J. Offir, PhD
@joffirphd.bsky.social
Ph.D. in social psychology. Former researcher in pandemic behavioral risk reduction (non-pharma intervention). Only here to keep up. @[email protected]
Pinned
J. Offir, PhD
@joffirphd.bsky.social
· Aug 23
In The Bad Place, I have a pinned thread of my covid essays & threads, w/ short descriptions of ea. Here's one for This Place, though w/o descriptions, b/c I'm tired. As is true there, I've put them in reverse chrono order, but anything new will post at the end. I flagged ones people liked best:
Updated 📌 list of my essays on the psychology of public health (inc. topics like covid, HIV & reproductive health). As of 8/22/25, there are *31* long-form pieces in this 🧵.
The list starts in reverse chrono. order, but in Oct. 2024 starts rolling forward, so oldest posts are in the middle. Doh.
The list starts in reverse chrono. order, but in Oct. 2024 starts rolling forward, so oldest posts are in the middle. Doh.
Nine Senate seats & 50 House seats are up for grabs this year. We need to pick up just a few in both House & Senate to regain control of Congress.
Per the Cook Report, 18 of 435 House races & 4 Senate races are "true toss ups."
If you don't like...
1/2
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Per the Cook Report, 18 of 435 House races & 4 Senate races are "true toss ups."
If you don't like...
1/2
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Analysis | Six congressional primaries that explain where the country is headed
A 21st-century-record number of seats are opening, and races will be raucous and crowded, reflecting both parties’ ideological, stylistic and generational tensions.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 16, 2026 at 2:23 AM
Nine Senate seats & 50 House seats are up for grabs this year. We need to pick up just a few in both House & Senate to regain control of Congress.
Per the Cook Report, 18 of 435 House races & 4 Senate races are "true toss ups."
If you don't like...
1/2
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Per the Cook Report, 18 of 435 House races & 4 Senate races are "true toss ups."
If you don't like...
1/2
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Non-medical vaccine exemptions are a huge threat to public health. They make it much easier for families to avoid getting their kids vaxxed & much easier for disease outbreaks to take off.
This study parsed the data at a county-level; important, b/c trends can
🧵1/3
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
This study parsed the data at a county-level; important, b/c trends can
🧵1/3
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Trends in County-Level Childhood Vaccination Exemptions in the US
This study examines US county-level trends in nonmedical and medical exemptions to childhood vaccination requirements.
jamanetwork.com
February 16, 2026 at 2:04 AM
Non-medical vaccine exemptions are a huge threat to public health. They make it much easier for families to avoid getting their kids vaxxed & much easier for disease outbreaks to take off.
This study parsed the data at a county-level; important, b/c trends can
🧵1/3
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
This study parsed the data at a county-level; important, b/c trends can
🧵1/3
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
“'It’s like going to battle with half your generals in place,' said Dr. Elias Zerhouni, who led NIH from 2002 to 2008 under [GW] Bush. 'I don’t think it’s precedented to have so many vacancies so fast.'"
The National Institutes of Health is now down 16...
🧵1/4
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
The National Institutes of Health is now down 16...
🧵1/4
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
National Institutes of Health faces leadership vacuum as director positions sit open
More than half of the NIH's institutes and centers don’t have permanent directors, giving the Trump administration an unusual opportunity to reshape the agency. The latest departure came Friday.
www.nbcnews.com
February 16, 2026 at 1:39 AM
“'It’s like going to battle with half your generals in place,' said Dr. Elias Zerhouni, who led NIH from 2002 to 2008 under [GW] Bush. 'I don’t think it’s precedented to have so many vacancies so fast.'"
The National Institutes of Health is now down 16...
🧵1/4
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
The National Institutes of Health is now down 16...
🧵1/4
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
Columbia never should've promoted a DHS career expo, but granted: the virtual era has made protecting campus values harder.
Back in the day at *my* alma mater, when military recruiters came to town, students just blocked them from moving or trapped them in their car.
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Back in the day at *my* alma mater, when military recruiters came to town, students just blocked them from moving or trapped them in their car.
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Columbia pulls promotion for DHS career expo after faculty claims university is aiding 'authoritarianism'
Columbia University withdrew promotion of a DHS-affiliated CBP virtual career expo after faculty criticized the listing as aiding "authoritarianism."
www.yahoo.com
February 16, 2026 at 1:02 AM
Columbia never should've promoted a DHS career expo, but granted: the virtual era has made protecting campus values harder.
