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Feb 7 12 tweets 7 min read Read on X
C.D.C. Deletes Evidence of Bird Flu Spreading Between Humans and Cats After Brief Release

1/11: 🧵For a fleeting moment, a buried chapter in the evolving bird flu crisis surfaced—only to be erased just as swiftly. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.), briefly posted and then mysteriously deleted, suggested that bird flu (H5N1) may have spread between humans and household cats.

The article, originally published in The New York Times by Apoorva Mandavilli and Emily Anthes on February 6, 2025, exposes a troubling pattern of potential cross-species transmission—raising urgent questions about the government's commitment to public health transparency.Image
2/11: The vanished data, retrieved before its deletion, documented two U.S. households where infected cats may have passed the virus to humans and vice versa. In one case, a cat allegedly infected an adolescent before dying just four days after showing symptoms. In another, a dairy farmworker fell ill first, followed by a cat that developed symptoms and died within three days.

This critical information had been buried within a C.D.C. report ostensibly focused on Los Angeles wildfires and air quality—data on bird flu that was not present in embargoed copies provided to journalists but inexplicably appeared when the report went live.

Then, without explanation, it vanished.Image
3/11: The lack of clarity surrounding whether this was a bureaucratic error or a deliberate suppression of information has alarmed scientists and public health experts.

H5N1, a virus long considered an avian disease, has been spreading through dairy cattle since early 2024, infecting at least 67 Americans so far.

While the virus is not yet capable of sustained human-to-human transmission, its presence in mammals raises profound concerns about mutation risks. Dead cats on infected farms have become the first warning signs of an outbreak—sentinels of a virus creeping into new hosts.Image
4/11: Public health experts are now demanding answers. Jennifer Nuzzo, director of Brown University’s Pandemic Center, did not mince words: “If new evidence about H5N1 is being held up for political purposes, that is completely at odds with the government's responsibility—to protect the American people.”

While scientists have long understood that cats are highly susceptible to bird flu, confirmed cases of feline-to-human transmission have, until now, remained elusive.

With at least 85 domestic cats infected in the U.S. since late 2022, the C.D.C.’s decision to delete this data raises pressing questions: Has H5N1 adapted to spread more easily between mammals?

If so, is this the first step toward a pandemic-capable strain?Image
5/11: The implications extend far beyond feline health. The suppression of crucial pandemic data echoes a troubling global pattern—from China’s early cover-up of COVID-19 in Wuhan to the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, when Beijing concealed the severity of infections for months.

In that case, whistleblowers who attempted to sound the alarm were silenced, and the virus spread unchecked.

The parallels to today’s C.D.C. decision are stark. While the U.S. prides itself on scientific transparency, political interference in public health data has increased dramatically in recent years.

Comparisons can also be drawn to Russia’s manipulation of tuberculosis outbreak data, where officials altered epidemiological reports to downplay rising cases, resulting in the unchecked spread of drug-resistant strains.Image
6/11: The consequences of concealing zoonotic threats are clear: when public health data is withheld, pandemics spiral out of control.

If the U.S. government is now engaging in similar patterns of obfuscation, it represents a catastrophic breach of public trust.

The potential stakes could not be higher.

Scientists warn that continued mammalian transmission gives the virus new opportunities to evolve, increasing the likelihood of a human-adapted strain emerging.

Given that H5N1 has a fatality rate exceeding 50% in known human cases, even a modest increase in transmissibility could have devastating consequences.Image
7/11: In recent years, the weaponization of public health data for political or economic reasons has become an increasing concern.

The sudden disappearance of key findings on zoonotic transmission may indicate a broader effort to downplay risks that could disrupt industries—especially agriculture, where dairy farms could face scrutiny if confirmed as vectors of transmission.

If the economic cost of acknowledging this risk is seen as too great, are policymakers willing to gamble with public safety instead?

At the core of this controversy is a simple but devastating question: Is the U.S. government prioritizing pandemic prevention, or repeating the fatal mistakes of past outbreaks by suppressing inconvenient truths?

Scientists, public health experts, and investigative journalists are demanding that the C.D.C. immediately release the full dataset—not just for academic review, but for the safety of the public.

Until then, Americans are left with a chilling uncertainty: If potential evidence of viral transmission is being quietly erased from official reports, what else are we not being told?Image
8/11: If you’ve ever wanted to support independent media, now is the time.

The Intellectualist aims to build an initial base of 1,000 subscribers, and we still have a long way to go. Your support would make all the difference in allowing us to continue.
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C.D.C. Deletes Bird Flu Data Suggesting Spread Between Humans and Cats

9/11: In this video, we discuss a New York Times report on the C.D.C. deleting public data suggesting bird flu (H5N1) may be spreading between humans and cats. Why was it erased?

