@ilikebigb00ks.bsky.social
Voracious reader. Mom of 2. Social worker/Therapist. Acerbic wit. Long COVID/MECFS. 😶🌫️🏳️🌈🇵🇸 🏳️⚧️
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Per NY Times’s Michael Grynbaum on X, this is Sharyn Alfonsi’s email to her “60 Minutes” colleagues in full:
December 22, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Per NY Times’s Michael Grynbaum on X, this is Sharyn Alfonsi’s email to her “60 Minutes” colleagues in full:
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Now seems like a swell time to point out that Frontline just released this excellent 11-minute mini-documentary about what happened inside CECOT.
Surviving CECOT (full documentary) | Deported to a Maximum-Security Prison | FRONTLINE + ProPublica
YouTube video by FRONTLINE PBS | Official
m.youtube.com
December 21, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Now seems like a swell time to point out that Frontline just released this excellent 11-minute mini-documentary about what happened inside CECOT.
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Believe the victims
Believe the victims
Believe the victims
Maria Farmer first went to the FBI to warn them about Epstein in 1996.
She was ignored
Mass abuse followed
She’s been called a liar & an attention seeker for decades
One of the files released today vindicated her
Believe the victims
Believe the victims
Maria Farmer first went to the FBI to warn them about Epstein in 1996.
She was ignored
Mass abuse followed
She’s been called a liar & an attention seeker for decades
One of the files released today vindicated her
Statement from Maria Farmer: “This is amazing. Thank you for believing me. I feel redeemed. This is one of the best days of my life. Of course, it's mixed with the fact that I'm devastated about all the other little girls like Virginia who were harmed because the FBI didn't do their job. 1/
HUGE NEWS from the new Epstein files:
Records show that Maria Farmer, who worked for Epstein, filed a "child pornography" report to the FBI in 1996.
The FBI has never before acknowledged that complaint. The case went nowhere, and mass abuse followed.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
Records show that Maria Farmer, who worked for Epstein, filed a "child pornography" report to the FBI in 1996.
The FBI has never before acknowledged that complaint. The case went nowhere, and mass abuse followed.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
December 20, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Believe the victims
Believe the victims
Believe the victims
Maria Farmer first went to the FBI to warn them about Epstein in 1996.
She was ignored
Mass abuse followed
She’s been called a liar & an attention seeker for decades
One of the files released today vindicated her
Believe the victims
Believe the victims
Maria Farmer first went to the FBI to warn them about Epstein in 1996.
She was ignored
Mass abuse followed
She’s been called a liar & an attention seeker for decades
One of the files released today vindicated her
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We should note that yesterday Senators Durbin and Duckworth issued formal criminal referrals for actions by members of the Trump regime. I think this needs to become far more common as we must attach criminality to their outrageous actions, and not let it get normalized as just boys being boys.
December 19, 2025 at 5:38 PM
We should note that yesterday Senators Durbin and Duckworth issued formal criminal referrals for actions by members of the Trump regime. I think this needs to become far more common as we must attach criminality to their outrageous actions, and not let it get normalized as just boys being boys.
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"This promise of an AI future, is really just a collective anxiety that wealthy people have about how well they're gonna be able to control us in the future."
- @tressiemcphd.bsky.social with an absolute mic drop moment about AI bullshit.
Incredible words.
Listen to all of it!
- @tressiemcphd.bsky.social with an absolute mic drop moment about AI bullshit.
Incredible words.
Listen to all of it!
December 19, 2025 at 12:24 PM
"This promise of an AI future, is really just a collective anxiety that wealthy people have about how well they're gonna be able to control us in the future."
- @tressiemcphd.bsky.social with an absolute mic drop moment about AI bullshit.
Incredible words.
Listen to all of it!
- @tressiemcphd.bsky.social with an absolute mic drop moment about AI bullshit.
Incredible words.
Listen to all of it!
