When I see bigredfish on all my followed Threads I know I have a busy morning ahead of me, haha
US Elections (& Politics) :)
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Sybertiger
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Stupid military, going down to South America to stop the flow of drugs when could have spent all that money on Narcan to handout to kids. Just think of all the people who are gonna die....
...but which ones? Military conflict or drug overdoses? The expansion of the Narcan industry is gonna get quashed. Loss of permanent jobs in an otherwise growing industry. Stupid Military. <<< did I do it right libbies?
...but which ones? Military conflict or drug overdoses? The expansion of the Narcan industry is gonna get quashed. Loss of permanent jobs in an otherwise growing industry. Stupid Military. <<< did I do it right libbies?
Sybertiger
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I read something about Massie telling us there was gonna be a bombshell regarding Epstein that was gonna rock the establishment but MSNBC must have missed it. I'm still grateful for their balanced coverage of TDS today. 
bigredfish
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bigredfish
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Refreshing! The new far right (lack of) science.
By MATTHEW PERRONE
Updated 9:09 AM EDT, August 18, 2025
Share
WASHINGTON (AP) — When the Food and Drug Administration needs outside guidance, it normally turns to a trusted source: a large roster of expert advisers who are carefully vetted for their independence, credentials and judgment.
But increasingly, the agency isn’t calling them.
Instead, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary has launched a series of ad hoc “expert panels” to discuss antidepressants, menopause drugs and other topics with physicians and researchers who often have contrarian views and financial interests in the subjects.
Former agency officials worry the meetings are skirting federal rules on conflicts of interests and transparency, while promoting fringe viewpoints that align with those of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“These meetings are a chance to advance RFK’s pet peeves — talc, antidepressants, fluoride — with people who have been handpicked,” said Dr. Peter Lurie, a former FDA official who is now president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “Nobody would put forward these panels as representing the general scientific opinion on these topics.”
A spokesperson for Kennedy did not answer specific questions about the panels, but said they represent an effort to “apply rigorous, evidence-based standards to ingredient safety and modernize regulatory oversight.”
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The panels kicked off in May with a meeting on talc, the soft mineral sometimes added to makeup, baby powder and other consumer goods. The meeting echoed thousands of lawsuits alleging talc has contributed to ovarian cancer and other illnesses, and included two experts who testified in those cases.
Under FDA regulations, the ingredient is still considered safe when carefully tested for the presence of asbestos. And federally funded studies haven’t shown a link to cancer.
A July meeting on the safety of antidepressants during pregnancy also featured doctors who have testified in class action lawsuits, alongside other experts who allege the drugs cause autism, birth defects and other conditions — links that are not supported by science.
The meeting concluded with all but one of the experts calling for a new boxed warning — the most serious type — about antidepressant risks for mothers and developing babies.
A meeting on estrogen-based drugs for menopause took the opposite approach: Experts urged the removal of a long-standing warning.
Most of the physicians at that meeting prescribe the hormones or are involved with a pharmaceutical industry campaign opposing the warning label.
Nearly 80 researchers sent a letter to the FDA this month objecting to the “two-hour meeting of hormone proponents” and calling for an official advisory committee meeting.
Their meetings are subject to strict government transparency rules in terms of scheduling, panel composition and disclosure of any financial conflicts. A comment period open to the public is also required. Additionally, FDA scientists usually publish a detailed memo explaining their position on the topic.
The latest FDA meetings haven’t included those elements.
Former FDA lawyers say the agency could expose itself to legal challenges if it tries to use Makary’s informal panels as the basis for regulatory decisions.
But that may not be the aim of the meetings.
“They seem more designed as a forum to put a stamp of approval on predetermined opinions,” said Genevieve Kanter, a health policy specialist at the University of Southern California. “The information in these panels could be used in litigation and presented as coming from experts or representing some intellectual consensus that doesn’t exist.”
The FDA’s recent session cataloged many unsubstantiated theories about the drugs, often based on animal studies, including that they contribute to autism, birth defects and miscarriages.
Several participants had served as expert witnesses against drugmakers, including in lawsuits alleging that they cause homicidal behavior. All but one of the other panelists have criticized the drugs in books, articles, interviews or other forums.