10/11: Please subscribe to The Intellectualist's new YouTube channel, where we present insightful videos analyzing the current events shaping the world.

Turn on notifications to receive the latest updates from the channel.
youtube.com/@TheIntellectu…
11/11: If you are not following us, please do. We would appreciate it. Thank you. 🧵 Image
C.D.C. Posts, Then Deletes, Data on Bird Flu Spread Between Cats and People

The data, which appeared fleetingly online on Wednesday, confirmed transmission in two households. Scientists called on the agency to release the full report.

nytimes.com/2025/02/06/hea…Image

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More from @highbrow_nobrow

Feb 6
Trump’s Buyout Offer: A Trap That Could Leave Federal Workers With Nothing

🧵1/7: Imagine this—you resign today, expecting months of guaranteed pay, only to find out later that the money was never actually approved. That’s the terrifying reality facing thousands of federal employees as the Trump administration pushes its so-called “Fork in the Road” buyout offer.

According to an exclusive report from NBC News (Tyler Kingkade & David Ingram, Feb. 6, 2025), top Education Department officials are warning employees that the deal can be revoked at any time—leaving them with nothing.

While the administration promises extended pay and benefits through September, the fine print reveals a shocking truth: agency heads can unilaterally cancel the deal, and workers who sign waive their right to sue, appeal, or even challenge the decision in any legal forum.Image
2/7: Officials inside the department, including Chief of Staff Rachel Oglesby and Chief Human Capital Officer Jacqueline Clay, raised serious concerns in a recent all-staff Zoom meeting.

One anonymous attendee compared the pitch to a “used car dealership scheme—‘Act now, one day only!’” The urgency is no accident: the administration has been aggressively pressuring workers to accept the deal, flooding them with follow-up emails stating, “This offer expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on February 6th. There will be no extensions.”Image
3/7: So what happens if you sign the deal, expecting to be paid until September, and then the administration pulls the plug? The answer: nothing—because the government never actually approved the funds in the first place. Over 40,000 federal employees have already accepted the buyout, but with no legal recourse, they could soon find themselves unemployed, unpaid, and completely abandoned.

This isn’t just about downsizing the bureaucracy—it’s about power. Similar tactics have been used by Viktor Orbán in Hungary and Vladimir Putin in Russia, where mass purges of career bureaucrats paved the way for political loyalists to replace them.Image
Read 7 tweets
Feb 2
The Rise of Hitler: A History of How Democracy Fell in Germany and Its Parallels to Today

🧵1/11: His past was steeped in scandal—a felon, accused of treason and sedition, his actions and rhetoric frequently straddling the line of legality. He was convicted for attempting to overthrow the government, yet this criminal history didn’t disqualify him.

It only made him more appealing to those who viewed the establishment as corrupt and broken. Instead of disqualifying him, his criminal record and charges became part of his defiant charm, painting him as an outsider willing to fight the system.

Every accusation, every charge of treason, only fueled his rise, showing his supporters that he could not be tamed and was the only one willing to challenge the powers that had held the nation in their grip.Image
2/11: At first, they dismissed him. The elites, the media, the political class—they thought they could control him. They mocked him as a sideshow, a foolish provocateur, destined to be forgotten.

But in the wake of high inflation, economic instability, and a country that had lost its bearings, his words struck a chord with those who had been cast aside.

In an age of rising populism, economic dislocation, and a shrinking middle class, his rhetoric didn’t promise solutions—it promised retribution. It wasn’t just blame he offered; it was a convenient, scapegoated enemy to rally against.

His was a message soaked in anger, dripping with resentment for anyone deemed an outsider. Minorities, immigrants, political rivals—all of them were the root of the nation’s collapse. And in this narrative of vengeance, he found his power.Image
3/11: It wasn’t just the forgotten and the downtrodden who rallied to him. His support was a web of disenfranchised voters, alienated workers, and desperate communities—a rage that turned inward, then outward.

People who had once believed in the promise of democracy now saw him as their only hope, their only defender. He was the hammer to crush a system they believed had betrayed them.

They didn’t care what he stood for, as long as he was willing to destroy the things they hated. And with every provocation, every scandal, his following grew—spurred on by his audacity and his defiance.

The more they despised him, the more they were drawn to him, their loyalty strengthening with every wave of mockery that he deflected effortlessly.Image
Read 11 tweets
Jan 30
Trump’s January 6 Pardons: The Chilling Criminal Histories of Those He Freed

🧵1/14: On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump exercised his executive clemency powers to pardon or commute the sentences of nearly 1,600 individuals convicted for their involvement in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

This unprecedented move has ignited significant controversy, particularly due to the serious criminal histories of some recipients.

The following series delves into the backgrounds of eleven of the most contentious figures granted clemency, highlighting any additional details that underscore the severity of their actions.

