Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Measles in the US

Quite a few people are ignoring or are refusing to get shots to prevent things such as measles, covid, etc. They have identified this as vaccine hesitancy. The term describes anyone who is doubtful about vaccinations or who chooses to delay or refuse immunizations even when they are readily available. The reasoning can be Religion, […]

RFK Jr bafflegab

RFK Jr is testifying today at a Senate panel on HHS policies. Sen. Wyden said the secretary “stacked the deck” of a vaccines committee, replacing scientists with “vaccine skeptics and conspiracy theorists.” Kennedy said his actions “got rid of the conflicts of interests” he said had pervaded such panels. So according to RFK Jr, scientific […]

Florida bids to be the next Wuhan

Florida is set to drop all state vaccine mandates. Look for Florida EDs to fill up with children suffering from preventable diseases. Of course, the civilized states can maintain theirs, but there’s no way to prevent Florida children and their families from traveling to other states. Other civilized countries are another matter. Look for some […]

Why should you get the COVID vaccine?

1. A recent study showed that even people with mild COVID infections have a loss of blood vessel elasticity comparable to someone five years older. 2. A recent study showed that fragments of Sars-CoV-2 viral proteins—particularly the RNA replicase protein—can be found in circulating vesicles months after a COVID infection and could contribute to the […]

The real MAHA

RFK Jr isn’t exactly wrong about how Americans need to improve their diets. But vilifying ultraprocessed foods and food dyes won’t do it. The actual problem is that most Americans get too many of their calories from fat, sugar and red meat, when they should get most of their calories from fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts […]

RFK Jr promises to find “the” cause of autism

We’ve known for decades that the risk for autism is mostly heritable, i.e., genetics. Certain environmental inputs can enhance the expression of autistic traits, but the cause lies in genetics. “The rise in prevalence, many researchers say, is predominantly caused by an increase in diagnoses rather than a true rise in the underlying symptoms and […]

Cranks to run one’s public-health agencies

What is possibly be “our best defense against future pandemics?” mRNA technology saved America’s bacon in 2020. RFK Jr. has been active defunding it. As taken from American Prospect. Since Joel was working on this technology and also received the test doses, I am sure he could add to this piece. 🙂 May 2025 finds […]

How much more will ~556,000 Michigan residents pay if the improved #ACA subsidies expire?

“ACA Signups” (updated) A review of the amount of premium increases Michigan residents can expect when the ACA subsidy increases are removed EOY 2025. Temporary ACA subsidies were passed as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in 2021. It included two years of enhanced subsidies (2021 and 2022). The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), […]

Republicans are quietly rolling back Obamacare

Mildly (temperament) rewritten CNN piece on the Affordable Care Act and how Republicans are changing it instead of repealing it. Republicans are claiming increased fraud. No so much with the recipients using the ACA but with the various brokers selling the plans. I am not sure how taking healthcare away from people has a positive […]

The AAP childhood vaccine schedule

Since the secretary of HHS is a vaccine denialist who cannot be trusted, the American Academy of Pediatrics has this week published its own authoritative, comprehensive, science-based vaccine schedule for children and adolescents from birth to age 18. The link provides: – the schedule for routine immunizations from birth to 18 years of age; – […]