“It’s never been possible to identify a group of people who do particularly well on antidepressants,” said Dr. Joanna Moncrieff, a British psychiatrist, author and co-founder a group critical of mainstream psychiatric medicine.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists called the panel “alarmingly unbalanced” and full of “outlandish and unfounded claims.”
Antidepressants carry pregnancy warnings about risks of excess bleeding and lower birth weight for newborns.
But psychiatric experts say those risks are far outweighed by the well-documented harms of untreated depression in mothers, which can lead to pregnancy complications, substance abuse and suicide.
“I tell people I’m working with that the best thing they can do for themselves and their baby is to get the treatment that they need,” said Dr. Nancy Byatt of University of Massachusetts’ Chan Medical School.
The views they expressed largely echoed those of Makary, who has argued that current warning labels overstate hormone therapy risks and don’t reflect possible benefits for some women, such as reducing heart disease and cognitive decline.
“Hormone replacement therapy for women is basically a modern-day miracle,” Makary told a podcast host last year.
But guidance from the FDA and other top federal authorities specifically advises against using the drugs to prevent chronic conditions due to a lack of clear benefit. The drugs are only FDA-approved for specific menopause symptoms, including hot flashes.
Discussions around hormone therapy reflect ongoing debate about a landmark study of two different hormone regimens in more than 26,000 postmenopausal women. The research was halted more than 20 years ago because scientists discovered that the risk of serious health problems outweighed the benefits. All estrogen drugs still carry boxed warnings about the higher rates of stroke, blood clots and cognitive problems among women taking the medications.
But some doctors — including those at FDA’s meeting — say the warnings are exaggerated and should be removed from at least some products, such as low-dose creams typically used for vaginal dryness. Makary raised the possibility of also removing the warning from higher-dose pills, patches and sprays.
It’s unclear whether the FDA will move ahead with those changes or heed calls for an official advisory meeting — a step that Kennedy’s critics say would be in keeping with his pledge for “radical transparency.”
“If you really wanted to be transparent about these issues you’d put together a balanced panel of experts, who have been carefully screened for conflicts and you’d invite the public in,” Lurie said. “But that’s the antithesis of what’s going on in these cases.”
By MATTHEW PERRONE
Updated 9:09 AM EDT, August 18, 2025
Share
WASHINGTON (AP) — When the Food and Drug Administration needs outside guidance, it normally turns to a trusted source: a large roster of expert advisers who are carefully vetted for their independence, credentials and judgment.
But increasingly, the agency isn’t calling them.
Instead, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary has launched a series of ad hoc “expert panels” to discuss antidepressants, menopause drugs and other topics with physicians and researchers who often have contrarian views and financial interests in the subjects.
Former agency officials worry the meetings are skirting federal rules on conflicts of interests and transparency, while promoting fringe viewpoints that align with those of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“These meetings are a chance to advance RFK’s pet peeves — talc, antidepressants, fluoride — with people who have been handpicked,” said Dr. Peter Lurie, a former FDA official who is now president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “Nobody would put forward these panels as representing the general scientific opinion on these topics.”
A spokesperson for Kennedy did not answer specific questions about the panels, but said they represent an effort to “apply rigorous, evidence-based standards to ingredient safety and modernize regulatory oversight.”
FDA names former pharmaceutical company executive George Tidmarsh to oversee US drug program
Psychedelics like MDMA are finding a warm embrace from Kennedy
US health officials crack down on kratom-related products after complaints
The panels kicked off in May with a meeting on talc, the soft mineral sometimes added to makeup, baby powder and other consumer goods. The meeting echoed thousands of lawsuits alleging talc has contributed to ovarian cancer and other illnesses, and included two experts who testified in those cases.
Under FDA regulations, the ingredient is still considered safe when carefully tested for the presence of asbestos. And federally funded studies haven’t shown a link to cancer.
A July meeting on the safety of antidepressants during pregnancy also featured doctors who have testified in class action lawsuits, alongside other experts who allege the drugs cause autism, birth defects and other conditions — links that are not supported by science.
The meeting concluded with all but one of the experts calling for a new boxed warning — the most serious type — about antidepressant risks for mothers and developing babies.
