Brian Pierce MD
@mainedpcdoc.medsky.social
he/him, independent family physician in Midcoast Maine, lucky husband, empty nest dad, Direct Primary Care (DPC) small business owner, learning POCUS, USCG and USAF veteran, former Republican, like Mastodon but this place is busier
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
Days after Donald Trump fell asleep during a televised Cabinet meeting, the president on Thursday again dozed off during a ceremony to mark the signing of a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Trump continued to doze after the leaders spoke. trib.al/6tBYEcg
Trump continued to doze after the leaders spoke. trib.al/6tBYEcg
December 4, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Days after Donald Trump fell asleep during a televised Cabinet meeting, the president on Thursday again dozed off during a ceremony to mark the signing of a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Trump continued to doze after the leaders spoke. trib.al/6tBYEcg
Trump continued to doze after the leaders spoke. trib.al/6tBYEcg
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
Left unchecked, the shortage will have cascading negative effects on the island’s economy, schools, population and community fabric, the study concludes.
New study shows housing ‘death spiral’ hitting 2 coastal Maine towns
Maine's housing shortage is severely impacting Deer Isle and Stonington, with rising costs and limited availability. Explore potential solutions in the study.
www.bangordailynews.com
December 5, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Left unchecked, the shortage will have cascading negative effects on the island’s economy, schools, population and community fabric, the study concludes.
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
December 5, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
Elise Stefanik just humiliated Mike Johnson so hard his son’s phone got an alert
Elise Stefanik is going after Mike Johnson — calling him an ineffective leader who's losing control over the GOP conference headed into the midterms.
"He certainly wouldn't have the votes to be speaker if there was a roll-call vote tomorrow." www.wsj.com/politics/eli...
"He certainly wouldn't have the votes to be speaker if there was a roll-call vote tomorrow." www.wsj.com/politics/eli...
Exclusive | Trump Ally Elise Stefanik Attacks Speaker Johnson’s Leadership
In interview, New York lawmaker says Johnson is losing control of House Republicans
www.wsj.com
December 4, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Elise Stefanik just humiliated Mike Johnson so hard his son’s phone got an alert
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
8/ As a reminder, there’s no vote on the vaccine schedule itself for this meeting. I know these meetings may seem niche, but they affect vaccine access, disease risk, and public perception. Understanding the schedule’s history, science, and safety helps you spot falsehoods & communicate confidently.
December 4, 2025 at 9:25 PM
8/ As a reminder, there’s no vote on the vaccine schedule itself for this meeting. I know these meetings may seem niche, but they affect vaccine access, disease risk, and public perception. Understanding the schedule’s history, science, and safety helps you spot falsehoods & communicate confidently.
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
1/ Tomorrow, #ACIP —the committee guiding U.S. vaccine policy—will review the entire childhood vaccine schedule. This is the same committee RFK Jr. overhauled, including long-time vaccine skeptics and COVID-19 contrarians. With that in mind, we think it’s important that you know the facts👇
December 4, 2025 at 9:25 PM
1/ Tomorrow, #ACIP —the committee guiding U.S. vaccine policy—will review the entire childhood vaccine schedule. This is the same committee RFK Jr. overhauled, including long-time vaccine skeptics and COVID-19 contrarians. With that in mind, we think it’s important that you know the facts👇
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
Tom Cotton, pictured here dressed to go aggressively Christmas Caroling at a local synagogue, articulates his enthusiasm for the Trump administration‘s secret unreviewable power to kill anyone they want.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), to reporters, after viewing video footage of the U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean on Sept. 2:
"Righteous strikes." "Entirely lawful."
"Righteous strikes." "Entirely lawful."
December 4, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Tom Cotton, pictured here dressed to go aggressively Christmas Caroling at a local synagogue, articulates his enthusiasm for the Trump administration‘s secret unreviewable power to kill anyone they want.
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
This will backfire on republicans. Bet.
NEWS
The Roberts Court rescues Trump’s agenda on the emergency docket again — this time, with a stay of a lower court order blocking racially gerrymandered Texas maps.
The liberal justices dissent.
The Roberts Court rescues Trump’s agenda on the emergency docket again — this time, with a stay of a lower court order blocking racially gerrymandered Texas maps.
