Coronavirus Tidbits #196 6/12/22
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News Diagnostics Drugs Devices Epidemiology/Infection control Tips Politics Feel good du jour Comic relief Perspective/Poem Bits of beauty
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 Post:
Dengue Vaccine Candidate Works Without Big Safety Risks
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/975354
This is a huge advance–will help Puerto Rico as well as SE Asia.
News
COVID and smell loss: answers begin to emerge
A study published last month1 surveyed 616,318 people in the United States who have had COVID-19. It found that, compared with those who had been infected with the original virus, people who had contracted the Alpha variant – the first variant of concern to arise – were 50% as likely to have chemosensory disruption. This probability fell to 44% for the later Delta variant, and to 17% for the latest variant, Omicron.
But the news is not all good: a significant portion of people infected early in the pandemic still experience chemosensory effects. A 2021 study2 followed 100 people who had had mild cases of COVID-19 and 100 people who repeatedly tested negative. More than a year after their infections, 46% of those who had had COVID-19 still had smell problems; by contrast, just 10% of the control group had developed some smell loss, but for other reasons. Furthermore, 7% of those who had been infected still had total smell loss, or ‘anosmia’, at the end of the year. Given that more than 500 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, tens of millions of people probably have lingering smell problems.
Scrambled nuclei
A clearer picture of how SARS-CoV-2 causes this disruption should help to create better therapies for the condition. Early in the pandemic, a study showed3 that the virus attacks cells in the nose, called sustentacular cells, that provide nutrients and support to odour-sensing neurons.
Since then, clues have emerged about what happens to the olfactory neurons after infection. Researchers including biochemist Stavros Lomvardas at Columbia University in New York City examined people who had died from COVID-19 and found that, although their neurons were intact, they had fewer membrane-embedded receptors for detecting odour molecules than usual4.
This was because the neurons’ nuclei had been scrambled. Normally, the chromosomes in these nuclei are organized into two compartments – a structure that enables the neurons to express specific odour receptors at high levels. But when the team looked at the autopsied neurons, “the nuclear architecture was unrecognizable,” Lomvardas says.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01589-z
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Preliminary study links Covid in pregnancy to babies’ neurodevelopment
Researchers have a moving target when they look at Covid-19, and its impact on children born after maternal infection is no exception. A new JAMA Network Open study found more neurodevelopmental diagnoses in the first year of life in babies whose mothers had positive PCR tests compared to those who didn’t. Acknowledging the preliminary nature of their work, the authors also say they can’t ignore previous connections made between viral infections and autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, cerebral palsy, cognitive dysfunction, bipolar disorder, and anxiety and depression.
Here’s what they found analyzing health records for 7,772 infants born in 2020: About 6% of babies whose mothers had Covid were diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder – such as motor or speech delays – compared to 3% of babies whose mothers didn’t, after accounting for prematurity and demographic factors. The researchers, and a companion editorial, urge longer studies.
https://mailchi.mp/statnews/tk-tncyc6de8v-616896?e=5c09ee46b1
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Risk of COVID-related syndrome lower in kids after breakthrough Omicron
The risk of COVID-19-related multisystem inflammatory system in children (MIS-C) was significantly lower among vaccinated versus unvaccinated Danish children after infection with the Omicron variant rather than with previous strains, according to a research letter published yesterday in JAMA Pediatrics.
Jun 8 JAMA Pediatr research letter
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/06/news-scan-jun-09-2022
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Moderna’s Vaccine boosts Omicron antibodies 8-fold
In a statement, Moderna said its Omicron-containing bilvalent (two-strain) vaccine met clinical end points, including a better antibody response 1 month after vaccination compared to its original vaccine. Like the original Moderna booster dose, the dose for the bivalent version was 50 micrograms.
The geometric mean titer (GMT), a measure of antibody response, was 2,372 for the bivalent vaccine against Omicron, compared with 1,473 for the original Moderna vaccine. The newer version boosted GMT against Omicron about eightfold higher than baseline levels.
The company said the bivalent vaccine was generally well tolerated, with side effects similar to its current booster dose. It also said it anticipates that antibody titers induced by the bivalent vaccine will be more durable against Omicron compared to its current booster shot. The results were from a small trial that had 439 participants.
