My husband and I are both on our phones, and we just realized we were watching the same Game Changer behind-the-scenes video about five seconds apart from each other
Maggie Astor
@maggieastor.bsky.social
Reporter at The New York Times writing about the intersection of health and politics, especially in marginalized communities. NYT Guild steward. No, not one of those Astors.
I read this story long before the pandemic, but it's forever associated with the pandemic for me now because in April 2020, my makeshift home desk was by a window overlooking an elevated train station, and I could see the trains come in, doors open to empty cars, no one get on or off, doors close
Adam Rawnsley@arawnsley.bsky.social · 2d agoToday, August 4, 2026, is the setting of Ray Bradbury’s short story “There Will Come Soft Rains” about a fully automated house continuing on after the family who lived there and the world around it died in a nuclear blast.
A reader wants me to know that mentioning trans people in my cervical cancer screening article "alienated me and I’ll guess millions of other people," and I guess I'm flattered that he thinks millions of people read the article
I don't know why this was the last straw, but it was: I've swiped this away for days and it won't stop. Maybe there's a way to stop it in settings. But I'm tired of going hunting for a way to disable what I never asked for. I uninstalled Chrome and am dropping Google for search. I'm done.
This isn't EXACTLY what I do these days, but it's close enough that I feel validated and less nuts. I often google endings of dramatic media so I can watch without feeling stressed by not knowing whether/how the conflict will be resolved. I didn't used to do this.
Erin Biba@erinbiba.bsky.social · 3d agoThese days I google the end of every single movie before I watch it to see if it’s sad because I just can’t handle that shit anymore. Happy endings only the real world is sad enough.
I would be completely unbothered by the exclusion of ARRABBIATA from today's 🐝 if it weren't for the fact that CIOPPINO, PANETTONE and 16,000 other Italian foods have previously been accepted
Cervical cancer is preventable, but thousands still die from it every year. While Pap smears are painful or traumatic for many people, they aren't the only — or even the preferred — screening option anymore! I wrote a guide. (The BEST way to prevent cervical cancer is the HPV vaccine, btw.)
What Doctors Want You to Know About Cervical Cancer Screening (Gift Article)
The guidelines have changed recently as new testing options have become available. Getting screened doesn’t have to be painful or confusing.
nytimes.com
NEW: More and more uninsured patients are showing up in hospital emergency rooms and clinics, having lost their coverage under the Affordable Care Act. via @reedabelson.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/b...
After Obamacare Cuts, Hospitals Are Treating More Uninsured Patients (Gift Article)
More people who lost coverage after congressional Republicans ended enhanced federal subsidies are now seeking care in emergency rooms and unable to pay bills.
nytimes.com
Thirty years ago today, Shannon Miller won her gold medal
Shannon Miller - 1996 Olympics EF - Balance Beam
YouTube video by gymdionne
youtu.be
Random YouTube commenter just blasted me into oblivion
Maggie Astor@maggieastor.bsky.social · last wk.Hey, do any neurologists follow me, and could you let me know why a Christina Aguilera song from 1999 has been playing on a loop in my head for the past five days and what sort of surgery I should look into to remove it, tysm
Hey, do any neurologists follow me, and could you let me know why a Christina Aguilera song from 1999 has been playing on a loop in my head for the past five days and what sort of surgery I should look into to remove it, tysm
It brings me no pleasure to announce that, as a result of covering a Fauci hearing in which ivermectin was mentioned, I am now receiving emails about "invermection"
I am so tired of witnessing media layoffs and publications just throwing away amazing talent as this career becomes less and less sustainable and growing numbers of people are pushed out. All for shareholder profits.
fucking hell I want to donate blood I want my bullshit body to not flip out because someone stuck a needle in it for 10 minutes
My cat is glaring at me from under the sofa as if the thunder is my fault
*screams in Wants to Donate But Gets Vasovagal Reactions*
Matt Novak@paleofuture.bsky.social · last wk."On Monday, the Red Cross declared a national blood crisis for the second time ever in its history."
Okay, people: "Horse" is not a gymnastics apparatus. You're trying to refer to a pommel horse. It is not called a horse. If you want the shorthand, the equivalent of saying "beam" for "balance beam," it's "pommels." Not "horse." That's not a thing.
Maggie Astor@maggieastor.bsky.social · last wk.I'm a bona fide expert on the yellow Connections category today, and boy do I have a nit to pick after midnight when it won't be a spoiler anymore
I'm a bona fide expert on the yellow Connections category today, and boy do I have a nit to pick after midnight when it won't be a spoiler anymore
I say this as someone who read Judith Butler as a college freshman who was absolutely not equipped to read Judith Butler: I have never in my life understood something less than I just understood Ray Bradbury's "The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse"
Look, an AQI of 50 is fine, it's the edge of the "good" range, but I don't think it's fantastic that I have high-quality filters running and that's as far as they've been able to bring it down
lol we have a slack channel where people can post about free food in the building, and someone posted about salad and these are the reactions
That's better Wordle 1,853 4/6* ⬜⬜⬜🟩🟩 ⬜⬜🟨🟩🟩 🟨⬜⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 WordleBot Skill 99/99 Luck 42/99
A really nice thing you can do for neighbors, if you have extra masks, is to put some in a bag and leave it with a "free masks" sign in a common area of your apartment building
The City Reporter@thecityreporter.nyc · 3w agoExperts say a tight-fitting, high-quality KN95 or N95 mask is a good defense against the microscopic particles distributed by wildfire smoke. Free masks will be available at public library branches across the city. Find a location near you here ⬇️
Experts say a tight-fitting, high-quality KN95 or N95 mask is a good defense against the microscopic particles distributed by wildfire smoke. Free masks will be available at public library branches across the city. Find a location near you here ⬇️
Mask Distribution Sites - Google My Maps
In response to the wildfire smoke, free KN95 masks will be available at the listed locations.
google.com
No. This isn't an accomplishment. If you haven't taken a sick day in 50 years, you've been some combo of: -incredibly lucky (never incapacitated or hospitalized) -incredibly reckless (jeopardizing your health when you should rest) -incredibly inconsiderate (you've absolutely gotten colleagues sick)
