Category Archives: Conservatives

DOGE Screwed Us on Screwworm

Posted on June 9, 2026 by mikethemadbiologist

Because USAID didn’t fund abortion, as Republicans claim, but it did fund screwworm prevention programs (boldface mine): The 5,300 grants and programs killed in the Trump administration’s cuts to the U.S. Agency of International Development include U.S.-funded animal disease monitoring … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Conservatives | Leave a comment

One Good Outcome of Gerrymandering: No More Rep. Andy Harris

Posted on May 27, 2026 by mikethemadbiologist

While in principle I don’t like gerrymandering, when fascists are willing to use extreme gerrymandering to hold power, we’re left with no alternative (if the worst we have to do to stop the fascists is gerrymander temporarily, we will have … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatives | 1 Comment

The Deciding Vote on HHS Secretary Kennedy’s Nomination, Sen. Cassidy, Loses His Republican Party

Posted on May 18, 2026 by mikethemadbiologist

A couple of lessons from Republican Senator Bill Cassidy’s primary loss in Louisiana, which should have been self-evident by now. The first lesson is unless you are completely loyal, Trump will turn on you. Second, once you break with Trump, … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatives | 1 Comment

A Quick Note About Makary’s Firing

Posted on May 14, 2026 by mikethemadbiologist

If you have not heard yet, Marty Makary, former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, resigned from the FDA (it was clear he was going to be fired). Makary has said all sorts ridiculous things about COVID, and he … Continue reading →

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But the COVID Contrarians Told Us They Were All About Intellectual Freedom

Posted on April 23, 2026 by mikethemadbiologist

Well, TEH FREEDOMZ didn’t last too long (boldface mine): A report showing the efficacy of the covid-19 vaccine that was previously delayed by the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been blocked from being published in … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatives, Influenza | 1 Comment

Hegseth Is No George Washington: The Influenza Vaccination Edition

Posted on April 22, 2026 by mikethemadbiologist

Defense Secretary Hegseth, unaware that one of the key reforms George Washington enacted while commanding the Continental Army was to institute a smallpox inoculation program, let it rip with this policy brain fart (boldface mine): The military will no longer … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatives, Influenza | 2 Comments

When the Supreme Court Legislates

Posted on April 20, 2026 by mikethemadbiologist

In case you missed it, last week the NY Times got its hands on internal Supreme Court documents related to the first use in 2016 of the shadow docket to announce court orders without explanation. This, for me, was the … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatives | 2 Comments

The Staggering Ignorance of Trump Administration Officials: the Drug-Resistant TB Edition

Posted on April 14, 2026 by mikethemadbiologist

Over at The Handbasket, Marisa Kabas has a terrifying excerpt about Trump administration officials’ ignorance of basic biology from Nicholas Enrich’s new book, Into the Wood Chipper: A Whistleblower’s Account of How the Trump Administration Shredded USAID (boldface mine): The … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Conservatives, Public Health | 1 Comment

The Bitterness and the Insecurity

Posted on April 13, 2026 by mikethemadbiologist

Rightwing bloviator Megyn Kelly recently said she would not vote Democratic even if Trump used a nuclear weapon against Iran. Kelly’s attitude towards the Democratic Party is not surprising, but her reasoning, such as it is, is very ugly (boldface … Continue reading →

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The Trump Administration Creates a Drowning Witch Test for NIH Funding

Posted on April 6, 2026 by mikethemadbiologist

The Trump Administration calls for $5 billion in cuts from NIH*. A key justification for that is COVID conspiracism: Additional egregious examples of wasteful and radical NIH IC spending that would be eliminated through reforms include: National Institute of Allergy … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatives, Fucking Morons, NIH | 1 Comment