Coronavirus & Monkeypox Tidbits #206 8/21/22
Announcements:
First, there is now a Resources Page here for the most commonly asked questions I'm getting.
Happy to continue to answer your questions/concerns as best I can, so don't be shy about that.
New Posts: (I've been busy!)
CDC Abdicates Responsibility
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/979280
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Monoclonal Antibody to Prevent Malaria Shows Promise
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/979340
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Do Betadine and Colloidal Silver Inhibit Growth of Biofilms?
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/979256
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Election volunteer opportunities:
Urgent need now to recruit poll observers and judges
NOPE Neighbors: https://www.nopeneighbors.org/volunteer
If you like calling and talking to voters, Power the Vote is assembling weekly volunteer opportunities. These are remote opportunities that you can do from home! Click on this link to find out more: https://docs.google.com/
In battleground states, election deniers have claimed almost 2/3rds of GOP nominations for offices that have authority over elections. They'll have the power to count votes and certify who wins.
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) August 17, 2022
If we want a fair election in 2024, we must defeat these candidates in November.
News
Covid:
‘Surprising’ number of children hospitalized with COVID-19 have neurologic complications
About 7% of children hospitalized with COVID-19 at major pediatric hospitals in the United States experienced a neurologic complication of some kind, even if they were otherwise healthy, a study in Pediatrics reported.
Co-author James W. Antoon, MD, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor of pediatrics and hospital medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told Healio that although it is well known that adults can have “serious neurologic conditions” associated with COVID-19, “the data on kids [have] been pretty minimal.” They found:
3.8% had febrile seizures 2.3% non-febrile seizures 2.1% encephalopathy
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Humans can be extremely stupid. pic.twitter.com/KopbBkoJp0
— Pandemic News (@mildanalyst) August 18, 2022
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Prescriptions are now required to get liquid Tylenol and Advil for kids due to a national supply shortage at pharmacies. https://t.co/HJOlxm65Xq
— CTV Toronto (@CTVToronto) August 16, 2022
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Major #LongCovid paper out today with 2 findings:
— Hannah Davis (@ahandvanish) August 17, 2022
1) Mental health conditions after COVID returned to normal over time
2) Cognitive & neurological impacts did not. Risk of cognitive impairment, strokes, dementia, seizures persisted for at least 2 yearshttps://t.co/0YXmIeq5RD pic.twitter.com/M0WbDVFVRo
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Reliable (NDIR) CO2 monitors are cost-prohibitive for many who want to use them to understand their indoor ventilation quality
— Alex Huffman, Ph.D. - @ProfHuffman@mstdn.social (@HuffmanLabDU) August 19, 2022
A growing number of libraries in the US & Canada have begun CO2 monitor lending programs 👏
Map & sites ➡️ https://t.co/sKaVQD2Dsa
Follow @CAVI_CO2 ⬇️ https://t.co/ubKprMppQ4
Monkeypox:
Could asymptomatic spread fuel the outbreak?
In the first study, published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers from Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital in Paris conducted monkeypox tests on anorectal swabs that were collected as part of routine sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening in men who have sex with men (MSM), have multiple sexual partners, and are on HIV preexposure prophylaxis or treatment. The samples were collected between Jun 5 and Jul 11.
Of 200 asymptomatic people who were screened and were negative for two STIs, 13 (6.5%) were positive for monkeypox. Two of them developed monkeypox symptoms later.
The authors said it's not clear if viral shedding can lead to transmission. If so, they wrote that postexposure ring vaccination around people with probable or confirmed infections might not be enough to contain the spread of the virus.
In an editorial on the study, Stuart Isaacs, MD, with the division of infectious diseases at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote though it's not clear if the positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results signify infectious virus, it wouldn't be surprising if it did, because asymptomatic infections aren't a new finding.
"However, it raises the question of whether asymptomatic or subclinical infections are contributing to the current worldwide outbreak," he wrote.
ue to the possibility of asymptomatic spread in the current outbreaks, expanded ring vaccination will probably be needed to help curb the spread.
Isaacs emphasized that control will be successful only if vaccination is used alongside other tools such as identifying and isolating cases, making treatments available, and educating the public about ways to reduce exposure risk.
Case report describes different exposure, symptoms
Meanwhile, a newly published case study describes a patient who may have contracted the virus at a crowded gathering, which resulted in a lesion pattern that didn't involve the anogenital region. A group from the Stanford University School of Medicine published their findings yesterday in a letter to Emerging Infectious Diseases.
They said the man in his 20s sought care for a week-long vesicular rash he developed after returning from a trip to the United Kingdom, where he attended a large, crowded outdoor event that involved close contact with others, including dancing. Many attendees wore shorts and sleeveless tops. He shared an e-cigarette with a woman he met at the event.
