Deb S.

When did you go international?

The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules The rewrite was done to speed up the construction of a new generation of nuclear reactors. Critics warn it could compromise safety and public trust.

While we’re all focused on the government terrorizing American cities (as we should be), they’re also quietly doing shit like this and thinking no one will notice.

Trump administration secretly loosens nuclear safety rules

www.npr.org/2026/01/28/n...

Spoken like a true abuser: “look what you made me do.”

Here is footage of the ICE shooting this morning in Minneapolis from the close- up vantage point on the other side of the street. The murdered protester goes to help a woman who is injured by ICE and six agents drag him down, beat him and then he is shot.

ICE changes story on Christmas Eve shooting by agents in Glen Burnie Federal officials changed their account of the Christmas Eve shooting by ICE agents in Glen Burnie.

www.thebanner.com/community/cr...

I REALLY don’t want to pay my quarterly estimated taxes this month.

Since the deployment was ruled unlawful, can they refuse to go without risking a court martial?

I’m looking at you @steveinskeep.bsky.social

Reporters need to stop saying “underage women.” The word you are looking for is “girls.” They were girls.

Chutzpah. Arrogance. Narcissism. I can’t think of a word strong enough to describe the most unqualified Sec Def ever lecturing about other people being unqualified just because they’re not straight cisgender white men. I bet there’s a word for it in German

I love what he and his team are doing in response to trump, but I don’t want him to be pres.

Workers over Billionaires, Baltimore 9/1/25

Respiratory Infections Activate Dormant Cancer Cells This Medical News article discusses a new finding that respiratory viral infections can trigger the proliferation of dormant breast cancer cells in the lungs.

One more reason we need access to vaccines: jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

I was only going to be suspicious if the weekend passed without him golfing.

My resignation letter from CDC. Dear Dr. Houry, I am writing to formally resign from my position as Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effective August 28, 2025, close of business. I am happy to stay on for two weeks to provide transition, if requested. This decision has not come easily, as I deeply value the work that the CDC does in safeguarding public health and am proud of my contributions to that critical mission. However, after much contemplation and reflection on recent developments and perspectives brought to light by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., I find that the views he and his staff have shared challenge my ability to continue in my current role at the agency and in the service of the health of the American people. Enough is enough. While I hold immense respect for the institution and my colleagues, I believe that it is imperative to align my professional responsibilities to my system of ethics and my understanding of the science of infectious disease, immunology, and my promise to serve the American people. This step is necessary to ensure that I can contribute effectively in a capacity that allows me to remain true to my principles.

The recent change in the adult and children’s immunization schedule threaten the lives of the youngest Americans and pregnant people. The data analyses that supported this decision have never been shared with CDC despite my respectful requests to HHS and other leadership. This lack of meaningful engagement was further compounded by a “frequently asked questions” document written to support the Secretary’s directive that was circulated by HHS without input from CDC subject matter experts and that cited studies that did not support the conclusions that were attributed to these authors. Having worked in local and national public health for years, I have never experienced such radical non-transparency, nor have I seen such unskilled manipulation of data to achieve a political end rather than the good of the American people. It is untenable to serve in an organization that is not afforded the opportunity to discuss decisions of scientific and public health importance released under the moniker of CDC. The lack of communication by HHS and other CDC political leadership that culminates in social media posts announcing major policy changes without prior notice demonstrate a disregard of normal communication channels and common sense. Having to retrofit analyses and policy actions to match inadequately thought-out announcements in poorly scripted videos or page long X posts should not be how organizations responsible for the health of people should function. Some examples include the announcement of the change in the COVID-19 recommendations for children and pregnant people, the firing of scientists from ACIP by X post and an op-ed rather than direct communication with these valuable experts, the announcement of new ACIP members by X before onboarding and vetting have completed, and the release of term of reference for an ACIP workgroup that ignored all feedback from career staff at CDC.