Moderna said it plans on submitting the interim analysis and data to regulators to review in the weeks ahead. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) vaccine advisory group, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) meets on Jun 28 to talk about if and how COVID-19 vaccines should be modified.
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Research finds that social isolation is directly associated with later dementia
by American Academy of Neurology
JUNE 8, 2022
Social isolation is linked to lower brain volume in areas related to cognition and a higher risk of dementia, according to research published in the June 8, 2022, online issue of Neurology. The study found that social isolation was linked to a 26% increased risk of dementia, separately from risk factors like depression and loneliness.
“Social isolation is a serious yet underrecognized public health problem that is often associated with old age,” said study author Jianfeng Feng, Ph.D., of Fudan University in Shanghai, China. “In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation, or the state of being cut off from social networks, has intensified. It’s more important than ever to identify people who are socially isolated and provide resources to help them make connections in their community.”
The study looked at 462,619 people across the United Kingdom with an average age of 57 at the beginning of the study who were followed for nearly 12 years before the pandemic. Of those, 41,886, or 9% of people reported being socially isolated, and 29,036, or 6% of people felt lonely. During the study, 4,998 developed dementia.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-06-social-isolation-dementia.html
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Pandemic politics: People in Republican counties were more likely to die from COVID-19, new analysis shows
Cumulative COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 people, by county proportion of Republican presidential popular vote in the2020 election, January 1, 2020-October 31, 2021. Credit: Neil Jay Sehgal, University of Maryland
The partisan divide in the United States throughout the COVID-19 pandemic stretched beyond differences in attitudes about masking, social distancing and vaccines. According to a new study led by a University of Maryland researcher, it also is tied to a clear difference in mortality rates from the virus.
In the study, published today in Health Affairs, Neil Jay Sehgal, assistant professor of health policy and management in UMD’s School of Public Health, and co-authors from UMD and the University of California, Irvine Program in Public Health compared the number of COVID-19 deaths through October 2021 with counties’ voting behavior in the 2020 presidential election. Their analysis controlled for other characteristics likely to influence COVID-19 transmission and mortality such as age, race/ethnicity, chronic disease and access to health care.
They found that Republican counties (where 70% or more voted Republican) experienced nearly 73 more COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 people compared to Democratic counties (where less than 30% voted Republican).
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-06-pandemic-politics-people-republican-counties.html
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Opinion | Omicron BA.4 and BA.5: Starting From Scratch Yet Again https://t.co/zPjVXB8fjo
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) June 11, 2022
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Can you get COVID-19 twice within 90 days? Here's why it's more likely now than ever https://t.co/ycvNrAzVkz via @medical_xpress
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) June 11, 2022
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https://twitter.com/TinyWriterLaura/status/1535716854576173056?s=20&t=AchZ3iYhLymU-YrAB8meOQ
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Throughout the pandemic, some have argued that #Covid19 poses little health risk to kids aside from a few days of sniffles — much like the flu. But an analysis shows just how wrong that is, by @g0ingmad https://t.co/Lkpjtfbkom via @business @DennisKendel #pediatrics #LongCOVID
— André Picard (@picardonhealth) June 6, 2022
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Monkeypox:
The age of outbreaks: Experts warn of more animal disease threats https://t.co/FT84GWP4zY via @medical_xpress
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) June 11, 2022
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New guidance: “Social gatherings, safer sex, and monkeypox,” highlighting the risks of transmission in higher-risk situations.
Be clear, don’t ‘pussyfoot’
Being clear about that risk is one of the most important messages about monkeypox, according to New Jersey-based risk communication expert Peter Sandman, PhD.
“In the current outbreak, most patients so far are catching it from MSM. But it will almost inevitably spread from MSM, to others who have close contact (especially sexual contact) with MSM, to still others who have close contact (especially sexual contact) with those others,” Sandman said in an email.
“I would urge risk communicators to say all this-and I’d specifically urge them not to let fear of stigmatization deter them from doing so. Fear of stigmatization is an unacceptable reason to withhold or even to soft-pedal this information.
“Stigmatization of MSM is still a real social evil-but candid monkeypox risk communication won’t exacerbate that evil, and pussyfooting won’t ameliorate that evil. I think what’s masquerading as a fear of stigmatization is really a fear of being accused of stigmatization-and that’s an unacceptable reason for suppressing or downplaying important health information.”