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I don’t know how it works at the New York Times, but my editors at The Guardian would never let me publish this if they knew that I was one of the elites who spent time with Epstein. And if I published it without telling them, I would be out of a job.
December 18, 2025 at 7:33 PM
I don’t know how it works at the New York Times, but my editors at The Guardian would never let me publish this if they knew that I was one of the elites who spent time with Epstein. And if I published it without telling them, I would be out of a job.
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Feels to me like the last quote here is more devastating and incriminating than even the birthday book and the photos and the rest.
These are the people who are willing to go on the record.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/u...
December 18, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Feels to me like the last quote here is more devastating and incriminating than even the birthday book and the photos and the rest.
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The global prevalence of long covid is now at over 30%. When would you like it to stop going up? When would you like to lower your risk of being the next one?
December 13, 2025 at 10:40 PM
The global prevalence of long covid is now at over 30%. When would you like it to stop going up? When would you like to lower your risk of being the next one?
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It’s so striking when people focus on how horrible they felt it was they were encouraged to stay home when they could in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and not how horrible it felt to see hundreds of thousands of people pass away from COVID-19 in the US and millions around the world.
December 13, 2025 at 11:12 PM
It’s so striking when people focus on how horrible they felt it was they were encouraged to stay home when they could in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and not how horrible it felt to see hundreds of thousands of people pass away from COVID-19 in the US and millions around the world.
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Tonight, I’m published in MSNBC—sorry, MS Now.
In this piece, I explain how the right-wing war on COVID mitigation measures and politicization of science led us to this moment.
www.ms.now/opinion/fda-...
In this piece, I explain how the right-wing war on COVID mitigation measures and politicization of science led us to this moment.
www.ms.now/opinion/fda-...
Opinion | The FDA’s anti-vax turn came out of the right-wing backlash to the Covid pandemic
Walker Bragman: The Food and Drug Administration — like other HHS agencies overseen by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. — is no longer moored to evidence-based reality.
www.ms.now
December 12, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Tonight, I’m published in MSNBC—sorry, MS Now.
In this piece, I explain how the right-wing war on COVID mitigation measures and politicization of science led us to this moment.
www.ms.now/opinion/fda-...
In this piece, I explain how the right-wing war on COVID mitigation measures and politicization of science led us to this moment.
www.ms.now/opinion/fda-...
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This is exactly what happens when a novel seasonal influenza strain meets a population with Covid-induced immune dysregulation; it's not 'like Covid again', it's the ongoing and continuous effects of Covid.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Flu: It is like Covid again, says principal as 170 pupils sick
Confirmed flu cases among adults and children across Northern Ireland have more than trebled in the last two weeks.
www.bbc.com
December 13, 2025 at 6:51 PM
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Last year only 12% of kids got a booster. The vax also reduces your kid‘s chances of getting long Covid. Reminder: long Covid is now the #1 chronic condition kids face, surpassing asthma in less than 5 years of letting the disease rip in schools. WE HAVE TO DO BETTER!!
A report published in a CDC journal reaffirms the effectiveness of COVID vaccines at preventing severe disease in children
COVID Vaccines Slashed Kids’ ER Visits by 76 Percent, Study Finds
A report published in a CDC journal reaffirms the effectiveness of COVID vaccines at preventing severe disease in children
www.scientificamerican.com
December 11, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Last year only 12% of kids got a booster. The vax also reduces your kid‘s chances of getting long Covid. Reminder: long Covid is now the #1 chronic condition kids face, surpassing asthma in less than 5 years of letting the disease rip in schools. WE HAVE TO DO BETTER!!
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My first piece for @thesicktimes.org!
In response to @brittashoot.com's reporting on LC/ME specialists opting out of insurance in order to “spend more time on patient care rather than administrative work,” I argue that administrative work IS patient care, especially for people living in poverty.
In response to @brittashoot.com's reporting on LC/ME specialists opting out of insurance in order to “spend more time on patient care rather than administrative work,” I argue that administrative work IS patient care, especially for people living in poverty.
