@leighjack.bsky.social
Star Wars, liberal politics, public health, fantasy and scifi books, travel
It is so shocking that we still have this cap and that most ordinary people don't even know it or understand.
FUN FACT FRIDAY: SOCIAL SECURITY EDITION 📣
Did you know: In 2025, millionaires (and billionaires, and trillionaires) pay the same for Social Security as someone earning $176,100? 😲
Say it ain't so @moniquemorrissey.bsky.social
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Did you know: In 2025, millionaires (and billionaires, and trillionaires) pay the same for Social Security as someone earning $176,100? 😲
Say it ain't so @moniquemorrissey.bsky.social
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Should high earners support scrapping Social Security’s cap on taxable earnings?
Earnings above a cap aren’t subject to the payroll taxes that fund Social Security. As a result, billionaires pay the same tax as someone earning $176,100 in 2025 (the cap is indexed to the average wa...
www.epi.org
December 12, 2025 at 3:09 PM
It is so shocking that we still have this cap and that most ordinary people don't even know it or understand.
Reposted
Prison rape is wrong.
Jokes about prison rape are wrong.
Eliminating protections against prison rape is wrong.
If another country sentenced a criminal to be raped, we'd consider it a crime against humanity.
BUT
A large segment of Americans regard prison rape as a de facto part of the sentence.
Jokes about prison rape are wrong.
Eliminating protections against prison rape is wrong.
If another country sentenced a criminal to be raped, we'd consider it a crime against humanity.
BUT
A large segment of Americans regard prison rape as a de facto part of the sentence.
BREAKING: Trump administration plans to end prison rape protections for trans & intersex people, memo says. A DOJ memo says certain standards under the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) do not align with Trump’s Jan. 20 anti-trans executive order, @byadamrhodes.bsky.social reports.
Trump administration plans to end prison rape protections for trans and intersex people
A Department of Justice memo says certain standards under the Prison Rape Elimination Act do not align with Trump’s executive order
prismreports.org
December 5, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Prison rape is wrong.
Jokes about prison rape are wrong.
Eliminating protections against prison rape is wrong.
If another country sentenced a criminal to be raped, we'd consider it a crime against humanity.
BUT
A large segment of Americans regard prison rape as a de facto part of the sentence.
Jokes about prison rape are wrong.
Eliminating protections against prison rape is wrong.
If another country sentenced a criminal to be raped, we'd consider it a crime against humanity.
BUT
A large segment of Americans regard prison rape as a de facto part of the sentence.
Roberts will go down in history as a classic villain.
“The relationship between the president and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned in her dissenting opinion. “In every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law.”
trib.al/60kPD3S
trib.al/60kPD3S
John Roberts and the Cynical Cult of Federalist No. 70
Alexander Hamilton’s treatise on executive power is one of the conservative legal movement’s favorite texts to quote—and misquote.
trib.al
December 12, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Roberts will go down in history as a classic villain.
Reposted
We at @defendpublichealth.bsky.social published a report on how we know COVID19 vaccines are safe and effective to counter this narrative.
www.defendpublichealth.org/resource/sci...
www.defendpublichealth.org/resource/sci...
Scientific evidence shows no link between COVID19 vaccines and child deaths | Defend Public Health
In response to claims by the Trump administration that COVID19 vaccines caused 25 pediatric deaths, Defend Public Health reviewed the scientific evidence from rigorous vaccine safety surveillance syst...
www.defendpublichealth.org
December 12, 2025 at 2:43 PM
We at @defendpublichealth.bsky.social published a report on how we know COVID19 vaccines are safe and effective to counter this narrative.
www.defendpublichealth.org/resource/sci...
www.defendpublichealth.org/resource/sci...
Reposted
Read to the end. NPR asked why the Trump team ended a low-cost program that cured millions of tropical diseases w drugs donated by pharma. The spokesperson replied with an NPR headline—“Farewell to USAID”—and said: “What do you think farewell meant?” www.npr.org/sections/goa...
The fight to beat neglected tropical diseases was going well. 2025 could change that
The campaign to prevent and treat these diseases has seen great success thanks to a USAID program. Now that program is gone.
www.npr.org
December 11, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Read to the end. NPR asked why the Trump team ended a low-cost program that cured millions of tropical diseases w drugs donated by pharma. The spokesperson replied with an NPR headline—“Farewell to USAID”—and said: “What do you think farewell meant?” www.npr.org/sections/goa...
This is a huge problem every month and has been reported to the appropriate SC state agency but nothing improves! What can we do?!
