@rmcarpiano.medsky.social
Professor, University of California, Riverside School of Public Policy. Public health scientist & sociologist keen on population health & community issues. Sometimes in the news, often for troubling and frustrating topics. Opinions my own. 🇺🇸 🇨🇦
To be fair, this is a normal circulating pathogen and the system detected it. If anything, shows the value of wastewater surveillance and investing in those systems. But yes, the current admin. investing (versus divesting) in the scientific and public health community would be ideal.
"Paul said on X Thurs. that Congress "handed the president the power to start a war so they could avoid accountability at the ballot box.'
'That is not statesmanship. That is cowardice. The Constitution is clear. War must be declared by Congress, not announced in an 8-minute video at 2:30am'..."
He's saying we're not going to participate in offensive actions against Iran, but might need to defend our allies.
Chill, people.
Expect even worse than this as Mullin takes over DHS, inherits the current poor rep & high public scrutiny of that agency under his predecessor Noem, AND he makes his own executive decisions as Head.
🤷🏼
2 ways to view this:
1. TSA lines just got more pleasant. No more Noem vids running on loop.
2. Markwayne Mullin will be in the spotlight even more than bf & thus under even greater public scrutiny (recall his painful-to-watch gaffe w/ journalists this wk abt whether we are at war).
When you’re running for governor of Florida, that’s pretty much the end of your campaign.
Dr. No (Freaking Way)
At her confirm. hearing Means "tussled" w/ Dems & some Republicans re:
-no active license
-prior endorsing of psychedelics
-allegations she hadn't fully disclosed financial interest in products she promoted
-prior unfounded claims abt vax harms
-dodging endorsing vaccines 🛟
PEPFAR, the program to stop hundreds of thousands of children and adults from dying of HIV/AIDS, was $6.5 billion a year.
Northern California communities have seen high concentrations of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in their wastewater.
"A Los Angeles Times data analysis found the communities of Merced...& Novato & Sunnyvale...have seen increases in HMPV levels in their wastewater between mid-Dec. and the end of Feb."
🍂 🦠 🧪
“Missing files
Aren’t in Iran”
Research focused on vaccine promotion has faced serious attacks by the Trump administration, especially by RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary.
"But, as with so many core functions of public health, future success depends on the support of every institution: government, universities, and industry alike."
Historiography and the Machine.
On judgment and discernment, it should be remembered that these are influenced by contexts, such as time and place. What we think is important about an event or trend in the past may not be shared by future scholars, not for anything written in the field, --
Stories about the illegality of the Iran War under both international law and the US Constitution and War Powers Act have featured on the front pages of Süddeutsche Zeitung, El País, Le Monde and papers all around the world. Not, however, in major US papers. Something is seriously wrong.
Newsmax host says Fox News "has just been ridiculous all day cheerleading this war"
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Theodore Roosevelt
Most telling part of this rant: That the war will go on until "we decide it is over," not until the aims of the war are achieved - because there are no stated aims; and Trump prefers having none, so any result will allow him to try to claim a "win."
I think war is serious business, real life-and-death stuff, and should be taken seriously by people who initiate and prosecute it.
Sorry to get so partisan, but that’s how I feel.
This would still be painful to watch even if it wasn't about something as significant as war...
Cohort study of ~11.5M singleton births across 677 counties between 1968-1988, aggregated to the county-month level, finds community water fluoridation was not associated with statistically significant changes in birth weight.
🛟😷 health policy
Nicely done story!
Secretary of War's bizarre presser shows why Secretary of Defense title fits him fine, just not in the traditional use of the term.
Here's the thing: most states have non-medical exemptions to opt out and yet that's still not good enough for these people.
That presser called to mind Rumsfeld's famous quote about known knowns, known unknowns, & unknown unknowns ("ones we don't know we don't know").
But Hegseth's odd, defensive performance & prior lack of credibility suggests there's a 4th category: unknown knowns--things one doesn't know they know.
Antivax coalition Stand for Freedom ups efforts to sicken kids.
Backed bills to end mandates in AZ, GA, HI, ID, IN, IA, NY, NH, OK, & VT.
Also "...asking supporters to contact gov's & lawmakers to ask them to end vaccine mandates in 19 states..." including at least 6 w/ current measles outbreaks.🛟
84% of the time, “ChatGPT Health” killed a customer using their paid service as advertised
