It's official: Mask ban in Nassau County, New York passes along party lines, 12-0 (7 abstentions). It makes wearing a mask a misdemeanor (with unclear health and religious exceptions) and gives police the power to fine people wearing a mask $1,000 and sentence them to jail time.
Here's the Nassau County mask ban bill language. Health and religious exceptions are noted, but leaves it up to the judgement of the police officer. As written, the ban applies to all public spaces, not just protests. There will be many legal challenges.
If you are in Nassau County, please keep wearing mask. The mask ban bill does still include a health exception, so you have the right to assert that you are wearing a mask for health reasons. But the bill gives cops power to intimidate people wearing a mask, so please be careful.
Thank you to all the courageous advocates who testified in person against the Nassau County mask ban today, & had to endure harassment by police, legislators, & anti-maskers, & exposed to a high risk COVID situation. Though the bill passed, showing there's resistance is critical!
It's devastating Nassau County mask ban passed, and it's going to harm many people. But do not give up. This is a long-term fight. There will be legal challenges, and there will be more battles at county and state level. If you've been on the sidelines, it's time to step up!
NEW: After firing expert scientists on the CDC's vaccine advisory committee, RFK Jr. has named their replacements.
The new committee contains many figures known for spreading disinformation about vaccines and COVID including Robert Malone and Martin Kulldorff.
This is bad.
Robert Malone has suggested COVID-19 vaccines cause a form of AIDS, and runs a wellness institute where he profits from promoting unproven treatments for measles and COVID-19.
Martin Kulldorff was a lead author of the Great Barrington declaration which promoted mass infection with COVID and opposed infectious disease prevention measures including masks and vaccines for children.
Under new leadership — who spread misinformation throughout the pandemic — the FDA announced it will limit Covid vaccines to adults over 65 & those with certain medical conditions.
Covid continues to spread & cause harm. This an anti-science move that will kill more Americans.
The data tells us that everyone can benefit from getting updated Covid vaccines.
Covid vaccines reduce the risk of becoming sick, developing Long Covid, and becoming hospitalized, for everyone.
It's important to note that most people have a condition that increases the risk of becoming severely ill with Covid-19.
These include: asthma, diabetes, heart conditions, mental health conditions, obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, and pregnancy.
Good news: The FDA finally approved the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine.
Bad news: There are new restrictions that will create lots of problems for people who want to get the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine.
The new stricter criteria limits Novavax to people:
1. aged 65 and over 2. aged 12 and up who have at least one underlying condition that puts them at higher risk of severe illness
This goes against the science that indicates that everyone can benefit from Covid-19 vaccination.
Note: CDC lists many conditions that may make someone likelier to become severely ill with Covid-19, including older age, asthma, diabetes, lung disease, obesity and pregnancy.
By definition, most people are higher risk and should have access to Novavax. cdc.gov/covid/hcp/clin…
Brilliant protest. Yosemite National Park workers hung an upside-down American flag — traditionally a symbol of distress or a national threat — thousands of feet off the ground on the side of El Capitan.
Also, a fired Yosemite National Park service worker rappelled down El Capitan in protest of the illegal cuts.
Statement by Yosemite NPS workers: “These losses, while deeply personal and impactful, may also be invisible to visitors and the public — we are shining a spotlight on them by putting a distress flag on El Capitan in view of Firefall. Think of it as your public lands on strike.”
More details on censorship at the CDC from
@Alexander_Tin. TLDR; Trump officials stopped CDC scientists from publishing data on bird flu in the MMWR. Instead, they forced CDC scientists to publish on the health risks of wildfires to bolster Trump's attacks on CA Gov Newsom.
"As [the] pause has started to lift, Trump officials at HHS, and acting CDC Director Susan Monarez, refused repeated requests by career health officials to publish the completed [bird flu] research, officials say."
"The stalled research includes findings about pet cats owned by dairy workers being infected with bird flu, plus wastewater testing results and antibody testing of cow veterinarians."
The NIH announced it will slash billions of dollars of support to universities and research centers.
This is one of the biggest attacks on science we have ever seen. It could dismantle the biomedical research system, shut down clinical trials, and halt development of treatments.
I can't emphasize enough how disastrous the NIH cuts will be. If implemented as proposed, it could decimate universities and college towns. And it could mean every one of us in the US and around the world will experience shorter and less healthy lives.
This is NOT a drill. The NIH has announced the cuts will take effect Monday.
Do not stay silent. Now is the time to organize your labs, your departments, your campuses, your cities, and push back against this vengeful attempt to destroy science and universities.