One ACA enrollee described being on the phone with healthcare.gov marketplace representatives to sort out a fraudulent plan sign-up in his name. During that call, he said, “literally, there was someone opening a new policy without my consent.” kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Plan-Switching, Sign-Up Impersonations: Obamacare Enrollment Fraud Persists - KFF Health News
Investigators from the Government Accountability Office were able to register nearly 20 fake ACA enrollments in a probe of healthcare.gov. The federal government paid subsidies to insurers for some of...
kffhealthnews.org
December 10, 2025 at 5:02 PM
This is a huge problem every month and has been reported to the appropriate SC state agency but nothing improves! What can we do?!
Reposted
Lousy chain of events: Man defends a kitten from a skunk and is scratched. He has a cardiac arrest 5 weeks later, is taken to the hospital and becomes a kidney donor. 5 weeks later, the kidney recipient dies. Rabies.
Donor family describes confusion, hallucinations, stiff neck in days before death
Donor family describes confusion, hallucinations, stiff neck in days before death
Human-to-Human Rabies Transmission via Solid Organ...
This report describes the public health response to a patient who died after transplantation with an organ from a donor with undiagnosed rabies.
www.cdc.gov
December 10, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Lousy chain of events: Man defends a kitten from a skunk and is scratched. He has a cardiac arrest 5 weeks later, is taken to the hospital and becomes a kidney donor. 5 weeks later, the kidney recipient dies. Rabies.
Donor family describes confusion, hallucinations, stiff neck in days before death
Donor family describes confusion, hallucinations, stiff neck in days before death
Reposted
Doctor here.
PSA:
A reminder that BY FAR, the worst & deadliest cartel in history was..
The Sackler Cartel.
Billionaires.
Fines, no jail time.
Actual narcoterrorists.
American citizens.
PSA:
A reminder that BY FAR, the worst & deadliest cartel in history was..
The Sackler Cartel.
Billionaires.
Fines, no jail time.
Actual narcoterrorists.
American citizens.
December 8, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Doctor here.
PSA:
A reminder that BY FAR, the worst & deadliest cartel in history was..
The Sackler Cartel.
Billionaires.
Fines, no jail time.
Actual narcoterrorists.
American citizens.
PSA:
A reminder that BY FAR, the worst & deadliest cartel in history was..
The Sackler Cartel.
Billionaires.
Fines, no jail time.
Actual narcoterrorists.
American citizens.
Reposted
That assault on children, using the resources we citizens provided to that government, is what prompted me to activate this account.
December 7, 2025 at 9:08 PM
That assault on children, using the resources we citizens provided to that government, is what prompted me to activate this account.
Reposted
Trump has removed National Parks free entry days for two national holidays - MLK and Juneteenth.
He’s replaced them with his birthday.
He’s replaced them with his birthday.
National parks change prioritizes Trump birthday over days honoring Black people
Free entrance days at national parks no longer include MLK Day and Juneteenth.
www.sfgate.com
December 6, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Trump has removed National Parks free entry days for two national holidays - MLK and Juneteenth.
He’s replaced them with his birthday.
He’s replaced them with his birthday.
Reposted
And more and more individuals, especially Black and brown people, will be in danger of being criminalized based on their Hep B status. In a country that targets people for punishment based on their health status, failing to protect kids from Hep B is a disgusting and violent choice.
Today’s decision by ACIP to end the recommendation for a universal birth dose of Hepatitis B vaccine and its attempts to cast doubt on the whole childhood vaccine schedule constitute a reckless, dangerous move away from science and evidence-based policy
Vaccine Panel Attacks Children’s Health | Defend Public Health
Today’s decision by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to end the recommendation for a universal birth dose of Hepatitis B vaccine and its attempts to cast doubt on the whole child...
www.defendpublichealth.org
December 6, 2025 at 1:19 PM
And more and more individuals, especially Black and brown people, will be in danger of being criminalized based on their Hep B status. In a country that targets people for punishment based on their health status, failing to protect kids from Hep B is a disgusting and violent choice.
Reposted
I can’t tell you how glad I am to be released from the disgrace of Temu ACIP.
I made a commitment to watch and comment on these proceedings. Not sure I’ll do it again.
In summary, ACIP is no longer a legitimate scientific body.
Every U.S. state needs to decouple their vaccine policy from ACIP.
I made a commitment to watch and comment on these proceedings. Not sure I’ll do it again.
In summary, ACIP is no longer a legitimate scientific body.
Every U.S. state needs to decouple their vaccine policy from ACIP.
December 5, 2025 at 8:37 PM
I can’t tell you how glad I am to be released from the disgrace of Temu ACIP.
I made a commitment to watch and comment on these proceedings. Not sure I’ll do it again.
In summary, ACIP is no longer a legitimate scientific body.
Every U.S. state needs to decouple their vaccine policy from ACIP.
I made a commitment to watch and comment on these proceedings. Not sure I’ll do it again.