The liberal justices dissent.
December 4, 2025 at 11:15 PM
This will backfire on republicans. Bet.
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
Now hearing that TikTok will have a much more positive outcome from their Feb. 2024 investigation by the Commission announced tomorrow, in part because they engaged with the Commission's process.
Not great for the Trump admin's narrative of this being about censorship
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Not great for the Trump admin's narrative of this being about censorship
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
December 4, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Now hearing that TikTok will have a much more positive outcome from their Feb. 2024 investigation by the Commission announced tomorrow, in part because they engaged with the Commission's process.
Not great for the Trump admin's narrative of this being about censorship
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Not great for the Trump admin's narrative of this being about censorship
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
BREAKING via NBC News — Grand jury declines to indict N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James, less than two weeks after the first case was dismissed
www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
Something Went Wrong
BREAKING: Grand jury declines to indict Letitia James after her original case was dismissed
www.nbcnews.com
December 4, 2025 at 10:52 PM
BREAKING via NBC News — Grand jury declines to indict N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James, less than two weeks after the first case was dismissed
www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
Alright. That means the Supreme Court would let democrats keep their re-drawn maps, too, right? Right?
BREAKING: The Supreme Court has permitted Texas to keep its newly redistricted, GOP-favorable congressional map in 2026.
Kagan, Sotomayor and Jackson dissent.
s3.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
Kagan, Sotomayor and Jackson dissent.
s3.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
December 4, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Alright. That means the Supreme Court would let democrats keep their re-drawn maps, too, right? Right?
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
The Supreme Court majority has decided that they are the fact-finders, and the facts are what they want them to be, and quite frankly if District Courts disagree, they can pound sand because they're not the ones in charge.
They're right about the last part. But the damage they're doing is longterm.
They're right about the last part. But the damage they're doing is longterm.
December 4, 2025 at 11:09 PM
The Supreme Court majority has decided that they are the fact-finders, and the facts are what they want them to be, and quite frankly if District Courts disagree, they can pound sand because they're not the ones in charge.
They're right about the last part. But the damage they're doing is longterm.
They're right about the last part. But the damage they're doing is longterm.
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
As Justice Kagan begins her dissent by pointing out, what is even the point of trial, of fact-finding, of clear error, of standards of review, when the Supreme Court simply ignores every single part of that and decides everything purely on the papers without any real consideration of the facts?
December 4, 2025 at 11:08 PM
As Justice Kagan begins her dissent by pointing out, what is even the point of trial, of fact-finding, of clear error, of standards of review, when the Supreme Court simply ignores every single part of that and decides everything purely on the papers without any real consideration of the facts?
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
They're not even trying to appear nonpartisan anymore.
December 4, 2025 at 11:05 PM
They're not even trying to appear nonpartisan anymore.
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
BREAKING: The Supreme Court has granted a stay, allowing Texas to use its new congressional map in 2026, delivering a major win for President Donald Trump and his unprecedented national effort to rig the upcoming midterm elections.
SCOTUS Allows Texas to Use Racially Gerrymandered Map in 2026 Midterm Elections
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
December 4, 2025 at 11:10 PM
BREAKING: The Supreme Court has granted a stay, allowing Texas to use its new congressional map in 2026, delivering a major win for President Donald Trump and his unprecedented national effort to rig the upcoming midterm elections.
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
Final ACIP coverage for the day from Ed.
We are back from the break. Malone states that work group proceedings are confidential per the Federal Advisory Committees Act.
Malone announces the formation of multiple new work groups including one for vaccination in pregnancy. It will undoubtedly exclude subject matter experts as has been...
Malone announces the formation of multiple new work groups including one for vaccination in pregnancy. It will undoubtedly exclude subject matter experts as has been...
Alright it continues. We begin with a comment from Griffin.
Griffin talks about risk-benefit balance and how we expose everyone to risk through the universal birth dose (I suppose the risk of HBV infection is a picayune triviality in this calculus in her mind). She notes an "explosion" in...
Griffin talks about risk-benefit balance and how we expose everyone to risk through the universal birth dose (I suppose the risk of HBV infection is a picayune triviality in this calculus in her mind). She notes an "explosion" in...
