Jeff, my friend who worked in LA for years, went back to Austria after her mother died to take care of her Dad, both parents Holocaust survivors. She told me it’s become much worse in Vienna for her. Since her sister is here as an American citizen I’m hoping she’ll have an option as well. However, depending on the outcome ….. 🙏🏼🤞.
That's why I voted 'No': because I am so very much afraid of the consequences. The possibilty of 4 years of denial of science and reality: how long would it take us to recover from that?
I too voted no, for that same reason, and was surprised to find so many yeses predominating! I'd imagine most of us are super weary of the news & this election in particular, but even if things go as I'm SO hoping...even then...there might be difficult consequences.
“ In news that will shock no one, the timing of this outbreak has led to a viral conspiracy theory: E. coli was planted by public health to tarnish Trump’s campaign stop a visit to a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania over the weekend.” There is nothing that the Cult of Trump can’t turn into a wackadoodle conspiracy theory aimed at harming the Anointed One. Nothing. These people are well and truly frightening. Everybody needs to go back and read Hoffer’s “The True Believer” again.
Abortion is on the ballot in all 50 states. If Harris is not elected you will see an all out effort by the anti- abortion lobby to pass a national ban. Vote, volunteer and give!
Though I'm ready for the election cycle and it's exhausting MSM-fueled angst to end, there is still a huge need to GOTV. I addition to writing postcards, I've phone banked twice this week and both times I've spoken with people who were STILL undecided and others who were unaware that for Harris to win and govern effectively, the House and Senate must also have Democratic majorities (they had planned only on voting for Harris and no other Dem candidates). There's still a lot of work to do in the next eleven days. Unfortunately, there is a surprising level of complacency and a lot of people choosing flight/freeze/fawn over fight as their response. Get out there and DO something to change the outcome! Phone bank, canvas, talk with friends, family and neighbors, put up yard signs, wear a campaign pin or t-shirt, volunteer for a candidate. Even volunteering once would be helpful. Complacency is what elected 45 in the first place! As Simon Rosenberg of Substack's Hopium Chronicles says, "Worry less. Do more!". Activation beats perseveration and fear...
Thanks for ll your work on keeping us up today! While I am ready for this election to be over I am really worried about the outcome. Never before in my 46 years of voting have I fear for the democracy of our country, but I truly fear for it if a certain person wins the presidency!!!
As a retired neonatologist, I worked in the infant mortality space for over 30 years. One’s take on this study also has a philosophical and spiritual side. How many children are now living that would not otherwise be with us? I recognize how personal this is, but something worth pondering. The increase in infant mortality was primarily a data collection phenomenon as fetuses aborted are not counted as deaths.
My own philosophical and spiritual take on that statistic is that it reflects an increase in the number of parents and single mothers who have been forced to carry to term fetuses they know will experience incredible suffering and soon die.
And it reflects an increase in the number of fetuses forced to be born into a lifetime of suffering.
I do understand that people who regard themselves as pro-life applaud all this suffering. I cannot grasp how they came to be so cruel.
As a practicing neonatologist, I can assure you that the magnitude of suffering you speak of is not what you describe. I only asked one to ponder the normal children now alive that would not be. More likely than not bringing joy. No judgement of others values. Just something that cannot be ignored.
Hypothetical children matter a lot less than uterus-owning adults who are (1) fully formed, (2) independently viable, and (3) have their own concerns and interests. A "normal child" is none of those things until well after it's born, so where is the need to give it the same consideration?
You make the assumption that normal children inevitably bring joy to the lives of the people who gave birth to them. As a retired/practicing neonatologist, I'm sure you are informed enough to understand the idea of a biased sample - surely your patient population would have an over-representation of parents who are happy with their decision? My sample, consisting of my social network which contains both parents and non-parents, indicates that non-parents largely do not regret or are indifferent to their lack of children; it also indicates that a far larger proportion of parents have regrets about having children than is typically discussed in polite society.