Back in the day at *my* alma mater, when military recruiters came to town, students just blocked them from moving or trapped them in their car.
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Back in the day at *my* alma mater, when military recruiters came to town, students just blocked them from moving or trapped them in their car.
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Reposted by J. Offir, PhD
Good time to remind everyone that NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, a right-wing economist, has made it a personal goal to make sure lockdowns can never return.
Because in his mind, there is nothing that could ever justify shutting down the economy.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Because in his mind, there is nothing that could ever justify shutting down the economy.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Exclusive: Key US infectious-diseases centre to drop pandemic preparation
Staff members have been instructed to scrub this topic and ‘biodefense’ from the agency’s website.
www.nature.com
February 15, 2026 at 2:12 AM
Good time to remind everyone that NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, a right-wing economist, has made it a personal goal to make sure lockdowns can never return.
Because in his mind, there is nothing that could ever justify shutting down the economy.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Because in his mind, there is nothing that could ever justify shutting down the economy.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Oh, but, gee whiz - this couldn't possibly be connected to the Republican SAVE Act (which would make it hard for many people w/o a passport to vote), could it?
What to know:
🔹️The State Department has "ordered certain public libraries nationwide to cease...
🧵1/6
apnews.com/article/pass...
What to know:
🔹️The State Department has "ordered certain public libraries nationwide to cease...
🧵1/6
apnews.com/article/pass...
State Department orders nonprofit libraries to stop processing passport applications
The State Department has ordered nonprofit public libraries to stop taking passport applications, cutting off a popular local service.
apnews.com
February 14, 2026 at 11:18 PM
Oh, but, gee whiz - this couldn't possibly be connected to the Republican SAVE Act (which would make it hard for many people w/o a passport to vote), could it?
What to know:
🔹️The State Department has "ordered certain public libraries nationwide to cease...
🧵1/6
apnews.com/article/pass...
What to know:
🔹️The State Department has "ordered certain public libraries nationwide to cease...
🧵1/6
apnews.com/article/pass...
This is where the US is at? Politicians - Republicans, even - preemptively letting the country know to suspect foul play, potentially from the executive branch, should they suddenly die?
I don't recall ever seeing this sort of thing here before. And we're only a year into this hell.
I don't recall ever seeing this sort of thing here before. And we're only a year into this hell.
INBOX: Rep. Thomas Massie, who has enraged Trump for his insistence on blocking tariffs and releasing the Epstein files according to the law, just issued what is widely known among Chinese dissidents as "a declaration of no suicidal intent" (不自殺聲明), a sign of extreme distress.
February 14, 2026 at 6:26 AM
This is where the US is at? Politicians - Republicans, even - preemptively letting the country know to suspect foul play, potentially from the executive branch, should they suddenly die?
I don't recall ever seeing this sort of thing here before. And we're only a year into this hell.
I don't recall ever seeing this sort of thing here before. And we're only a year into this hell.
More reporting: for antivaxxers, fed. guidance change was just their opening shot. (See what I did there?)
Just a few excerpts, as I already thoroughly summarized the STAT article :
🔹️"Many vaccine proponents view the state-level push as a second stage in the
🧵1/3
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/h...
Just a few excerpts, as I already thoroughly summarized the STAT article :
🔹️"Many vaccine proponents view the state-level push as a second stage in the
🧵1/3
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/h...
February 14, 2026 at 6:08 AM
More reporting: for antivaxxers, fed. guidance change was just their opening shot. (See what I did there?)
Just a few excerpts, as I already thoroughly summarized the STAT article :
🔹️"Many vaccine proponents view the state-level push as a second stage in the
🧵1/3
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/h...
Just a few excerpts, as I already thoroughly summarized the STAT article :
🔹️"Many vaccine proponents view the state-level push as a second stage in the
🧵1/3
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/h...
In an attempt to out-Florida Florida, South Carolina now boasts more than 930 measles cases. Meanwhile, even their governor (a Republican) "has championed personal choice as the preventable disease spreads through the state."
Part of this problem is due to...
🧵1/4
www.reuters.com/business/hea...
Part of this problem is due to...
🧵1/4
www.reuters.com/business/hea...
