The hottest Health Politics Substack posts right now

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Bruised by Government Report, Cigna's Pharmacy Business Sues the Federal Trade Commission

HEALTH CARE un-covered • 579 implied HN points • 20 Sep 24
🏥 Health Politics Healthcare Reform Insurance Practices Drug Pricing Legal Challenges
  1. Cigna's pharmacy business, Express Scripts, is suing the Federal Trade Commission to challenge a report that claims they inflate drug prices and harm patients.
  2. The FTC's report has raised awareness about the power and practices of big pharmacy benefit managers, which control a large share of the market.
  3. Cigna is trying to protect its financial interests in pharmacy benefits, as they now make up a huge portion of the company's revenues, while also facing potential reforms from lawmakers.

🧬 The FDA's Moderna mRNA reversal

Faster, Please! • 1645 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Vaccine Policy Regulation Biotech industry Public Trust Pandemic Preparedness Funding mRNA technology
  1. The FDA reversed its halt and will review Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine. The episode shows political backlash can inject major regulatory uncertainty into vaccine approvals.
  2. Rising vaccine skepticism is chilling the mRNA field—venture funding, manufacturing plans, and federal contracts have been cut or canceled. This threatens not just flu shots but future work on cancer vaccines, autoimmune treatments, and pandemic preparedness.
  3. Without clearer funding and oversight, the U.S. vaccine enterprise risks being dismantled and important medical advances may be foreclosed. Congress may need to direct funds and set enforceable milestones to preserve vaccine R&D.

Unjustified Critique of a CDC Report on Social Media Risks

The Shores of Academia • 39 implied HN points • 29 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Mental health Public Health Social media
  1. The CDC report links frequent social media use to increased risks of bullying, feelings of sadness, and suicidal thoughts among teens. It found that a significant number of high school students use social media frequently, which may affect their mental health.
  2. Chris Ferguson criticizes the CDC report, claiming it shows bias and incompetence without providing solid evidence for his accusations. He describes the CDC's findings as exaggerated and accuses the authors of unethical behavior, which raises questions about his arguments.
  3. The conversation around social media impacts on mental health is polarizing, with some dismissing concerns as moral panic. This reflects a broader debate about the effects of digital technology on youth and the responsibility of researchers to communicate findings accurately.

New Study Shows Negative COVID Vaccine Efficacy For Kids, Elevated Risk Of Myocarditis

Unmasked • 37 implied HN points • 21 Mar 26
🏥 Health Politics Vaccination Vaccine Safety Pediatric health Health Policy Infectious Disease
  1. Public health officials and media pushed strong messaging that encouraged parents to vaccinate children by emphasizing COVID risks and downplaying natural immunity.
  2. A new study is said to show negative COVID vaccine efficacy for kids and an increased risk of myocarditis, suggesting the shots may have underperformed in that age group.
  3. Officials largely maintained the same pandemic policies even after vaccines underperformed in adults, which likely led to unnecessary child vaccinations and potential harms.

How Experts Created a Peanut Allergy Epidemic

The Take (by Jon Miltimore) • 356 implied HN points • 17 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health Food policy Nutrition Allergies Medical Guidelines
  1. Experts once recommended avoiding peanuts during pregnancy and for young children. This led to a big increase in peanut allergies.
  2. Initially, there was no strong evidence for the peanut avoidance advice, which caused more harm than good.
  3. Now, it's suggested that introducing peanuts early can actually help prevent allergies, showing that previous guidelines were misguided.
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Think Stabilized Spike is Bad? Meet Replicon mRNA Vaccines. They are So Bad, We Predict FDA Will Posture for Public Trust on These.

Popular Rationalism • 1069 implied HN points • 03 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Vaccines Public Trust Regulatory issues Public Health Biotechnology
  1. Replicon mRNA vaccines have the ability to replicate inside the body, which could lead to unknown risks and side effects. This uncontrolled replication raises concerns about overstimulating the immune system or causing mutations.
  2. Protests in Japan highlight public fear and skepticism surrounding self-replicating vaccines. Many people are worried about the lack of long-term safety data and want more transparency from health officials.
  3. How Japan handles this new vaccine could influence other countries' decisions. Regulatory bodies worldwide need to balance innovation with public safety and trust to avoid backlash and promote acceptance.