More importantly, how someone feels about a personal event is shaped largely by their sense of agency in that event. "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl is an excellent book on the subject of personal agency, personal meaning, and trauma. A person who experiences great trauma but finds agency and meaning in it will have far better psychological outcomes than someone whose pain is objectively less but who has been denied agency. We have hard data that supports the conclusion that women who are made to carry unintended pregnancies to term experience poorer outcomes in mental health and financial prosperity than those who are able to choose whether to keep an unintended pregnancy or not. (https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302973, for example)
In conclusion, let me leave you with a 2018 social media post from Pastor Dave Barnhart of St. Junia United Methodist Church:
"'The unborn' are a convenient group of people to advocate for. They never make demands of you; they are morally uncomplicated, unlike the incarcerated, addicted, or the chronically poor; they don't resent your condescension or complain that you are not politically correct; unlike widows, they don't ask you to question patriarchy; unlike orphans, they don't need money, education, or childcare; unlike aliens, they don't bring all that racial, cultural, and religious baggage that you dislike; they allow you to feel good about yourself without any work at creating or maintaining relationships; and when they are born, you can forget about them, because they cease to be unborn. It's almost as if, by being born, they have died to you. You can love the unborn and advocate for them without substantially challenging your own wealth, power, or privilege, without re-imagining social structures, apologizing, or making reparations to anyone. They are, in short, the perfect people to love if you want to claim you love Jesus but actually dislike people who breathe.
"Prisoners? Immigrants? The sick? The poor? Widows? Orphans? All the groups that are specifically mentioned in the Bible? They all get thrown under the bus for the unborn."
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”
Thank you for clarifying the origin of your reality-denying opinion on contemplating the "joy" resulting from the increase in the number of births related to abortion bans.
Perhaps consider that, while this increase has caused you - personally - increased "joy", it's likely the majority of the pregnant people who were unable to access abortion as a part of reproductive healthcare, in fact, do not share your "joy".
In truth, many of these people may have felt the same sort of terror I felt when it looked like I wouldn't be able to access care for my recently-diagnosed stage 4 cancer.
These formerly-pregnant people may now be facing a life of financial hardship for themselves and their other children.
They may carry resentment against and anger towards the politicians that took away their right to self-determination, as well as their fellow citizens who supported those politicians, for the rest of their voting lives.
They may decide that their gods have abandoned them and never set foot inside a church again. I wouldn't blame them for joining the well-documented decades-long (and accelerating) exodus from organized religion.
I suppose you believe your "joy" is justified, regardless. Shame.
I just paused and prayed for your cancer diagnosis, having recently completed treatment, I understand this journey. I’ll continue mentioning you in my daily devotions. I apologize, I should have clarified. I quoted that scripture to validate the previous person’s comment on those particular groups of oppressed and forgotten. Not as a rebuttal. Groups that my wife and I have spent a lifetime supporting with time and money.
When will there be any reports on the Phase One Trial of the MPV/S-2P Nasal Spray for COVID? Are there any other COVID nasal sprays in clinical trials? Thanks!
I’d love an update on all the major Covid vaccines being tested. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen anything about the pan-corona vaccine being developed by the Army at Walter Reed.
I’m curious about the other 20% of increased infant mortality post-Dobbs. Do the authors have any explanations for that portion of the rise that’s not attributable to congenital anomalies? Have higher birth rates been concentrated in populations with higher infant mortality rates? Have higher birth rates overwhelmed health systems? Is it an unrelated coincidence due to some other factor?
I love all the vax comments from people who are asking the ideal timing or vax content, NOT the consideration to get the vaccine. So important as there was recent data about a doubling of risk of CV events or stroke post covid...
Still waiting for information to be disseminated about H5N1/Bird Flu. I’m hearing nothing on National or local news either. Vanity Fair published a piece this week about the response being bungled. Thoughts, please.
And I am 70 and have been getting 2 Covid vaccines/year. I am so far NoVid!
Thank you as always for your posts and the additional information. I also am ready for the election to be done and also am very scared about the results. If I had a magic wand I would wave it and COVID would disappear as a threat. At age 71 I just finished with COVID for the first time despite being immunized and careful with masking. I am relieved to be COVID-free! Stay healthy.
In response to the survey question, YES I'm ready for the election to be over... but I am very scared too.
FWIW, Trisha, I am the terrified offspring of Holocaust survivors.
Jeff, I can only imagine how you must feel and it hurts my heart
Jeff, my friend who worked in LA for years, went back to Austria after her mother died to take care of her Dad, both parents Holocaust survivors. She told me it’s become much worse in Vienna for her. Since her sister is here as an American citizen I’m hoping she’ll have an option as well. However, depending on the outcome ….. 🙏🏼🤞.
Sending you 💐💐💐💐💐and strength!