Global total tops 1,100
The CDC said the United States now has 40 cases of monkeypox.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) today posted an epidemiological update on monkeypox, citing the global total as 1,176 confirmed cases from 24 countries as of Jun 8.
The ECDC said, “The EU outbreak sequences are a part of a distinct cluster from 2022 within the West African clade. There are two 2022 sequences from the US that are not part of this cluster, but still belong to the West African clade.”
The outbreak is concentrated in Europe, where 704 cases have been reported in 18 countries, mainly in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Portugal.
So far there have been no deaths, and most cases are occurring in young MSM.
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Monkeypox vaccination begins – can the global outbreaks be contained?
Some countries have begun to use smallpox vaccines to protect people exposed to the monkeypox virus. But researchers see challenges ahead.
As global monkeypox cases continue to rise, public-health officials and researchers are questioning whether the current outbreaks can be contained. The World Health Organization has said that the situation is unlikely to escalate into a full-blown pandemic. But more than 1,000 people have now been confirmed to have been infected with the virus in nearly 30 countries where outbreaks do not usually occur (see ‘Unusual spread’).
Countries including Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States have begun implementing a strategy called ‘ring vaccination’ to try to halt the spread of the virus. This involves administering smallpox vaccines – which are thought to be effective against monkeypox because the viruses are related – to people who are known to have been exposed through close contact with an infected person.
But there are unknowns and challenges that come with using this strategy for monkeypox, says Natalie Dean, a biostatistician at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Although the vaccines are considered to be safe and effective for use in people with smallpox infection, the vaccines have had limited testing against monkeypox. The strategy also relies on highly rigorous contact tracing, which might not be implemented in every country, and people must also agree to be inoculated with vaccines that can carry rare, but serious, side effects.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01587-1
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This is EXACTLY how they minimized and denied that #COVISisAirborne for a long time. Does NOT inspire confidence.
— Prof. Jose-Luis Jimenez (@jljcolorado) June 8, 2022
"Airborne transmission is only a small factor in the overall spread, and experts say there are no firm estimates regarding how much it contributes" https://t.co/oSId8b7BC6
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#Monkeypox may sometimes spread through the air https://t.co/rPlcUsYJ7F via @medical_xpress @CDCgov's recs are so confusing
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) June 11, 2022
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There’s excellent monkeypox information and guidance in this document from Nigeria. https://t.co/LKvN3PHKyh
— Dr. Lisa Iannattone (@lisa_iannattone) June 5, 2022
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https://twitter.com/KrutikaKuppalli/status/1535330488579244038?s=20&t=AchZ3iYhLymU-YrAB8meOQ
Diagnostics:
still an incredible, negligent last of testing.
Drugs and Vaccines:
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U.S. Wasted 11% of its COVID-19 Vaccines
two states discarded more than a quarter of their doses: Oklahoma, which tossed 28% of the nearly 4 million doses it received, and Alaska, which threw away almost 27% of its 1 million doses, according to the CDC data.
https://www.precisionvaccinations.com/2022/06/06/us-wasted-11-its-covid-19-vaccines
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Data show Paxlovid halves the risk of severe Omicron disease, death
A study of 4,737 COVID-19 patients in Israel conducted during the Omicron surge concludes that Pfizer’s antiviral drug Paxlovid roughly halves the risk of severe COVID-19 or death, according to findings published yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
They conclude, “In this real-world study, we show that treatment with Paxlovid in the first 5 days of SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with markedly reduced risk of progression to severe COVID-19 or mortality, regardless of vaccination status for SARS-CoV-2.”
Jun 2 Clin Infect Dis study
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/06/news-scan-jun-03-2022
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Three drugs that could reduce mortality in severely ill COVID-19 patients — tacrolimus, zotatifin and nintedanib https://t.co/65z6LKNXXz via @medical_xpress
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) June 11, 2022
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Going all the way: Scientists prove that inhaled vaccines offer better protection and immunity than nasal sprays https://t.co/pKpsParcpI via @medical_xpress
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) June 11, 2022
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Moderna has been running trials on a new COVID-19 vaccine that combines its original shot with targeted protection from the Omicron variant.https://t.co/rURX18AHqB
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) June 8, 2022
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Thrilled to announce our @TexasChildrens protein Covid vaccine technology entering phase 3 in Indonesia @biofarmaID as a vegan Covid vaccine, with hopes it could become one of the first Halal Covid vaccines for Muslim-majority OIC nations https://t.co/dF1zMHVp1i
— Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@PeterHotez) June 10, 2022
Devices and Masks:
With so few places mandating masks, is there still a point in covering up?