Doctors bear the burden as ‘medical freedom’ fuels worst US measles outbreak in 30 years
About a dozen times each day, medical staff at Parkside Pediatrics in Spartanburg, South Carolina, head to the clinic’s parking lot, reaching inside cars and minivans to check children and their paren...
www.reuters.com
February 14, 2026 at 3:01 AM
In an attempt to out-Florida Florida, South Carolina now boasts more than 930 measles cases. Meanwhile, even their governor (a Republican) "has championed personal choice as the preventable disease spreads through the state."
Part of this problem is due to...
🧵1/4
www.reuters.com/business/hea...
Part of this problem is due to...
🧵1/4
www.reuters.com/business/hea...
Lol: now they say the original exclusion of Dem governors had been a “misunderstanding in scheduling.”
The reversal comes after NGA members were told "the organization would no longer facilitate the White House meeting, citing the decision to only invite Republicans"
share.google/jLii2QXHUvdB...
The reversal comes after NGA members were told "the organization would no longer facilitate the White House meeting, citing the decision to only invite Republicans"
share.google/jLii2QXHUvdB...
Governors association says all members now invited to White House meeting as Trump defends exclusion of Moore and Polis | CNN Politics
The National Governors Association said Wednesday that a traditionally bipartisan meeting at the White House next week is back on after invitations were extended to all of its members, even as Preside...
share.google
February 13, 2026 at 9:57 PM
Lol: now they say the original exclusion of Dem governors had been a “misunderstanding in scheduling.”
The reversal comes after NGA members were told "the organization would no longer facilitate the White House meeting, citing the decision to only invite Republicans"
share.google/jLii2QXHUvdB...
The reversal comes after NGA members were told "the organization would no longer facilitate the White House meeting, citing the decision to only invite Republicans"
share.google/jLii2QXHUvdB...
Elections have consequences, and now we're all toast. People high on the SVI (poor people, the disabled & elderly, racial & ethnic minorities, etc) will get hit harder and first.
This is what people who didn't vote in 2024 chose to have happen. What was that about ethics & morality, again?
This is what people who didn't vote in 2024 chose to have happen. What was that about ethics & morality, again?
It's not an exaggeration to say this will result in genocidal-scale death. And I don't mean in the distant, speculative future. Just the tens of thousands of pollution deaths in the relative near-term (Free link.) www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/c...
Trump Administration Erases the Government’s Power to Fight Climate Change
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Elections have consequences, and now we're all toast. People high on the SVI (poor people, the disabled & elderly, racial & ethnic minorities, etc) will get hit harder and first.
This is what people who didn't vote in 2024 chose to have happen. What was that about ethics & morality, again?
This is what people who didn't vote in 2024 chose to have happen. What was that about ethics & morality, again?
ICYMI: In the Senate today, Fetterman was the only D. to vote yea on ICE funding. The vote was 52-47 yea, but they needed 60 to pass it; the filibuster is coming in handy.
So: Of our 259 Dem members of Congress, all but 2 voted against ICE funding. Just think what we could do if we had a majority.
So: Of our 259 Dem members of Congress, all but 2 voted against ICE funding. Just think what we could do if we had a majority.
February 13, 2026 at 3:21 AM
ICYMI: In the Senate today, Fetterman was the only D. to vote yea on ICE funding. The vote was 52-47 yea, but they needed 60 to pass it; the filibuster is coming in handy.
So: Of our 259 Dem members of Congress, all but 2 voted against ICE funding. Just think what we could do if we had a majority.
So: Of our 259 Dem members of Congress, all but 2 voted against ICE funding. Just think what we could do if we had a majority.
For almost two hundred years, young children in the US & Europe (& probably elsewhere) have regularly been taught this story to warn them off the dangers of collective delusion & complicity.
And yet, here we are. Ooh, ahh, how magnificent he is.
And yet, here we are. Ooh, ahh, how magnificent he is.
NUDE ELON MUSK: The invisible clothes I'm wearing are a product of xAthleisure, which will roll out self-dressing outfits within two years at the latest
THE CREDULOUS PRESS: Fully Clothed Tesla Innovator Does It Again
THE CREDULOUS PRESS: Fully Clothed Tesla Innovator Does It Again
February 13, 2026 at 1:26 AM
For almost two hundred years, young children in the US & Europe (& probably elsewhere) have regularly been taught this story to warn them off the dangers of collective delusion & complicity.
