Augie Ray
@augieray.bsky.social
Customer Experience expert and advisor. Analyst by nature and profession. Tracking ongoing COVID data and risks because your health matters. Love music, film, photography & progressive causes. Opinions my own. He/Him
"I wish you would just hold me in contempt of court so I can get 24 hours of sleep. The system sucks, this job sucks, I am trying with every breath I have to get you what I need."
- Julie Le, an attorney working on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office
www.fox9.com/news/federal...
- Julie Le, an attorney working on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office
www.fox9.com/news/federal...
Federal attorney on ICE cases: ‘The system sucks’
A federal judge in Minnesota demanded to know why ICE is not complying with court orders and failing to immediately release immigrants who are being wrongfully detained as part of Operation Metro Surg...
www.fox9.com
February 3, 2026 at 9:46 PM
"I wish you would just hold me in contempt of court so I can get 24 hours of sleep. The system sucks, this job sucks, I am trying with every breath I have to get you what I need."
- Julie Le, an attorney working on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office
www.fox9.com/news/federal...
- Julie Le, an attorney working on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office
www.fox9.com/news/federal...
MAGA now hates Bad Bunny and loves Nicki Minaj. Ironic, since Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) is a U.S. citizen and Nicki Minaj is an immigrant non-citizen.
January 31, 2026 at 5:11 PM
MAGA now hates Bad Bunny and loves Nicki Minaj. Ironic, since Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) is a U.S. citizen and Nicki Minaj is an immigrant non-citizen.
My latest weekly viral update is available:
- COVID rose, unusually, in 3 of 4 US regions this week.
- COVID is high or very high in 15 states and moderate in another dozen.
- The CDC's estimate of Rt suggests possible growth for COVID, influenza A, and RSV.
medium.com/@augieray_66...
- COVID rose, unusually, in 3 of 4 US regions this week.
- COVID is high or very high in 15 states and moderate in another dozen.
- The CDC's estimate of Rt suggests possible growth for COVID, influenza A, and RSV.
medium.com/@augieray_66...
The U.S.’s Winter Virus Season Stays Unpredicable: Update for January 30, 2026
COVID, influenza A, and RSV are generally falling in the U.S., but levels range from very high to very low in different states, and some…
medium.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:20 PM
My latest weekly viral update is available:
- COVID rose, unusually, in 3 of 4 US regions this week.
- COVID is high or very high in 15 states and moderate in another dozen.
- The CDC's estimate of Rt suggests possible growth for COVID, influenza A, and RSV.
medium.com/@augieray_66...
- COVID rose, unusually, in 3 of 4 US regions this week.
- COVID is high or very high in 15 states and moderate in another dozen.
- The CDC's estimate of Rt suggests possible growth for COVID, influenza A, and RSV.
medium.com/@augieray_66...
It always defied logic when people said kids couldn't spread #COVID19. A STUDY has found that, of course, "Child index cases appeared as likely to result in household secondary SARS-CoV-2 infections as adult index cases."
bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/4/1/...
bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/4/1/...
Roles of children, isolation measures and socioeconomic status in SARS-CoV-2 household transmission: a retrospective cohort study in a southern US city
Objective There has been significant debate about both the role of children in SARS-CoV-2 community transmission as well as the potential harm or lack thereof of the virus in the paediatric population...
bmjpublichealth.bmj.com
January 30, 2026 at 1:57 PM
It always defied logic when people said kids couldn't spread #COVID19. A STUDY has found that, of course, "Child index cases appeared as likely to result in household secondary SARS-CoV-2 infections as adult index cases."
bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/4/1/...
bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/4/1/...
The chart I posted two days ago on measles infections in 2026 vs other recent years is already outdated. Trump and Kennedy's anti-vax nonsense is going to cause a lot of needless suffering and poor health.
January 30, 2026 at 1:41 PM
The chart I posted two days ago on measles infections in 2026 vs other recent years is already outdated. Trump and Kennedy's anti-vax nonsense is going to cause a lot of needless suffering and poor health.