A meeting on estrogen-based drugs for menopause took the opposite approach: Experts urged the removal of a long-standing warning.
Most of the physicians at that meeting prescribe the hormones or are involved with a pharmaceutical industry campaign opposing the warning label.
Nearly 80 researchers sent a letter to the FDA this month objecting to the “two-hour meeting of hormone proponents” and calling for an official advisory committee meeting.
Advisory panels operate under strict rules
The FDA has more than 30 panels composed of experts specializing in various drugs, vaccines, food ingredients and other products.Their meetings are subject to strict government transparency rules in terms of scheduling, panel composition and disclosure of any financial conflicts. A comment period open to the public is also required. Additionally, FDA scientists usually publish a detailed memo explaining their position on the topic.
The latest FDA meetings haven’t included those elements.
Former FDA lawyers say the agency could expose itself to legal challenges if it tries to use Makary’s informal panels as the basis for regulatory decisions.
But that may not be the aim of the meetings.
“They seem more designed as a forum to put a stamp of approval on predetermined opinions,” said Genevieve Kanter, a health policy specialist at the University of Southern California. “The information in these panels could be used in litigation and presented as coming from experts or representing some intellectual consensus that doesn’t exist.”
Antidepressants meeting aired unfounded claims
Antidepressants have long been a target of Kennedy, an attorney and outspoken critic of pharmaceutical companies. During his confirmation hearings he suggested, without evidence, that the drugs contribute to school shootings.The FDA’s recent session cataloged many unsubstantiated theories about the drugs, often based on animal studies, including that they contribute to autism, birth defects and miscarriages.
Several participants had served as expert witnesses against drugmakers, including in lawsuits alleging that they cause homicidal behavior. All but one of the other panelists have criticized the drugs in books, articles, interviews or other forums.
“It’s never been possible to identify a group of people who do particularly well on antidepressants,” said Dr. Joanna Moncrieff, a British psychiatrist, author and co-founder a group critical of mainstream psychiatric medicine.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists called the panel “alarmingly unbalanced” and full of “outlandish and unfounded claims.”
Antidepressants carry pregnancy warnings about risks of excess bleeding and lower birth weight for newborns.
But psychiatric experts say those risks are far outweighed by the well-documented harms of untreated depression in mothers, which can lead to pregnancy complications, substance abuse and suicide.
“I tell people I’m working with that the best thing they can do for themselves and their baby is to get the treatment that they need,” said Dr. Nancy Byatt of University of Massachusetts’ Chan Medical School.
Financial conflicts at menopause meeting
FDA has not disclosed how panelists were selected for the meetings. Last month’s session on hormone therapies for menopause included doctors who consult for drugmakers or promote the medications in their practices.The views they expressed largely echoed those of Makary, who has argued that current warning labels overstate hormone therapy risks and don’t reflect possible benefits for some women, such as reducing heart disease and cognitive decline.
“Hormone replacement therapy for women is basically a modern-day miracle,” Makary told a podcast host last year.
But guidance from the FDA and other top federal authorities specifically advises against using the drugs to prevent chronic conditions due to a lack of clear benefit. The drugs are only FDA-approved for specific menopause symptoms, including hot flashes.
Discussions around hormone therapy reflect ongoing debate about a landmark study of two different hormone regimens in more than 26,000 postmenopausal women. The research was halted more than 20 years ago because scientists discovered that the risk of serious health problems outweighed the benefits. All estrogen drugs still carry boxed warnings about the higher rates of stroke, blood clots and cognitive problems among women taking the medications.
But some doctors — including those at FDA’s meeting — say the warnings are exaggerated and should be removed from at least some products, such as low-dose creams typically used for vaginal dryness. Makary raised the possibility of also removing the warning from higher-dose pills, patches and sprays.
It’s unclear whether the FDA will move ahead with those changes or heed calls for an official advisory meeting — a step that Kennedy’s critics say would be in keeping with his pledge for “radical transparency.”
“If you really wanted to be transparent about these issues you’d put together a balanced panel of experts, who have been carefully screened for conflicts and you’d invite the public in,” Lurie said. “But that’s the antithesis of what’s going on in these cases.”
bigredfish
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bigredfish
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Tulsi Gabbard axes nearly HALF of spy agency staff in earthquake 'Deep State' shake-up
America's top spy agency announced it will 'rightsize' its overall footprint by cutting almost half of all its employees after President Donald Trump directed that members the 'deep state' be rooted out. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard sent out an email to Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) employees on Wednesday announcing the launch of 'ODNI 2.0,' the culmination of a months-long effort to reduce redundancies and cut costs, including employees. 'This will reduce ODNI by over 40 percent by the end of the fiscal year 2025 and save taxpayers over $700 million per year,' an ODNI press release announcing the shift says. The move is directly in line with Trump's efforts to reform the intelligence community and root out the 'deep state,' multiple senior ODNI officials who worked on the sweeping review told the Daily Mail. And Trump has given his blessing, too, the officials stressed, noting that Gabbard herself briefed the president on the staff reduction two weeks ago, alongside National Security Advisor Marco Rubio.
www.dailymail.co.uk
America's top spy agency announced it will 'rightsize' its overall footprint by cutting almost half of all its employees after President Donald Trump directed that members the 'deep state' be rooted out. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard sent out an email to Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) employees on Wednesday announcing the launch of 'ODNI 2.0,' the culmination of a months-long effort to reduce redundancies and cut costs, including employees. 'This will reduce ODNI by over 40 percent by the end of the fiscal year 2025 and save taxpayers over $700 million per year,' an ODNI press release announcing the shift says. The move is directly in line with Trump's efforts to reform the intelligence community and root out the 'deep state,' multiple senior ODNI officials who worked on the sweeping review told the Daily Mail. And Trump has given his blessing, too, the officials stressed, noting that Gabbard herself briefed the president on the staff reduction two weeks ago, alongside National Security Advisor Marco Rubio.
Tulsi Gabbard axes nearly half of spy agency staff in major shake-up
America's top spy agency announced it will 'rightsize' its overall footprint by cutting almost half of all its employees after President Donald Trump directed that the 'deep state' be rooted out.
Sybertiger
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bigredfish
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bigredfish
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^^^ With NY appeals court ruling that the penalty was unconstitutional (8th amendment), this opens the door for the DOJ to continue its probe into the NY AG’s office and James herself for violating Trump’s constitutional rights.
bigredfish
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bigredfish
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Parley
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UN Reports 88 Percent of Aid Trucks Slated for Delivery in Gaza Since May Looted Along Routes
Aid Trucks Looted: Data from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) showed that between May 19 and August 5, more than 2,600 trucks carrying humanitarian aid crossed from Israel into Gaza. However, only 300 of these trucks reached their intended destinations in Gaza during that period, with some 2,309 trucks being “intercepted” and looted along their delivery routes — undermining the recent claim of Tom Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, that “the vast majority of the aid gets to civilians.” UNOPS’s data did not distinguish between the parties responsible for the interceptions, noting only that the aid was stolen by either “armed actors” or “hungry people.”
“The United Nations’ own statistics confirm that all of its aid mechanisms in Gaza are plagued by the same Darwinian obstacle — that strong and well-armed Palestinians loot and hoard aid that could feed the populace, reducing the effectiveness of centrally planned distribution. Even if Israel guarantees the supply of adequate amounts of aid into the territory, the uneven, cutthroat distribution of the aid within Gaza will lead to preventable suffering. But Hamas and other armed groups make out like bandits.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst
“The failure of the United Nations to effectively distribute aid in Gaza, as well as its grotesque practice of blaming Israel while turning a blind eye to Hamas, emphasizes the crying need for an alternative system of aid delivery. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has developed a model to bypass Hamas by directly distributing aid to those who need it; sadly, instead of helping the GHF refine that model and limit the risks to Palestinians arriving at its distribution sites, the international community seems determined to reinstate the failed UN system.” — Ben Cohen, Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Director
Latest Developments
Aid Trucks Looted: Data from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) showed that between May 19 and August 5, more than 2,600 trucks carrying humanitarian aid crossed from Israel into Gaza. However, only 300 of these trucks reached their intended destinations in Gaza during that period, with some 2,309 trucks being “intercepted” and looted along their delivery routes — undermining the recent claim of Tom Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, that “the vast majority of the aid gets to civilians.” UNOPS’s data did not distinguish between the parties responsible for the interceptions, noting only that the aid was stolen by either “armed actors” or “hungry people.”