And yet, here we are. Ooh, ahh, how magnificent he is.
And yet, here we are. Ooh, ahh, how magnificent he is.
Why did some people develop blood clots after receiving the J&J or AZ covid vaccine? A study published in the NEJM yesterday appears to have solved the case:
For a v. small number of people, these two adenovirus-based (not mRNA) vaccines caused vaccine-...
1/6
www.theatlantic.com/science/2026...
For a v. small number of people, these two adenovirus-based (not mRNA) vaccines caused vaccine-...
1/6
www.theatlantic.com/science/2026...
Scientists Figured Out the Problem With Johnson & Johnson’s COVID Vaccine
Rare but dangerous blood clotting associated with that vaccine as well as AstraZeneca’s had a genetic cause, according to a new paper.
www.theatlantic.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:13 AM
Why did some people develop blood clots after receiving the J&J or AZ covid vaccine? A study published in the NEJM yesterday appears to have solved the case:
For a v. small number of people, these two adenovirus-based (not mRNA) vaccines caused vaccine-...
1/6
www.theatlantic.com/science/2026...
For a v. small number of people, these two adenovirus-based (not mRNA) vaccines caused vaccine-...
1/6
www.theatlantic.com/science/2026...
No one is surprised by this, and mostly, we don't care - we're just sick of him trying to shove everyone else's heads in the toilet, too.
RFK Jr: I'm not scared of a germ. I used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats.
February 12, 2026 at 9:21 PM
No one is surprised by this, and mostly, we don't care - we're just sick of him trying to shove everyone else's heads in the toilet, too.
I'm watching Harold & Maude while I work, & it just cut to a car commercial that featured Malvina Reynolds' song Ticky Tacky (also once sung by Pete Seeger), & I think if she knew they'd done that, she would be very, very, very, very upset.
Who's idiotic idea was *that*? They've missed the point.
Who's idiotic idea was *that*? They've missed the point.
February 12, 2026 at 2:11 AM
I'm watching Harold & Maude while I work, & it just cut to a car commercial that featured Malvina Reynolds' song Ticky Tacky (also once sung by Pete Seeger), & I think if she knew they'd done that, she would be very, very, very, very upset.
Who's idiotic idea was *that*? They've missed the point.
Who's idiotic idea was *that*? They've missed the point.
218-13. Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, who always votes wrong, was the only Democrat (of 214, total) to vote yea.
Just think if we'd held a majority in the House.
Elections matter, and #WeAreNotThem.
Just think if we'd held a majority in the House.
Elections matter, and #WeAreNotThem.
Breaking: House passes new version of SAVE Act, worst voter suppression bill considered by Congress. Could disenfranchise:
-21 million Americans w/out access to citizenship papers
-69 mil married women who took partner’s name
-21 mil w/out valid drivers license
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
-21 million Americans w/out access to citizenship papers
-69 mil married women who took partner’s name
-21 mil w/out valid drivers license
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
The GOP’s “show us your papers” bill Is the latest effort to help Trump take over elections
“If the SAVE Act were to pass, it would be the worst voter suppression law that Congress has ever enacted"
www.motherjones.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:10 AM
218-13. Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, who always votes wrong, was the only Democrat (of 214, total) to vote yea.
Just think if we'd held a majority in the House.
Elections matter, and #WeAreNotThem.
Just think if we'd held a majority in the House.
Elections matter, and #WeAreNotThem.
Bud Cort, Who Starred in 1971’s ‘Harold and Maude,’ Dies at 77
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 12:50 AM
We're rightly furious with anti-vaxxers for being so irresponsible w/ everyone's health. But we have responsibilities, too: to know what the enemies of public health are up to, & to work against them. Pls. read this 🧵 to learn how the anti-vax crusade is at work in every state & what to do about it.
🚨 Mandates are critical to vaccine uptake. Having recently undermined both so successfully through the CDC ACIP, antivaxxers are now taking their fight to state legislatures.
This is an important piece, w/ links to those state fights. What to know & what to do:
🧵
www.statnews.com/2026/01/29/v...
This is an important piece, w/ links to those state fights. What to know & what to do:
🧵
www.statnews.com/2026/01/29/v...