— Toronto Star (@TorontoStar) June 11, 2022
The short answer, experts say, is a resounding yes. The Star breaks down your burning questions about how to navigate this barefaced new world.https://t.co/qOxskOug1u
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https://twitter.com/TheAngryEpi/status/1535722565200584706?s=20&t=AchZ3iYhLymU-YrAB8meOQ
Epidemiology/Infection control:
How can we expect people to accurately assess their Covid risk when they don’t understand such basic information? Public health like the @CDCgov has failed so spectacularly during this pandemic I sometimes marvel at how badly this has been bungled.
— Ellison Cooper PhD (@ECooperAuthor) June 9, 2022
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This is important! A lot of diseases were prevented in the youngest during the last two years – even if they come back now & we see more activity than usual for many respiratory viruses. Many infections are less severe when required a little later in life (e.g. RSV, Flu) https://t.co/ZOy8pRBJyE
— Isabella Eckerle (@EckerleIsabella) June 11, 2022
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This graph conclusively shows that the misinformation that @DLeonhardt provided in his statement that "Covid’s racial gaps have narrowed and, more recently, even flipped." is completely untrue.
— Tyler Black, MD (@tylerblack32) June 10, 2022
/2
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#COVID19 exposure in utero raised babies’ risk of being diagnosed with developmental delays to 6% vs. 3% for babies not exposed to #SARSCoV2, according to a study of electronic health records of over 7,000 obstetric patients at a Massachusetts hospital. https://t.co/SJddQYOGmi pic.twitter.com/uXVyeAj8kY
— Dr. Melvin Sanicas (@Vaccinologist) June 11, 2022
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An airport nail salon has become the frontline of U.S. surveillance of Covid variants.
— Riley Ray Griffin (@rileyraygriffin) June 6, 2022
Yup, you read that right.
My latest on how @XpresSpa & @Ginkgo teamed up with the @CDCgov to hunt for emerging coronavirus mutations—and prepare for future pandemics: https://t.co/J74M3MoKrC pic.twitter.com/KL72Mq2cDB
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— Dr. Mild Yet Still Mysterious (@sammy4723) June 8, 2022
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Report profiles aerosol spread in hospital #COVID19 outbreak
— CIDRAP (@CIDRAP) June 10, 2022
SARS-CoV-2 RNA in air samples was genetically identical to human samples in a hospital outbreakhttps://t.co/CwZ0qw110a
Photo: Hospital CLINIC / Flickr cc pic.twitter.com/jSZepXkVvR
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As much as I hate getting tested, removing COVID testing requirements for entering international air travelers is a bad decision. This is not the time.
— Vincent Rajkumar (@VincentRK) June 10, 2022
Cases are high. Variants plenty. And vulnerable people despite prior COVID and vaccination. https://t.co/9vF25k4xF1
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Why so much COVID superspreading in gyms?
— Prof. Jose-Luis Jimenez (@jljcolorado) June 11, 2022
"Aerosol particle emission increases moderately up to an exercise intensity of ≈2 W/kg and exponentially at higher exercise intensities."
https://t.co/t6ikU5SeAP
Tips, general reading for public:
Ventilate.
Mask.
Vax.
