The health, social, & economic disruptions of the pandemic were challenging for each of us & our shared society Grateful to all who did their best to help us through this historic period May we one day have more constructive reflection on what we may learn to strengthen our collective way forward

'I still have nightmares every night' — health workers struggle with PTSD symptoms as coronavirus takes toll

Health care workers are fighting a new battle regarding their mental health and well-being due to Covid-19, as deaths have recently topped 120,000 people.

cnbc.com

Mitch McConnell and other members of Congress deserve paid sick leave So does everyone working in every other job

Don Moynihan@donmoyn.bsky.social · 4w ago

The point is that members of Congress have de facto unlimited paid sick leave, even when members of the public are asking why they aren't turning up for work. Its a benefit that he, and other Republicans like Tom Kean, oppose for the rest of us.

Grateful to Nicholas Enrich for speaking to how USAID reflects the best of us and the immense loss from its destruction May we rebuild better Looking forward to learning more from his book, Into the Wood Chipper @nenrich.bsky.social & Nancy Lindborg at Clio’s in Oakland

“Millionaires including former footballer Gary Lineker and music producer Brian Eno have written to new prime minister Andy Burnham asking to be taxed more.”

UK millionaires ask Andy Burnham to tax them more

A group including former England footballer Gary Kineker write to the new PM telling him "we can afford it".

bbc.co.uk

The Trump administration’s cuts to the largest global HIV program last year resulted in sharp drops in both prevention efforts and treatment for the people most at risk from the disease. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/21/h...

1,700 H.I.V. Treatment Sites Closed After Trump Aid Cuts, a Study Finds (Gift Article)

New research also shows that children and high-risk adult populations have been particularly affected.

nytimes.com

From Minnesota, to Maine, to the Middle East, young kids and their families deserve to be safe and supported May we shape a world in which it is so 💔❤️

The cyclosporiasis outbreak illustrates the importance of public health expertise, data, & systems for maintaining a good standard of living Investments in public health people & infrastructure reduce the risk of substantial costs to health, well-being, & the economy

US outbreak of parasite causing ‘watery diarrhea’ rises to more than 2,800 cases

Cyclosporiasis outbreak comes a year after Trump officials cut funding for state and local health departments

theguardian.com

Clothing and uniforms can be an effort to appear normal & socially acceptable Among people with extreme and violent views that should remain anything but

Happy 250th, USA! May we reach for the best of ourselves as we shape the next 250 I draw inspiration from this 1941 Jacob Lawrence painting celebrating new opportunities for Black children through the Great Migration Lawrence describes how policies shaped a standard of living conducive to learning

Happy 250th, USA! May we lean into the best of ourselves and shape the next 250 for the better

Have a happy & healthy holiday weekend ☀️ Some best practices for swim fun 💦 🛟 Choose areas with lifeguards 🏊🏽‍♀️🏊🏿‍♂️ Swim with a bud 👧🏽 Kids require 💯 adult attention in the water, no phones. Drowning happens quickly & quietly 🎈 Take turns as 💯 attentive “water watchers” in group settings Have fun 😎

Happy Pride! Today & every day, Alameda County stands with our transgender, non-binary, lesbian, gay, bisexual, & queer communities. We are here for each other. If you ever need LGBTQIA+ friendly mental health support, Crisis Support Services: (800) 309-2131 Trans Lifeline: (877) 565-8860

☀️ As a heat wave hits the East Coast, sharing how to stay cool without A/C 💦 Spray bottles, wetting clothing, & cold water on feet, hands, & neck 🧊 Can freeze water bottles / ice packs / ice towels overnight & hold them 💕 & adding check on neighbors nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/project/heat...

The bootcamp flu outbreak illustrates the importance of public health policies, including how policies amount to more than the sum of individual decisions Policy decisions also involve trade-offs. Few policies are fully costless Glad troops will return to an evidence-based policy with much benefit

Pentagon restores mandatory flu shots for all recruits as boot camp outbreak sickens nearly 300

The Pentagon said Wednesday that boot camps for all the military services are once again requiring the flu vaccination for all recruits after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the shot optional for ...

yahoo.com

“Ultimately, the survival of democracy depends not only on laws and constitutions, but on the behaviour of institutions & the people who lead them... The time to act is not after the collapse, but during the slow, quiet moments when resistance still has a chance to prevail.”

Martin McKee@martinmckee.bsky.social · last mo.

🧵1/ In our new paper, @chrischirp.bsky.social & I argue that while institutions can resist authoritarian pressure, some enable it. Looking at the current US regime, we examine why universities, law firms, and corporations often chose accommodation over resistance.