With new vaccine schedule secured, RFK Jr. allies head to statehouses
The overhaul of the federal vaccine schedule sent shockwaves through American health care. Now battles over vaccine laws are moving to statehouses across the country.
www.statnews.com
February 12, 2026 at 12:13 AM
We're rightly furious with anti-vaxxers for being so irresponsible w/ everyone's health. But we have responsibilities, too: to know what the enemies of public health are up to, & to work against them. Pls. read this 🧵 to learn how the anti-vax crusade is at work in every state & what to do about it.
James Van Der Beek has died of colorectal cancer at age 48.
The American Cancer Society now recommends that people at average risk of colorectal cancer start colonoscopy screenings at age 45, b/c so many younger folks are getting ill.
Get yer' colonoscopy, Gen X!
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/a...
The American Cancer Society now recommends that people at average risk of colorectal cancer start colonoscopy screenings at age 45, b/c so many younger folks are getting ill.
Get yer' colonoscopy, Gen X!
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/a...
James Van Der Beek, Teenage Heartthrob of ‘Dawson’s Creek,’ Dies at 48
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 8:37 PM
James Van Der Beek has died of colorectal cancer at age 48.
The American Cancer Society now recommends that people at average risk of colorectal cancer start colonoscopy screenings at age 45, b/c so many younger folks are getting ill.
Get yer' colonoscopy, Gen X!
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/a...
The American Cancer Society now recommends that people at average risk of colorectal cancer start colonoscopy screenings at age 45, b/c so many younger folks are getting ill.
Get yer' colonoscopy, Gen X!
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/a...
🚨 Mandates are critical to vaccine uptake. Having recently undermined both so successfully through the CDC ACIP, antivaxxers are now taking their fight to state legislatures.
This is an important piece, w/ links to those state fights. What to know & what to do:
🧵
www.statnews.com/2026/01/29/v...
This is an important piece, w/ links to those state fights. What to know & what to do:
🧵
www.statnews.com/2026/01/29/v...
With new vaccine schedule secured, RFK Jr. allies head to statehouses
The overhaul of the federal vaccine schedule sent shockwaves through American health care. Now battles over vaccine laws are moving to statehouses across the country.
www.statnews.com
February 11, 2026 at 8:27 PM
🚨 Mandates are critical to vaccine uptake. Having recently undermined both so successfully through the CDC ACIP, antivaxxers are now taking their fight to state legislatures.
This is an important piece, w/ links to those state fights. What to know & what to do:
🧵
www.statnews.com/2026/01/29/v...
This is an important piece, w/ links to those state fights. What to know & what to do:
🧵
www.statnews.com/2026/01/29/v...
ICYMI: Measles is again endemic in the UK. Congratulations, British friends.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
UK loses measles elimination status
Decision made after outbreaks in 2024, when there were nearly 3,000 cases in England and Wales.
www.bbc.com
February 11, 2026 at 7:21 PM
ICYMI: Measles is again endemic in the UK. Congratulations, British friends.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
February 11, 2026 at 3:50 AM
New York makes two! C'mon, blue states - time to join up.
The partnership will allow NY to "provide technical assistance and capacity-building support while gaining earlier access to global outbreak intelligence" & improving preparedness for emerging PH threats.
cbs6albany.com/news/local/g...
The partnership will allow NY to "provide technical assistance and capacity-building support while gaining earlier access to global outbreak intelligence" & improving preparedness for emerging PH threats.
cbs6albany.com/news/local/g...
February 11, 2026 at 3:25 AM
New York makes two! C'mon, blue states - time to join up.
The partnership will allow NY to "provide technical assistance and capacity-building support while gaining earlier access to global outbreak intelligence" & improving preparedness for emerging PH threats.
cbs6albany.com/news/local/g...
The partnership will allow NY to "provide technical assistance and capacity-building support while gaining earlier access to global outbreak intelligence" & improving preparedness for emerging PH threats.
cbs6albany.com/news/local/g...
Social drinking is linked to addiction, violence, & accidents - and experts should have said so a month ago when Oz first mouthed off about alcohol's utility as a "social lunricant." (I said something, below, but I'm not an expert on alcohol use.)
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/h...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/h...
February 11, 2026 at 2:40 AM
Social drinking is linked to addiction, violence, & accidents - and experts should have said so a month ago when Oz first mouthed off about alcohol's utility as a "social lunricant." (I said something, below, but I'm not an expert on alcohol use.)
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/h...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/h...