The event wasn't specifically targeted to gay or bisexual people. And though he identifies as bisexual, he reported no sexual contacts in the United Kingdom or anywhere else during the last 3 months.
Clinical examination found multiple lesions on one of his palms, one of his lips, on the knuckles of both hands, and on his torso and back. Doctors found no penile, testicular, or anal lesions and no cervical, axial, or inguinal lymphadenopathy.
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Pets
The Lancet this week published a report describing evidence of human-to-dog monkeypox transmission in France in a household with two positive cases. The likely human-to-animal spillover event stokes fears that, with widespread monkeypox transmission, new animal reservoirs of the virus could be established. Rodents are considered the primary animal hosts.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01487-8/fulltext
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Introduction and Differential Diagnosis of Monkeypox in Argentina
Of note, South America is experiencing a marked increase in cases of atypical hand-foot-mouth syndrome caused by CV-A6 (8,9). Unlike the classic syndrome, this atypical variant also affects young adults and occurs in unusual regions of the body, including the genital areas, and could easily be confused with monkeypox.
we report 3 cases of monkeypox in patients in Argentina. Six additional patients in Argentina and Bolivia had monkeypox ruled out by differential diagnosis; 4 of those cases were atypical hand-foot-mouth syndrome caused by CV-A6. We recommend considering virological diagnosis of this disease in suspected cases of monkeypox. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility for misdiagnosis related to these viral infections.
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/28/10/22-1075_article
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Other:
About our declining vax rate...More than 150 children dead in Zimbabwe measles outbreak
A measles outbreak in Zimbabwe has killed at least 157 children, with more than 2,000 infections reported across the country, the government said on Tuesday.
Cases have been growing rapidly in the southern African nation since authorities said the first infection was logged earlier this month, with reported deaths almost doubling in less than a week.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-08-children-dead-zimbabwe-measles-outbreak.html
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Polio found in NYC wastewater; local circulation likely
The earlier findings were linked to the virus that sickened a man from Rockland County. The Sabin-like type 2 poliovirus has also been identified in similar environmental detections in London and Jerusalem.
No link to Rockland County patient
In a separate update on wastewater sampling, NYSDOH said six positive samples of concern have been found in New York City, two from June and four from July. So far, the samples haven't been genetically linked to virus that sickened the patient in Rockland County.
Sequencing tests so far suggest the virus in New York City wastewater is either vaccine-derived poliovirus or variants of the revertant polio Sabin-like type 2 poliovirus, both of which can cause illness in people.
State Health Commissioner Mary Bassett, MD, MPH, said in the joint news release that for every paralytic polio case identified, hundreds more may be undetected." The detection of poliovirus in wastewater samples in New York City is alarming, but not surprising."
Officials warned that coverage for routine vaccinations has fallen among New York City children since 2019, putting residents at risk for outbreaks and complications from vaccine-preventable diseases. In New York City, only 86.2% of kids from 6 months to 5 years have received the recommended three doses of polio vaccine. The percentage is lower in some neighborhoods, some with vaccine coverage below 70%.
Three nations report new cases
In international developments, three countries—Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mozambique, and Yemen—reported more polio cases this week, according to the latest update from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). All involved vaccine-derived poliovirus types.
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More H3N2v flu cases linked to West Virginia agricultural fair
5 cases so far; none were hospitalized, and all have recovered. So far, no human-to-human spread has been identified.
Aug 12 CDC FluView report
Aug 8 CIDRAP News scan
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/08/news-scan-aug-12-2022
Diagnostics:
Likely last chance to order free Covid tests.
Multiple at-home COVID tests needed to confirm negative result
The FDA recommended that people take multiple at-home COVID-19 antigen tests to confirm a negative result, whether they have symptoms or not.
The new recommendation was based on study results collected during the omicron wave that showed repeat testing after a negative at-home antigen result increased the chances of an accurate result, the FDA said.
According to the recommendation, “people should use multiple tests over a certain time period, such as 2 to 3 days, especially when the people using the tests don’t have COVID-19 symptoms.”
Specifically, the FDA said at least one extra test taken 48 hours later is needed to confirm a negative result in people with symptoms. People without symptoms who think they have been exposed should take at least two additional tests, at 48-hour intervals, after a negative result. People who get three negative results and remain concerned that they are infected may take a fourth test, the FDA said.
Drugs and Vaccines:
Biden administration will stop buying Covid-19 vaccines, treatments and tests as early as this fall, Jha says
you're going to see the commercialization of almost all of these products..Availability of those products would transition to the regular health-care system, Jha said, so if you need a vaccine or an antiviral treatment, you'd get it from your doctor or from a hospital.
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Which COVID boosters to take and when: a guide for the perplexed
The next generation of COVID-19 vaccines is on its way, but those shots will be looking to take a seat at an already crowded table.
