, one resident heard a knock on his door.   It wasn’t the feds — it was a mom and her 7-year-old daughter, pleading for help.

He let them hide in his unit for the next 3 days.

chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

Neighbor shielded 7-year-old during South Shore federal raid: ‘I didn’t want them to take her’

During the Sept. 30 raid one tenant protected a terrified girl and her mom. Remnants at the complex, including a detailed map of all the units, offer clues to what authorities may have known before th...

chicago.suntimes.com

October 10, 2025 at 10:31 PM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Andrea Junker

@strandjunker.com

“Terrible things are happening outside. Poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart. Men, women, and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared.”

Diary of Anne Frank
January 13, 1943

October 4, 2025 at 8:17 PM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Lindsey Cormack

@dcinbox.bsky.social

Use of the word "evil" in official congressional e-newsletters, over time, by party

September 15, 2025 at 12:52 PM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Karen K. Ho

@karenho.bsky.social

I have written and deleted a lot of posts but I keep thinking about how the brutal assassination of Minnesota State senator Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark, and their beloved dog Gilbert in June did not prompt this same level of calls for empathy, sympathy, and flags at half-mast.

September 13, 2025 at 10:34 PM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Adam Kinzinger

@adamkinzinger.substack.com

Some thoughts on today’s awful murder

September 10, 2025 at 9:57 PM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Scott Krugman

@drscottk.medsky.social

This is so good.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=FDiX...

"Measles and Polio Down in the Schoolyard" - Marsh Family parody of Paul Simon "Me and Julio" on RFK

YouTube video by Marsh Family

m.youtube.com

September 9, 2025 at 6:37 PM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Adam Isacson

@adamisacson.com

Lethal force against a civilian vessel in international waters is a war crime if not in self-defense. If not in self-defense, only non-lethal actions, such as warning shots or disabling fire, are allowed.

"Not yielding to pursuers" or "suspected of carrying drugs" doesn't carry a death sentence.

CNN @cnn.com · Sep 2

The US military "conducted a lethal strike" against an alleged "drug vessel" in the southern Caribbean, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

US military ‘conducted a lethal strike’ on alleged ‘drug vessel’ in southern Caribbean, Rubio says | CNN Politics

The United States “conducted a lethal strike” against an alleged “drug vessel” in the southern Caribbean, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday.

cnn.it

September 2, 2025 at 9:20 PM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Dennis Goris

@dennisgoris.bsky.social

I miss the old brand #CDC

August 28, 2025 at 10:00 PM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Melody Schreiber

@melodyschreiber.com

Demetre Daskalakis was a key figure in the Covid, mpox, and bird flu responses. This is a huge loss.

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · Aug 28

Full resignation letter from Demetre C. Daskalakis, a CDC leader, does not hold back.
"The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud."

My resignation letter from CDC.

Dear Dr. Houry,

I am writing to formally resign from my position as Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effective August 28, 2025, close of business. I am happy to stay on for two weeks to provide transition, if requested.

This decision has not come easily, as I deeply value the work that the CDC does in safeguarding public health and am proud of my contributions to that critical mission. However, after much contemplation and reflection on recent developments and perspectives brought to light by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., I find that the views he and his staff have shared challenge my ability to continue in my current role at the agency and in the service of the health of the American people. Enough is enough.

While I hold immense respect for the institution and my colleagues, I believe that it is imperative to align my professional responsibilities to my system of ethics and my understanding of the science of infectious disease, immunology, and my promise to serve the American people. This step is necessary to ensure that I can contribute effectively in a capacity that allows me to remain true to my principles.

The recent change in the adult and children’s immunization schedule threaten the lives of the youngest Americans and pregnant people. The data analyses that supported this decision have never been shared with CDC despite my respectful requests to HHS and other leadership. This lack of meaningful engagement was further compounded by a “frequently asked questions” document written to support the Secretary’s directive that was circulated by HHS without input from CDC subject matter experts and that cited studies that did not support the conclusions that were attributed to these authors. Having worked in local and national public health for years, I have never experienced such radical non-transparency, nor have I seen such unskilled manipulation of data to achieve a political end rather than the good of the American people.

