Jesspooka Kant 🎃
@jessdkant.bsky.social
Researcher, therapist, heavily caffeinated. Frequently described as a bit of a handful. 🖤 (She/her) 🏳️⚧️ jessk.org/blog
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The myth of an apolitical science — Jessica Kant
What we might call the modern anti-science movement, starting with efforts to hide the obvious linkage between tobacco and cancer, and the rise of “climate skepticism”, has grown in scale enormously i...
jessk.org
In sorting my own thoughts about the moment, I began writing about the way science is being used by bad actors under the guise of "evidence-based medicine". I also talk about the limits of our ability to fully boil down evidence into axioms that make subjectivity irrelevant.
There’s no nice way to say this: promoting anti-vax bullshit while kids are dying of vaccine preventable illnesses is tantamount to murder, and should be treated as such in the media and the courts.
November 25, 2025 at 9:59 PM
There’s no nice way to say this: promoting anti-vax bullshit while kids are dying of vaccine preventable illnesses is tantamount to murder, and should be treated as such in the media and the courts.
A third infant has died in Kentucky, KYDPH adds:
“These are Kentucky’s first pertussis deaths since 2018. None of the infants nor their mothers received the recommended pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy or early infancy.”
s3.amazonaws.com/nursing-netw...
“These are Kentucky’s first pertussis deaths since 2018. None of the infants nor their mothers received the recommended pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy or early infancy.”
s3.amazonaws.com/nursing-netw...
November 25, 2025 at 9:55 PM
A third infant has died in Kentucky, KYDPH adds:
“These are Kentucky’s first pertussis deaths since 2018. None of the infants nor their mothers received the recommended pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy or early infancy.”
s3.amazonaws.com/nursing-netw...
“These are Kentucky’s first pertussis deaths since 2018. None of the infants nor their mothers received the recommended pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy or early infancy.”
s3.amazonaws.com/nursing-netw...
The CDC has not addressed this and is largely pretending it isn’t happening. Meanwhile they’re taking steps to actively reduce vaccination rates.
Pertussis cases in Texas are 10x higher than all of 2023, and 2x as high as last year — 4x for the same period. The official count is higher by a 1k than it has been in more than a decade. Last time it was over 2k was 2014 with 2,576. It’s past 3,500 for 2025.
www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/...
www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/...
November 25, 2025 at 9:51 PM
The CDC has not addressed this and is largely pretending it isn’t happening. Meanwhile they’re taking steps to actively reduce vaccination rates.
Pertussis outbreaks have been predictably happening everywhere there are low vaccination rates, and infant deaths have happened in multiple states. In many places they’re the highest in a decade or more.
This may not sound like a lot compared to Texas but WV is roughly 5-6% the size of TX. This is a big deal.
www.hancockcountyhealthdepartment.com/news/health-...
www.hancockcountyhealthdepartment.com/news/health-...
November 25, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Pertussis outbreaks have been predictably happening everywhere there are low vaccination rates, and infant deaths have happened in multiple states. In many places they’re the highest in a decade or more.
After two infants died, the Louisiana Dept of Health under the leadership of the new incoming deputy director of the CDC, delayed notifying the public for months of a whooping cough outbreak. Instead, he ordered DOH to stop promoting vaccines. Pertussis is currently a national health crisis.
Louisiana officials waited months to warn public of whooping cough outbreak
After a whooping cough outbreak killed two infants, Louisiana health officials waited months to officially alert physicians or do public outreach. That's not the typical public health response.
www.npr.org
November 25, 2025 at 9:45 PM
After two infants died, the Louisiana Dept of Health under the leadership of the new incoming deputy director of the CDC, delayed notifying the public for months of a whooping cough outbreak. Instead, he ordered DOH to stop promoting vaccines. Pertussis is currently a national health crisis.
It’s like an extreme version of the “man cave” trend that became popular because the rest of us didn’t feel that neon beer signs and dirty socks were a good way to decorate the living room.
November 25, 2025 at 1:40 PM
It’s like an extreme version of the “man cave” trend that became popular because the rest of us didn’t feel that neon beer signs and dirty socks were a good way to decorate the living room.
It’s darkly funny how a decade of attacking “safe spaces” in favor of some sort of social Darwinist fantasy where the strong devour the weak has consistently progressed to the vigorous defense of special enclaves for masculinity.
www.npr.org/2025/11/25/n...
www.npr.org/2025/11/25/n...
November 25, 2025 at 1:35 PM
It’s darkly funny how a decade of attacking “safe spaces” in favor of some sort of social Darwinist fantasy where the strong devour the weak has consistently progressed to the vigorous defense of special enclaves for masculinity.
www.npr.org/2025/11/25/n...
www.npr.org/2025/11/25/n...
“Two of the U.S. officials said covert operations would likely be the first part of the new action against Maduro. All four officials quoted in this article spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of impending action by the United States.”
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
Every time I read of another boat strike, aside from the horrendous disregard for human life and thinking of the families who’ve lost loved ones, it’s impossible not to think of the Gulf of Tonkin. We are again one boat strike away from war.
November 24, 2025 at 1:42 AM
“Two of the U.S. officials said covert operations would likely be the first part of the new action against Maduro. All four officials quoted in this article spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of impending action by the United States.”
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
Reposted by Jesspooka Kant 🎃
seen on WT Harris in E Charlotte
November 23, 2025 at 3:35 AM
seen on WT Harris in E Charlotte
This is my new favorite word
November 23, 2025 at 7:46 PM
This is my new favorite word
I know everyone loves it despite being owned by an evil megalomaniac but if instagram disappeared overnight, it would only be a net positive for the world.