On the menu in some countries this autumn will be the familiar standards — mRNA and protein vaccines based on the spike protein from the ancestral version of SARS-CoV-2, which ushered in the pandemic. Alongside them will be a smattering of new specials, including mRNA vaccines with spike sequences both from ancestral virus and from Omicron variants.
It is a luxury of choice that many countries don’t have. But the range of options, which will be available at different times, has left people wondering which vaccines to take, and when. “These are hard questions, and there are no real right answers,” says Kathryn Edwards, a paediatrician and director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Nature asked specialists what evidence is on hand to help make the decision.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02221-w
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Half of people in poorer countries have now received two vaccine doses against Covid-19, a global vaccine alliance said Thursday, hailing progress in closing the vaccine equity gap.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-08-covid-jab-coverage-poorer-countries.html?
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Trial suggests #metformin effective at reducing odds of serious outcomes for COVID-19 patients seeking early treatment https://t.co/EVDWpDz0wk
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) August 20, 2022
metformin, did not meet the primary objective of improving oxygen levels, but it did slightly lower the odds that a patient would develop severe COVID,
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https://twitter.com/NobodyImpawtant/status/1560579765223886848?s=20&t=MwSXtakIRnPPWWVrX_u_rQ
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Monkeypox
Racial disparities in vaccine administration
As with Covid... data from New York City show racial disparities among monkeypox vaccine recipients, especially in the Black community. Black vaccine recipients have gotten only 12% of doses yet make up 31% of those eligible for vaccination.
NYC Health said it's adding mobile vaccination units and increased resources in community clinics to address this issue.
Devices:
Study suggests test-to-stay COVID-19 strategy in schools was effective
"We estimated one additional school-acquired case for every 21 TTS participants remaining in school buildings during the entire study period," the authors concluded. "Based on our data, a TTS approach allows more students and staff to remain in the classroom, with a modest increase in subsequent infections in optionally masked settings, even during the circulation of a highly transmissible variant."
Aug 16 Pediatrics study
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/08/news-scan-aug-17-2022
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Healthcare workers wearing respirators 40% less likely to contract COVID
A study of more than 2,900 healthcare workers (HCWs) shows that those who wore a respirator were more than 40% less likely to be infected with COVID-19 than those wearing a surgical mask.
Aug 15 JAMA Netw Open research letter
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/08/news-scan-aug-16-2022
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correction: that should be "with" patients, not "by"
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) August 15, 2022
among 2,919 health care workers and 749 participants who had Covid
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Epidemiology/Infection control:
No, the concerning part is 2 of 14 newborns had otherwise rare, severe outcomes including 1 who died. “With” covid… @MeetJess @MamaWeasleyy pic.twitter.com/uFtR2uOAbb
— Kenny Pettersen MD MPH (@PettersenKenny) August 20, 2022
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Public transportation workers see high COVID-19 incidence, death rates
According to the authors, 340 COVID-19 outbreaks, 5,641 outbreak-associated cases, and 537 COVID-19–associated deaths occurred in public transportation industries in California.
Outbreak incidence was 5.2 times higher, and mortality was 1.8 times higher in bus and urban transit industries than in all other industries. The cumulative outbreak incidence for all public transportation industries (35.3 outbreaks per 1,000 establishments) was 1.4 times higher than the average for all industries.
..."Regardless of whether exposures occur from interactions with the public, coworkers, or other sources, these observations indicate that public transportation workers represent a vulnerable group who should be prioritized for COVID-19 prevention strategies."
Aug 19 MMWR study
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/08/covid-19-scan-aug-19-2022
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ANYWHERE BUT HERE
China now insists the pandemic didn’t start within its borders. Its scientists are publishing a flurry of papers pointing the finger elsewhere.
[Fascinating story in Science 18 AUG 2022 BYJON COHEN]
...Its goal is to avoid being blamed for the pandemic in any way, says Filippa Lentzos, a sociologist at King’s College London who studies biological threats and health security. “China just doesn’t want to look bad,” she says. “They need to maintain an image of control and competence. And that is what goes through everything they do.”
Police closed the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan in January 2020, shortly after
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https://twitter.com/TheAngryEpi/status/1560370338352885760?s=20&t=9-wMosGtyL_QaN5Q5aHTiA
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Long Covid:
"The cause (of the low cortisol level) remains a mystery.. blood samples were also awash with a category of exhausted T cells.. Such cells surge.., suggesting the bodies of people with Long Covid are actively fighting something”.https://t.co/AK9fVvaEVI
— Hiroshi Yasuda (保田浩志) (@Yash25571056) August 17, 2022
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[Recap] Almost 20% of Hong Kong children infected during fifth wave suffered from long Covid, hospital findshttps://t.co/wsGWXczfaS
— Hong Kong Free Press HKFP (@hkfp) August 17, 2022
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Monkeypox
Evidence of monkeypox virus found on household surfaces
A study today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report shows multiple surface sites testing positive for monkeypox virus genetic material in a household of two people infected with monkeypox in Utah.