That's why I voted 'No': because I am so very much afraid of the consequences. The possibilty of 4 years of denial of science and reality: how long would it take us to recover from that?
I too voted no, for that same reason, and was surprised to find so many yeses predominating! I'd imagine most of us are super weary of the news & this election in particular, but even if things go as I'm SO hoping...even then...there might be difficult consequences.
I too am terrified and astonished at the mentality that exists here
“ In news that will shock no one, the timing of this outbreak has led to a viral conspiracy theory: E. coli was planted by public health to tarnish Trump’s campaign stop a visit to a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania over the weekend.” There is nothing that the Cult of Trump can’t turn into a wackadoodle conspiracy theory aimed at harming the Anointed One. Nothing. These people are well and truly frightening. Everybody needs to go back and read Hoffer’s “The True Believer” again.
Abortion is on the ballot in all 50 states. If Harris is not elected you will see an all out effort by the anti- abortion lobby to pass a national ban. Vote, volunteer and give!
Though I'm ready for the election cycle and it's exhausting MSM-fueled angst to end, there is still a huge need to GOTV. I addition to writing postcards, I've phone banked twice this week and both times I've spoken with people who were STILL undecided and others who were unaware that for Harris to win and govern effectively, the House and Senate must also have Democratic majorities (they had planned only on voting for Harris and no other Dem candidates). There's still a lot of work to do in the next eleven days. Unfortunately, there is a surprising level of complacency and a lot of people choosing flight/freeze/fawn over fight as their response. Get out there and DO something to change the outcome! Phone bank, canvas, talk with friends, family and neighbors, put up yard signs, wear a campaign pin or t-shirt, volunteer for a candidate. Even volunteering once would be helpful. Complacency is what elected 45 in the first place! As Simon Rosenberg of Substack's Hopium Chronicles says, "Worry less. Do more!". Activation beats perseveration and fear...
Thanks for ll your work on keeping us up today! While I am ready for this election to be over I am really worried about the outcome. Never before in my 46 years of voting have I fear for the democracy of our country, but I truly fear for it if a certain person wins the presidency!!!
Will the Spring Covid shot be the same as the formulation currently available, or will it target a new variant?
I had the same question
Nice post, YLE ("Wiley") Team. It has excellent content and (as usual) that content was clearly presented.
BTW, I really like the graphics in the "weather report"; they summarize many aspects of data (level, trend) in simple and clear fashion.
NY doesn’t start early voting until tomorrow! Had I been able to vote already, I would have.
Same here.
Same.
As a retired neonatologist, I worked in the infant mortality space for over 30 years. One’s take on this study also has a philosophical and spiritual side. How many children are now living that would not otherwise be with us? I recognize how personal this is, but something worth pondering. The increase in infant mortality was primarily a data collection phenomenon as fetuses aborted are not counted as deaths.
My own philosophical and spiritual take on that statistic is that it reflects an increase in the number of parents and single mothers who have been forced to carry to term fetuses they know will experience incredible suffering and soon die.
And it reflects an increase in the number of fetuses forced to be born into a lifetime of suffering.
I do understand that people who regard themselves as pro-life applaud all this suffering. I cannot grasp how they came to be so cruel.
As a practicing neonatologist, I can assure you that the magnitude of suffering you speak of is not what you describe. I only asked one to ponder the normal children now alive that would not be. More likely than not bringing joy. No judgement of others values. Just something that cannot be ignored.
Hypothetical children matter a lot less than uterus-owning adults who are (1) fully formed, (2) independently viable, and (3) have their own concerns and interests. A "normal child" is none of those things until well after it's born, so where is the need to give it the same consideration?
You make the assumption that normal children inevitably bring joy to the lives of the people who gave birth to them. As a retired/practicing neonatologist, I'm sure you are informed enough to understand the idea of a biased sample - surely your patient population would have an over-representation of parents who are happy with their decision? My sample, consisting of my social network which contains both parents and non-parents, indicates that non-parents largely do not regret or are indifferent to their lack of children; it also indicates that a far larger proportion of parents have regrets about having children than is typically discussed in polite society.