AI Won't Automatically Accelerate Clinical Trials

Asimov Press • 786 implied HN points • 27 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Clinical Trials Drug Development Regulatory reform Biomarkers Research Funding AI Tools
  1. Better AI-designed molecules won't automatically make clinical trials faster, because timelines are set by human biology, patient recruitment, logistics, and regulatory processes that take real calendar time.
  2. Clinical trials do two jobs—validation and learning—and AI needs rich human trial data to improve; many important outcomes, especially for chronic diseases and aging, take years to observe so trials remain slow even with better drugs.
  3. Real acceleration requires institutional and regulatory reforms—like validated surrogate endpoints, streamlined review pathways, and better data sharing—because AI alone can only improve trials at the margins until those systems change.

Friday brief: Northants health system overspending as county’s two hospitals bust budget

NN Journal • 99 implied HN points • 25 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Healthcare Finance Policy Community health
  1. The Northants health system is spending a lot more money than it planned, with hospitals facing major budget shortfalls.
  2. Kettering General Hospital has a big overspend due to issues like rising costs and high demand for services.
  3. The council and healthcare system are looking for solutions, including an external review of the hospital finances to get back on track.

Halting vaccine innovation, younger colorectal cancer deaths, lingering flu, and good news

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1472 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Vaccines Regulation Cancer Infectious Disease Surveillance Food Safety
  1. The FDA initially refused to file Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine application, highlighting how shifting regulatory decisions could slow or deter long-term vaccine innovation and investment.
  2. Colorectal cancer rates are rising in younger adults, so screening now starts at 45 and people should watch symptoms at any age while focusing on healthier diets, more fiber, and regular activity to lower risk.
  3. Winter respiratory illnesses are lingering (flu B, RSV, colds) and measles cases have surged past 1,000, plus a small outbreak of drug-resistant Salmonella linked to moringa capsules—stay current on vaccines, heed outbreak warnings, and check supplement lot codes if you own the product.

Another PRO-MASK Study Debunked

COVID Reason • 733 implied HN points • 07 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health Medical Research Policy Analysis Epidemiology Health Education
  1. Recent studies show that school mask mandates may not significantly reduce COVID-19 transmission. It's important to look closely at how studies are conducted to understand their true effectiveness.
  2. Researchers highlight that using observational data can lead to misleading conclusions about mask mandates. Different methods could give us clearer answers about their impact.
  3. Future public health decisions about masks should rely on strong evidence from well-designed studies. This will help build trust and ensure that interventions are truly beneficial.

Did RFK just take away your cancer treatment?

Noahpinion • 35647 implied HN points • 08 Aug 25
🏥 Health Politics Healthcare Cancer Research Public Health Policy Impact
  1. Cancer rates are rising, but new treatments, especially mRNA vaccines, show promise in making cancers manageable diseases instead of death sentences.
  2. Recent government decisions have halted funding for mRNA vaccine research, which could slow down advancements in cancer treatment.
  3. This political battle against mRNA technology may cost many lives as the advancements that could help fight cancer are delayed.

Endangerment Finding, bird flu, what counts as professional degrees, and more

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1029 implied HN points • 24 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health Environmental health Infectious Disease Health Policy Education & Policy
  1. A proposed Education Department rule would narrow which graduate programs count as “professional,” risking lower federal loan limits for public health, nursing, social work, physician assistant, and similar students and making these careers harder to afford.
  2. Repealing the Endangerment Finding weakens the EPA’s legal authority to limit greenhouse gases, which will likely increase air pollution and related health harms like asthma, heart and lung disease, and premature deaths, even as courts and states push back.
  3. A major H5N1 bird flu outbreak has infected millions of birds (mostly in commercial flocks), so the virus is circulating in poultry and wild birds; the risk to most people remains low, but poultry owners should follow testing and biosecurity guidance.

Movers and Shakers: The NHS Health Check

Rory’s Always On Newsletter • 515 implied HN points • 12 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Healthcare Policy Patient Care Neurology
  1. The waiting times for Parkinson's care in places like Oxford can be shocking, reaching up to 56 weeks for a new appointment.
  2. Many patients feel let down by the NHS and sometimes choose to pay for private care due to long delays in service.
  3. Fixing the NHS needs both immediate funding for extra appointments and long-term improvements to the system to make it work better.

Consumptive Capitalism

Thinking about... • 675 implied HN points • 15 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health Medical History Pharmaceuticals Infectious Disease Health Policy Health Equity
  1. Before antibiotics, diseases like tuberculosis spawned an expensive wellness industry that sold hope, routines, and costly treatments instead of cures.
  2. Nostalgia-driven and consumerist health movements promote distrust of medical science and steer money toward private wellness businesses rather than public health solutions.
  3. Protecting population health needs strong public health systems, vaccines, and affordable medicines—prioritizing profit over science risks renewed epidemics and worse access to care.

