Shashika Bandara
@shashikalb.bsky.social
Fish curry enthusiast. Global Health Policy and Human Rights. Ph.D. @McGillU. Formerly @DukeU.
At this point I’m inclined to get a pigeon predator to deter pigeons from my balcony. I also welcome other not so extreme ideas.
February 16, 2026 at 2:26 PM
At this point I’m inclined to get a pigeon predator to deter pigeons from my balcony. I also welcome other not so extreme ideas.
An important read on the racist and misogynist PR machinery of the White House - its historical parallels and current impact.
Important to avoid becoming numb or normalizing these framings.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Important to avoid becoming numb or normalizing these framings.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Trump’s Obama and Bad Bunny posts crystallize his political philosophy | Sidney Blumenthal
Maga is a recapitulation of the dark side of American history that cohered into nativist nationalism a century ago
www.theguardian.com
February 16, 2026 at 12:07 PM
An important read on the racist and misogynist PR machinery of the White House - its historical parallels and current impact.
Important to avoid becoming numb or normalizing these framings.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Important to avoid becoming numb or normalizing these framings.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Pakistan needs to stop imploding in these India vs Pakistan games man. Need more competitive games.
February 15, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Pakistan needs to stop imploding in these India vs Pakistan games man. Need more competitive games.
Also applies to Saturday :) and Valentine’s Day.
Friday. Here is one of my faves off of J.Cole's excellent new album 'Fall Off'! Chill flow, story telling and Erykah Badu makes this a gem of a track! Enjoy!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a_a...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a_a...
J. Cole - The Villest (Official Audio)
YouTube video by J. Cole
www.youtube.com
February 14, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Also applies to Saturday :) and Valentine’s Day.
Friday. Here is one of my faves off of J.Cole's excellent new album 'Fall Off'! Chill flow, story telling and Erykah Badu makes this a gem of a track! Enjoy!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a_a...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a_a...
J. Cole - The Villest (Official Audio)
YouTube video by J. Cole
www.youtube.com
February 13, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Friday. Here is one of my faves off of J.Cole's excellent new album 'Fall Off'! Chill flow, story telling and Erykah Badu makes this a gem of a track! Enjoy!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a_a...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a_a...
Reposted by Shashika Bandara
BREAKING: Four states led by Democrats sued the Trump administration on Wednesday, aiming to halt deep cuts in federal public health funds that had already been allocated.
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/h...
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/h...
Four States Sue Administration Over Loss of Public Health Funds
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 12:21 AM
BREAKING: Four states led by Democrats sued the Trump administration on Wednesday, aiming to halt deep cuts in federal public health funds that had already been allocated.
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/h...
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/h...
TIME 100 Health has RFK Jr. - do we need to rexamine the definition of leader TIME?
Neutral language/approaches often masks the intentional damage. A very poor choice to lift up/platforms those we shouldn’t.
RFK Jr. is destroying public health. Reshaping is not the synonym.
time.com/collections/...
Neutral language/approaches often masks the intentional damage. A very poor choice to lift up/platforms those we shouldn’t.
RFK Jr. is destroying public health. Reshaping is not the synonym.
time.com/collections/...
February 12, 2026 at 1:13 AM
TIME 100 Health has RFK Jr. - do we need to rexamine the definition of leader TIME?
Neutral language/approaches often masks the intentional damage. A very poor choice to lift up/platforms those we shouldn’t.
RFK Jr. is destroying public health. Reshaping is not the synonym.
time.com/collections/...
Neutral language/approaches often masks the intentional damage. A very poor choice to lift up/platforms those we shouldn’t.
RFK Jr. is destroying public health. Reshaping is not the synonym.
time.com/collections/...
T20 workd cup flew under my radar!
India vs Pakistan is obv gonna be electric. Hopefully Sri Lanka does well.
mashable.com/article/icc-...
India vs Pakistan is obv gonna be electric. Hopefully Sri Lanka does well.
mashable.com/article/icc-...
T20 World Cup 2026 livestream: Watch ICC Men's T20 World Cup for free
Live stream all the action from India and Sri Lanka without spending anything.
mashable.com
February 11, 2026 at 9:45 PM
T20 workd cup flew under my radar!
India vs Pakistan is obv gonna be electric. Hopefully Sri Lanka does well.
mashable.com/article/icc-...
India vs Pakistan is obv gonna be electric. Hopefully Sri Lanka does well.
mashable.com/article/icc-...