More importantly, how someone feels about a personal event is shaped largely by their sense of agency in that event. "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl is an excellent book on the subject of personal agency, personal meaning, and trauma. A person who experiences great trauma but finds agency and meaning in it will have far better psychological outcomes than someone whose pain is objectively less but who has been denied agency. We have hard data that supports the conclusion that women who are made to carry unintended pregnancies to term experience poorer outcomes in mental health and financial prosperity than those who are able to choose whether to keep an unintended pregnancy or not. (https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302973, for example)
In conclusion, let me leave you with a 2018 social media post from Pastor Dave Barnhart of St. Junia United Methodist Church:
"'The unborn' are a convenient group of people to advocate for. They never make demands of you; they are morally uncomplicated, unlike the incarcerated, addicted, or the chronically poor; they don't resent your condescension or complain that you are not politically correct; unlike widows, they don't ask you to question patriarchy; unlike orphans, they don't need money, education, or childcare; unlike aliens, they don't bring all that racial, cultural, and religious baggage that you dislike; they allow you to feel good about yourself without any work at creating or maintaining relationships; and when they are born, you can forget about them, because they cease to be unborn. It's almost as if, by being born, they have died to you. You can love the unborn and advocate for them without substantially challenging your own wealth, power, or privilege, without re-imagining social structures, apologizing, or making reparations to anyone. They are, in short, the perfect people to love if you want to claim you love Jesus but actually dislike people who breathe.
"Prisoners? Immigrants? The sick? The poor? Widows? Orphans? All the groups that are specifically mentioned in the Bible? They all get thrown under the bus for the unborn."
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”
Isaiah 61:1-3
Thank you for clarifying the origin of your reality-denying opinion on contemplating the "joy" resulting from the increase in the number of births related to abortion bans.
Perhaps consider that, while this increase has caused you - personally - increased "joy", it's likely the majority of the pregnant people who were unable to access abortion as a part of reproductive healthcare, in fact, do not share your "joy".
In truth, many of these people may have felt the same sort of terror I felt when it looked like I wouldn't be able to access care for my recently-diagnosed stage 4 cancer.
These formerly-pregnant people may now be facing a life of financial hardship for themselves and their other children.
They may carry resentment against and anger towards the politicians that took away their right to self-determination, as well as their fellow citizens who supported those politicians, for the rest of their voting lives.
They may decide that their gods have abandoned them and never set foot inside a church again. I wouldn't blame them for joining the well-documented decades-long (and accelerating) exodus from organized religion.
I suppose you believe your "joy" is justified, regardless. Shame.
I just paused and prayed for your cancer diagnosis, having recently completed treatment, I understand this journey. I’ll continue mentioning you in my daily devotions. I apologize, I should have clarified. I quoted that scripture to validate the previous person’s comment on those particular groups of oppressed and forgotten. Not as a rebuttal. Groups that my wife and I have spent a lifetime supporting with time and money.
When will there be any reports on the Phase One Trial of the MPV/S-2P Nasal Spray for COVID? Are there any other COVID nasal sprays in clinical trials? Thanks!
I’d love an update on all the major Covid vaccines being tested. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen anything about the pan-corona vaccine being developed by the Army at Walter Reed.
I got to vote on the first day of early voting in Detroit. And I have been getting 2 COVID shots a year, wondering if I may need 3 a year.
I’m curious about the other 20% of increased infant mortality post-Dobbs. Do the authors have any explanations for that portion of the rise that’s not attributable to congenital anomalies? Have higher birth rates been concentrated in populations with higher infant mortality rates? Have higher birth rates overwhelmed health systems? Is it an unrelated coincidence due to some other factor?
I love all the vax comments from people who are asking the ideal timing or vax content, NOT the consideration to get the vaccine. So important as there was recent data about a doubling of risk of CV events or stroke post covid...
Please try to switch to “pregnant person” instead of “pregnant woman” to be more inclusive.
Yes, this.
Still waiting for information to be disseminated about H5N1/Bird Flu. I’m hearing nothing on National or local news either. Vanity Fair published a piece this week about the response being bungled. Thoughts, please.
And I am 70 and have been getting 2 Covid vaccines/year. I am so far NoVid!
Congratulations on being NoVid! My mother and I have each had it once. I'd prefer not to go through that again, thank you...
Read the post from the 18th.
I have read it. I’m just wondering why there is still nothing about it on mainstream media….
Thank you as always for your posts and the additional information. I also am ready for the election to be done and also am very scared about the results. If I had a magic wand I would wave it and COVID would disappear as a threat. At age 71 I just finished with COVID for the first time despite being immunized and careful with masking. I am relieved to be COVID-free! Stay healthy.