The Dirty Trick Health Insurers Are Playing That You Don’t Know About

HEALTH CARE un-covered • 1199 implied HN points • 03 Sep 24
🏥 Health Politics Insurance Regulation Consumer Rights Healthcare Costs Health Reform
  1. Health insurers use a measurement called the medical loss ratio (MLR) to determine how much of your premiums go to actual medical care versus overhead costs. They should spend at least 80-85% on care, but many find sneaky ways to get around this.
  2. Big insurance companies manipulate what counts as 'quality improvement' to make it look like they're spending more on healthcare than they actually are. They might include things like software upgrades or marketing instead of just patient care.
  3. By buying up doctors' offices and clinics, insurers can steer patients to their own services without MLR rules applying. This way, they keep more money for themselves instead of lowering premiums or improving coverage for you.

The Rise and Fall of Youth Gender Medicine

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1706 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Gender Ideology Medical education Clinical Practice Healthcare policy Media Coverage Institutional change
  1. A rapid rise in gender ideology changed language and policies across schools, media, and medicine, and many people felt they could be punished for using words like “male,” “female,” or “pregnant.”
  2. Activist enforcement pushed professionals to publicly endorse contested beliefs about biological sex, sometimes threatening jobs, careers, and classroom speech.
  3. Increased reporting and public pushback have started to reverse that influence, leading institutions to reevaluate policies and medical practices.

Is this real life?

Disaffected Newsletter • 3776 implied HN points • 30 Jul 24
🏥 Health Politics Mental health Trauma Psychology Public Health
  1. Derealization is a feeling where the world seems unreal, like a scary movie. It can happen to people with mental health issues or past trauma, and it's really unsettling.
  2. The constant changes in news and public opinion can make people feel confused and anxious. It's like we are living in a situation where nothing feels stable or real.
  3. For those who have experienced derealization, knowing others feel the same can help them feel less alone. It's important to talk about these feelings and experiences.

How to use NHS data for scientific research – without creating a privacy nightmare

Odds and Ends of History • 871 implied HN points • 24 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Data Governance Clinical Research Research Funding
  1. NHS health records are a huge, nation-wide dataset that can drive life-saving discoveries and help improve how care is delivered, so using them responsibly is a public good.
  2. Trusted Research Environments (like OpenSafely) let researchers run code on NHS data without individual records leaving secure servers. They protect privacy by design using auditing, open-source code, dummy data for testing, and only returning aggregated results.
  3. The OpenSafely model shows strong results but needs stable, scaled funding and wider adoption so TREs can be expanded across health research and other government data; funders should support open, competitive calls for this infrastructure.

OPINION: The GOP Plan to Right-Size the NIH and Provide Oversight Does Not Go Far Enough

Popular Rationalism • 693 implied HN points • 05 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health Chronic Disease Medical Research Healthcare Costs Policy Reform
  1. The GOP wants to cut the number of NIH disease centers and add political oversight, but that won't fix deeper problems. Chronic diseases are a big issue, and the focus needs to shift towards prevention, not just treatment.
  2. NIH spends a lot on traditional pharmaceutical research, but it often ignores integrative medicine, which could really help with chronic illnesses. More research into things like diet and lifestyle changes can make a big difference.
  3. #PlanB suggests decentralizing research by creating many independent labs that can focus on local health needs. It prioritizes prevention and transparency, aiming to better address the long-term health problems facing the country.

The NHS Data Goldmine

Odds and Ends of History • 335 implied HN points • 09 Mar 26
🏥 Health Politics Health data Public Health Medical Research Health Policy Data Governance Digital Health
  1. OpenSafely gives scientists access to nationwide NHS GP data, creating a powerful resource for large-scale medical research.
  2. Moving to Net Zero makes energy pricing much more complex, introducing new technical and market challenges that experts are working to resolve.
  3. These topics are being explained and shared through podcasts and newsletters so people can follow expert discussions and find further resources.