November 23, 2025 at 7:44 PM
I know everyone loves it despite being owned by an evil megalomaniac but if instagram disappeared overnight, it would only be a net positive for the world.
In a previous iteration of my career, I sometimes worked with kids who had been lured by adults on the internet. Without fail, it started on a Meta product. Reading these allegations makes me want to spit fire, because I’ve seen the end result and it can take a lifetime to heal from.
November 23, 2025 at 7:39 PM
In a previous iteration of my career, I sometimes worked with kids who had been lured by adults on the internet. Without fail, it started on a Meta product. Reading these allegations makes me want to spit fire, because I’ve seen the end result and it can take a lifetime to heal from.
They’ve built one of the most horrifyingly precise targeted ads platforms in the world. You think they can’t figure out how to flag for a child safety team to check out when some middle-aged man messages dozens of kids? They can and often do, but that’s bad for “business” apparently.
November 23, 2025 at 7:34 PM
They’ve built one of the most horrifyingly precise targeted ads platforms in the world. You think they can’t figure out how to flag for a child safety team to check out when some middle-aged man messages dozens of kids? They can and often do, but that’s bad for “business” apparently.
Before people suggest I’m talking KOSA or age verification, etc, Facebook and Instagram already know so much about every user that they’re a go-to source for intelligence agencies. The algo already knows when an adult is messaging teenagers the platform is already monitoring for targeted ads.
November 23, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Before people suggest I’m talking KOSA or age verification, etc, Facebook and Instagram already know so much about every user that they’re a go-to source for intelligence agencies. The algo already knows when an adult is messaging teenagers the platform is already monitoring for targeted ads.
There are very few child safety problems we couldn’t address virtually overnight if corporations were liable for the damage their products do.
November 23, 2025 at 7:25 PM
There are very few child safety problems we couldn’t address virtually overnight if corporations were liable for the damage their products do.
The “growth concerns” part stands out like a neon sign while Zuckerberg makes more in an hour than most NIH grants tackling child predation are awarded in a year. He’s estimated to take in $9.6 million an hour. With a day’s earnings Meta could fund pretty much anything. They just dont want to.
November 23, 2025 at 7:23 PM
The “growth concerns” part stands out like a neon sign while Zuckerberg makes more in an hour than most NIH grants tackling child predation are awarded in a year. He’s estimated to take in $9.6 million an hour. With a day’s earnings Meta could fund pretty much anything. They just dont want to.
“Meta stalled internal efforts to prevent child predators from contacting minors for years due to growth concerns, and pressured safety staff to circulate arguments justifying its decision not to act.”
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
November 23, 2025 at 6:58 PM
“Meta stalled internal efforts to prevent child predators from contacting minors for years due to growth concerns, and pressured safety staff to circulate arguments justifying its decision not to act.”
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
This absolutely. He lent authority to the sham
November 23, 2025 at 1:47 PM
This absolutely. He lent authority to the sham
Reposted by Jesspooka Kant 🎃
This has always been the case. Back in the 2000s, Dr. Bob Sears suggested in his book on vaccines that parents who don’t vaccinate have their kids “hide in the herd.”
Vaccines themselves are such a metaphor for how the anti-vax demographic views society. If the rest of us didn’t do our part, most of them would be doing a very different risk assessment before declining immunization. They depend on the rest of us getting vaccinated so we stay above herd immunity.
November 23, 2025 at 12:31 PM
This has always been the case. Back in the 2000s, Dr. Bob Sears suggested in his book on vaccines that parents who don’t vaccinate have their kids “hide in the herd.”
Reposted by Jesspooka Kant 🎃
I remember so many people on Facebook and Twitter in 2020 saying "I don't need to get the vaccine if everyone else does"
November 23, 2025 at 1:07 PM
I remember so many people on Facebook and Twitter in 2020 saying "I don't need to get the vaccine if everyone else does"
There are few simple actions we can take that will save the life of someone we love while requiring basically nothing from us. For the price of a headache and a sore arm, you keep your neighbors alive. That’s asking so little it should be embarrassing to refuse.
November 23, 2025 at 1:25 PM
There are few simple actions we can take that will save the life of someone we love while requiring basically nothing from us. For the price of a headache and a sore arm, you keep your neighbors alive. That’s asking so little it should be embarrassing to refuse.
The conditions for which they’re refusing vaccines look mild to them because they’ve never seen how bad they can be, which is only possible if most of the population does its job. Vaccination isn’t just a personal choice, it’s about fulfilling our obligation to our community to keep everyone safe.
November 23, 2025 at 12:45 PM
The conditions for which they’re refusing vaccines look mild to them because they’ve never seen how bad they can be, which is only possible if most of the population does its job. Vaccination isn’t just a personal choice, it’s about fulfilling our obligation to our community to keep everyone safe.
Vaccines themselves are such a metaphor for how the anti-vax demographic views society. If the rest of us didn’t do our part, most of them would be doing a very different risk assessment before declining immunization. They depend on the rest of us getting vaccinated so we stay above herd immunity.
November 23, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Vaccines themselves are such a metaphor for how the anti-vax demographic views society. If the rest of us didn’t do our part, most of them would be doing a very different risk assessment before declining immunization. They depend on the rest of us getting vaccinated so we stay above herd immunity.
“During his confirmation process, Kennedy pledged to Cassidy he would leave the statement that vaccines do not cause autism on the CDC website. The statement remains on the website but with a disclaimer that it was left there because of their agreement.”
November 23, 2025 at 4:51 AM
“During his confirmation process, Kennedy pledged to Cassidy he would leave the statement that vaccines do not cause autism on the CDC website. The statement remains on the website but with a disclaimer that it was left there because of their agreement.”
This statement is still up on his website.
November 23, 2025 at 4:51 AM
This statement is still up on his website.