Grateful to the leaders, health care workers, & people exposed to or infected with #hantavirus @who.int, @ecdc.europa.eu, & CDC staff predominantly led with a rapid, evidence-based, & compassionate approach that made all the difference — containing the harms of this severe disease

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 2mo ago

Right now, we could be living through a hantavirus disaster. The world avoided that, and this is why | Devi Sridhar

Vaccines are a win-win, good for ourselves as well as our shared communities www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/u...

Scores Fall Ill at Air Force Base After Hegseth Makes Flu Vaccine Optional

nytimes.com

Did you know? Monied influence groups reach into public health and medicine as well These groups recruit leaders in the field — and increasingly fund them to support their aims, especially as federal funding is so diminished idp.nature.com/authorize?re...

Epstein files reveal deeper ties to scientists than previously known

Latest batch of documents show researchers consulting the financier and sex offender on publications, visas and more.

idp.nature.com

Grateful to @robincogan.bsky.social for her persistence in speaking up for kids I’m so sorry to learn of her loss May we carry forward the work she championed As she shared, “Voice is not simply a professional tool. It is part of our responsibility to society.”

The Relentless School Nurse: Experience Is Not the End of the Story: It is the Part We Carry Forward

As I write this, retirement is beginning to come into view after decades in nursing and school health. If all goes as planned, I expect to step away from my daily work at the start of 2027. Retirem…

relentlessschoolnurse.com

At least one journalist appreciates what’s going on with this entirely false narrative of white victimhood and is willing to take a stand. Please can we have more? www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

What to do as murder is exploited to spread lies about race and privilege? Stand firm – fight back | Nesrine Malik

Too many leaders have appeased the rightwing culture warriors. In the wake of the Henry Nowak rioting, the time for a push against toxicity and untruths is now, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik

theguardian.com

Bring back USAID www.statnews.com/2026/05/19/u...

Trump’s cuts to foreign aid are undermining the Ebola response, insiders say

President Trump's cuts to foreign aid probably hampered the detection of the Ebola outbreak and the response to it.

statnews.com

2 million fewer children were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP as of April 2026, as compared to January 2025 when President Trump took office. ccf.georgetown.edu/2026/05/28/t...

Two Million Fewer Children are Enrolled in Medicaid Since Trump Took Office

Child uninsured rate likely on the rise Our state-by-state Medicaid/CHIP enrollment tracker now indicates that 2 million fewer children were enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Pr...

ccf.georgetown.edu

Did you know? Public health is political Glad to support a California candidate for governor in favor of ✅ Single-payer health care ✅ Increasing taxes on billionaires ✅ Supporting renewable energy & voting for Tom Steyer is just the start May we keep up the work on better

Love this campaign to make Berkeley welcoming in spirit & in action 🌞 Link to donate to the yard signs campaign ➡️ donorbox.org/help-pay-for... Thank you to artist & organizer @libbington.bsky.social & @eastbayforeveryone.bsky.social

Here is a figure showing the various OECD countries minimum wages as a ratio of median. Average around 60%. But many at or above 2/3. Then there is an outlier, the US.

NEW: Records released tonight show that Reynolds, makers of Vuse vapes, gave $5 Million to MAGA Inc. days before the FDA wrote a policy that could allow them to make millions selling flavored vapes. Via @kenvogel.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/u...

A $5 Million Donation From Big Tobacco Preceded F.D.A. Vape Decision

nytimes.com

Most states subject to Medicaid work requirements are planning to adopt an optional hardship exception that will exempt expansion enrollees in high-unemployment counties from work requirements. More in our new policy watch: https://on.kff.org/4wye0oa

How should self-quarantine at home look like for asymptomatic people who have been exposed to #AndesHantavirus? ECDC recommendations on: ➡️ symptom monitoring ➡️ limiting contact ➡️ hygiene measures ➡️ cleaning ➡️ waste handling ➡️ when to contact public health authorities/seek medical help. Graphic ⬇️⬇️⬇️

At the peak of the ICE surge, Minnesotans raised and distributed millions of dollars in quick, low-barrier rent aid. Now some organizers of rent relief funds say they’re seeing an increase in requests for help as the number of evictions ticks upward and the amount of individual donations drop.

Need for rent relief remains high as eviction filings increase and individual donations slow down

Some organizers of rent relief funds say they’re seeing an increase in requests for help as the number of evictions ticks upward and the amount of individual donations drop.

mprnews.org

What was the R in the Andes variant #hantavirus outbreak detailed in NEJM? R across outbreak: 1.19, “a finding that suggests … potential for self-sustaining transmission (R>1)” R before mitigation: 2.1 R after case isolation & contact quarantine: 0.96 Isolation & quarantine key to limit spread

“Super-Spreaders” and Person-to-Person Transmission of Andes Virus in Argentina | NEJM

From November 2018 through February 2019, person-to-person transmission of Andes virus (ANDV) hantavirus pulmonary syndrome occurred in Chubut Province, Argentina, and resulted in 34 confirmed infe...

nejm.org