How Big Pharma Mixed Addiction With Social Justice

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 3638 implied HN points • 09 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Pharmaceuticals Addiction Public Health Healthcare policy Regulation Marketing Litigation Women's Health
  1. Purdue ran a deliberate, identity-targeted marketing campaign to get doctors to start and keep patients on high-dose opioids, using fake patient profiles and other tactics that helped drive widespread addiction.
  2. They co-opted feminist and empowerment language to sell pills to women, planning to "educate women in their natural settings" — including things like Tupperware parties — to normalize and increase demand.
  3. After massive harm and lawsuits, bankruptcy deals offer modest payouts (often $3,500–$16,000) and let the company rebrand and move into addiction treatment, even as many clinicians were misled about how addictive modern opioid therapy really is.

TrumpRx, Super Bowl commercials, flu B is here, and more

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1548 implied HN points • 10 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health Infectious Disease Epidemiology Health Policy Pharmaceuticals Health Communication
  1. Respiratory illnesses are ticking up again — late-winter coughs, sore throats, and fevers are rising due to colds, RSV, and a second wave of flu B, while measles outbreaks (notably in South Carolina) are growing. Flu B often follows flu A and overall season severity is moderate so far, but local impacts vary.
  2. TrumpRx is mostly branding with limited impact — it mainly helps people who pay cash, often won’t count toward insurance deductibles, and can ignore cheaper generics; real, widespread price relief will require stronger policy changes.
  3. Be skeptical of flashy wellness ads — blood-based cancer screening tests can miss cancers and cause false alarms with unclear survival benefits, and shame-based diet messaging backfires; consumers deserve clear tradeoffs and empowering, realistic advice.

Movers and Shakers: Can you sue over Parkinson's?

Rory’s Always On Newsletter • 674 implied HN points • 05 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health Environmental health Legal issues Epidemiology Chronic Illness
  1. It's unclear if people with Parkinson's can sue for their condition. A recent case showed the link between Parkinson's and chemicals like TCE isn't proven enough yet.
  2. The case of Holmes v Poeton involved a worker who claimed his Parkinson's was caused by chemical exposure at work. Courts found the evidence too weak to support this claim.
  3. Studies suggest some chemicals might increase the risk of Parkinson's, but proving direct causation is hard because many factors can influence health conditions.

Update on moving parts for vaccine policy

Your Local Epidemiologist • 986 implied HN points • 20 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health Epidemiology Immunization Health Communication Regulatory Policy Government Policy
  1. Vaccine policy is changing a lot right now, with many moving parts happening behind the scenes.
  2. Some decisions — and some delays — are starting to surface, so the situation may shift quickly.
  3. Those tracking policy should anticipate changes and get ready to prepare clear communications for their communities.

Her Surgeon Said She Needed The Operation. UnitedHealthcare Said No.

HEALTH CARE un-covered • 899 implied HN points • 06 Sep 24
🏥 Health Politics Health care Insurance Issues Medical Ethics Patient Advocacy Policy Reform
  1. A woman named Robin needed a back surgery that her doctor recommended, but her insurance company, UnitedHealthcare, denied the request multiple times without clear explanations.
  2. The increasing number of denied medical procedures has led to significant financial issues for hospitals and has contributed to rising health care costs and bankruptcies.
  3. Robin's situation highlights a broader problem where insurance companies often prioritize profits over patient care, causing emotional and physical distress for those affected.

A Legal First That Could Change Gender Medicine

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1706 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Transgender Care Health law Mental health Patient rights
  1. A first-of-its-kind medical malpractice verdict was handed down in New York over gender-related surgery performed on a minor.
  2. A teenager underwent a mastectomy during her transition and later sued her psychologist and surgeon, claiming she was left permanently disfigured.
  3. The ruling could change how doctors and mental-health professionals evaluate and obtain consent for irreversible gender-related treatments for minors.

The final humiliation for everyone who pushed Covid jabs on kids

Unreported Truths • 80 implied HN points • 18 Mar 26
🏥 Health Politics Vaccine Policy Public Health Vaccine Safety Pediatrics Regulatory Oversight Risk Communication
  1. A British study found Pfizer mRNA shots were only marginally effective at reducing COVID in 12–15 year olds and showed no reduction in hospital visits for 5–11 year olds over the months studied.
  2. Vaccinated teens and children had cases of myocarditis and pericarditis and some non-COVID deaths that were not seen in unvaccinated peers, and younger vaccinated kids had about 5% more ER visits and 10% more hospitalizations overall.
  3. These results have deepened parental distrust of public health officials who promoted the shots, making it harder for authorities to maintain confidence in other vaccine programs.

