ExpatRepeat

Well said.

Tess Finch Lees: From the Winter Olympics to Nasa, wearing masks is back – except when it comes to our hospitals Masks are back: at the Olympics, at Nasa and with A-listers.

1. Outstanding article from Tess Finch Lees:

'Meanwhile, when asked why she’s masking during chemo, Meg now says, “I’m training for the Olympics” '.

Please click on the paywalled link first, archived link in next post. Also consider sharing.

m.independent.ie/opinion/comm...

The thing that's bugging me the most about the "I know how to assess my own risk" immunologist is that now I feel like I can't trust anything she's ever said. And I feel obligated to dig into all the claims she made about transmissibility, LC rates/infection, etc. I'm tired.

‘Don’t go to the US – not with Trump in charge’: the UK tourist with a valid visa detained by ICE for six weeks Karen Newton was in America on the trip of a lifetime when she was shackled, transported and held for weeks on end. With tourism to the US under increasing strain, she says, ‘If it can happen to me, i...

A retired British primary school administrator with a British passport and a valid visa was shackled, chained and detained for six weeks by ICE

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

New CDC Director Has Questioned Vaccine Safety Jay Bhattacharya’s recent new appointment may suggest more changes to the vaccine schedule.

NEW from me in Important Context:

NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya is now the acting CDC director.

Bhattacharya has long cast doubt on vaccine safety, and his appointment may signal more changes to the childhood and adolescent immunization schedule.

www.importantcontext.news/p/new-cdc-di...

Cambodian national dies in ICE custody in Indiana A detainee died in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Indiana on Monday, with the cause of death under investigation, ICE said on Wednesday, marking at least the seventh death in 2026 in federal immigration custody.

A detainee died in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Indiana on Monday, with the cause of death under investigation, ICE said on Wednesday, marking at least the seventh death in 2026 in federal immigration custody. Lorth Sim, a 59-year-old Cambodian na...

TAT: [Nationalism]

And you know where that air pollution goes?

#Canada

Which did the hard work of eliminating coal-fired plants.

Now a new generation of Canadians will experience (US-created) smog days.

And the return of acid rain.

But ‘I don’t know why’ we 🇨🇦 are angry…..

YouTube video by Global News "I can destroy the country": Trump says any tariff refunds could take years to litigate

"I can destroy the country"

This is the kind of language wife-beaters use.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHvo...

bsky.app/profile/atra...

Thinking about your preference for a satirical spin on things, I've transcribed the text from the image for you below. The everyday tasks that can be a struggle with Chronic Illness: Making the bed can be tough Showering requires planning Getting dressed takes longer Cooking meals needs careful thought Leaving the house can be daunting Laundry piles up quickly Eating and hydrating are sometimes overlooked Managing finances adds stress Explaining invisible illnesses is exhausting Socializing takes extra effort Planning ahead can cause anxiety Unexpected flare-ups disrupt daily life Staying positive amidst challenges requires effort Healthcare appointments can be overwhelming @crohns_colitis_awareness

@crohns_colitis_awareness on Insta

Sweden thinks Russia is their greatest threat.
They designed the Gripen to fight Russia.
Canada's defences have, and continue to be, to defend against Russia.
The RCAF picked the F-35, it can't even make it to the Arctic and back without refuelling.
In an actually attack you cannot refuel in
1/3

"But Covid is over! Why are you wearing a mask?" To my absolute surprise this week (and surely to most Olympic athletes’ and Covid-minimizers’ dismay), respirators made a return appearance at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

1/
"It’s a truly dissonant experience to watch the media narrative around #COVID & this Olympic games unfold.

On the one hand, you have some athletes & coaches astutely & correctly realizing that Covid could jeopardize their chances...

livingwithlongcovid.substack.com/p/but-covid-...

#EconSky #USpol

US House votes to overturn Trump's tariffs on Canada Six Republican lawmakers joined Democrats to back a resolution that seeks to end the tariffs Trump imposed on Canada last year.

Thank you U.S. House! It's a start. It gives us some hope here in Canada that maybe someday our nations can be friends again. 🇨🇦🇺🇸The rest of the world is rooting for you too- to wake up and realise that turning friends into enemies hurts everyone. www.bbc.com/news/article...

This is a central stratagem of the oligarchy: they create systems that benefit the rich at public cost, then they offload their guilt onto the same public as individuals. If the environment is a mess, it's because you didn't recycle enough; if long-COVID is bad, you should've protected yourself.

And they had a meeting with Lutnick (tariff man) on Monday. Lutnick went straight to Trump. An hour later, Trump posted his rant. They both want us thinking about anything other than the Epstein files, so the bridge billionaires gave them the gift of something to rant about.

🚨
Are people sicker now than in 2019?

Civil servants in England are.
Sickness absence rates have *risen by between 12% to 23% across the age groups*.

Are things getting worse?
It certainly looks like it.

This is exactly what we predicted repeat covid infection would do.

Murder clowns.

Respiratory season is over my a**.

Reminder: Bonnie Henry's office confirmed respiratory season starts and ends here based on her vibes (see next post). Same for all these colluding CMOHs.

This is murder, and we need to call it what it is: a choice to let people die rather than admit their errors.

If you need any more proof of just how evil and self-serving IPAC-MAHA is, compare what they are doing with the requirements of the national workplace safety standard.

I'll wait.

YouTube video by MTV Persia Paul Gross - Ride Forever [Due South]

Need a little happy on your timeline? This Albertan stirring up some Canadian pride. Gets me every time. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu4k...

Howard Lutnick faces bipartisan calls to resign over latest Epstein revelations Recently disclosed records suggest a closer relationship than the Commerce secretary previously indicated.

Secretary Howard Lutnick lied to the country about his ties to Epstein.

Now we learned that they were in business together.

He has no business being our Commerce Secretary.

He should resign.
www.politico.com/live-updates...

Minnesotans’ moonshot to cover rent for their immigrant neighbors - MinnPost The need for emergency assistance for rent is bigger than a GoFundMe, but that’s not stopping residents from trying.

MinnPost: 'Inside Minnesotans’ moonshot to cover rent for their immigrant neighbors'

'The need for emergency rental assistance is bigger than a GoFundMe, but that’s not stopping residents from trying'.

www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/0...

Exactly. Canada has absolutely got to be clear-eyed and take the prospects of US interference + invasion seriously. Just because it’s such a radical change from the 🌎 we grew used to, doesn’t make it less true or dangerous. The Nordics offer lots of lessons👇for resilience vs. all sorts of threats.

If you’re going to have an event called “National Prayer Breakfast” make sure to fast first. And pray. Because I think the current leadership only remembered the “break” part.

ICE fishing should really become an Olympic sport.

White truck with a huge Mexican flag

MINNEAPOLIS: Good people (mostly caucasian American citizens) are putting Mexican flags on their cars so ICE agents waste time pulling them over. They're calling it "ICE fishing"

The tin man has a protest sign that says “ICE has no heart.” The lion has a sign that says “GOP has no courage.” and the Scarecrow has a protest sign that says Trump has no brain."

An everlasting classic.

Tell Congress: Impeach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Contact Congress today!

If you agree firing Kristi Noem is way overdue, here’s something you can do about it RIGHT NOW!

The are attempting to gut and destroy the boundary waters and the vote is as early as NEXT WEEK. Please call everyone now!

Is it my imagination, or have both Noem and Bondi been out of the spotlight for a few days? I always worry what evil they might be up to when this happens. I wonder if they have Covid again?