The two case-patients, who acquired the disease while traveling internationally, had isolated at home for 20 days before their home was entered for sampling by officials from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (UDHHS). Agents collected samples from 30 objects in nine areas of the home.
Of the 30 specimens, 21 (70%) yielded positive real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results, indicating the presence of monkeypox virus DNA. The swabbed areas included those from all three porous items (cloth furniture and blankets), 17 of 25 (68%) nonporous surfaces (handles and switches), and one of two mixed-surface types (chairs).
The investigators attempted to grow live virus in the lab from PCR-positive samples but noted, "No specimen yielded a positive viral culture result."
The contamination occurred despite the patients reporting showering once or twice each day, performing hand hygiene approximately 10 times daily, laundering bedding and clothing weekly, and performing routine household cleaning, such as mopping and daily use of a multi-surface spray on most high-contact surfaces, the authors said.
Though transmission is primarily driven by close, skin-to-skin contact, this study suggests fomite transmission (from inanimate objects) is possible.
"Persons living in or visiting the home of someone with monkeypox should follow appropriate precautions against indirect exposure and transmission by wearing a well-fitting mask, avoiding touching possibly contaminated surfaces, maintaining appropriate hand hygiene, avoiding sharing eating utensils, clothing, bedding, or towels, and following home disinfection recommendations," the authors concluded.
The US total now stands at 14,115 cases, after 598 more cases were confirmed yesterday.
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And in another study,
These findings indicate that porous surfaces (e.g., bedding, clothing) may pose more of a MPXV exposure risk than nonporous surfaces (e.g., metal, plastic). Viable MPXV was detected on household surfaces after at least 15 days. However, low titers (<102 PFU) indicate a limited potential for indirect transmission.
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/28/10/22-1047_article
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Very disturbing article:
Study heightens concerns about asymptomatic monkeypox spread https://t.co/u0YK1LWGU2
— Crawford Kilian (@Crof) August 16, 2022
Other
There have been 3 cases of swine flu in the US in 2022 & all are tied to the Jackson County Fair in W. Virginia. The virus is said to be one that usually infects pigs, but is yet another example of how viruses can jump the species barrier to infect humans https://t.co/SeH8tFZUxw
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) August 13, 2022
Tips, general reading for public:
Ventilate.
Mask.
Vax.
Politics:
Covid:
Great idea:
Our team would love to help you set up a local library lending program for CO2 monitors. Please reach out if you'd like to work with us. https://t.co/erdyPxusWu
— CAVI - Community Access to Ventilation Information (@CAVI_CO2) June 20, 2022
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In @thenation today, my piece unpacking the idea of “COVID fatigue” and challenging the (seemingly straightforward) claim that the general public is tired of responding to the pandemic.
— Martha Lincoln (@heavyredaction) August 18, 2022
1/https://t.co/dxQZrEy8Vb
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Infections cut in half in Boston schools that kept mask mandates compared to schools that did not. Even though the schools that kept masks were higher risk than the comparison group. Lifting mask mandantes led to 28,690 additional missed school days. https://t.co/mbVAJJAILH pic.twitter.com/4tLzDl0fPx
— Diego Bassani, PhD (@DGBassani) August 15, 2022
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https://twitter.com/elisaperego78/status/1539280853603340291?s=20&t=9-wMosGtyL_QaN5Q5aHTiA
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IV Ativan AND Valium shortages now. Everything is fine. It's all fine.
— Chaplain C., Abortion is Healthcare (@TheRealRhllor) August 18, 2022
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“Living with COVID” means “Everyone for themselves”
— Don Vinh (@DonaldVinh) August 19, 2022
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Most CDC staff work remotely.
— Walker Bragman (@WalkerBragman) August 19, 2022
White House aides are strictly tested and wear N95 masks to meet with POTUS.
Pres. Biden isolated until he tested negative.
But everyone else? Go to work without COVID safety standards; no need to isolate if exposed; take 5 days if you get sick.
CDC:
Unbelievably myopic, given that polio genomes are hardly a secret.
— Dr. Angela Rasmussen (@angie_rasmussen) August 16, 2022
Failure to share critical assay hinders a necessarily rapid response. CDC should welcome collaboration, not defend a monopoly on surveillance & force proactive colleagues to reinvent the wheel. https://t.co/8mj1u6oMmx
Abortion/Reproductive rights
Starting in PA, where women have accounted for >56% of new registrants in that time period. Those women new registrants are 62%D to 15% R and 54% are under the age of 25. Compare that to men new registrants at 41% <25 and 43% D, 28% R.