Politics:
Covid:
2/ the simple answer is that personal responsibility absolves the government, states, businesses etc from fixing problems. It instead re-frames those problems as a matter of what you or I choose to do/not do, when in fact an airborne virus demands more than individual action
— Abraar Karan (@AbraarKaran) June 9, 2022
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New viewpoint in @JAMA_current from CDC authors urges using American Rescue Plan funds to upgrade HVAC systems in buildings. Lots of strong words: /1 https://t.co/fBU7DVemdM
— Linsey Marr (@linseymarr) June 7, 2022
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Elections:
The authoritarian plan, if you haven’t been paying attention, is to suppress votes, purge voter roles, remove polling sites, disrupt Election Day with poll watchers, use the new state laws to refuse to certify any disagreeable election results, and have Congress do the same.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) June 7, 2022
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https://twitter.com/KathyVarzino/status/1533194792007520264?s=20&t=AchZ3iYhLymU-YrAB8meOQ
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https://twitter.com/marceelias/status/1534141275556945921?s=20&t=AchZ3iYhLymU-YrAB8meOQ
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Dems:
Activists hail Biden’s use of security powers to boost clean energy https://t.co/VRJIShsLAh
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) June 7, 2022
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Reminder: Democrats are trying to pass a bill to ban oil and gas companies from price gouging and every single Republican is opposing it.
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) June 7, 2022
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Exxon’s net income is $25.8 billion over the last 12 months https://t.co/r7Aws8xgOG
— Jordan Fabian (@Jordanfabian) June 10, 2022
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SCOTUS/Ginni Thomas:
Ginni's message to the lawmakers "claimed that the responsibility to choose electors was 'yours and yours alone.' They had 'power to fight back against fraud' and 'ensure that a clean slate of Electors is chosen,' the email said."https://t.co/rJ5OlbNlxO
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) June 10, 2022
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On Nov. 9, Thomas sent identical emails to 20 members of the Arizona House and seven Arizona state senators — more than half of the Republican members of the state legislature at the time.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 10, 2022
The message claimed the responsibility to choose electors was "yours and yours alone." https://t.co/BQMBGGCSb3
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GOP:
No one should ever use the label “pro life” to describe this party ever again https://t.co/Ran3cMoeuV
— Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) June 6, 2022
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Jared Kushner got $2,000,000,000 from Saudi Arabia when he left the White House and no Republican in Congress wants to talk about it
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) June 8, 2022
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Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump made up to $640 million on the side while working in the White House. Where are the calls for investigation? https://t.co/5ECweusyyu
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) June 8, 2022
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NEW: Marjorie Taylor Greene— who is accusing Democrats of “child grooming”— has hired far-right Milo Yiannopoulos as an intern. Yiannopoulos has advocated for legalizing sex between 13-year-olds and adults because he says 13-year-olds are not children and are “sexually mature.”
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) June 6, 2022
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NEW: Congressional candidate Carl Paladino (R-NY) said that Adolf Hitler is “the kind of leader we need today. We need somebody inspirational. We need somebody that is a doer.” Paladino is endorsed by Elise Stefanik, the chair of the House Republicans, per @mmfa.
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) June 9, 2022
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A school board in a Boise suburb banned books and state lawmakers cut state library funding — so a local bookstore raised money to buy banned books to distribute for free. https://t.co/XmSW8R30jC
— PEN America (@PENamerica) June 10, 2022
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Congratulations to Mr. Tucker and his counsel @americansunited on winning their case! We were proud to lead an amicus brief in support of Mr. Tucker, a teacher, who was retaliated against by his employer for rising up against racism at his school. https://t.co/qE5HXXpnXR
— National Women's Law Center (@nwlc) June 7, 2022
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A story you might've missed this week: the US is quietly ending universal free school lunches and cutting back the summer meals program at the end of this month.
— wilfred chan (@wilfredchan) June 4, 2022
Millions of kids will be affected. https://t.co/ZcrDDUwq6k
Fox:
Fox News is more fragile than you think. Together we can pressure the ad industry to drop Fox News because of their support of the Jan. 6 insurrection.
— Check My Ads (@CheckMyAdsHQ) June 9, 2022
And we have proof that it works.
Join us: https://t.co/lLjKJhwiKO pic.twitter.com/CfHJSUAUga
Jan 6:
3. Corporations that have donated to members of Congress that refuse to cooperate with the January 6 committee:@HomeDepot @Boeing @askRegions @UnitedHealthGrp @AltriaNews @Chevron @exxonmobil @FedEx @comcast @pfizer @usaa@Merck @Amgen @ford@JNJNews @aflac
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) June 10, 2022
Guns:
Elise Stefanik’s husband is employed by top firearms front group NSSF who does bidding for hardcore gunmakers. Its board of governors includes the CEO of Daniel Defense, the gunmaker whose AR-15 was the massacre weapon in Uvalde. Stefanik has been backed by nearly $20k from NSSF.