Trump administration people should be smart enough to know how "I was just following orders" worked out for Nazis after WWII.
January 29, 2026 at 4:36 PM
Trump administration people should be smart enough to know how "I was just following orders" worked out for Nazis after WWII.
"Immigrants are less likely to enter the welfare system, less likely to remain on welfare for long periods, and less likely to age into the most expensive entitlement programs."
- Libertarian CATO Institute
www.cato.org/briefing-pap...
- Libertarian CATO Institute
www.cato.org/briefing-pap...
Immigrant and Native Consumption of Means-Tested Welfare and Entitlement Benefits in 2023
Immigrants are less likely to enter the welfare system, less likely to remain on welfare for long periods, and less likely to age into the most expensive entitlement programs.
www.cato.org
January 29, 2026 at 1:32 AM
"Immigrants are less likely to enter the welfare system, less likely to remain on welfare for long periods, and less likely to age into the most expensive entitlement programs."
- Libertarian CATO Institute
www.cato.org/briefing-pap...
- Libertarian CATO Institute
www.cato.org/briefing-pap...
Bruce #Springsteen sings what real Americans feel:
Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Crying through the bloody mist
We’ll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWKS...
Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Crying through the bloody mist
We’ll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWKS...
Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Audio)
YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen
www.youtube.com
January 28, 2026 at 7:34 PM
Bruce #Springsteen sings what real Americans feel:
Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Crying through the bloody mist
We’ll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWKS...
Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Crying through the bloody mist
We’ll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWKS...
Several CEOs saw the news of another ICE killing, saw fed officials calling him an "assassin" and "terrorist," then attended a special premiere of "Melania."
Values on display: Apple’s Tim Cook, Amazon’s Andy Jassy, AMD’s Lisa Su, Zoom’s Eric Yuan, NYSE's Lynn Martin.
www.cnn.com/2026/01/26/b...
Values on display: Apple’s Tim Cook, Amazon’s Andy Jassy, AMD’s Lisa Su, Zoom’s Eric Yuan, NYSE's Lynn Martin.
www.cnn.com/2026/01/26/b...
CEOs attended a private screening of ‘Melania’ on the day ICE killed Alex Pretti | CNN Business
The corporate cavalry isn’t coming.
www.cnn.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:58 PM
Several CEOs saw the news of another ICE killing, saw fed officials calling him an "assassin" and "terrorist," then attended a special premiere of "Melania."
Values on display: Apple’s Tim Cook, Amazon’s Andy Jassy, AMD’s Lisa Su, Zoom’s Eric Yuan, NYSE's Lynn Martin.
www.cnn.com/2026/01/26/b...
Values on display: Apple’s Tim Cook, Amazon’s Andy Jassy, AMD’s Lisa Su, Zoom’s Eric Yuan, NYSE's Lynn Martin.
www.cnn.com/2026/01/26/b...
The easiest way you can tell the ICE occupation of Minnesota is a right-wing propaganda ploy:
The red border states that screamed the loudest about immigration and border security are absolutely silent that DHS is focusing its efforts on Minnesota.
1/2
The red border states that screamed the loudest about immigration and border security are absolutely silent that DHS is focusing its efforts on Minnesota.
1/2
January 26, 2026 at 10:01 PM
The easiest way you can tell the ICE occupation of Minnesota is a right-wing propaganda ploy:
The red border states that screamed the loudest about immigration and border security are absolutely silent that DHS is focusing its efforts on Minnesota.
1/2
The red border states that screamed the loudest about immigration and border security are absolutely silent that DHS is focusing its efforts on Minnesota.
1/2
I'm not saying the Trump administration is turning the US into a dystopian hellscape, but when the local newspaper needs to help you identify what toxic gas Federal agents are unleashing on citizens, I think it speaks for itself.
January 26, 2026 at 9:56 PM
I'm not saying the Trump administration is turning the US into a dystopian hellscape, but when the local newspaper needs to help you identify what toxic gas Federal agents are unleashing on citizens, I think it speaks for itself.