— Tom Bonier (@tbonier) August 19, 2022
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Extremely dark abortion news is just pouring out today. Now a Louisiana woman says she's being forced to either carry a fetus to term that is missing its skull and part of its head, or travel to Florida for the nearest legal abortion. https://t.co/xRYLUFPN8I
— Laura Bassett (@LEBassett) August 16, 2022
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Republicans don't believe in democracy pic.twitter.com/5lsZquWYzq
— Liam Nissan™ (@theliamnissan) August 17, 2022
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https://twitter.com/Ingalls4IN50/status/1559919437754531846?s=20&t=9-wMosGtyL_QaN5Q5aHTiA
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And the couple really wanted the baby. But it has no brain. It is already dead. pic.twitter.com/sri1yfZwaA
— lil honkin caboose (@stacycay) August 18, 2022
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When you don’t have the popular will on your side, you resort to blackmail. We’re seeing it around the country. https://t.co/uJ2FmyOHIQ
— Sherrilyn Ifill (@SIfill_) August 19, 2022
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J6/TFG/Weisselberg:
Weisselberg, Trump CFO, getting a plea of five months with no cooperation from @ManhattanDA.
— Eliza Orlins (@elizaorlins) August 15, 2022
As a public defender, I wish you could see the things the Manhattan DA refuses to offer a sentence of five months for....
TWO. SYSTEMS. OF. JUSTICE. CONTINUE. WITH. CY. VANCE. 2.0.
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When I think of Liz Cheney, I keep coming back to this “To Kill a Mockingbird” quote:
— Sara Spector (@Miriam2626) August 17, 2022
“instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.”
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Sounds just like the head of a crime family who threatens to retaliate against police who are properly investigating him. Brings all of his goons on board to help. https://t.co/mOXD1dJo0X
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) August 17, 2022
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Who did this pic.twitter.com/Gnjbg5NjHA
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) August 13, 2022
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How is it that a kid can be too young to read Anne Frank's diary, but that same kid can participate in active shooter drills and be forced to carry their rapist's baby to term?
— Steve Hofstetter (@SteveHofstetter) August 17, 2022
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Don't overlook this: A GOP House really could disrupt investigations or prosecutions involving Trump. Numerous Dems tell me they fear Republicans could invoke an obscure House rule to eliminate the positions of officials probing Trump. It's a real threat.https://t.co/01E6K5vttQ
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) August 15, 2022
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The Saudis want people to talk about @LIVGolfInv, not this: https://t.co/NzVA2cbmjU
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) August 15, 2022
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https://twitter.com/AmoneyResists/status/1561020019525521409?s=20&t=9-wMosGtyL_QaN5Q5aHTiA
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Did you know Ginni Thomas currently holds a government position?
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) August 19, 2022
She shouldn't. https://t.co/Z5yw38q77S
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A third of our Supreme Court was appointed by a former president who is currently being investigated for violating The Espionage Act.
— Ethan Persists (@EthanResists) August 18, 2022
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This is deeply disturbing & requires a full investigation. The Capitol Police are responsible for protecting the Speaker. If true that USSS failed to pass on intelligence about threats, that's very alarming. https://t.co/3qis38jLQM
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) August 17, 2022
Border wall:
"Since a Trump administration policy in 2019 raised the height of portions of the wall from 18 feet to as high as 30 feet, the injuries now were so much more severe and difficult to treat."
— Genevieve Friedman (@genevievefri) August 17, 2022
Horrifying.https://t.co/gISmq2x6xj @CherClarHealth #MedTwitter @medpagetoday
Election:
Jim Acosta: “How does the “Forward Party” feel about Roe v Wade?”
— Scott Hechinger (@ScottHech) August 14, 2022
Andrew Yang: “The “Forward Party” has a—not left or right- but “forward” stance on even the most divisive & contentious issues.”
Jim Acosta: “What does that even mean?!” pic.twitter.com/JqHKQdBs1x
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This marks a significant departure from previous election years.
— Shaquille Brewster (@shaqbrewster) August 16, 2022
While COVID delayed the start of the 2020 season…
—8 teams played on Election Day 2018,
—12 teams in 2016
—16 teams the night of the 2014 midterms.
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https://twitter.com/duty2warn/status/1559623582602387456?s=20&t=9-wMosGtyL_QaN5Q5aHTiA
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Update: With overt election denier Chuck Gray's victory in Wyoming last night, there are now 11 states with Republican nominees for secretary of state (state elections chief), out of 27 races this year, who have questioned or rejected the 2020 results. https://t.co/uJDgnd4p3Y
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 17, 2022
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A group of Donald Trump supporters copied a trove of sensitive Georgia election files in Coffee County after the 2020 presidential election, a breach that included data from an election server, voter check-in computers and ballot memory cards. #gapol https://t.co/Npwdqo2Muu
— Mark Niesse (@markniesse) August 16, 2022
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In battleground states, election deniers have claimed almost 2/3rds of GOP nominations for offices that have authority over elections. They'll have the power to count votes and certify who wins.