Today @thesicktimes.org: "Having a doctor who is willing and available to engage with survival admin makes the difference between being able to access necessities and going without, and can be the only lifeline against neglect."
By @crookedneighbor.bsky.social: thesicktimes.org/2025/12/09/d...
By @crookedneighbor.bsky.social: thesicktimes.org/2025/12/09/d...
Doctors who refuse to engage with administrative work are abandoning their poorest and sickest patients - The Sick Times
Having a Long COVID or ME doctor who is willing and available to engage with survival admin makes the difference between being able to access necessities and going without, and can be the only lifelin...
thesicktimes.org
December 10, 2025 at 6:35 PM
My first piece for @thesicktimes.org!
In response to @brittashoot.com's reporting on LC/ME specialists opting out of insurance in order to “spend more time on patient care rather than administrative work,” I argue that administrative work IS patient care, especially for people living in poverty.
In response to @brittashoot.com's reporting on LC/ME specialists opting out of insurance in order to “spend more time on patient care rather than administrative work,” I argue that administrative work IS patient care, especially for people living in poverty.
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This is really a must-read account of the dire situation of so many people who are severely ill with severe ME and Long Covid.
The headline focuses on doctors, but the text makes clear it’s incumbent on all of us to put a stop to this abandonment.
The headline focuses on doctors, but the text makes clear it’s incumbent on all of us to put a stop to this abandonment.
The Sick Times: 'Doctors who refuse to engage with administrative work are abandoning their poorest and sickest patients'
Written by Miranda DeNovo
'For more than a year, I’ve been helping take care of multiple community members with very severe Long COVID & ME..'
thesicktimes.org/2025/12/09/d...
Written by Miranda DeNovo
'For more than a year, I’ve been helping take care of multiple community members with very severe Long COVID & ME..'
thesicktimes.org/2025/12/09/d...
Doctors who refuse to engage with administrative work are abandoning their poorest and sickest patients - The Sick Times
Having a Long COVID or ME doctor who is willing and available to engage with survival admin makes the difference between being able to access necessities and going without, and can be the only lifelin...
thesicktimes.org
December 9, 2025 at 10:52 PM
This is really a must-read account of the dire situation of so many people who are severely ill with severe ME and Long Covid.
The headline focuses on doctors, but the text makes clear it’s incumbent on all of us to put a stop to this abandonment.
The headline focuses on doctors, but the text makes clear it’s incumbent on all of us to put a stop to this abandonment.
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🚨 BREAKING: Jackson County Board of Elections votes 3-2 to close the Western Carolina University early voting site despite it being one of the most active polling locations in the county. This is active voter suppression and we will not stand for it.
December 9, 2025 at 5:35 PM
🚨 BREAKING: Jackson County Board of Elections votes 3-2 to close the Western Carolina University early voting site despite it being one of the most active polling locations in the county. This is active voter suppression and we will not stand for it.
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New Medicaid work requirements will take effect at the end of 2026 - it will FAIL sick people and cut off their care.
Tell HHS to recognize people with #MECFS and #LongCOVID as “medically frail” so our access to Medicaid is protected.
SIGN THE LETTER: actionnetwork.org/petitions/fr...
Tell HHS to recognize people with #MECFS and #LongCOVID as “medically frail” so our access to Medicaid is protected.
SIGN THE LETTER: actionnetwork.org/petitions/fr...
December 8, 2025 at 6:37 PM
New Medicaid work requirements will take effect at the end of 2026 - it will FAIL sick people and cut off their care.
Tell HHS to recognize people with #MECFS and #LongCOVID as “medically frail” so our access to Medicaid is protected.
SIGN THE LETTER: actionnetwork.org/petitions/fr...
Tell HHS to recognize people with #MECFS and #LongCOVID as “medically frail” so our access to Medicaid is protected.
SIGN THE LETTER: actionnetwork.org/petitions/fr...
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We lost a hero.