Only caring about your own rights is exactly how you lose them.
January 26, 2026 at 8:17 PM
Only caring about your own rights is exactly how you lose them.
"It's just the flu."
STUDY of people 50+ hospitalized for severe acute respiratory infections finds that postdischarge mortality for patients with #COVID19 was 49% higher than those with influenza A and 36% higher compared with patients with RSV.
bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/4/1/...
STUDY of people 50+ hospitalized for severe acute respiratory infections finds that postdischarge mortality for patients with #COVID19 was 49% higher than those with influenza A and 36% higher compared with patients with RSV.
bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/4/1/...
Short-term and long-term risk of death and readmission among adults aged 50+ years admitted with severe acute respiratory infections due to COVID-19, influenza or RSV in Denmark, 2022–2025
Introduction Respiratory infections due to COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are common causes of morbidity and mortality among adults. We aimed to examine the incidence, sever...
bmjpublichealth.bmj.com
January 24, 2026 at 3:38 PM
"It's just the flu."
STUDY of people 50+ hospitalized for severe acute respiratory infections finds that postdischarge mortality for patients with #COVID19 was 49% higher than those with influenza A and 36% higher compared with patients with RSV.
bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/4/1/...
STUDY of people 50+ hospitalized for severe acute respiratory infections finds that postdischarge mortality for patients with #COVID19 was 49% higher than those with influenza A and 36% higher compared with patients with RSV.
bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/4/1/...
My spreadsheet of studies on the impact of #COVID19 infections has reached 3,100 studies. New studies find COVID:
- Causes subclinical cardiac changes in kids
- Increases risk for thrombotic events for a year
- Causes brain changes that may boost Alzheimer’s Disease
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
- Causes subclinical cardiac changes in kids
- Increases risk for thrombotic events for a year
- Causes brain changes that may boost Alzheimer’s Disease
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 Studies
docs.google.com
January 24, 2026 at 2:16 PM
My spreadsheet of studies on the impact of #COVID19 infections has reached 3,100 studies. New studies find COVID:
- Causes subclinical cardiac changes in kids
- Increases risk for thrombotic events for a year
- Causes brain changes that may boost Alzheimer’s Disease
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
- Causes subclinical cardiac changes in kids
- Increases risk for thrombotic events for a year
- Causes brain changes that may boost Alzheimer’s Disease
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
My weekly update of #COVID19 in the US:
- Both COVID and flu viral activity is falling
- COVID remains high or very high in 16 states, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest
- Ten new studies on COVID's longer-term impact on children and adults are also shared
medium.com/@augieray_66...
- Both COVID and flu viral activity is falling
- COVID remains high or very high in 16 states, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest
- Ten new studies on COVID's longer-term impact on children and adults are also shared
medium.com/@augieray_66...
COVID and Flu’s Winter Surge is (Probably) Over, but Risks are Uneven in the U.S.:
The latest data is a bit mixed, but it seems the worst of the winter respiratory viral surge is over for both COVID and influenza. That…
medium.com
January 23, 2026 at 8:05 PM
My weekly update of #COVID19 in the US:
- Both COVID and flu viral activity is falling
- COVID remains high or very high in 16 states, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest
- Ten new studies on COVID's longer-term impact on children and adults are also shared
medium.com/@augieray_66...
- Both COVID and flu viral activity is falling
- COVID remains high or very high in 16 states, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest
- Ten new studies on COVID's longer-term impact on children and adults are also shared
medium.com/@augieray_66...
"It's just the flu."
STUDY: "Nonhospitalized patients with #COVID19 had a 73% increased risk for a thrombotic event in the year after acute illness compared with nonhospitalized patients with ARI (acute respiratory infections)."
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/...
STUDY: "Nonhospitalized patients with #COVID19 had a 73% increased risk for a thrombotic event in the year after acute illness compared with nonhospitalized patients with ARI (acute respiratory infections)."
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/...