In summary, ACIP is no longer a legitimate scientific body.
Every U.S. state needs to decouple their vaccine policy from ACIP.
Reposted
The fact that four hostile drones tried to hit Zelenskyy’s plane & it’s barely a blip in the news cycle should terrify everyone. We’ve been dragged so deep into the chaos era that an attempted strike on a world leader doesn’t even break through. When this becomes normal, the world is in real danger.
Christ on a cracker — these seemingly hostile drones only missed Zelensky’s plane because he was unexpectedly early www.thejournal.ie/drones-dubli...
Four unidentified military-style drones breached no-fly zone to target Zelenskyy's arrival in Dublin
Gardaí are investigating whether the drones took off from land in Dublin or from an undetected ship.
www.thejournal.ie
December 5, 2025 at 2:04 AM
The fact that four hostile drones tried to hit Zelenskyy’s plane & it’s barely a blip in the news cycle should terrify everyone. We’ve been dragged so deep into the chaos era that an attempted strike on a world leader doesn’t even break through. When this becomes normal, the world is in real danger.
I say this all the time! Well, not exactly this because @chuckwendig.bsky.social is a great writer. But the AI is crap part!
December 4, 2025 at 11:25 PM
I say this all the time! Well, not exactly this because @chuckwendig.bsky.social is a great writer. But the AI is crap part!
Let's see if we can find the Piedmont Care panel. Today is #GivingTuesday so please consider supporting us as we brace for next year's federal cuts to HIV services.
Sometimes the internet is amazing!
Did you explore any or all 50,000 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt?
All pieces are available in an interactive application. Creators hope “people around the world can experience the beauty of the Quilt and witness the love and stories stitched into each panel.”
Did you explore any or all 50,000 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt?
All pieces are available in an interactive application. Creators hope “people around the world can experience the beauty of the Quilt and witness the love and stories stitched into each panel.”
Interactive AIDS Quilt
The National AIDS Memorial, through a partnership with the AIDS Quilt Touch team, presents all 48,000 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in an interactive experience People around the world can experie...
www.aidsmemorial.org
December 2, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Let's see if we can find the Piedmont Care panel. Today is #GivingTuesday so please consider supporting us as we brace for next year's federal cuts to HIV services.
Reposted
Sometimes the internet is amazing!
Did you explore any or all 50,000 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt?
All pieces are available in an interactive application. Creators hope “people around the world can experience the beauty of the Quilt and witness the love and stories stitched into each panel.”
Did you explore any or all 50,000 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt?
All pieces are available in an interactive application. Creators hope “people around the world can experience the beauty of the Quilt and witness the love and stories stitched into each panel.”
Interactive AIDS Quilt
The National AIDS Memorial, through a partnership with the AIDS Quilt Touch team, presents all 48,000 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in an interactive experience People around the world can experie...
www.aidsmemorial.org
December 2, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Sometimes the internet is amazing!
Did you explore any or all 50,000 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt?
All pieces are available in an interactive application. Creators hope “people around the world can experience the beauty of the Quilt and witness the love and stories stitched into each panel.”
Did you explore any or all 50,000 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt?
All pieces are available in an interactive application. Creators hope “people around the world can experience the beauty of the Quilt and witness the love and stories stitched into each panel.”
Reposted
Today is World AIDS Day, which the Trump Admin is refusing to commemorate. AIDS was the issue that got me riled up about politics and health policy at a very young age growing up in the SF Bay Area. I re-read And the Band Played On during the pandemic (teaching it again in spring) and it's haunting.
December 1, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Today is World AIDS Day, which the Trump Admin is refusing to commemorate. AIDS was the issue that got me riled up about politics and health policy at a very young age growing up in the SF Bay Area. I re-read And the Band Played On during the pandemic (teaching it again in spring) and it's haunting.
Reposted
On World AIDS Day, we honor the lives of those lost to HIV and the resilience of those who have paved the way for progress.
We must continue to fight against cuts to treatment, prevention, and research.
Today is not just a day for remembrance — it's a call for action.
We must continue to fight against cuts to treatment, prevention, and research.
Today is not just a day for remembrance — it's a call for action.
December 1, 2025 at 2:00 PM
On World AIDS Day, we honor the lives of those lost to HIV and the resilience of those who have paved the way for progress.
We must continue to fight against cuts to treatment, prevention, and research.
Today is not just a day for remembrance — it's a call for action.
We must continue to fight against cuts to treatment, prevention, and research.
Today is not just a day for remembrance — it's a call for action.
Reposted
When we commemorate #WorldAIDSDay today, in the face of the silence of our government, we think of those who have passed, those living with HIV, and the families and communities impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic — an epidemic worsened by devastating cuts to our healthcare and science.