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) August 17, 2022
If we want a fair election in 2024, we must defeat these candidates in November.
Biden:
Breaking: President Biden just announced that the FDA has cleared the way for hearing aids to be sold over the counter without a prescription to adults.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 16, 2022
As soon as mid-October, Americans should be able to buy hearing aids online and in retail stores.
GOP:
Tonight I went to my son’s open house. The cafeteria went over lunch/breakfast costs. For 1 child to eat breakfast & lunch daily= $140/mo. I saw the look of panic in many parents eyes who didn’t realize the free lunch program had ended. Universal free meals @ school must happen.
— Rachel Cox for Arkansas (@rachel4arkansas) August 19, 2022
Infrastructure:
Next month I am traveling from NYC to Chicago, the 3rd busiest air route in the country, which takes 19.5 hours via Amtrak on a daily train. This is the same distance as Beijing to Shanghai, which takes only 4.3 hours and leaves every 20 minutes. This country can do better. pic.twitter.com/bfV0pGG5Vg
— Hayden Clarkin (@the_transit_guy) August 17, 2022
Books Bans:
The librarians are fighting back.
— Mike Hixenbaugh (@Mike_Hixenbaugh) August 13, 2022
A middle school librarian in Louisiana filed a defamation lawsuit Wednesday arguing that two men falsely labeled her a pedophile who wants to teach 11-year-olds about anal sex.
From @tylerkingkade: https://t.co/NX3FmUiVll
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Argentinian artist Marta Minujín's monumental replica of the Greek Parthenon created with 100,000 copies of banned books, to symbolizes resistance to political repression and suppression of #FreeSpeech #WomensArt pic.twitter.com/glQcCu9TmX
— #WOMENSART (@womensart1) August 13, 2022
[see Florida, below, for more]
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A Texas school district has pulled “The Diary of Anne Frank” from its library shelves.
— Duty To Warn 🔉 (@duty2warn) August 17, 2022
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“…state-sponsored purging of ideas and identities that has no precedent in the US,” said John Chrastka, EveryLibrary’s director. “We’re witnessing the silencing of stories and the suppressing of information [that will make] the next generation less able to function in society.”
— Bitter Southerner (@BitterSouth) August 18, 2022
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Texas Schools Require Clear Bags To Prevent Students From Bringing In Books https://t.co/6TIkbxcbPR pic.twitter.com/55p23VGrku
— The Onion (@TheOnion) August 19, 2022
Censorship and Privacy/Security:
Apparently, @TwitterSupport is freezing people's accounts for tweeting research studies, now.
— It'sME(Jaime) (@exceedhergrasp1) August 18, 2022
Hey, @Medscape, were you aware that your scholarly article is being labeled "COVID disinformation" and that sharing it is apparently a bannable offense? pic.twitter.com/rIfM5vsoow
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Interesting dataviz and lesson on #privacy. Owen Mundy - I Know Where Your #Cat Lives https://t.co/ME2Wu2Sah5
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) August 16, 2022
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Absolutely have a backup, you can link it in your bio for your current followers.
— Doom_From_Space (@alt_angm) August 19, 2022
Also download an archive of your past tweets, it saves a copy of everything you have written, retweeted and your DMs. Bookmarks are not included but can be exported via Dewey Chrome extension.
Climate change:
Recent droughts in Europe once again made visible the "Hunger Stones" in some Czech and German rivers. These stones were used to mark desperately low river levels that would forecast famines. This one, in Elbe river, is from 1616 and says: "If you see me, cry"#archaeohistories pic.twitter.com/rkPDVw7uPx
— ArchaeoHistories (@histories_arch) August 14, 2022
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Its blowing my mind that “it could be 125 degrees in Missouri within our lifetime” is not bigger news. https://t.co/CSAowNhpXr pic.twitter.com/KEEbJxfVRc
— Matt B, PhD (@Matt_Bernico) August 18, 2022
LGBTQ:
Massive win for transgender people in the US 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.
— Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn) August 16, 2022
The US Court of Appeals rules that the Americans with Disabilities Act protects transgender people.
Trans people MUST be afforded all accommodations, medical interventions, cannot be unduly targeted. pic.twitter.com/26pcbZ3fKY
As if to prove my point, this just happened: https://t.co/6RgCn9MZUC
— Scott Hadland, MD (@DrScottHadland) August 15, 2022
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I will also add, Tucker Carlson continued the stochastic terrorism campaign against Boston Children's Hospital on his segment.
— Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn) August 19, 2022
Racism/Extremism:
Allen Weisselberg—the Trump Org CFO—just got 5 mo prison for defrauding the American people hundreds of millions of dollars
— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) August 15, 2022
Crystal Mason—a Black woman who filed a provisional ballet on advice of a poll worker—got 5 years prison even though her vote didn't count
This is America
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The arc is long, but people bend it to justice.
— Ben Phillips (@benphillips76) August 16, 2022
The video of the poignant protest by Sacheen Littlefeather is so moving to watch. Parts are almost whispered, all the power is from within pic.twitter.com/LoSw96VAq5
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This reminds me of what @MalcolmNance had to say in this excellent chat with @alfranken, here: https://t.co/BK2zkQ8g4P
— Grant DeLaney - GrantDeLaney@toad.social =Mastadon (@laney502) August 18, 2022
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Allen Weisselberg will do 100 DAYS in jail. He was convicted of 15 felonies, tax fraud, and stole millions of dollars.
— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) August 19, 2022
Kalief Browder spent 3 YEARS on Rikers island awaiting trial for allegedly stealing a backpack. He was never convicted.
American justice in Black and white. pic.twitter.com/q2mormtySW
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Oklahoma state Senate candidate @JarrinJackson, who says “Jews will go to hell,” “I’m not beholden to Jews or any other group” and “I ain’t owned by the Jews,” announced an endorsement yesterday from @KariLake. pic.twitter.com/xM5bCBoixV
— Jeremy Duda (@jeremyduda) August 19, 2022
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Unions/Big Biz:
Remember: workers have a legal right to organize, and corporate executives – no matter how powerful they claim to be – do not get a veto. https://t.co/WQ7wHHDyEb
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) August 18, 2022
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Whole Foods has fired workers in 6 states for wearing Black Lives Matter apparel
— Steven Greenhouse (@greenhousenyt) August 15, 2022
The workers & NLRB say labor law protects their right to wear BLM apparel, but a Whole Foods lawyer told the NLRB that "President Trump referred to BLM as a 'symbol of hate'"https://t.co/qyxwX8DMud pic.twitter.com/KKJh6agFo3
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Thanks to my friend Jonathan for making sure I was well turned out at school drop off today pic.twitter.com/Lta1pOoPcC
— Emily Galvin-Almanza (@GalvinAlmanza) August 17, 2022
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https://twitter.com/A4Horg/status/1559605968891256839?s=20&t=9-wMosGtyL_QaN5Q5aHTiA
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All produced w public funding--a travesty
The HBO-CNN-Discovery stuff is not just a “some streamer is cutting costs and cancelled a few shows” story. One of the major monopolies in of the media market, is removing a significant chunk of the entire history of TV, largely educational + children’s programming https://t.co/1M0cIM528P
— Juwan the Writer/Industry Nuisance (@juwanthewriter) August 19, 2022
Florida:
Hundreds of dictionaries that the Venice Rotary Club has donated to the Sarasota school system for years, have been held up so they can be properly screened under Desantis’s new law to ensure they don’t contain any improper material. https://t.co/qasphO2h7Z
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) August 19, 2022
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Is this what you want for your children? Only allowing them to use state approved textbooks? Some counties in FL are only allowing textbooks to teach the standards. If a teacher wants to read a book to his/her students in our county, he/she must get it approved first.” #DemVoice1 pic.twitter.com/r9NgYXfN3j
— Jaye T. (@JayeJaybird54) August 14, 2022
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A judge has declared the Ron DeSantis-backed Florida law that restricts race-based conversation and analysis in business and education unconstitutional.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 19, 2022
Tallahassee U.S. District Judge Mark Walker said the 'Stop WOKE' act violates the First Amendment and is impermissibly vague.
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State Attorney Andrew Warren announces this morning that he has filed a federal lawsuit against Ron Desantis after he was removed from his elected office: “I was forced out of office by an armed deputy, removed from my position, and replaced by a Ron Desantis accomplice.” pic.twitter.com/TGybsgiHzw
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) August 17, 2022
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A judge has declared the Ron DeSantis-backed Florida law that restricts race-based conversation and analysis in business and education unconstitutional.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 19, 2022
Tallahassee U.S. District Judge Mark Walker said the 'Stop WOKE' act violates the First Amendment and is impermissibly vague.
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Republican congressional candidate Martin Hyde of Florida says he’d murder FBI agents if they tried to execute a court-approved search warrant at his home.
— Mark Jacob (@MarkJacob16) August 19, 2022
This is the Republican Party, a treasonous fascist movement wallowing in violent rhetoric. https://t.co/O559MYT2pM
Pennsylvania:
All PA voters should listen to this Mastriano interview from 2018, especially rapid fire questions at 14:30.