Thrombotic Events and Stroke in the Year After COVID-19 or Other Acute Respiratory Infection
Thrombotic Events and Stroke After COVID-19
wwwnc.cdc.gov
January 23, 2026 at 2:16 PM
"It's just the flu."
STUDY: "Nonhospitalized patients with #COVID19 had a 73% increased risk for a thrombotic event in the year after acute illness compared with nonhospitalized patients with ARI (acute respiratory infections)."
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/...
STUDY: "Nonhospitalized patients with #COVID19 had a 73% increased risk for a thrombotic event in the year after acute illness compared with nonhospitalized patients with ARI (acute respiratory infections)."
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/...
"It's only the flu."
STUDY: "Compared with influenza and dengue, #COVID19 stands out for both the breadth and severity of its neurological manifestations, as well as the persistence of symptoms in many survivors."
www.cureus.com/articles/449...
STUDY: "Compared with influenza and dengue, #COVID19 stands out for both the breadth and severity of its neurological manifestations, as well as the persistence of symptoms in many survivors."
www.cureus.com/articles/449...
Neurological Complications Associated With COVID-19 Compared to Other Viral Infections: A Systematic Review of Current Evidence
Neurological complications have become one of the most concerning features of COVID-19, yet clinicians still lack a clear comparison between these findings and what is seen in other viral infections. ...
www.cureus.com
January 21, 2026 at 5:10 PM
"It's only the flu."
STUDY: "Compared with influenza and dengue, #COVID19 stands out for both the breadth and severity of its neurological manifestations, as well as the persistence of symptoms in many survivors."
www.cureus.com/articles/449...
STUDY: "Compared with influenza and dengue, #COVID19 stands out for both the breadth and severity of its neurological manifestations, as well as the persistence of symptoms in many survivors."
www.cureus.com/articles/449...
Jesus was attacked by those in power. He didn't get angry, bully anyone, or cast blame. He didn't collect arms and demand his followers violently resist. He didn't use his influence and power to amass an army. 1/2
January 20, 2026 at 6:50 PM
Jesus was attacked by those in power. He didn't get angry, bully anyone, or cast blame. He didn't collect arms and demand his followers violently resist. He didn't use his influence and power to amass an army. 1/2
Donald Trump, August 2025: "The United States will not let men steal trophies from women."
Donald Trump, January 2026:
Donald Trump, January 2026:
January 20, 2026 at 12:28 AM
Donald Trump, August 2025: "The United States will not let men steal trophies from women."
Donald Trump, January 2026:
Donald Trump, January 2026:
STUDY: “Foreign exporters absorb only about 4% of the tariff burden—the remaining 96% is passed through to US buyers.”
“The claim that foreign countries 'pay' these tariffs is a myth. The tariffs are, in the most literal sense, an own goal.”
www.kielinstitut.de/publications...
“The claim that foreign countries 'pay' these tariffs is a myth. The tariffs are, in the most literal sense, an own goal.”
www.kielinstitut.de/publications...
America's own goal: Americans pay almost entirely for Trump’s tariffs
Contrary to US government rhetoric, the cost of US import tariffs are not borne by foreign exporters. Instead, they hit the American economy itself. Importers and consumers in the US bear 96 percent o...
www.kielinstitut.de
January 19, 2026 at 3:29 PM
STUDY: “Foreign exporters absorb only about 4% of the tariff burden—the remaining 96% is passed through to US buyers.”
“The claim that foreign countries 'pay' these tariffs is a myth. The tariffs are, in the most literal sense, an own goal.”
www.kielinstitut.de/publications...
“The claim that foreign countries 'pay' these tariffs is a myth. The tariffs are, in the most literal sense, an own goal.”
www.kielinstitut.de/publications...
STUDY: "Although vaccination reduces the risk of acute infection and lowers the likelihood of developing Long #COVID19... vaccination alone may not sufficiently mitigate long-term complications in individuals who develop Long COVID."