December 4, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Final ACIP coverage for the day from Ed.
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
If an H-1B visa applicant or one of their loved ones worked in content moderation, the State Department has said to consider the application ineligible. trib.al/kAoGXVk
Trump Says It’s OK to Deny Visas to People Who Worked in Fact-Checking
If an H-1B visa applicant or one of their loved ones worked in content moderation, the State Department has said to consider the application ineligible.
trib.al
December 4, 2025 at 9:44 PM
If an H-1B visa applicant or one of their loved ones worked in content moderation, the State Department has said to consider the application ineligible. trib.al/kAoGXVk
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
losing my mind at the 25% of GOP voters who think most Italian Americans are "more loyal to a foreign country than to the United States."
December 4, 2025 at 9:00 PM
losing my mind at the 25% of GOP voters who think most Italian Americans are "more loyal to a foreign country than to the United States."
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
Sounds like … a good argument? 😵💫😬
December 4, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Sounds like … a good argument? 😵💫😬
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
A big deal (or it should be):
New: “Eric Trump Has Gotten 10 Times Richer Since Dad’s Election”
@kylekhanmullins.bsky.social for @forbes.com
@kylekhanmullins.bsky.social for @forbes.com
Here’s How Much Eric Trump Is Worth
Crypto took the real estate heir’s fortune and supersized it, briefly making the president’s second-oldest son a billionaire in early September.
www.forbes.com
December 4, 2025 at 7:34 PM
A big deal (or it should be):
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
Whether automakers will commit to yet another big disruption and build the diminutive city cars that have caught the president’s attention remains to be seen.
Trump wants tiny Japanese-style cars for US even as he cuts mpg goals
Even the first Trump administration had tougher fuel economy targets.
arstechnica.com
December 4, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Whether automakers will commit to yet another big disruption and build the diminutive city cars that have caught the president’s attention remains to be seen.
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
Republicans’ new bill to ban Americans from holding dual citizenship would impact Melania and Barron Trump.
They are both citizens of Slovenia.
They are both citizens of Slovenia.
December 4, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Republicans’ new bill to ban Americans from holding dual citizenship would impact Melania and Barron Trump.
They are both citizens of Slovenia.
They are both citizens of Slovenia.
Reposted by Brian Pierce MD
A Surveillance Mandate Disguised As Child Safety: Why The GUARD Act Won’t Keep Us Safe
A new bill sponsored by Sen. Hawley (R-MO), Sen. Blumenthal (D-CT), Sen. Britt (R-AL), Sen. Warner (D-VA), and Sen. Murphy (D-CT) would require AI chatbots to verify all users’ ages, prohibit minors from using…
A new bill sponsored by Sen. Hawley (R-MO), Sen. Blumenthal (D-CT), Sen. Britt (R-AL), Sen. Warner (D-VA), and Sen. Murphy (D-CT) would require AI chatbots to verify all users’ ages, prohibit minors from using…
A Surveillance Mandate Disguised As Child Safety: Why The GUARD Act Won’t Keep Us Safe
A new bill sponsored by Sen. Hawley (R-MO), Sen. Blumenthal (D-CT), Sen. Britt (R-AL), Sen. Warner (D-VA), and Sen. Murphy (D-CT) would require AI chatbots to verify all users’ ages, prohibit minors from using AI tools, and implement steep criminal penalties for chatbots that promote or solicit certain harms. That might sound reasonable at first, but behind those talking points lies a sprawling surveillance and censorship regime that would reshape how people of all ages use the internet.
www.techdirt.com
December 4, 2025 at 8:01 PM
A Surveillance Mandate Disguised As Child Safety: Why The GUARD Act Won’t Keep Us Safe
A new bill sponsored by Sen. Hawley (R-MO), Sen. Blumenthal (D-CT), Sen. Britt (R-AL), Sen. Warner (D-VA), and Sen. Murphy (D-CT) would require AI chatbots to verify all users’ ages, prohibit minors from using…
A new bill sponsored by Sen. Hawley (R-MO), Sen. Blumenthal (D-CT), Sen. Britt (R-AL), Sen. Warner (D-VA), and Sen. Murphy (D-CT) would require AI chatbots to verify all users’ ages, prohibit minors from using…