Their desire to please a political base will result in death and disability of vulnerable children and adults. Their base should be the people they serve not a political voting bloc. I have always been first to challenge scientific and public health dogma in my career and was excited by the opportunity to do so again. I was optimistic that there would be an opportunity to brief the Secretary about key topics such as measles, avian influenza, and the highly coordinated approach to the respiratory virus season. Such briefings would allow exchange of ideas and a shared path to support the vision of “Making America Healthy Again.” We are seven months into the new administration, and no CDC subject matter expert from my Center has ever briefed the Secretary. I am not sure who the Secretary is listening to, but it is quite certainly not to us. Unvetted and conflicted outside organizations seem to be the sources HHS use over the gold standard science of CDC and other reputable sources. At a hearing, Secretary Kennedy said that Americans should not take medical advice from him. To the contrary, an appropriately briefed and inquisitive Secretary should be a source of health information for the people he serves. As it stands now, I must agree with him, that he should not be considered a source of accurate information. The intentional eroding of trust in low-risk vaccines favoring natural infection and unproven remedies will bring us to a pre-vaccine era where only the strong will survive and many if not all will suffer. I believe in nutrition and exercise. I believe in making our food supply healthier, and I also believe in using vaccines to prevent death and disability. Eugenics plays prominently in the rhetoric being generated and is derivative of a legacy that good medicine and science should continue to shun.

The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud. I am resigning because of the cowardice of a leader that cannot admit that HIS and his minions’ words over decades created an environment where violence like this can occur. I reject his and his colleagues’ thoughts and prayers, and advise they direct those to people that they have not actively harmed. For decades, I have been a trusted voice for the LGBTQ community when it comes to critical health topics. I must also cite the recklessness of the administration in their efforts to erase transgender populations, cease critical domestic and international HIV programming, and terminate key research to support equity as part of my decision. Public health is not merely about the health of the individual, but it is about the health of the community, the nation, the world. The nation’s health security is at risk and is in the hands of people focusing on ideological self-interest. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the opportunities for growth, learning, and collaboration that I have been afforded during my time at the CDC. It has been a privilege to work alongside such dedicated professionals who are committed to improving the health and well-being of communities across the nation even when under attack from within both physically and psychologically. Thank you once again for the support and guidance I have received from you and previous CDC leadership throughout my tenure. I wish the CDC continued success in its vital mission and that HHS reverse its dangerous course to dismantle public health as a practice and as an institution. If they continue the current path, they risk our personal well-being and the security of the United States.

Full resignation letter from Demetre C. Daskalakis, a CDC leader, does not hold back.
"The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud."

I made the mistake of reading the comments to this article on their fb page. Clearly most of the commenters don’t actually live in Baltimore.

The same people who believed the ridiculous conspiracy theory that Hillary Clinton was running a sex trafficking operation out of a pizza parlor refuse to admit they voted for and are supporting a sex offender.

Some days I just can’t deal with people.

The Epstein list would be welcomed. But, do we really need it to show that Diddy Rump has a history of sexual misconduct against women?

Believe survivors. Source: The Guardian

#Justice4Victims

Dealing with United Healthcare can really make you understand how someone could be driven to homicide.

Maybe if we as a society could just BELIEVE WOMEN then we wouldn’t be in this mess.

How to say you’re covering something up without saying you’re covering something up

Saving money vs. saving lives Scientists conducting medical research are facing an existential crisis: Layoffs and budget cuts pushed by President Trump that, they say, jeopardize finding a cure for cancer. They tell "Sunday Morni...

The true impact of the cuts by DOGE and the proposed budget. www.cbsnews.com/video/saving...

We’ve bombed Iran. And dismantled our joint terrorism task force. And sent a third of the FBI to help ICE. And gutted the National Security Council. And a drunk guy is in charge at the pentagon. And our intelligence allies probably won’t share intel with us. Because people couldn’t vote for a woman.

She Won. They Didn't Just Change the Machines. They Rewired the Election. How Leonard Leo's 2021 sale of an electronics firm enabled tech giants to subvert the 2024 election.

Conspiracy theory or evidence of massive election fraud? substack.com/inbox/post/1...

Smalltimore!

Comparing photos of DC today with photos from the rest of the country and it’s clear - the people have spoken.

No Kings Baltimore Part 2

No Kings Baltimore part 1

When MAGA Tries to Unlock Freedom with the Tools of Tyranny A psychological autopsy of the movement that confuses strength with subjugation and freedom with obedience.

“Because when a political movement lies compulsively, rationalizes cruelty, and flinches at accountability, the question isn’t just ‘what do they believe?’ but ‘why must they believe it?’”

open.substack.com/pub/theratio...