Autistic Science Person

A disconcerting number of high status people upended their worldviews because other people did not affirm that status in the way they thought appropriate.
And social media accelerated this because for high status people it is often the experience of people telling you that you are wrong.

Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin urges fellow Democrats to 'go nuclear' in redistricting fight Slotkin told NBC News that she, like many Democrats, wants nonpartisan congressional maps. But if Republicans redraw the lines in Texas, Democrats should go on offense.

NEW: Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin tells Democrats to 'go nuclear' in redistricting fight

We went to her only town hall of the recess… and talked to the rising Democratic star about the future of the party & more

www.nbcnews.com/politics/202...

"The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the beginning of a coordinated wind-down of its mRNA vaccine development activities...."

cc: Sen. Bill Cassidy

BREAKING: Gov. Mike Braun confirms Vice President JD Vance is coming to Indiana Thursday to discuss possibly redistricting in the state.

We will have a story up soon on the issue, including the possible legal constraints of such a move.

This reminds me: RFK Jr. doesn't believe that HIV causes AIDS! He believes recreational drug use causes it and that scientists, including Dr. Anthony Fauci formerly of NIH, conspired to make up an infectious disease responsible for AIDS so they could "take control of it."
www.npr.org/sections/sho...

Brown University’s ‘deal’ with the Trump administration betrays trans students for federal research funding - The Boston Globe While nearly 40 percent of Brown students do not identify as straight, and in an era when transgender people already face disproportionate discrimination, the university has chosen to prioritize money...

5. Another example of this capitulation comes from universities. In recent weeks, multiple institutions have quietly negotiated transgender people’s rights away in exchange for restored federal funding.

Brown, in a state with laws protecting trans people, banned trans people from bathrooms.

CMS demands data from hospitals providing pediatric transgender care The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sent letters Wednesday to hospitals that provide transgender care services to children, demanding data on their quality standards and finances. …

4. We’ve already seen over-compliance. One EO threatens to wield the federal female-genital-mutilation statute against gender-affirming health care—even though that law clearly does not apply to medical procedures. Another menace: yanking Medicaid dollars from hospitals that treat trans patients.

Suing Trump Isn't Enough: Blue State AGs Must Enforce State Laws Protecting Trans People Private entities overcomplying with Trump executive orders and targeting transgender people must not be given free passes to do so by blue states.

1. State AGs have sued Trump for intimidating providers from providing trans care.

Meanwhile, institutions are dropping trans people left and right out of fear of Trump.

Suing Trump isn't enough. State AGs MUST enforce equality laws against cowardly orgs.

Subscribe to support my journalism.

Important to know about the $500 million grants being pulled:

"Luminary labs was part of Project NextGen, the effort to develop the next generation of covid vaccines that will provide sterilizing immunity — i.e. prevent any covid infection in those vaccinated."
www.patreon.com/posts/hhs-wi...

The association between the duration of surgery and risks of mortality and unplanned reoperation is modulated by the surgical start time - Scientific Reports Scientific Reports - The association between the duration of surgery and risks of mortality and unplanned reoperation is modulated by the surgical start time

🕒 When surgery starts could save lives

A study of 16,000+ neurosurgeries found that operations starting later in the day and lasting longer were linked to much higher risks of death or reoperation.

Timing matters, not just duration.

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#Surgery #SciComm 🧪

There's also some research that came out that potentially linked shingles vaccine to protective effects from dementia, might be something to mention as well. (some correlation with a longer time before dementia diagnosis occurred in people who had the shingles vaccine)

Because Burrowing Owls are diurnal, so many of my photos show them squinting into the sun. That makes them look so judgmental, I have to tell myself it's the sun and not me.

But these juvenile owls are absolutely judging you-- and think that you're too hard on yourself and deserve some rest.

🪶

Sugarcane burning is a plague on these Black Floridians “I like to call it 'structured' racism.”

Today I learned that when sugarcane farmers burn their fields, a “black snow” falls for months on communities downwind. Under FL law, burns are prohibited when the wind is blowing into wealthy, white neighborhoods. They’re only allowed when it’s blowing into poor, majority black areas.

I called and am getting transferred to the secretary, that direct line is: 202-690-7000
Introverts: it's after office hours right now, so you won't have to speak to a human if you call the direct line now and leave a message.