He was also a culture critic focusing on leftist politics, film, and more. In his free time, he was an avid reader, a DJ, and an animal rescue center volunteer. In the past few years, he spread awareness about the risks of COVID-19.
#LongCovid #WearAMask #RIP
He was also a culture critic focusing on leftist politics, film, and more. In his free time, he was an avid reader, a DJ, and an animal rescue center volunteer. In the past few years, he spread awareness about the risks of COVID-19.
#LongCovid #WearAMask #RIP
Another enormous loss occurred in the #LongCOVID community last month.
Rest in peace Leslie Lee III 🕊️
thesicktimes.org/2025/12/04/l...
Rest in peace Leslie Lee III 🕊️
thesicktimes.org/2025/12/04/l...
Leslie Lee III, culture critic and Long COVID advocate, dies at 43 - The Sick Times
Leslie Lee III, an educator, critic, and Long COVID advocate, died on November 10. He was 43.
thesicktimes.org
December 4, 2025 at 8:03 PM
We lost a hero.
He was also a culture critic focusing on leftist politics, film, and more. In his free time, he was an avid reader, a DJ, and an animal rescue center volunteer. In the past few years, he spread awareness about the risks of COVID-19.
#LongCovid #WearAMask #RIP
He was also a culture critic focusing on leftist politics, film, and more. In his free time, he was an avid reader, a DJ, and an animal rescue center volunteer. In the past few years, he spread awareness about the risks of COVID-19.
#LongCovid #WearAMask #RIP
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"I'm out of office because I'm a single mom paying $3,000 for childcare with no paid leave to fall back on."
"I'm OOO in the hospital for preeclampsia but I don't qualify for FMLA because I've been at my job less than 12 months.
www.marieclaire.com/politics/out...
"I'm OOO in the hospital for preeclampsia but I don't qualify for FMLA because I've been at my job less than 12 months.
www.marieclaire.com/politics/out...
Women Are Telling the Truth in Their Out-of-Office Messages. It’s Devastating
A national campaign is delivering a radically honest wake-up call about childcare, burnout, and what it means to live in a country without paid leave.
www.marieclaire.com
November 30, 2025 at 1:22 PM
"I'm out of office because I'm a single mom paying $3,000 for childcare with no paid leave to fall back on."
"I'm OOO in the hospital for preeclampsia but I don't qualify for FMLA because I've been at my job less than 12 months.
www.marieclaire.com/politics/out...
"I'm OOO in the hospital for preeclampsia but I don't qualify for FMLA because I've been at my job less than 12 months.
www.marieclaire.com/politics/out...
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“They’ve already produced a major hit: a study that found a potential biomarker for post-exertional malaise.
The lead author, Rob Wüst, [said] … his work would have come ‘to an almost complete stop without the Patient-Led funding’ because traditional funding sources are so agonizingly slow”
The lead author, Rob Wüst, [said] … his work would have come ‘to an almost complete stop without the Patient-Led funding’ because traditional funding sources are so agonizingly slow”
If you’re not familiar with @patientled.bsky.social’s uniquely successful model, here’s a nice write-up.
“I’ll admit that I was skeptical…Given the complexity of the science, wouldn’t the N.I.H. be better suited to this role than the patients, some of whom are very ill?
“I was wrong.”
#LongCovid
“I’ll admit that I was skeptical…Given the complexity of the science, wouldn’t the N.I.H. be better suited to this role than the patients, some of whom are very ill?
“I was wrong.”
#LongCovid
Opinion | A Great Idea for People With a Terrible Disease: Let’s Find a Cure Ourselves (Published 2024)
www.nytimes.com
December 3, 2025 at 10:30 PM
“They’ve already produced a major hit: a study that found a potential biomarker for post-exertional malaise.
The lead author, Rob Wüst, [said] … his work would have come ‘to an almost complete stop without the Patient-Led funding’ because traditional funding sources are so agonizingly slow”
The lead author, Rob Wüst, [said] … his work would have come ‘to an almost complete stop without the Patient-Led funding’ because traditional funding sources are so agonizingly slow”
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Breaking: Spain brings masks back.
