bpatten.bsky.social

Fluoride in drinking water has no effect on IQ or brain function, a long-term study shows. The new research is the first to measure community water fluoridation exposure during childhood and any potential impact on cognition up to age 80. The results contradict RFK Jr. statements.

Horrific. mRNA vaccines have saved millions of lives and could save millions more. “I don’t think I’ve seen a more dangerous decision in public health in my 50 years in the business,” said Mike Osterholm, a UMN expert on infectious diseases & pandemic preparations. www.huffpost.com/entry/rfk-va...

Vaccination schedules on the CDC website have already started changing under RFK Jr. So we published a guide to the evidence-based vaccine recommendations in place *before* all 17 members of the advisory panel were abruptly dismissed by the new admin. www.scientificamerican.com/article/see-... 🧪

Thirty years after a truck bomb detonated outside a federal building in the nation’s heartland, deep scars still remain from the deadliest homegrown attack on U.S. soil.

Our rising seas. This is only going to get harder to ignore. This NASA visualization was created by svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5520/

Impeachment and/or 25th amendment now! Where are our courageous leaders? Save what can still be saved

When they gut Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security on top of the HHS firings today, there won’t be any more healthcare or hospitals in the US. There’s no plan after the destruction. The destruction is the plan

If these men had any sense of honor, they would already have resigned. The fact that they are all still in their jobs is just as damning as their terrifying and lawless incompetence.

The administration is removing phone support for Soc Security recipients. Making it more difficult for seniors to get their checks. It’s a back door way to cut SS benefits. Horrific. If you know anyone who is impacted, please help them get online to get their benefits approved

Just so you know, up to 60,000 children go blind from measles every year

The goal is to terrorize federal workers into quitting. That’s it. Constant changes. Canceling work from home then closing offices. Laying off probationary employees. It’s designed to break the government. Then privatize it for profit. It’s not efficiency. It’s collapse. Only peasants will suffer.

Things pediatricians are scared of: Grapes Hot dogs Lawn mowers Unmounted TVs Babies on laps in cars Riders without helmets Ungated pools Crib bumpers Trampolines Hot tubs Guns Things pediatricians are not scared of: Any/all the vaccines

The fired staffers were tasked with making sure medications given to animals work well and are safe.

You or someone you love has served in the military and used VA health services And/or is Native American and used Indian health services Healthcare matters Access matters

You or someone you love has attended public school, preschool, community college, received a student loan, grant or financial assistance, had a 504 plan, an ESL class, or used the numerous other services provided by the Dept of Education currently being gutted or eliminated. Education matters

You or someone you love has been protected from illness, injury or dying by CDC, FDA, USDA, FAA, OSHA, EPA or another government org that is now being gutted or eliminated

You or someone you love may have used Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, WIC, free school lunch to survive

You or someone you love have received a vaccine that prevented a disease and it’s consequences, perhaps even death

You or someone you love has used NIH funded research at some time in your life. Science matters

With everything being done to our government computers, who doesn’t believe Elon fixed the election?

(NYT) - More than 8,000 web pages across more than a dozen U.S. government websites have been taken down since Friday afternoon, a New York Times analysis has found .. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/02/u...

Trump promised to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 24 hours and stop the senseless killing, and he would do it easily with one phone call. He hasn’t gotten around to that yet but he is teaching Canada a lesson for selling us lumber, oil & maple syrup. America First! MAGA!

I miss Pete 😞

WIC. They are pausing WIC. That's the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. Last time I checked (a while ago), every dollar spent on WIC produced over a dollar in savings *in the same fiscal year.* For most people, though, feeding infants and mothers is enough.

It’s not even been one week yet and it feels like a year 😞

"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth." -- Muhammad Ali, born #OTD 1942

Remember when character mattered?

Tonight is the first full moon of the year and it is called the Wolf Moon. For native Americans it symbolizes resilience and survival during the harshest time of winter. Let us all have resilience in these harsh times, especially our sisters and brothers in California who we love.

"Knowing what's right doesn't mean much unless you do what's right." -- Theodore Roosevelt, who died #OTD 1919

Can you even imagine! 🥹

While we’re banning books… Finland is teaching children in school how to recognize fake news and propaganda as part of critical thinking and civic responsibility. Some of this will seem very familiar. Be. Like. Finland.

Perhaps the greatest loss today is the absolute loss of integrity and character- basic values. I wish there was a concrete way to look into a person to see these values lacking, to see the lies, to see no soul exists. A camera capturing it in a photo. Sadly, if it was measurable, would it matter?

Really good story. time.com/7200904/athl...

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark has been named Time’s Athlete of the Year.

While we’re in the Medicare enrollment period, I can’t emphasize enough to get traditional Medicare with a supplement. The Medicare Advantage plans hawked on TV may seem cheap but are often not reliable if you get sick. Denials & delays. Play it safe!

Oh, what could have been . . .

Perhaps the hardest part of Kamala losing was that I had consciously resisted being optimistic. I had flashbacks to 2016 and I never wanted to feel that way again so I refused to allow myself to even feel hopeful. I "protected" myself. Until that week, when I cautiously hoped. And then she lost.