#DidThisToday

RFK Jr. backs down all the time when he gets push back, so if anyone wants to call, here's the HHS number 1-877-696-6775.
I'd also call your senators/reps as well.

There is no clear biological list of features that allow us to even remotely cleanly separate men… Chromosomes? NOPE

SCIENCE!!

In fact, there is no clear biological list of features that allow us to even remotely cleanly separate men from women.

Chromosomes? NOPE

Testosterone? NOPE

Height? NOPE

Vo2 Max? NOPE

Weight? NOPE

Bone Density? NOPE

medium.com/@kirstiphill...

Scientists have their own yardsticks for signaling US will behind on overall scientific research eminence..

This is the one for me- giving up on mRNA vaccines and RNA-based therapies at this juncture will decelerate biomedical research advancements & biotech competitiveness.

HHS Winds Down mRNA Vaccine Development Under BARDA WASHINGTON, DC—AUGUST 5, 2025—The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the beginning of a coordinated wind-down of its mRNA vaccine development activities under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), including the cancellation and de-scoping of various contracts and solicitations. The decision follows a comprehensive review of mRNA-related investments initiated during the COVID-19 public health emergency. “We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu. We’re shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.”

Release from HHS: HHS will wind down its development of the mRNA vaccine development activities under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

Every reputable expert I know considers mRNA vaccine technology to be one of the most revolutionary advances in medicine in our lifetimes. Its inventors won the Nobel Prize in 2023. Shutting it down now is pointless self-harm to humanity.

Trump’s Total War on Wind Power Since July 4, the federal government has escalated its assault on wind development to previously unimaginable heights.

Also in my scoop-filled wind feature today in @heatmap.news

Anti-wind advocates and renewables supporters alike say the Trump team is laying the groundwork to potentially rescind permits held by wind projects that are *currently providing electrons to the grid*

#greensky #energysky

RFK Jr. Cancels $500 Million In Funding For Vaccine Development The mRNA vaccines are credited with slowing the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.

Link:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces he will cancel $500 million in vaccine development projects.

The second (and more troubling) trend is that Obergefell v. Hodges, the now decade-old Supreme Court decision recognizing a right to same-sex marriage, is squarely in the judiciary’s crosshairs. Several nominees were asked whether cases like Brown v. Board of Education, which held school segregation unconstitutional, and Loving v. Virginia, which struck down bans on interracial marriage, were correctly decided, and all agreed that they were. But when asked if the same was true of Obergefell, they all demurred. Tung said only that “the Supreme Court granted such a right.” Mercer described it as “binding precedent,” but said it wasn’t his job to “grade the Supreme Court.” The implication of their careful treatment of Obergefell was clear to anyone listening: These nominees, like those during Trump’s first term who described Roe and Casey as “the law of the land” and “precedent on precedent,” are foaming at the mouth to undermine and eventually overturn Obergefell and relegate same-sex couples to second class status.

A pretty ominous trend to watch: Trump's second-term judicial nominees are providing the same cryptic answers about Obergefell v. Hodges that Trump's first-term judicial nominees provided when asked about Roe v. Wade ballsandstrikes.org/nominations/...

An orange cat and a tortoiseshell cat sitting on white carpet at the top of a stairwell. They are snuggled together and looking at the camera, front paws politely tucked into their chests.

It should be illegal to be this cute

That does sound awful. 💜

After that he said "I've never used the chat function before in a session, that was interesting" like he had an epiphany. ???

On a telehealth intake I couldn't speak trying to describe something, and I used the chat function and he said "You can type but maybe try to talk because I can get facial expressions that way" and I wanted to reply "bud I'm autistic with flat affect, you think saying nothing is better?!"

I come at this as a person who has alexithymia and was often first asked by conselors "How do you feel?" And when my answer was I don't know, I got this look of confusion and crickets, until they just asked again a second time like that would solve it 😅

I feel like asking why you want therapy is like a doctor asking you for a diagnosis. Like I donno, isn't that something you're supposed to figure out??

MAHA just announced that states will be able to prohibit people from purchasing junk food with SNAP.

They claim this will make people healthier. That it’ll force them to make better choices.

It won’t.

Why? They aren’t addressing the privilege involved with healthy eating 🧵