I found it way too difficult to say proper thanks this year to all the people who deserve them.
How do I thank people who are risking their lives, saving others while I’m safe?
How do I thank career civil servants who have been abused for 4 years & kept doing their jobs for us?
How I do I properly think whistleblowers who have been scapegoated?
How do I thank experts who have been ignored year after year & now called fear mongers & had their lives threatened?
How to acknowledge people in the free press who were called fake but created limits by exposing things when there was no shame to be had?
Is there a way to thank people for making sure our democracy didn’t die including when Trump tried to overrun the election?
The best way I know how is to do a better job listening to the people ignored, follow their examples, fight for changes, be willing to be more uncomfortable...
Oh— And to do whatever the fuck I can so we never go back here again.
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COVID Update November 29: There’s this trite expression that it’s always darkest before the dawn.
I want to talk about the dark. And the dawn. 1/
This expression typically means— keep going, when it feels rough, muscle through, you may be at bottom. And I rather like this expression. For people with depression, they often describe things as being dark. 2/
And who they hell hasn’t been suffering through some depression?
I mean— we have it all: death, joblessness, Congress that’s abandoned us, Venezuela meddling in our elections (dead Venezuelans at that!), fear, Rudy Giuliani melting. 3/
COVID Update November 25: Why I will be taking a vaccine and why I hope you do too. 1/
By December 13 or soon after, vaccines will likely be ready to roll out. Tens of millions will be ready to go. Month by month. First to health care workers, then to nursing homes. Then to other high risk populations. 2/
There are milestones to get there and data to review but preparations are underway. I talked with scientists & distributors today.
There is an impressive level of preparation to make all the logistics happen. 3/
COVID Update November 23: With the vaccine progress today, what the heck is Warp Speed for real? It’s a great story but not what it appears.
Later today, I will finish a thread on this from where it started.
What is Warp Speed? Is it really a success? Who deserves credit? Where would we be without it? What did we learn? 2/
First let’s be clear on our accomplishment. From January 11 when the sequence for the virus arrived from China to December 13, when needles will start to enter arms, only 11 months passed.
This can be a 7 year process. Or worse— HIV & the common cold have no vaccine. 3/
BREAKING: AstraZeneca/Oxford announces effectiveness data that is 90% effective in 2 dose regimens.
This is huge news because @UniofOxford intends low cost worldwide distribution.
3 billion doses worldwide planned
Effective against severe cases and moderate
Safety data to come but one investigator who has seen prelim data told me no concerns
No profit venture
Can be refrigerated for easier distribution
Manufacturing in 10 counties
*Some evidence that it also reduces transmission*
Tested in 2 diff doses (on 90%, one 62%)
In less than 2 months, he will have no access to call local officials
no access to a justice department
no cabinet
no access to the Lincoln bedroom
no access to intelligence briefings
no ability to direct ICE
no ability to obstruct a COVID response
no authority to build a wall
no government funds or airplane to pay to fly him to rallies
no reason for people looking for government favors to use his hotels
no way to appoint his family to powerful positions
no way to fire government workers for doing their jobs
no military parades
no one saluting him
no pomp or circumstance
no presidential legal protection
no Rose Garden access
no ability to intimidate the press
no ability to appoint a judge
So while he tries to manipulate our democracy, he has the sad awareness that soon all he will be is a legally-troubled Twitter troll.