Glad to see many substantive critiques of "Urgency of Normal" advocacy initiative's "toolkit," showing how much this group of MDs & a scientist irresponsibly pushes disinformation to justify their policy goals (shameful). I compiled ones I have seen into a thread... 1/ 2/
Regarding their toolkit's claim that “covid is a flu like risk for unvaccinated children.”

Nicely debunked here:

https://twitter.com/JHowardBrainMD/status/1486075249942839305?s=20

Thread: Good article by @blackvoicenews, raising an impt issue about Bianco & his appearances. It's a bit incomplete though on his events. Thus, here I add more details & provide you w/ some context about a forum where he appeared at least 2x's since 2020 (in uniform)... 1/ 2/ The story mentions 1 event (w/ photo & link provided) that was hosted by Christian Nationalist pastor Tim Thompson, who has worn III-%er militia patches in public, hashtagged them on social media, & claimed he's a RCSD chaplain. For more on him, see:

https://twitter.com/Autre_Vierge/status/1448679010569908236?s=20

Random thoughts while watching this CT vaccine bill public hearing...

1. Rep. Ann Dauphinais quite the anti-sci skeptic while trying to push that she's concerned abt the sci. Classic anti-vax tactics (cites diff. viewpts, unsettled sci, while citing bad sci, poisoning the well) 2. All these parents using their small kids to make anti-bill testimonies makes me wonder how many @EthanLindenber1's we'll see in CT a few years from now when these kids get older, take sci classes and realize parents are misinformed.

During the #COVID19 pandemic, the anti-vaccine movement has allied more with fringe groups from different spheres. Example: "Freedom Rally" in DC on 1/6 featured anti-vaccine activism figure Del Bigtree along w/ other "medical freedom" speakers (plus others). Details in this🧵1/n 2/
1. Medical Freedom/antivax activism sphere:

a. Jenkins (Urban Global Health Alliance)

b. VA Freedom Keepers: Per website "A collective voice of Virginians who oppose forced medical mandates & support informed consent."

c. Freedom Angels (CA antivax to anti-govt activists)

Evolution of anti-vax activism into broader anti-govt activities (& claims to militia ties): CA Freedom Angels a case study. Center of pic: 2 of its founders (recall SB276 & lock down protests). Said in DC speech last wk "Public Health is Public Enemy #1."
facebook.com/freedomangels2… @anitachabria @annedaugherty

Thread. Importance of reading studies vs. headlines & abstracts: COVID-19 mask edition. Seeing people w/ no science background inaccurately barking abt this study as validation. They're wrong. For those who do this for a living, article fairly reports many study limitations. 1/

https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1329082347480784897

2/n .@EricTopol's tweet above gets at some of the fundamental issues related to study design and implications for drawing conclusions from the findings, but authors were clear about study limitations (see below). Unlike Topol, I don't have issues that it was published.

Meet the new #COVID19 conspiracy theory boss, same as the old antivaccine movement boss. Great analysis by @aetiology & @doritmi shows how Del Bigtree only had to slightly tweek his disinformation messaging to remarket for the pandemic. 1/n #PBPL222 sciencedirect.com/science/articl 2/n If you look at their paper's useful figure, aside from Bigtree's "Mad Libs"/form letter-esque re-pivoting, notice how themes play off cognitive biases (cherry-picking, status quo bias) & logic fallacies (eg, appeals to emotion, nature; strawman) plus fear & libertarian views.

Thread...
Upside of my job: I do ALOT of student career advising & mentoring at all levels
Downside: I write A TON of ref letters (grad school, jobs, scholarships, awards, etc.). Currently on pace for a few dozen this term alone. A few things I've done (in case it helps)... 1/2

https://twitter.com/somardrawoh/status/1328069679743709185

2/n
1. Eliminate redundancy:
a. I kept typing same instructions in emails to students wrt letters, so I typed up a pdf doc of info I need them to send me compiled in 1 email.
b. Grad school advising often similar, so I have tried to do advising in group events/seminars

My notes on United We Stand (anti-public health) protest in Sacramento on 7/25, watching vids posted on organizer's FB site (Freedom Angels--anti-vax turned anti-COVID19 measures organization)... 1/n 2/ Event opened w/Freedom Angels co-organizers speaking, incl'ing govt over-reach rhetoric & co-fnder Denise Marie trashing BLM as an org & protests to much crowd cheering (cites Latino minority ID & being fmr gang member as rationale for being right) facebook.com/FreedomAngelsF…

Sigh... You take one Saturday off from following this stuff & look what you miss... "Liberty Fest," the latest Sacramento rally...
Freedom Angels antivax grp again organizers (or one of them depending on source)... Comments follow in thread... 1/n twitter.com/intent/user?sc… 2/n
Protest Size:
"hundreds" (KTLA, Mercury News, CBS San Fran)
"at least 1,000 ppl" (ABC10)
"at least/more than 2000" (SacBee, Newsweek)
*YET* also one very impt crowd detail here: out-of-staters kcra.com/article/hundre…

Sacramento "Day of Prayer" shelter-in-place protest rally feed...
11:31am: not big crowd for a statewide-hyped event (vid shown from stndpnt of speaker stage)
For anyone doubting how much anti-vaccine activists behind this, most stage speakers affiliated w/ Freedom Angels grp 1/n 2/n
-Lots of talk playing up arrests last event, blame on cops (but trying to show them support, saying they feel Gov. put them up to it)
-107.9 FM broadcasting this FB feed too according to FB video
-Admit the turnout "on smaller side"
-Battling claims that event was cancelled

Thread abt Media Framing of vaccine legislation that I had threaded wrong... 1/n
Take a look at this photo... Here we go again a la NJ... Yeah signs make them look silly to many, but avg. voter isn't going to show up to these taken-for-granted issues. wsj.com/articles/conne… 2/n Re: press, presentation very impt: this piece eg: Fairly std presentation... Overview then comments by anti-vax grp (elevates their imptance) *then* details on problem bill seeks to address. Unhelpful. N of 1 but like much NJ coverage, no expert quote patch.com/connecticut/so…