It is untenable to serve in an organization that is not afforded the opportunity to discuss decisions of scientific and public health importance released under the moniker of CDC. The lack of communication by HHS and other CDC political leadership that culminates in social media posts announcing major policy changes without prior notice demonstrate a disregard of normal communication channels and common sense. Having to retrofit analyses and policy actions to match inadequately thought-out announcements in poorly scripted videos or page long X posts should not be how organizations responsible for the health of people should function. Some examples include the announcement of the change in the COVID-19 recommendations for children and pregnant people, the firing of scientists from ACIP by X post and an op-ed rather than direct communication with these valuable experts, the announcement of new ACIP members by X before onboarding and vetting have completed, and the release of term of reference for an ACIP workgroup that ignored all feedback from career staff at CDC.

Their desire to please a political base will result in death and disability of vulnerable children and adults. Their base should be the people they serve not a political voting bloc.

I have always been first to challenge scientific and public health dogma in my career and was excited by the opportunity to do so again. I was optimistic that there would be an opportunity to brief the Secretary about key topics such as measles, avian influenza, and the highly coordinated approach to the respiratory virus season. Such briefings would allow exchange of ideas and a shared path to support the vision of “Making America Healthy Again.” We are seven months into the new administration, and no CDC subject matter expert from my Center has ever briefed the Secretary. I am not sure who the Secretary is listening to, but it is quite certainly not to us. Unvetted and conflicted outside organizations seem to be the sources HHS use over the gold standard science of CDC and other reputable sources. At a hearing, Secretary Kennedy said that Americans should not take medical advice from him. To the contrary, an appropriately briefed and inquisitive Secretary should be a source of health information for the people he serves. As it stands now, I must agree with him, that he should not be considered a source of accurate information.

The intentional eroding of trust in low-risk vaccines favoring natural infection and unproven remedies will bring us to a pre-vaccine era where only the strong will survive and many if not all will suffer. I believe in nutrition and exercise. I believe in making our food supply healthier, and I also believe in using vaccines to prevent death and disability. Eugenics plays prominently in the rhetoric being generated and is derivative of a legacy that good medicine and science should continue to shun.

The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud. I am resigning because of the cowardice of a leader that cannot admit that HIS and his minions’ words over decades created an environment where violence like this can occur. I reject his and his colleagues’ thoughts and prayers, and advise they direct those to people that they have not actively harmed.

For decades, I have been a trusted voice for the LGBTQ community when it comes to critical health topics. I must also cite the recklessness of the administration in their efforts to erase transgender populations, cease critical domestic and international HIV programming, and terminate key research to support equity as part of my decision.

Public health is not merely about the health of the individual, but it is about the health of the community, the nation, the world. The nation’s health security is at risk and is in the hands of people focusing on ideological self-interest.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the opportunities for growth, learning, and collaboration that I have been afforded during my time at the CDC. It has been a privilege to work alongside such dedicated professionals who are committed to improving the health and well-being of communities across the nation even when under attack from within both physically and psychologically.

Thank you once again for the support and guidance I have received from you and previous CDC leadership throughout my tenure. I wish the CDC continued success in its vital mission and that HHS reverse its dangerous course to dismantle public health as a practice and as an institution. If they continue the current path, they risk our personal well-being and the security of the United States.

August 28, 2025 at 1:45 AM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Megan Ranney MD MPH

@meganranney.bsky.social

I have a list of things we can do to change this tempo of tragedy

The proposals are based on real data
They have had signals of efficacy

It may feel hopeless today but:

I refuse to give up.

Because - Our babies & our communities deserve better than a rolling litany of horrors.

The Associated Press @apnews.com · Aug 27

BREAKING: Two children were killed and 17 people injured in a shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school, police said. The shooter is also dead.

Minnesota governor says a shooting has occurred at a Minneapolis school

Authorities say a shooting has erupted during the first week of classes at a Minneapolis Catholic school. There was no immediate information on any injuries. Gov.

bit.ly

August 27, 2025 at 4:16 PM

Reposted by Brandon Maughan, MD

Garrett M. Graff

@vermontgmg.bsky.social

The precise moment when and where in recent weeks America crossed that invisible line from democracy into authoritarianism can and will be debated by future historians, but it’s clear that the line itself has been crossed. www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/america-ti...