Author Archives: Jim deMaine

CDC Data Are Disappearing

The agency has already removed scientific data from public view. More could follow. By Katherine J. Wu (Thanks to Ed M.) The CDC campus in Atlanta (Smith Collection / Gado / Getty) Last night, scientists began to hear cryptic and foreboding warnings … Continue reading

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Be prepared!

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What so proudly we hailed …

Thanks to Dan S. As the Pentagon and the State Department try to cancel Black History Month, our Martin Luther King County (Harborview) Hospital flies the Afro-American Black Liberation flag with the American flag, no longer at half-mast in observation … Continue reading

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Groundhog Day

Thanks to Pam P.

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Japan rolls out new recycled toilet paper made from used diapers

from Goodgoodgood newsletter – thanks to Pam P. Forget Charmin, Cottonelle, or Quilted Northern. In Japan, there’s a new toilet paper roll on shelves, and it’s nothing like the others. The Shibushi Osaki Roll is the world’s first toilet paper … Continue reading

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RFK Jr.’s War Against Cancer…Prevention

A recent Senate confirmation hearing revealed RFK Jr.’s secret war against cancer prevention. by Paul Offit (thanks to Ed M.) Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes cancer. Every year, HPV causes about 20,000 cancers in women and 14,000 in men. For women, … Continue reading

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ACLU at Town Hall

Thanks to Bob P. ACLU Town HallFighting Trump’s First Attacks Tuesday, February 4, at 4:30pm EST

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Drawing, making music and writing poetry can support healing and bring more humanity to health care in US hospitals

by Marlaine Figueroa Gray Assistant Investigator at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, University of Washington The COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on the deep need that people feel for human touch and connection in hospital settings. Having relatives peering … Continue reading

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Photos: See the pandas’ official return to the National Zoo

By Amy Held (thanks to Pam P.) Qing Bao, one of the Smithsonian National Zoo’s new Giant Pandas, eats an apple on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. In November 2023, the National Zoo sent its three pandas — Tian Tian and Mei … Continue reading

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Please express your support for HB 1531

Thanks to Ed M. Our public health partners are seeking our support on House Bill 1531 re preserving the ability of public officials to address communicable diseases, which will be heard 1/31 at 8:00AM in House Health Care and Wellness and … Continue reading

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Ah, that pizza

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What to know about Lunar New Year traditions

JiaYing Grygiel – Special to The Seattle Times (thanks to Marilyn W.) Jan. 1 has come and gone, but Lunar New Year is right around the corner, celebrated by some 2 billion people around the world. The Year of the … Continue reading

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Short Sighted

thanks to MaryLou P. Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.— “Popular Mechanics,” forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949 I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.— Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, … Continue reading

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The Pediatrician’s Lament

Eleanor R. Menzin, M.D. in The New England Journal of Medicine “It’s your fault!” the renowned infectious disease attending told the cluster of students and residents. In the late 1990s, the varicella vaccine was relatively new, and uptake was disappointingly low. “You … Continue reading

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Listening?

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Commentary on Day One

Ed note: Somehow the Trump cartoons don’t seem funny to me anymore. They reflect the negativity that is now reality and evoke sadness rather than humor. Historian Heather Cox Richardson helps me see the present in an historical context. As … Continue reading

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In Praise of California

Paul Krugman in Krugman Wonks Out (thanks to Kate B.) One of the unwritten rules of American politics is that it’s OK to sneer at and smear our big cities and the people who live in them, while it’s an … Continue reading

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How Trump “Won”

Michael Podhorzer (thanks to Kate B.) With all the ballots counted and all the races decided, in today’s post, I want to unpack what we already know about how Trump “won” the popular vote.1 I use quotes around the word “won” … Continue reading

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Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman wants attention on Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and not his own trailblazing

Freeman will be the first Black head coach in an FBS national championship, which occurs Jan. 20 on Martin Luther King Jr. Day By Shehan Jeyarajah (thanks to Pam P.) Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman is set to become the first Black head coach … Continue reading

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Two great presidents’ masterful inaugural speeches

By David Adler in the Seattle Times Special to The Idaho Statesman When Donald Trump assumes office Monday, as the 47th president of the United States, he will mark the solemn occasion with an inaugural address. While not required by the … Continue reading

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Yes, there are heroes

Commentary by Heather Cox Richardson You hear sometimes, now that we know the sordid details of the lives of some of our leading figures, that America has no heroes left. When I was writing a book about the Wounded Knee … Continue reading

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Advent Calendar

Thanks to Ed M. Just 97 Mondays until Mid Term Elections…

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Protecting friends and neighbors from illegal searches

Thanks to Linda T. Dear Friend, You may have seen the reports that the Trump Administration is planning a large-scale deportation of immigrants from blue “sanctuary cities.” We must be prepared to protect our friends and neighbors from illegal searches … Continue reading

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Quelle bouquet!

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When the Retirement Community Goes Bankrupt

Ed note: There is a natural tension between Leading Age, the industry lobby group for CCRC’s, and WaCCRA, the residents voice for the state of Washington (NaCCRA is the national organization). Years ago when I was unsuccessfully trying to have … Continue reading

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