- Private Merchants Permitted to Deliver Gaza Aid: Israel will begin to allow the controlled entry of goods into Gaza through local merchants, expanding the humanitarian effort to the private sector, according to an August 5 statement by the IDF’s unit for the Coordination of Government Affairs in the Territories (COGAT). The move “aims to increase the volume of aid entering the Gaza Strip, while reducing reliance on aid collection by the UN and international organizations,” COGAT said. The humanitarian expansion includes goods like “basic food products, baby food, fruits and vegetables, and hygiene supplies,” with payments for the purchase of the goods being “conducted via bank transfers only, under a monitoring and oversight mechanism.”
- GHF Provides Operational Update: Amidst the expansion of aid delivery efforts to Gaza, the U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation announced that it had delivered 1.8 million meals on August 5 alone, bringing the total number of meals delivered to date to over 108 million. “To meet the moment, we are working to expand operations and improve our communication channels to reach more people, and we continue to invite others in the humanitarian community to join us,” GHF Executive Director John Acree said. Separately, as part of a joint effort involving Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Germany, Belgium, and France, the IDF stated that 110 aid packages were airdropped into Gaza on August 5, bringing the total number of aid packages dropped since July 26 to 785.
FDD Expert Response
“The United Nations’ own statistics confirm that all of its aid mechanisms in Gaza are plagued by the same Darwinian obstacle — that strong and well-armed Palestinians loot and hoard aid that could feed the populace, reducing the effectiveness of centrally planned distribution. Even if Israel guarantees the supply of adequate amounts of aid into the territory, the uneven, cutthroat distribution of the aid within Gaza will lead to preventable suffering. But Hamas and other armed groups make out like bandits.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst
“The failure of the United Nations to effectively distribute aid in Gaza, as well as its grotesque practice of blaming Israel while turning a blind eye to Hamas, emphasizes the crying need for an alternative system of aid delivery. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has developed a model to bypass Hamas by directly distributing aid to those who need it; sadly, instead of helping the GHF refine that model and limit the risks to Palestinians arriving at its distribution sites, the international community seems determined to reinstate the failed UN system.” — Ben Cohen, Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Director
bigredfish
Known around here
Israeli army database suggests at least 83% of Palestinians killed in Gaza were civilians.
A joint investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call reveals that Israel’s own classified military intelligence confirms the overwhelming majority of those killed in Gaza are civilians.
By May, 19 months into the war, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 53,000 Palestinians killed. Israeli intelligence listed about 8,900 named Hams and PIJ fighters as dead or “probably dead,” meaning only 17% were combatants while at least 83% were civilians. If only confirmed militant deaths are counted, the civilian share rises above 86%. The database excludes unidentified fighters, non-affiliated Gazans who fought, and Hamas political figures yet this does not reduce the ratio, which could be even higher.
Experts also suggest the Health Ministry’s toll undercounts by tens of thousands, making the real civilian death toll even greater.
A joint investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call reveals that Israel’s own classified military intelligence confirms the overwhelming majority of those killed in Gaza are civilians.
By May, 19 months into the war, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 53,000 Palestinians killed. Israeli intelligence listed about 8,900 named Hams and PIJ fighters as dead or “probably dead,” meaning only 17% were combatants while at least 83% were civilians. If only confirmed militant deaths are counted, the civilian share rises above 86%. The database excludes unidentified fighters, non-affiliated Gazans who fought, and Hamas political figures yet this does not reduce the ratio, which could be even higher.
Experts also suggest the Health Ministry’s toll undercounts by tens of thousands, making the real civilian death toll even greater.
bigredfish
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Sybertiger
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Maybe that will stem the increase of brain dead full ass grown men spending all their time playing video games. Research found that lab monkeys opted for cocaine over food/sex and I'm pretty sure said grown ass men opt for video games over sex. I'm not one to judge who they are married to but grown ass men spending all their free time on games seems ghey to me.
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