December 1, 2025 at 10:32 PM
When we commemorate #WorldAIDSDay today, in the face of the silence of our government, we think of those who have passed, those living with HIV, and the families and communities impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic — an epidemic worsened by devastating cuts to our healthcare and science.
Today is #WorldAIDSDay. This is a picture of the Piedmont Care quilt panel. Please support your local AIDS Service org with your $$$, time, and talent.
December 1, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Today is #WorldAIDSDay. This is a picture of the Piedmont Care quilt panel. Please support your local AIDS Service org with your $$$, time, and talent.
Extended hours for HIV testing today at Piedmont Care! Free! #CutsKill #SaveHIVFunding
December 1, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Extended hours for HIV testing today at Piedmont Care! Free! #CutsKill #SaveHIVFunding
Reposted
NEW: A majority of voters (63%) support a Medicare for All system that would:
- Eliminate most private insurance plans
- Replace premiums with higher taxes
- Guarantee health coverage for everyone
- Eliminate most out-of-pocket costs like copays and deductibles
- Eliminate most private insurance plans
- Replace premiums with higher taxes
- Guarantee health coverage for everyone
- Eliminate most out-of-pocket costs like copays and deductibles
November 26, 2025 at 8:12 PM
NEW: A majority of voters (63%) support a Medicare for All system that would:
- Eliminate most private insurance plans
- Replace premiums with higher taxes
- Guarantee health coverage for everyone
- Eliminate most out-of-pocket costs like copays and deductibles
- Eliminate most private insurance plans
- Replace premiums with higher taxes
- Guarantee health coverage for everyone
- Eliminate most out-of-pocket costs like copays and deductibles
Reposted
“The Department of Health and Human Services maintains that it is hewing to “gold standard, evidence-based science”—a piece of doublespeak so thick that it might unsettle Orwell”
There is nothing evidence based about what the CDC has done to the website. Vaccines do not cause autism.
There is nothing evidence based about what the CDC has done to the website. Vaccines do not cause autism.
The Undermining of the C.D.C.
The Department of Health and Human Services maintains that it is hewing to “gold standard, evidence-based science”—doublespeak that might unsettle Orwell.
www.newyorker.com
November 30, 2025 at 1:45 PM
“The Department of Health and Human Services maintains that it is hewing to “gold standard, evidence-based science”—a piece of doublespeak so thick that it might unsettle Orwell”
There is nothing evidence based about what the CDC has done to the website. Vaccines do not cause autism.
There is nothing evidence based about what the CDC has done to the website. Vaccines do not cause autism.
Reposted
🧵1/
FDA is supposed to protect us from unsafe and ineffective medicines and vaccines.
And yet 🫠...just like at CDC, it's the political appointed leadership holding the agency hostage...
FDA is failing in its mission as it turns a political hammer to the covid vaccines.
A few points in next post 👉
FDA is supposed to protect us from unsafe and ineffective medicines and vaccines.
And yet 🫠...just like at CDC, it's the political appointed leadership holding the agency hostage...
FDA is failing in its mission as it turns a political hammer to the covid vaccines.
A few points in next post 👉
FDA to raise hurdles for vaccines, faulting COVID shots for 10 kids' deaths
Food and Drug Administration officials say they will ratchet up requirements for vaccine studies, citing concerns about COVID shots for kids. But public health experts question the agency's analysis.
www.npr.org
November 29, 2025 at 10:59 PM
🧵1/
FDA is supposed to protect us from unsafe and ineffective medicines and vaccines.
And yet 🫠...just like at CDC, it's the political appointed leadership holding the agency hostage...
FDA is failing in its mission as it turns a political hammer to the covid vaccines.
A few points in next post 👉
FDA is supposed to protect us from unsafe and ineffective medicines and vaccines.
And yet 🫠...just like at CDC, it's the political appointed leadership holding the agency hostage...
FDA is failing in its mission as it turns a political hammer to the covid vaccines.
A few points in next post 👉
Reposted
The Global Fund has fallen short of its $18 billion target, risking the progress made against AIDS, TB, and malaria.
Our latest Editorial discusses the challenges and opportunities in shaping the future of global health investment.
Read this & more: spkl.io/63321A5zXh
Our latest Editorial discusses the challenges and opportunities in shaping the future of global health investment.
Read this & more: spkl.io/63321A5zXh
November 28, 2025 at 12:04 PM
The Global Fund has fallen short of its $18 billion target, risking the progress made against AIDS, TB, and malaria.
Our latest Editorial discusses the challenges and opportunities in shaping the future of global health investment.
Read this & more: spkl.io/63321A5zXh
Our latest Editorial discusses the challenges and opportunities in shaping the future of global health investment.
Read this & more: spkl.io/63321A5zXh