Reposted by Shashika Bandara
Holy shit—a terrible waste of $$
Bhattacharya is so kooky
“If lots of people believe it & it’s moving public health, we as NIH have an obligation, again, to treat it seriously,” Bhattacharya said at a MAHA event
Great reporting by @rachanadpradhan.bsky.social
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Bhattacharya is so kooky
“If lots of people believe it & it’s moving public health, we as NIH have an obligation, again, to treat it seriously,” Bhattacharya said at a MAHA event
Great reporting by @rachanadpradhan.bsky.social
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
US Cancer Institute Studying Ivermectin’s ‘Ability To Kill Cancer Cells’ - KFF Health News
At a January event organized by allies of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., National Cancer Institute Director Anthony Letai said results may be released “in a few months.” Ivermectin, used to d...
kffhealthnews.org
February 10, 2026 at 2:05 PM
Holy shit—a terrible waste of $$
Bhattacharya is so kooky
“If lots of people believe it & it’s moving public health, we as NIH have an obligation, again, to treat it seriously,” Bhattacharya said at a MAHA event
Great reporting by @rachanadpradhan.bsky.social
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Bhattacharya is so kooky
“If lots of people believe it & it’s moving public health, we as NIH have an obligation, again, to treat it seriously,” Bhattacharya said at a MAHA event
Great reporting by @rachanadpradhan.bsky.social
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Reposted by Shashika Bandara
No science, just vibes.
Holy shit—a terrible waste of $$
Bhattacharya is so kooky
“If lots of people believe it & it’s moving public health, we as NIH have an obligation, again, to treat it seriously,” Bhattacharya said at a MAHA event
Great reporting by @rachanadpradhan.bsky.social
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Bhattacharya is so kooky
“If lots of people believe it & it’s moving public health, we as NIH have an obligation, again, to treat it seriously,” Bhattacharya said at a MAHA event
Great reporting by @rachanadpradhan.bsky.social
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
US Cancer Institute Studying Ivermectin’s ‘Ability To Kill Cancer Cells’ - KFF Health News
At a January event organized by allies of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., National Cancer Institute Director Anthony Letai said results may be released “in a few months.” Ivermectin, used to d...
kffhealthnews.org
February 11, 2026 at 5:29 PM
No science, just vibes.
Bernie Sanders delivers a scathing take down of billionaire class - the biggest factors in shifting status quo towards inequity.
Billionaires deeply influence political and structural determinants of health - and in the examples provided by Bernie their influence is negative.
Billionaires deeply influence political and structural determinants of health - and in the examples provided by Bernie their influence is negative.
February 10, 2026 at 2:15 AM
Bernie Sanders delivers a scathing take down of billionaire class - the biggest factors in shifting status quo towards inequity.
Billionaires deeply influence political and structural determinants of health - and in the examples provided by Bernie their influence is negative.
Billionaires deeply influence political and structural determinants of health - and in the examples provided by Bernie their influence is negative.
February 9, 2026 at 2:43 AM
Reposted by Shashika Bandara
Breaking News: Thailand embraced nationalism and the monarchy for the first time in years, rejecting a recent progressive movement in elections on Sunday.
Seeking Stability, Thai Voters Decisively Reject Progressive Party
It was the first time in years that a conservative party preaching nationalism, patriotism and respect for the monarchy came out on top.
nyti.ms
February 8, 2026 at 8:18 PM
Breaking News: Thailand embraced nationalism and the monarchy for the first time in years, rejecting a recent progressive movement in elections on Sunday.
J. Cole and Bad Bunny dominating the charts. Critique of the inequitable status quo and introspection can make it in the charts. Both album covers incidentally have chairs in the cover (for trivia fans).
February 7, 2026 at 9:11 PM
J. Cole and Bad Bunny dominating the charts. Critique of the inequitable status quo and introspection can make it in the charts. Both album covers incidentally have chairs in the cover (for trivia fans).
Who else suffers from the condition of losing and looking for your glasses? I somehow had to look for my glasses three times this morn.
February 7, 2026 at 3:29 PM
Who else suffers from the condition of losing and looking for your glasses? I somehow had to look for my glasses three times this morn.
Reposted by Shashika Bandara
Democratizing Knowledge Through Global Health Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to learn, share, exchange, and democratize global health knowledge
Here is my new list of podcasts worth checking out!
communities.springernature.com/posts/democr...
Podcasts are a great way to learn, share, exchange, and democratize global health knowledge
Here is my new list of podcasts worth checking out!
communities.springernature.com/posts/democr...
Democratizing Knowledge Through Global Health Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to learn, share, exchange, and democratize global health knowledge. Here are several wonderful podcasts worth checking out!
communities.springernature.com
January 26, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Democratizing Knowledge Through Global Health Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to learn, share, exchange, and democratize global health knowledge
Here is my new list of podcasts worth checking out!
communities.springernature.com/posts/democr...
Podcasts are a great way to learn, share, exchange, and democratize global health knowledge
Here is my new list of podcasts worth checking out!
communities.springernature.com/posts/democr...
J. Cole's 'The Fall Off' is out! Brilliant album - looking into the fault lines of the system, than playing into media frenzies/beefs/attacks etc.
There is a song "What if?" asking what if actually Tupac and Biggie talked and settled it - will all those deaths happen?
Beautiful production&curation.
There is a song "What if?" asking what if actually Tupac and Biggie talked and settled it - will all those deaths happen?
Beautiful production&curation.
February 6, 2026 at 2:58 PM
J. Cole's 'The Fall Off' is out! Brilliant album - looking into the fault lines of the system, than playing into media frenzies/beefs/attacks etc.
