As of January 20, 2025: Unemployment — 4.1% Gas — $3.12 per gallon S&P 500 — 5996.56 Inflation — 2.9% Dow Jones — 43,487.83 Just for reference going forward.

As we end the week, I wanted to share some really good local reporting on how President Trump's water actions in California are being received by locals... THREAD ⬇️

"Two-thirds of the staff of the President’s Malaria Initiative…the largest donor to anti-malaria programs…worldwide, have been fired…incl some of the most senior and respected scientists working on malaria control in the world.”

Influenza levels nationwide are now highest on record since peak of 2009 swine flu pandemic Per figures published Friday by CDC Flu, based on percent of outpatient respiratory illness from ILINet cdc.gov/fluview/survei…

FBI agent writes urgent letter warning Americans about Trump. Agent who stopped terrorist airline plot, prevented school shooting, and infiltrated sex traffickers — on top of investigating Jan 6 — has a dire warning you. Full letter transcript👇 Uncommon Sense was a Common Vice

So after promising to focus on safety, they’ve gotten right down to work… on gender terminology?

Pete Buttigieg Remember when Republicans actually cared about America…

Because authoritarian leaders thrive on spectacle and because he can silence dissent in the arts.

Trump's DC reminds Susan Glasser of Putin's Moscow 25 years ago -- "the sudden, fearful silence of critics who had previously spoken out, the business tycoons rushing to kiss the president’s ring, the lying and reality distortions to fit the official narrative." newyorker.com/news/letter-fr…

.HHS.gov has canceled the March meeting of outside experts who were to advise U.S. FDA on what next winter's #flu shots should target. The irony of this: Canceling #VRBPAC makes the US more reliant on the World Health Organization (WHO) -led strain selection process. statnews.com/2025/02/26/fda…

In normal times, I'd have written about this #MMWR report about some of the kids who've died from #flu this year having had a severe neurological condition called influenza-associated encephalopathy or encephalitis. Glad to see CIDRAP did write! cidrap.umn.edu/influenza-gene…

An unvaccinated NJ traveler who returned to the US infected with #measles went to 3 health facilities earlier this month seeking care before being diagnosed. Not surprisingly, additional cases are now being detected. Measles will spread if we give it the chance.

About the best European perspective on Russia you’re going to get. An amazing presentation and taste of what it looks like to have an intellectually sound and thoughtful president.

Lakshmi Chilukuri helped create a pilot course on race, ethnicity and gender in biology and medicine. Her son in law is JD Vance. search.app/ETN1pMZTEpAcRw…

BREAKING: The House will vote on the SAVE Act this week. If the bill passes, more than 21 million Americans could be blocked from voting. 1/

As an ER doctor, I treat people when other systems fail. Now, we're watching those systems get dismantled on purpose: 20,000 jobs slashed at HHS. Vaccine and prevention programs gutted. And Congressional Republicans voting to cut Medicaid to fund billionaire tax breaks. 1/10

Public health isn’t partisan. It’s basic humanity. And right now, it’s under attack. Speak up. Organize. Protest. And in 2026, get ready to vote. Because silence is complicity—and people will die if we don’t stop this. /END

🚨 An Empty Chair Town Hall…In JD Vance’s Hometown A 🧵 Boy, was American democracy on display last night in JD Vance’s hometown—Middletown, Ohio. Patriotism at its best. 1/

The next generation stands up for media independence: Journalists at ACHS Theogony, the student newspaper at Alexandria City High School across the river from DC, are protesting a policy making the principal their top editor reviewing stories. Karina Elwood washingtonpost.com/education/2025…