— Outspoken™️ (@Out5p0ken) June 8, 2022
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44% of Republicans say that mass shootings are just something we have to live with while 100% of me says that’s bullshit.
— Lauren Hogg (@lauren_hoggs) June 6, 2022
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This is a lesson in how real media bias works. It takes things that are uncommon and makes them seem common. It ignores the common, even when horrible. It distorts our vision. And it has little to do with politics. https://t.co/CzXId2wVwP
— Kyle Whitmire (@WarOnDumb) June 7, 2022
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28 mass shootings in the 11 days since Uvalde. And nothing has been done.
— Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) June 5, 2022
2 days after peaceful protests in front of predator Brett Kavanaugh’s house, the Senate passed a law to increase security for his family.
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THIS IS A MOVEMENT!
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) June 11, 2022
#MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/uGnGqKag0Q
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There was a 2 decade ban on CDC collection or analysis of gun data. It's better now. Is it enough given gun violence is the leading cause of death among minors? Compare with other disease funding amounts. Interesting deep dive.https://t.co/CQsCsOtHhg
— Richard Haimann (@ecoengr) June 6, 2022
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GOP memos reveal Uvalde playbook: “Stay cool. Run out the clock. …But don’t worry: this moment will be over soon.”
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) June 4, 2022
It’s up to ALL OF US to keep the heat on our elected officials. Text ACT to 644-33. #wearorange #standwithuvalde https://t.co/GXpUCD0c6m
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— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) June 5, 2022
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If only bullets were as expensive as Epipens and Insulin.
— Brandon Unger 🌎🇺🇲 🇺🇦🌊 (@ungerbn103) June 6, 2022
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Virginia requires magazine limitation for duck hunting—no more than 3 rounds in a shotgun. Why? It's not fair to ducks.
— Tim Kaine (@timkaine) June 6, 2022
Yet when we try to limit magazines to 10 rounds in Congress, we’re blocked. If we can limit magazines to protect ducks, we must do the same to protect people.
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America, where the legal age to rent a car (25) is 7 YEARS OLDER than the legal age to buy a semi-automatic rifle which can shoot 45 exploding bullets per minute.
— Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) June 7, 2022
Florida:
Not surprised: Christina Pushaw, Ron DeSantis spokeswoman, belatedly registers as agent of Georgian politician Mikheil Saakashvili – The Washington Post https://t.co/muIBFM0ejD
— Frank Figliuzzi (@FrankFigliuzzi1) June 8, 2022
Texas:
At least have the balls to own your shitty policies. There isn't a single Democrat elected statewide; this is on the GOP. Maybe stop collecting contributions from energy companies who want a deregulated grid and Texans would stop getting fucked over, for once.
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) June 5, 2022
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19 kids were killed in their elementary school in Texas and the state’s AG is investigating Twitter bots. https://t.co/FIQTC8JIlU
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) June 6, 2022
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https://t.co/5E5x11xQVE pic.twitter.com/EFJ4mHmXLb
— nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) June 6, 2022
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two weeks after 19 kids were slaughtered in a texas elementary school, texas lawmakers are finally banning *checks notes* drag queens pic.twitter.com/31hEmhrCMW
— matt (@mattxiv) June 6, 2022
Pennsylvania:
https://twitter.com/MinnieResists/status/1533247555001323521?s=20&t=gZC1scHgxVO9P8ahjkIvdg
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Turns out Dr. Oz, Newly victorious Republican candidate for Senate from Pennsylvania,is registered to vote in New Jersey, not Pennsylvania, and has been registered there since the 1980s.
— Harry Litman (@harrylitman) June 7, 2022
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Georgia:
Did Kelly Loeffler’s former communications director just admit to committing a federal election crime? pic.twitter.com/0wkOTQzGBe
— MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) June 5, 2022
Tennessee
Tennessee lawmakers made it a felony to camp in parks and local public property and a misdemeanor to camp under overpasses or along highways, effectively making it illegal for unhoused people to sleep in public places.https://t.co/niKyYCyTm8
— Reckon (@reckonsouth) June 6, 2022
LGBT:
And all this, because there is 1 (one!) trans kid currently playing school sports in Ohio.