There is a song "What if?" asking what if actually Tupac and Biggie talked and settled it - will all those deaths happen?
Beautiful production&curation.
There is a song "What if?" asking what if actually Tupac and Biggie talked and settled it - will all those deaths happen?
Beautiful production&curation.
Excellent, well researched short article by a student journalist Héloïse Durning at McGill @mcgillghp.bsky.social on the measles resurgence and pathways forward. It is in French but also can be read in English.
#globalhealth #vaccines
www.delitfrancais.com/2026/02/04/l...
#globalhealth #vaccines
www.delitfrancais.com/2026/02/04/l...
Le retour de la rougeole aux États-Unis - Le Délit
Les conséquences du mouvement antivax.
www.delitfrancais.com
February 6, 2026 at 1:18 AM
Excellent, well researched short article by a student journalist Héloïse Durning at McGill @mcgillghp.bsky.social on the measles resurgence and pathways forward. It is in French but also can be read in English.
#globalhealth #vaccines
www.delitfrancais.com/2026/02/04/l...
#globalhealth #vaccines
www.delitfrancais.com/2026/02/04/l...
I spoke to Interprofessional Global Health Course students tonight. I asked "What gives you hope in global health?" Their answers didn't disappoint! Finding hope in community and solidarity is joyous!
Shout out to the organizing student team Wan-Li Sun, Greta Zogaj, Adetomiwa Adedire, and others.
Shout out to the organizing student team Wan-Li Sun, Greta Zogaj, Adetomiwa Adedire, and others.
February 4, 2026 at 2:05 AM
I spoke to Interprofessional Global Health Course students tonight. I asked "What gives you hope in global health?" Their answers didn't disappoint! Finding hope in community and solidarity is joyous!
Shout out to the organizing student team Wan-Li Sun, Greta Zogaj, Adetomiwa Adedire, and others.
Shout out to the organizing student team Wan-Li Sun, Greta Zogaj, Adetomiwa Adedire, and others.
Reposted by Shashika Bandara
“One of the most troubling dynamics of the past twelve months is seeing anti-immigrant propaganda become policy in the second Trump administration. […] These pipelines between participatory propaganda and policy are growing increasingly robust and hard to ignore.”
Making Sense of Minnesota, Anticipating Springfield
Exposing the propaganda-to-policy pipeline (and other reflections on current events)
katestarbird.substack.com
February 1, 2026 at 4:07 PM
“One of the most troubling dynamics of the past twelve months is seeing anti-immigrant propaganda become policy in the second Trump administration. […] These pipelines between participatory propaganda and policy are growing increasingly robust and hard to ignore.”
Reposted by Shashika Bandara
US committee is reconsidering all vaccine recommendations
US committee is reconsidering all vaccine recommendations
Move is dramatic departure for advisory group under Kirk Milhoan, who says he doesn’t like the term ‘established science’
All vaccine recommendations are being reconsidered by the US’s vaccines committee, according to its top adviser, who in recent interviews slammed vaccination requirements for attending school and said vaccines should be taken on the advice of an individual’s doctor.
The stance from Kirk Milhoan, chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), represents a dramatic departure for the group tasked with making US vaccine recommendations for decades, signaling an increasingly hostile approach from the Trump administration to routine vaccines. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
February 1, 2026 at 1:13 PM
US committee is reconsidering all vaccine recommendations
I am hyped by Springsteen’s new. Song supporting protestors in the US. And of course incomparable J.Cole mixtape.
NYT agrees. So. Some weekend listens for you all.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/a...
NYT agrees. So. Some weekend listens for you all.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/a...
January 31, 2026 at 8:01 PM
I am hyped by Springsteen’s new. Song supporting protestors in the US. And of course incomparable J.Cole mixtape.
NYT agrees. So. Some weekend listens for you all.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/a...
NYT agrees. So. Some weekend listens for you all.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/a...
Reposted by Shashika Bandara
How did British Muslims become ‘the problem’? – podcast
How did British Muslims become ‘the problem’? – podcast
Miqdaad Versi, Shaista Aziz, Aamna Mohdin and Nosheen Iqbal on the rise of the far right and growing Islamophobia in the UK
www.theguardian.com
January 29, 2026 at 11:05 AM
How did British Muslims become ‘the problem’? – podcast
Thank you to you also Madhu! Together we can shift the tide!
This weekend, I just wanted to give a shout out and thank these wonderful colleagues who are doing everything they can, to stand up for science, public health and human rights
@gregggonsalves.bsky.social
@cdelawalla.bsky.social
@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social
@boghuma.bsky.social
...
@gregggonsalves.bsky.social
@cdelawalla.bsky.social
@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social
@boghuma.bsky.social
...
a penguin is holding a black hat in its hand and saying thank you .
ALT: a penguin is holding a black hat in its hand and saying thank you .
media.tenor.com
January 28, 2026 at 5:03 AM
Thank you to you also Madhu! Together we can shift the tide!