Emerging Crises
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emergingcrises.bsky.social
Emerging Crises
@emergingcrises.bsky.social
Tracking disasters, public health, extremism, and democracy. Examining how misinformation, mistrust, politics, and attacks on science shape preparedness.

🔗: https://emergingcrises.substack.com
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5 years later: It's the anniversary of January 6th. That feels like a different era. The definition of "terrorism" is shifting again. But this time, the call is coming from inside the house.

Read our 1st full Situation Report:
The "Blue Scare": Trump’s "Tough Talk" and the Shifting Definition of Terrorism
When "terrorism" is redefined to include political dissent—and actual security budgets are gutted—the homeland security mission collapses.
open.substack.com
It takes decades to build public trust and one administrative term to destroy it. Public confidence in the CDC hit its lowest point since the pandemic. Fewer than ½ adults trust federal health agencies to make basic, routine childhood vaccine recommendations.
1/3
KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust: Trust in the CDC and Views of Federal Childhood Vaccine Schedule Changes | KFF
Weeks after the Trump administration reduced the number of childhood vaccine recommended for routine use, public trust in the CDC is at its lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic, and less than half are c...
www.kff.org
February 16, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Great summary of how the regime's "dangerous and unwarranted expansion of the executive’s investigative and punitive authorities" go way beyond the post 9/11 'Patriot Act' era. They've turned "machinery of the federal law enforcement and homeland security apparatus on civil society organizations..."
The president’s redefining of domestic terrorism threatens Americans’ free speech rights, from joining a protest march to posting on social media. It also aims to impose draconian punishments for actions that are far removed from actual terrorism. bit.ly/4qwExhh
Trump’s Version of “Domestic Terrorism” vs. the First Amendment
The administration has given itself permission to prosecute people and organizations for their political views.
www.brennancenter.org
February 14, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Reposted by Emerging Crises
This is what authoritarians are never gonna understand: average, everyday citizens do not like watching paramilitary thugs brutalize children. All the vaporware memes in the world can't fix that for them
Yesterday morning kids were sent running from their bus stop in panic because ICE showed up. This guy at today’s ICE Out of Lindenwold protest is a must watch 😭. @maddow.bsky.social
February 14, 2026 at 3:53 PM
The grid cannot handle the load from AI data centers. ⚡ supply will fall short of safety margins by 2027. Tech giants are urged to "bring their own generation." The reality is we're stressing critical infrastructure to support predictive text models, asking ratepayers to subsidize the upgrades.
Power Grid Watchdog Warns AI Data Centers Are Straining Supply
NERC's 2025 Long-Term Reliability Assessment projects summer peak demand could climb 224 gigawatts over the next decade---a 69% increase from last year's forecast---with AI data centers driving most o...
ground.news
February 13, 2026 at 4:44 PM
Reposted by Emerging Crises
Slotkin lays out how Trump’s NSPM‑7, his administration’s habit of calling peaceful protesters “domestic terrorists,” and ICE agents threatening to put people into “terrorist databases” have shattered public trust in federal law enforcement. #holdfast
February 13, 2026 at 11:45 AM
The Trump regime's lawlessness "undermines social order by making Americans distrust their own government." Fed. agents ignore court orders and bypass warrants signaling to the public that the law is optional. How can we possibly maintain a stable society when govt is the main source of instability.
End ICE Lawlessness!

Congress must stand firm against President Trump’s assault on the rule of law.

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/o...
Opinion | End ICE Lawlessness
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 12:58 PM
There is no sign of measles slowing down in 2026. Data show more than 700 cases since the start of the year. The vast majority are in unvaccinated people.

We're seeing the results of a sustained campaign to undermine confidence in public health interventions.
What to Know About Measles as the Virus Spreads
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:03 PM
Reposted by Emerging Crises
the deployment of mRNA vaccine technology was a monumental leap in medical advancement and the crowning achievement of Donald Trump's first presidency but now his administration is scuttling it because their political coalition exists in opposition to the concept of expertise
So the feds ARE NOT considering an mRNA vaccine for the flu, which could save countless lives, but ARE backing research into whether horse dewormer can cure cancer, because the right views vaccines as elite and ivermectin as populist.

Cool.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
FDA won’t review Moderna application for first mRNA-based flu vaccine
The decision, which shocked company officials, comes as the FDA says it will take a stricter approach to federal vaccine approvals.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 11, 2026 at 4:59 AM
"Homeland security field agents are scouring the social media site Reddit, monitoring the communications of law-abiding Americans critical of the agency."

We pay GS-13 government salaries for agents, not to track terrorists, but to scroll through comment sections.
Homeland Security Spying on Reddit Users
Leak show feds tracking anti-ICE Reddit users like "Budget-Chicken-2425"
open.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Very few ppl are talking about this. Their "mass deportation" policy of targeting anyone with a heartbeat impacts elder care since immigrants make up the vast majority of this workforce. We are removing the primary caregivers for millions of American seniors without a replacement plan.
Why Trump’s Attack on Refugees Could Hurt Grandma
It’s immigrants from ‘shithole’ countries who care for our elderly, and nobody’s lining up to take their place.
open.substack.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:35 PM
The illegal biolab in California wasn't a one-off. New evidence connects that operation to a site in Las Vegas. Police found a "significant volume" of vials and containers with unknown liquids. They pulled over 1,000 samples for the FBI. 1/3
F.B.I. Investigates Links to Biological Labs in Las Vegas and California
www.nytimes.com
February 9, 2026 at 6:22 PM
An outbreak of H5N1 has been detected at a Northern Colorado egg facility housing 1.33 million chickens. Health officials say the risk to humans is low, but the impact on the poultry industry/supply chains could be significant.
The virus appears to be moving faster than our biosecurity protocols.
Northern Colorado egg facility with 1.33 million chickens experiences avian flu outbreak
Veterinarians and agriculture experts are warning Colorado flock owners to be cautious as high pathogen avian influenza is making a return to the region. Commercial and backyard flocks have been impac...
www.cbsnews.com
February 8, 2026 at 7:40 PM
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick claimed he spent "zero time" with Epstein after 2005. The latest Epstein files prove regular contact. A cabinet official lied about his relationship with a sex trafficker. The vetting process is truly nonexistent.
February 8, 2026 at 2:05 PM
Great summary from @carmenshaw.bsky.social in Pandora Report. SC has 789 measles cases, the largest outbreak since 2000. Yet the U.S. is strong-arming Gavi to drop safe preservatives based on debunked myths. We're losing containment at home and using aid $ to force that dysfunction on everyone else.
Pandora Report – The Pandora Report
Posts about Pandora Report written by dkellogg97
pandorareport.org
February 6, 2026 at 8:43 PM
She was monitoring an ICE agent. He stopped, scanned her face, and greeted her by name. 3 days later, her Global Entry revoked. Agents are using Mobile Fortify and Palantir to target citizens (facial rec + social media monitoring). We learned the wrong lessons from the post-9/11 surveillance state.
How ICE Already Knows Who Minneapolis Protesters Are
www.nytimes.com
February 4, 2026 at 6:06 PM
One month into 2026, measles cases are already at 25% of last year's total. In April, an international panel will decide if the U.S. loses its "elimination status," a designation we've held since 2000. We are watching our nation regress in real time.
www.beckershospitalreview.com
February 3, 2026 at 11:53 PM
It's not 'doxxing' federal agents for the public to know who they are. We are supposed to know, our taxes pay their salaries.That is the only way to hold them accountable. Police wear badges. ICE is masking up because they know what they're doing is illegal. They don't want to answer for it.
The Real Reason ICE Agents Wear Masks
Face coverings may work less to protect federal agents from danger than to make it easier for them to do unconstitutional things.
www.theatlantic.com
February 3, 2026 at 7:23 PM
Hegseth refers to domestic opponents as "lunatics." These are the same American citizens the military is sworn to protect. This gives us a glimpse of the Rules of Engagement if troops are deployed here. He is treating the American public like an insurgency.
Pete Hegseth Delights in Violence
His first year at the Pentagon has been marked by uncomplicated celebrations of death.
www.theatlantic.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:24 PM
Reposted by Emerging Crises
BREAKING Star Tribune:

Eight additional federal prosecutors are in the process of leaving the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation.

The departures follow the mass exit of six veteran prosecutors who left the office last month.
The latest: Eight more federal prosecutors set to leave the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office
The recent wave of departures follows the mass exodus of six veteran prosecutors last month who quit in protest of recent directives from the U.S. Department of Justice.
www.startribune.com
February 2, 2026 at 11:01 PM
Wired went through the gun forums to see how they are justifying this. Rittenhouse was a hero with a rifle. Pretti was a "terrorist" (even though he had a valid permit. Guess the Second Amendment isn't a constitutional right anymore. It's just a perk for state loyalists.
Right-Wing Gun Enthusiasts and Extremists Are Working Overtime to Justify Alex Pretti’s Killing
Donald Trump has appeared to undermine Second Amendment rights in statements about Alex Pretti’s killing. Many in the firearms community are going along with it.
www.wired.com
February 2, 2026 at 11:50 PM
The FBI files include "salacious information" and over a dozen tips about the President and Epstein. Trump's name is mentioned 5,300 times (And imagine what they're not releasing!)

Merrick Garland had years to act, but...
How Trump Appears in the Epstein Files
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2026 at 7:50 PM
The MN Sec. of State spoke of a new reality: Federal intervention in state elections is now a "preparedness category, like a weather event, or bomb threat." He spoke hours after the FBI seized 2020 ballots from Fulton County. The federal govt is no longer a partner. It is a hazard to be managed.
‘Worst-case scenarios’: How Democratic election officials are preparing for potential Trump intrusion in the midterms | CNN Politics
Democratic election officials are preparing for potential federal government intrusion in the midterms, as President Donald Trump’s appointees escalate their efforts to find evidence for his long-debu...
www.cnn.com
February 2, 2026 at 2:47 PM
A federal judge formally chastised the govt for its "ignorance of... the Declaration of Independence" and called for “a more orderly and humane policy than currently in place. The father entered legally. The child was detained anyway. That is 3,800 children taken since last January (Gift Link)
Judge Orders Release of 5-Year-Old, Whose Detention Drew Outrage
www.nytimes.com
February 1, 2026 at 10:35 PM
Reposted by Emerging Crises
If Texas flood delays and lying about ICE murdering Americans weren't enough reason to fire her, here is another: Sec. Noem is freezing disaster aid. She is causing "unusual delays" in payments already approved for roads and water systems. Some of this outstanding aid dates back to 2017.
Extra Scrutiny of FEMA Aid to States Has Created a $17 Billion Bottleneck
www.nytimes.com
January 27, 2026 at 9:08 PM
"There’s no reason to fucking protest... the federal government was doing the job itself." —Enrique Tarrio

We are watching the full integration of the paramilitary fringe into state operations.
The militia didn't vanish. It got badges.
Meet the New Proud Boys
The far-right group’s views and tactics are now emulated by federal agents.
www.theatlantic.com
February 1, 2026 at 3:34 PM