— Dr. Ma. F. (@MarschaFroetin) June 5, 2022
In Kentucky it was also 1. Imagine being that 1 kid.
Similar bills that all also include intimate examinations are in place in FL, TX, AR, AL, UT, MT, TN, SD, IA, IN, KY, SC, GA
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This day in 1954, Alan Turing took his life by his own hand, driven to death by society’s inability to accept a different form of sexuality.
— John O'Connell (@jdpoc) June 7, 2022
He invented the modern computer.
Whatever device you are reading this on, came from his genius.
#PrideMonth pic.twitter.com/z6TLx9ix7S
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Crazy thought, but those 20 million AR-15s now in this country could sure arm a lot of Ukrainians.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) June 7, 2022
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UK:
Legal or not, this shame will never leave us. https://t.co/sRIKrXWtp4
— Jonathan Lis (@jonlis1) June 10, 2022
Feel good du jour:
MASSIVE NEWS EVERYONE
— Caitlin Henderson (She's got Legs) (@gotlegsmacro) June 6, 2022
It is AN ABSOLUTE HONOUR to introduce you to the hitherto unknown adult female Australian Pygmy Leaf Insect (Nanophyllium australianum). You, dear reader, are one of the FIRST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD to see her. How does that feel? Pretty amazing huh? (thread!) pic.twitter.com/yYEvQeNOaJ
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A trial group of people with rectal cancer just experienced something of a scientific miracle: their cancer vanished after an experimental treatment.
— NPR (@NPR) June 7, 2022
Patients took a drug called dostarlimab for six months which resulted in their tumors disappearing. https://t.co/LvuNvE4LnW
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This is the 3rd "un-heard of" positive results for #cancer therapy outcomes that we've seen in a week
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) June 8, 2022
Matching up genomics and Rx, here for HER2-Low breast cancer…"a new standard of care"https://t.co/Qrj5QUMztIhttps://t.co/O8Z3WCFWwY pic.twitter.com/CWH3VidGQF
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The Temple of Poseidon with a captivating crescent moon and Venus.
— Arys🏺🪶 (@ArysPan) June 7, 2022
Cape Sounio, Greece
©Chris Kotsiopoulos#Archaeology #photooftheday pic.twitter.com/zgNewwnzDo
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I don’t have a Soundcloud but as John Cena has fulfilled around 700 Make-A-Wish requests – more than anyone else in the world! – it would be cool to donate to @MakeAWish_ie (https://t.co/UL459foaYH) or its local equivalent near you 🤞🏻
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) June 11, 2022
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https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1531694206745513986?s=20&t=AchZ3iYhLymU-YrAB8meOQ
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This mesmerizing hand coreography is part of an innovative dancing technique called tutting, which focuses on finding variable and hypnotic geometries with rythmic and mesmerizing body parts movements.
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) June 7, 2022
More clips by the Italian performers Urban Theory: https://t.co/3yy3ih6zmA https://t.co/I3ZT9w1SDS
Comic relief:
When rounds last for 3 hours and the med student asks a question pic.twitter.com/6r3voED8SH
— Adi (@IDdocAdi) June 4, 2022
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https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1531852010080849921?s=20&t=AchZ3iYhLymU-YrAB8meOQ
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Worst tracker EVER! pic.twitter.com/8iPa1VSapb
— David Hiller (@Bodhihodi) June 6, 2022
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https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1534452120145039361?s=20&t=AchZ3iYhLymU-YrAB8meOQ
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Was hiking along in the boreal forest yesterday and found this cute northern saw-whet owl! He gave me the perfect head tilt pose! #owl #birdphotography #nature #wildlife pic.twitter.com/Njbwk3vt4l
— Famous Amos Photography (@FamousAmosPhoto) June 7, 2022
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https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1534956581321850880?s=20&t=AchZ3iYhLymU-YrAB8meOQ
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https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1535176658247897088?s=20&t=AchZ3iYhLymU-YrAB8meOQ
Perspective/Poem
📚 RAY BRADBURY
— Paul Holdengraber (@holdengraber) June 5, 2022
Died on this day, in 2012
“You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture.
Just get people to stop reading them.” pic.twitter.com/Lf5HTUWzUl
Bits of beauty:
