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Aysha Prather

@alprather.bsky.social
504 followers 1.9K following 775 posts

Free-range entomologist, gardener, precarious biology instructor, advocate for all things creepy-crawly, slithery, or slimy. In a complicated relationship with Oklahoma.

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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 3h
Yes, that's the one. I love it so much.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 3h
I would buy any other parasite art you have (my recent purchase included the survey poster, so anything beyond that), and I don't have enough cephalopods yet.
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Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 4h
RFK Jr is a eugenicist and you should not listen to him. Do not drink raw milk.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 14h
I just got 4 of your posters from Redbubble a few weeks ago, and I'm really pleased with them (the posters, not Redbubble). Now I'm mad on your behalf and need a couple more.
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Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 19h
New strong candidate for best sentence of journalism in 2026 just dropped in this wild Kimberly Guilfoyle story from WSJ “‘Honey please I need you to get this done for me today,’ she texted [Eric] Deters, adding a prayer hands emoji and a PDF with bill payment instructions from American Express.”
wsj.com
Exclusive | ‘Honey Please’: Kimberly Guilfoyle Pushed Donor to Pay Her $100,000 Amex Bill
Text messages with a MAGA ally show Guilfoyle seeking funds and offering access to top administration officials before becoming ambassador to Greece.
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Bríd Nic Annaidh ☘️ @bridgetmcgann.medsky.social · 07/10/2026
“'Data-driven' economist says #breastfeeding doesn't matter.” "Lactation consultants starve babies" This is what #BreastfeedingDenialism looks like. Our new paper argues that addressing #misinformation and #CompassionateCare are NOT conflicting goals. doi.org/10.1111/mcn.... 🧪 🛟 #MedSky #PedSky
Screenshot.
Breastfeeding Science Denialism: Unpacking a Hidden Harm
Bridget McGann Christina Raimondi Meghan B. Azad
In the digital age, misinformation about infant feeding threatens decades of public health efforts to revive breastfeeding.Increasingly sophisticated marketing exploits cultural knowledge gaps, serving commercial interests and exacerbating food insecurity from climate change and migration. Public health literature acknowledges that suboptimal breastfeeding rates are due to systemic failures, not personal ones. However, our social responsibility to parents includes promoting public literacy in infant feeding and breastfeeding and lactation science. Recognizing breastfeeding misinformation as science denialism unlocks field‐tested communication tools from domains long‐targeted by denialism, such as climate change and vaccines. We describe five breastfeeding denialism strategies that echo tactics historically used to manufacture doubt about scientific consensus (cut off)
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
It's astounding that Paxton thinks this will help him politically, and even more astounding that he might be right. Does this performance reach potential Paxton voters though, or just RFK, Jr. and the president?
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Oliver Willis @owillis.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
If you have $100 million to spend on ads saying you shouldn’t be taxed you’re not being taxed enough Google cofounder Sergey Brin has spent $102 million to fight California’s proposed billionaire tax—he could owe $13 billion if he loses fortune.com/article/how-...
fortune.com
Google co-founder Sergey Brin has now spent $100 million to fight California’s proposed billionaire tax—he could owe $13 billion if he loses | Fortune
The state’s ultrawealthy, including Larry Page and Peter Thiel, have similarly donated to efforts opposing the wealth tax.
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Oliver Willis @owillis.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Call it the GOP data center kickback and run on repealing it
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
YES. Every woman lives a life that is a little (or a lot) smaller, knows a world that is narrower and more predictable, because it's just not worth the energy or risks to her physical safety.
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Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I am doing a series of articles (“Therapeutic Window”) for the Science desk at The New York Times. The first article is about whether ADHD is better understood as a disorder of “attention” or something else: www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/s...
nytimes.com
What If A.D.H.D. Isn’t About Attention at All? (Gift Article)
Evidence suggests that it really affects what psychiatrists like me call sustained engagement — an important difference in understanding how to think about the condition.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
We're a little over a month into the school year. This would be a great time for local reporters to check in on the new Alpha School in Oklahoma City.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I have lots of ideas--and i am much better at imagining how they play out in actual classrooms and labs than are the VPs & chancellors politicians like to talk to.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I got curious enough i went and looked at the manufacturer's website. duckfatspray.com/pages/about-us The duck fat spray is just duck fat.There's a FAQ warning the spray nozzle may clog.
duckfatspray.com
About Us | Cornhusker Kitchen — Premium Cooking Fats from Omaha, Nebraska
Learn the story behind Cornhusker Kitchen — Omaha's premium cooking fat brand. Made in the USA, propellant-free, and crafted from antibiotic-free, all-natural ingredients.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
What do you have to do to a fat that is solid at room temperature to make it sprayable?
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Hannah Harris Green @whatsitlike.me · 28/09/2026
When I set out to fact check “The Cities That Said Yes to Drugs” which argues that harm reduction may increase overdoses, I expected some cherry picking and misdirection. But not to find basic math errors and debunked right wing talking points asserted as fact in the Atlantic’s print edition.
whatsitlike.me
Atlantic's anti-harm reduction screed riddled with errors
A close read of "The Cities That Said Yes to Drugs" found errors in basic arithmetic as well as more deliberately misleading elements
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Historian Jen @historianjenfl.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Andy Beshear has an entire chapter in his new book about backing the LGBTQ community and it's worth a read. He talks about how the anti-trans ads were tested in KY during his election and how vetoing anti-trans legislation didn't hurt his reelection campaign.
However the anti-trans ads had less to do with Kentucky and more to do with the fact that we were in an election. Terry Schilling, the head of the APP, decided to test the ads in our election to determine whether or not the issue could win votes for the Republican Party. Earlier in the summer of 2019, Scholling had partnered with a behavioral science firm to try to find a wedge issue that resonated with suburban voters. That's right. The anti-trans ads did not come out of some firmly held conviction but was a purely political stance. Their research landed on trans athletes, specifically trans women, competing in women's sports. They tested their theory in the 2019 Kentucky gubernatorial general election. Although I won, APP considered their test successful, because their research showed the ads delivered thirteen thousand votes for Trump Lite, which made the race tighter than anticipated.You might hask how, in this political climate, I was reelected after vetoing the anti-trans bill. Because people respect authentic faith. The day I vetoed it, I explained my why. I said I believe all children are children of God and that I don't want people picking on these kids. I then countered their anti-trans ads with commercials talking about good jobs, healthcare, roads and bridges, public education, and public safety. The result? The biggest win of my career. So don't tell me the Democratic Party should stop fighting for the rights of all people. Just explain your authentic why, and then get back to focusing on issues that touch all our lives on a daily basis.
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Chris Conaton @conatonc.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
A familiar story for anyone who follows @volts.wtf. “The Chronicle spoke to more than half a dozen grid experts…to try to understand why Texas’s notoriously unreliable grid had a remarkably reliable summer. The answer was unanimous: solar panels and batteries.”
houstonchronicle.com
Texas shattered energy demand records this summer. Here's why the grid held up.
Texas repeatedly broke electricity demand records this summer, but ERCOT avoided emergencies as booming solar and battery capacity helped keep the grid stable.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
It's always shocking how low the price of a politician is. Or, is it that we only see a fraction of the price paid and that most of the purchase is successfully hidden from public view?
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🎃 Imani Gandy Corn 🎃 @angryblacklady.blacksky.app · 22/09/2026
Tierra Walker should be alive. She thought her pregnancy was killing her—then it did. She asked for an abortion. None of the 90-plus doctors involved in her care even offered her one. Her son found her dead on December 30, 2024. Now her family is suing. New Baby Boom! Lawyered. Out now.
youtube.com
Tierra Walker Died Under Texas's Abortion Ban. Now Her Family Is Suing
YouTube video by Rewire News Group
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I'd be interested in hearing from anyone whose insurance DOES cover the mRNA flu vaccine.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I went to Walgreens last week to get my shot. They had the mRNA flu jab,but when they ran my insurance, my university's pharmacy benefit manager said it wasn't covered. Cash price is $219, which i may yet decide is worth it, but first I'll try annoying some people who might have say.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Rock Creek Bridge over I-35 Northbound, Norman, OK. 22 September.
Signs behind a safety fence on a highway overpass spelling out "RICH GETTING RICHER ARE YOU" American flags are attached to the fence on either end of the message
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News for 38 Year Olds @newsfor38yearolds.com · 22/09/2026
Sickened Coal Miners Plead for Their Black Lung Benefits as Cases Surge Mother Jones www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/0… Tip your reporter →
motherjones.com
Sickened Coal Miners Plead for Their Black Lung Benefits as Cases Surge
Mother Jones
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Oh shit. I'm married to Calvin's dad.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Trofim Lysenko is going to have to cede his position as the dumbest motherfucker to convince the leader of a superpower to kill his own people by turning state science upside down.
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Jessica Valenti @jessicavalenti.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Abortion, Every Day spoke to a woman whose state refused to let her cross state lines for an abortion. Don’t tell me Republicans will never criminalize travel—they already do. Pieces like this make me so proud to work with @kylietcheung.bsky.social
jessica.substack.com
She Wanted An Abortion. The State Wouldn’t Let Her Leave
Travel bans are already here—we just don’t talk about them
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Mel Blanc came to Whittier College to talk about doing voices and effects when i was a little kid. I spent that evening rapt, watching Bugs Bunny talk/yell/scream out of an old man's mouth. My mom gained some respect for cartoons, too, and relaxed a little about my TV time.
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Nick Mortensen @nickmortensen.com · 15/09/2026
This is the best written piece I have seen on this topic. Until Dr. Craig exposed me to this way of thinking on the topic, I admit that I didn’t see the harm in candidates conceding some space if it meant winning an election. Very happy to have been straightened out, at any rate.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I have not yet had a summer here in central Oklahoma where i could produce zucchini in excess of my appetite. If your porch got squashed, it wasn't me.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Yeah, as soon as i saw he was head of the Russian Boxing Federation i googled his name to see if he was the same guy. Whaddya know.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The whole genus is really quite glorious and/or magnificent. They are also an enormous source of heartbreak to home zucchini gardeners. One day your plant is full of flowers and baby zucchini; the next day it's lying flaccid on the ground.
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ashley fairbanks @ziibiing.com · 12/09/2026
i am incredibly excited to share our research about how paying people’s rent through mutual aid made an impact on minnesota this year we accidentally collected more data than anyone ever has for an effort like this, and can very seriously say we prevented an eviction bubble that everyone expected
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steven monacelli @stevanzetti.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Texas is delaying its typical September 1 release of maternal mortality data until December 1, conveniently timed to be after the midterm election. Recent reports have shown a sharp rise in ectopic pregnancy deaths after the abortion ban went into effect. www.austinchronicle.com/news/texas-p...
austinchronicle.com
Texas’ Pregnancy Death Report Set to Release After Midterms • The Austin Chronicle
Texas’ Pregnancy Death Report Set to Release After Midterms
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By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 12/09/2026
Once you understand the corporate culture of AI hyperscalers is everyone cooking their brains by locking themselves in the bathroom, holding flashlights under their chins, and saying "Aaaaaaaaaay Eyeeeeeee" until they wet themselves in terror, things snap into focus: pluralistic.net/2023/06/04/a...
A cutaway view of a stone tower containing an elaborate water-powered medieval geared machine. Rising out of the machine is a rainbow-tinted, pixelated God with the robes, beard and all. To one side of this scene is a cluster of tiny people in Jesus-era robes, falling about themselves in religious ecstasy all over a stone staircase, atop of which stands a robed priest with his hands upraised. The background is a set of shining golden rays, emanating from pixel-God.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
If you do voter engagement, find the official site for your state, learn your way around it. Voters have to interact with the state site somewhere in the process of changing/confirming registration--might as well go straight there. In Oklahoma it's okvoterportal.okelections.gov
okvoterportal.okelections.gov
Home Page - OKVoterPortal
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Howlingatthe Moon @oog.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
This could be a lovely little house for someone www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/9...
rightmove.co.uk
Check out this 3 bedroom detached house for sale on Rightmove
3 bedroom detached house for sale in Station House., Station Road, Bleasby, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG14 7GD, NG14 for £75,000. Marketed by Auction House, Covering Notts and Derby
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Ken Paxton is a reliable indicator of the objectively wrong position.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Some friends and colleagues are able to put their kids on a spouse's insurance through their private employer, but others are paying out of pocket. There's still a lot of uncertainty and inconsistency. It's like the joke about buckets of shit in a Hell run as a failed state.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
They said it was narrowly targeted at Medicaid, but in practice, if you get health insurance through your state employer (including state universities)--even though it's part of your compensation and you pay the full share for your dependents, GAC is no longer in your policy.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
So did many families with trans kids. Some other stuff happened in between, but it's been so relentless it's hard to remember what happened when. This year, the legislature passed a bill prohibiting state funds to be spent on GAC for trans folks of any age.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
In Oklahoma, Republican legislators banned trans students from school bathrooms, banned trans girls from school sports, and blackmailed OU Children's into closing the adolescent gender-affirming care clinic in 2022. The next year, our one specialist pediatric endocrinologist left the state.
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MU-Peter Shimon 🀄 @mu-peter.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
🔆 Good morning! Wake the %*&# up! Study reveals cursing to be the perfect low-calorie, no-cost performance enhancer. Cursing is like hitting a “power-up button.” “Don’t Hold Back”: Swearing Improves Strength Through State Disinhibition🧪 psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I thought there were bears in _every_ neighborhood in Alaska?
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NPR @npr.org · 08/09/2026
A new study shows the steep economic cost of 2025's ICE raids in Chicago. Fear kept many immigrants home, draining the area of more than $1.26 billion in lost retail, restaurant, and sales-tax revenue. n.pr/3VjoQA5
n.pr
New report shows the economic toll of ICE raids
A new study shows the steep economic cost of 2025's ICE raids in Chicago. Fear kept many immigrants home, draining the area of more than $1.26 billion in lost retail, restaurant, and sales-tax revenue.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I had the same response
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Real missed opportunity to not include a photo of the homemade tick costume. I live in alpha-gal alley. I know several people who've had RMSF. I find ticks on myself all the time. I take them seriously. There was a tone to this piece that went beyond responsible awareness-raising.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
That story, or one like it, is in my lecture. There's a lot of the condition that's explicable by real problems, but it takes work to find underlying causes.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I do a lecture about delusiory parasitosis at the end of my parasitology course. It was so validating when one student came to talk to me afterward and thanked me for putting a name to what she'd been experiencing. Years of seeing baggies and envelopes of human effluvia is why i wrote that lecture.
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Aysha Prather @alprather.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
When i was that age i watched Yellow Submarine over and over again
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