It’s Wednesday so it’s time for @defendpublichealth.bsky.social’s Whopper of the Week! This time the team takes on the truth about RFK Jr.‘s cuts to public health and how this made the Cyclospora outbreak worse.

Whopper of the Week: Yes, RFK Jr., your cuts did weaken the Cyclospora response | Defend Public Health

The United States is struggling to contain the largest Cyclospora outbreak in US history but RFK Jr. claims the outbreak is under control and unrelated to cuts made to the US food safety surveillance ...

defendpublichealth.org

"A core feature of the modern GOP is the party’s open and obvious disdain for democracy." Source: By permission of Mike Luckovich and Creators Syndicate and Daily Kos, Lisa Needham

Rick Scott on spending: "Government is the problem. It's not the Iran war." (Who is waging the Iran war?)

SCHIFF: You told my staff you stood by your article in white nationalist website VDARE where you wrote, 'Muslim immigrants & their kids seem prone to terrorism' C: I wrote that article in support of Trump's travel ban S: Do you stand by it? C: I stand by that article S: That's all I need to know

🚨 HAPPENING NOW 🚨 Women's Marchers have been arrested in the Capitol for standing vigil for the people killed by ICE. #AbolishICE llustrations by @channeldraw

Hey, Congress? Think before you confirm.

DK cartoon: Stupid and gullible by Clay Jones

"Really different" would be recognizing that the franchise has no more to say to us. www.the-independent.com/arts-enterta...

James Bond producer shares update on 007 casting: ‘It’s going to be really different’

‘We are being really, really methodical,’ Bond producer said of finding next 007

the-independent.com

it’s cool that if you turn on ESPN nowadays you’re fairly likely to see the 24th best QB in the NFL discussing the lab leak conspiracy with a man in a tank top

The next time anyone asks what the difference is between Democrats and Republicans, just point to this and to Trump, and then point to what happened to Platner.

Kyle Griffin@kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 10h ago

Mike Johnson tells Politico that he's standing behind Republican Max Miller — despite the "serious" domestic abuse allegations against him.

It was over for Max Miller politically when he said his wife couldn’t have been abused because she offered to make him dinner 6 days later. He may not have known it when he said it, but that was the end. You have to be a sick bastard to come up with that as your defense.

Look, I'm no communist, but if this is communism, it's a damned site better than what's going on in politics right now.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 7h ago

El-Sayed: "My commitment to Jewish safety is the same commitment that I have to the safety of my own daughters. Because if there is one question of political philosophy that ought to animate us all, it's what would we do if we treated all our kids like they were all of our kids?"

“.. Trump has leveraged his control of the federal government to instead escape the scrutiny that every other modern president, not to mention every other regular taxpayer, has been subject to.” @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/08/03/b...

Cannot overstate how important this is. I know people are sick of being told about the importance of the Center, but that's just political maturity. You need good ideas, but you need to sell them to people who have different lives and sometimes different values.

Christopher Webb@cwebbonline.com · 8h ago

Let’s level set. MICHIGAN is a must-win if we want to flip the Senate. A word caution: This race was tighter than many predicted. El-Sayed needs Stevens supporters in the general, so it’s not smart strategy to keep them angry. Welcome them. Focus on issues. Time is short, so healing must be quick

A gracious concession: “I want to congratulate Abdul El-Sayed on winning the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. He is a doctor, a community health official, a Rhodes Scholar, and a dedicated Michigander. I am proud to offer my support as he takes on Mike Rogers in the general election…

Game Over.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · yesterday

TAPPER: Do you know what a tall order it is to believe that 3 women who don't know each other made up accusations of you being violent, and you are telling the truth and they are all lying? That's difficult to believe, right? MAX MILLER: No. Not in this instance.

I used to work in Duke's Divinity library and the main library, and yes. These were... inspiring.

alix e. harrow@alixeharrow.bsky.social · 23h ago

i don't like to police genre, but it's not dark academia unless somebody gets squished in one of these bad boys

ok how many GOP members of congress are secretly dying/dead? this is getting out of hand

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · yesterday

😳 Rep. Pete Stauber indicates there's something gravely wrong with Tom Emmer's health: "You have no idea what Congressman Emmer is dealing with right now. If you did, you would've never made that comment. He's fighting for his damn life today!"

Some good news. For a change! #politics

🤯 Rep. Max Miller's interview with Jake Tapper was one of the most self-destructive things I've ever witnessed on cable news. Here's the whole thing:

🤯 Max Miller's interview with Tapper is an utter trainwreck 🤯

YouTube video by Aaron Rupar

youtube.com

You could have voted to impeach in January 2000. Instead, you voted for no witnesses and no documents to be allowed at trial. You are a failed person, Cornyn.

Must read gift article.

Tom Nichols@radiofreetom.bsky.social · yesterday

The war in Iran has shown that Trump’s inability to perceive reality has become truly dangerous. Iran is a disaster, but Trump’s irrationality could create other, even more perilous situations. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Doesn’t anybody out there have any good news to report? I mean, just one piece of… oh wait. variety.com/2026/tv/news...

‘Mystery Science Theater 3000: The RiffTrax Experiments’ Sets Online Release Schedule

"Mystery Science Theater 3000: The RiffTrax Experiments" has officially set release dates for the four new episodes of the beloved cult series.

variety.com

You're telling me TWO different school made this same decision???

Gulf Coast State legislators are batting .000 on the DoJ. Chew on why for about ten sec oh of course it's about energy.

paulpro@mariopro.bsky.social · yesterday

Since May 13th Mike Johnson STILL hasn't heard about Trump's IRS Question: "Is it a conflict of interest for the DOJ to settle Trump's $10 billion lawsuit over the leaks of his tax returns?" Mike Johnson: "I haven't thought about that" @anntelnaes.bsky.social

We. Have. No. Alternative. But. To. Take. His. Word. Those words just came out of the mouth of a sitting senator.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · yesterday

Cornyn: "As to the idea it could be revived in the future, I think it's highly unlikely that could happen without the cooperation of the DOJ. And I think Mr Blanche gave us the assurances that it was dead and would not be revived and in this case we have no alternative but to take his word" 🙃

Oh for the love of all that is holy...

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · yesterday

Cornyn: "There's nothing we could do to rein in the president"