Mandatory in hospitals, primary care, and long-term care—for patients, visitors, and staff.
Strong recommendation everywhere else.
Public health moving where evidence points.
Note: Really worth upgrading to respirators.
euroweeklynews.com/2025/11/28/s...
Mandatory in hospitals, primary care, and long-term care—for patients, visitors, and staff.
Strong recommendation everywhere else.
Public health moving where evidence points.
Note: Really worth upgrading to respirators.
euroweeklynews.com/2025/11/28/s...
December 2, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Breaking: Spain brings masks back.
Mandatory in hospitals, primary care, and long-term care—for patients, visitors, and staff.
Strong recommendation everywhere else.
Public health moving where evidence points.
Note: Really worth upgrading to respirators.
euroweeklynews.com/2025/11/28/s...
Mandatory in hospitals, primary care, and long-term care—for patients, visitors, and staff.
Strong recommendation everywhere else.
Public health moving where evidence points.
Note: Really worth upgrading to respirators.
euroweeklynews.com/2025/11/28/s...
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CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY.
If you’d like to gift a copy of Who Wants Normal? to someone who needs it this Christmas (but can’t afford it), I’m giving away my last author copy I just found. I’ll sign and dedicate it.
RT and I’ll pick an account at random. Ends Wednesday 3rd December 8pm. U.K. only.
If you’d like to gift a copy of Who Wants Normal? to someone who needs it this Christmas (but can’t afford it), I’m giving away my last author copy I just found. I’ll sign and dedicate it.
RT and I’ll pick an account at random. Ends Wednesday 3rd December 8pm. U.K. only.
December 2, 2025 at 11:02 AM
CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY.
If you’d like to gift a copy of Who Wants Normal? to someone who needs it this Christmas (but can’t afford it), I’m giving away my last author copy I just found. I’ll sign and dedicate it.
RT and I’ll pick an account at random. Ends Wednesday 3rd December 8pm. U.K. only.
If you’d like to gift a copy of Who Wants Normal? to someone who needs it this Christmas (but can’t afford it), I’m giving away my last author copy I just found. I’ll sign and dedicate it.
RT and I’ll pick an account at random. Ends Wednesday 3rd December 8pm. U.K. only.
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The Sick Times is doing SUCH valuable work. Can you signal boost or donate??
It's #GivingTuesday. At @thesicktimes.org, our end-of-year fundraiser has been lagging behind; we're hoping to raise $10k today to get back on track.
Here are a few recent stories that demonstrate our unique role serving the Long COVID community. the-sick-times.fundjournalism.org/donate/ (1/10)
Here are a few recent stories that demonstrate our unique role serving the Long COVID community. the-sick-times.fundjournalism.org/donate/ (1/10)
December 2, 2025 at 4:57 PM
The Sick Times is doing SUCH valuable work. Can you signal boost or donate??
Can confirm. It's stupid expensive to live with Long Covid, plus i've lost most of my income.
#LongCovid #NEisVoid #ChronicIllness
#LongCovid #NEisVoid #ChronicIllness
'Long COVID patients face more than double the healthcare costs after diagnosis'
'"Long COVID is a debilitating disease for patients, presenting in a myriad of ways, with far-reaching implications for those affected."
www.news-medical.net/news/2025120...
'"Long COVID is a debilitating disease for patients, presenting in a myriad of ways, with far-reaching implications for those affected."
www.news-medical.net/news/2025120...
Long COVID patients face more than double the healthcare costs after diagnosis
People with Long COVID use the health service significantly more than they did before their diagnosis. These patients need to use GP, outpatient, inpatient and emergency department services more than ...
www.news-medical.net
December 2, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Can confirm. It's stupid expensive to live with Long Covid, plus i've lost most of my income.
#LongCovid #NEisVoid #ChronicIllness
#LongCovid #NEisVoid #ChronicIllness