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) August 17, 2022
I don't expect anyone's views to change but if this pisses you off please vote on Nov 8. Don't assume the polls will hold. Keep this hate out. https://t.co/9rxzhEiZoN pic.twitter.com/P2bdSKlASR
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Pennsylvania's "kids for cash" judges, who orchestrated a scheme to send children to for-profit jails in exchange for kickbacks, have been ordered to pay more than $200 million to hundreds who fell victim to their crimes. https://t.co/yTjWKmCijp
— Michael Rubinkam (@michaelrubinkam) August 17, 2022
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Check out this carrot harvest! FYI: Produce doesn’t show up in Wegman’s by magic. pic.twitter.com/p0ywvqwpRX
— United Farm Workers (@UFWupdates) August 16, 2022
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We repeatedly told @DrOz that we had pre-made veggie trays..excuse me “Crudité”…in the deli starting at $5.99. $7.99 with guacamole and salsa. Vote @JohnFetterman! pic.twitter.com/FO83LmYPIl
— Wegner’s Groceries (@grocerieswegner) August 15, 2022
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Exclu: Dr. Oz at a campaign stop last weekend was asked a simple question.
— Ursula Perano (@UrsulaPerano) August 17, 2022
“How many houses do you own?”
His response? — "Legitimately, I own two houses."
And well, reader, you know where this is going. The number is... not two.
For @thedailybeast https://t.co/l72qIDQ9ST
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New Yale study finds Pennsylvania children are 2-3x more likely to be diagnosed with leukemia if they live near fracking https://t.co/AetMzm6vJk
— Emily Atkin (@emorwee) August 17, 2022
Feel good du jour:
When Spanish triathlete Diego Méntriga noticed that British triathlete J. Teagle went the wrong way before the finish line, Mentriga waited for him so he could take his deserved 3rd place.
— Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) August 16, 2022
“He was in front of me the whole time. He deserved it.” —Méntriga pic.twitter.com/hdoFwYrcEe
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https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1558817960801730565?s=20&t=9-wMosGtyL_QaN5Q5aHTiA
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Flock of sheep adopted puppy dog "in training" to become part of the herd pic.twitter.com/ZZDhsVeeRM
— Gabriele Corno (@Gabriele_Corno) August 16, 2022
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Rare black fallow deer seen in the Baryczy valley in Poland.
— Gabriele Corno (@Gabriele_Corno) August 16, 2022
( by tanczacachmura) pic.twitter.com/mvQyT1AxRG
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Life size driftwood horse sculptures by UK sculptor Heather Jansch #WomensArt pic.twitter.com/69UkCVOb2w
— #WOMENSART (@womensart1) August 17, 2022
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Sometimes you just want to float away with your teddy.. pic.twitter.com/NR22RD6Pnt
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) August 19, 2022
Comic relief:
She makes me laugh so hard. She’s a kindergarten teacher who makes videos talking to politicians the way she does her kindergartners. pic.twitter.com/INCNXoEEvu
— StaceyC.inKS (@StaceyCKs1) August 14, 2022
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What do you mean it's almost Monday? pic.twitter.com/BkpPVzE9NU
— Wendy (@geococcyxcal) August 14, 2022
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If you need a smile today, here’s a wonderful outtake with Robin Williams and Elmo 😂❤️ pic.twitter.com/HQBvlKcOSt
— Muppet History 🎃 (@HistoryMuppet) June 17, 2022
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https://twitter.com/theworldofdog/status/1559969902400008192?s=20&t=9-wMosGtyL_QaN5Q5aHTiA
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https://twitter.com/SlenderSherbet/status/1558559642430627840?s=20&t=9-wMosGtyL_QaN5Q5aHTiA
Perspective/Poem
2) If the student hadn’t run into me, someone whose body is also larger, where would they have gone?
— The Madwoman in the Classroom (@heymrsbond) August 16, 2022
3) what kind of discipline problems could have come from this student missing class if they hadn’t met someone they don’t know but could talk to in the hallway?
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Mindfulness. At the souvenir shop at Guantánamo Bay. pic.twitter.com/rd2EXw7pg1
— Carol Rosenberg (@carolrosenberg) August 14, 2022
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A poem cannot stop a bullet. A novel can’t defuse a bomb... But we are not helpless... We can sing the truth and name the liars... we must work to overturn the false narrative of tyrants. -Salman Rushdie
— BlitheMDJD (@MelissaDenton_) August 14, 2022
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For my father, the truly important people were those who helped others understand how important (beautiful, worthy, deserving) others were. Yes, he pushed me to excel in school but real excellence he believed was seen in kindness, and your ability to elevate others, Miss you dad.
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) August 15, 2022
Bits of beauty:
