Rants

🔥 UNFILTERED THOUGHTS 🔥

WARNING: Raw opinions, hot takes, and uncomfortable truths ahead.
No sugar-coating. No political correctness. Just the things that need to be said.

October 02, 2025

11:22 AM 🔗

If life has taught me anything so far, it’s that accountability is income dependent. So I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Think about: - How Native Americans feel - How Black Americans feel
- How anyone in this country has felt who has gotten so thoroughly screwed over that surely accountability has to come, right?

Somebody is gonna hold these people accountable, right? Right?

Until we all get together and decide that we have had enough of this mess, nothing—absolutely nothing—will happen. Until all of us make sure that something has to happen: - To restore order - To stop the unbridled anger
- To get the machine moving again

That’s how you get accountability. You shut it down and you force it. There is no other way.

10:00 AM 🔗

Republicans are shutting it down so they can delay swearing in the new democrat which would put them over the required number of petitioners to release the epstein files. All democrats have signed on, but only 4 (FOUR!) republicans have signed on. They needed the one new democrat who won their special election last week to sign on, but mike johnson and republicans refuse to swear her in to prevent that from happening. Republicans are literally protecting billionaires who raped children.

September 18, 2025

10:40 AM 🔗

This is a test from digital ocean droplet 2

10:29 AM 🔗

This is a test from digital ocean droplet 2

5:20 AM 🔗

Let’s be clear: It doesn’t matter what Kimmel said. It only matters that he was silenced by the government.

Strike back with the only language they understand: money.

Cancel subscriptions to: - Disney - ESPN
- Hulu - Paramount - etc.

Contact them and tell them it’s because they are bending the knee to Trump.

September 11, 2025

11:52 AM 🔗

Have you SEEN the love for their martyr yesterday and the all out hate and calls for war against their radical left enemies that shot him? BEFORE the shooter is identified? You don’t think JD Vance could take up Trump’s cross?

September 08, 2025

5:28 PM 🔗

So, considering race in college admissions is racist, but presuming guilt based on race is not. This Supreme Court has gone bonkers.

September 05, 2025

5:57 PM 🔗

Imagine rebranding the Department of Defense as the Department of War, all while deploying federal forces against peaceful communities and the people who support them, and threatening more of it—all while thinking you deserve a Nobel Peace Prize. But hey, at least no one is talking about how you had 1000 FBI agents redact your name from the Epstein files. Get rid of this President and all those that support him. This means you, Biggs. Time for a replacement before you leach off the system with 100% retirement for life for not doing shit.

8:24 AM 🔗

In regards to Trump blowing up a boat thousands of miles away in Venezuela—which had no way to get to the USA (not enough fuel and too small of a boat), and there is no way to verify it even had drugs. This is crazy stuff.

In doing this, Trump is asserting that his administration has the right to and is willing to summarily kill foreign nationals and sink foreign vessels in international waters.

This is entirely unprecedented for a state actor in recent times. No one operates this way, not even states like Iran and North Korea.

This is especially alarming in a context where no interdiction was attempted. This boat and its occupants were given no opportunity to surrender to avoid this summary execution.

8:18 AM 🔗

Nothing screams “innocent” like spending $0.5 million on ads against the guy trying to expose pedophiles.

August 29, 2025

12:07 PM 🔗

Beginning Monday, South Carolina’s new hands-free driving law goes into effect.

This new law prohibits drivers from using mobile electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle.

9:32 AM 🔗

Dear Dr. Houry,

I am writing to formally resign from my position as Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effective August 28, 2025, close of business. I am happy to stay on for two weeks to provide transition, if requested.

This decision has not come easily, as I deeply value the work that the CDC does in safeguarding public health and am proud of my contributions to that critical mission. However, after much contemplation and reflection on recent developments and perspectives brought to light by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., I find that the views he and his staff have shared challenge my ability to continue in my current role at the agency and in the service of the health of the American people.

Enough is enough.

While I hold immense respect for the institution and my colleagues, I believe that it is imperative to align my professional responsibilities to my system of ethics and my understanding of the science of infectious disease, immunology, and my promise to serve the American people. This step is necessary to ensure that I can contribute effectively in a capacity that allows me to remain true to my principles.

The Breaking Point

I am unable to serve in an environment that treats CDC as a tool to generate policies and materials that do not reflect scientific reality and are designed to hurt rather than to improve the public’s health.

The recent change in the adult and children’s immunization schedule threatens the lives of the youngest Americans and pregnant people. The data analyses that supported this decision have never been shared with CDC despite my respectful requests to HHS and other leadership. This lack of meaningful engagement was further compounded by a “frequently asked questions” document written to support the Secretary’s directive that was: - Circulated by HHS without input from CDC subject matter experts - Cited studies that did not support the conclusions attributed to these authors

Having worked in local and national public health for years, I have never experienced such radical non-transparency, nor have I seen such unskilled manipulation of data to achieve a political end rather than the good of the American people.

Organizational Dysfunction

It is untenable to serve in an organization that is not afforded the opportunity to discuss decisions of scientific and public health importance released under the moniker of CDC. The lack of communication by HHS and other CDC political leadership that culminates in social media posts announcing major policy changes without prior notice demonstrates a disregard of normal communication channels and common sense.

Having to retrofit analyses and policy actions to match inadequately thought-out announcements in poorly scripted videos or page-long X posts should not be how organizations responsible for the health of people should function.

Some examples include: - The announcement of the change in the COVID-19 recommendations for children and pregnant people - The firing of scientists from ACIP by X post and an op-ed rather than direct communication with these valuable experts - The announcement of new ACIP members by X before onboarding and vetting have completed - The release of terms of reference for an ACIP workgroup that ignored all feedback from career staff at CDC

The recent terms of reference for the COVID vaccine work group created by this ACIP puts people of dubious intent and more dubious scientific rigor in charge of recommending vaccine policy to a director hamstrung and sidelined by an authoritarian leader. Their desire to please a political base will result in death and disability of vulnerable children and adults. Their base should be the people they serve, not a political voting bloc.

Silenced Expertise

I have always been first to challenge scientific and public health dogma in my career and was excited by the opportunity to do so again. I was optimistic that there would be an opportunity to brief the Secretary about key topics such as: - Measles - Avian influenza
- The highly coordinated approach to the respiratory virus season

Such briefings would allow exchange of ideas and a shared path to support the vision of “Making America Healthy Again.”

We are seven months into the new administration, and no CDC subject matter expert from my Center has ever briefed the Secretary.

I am not sure who the Secretary is listening to, but it is quite certainly not to us. Unvetted and conflicted outside organizations seem to be the sources HHS uses over the gold standard science of CDC and other reputable sources. At a hearing, Secretary Kennedy said that Americans should not take medical advice from him. To the contrary, an appropriately briefed and inquisitive Secretary should be a source of health information for the people he serves. As it stands now, I must agree with him—he should not be considered a source of accurate information.

A Dangerous Path

The intentional eroding of trust in low-risk vaccines favoring natural infection and unproven remedies will bring us to a pre-vaccine era where only the strong will survive and many, if not all, will suffer.

I believe in nutrition and exercise. I believe in making our food supply healthier, and I also believe in using vaccines to prevent death and disability. Eugenics plays prominently in the rhetoric being generated and is derivative of a legacy that good medicine and science should continue to shun.

Personal Conviction

The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud. I am resigning because of the cowardice of a leader that cannot admit that HIS and his minions’ words over decades created an environment where violence like this can occur. I reject his and his colleagues’ thoughts and prayers, and advise they direct those to people that they have not actively harmed.

For decades, I have been a trusted voice for the LGBTQ community when it comes to critical health topics. I must also cite the recklessness of the administration in their efforts to: - Erase transgender populations - Cease critical domestic and international HIV programming - Terminate key research to support equity

These actions are part of my decision.

The Stakes

Public health is not merely about the health of the individual, but it is about the health of the community, the nation, the world. The nation’s health security is at risk and is in the hands of people focusing on ideological self-interest.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the opportunities for growth, learning, and collaboration that I have been afforded during my time at the CDC. It has been a privilege to work alongside such dedicated professionals who are committed to improving the health and well-being of communities across the nation, even when under attack from within—both physically and psychologically.

Thank you once again for the support and guidance I have received from you and previous CDC leadership throughout my tenure. I wish the CDC continued success in its vital mission and that HHS reverse its dangerous course to dismantle public health as a practice and as an institution. If they continue the current path, they risk our personal well-being and the security of the United States.

Sincerely,

Demetre C. Daskalakis, MD, MPH
(he/his/him)