1/2
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/2
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
Cardiovascular, renal and pulmonary risks of Long COVID: a retrospective cohort study stratified by age and sex
Background: A substantial proportion of patients with acute COVID-19 develop post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (Long COVID). The risk of adverse cardiovascular and related outcomes in Long C...
www.medrxiv.org
January 19, 2026 at 2:02 PM
STUDY: "Although vaccination reduces the risk of acute infection and lowers the likelihood of developing Long #COVID19... vaccination alone may not sufficiently mitigate long-term complications in individuals who develop Long COVID."
1/2
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/2
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
Fun fact: Donald Trump isn't the first person gifted a Nobel Prize from the person who won it. The other was Hitler's minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels.
countercurrents.org/2026/01/mari...
countercurrents.org/2026/01/mari...
Maria Corina Machado, Knut Hamsun, and the Nobel Prize | Countercurrents
Maria Corina Machado recently congratulated President Donald Trump for kidnapping Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a military action that left around 100 people dead. In an interview with Fox…
countercurrents.org
January 17, 2026 at 2:09 PM
Fun fact: Donald Trump isn't the first person gifted a Nobel Prize from the person who won it. The other was Hitler's minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels.
countercurrents.org/2026/01/mari...
countercurrents.org/2026/01/mari...
My latest weekly update on #COVID19 in the US:
- COVID viral activity has never been this varied across the US
- COVID is 5.5x higher in the Midwest than the West
- Few get vaccinated, but new studies tell us vaccines keep us healthier
medium.com/@augieray_66...
- COVID viral activity has never been this varied across the US
- COVID is 5.5x higher in the Midwest than the West
- Few get vaccinated, but new studies tell us vaccines keep us healthier
medium.com/@augieray_66...
COVID and Flu Risks High in Much of Nation: Update for January 16, 2026
COVID viral activity has never been this diverse before in the U.S., with viral activity 5.5x higher in the Midwest than in the West…
medium.com
January 16, 2026 at 8:12 PM
My latest weekly update on #COVID19 in the US:
- COVID viral activity has never been this varied across the US
- COVID is 5.5x higher in the Midwest than the West
- Few get vaccinated, but new studies tell us vaccines keep us healthier
medium.com/@augieray_66...
- COVID viral activity has never been this varied across the US
- COVID is 5.5x higher in the Midwest than the West
- Few get vaccinated, but new studies tell us vaccines keep us healthier
medium.com/@augieray_66...
Again... a Poem
I got COVID
Nothing to sweat
I've had worse
What's the threat?
Got COVID again
I'm tired a lot
I'm not sure why
Must be the shot
Got COVID again
"Twas just a cold
Brain's a bit fuzzy
Just getting old
1/3
I got COVID
Nothing to sweat
I've had worse
What's the threat?
Got COVID again
I'm tired a lot
I'm not sure why
Must be the shot
Got COVID again
"Twas just a cold
Brain's a bit fuzzy
Just getting old
1/3
January 16, 2026 at 1:38 PM
Again... a Poem
I got COVID
Nothing to sweat
I've had worse
What's the threat?
Got COVID again
I'm tired a lot
I'm not sure why
Must be the shot
Got COVID again
"Twas just a cold
Brain's a bit fuzzy
Just getting old
1/3
I got COVID
Nothing to sweat
I've had worse
What's the threat?
Got COVID again
I'm tired a lot
I'm not sure why
Must be the shot
Got COVID again
"Twas just a cold
Brain's a bit fuzzy
Just getting old
1/3
STUDY: "We are facing the emergence of a new phenomenon, namely a secondary post #COVID19 pandemic of patients confronting with persistent post-COVID-19 symptoms who present with functional respiratory changes and who require careful monitoring."
www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15...
www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15...
www.mdpi.com
January 16, 2026 at 1:37 PM
STUDY: "We are facing the emergence of a new phenomenon, namely a secondary post #COVID19 pandemic of patients confronting with persistent post-COVID-19 symptoms who present with functional respiratory changes and who require careful monitoring."
www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15...
www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15...