Fighting for the voiceless: The Death of Franca Panettone

COVID Reason • 594 implied HN points • 04 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Patient rights Healthcare access Public Health Medical Ethics
  1. Franca Panettone, who had Down Syndrome, faced a tragic situation in a hospital where she was separated from her family and had no way to advocate for herself. This led to her feeling helpless and restrained during her care.
  2. Franca's family experienced a lack of communication from the hospital about her condition and treatment. They were not informed about her critical health changes or allowed to visit her, which added to their grief and confusion.
  3. This story highlights the need for better advocacy and communication in healthcare, especially for vulnerable individuals. It raises important questions about patient rights and how to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Nipah in India, measles is the first building block to fall, flu increasing again, and US out but CA in on WHO

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1697 implied HN points • 03 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Infectious Disease Vaccination Global Health Public Policy Epidemiology Outbreak Response
  1. Measles protection is breaking down as falling vaccination and rising misinformation have already cost several countries (and possibly soon the U.S.) their elimination status, fueling large outbreaks that mostly affect unvaccinated people.
  2. The Nipah outbreak in India is serious but currently small and controlled; the virus doesn’t spread easily between people, lives mainly in bats, and poses a very low risk of becoming a global pandemic.
  3. The U.S. has left the WHO, which reduces U.S. influence and support for global outbreak response, while states like California are linking into WHO networks to try to stay informed and protect their populations.

Immune Imprinting, Immunosenescence, and the Limits of Universal Seasonal Influenza Vaccination

Who is Robert Malone • 8 implied HN points • 21 Mar 26
🏥 Health Politics Vaccination policy Immunology Public Health Epidemiology Aging Infectious Disease Surveillance
  1. Childhood immune imprinting and repeated annual vaccination can bias and weaken vaccine-induced protection, especially against influenza A(H3N2). Prior exposures tend to recall outdated immune memory and can suppress the generation of new, strain-specific neutralizing responses.
  2. Age-related immune decline makes standard-dose vaccines less effective in adults aged 65 and older, and while enhanced formulations (high-dose, adjuvanted, recombinant) improve responses, randomized trial evidence on reducing severe outcomes is mixed.
  3. A one-size-fits-all annual vaccination policy is misaligned with this immune heterogeneity, so risk- and platform-stratified strategies, evaluation of next-generation vaccines and immunomodulatory approaches, and clearer public communication about conditional vaccine benefits are warranted.

Do clinicians make money off of vaccines?

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1499 implied HN points • 04 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Vaccination Public Health Pediatrics Insurance Medical Ethics Policy
  1. Clinicians generally don’t profit from giving vaccines and often break even or lose money once you count vaccine purchase, staff time, storage, and low reimbursements.
  2. Claims that doctors get big per-shot payouts are misleading — quality bonuses are modest and not paid per vaccine, and drug companies legally cannot pay clinicians to push vaccines.
  3. Vaccine costs are mostly covered by insurers or government programs so families rarely pay out of pocket, and clinicians continue offering vaccines because they prevent disease despite financial strain on practices.

Therapy Patients Stop Treatment After ‘Pre-Payment Reviews’ Swell

HEALTH CARE un-covered • 319 implied HN points • 18 Sep 24
🏥 Health Politics Healthcare access Insurance Issues Mental health Policy Impact Patient rights
  1. Many therapy patients are stopping their treatment because insurance company UnitedHealthcare is asking for a lot of extra paperwork before paying for services. This makes it hard for patients to get reimbursed and leads to anxiety about continuing their care.
  2. Therapists are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of time and effort needed to process these pre-payment reviews. Some have had to cut back on their schedules to handle the paperwork, which affects both their work and their patients' treatment.
  3. The situation highlights larger issues in mental health care access and billing, particularly for out-of-network providers. It raises concerns about patient privacy and adds unnecessary stress for both patients and therapists.

Medicaid Data Dump: Billing Codes Explode Up to 10,000%, LA Mental Health Dept. Highest Biller in the Nation

OpenTheBooks Substack • 429 implied HN points • 21 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Medicaid Public Spending Healthcare policy Government oversight Health data
  1. A new HHS data release shows over 270 million Medicaid payments from 2018–2024 totaling more than $1 trillion, with monthly spending rising sharply after 2020.
  2. One billing code, T1019 for personal/home care, accounts for a huge share of spending and grew about 144% from 2018 to 2024, with a few organizations (mostly in New York) collecting over $1 billion each.
  3. Dozens of other billing codes ballooned—some up hundreds to over 10,000%—largely for home-based and coordinated care, concentrating large sums quickly and raising questions about oversight and possible fraud.