* Photos are illustrative of January 6. They are not meant to be of those who received clemency.Image
2/14: Theodore Middendorf: Trump Grants Clemency to Registered Sex Offender

Theodore Middendorf, 36, of McLeansboro, Illinois, was among those pardoned.

He had previously pleaded guilty to a felony charge of destruction of government property related to the Capitol riot.

Notably, Middendorf is also a registered sex offender, convicted of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child. According to the Illinois State Police, the victim was a 7-year-old child, and Middendorf was 31 at the time of the offense.

He is currently serving a 19-year sentence for this crime.Image
David Daniel: Clemency for Individual Facing Child Exploitation Charges

3/14: David Daniel of Mint Hill, North Carolina, was charged with producing and possessing child pornography involving a prepubescent minor under 12 years old.

Prosecutors presented compelling evidence suggesting Daniel engaged in sexually violative acts with two young girls within his family and took explicit photos of the victims.

He pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers during the Capitol riot but had not yet been sentenced when his case was dismissed following Trump's clemency order.

His child exploitation case remains pending.Image
Read 14 tweets
Jan 13
The Rise of Hitler: A History of How Democracy Fell in Germany and Its Parallels to Today

🧵1/9: His past was steeped in scandal—a felon, accused of treason and sedition, his actions and rhetoric frequently straddling the line of legality. He was convicted for attempting to overthrow the government, yet this criminal history didn’t disqualify him.

It only made him more appealing to those who viewed the establishment as corrupt and broken. Instead of disqualifying him, his criminal record and charges became part of his defiant charm, painting him as an outsider willing to fight the system.

Every accusation, every charge of treason, only fueled his rise, showing his supporters that he could not be tamed and was the only one willing to challenge the powers that had held the nation in their grip.
youtube.com/watch?v=ShqC31…Image
2/9: At first, they dismissed him. The elites, the media, the political class—they thought they could control him. They mocked him as a sideshow, a foolish provocateur, destined to be forgotten.

But in the wake of high inflation, economic instability, and a country that had lost its bearings, his words struck a chord with those who had been cast aside. In an age of rising populism, economic dislocation, and a shrinking middle class, his rhetoric didn’t promise solutions—it promised retribution.

It wasn’t just blame he offered; it was a convenient, scapegoated enemy to rally against.

His was a message soaked in anger, dripping with resentment for anyone deemed an outsider. Minorities, immigrants, political rivals—all of them were the root of the nation’s collapse. And in this narrative of vengeance, he found his power.

youtube.com/watch?v=ShqC31…Image
3/9: It wasn’t just the forgotten and the downtrodden who rallied to him. His support was a web of disenfranchised voters, alienated workers, and desperate communities—a rage that turned inward, then outward.

People who had once believed in the promise of democracy now saw him as their only hope, their only defender. He was the hammer to crush a system they believed had betrayed them.

They didn’t care what he stood for, as long as he was willing to destroy the things they hated. And with every provocation, every scandal, his following grew—spurred on by his audacity and his defiance.

The more they despised him, the more they were drawn to him, their loyalty strengthening with every wave of mockery that he deflected effortlessly.

youtube.com/watch?v=ShqC31…Image
Read 11 tweets
Jan 11
1/9: 🔬 Note the stark differences in life expectancy. Image
2/9: Notice how the areas with lower life expectancy are more likely to be clustered and concentrated in areas that were formerly part of the Confederacy?

This isn't a coincidence. Image
3/9: The legacy of slavery continues to follow into the generations.
cla.utexas.edu/news/black-lif…Image
Read 9 tweets
Jan 7
Criminal Elements and Fascism: Historical Alliances and Modern Parallels

🧵1/4: Throughout history, authoritarian leaders have explicitly aligned themselves with criminal or extremist elements to consolidate power.

Mussolini's Blackshirts and Hitler's Brownshirts were paramilitary groups that openly engaged in violence to intimidate opposition and dismantle democratic institutions. These alliances allowed fascist regimes to amplify their reach and suppress dissent.Image
2/4: In modern politics, Donald Trump’s connection with far-right groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers reflects a similar dynamic.

During a 2020 presidential debate, Trump was asked to condemn white supremacists and militias but instead directed the Proud Boys to 'stand back and stand by,' a statement widely interpreted as an explicit endorsement.

Members of these groups were later implicated in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, which sought to disrupt the certification of a democratic election.Image
3/4: Psychological research on the 'Dark Triad' of narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism highlights the motivations of individuals in criminal or extremist groups, who often prioritize self-interest and power over societal norms.

Authoritarian leaders exploit these tendencies, aligning with such groups to channel their capacity for disruption and violence into advancing political goals.Image
Read 6 tweets

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