Important Reads: New Reporting Details Ghost Networks and Fighting Denials

HEALTH CARE un-covered • 499 implied HN points • 10 Sep 24
🏥 Health Politics Mental health Insurance Issues Patient Advocacy Healthcare access Policy Changes
  1. Many health insurance companies have 'ghost networks,' meaning they list providers that either don't exist or aren't seeing patients. This causes major problems for people needing help.
  2. Health insurers may not fix these ghost networks because it keeps their costs down. Fewer patients finding care means fewer claims they have to pay.
  3. If you're denied care by your health insurer, don't just accept it. It's important to push back and appeal their decisions to get the help you need.

Reason and Abortion

Bet On It • 171 implied HN points • 04 Mar 26
🏥 Health Politics Abortion Bioethics Reproductive Rights Public Policy Research Advocacy
  1. Popular summaries of the Turnaway Study often miss or misinterpret key findings, so careful attention to the study's statistical methods and results matters.
  2. There are serious non-religious arguments against abortion that challenge stereotypes about who opposes abortion, and these arguments lean on evidence and ethical reasoning rather than faith.
  3. Persuasive, respectful conversations and support can have large practical effects on abortion decisions, since convincing someone to continue a pregnancy is often easier than convincing someone to start a new one.

Butter Is Not Back: The Broken Promise on Saturated Fats

Unsettled Science • 2107 implied HN points • 06 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Nutrition Policy Dietary Guidelines Public Health Food policy Government Policy
  1. Despite months of promises to stop demonizing saturated fat, the updated U.S. Dietary Guidelines still keep a 10% cap on saturated fat.
  2. Keeping that cap makes the new guidelines internally contradictory and undermines the earlier pledge to change course.
  3. The release was delayed, the final guidelines are much shorter (about eight pages) than past editions, and they will be unveiled at an invite-only HHS event.

The Evidence That A Million Americans Died Of COVID

Astral Codex Ten • 32210 implied HN points • 22 May 25
🏥 Health Politics Public Health Pandemic response Statistics Healthcare Policy Analysis
  1. Many people are unsure if the 1.2 million COVID deaths are accurate, with some believing these deaths are linked to other causes rather than COVID itself.
  2. The data shows that total deaths during the pandemic were higher than usual, which supports the idea that many deaths were directly caused by COVID.
  3. Some argue that they don’t personally know anyone who died from COVID, but with a large population, it makes sense that not everyone would know someone affected.

Determined to Die

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1451 implied HN points • 26 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Assisted Dying End-of-life Medical Ethics Mental health Disability Rights Public Policy Healthcare access
  1. Canada’s assisted‑suicide program lets people request MAID even if they aren’t terminally ill, as long as they say their suffering is intolerable and can’t be relieved in a way they find acceptable.
  2. People with disabilities, chronic illnesses, mental‑health issues, and difficult social situations have been approved for MAID, and those decisions often cause deep pain and conflict within families.
  3. Because eligibility rests on subjective judgments about intolerable suffering, the program blurs the line between medical conditions and everyday social hardship, and many Canadians end up choosing assisted death each year.

What’s new in the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines and why it matters (or doesn't)

Your Local Epidemiologist • 983 implied HN points • 11 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Nutrition Policy Dietary Guidelines Public Health Food security Nutrition Science Food Industry
  1. The new guidelines were produced through a faster, less transparent process that replaced the usual independent scientific review, raising concerns about credibility and how evidence was selected.
  2. The nutrition messaging shifted — stressing “real food,” increasing emphasis on protein, reframing some saturated fats, and tightening sugar limits — which could oversimplify complex food issues and stigmatize people who rely on processed foods.
  3. Because federal programs like school meals and WIC must follow the guidelines, these changes will require more funding, staff, and kitchen capacity and could worsen inequities, while the more political tone may make the guidance harder to trust and use.

Two Drinks with. . . Dr. I Told You So

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 695 implied HN points • 13 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Psychiatry Transgender Care Mental health Health Policy Medical Ethics Legal issues
  1. Paul McHugh has long warned that hormones and surgeries for gender dysphoria are experimental and often don’t improve mental health.
  2. As head of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins in 1979 he stopped sex-change surgeries after follow-up studies showed poor mental-health outcomes.
  3. At 94 he feels vindicated as recent legal cases and a malpractice win by a detransitioner are starting to challenge current gender-affirming care.