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Gwen Brandt

@dancnlizard.bsky.social
1.3K followers 930 following 946 posts

geriatrician, family medicine trained, gamer, outdoor enthusiast, wife to an ER doc, mother, she/her 🚫genAI Michigan Aotearoa/NZ

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Gwen Brandt
Ryan Estrada @ryanestrada.com · 01/10/2026
Since we're getting closer to #BannedBooksWeek, here's a sneak peek at Banned Book Club: Afterward, a brand new 20 page story about what happened when our book about book banning was banned. It's from the new full-color edition of Banned Book Club.
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T. Ryan Gregory 🇨🇦 @tryangregory.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
As in Gaza, now in Lebanon. www.commondreams.org/news/lebanon...
commondreams.org
1 in 5 Children in Lebanon Facing Daily Hunger Due to Israeli Assault: UNICEF | Common Dreams
​Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon has forcibly displaced more than 1.1 million people, including around 329,000 children.
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Gwen Brandt @dancnlizard.bsky.social · 5h
Congrats to Ash and the rest of the team!!
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T. Ryan Gregory 🇨🇦 @tryangregory.bsky.social · 23h
Remember this when our leaders talk about valuing international law. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
cbc.ca
ANALYSIS | Netanyahu is flying freely over Canada as his international arrest warrant remains in place | CBC News
A review of two years of flights by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shows that the Israeli leader is once again routinely taking a more direct path — through Canadian airspace — when travell...
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Gwen Brandt @dancnlizard.bsky.social · 8h
We really like them a lot and find them to also be a great honey crisp alternative 😊
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Gwen Brandt @dancnlizard.bsky.social · 9h
Have you tried the Smitten variety here?
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Anneleise @anneleise.bsky.social · 12h
I feel this is NZ too... 3 years of the most corrupt, unfit, self serving, uninformed leadership i've seen in my lifetime this could get really, really bad ... #NZPol
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Foxes @foxylustygrover.bsky.social · 16h
Increasing pay for women to be equable for women it’s not gone money Women spend money Women pay taxes Fair is fair #NZPol
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Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 18h
There are eerie parallels between what’s happening in Irkutsk and what happened in Wuhan in early 2020. Doctors claiming the government was hiding the extent of the spread. Masks being mandated. Schools being closed. Pay attention. Listen to independent journalists & locals:
cnn.com
Researcher at Russian plague laboratory dies of ‘unknown’ infection | CNN
Russian authorities are responding to an incident in which a dangerous infection was released as a result of a laboratory accident in Siberia and a researcher died.
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Dr. Cassandra Mudgway @legallyfeminist.bsky.social · 19h
⚠️ Campaign Alert ⚠️ Amnesty NZ and Tāhono Trust are calling on the next govt to make online spaces safer. Stalking, harassment, fraud, addiction and disinformation are already part of daily life online. The harms are often worst for people who are already targeted by discrimination. #nzpol
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Gwen Brandt @dancnlizard.bsky.social · 20h
Alt text version 👇👇
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Gwen Brandt @dancnlizard.bsky.social · 20h
👇👇👇
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Denis - The COVID Info Guy @thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
UK: COVID Cases and Hospitalisations Rising in England 🔸Test positivity increasing from 5.9% to 7.0% and hospital admissions up nearly 50% 🔸London recorded the largest rise in COVID hospital admissions, up 79% 🔸More than half of positive tests were the XFG “Stratus” variant
 An image featuring a news headline and subheadline with an accompanying photograph.
The photograph shows a close-up, high-angle view of a person wearing bright blue disposable medical gloves holding an injection syringe or vial, while their other hand, also gloved, is placed on a person’s upper arm, preparing to administer a vaccine. The person receiving the injection is wearing a textured grey shirt.
Below the image, a news card includes the following text:
•	Headline: 'American Covid' strain sees resurgence in England as hospitalisations rise
•	Subheadline: Experts have said the rise in Covid-19 levels is not unusual, but have urged vulnerable people to get vaccinated
•	Source: www.independent.co.uk
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T. Ryan Gregory 🇨🇦 @tryangregory.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
🤖🫧💥
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Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Everyone should be fighting for Universal Healthcare and disability rights. Health is fragile. You can become disabled or chronically ill in an instant. It’s not a moral failing. It can wipe out your savings and leave you destitute. Healthcare is a basic human right.
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Foxes @foxylustygrover.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
A vote for National means a vote for David Seymour, Winston Peters and Shane Jones and if you would like to see how much chaos that means just look back over the last 3 years #NZPol
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Gwen Brandt @dancnlizard.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Oh I hope so too!
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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 02/10/2026
Experts say now is an ideal time to get a flu shot, before influenza starts spreading widely. It's also a good time for vulnerable people to get vaccinated against another winter risk, RSV, and to get up to date on protection against COVID-19.
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✪ Beware the Gray Ghost ✪ @jongraywb.blacksky.app · 03/10/2026
Years ago (kid age, teen age, adult age) I distinctly remember reading someone say that the best way to destabilize & topple the United States would be to use the inherent racism baked into it to get it to destroy itself on its own. No need for subterfuge. It won’t even admit it comes pre-diseased.
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Ms Hooper @mshooper.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
"There were far too many things that were done in a secretive and unethical way," she said. "Too many financial interests that have no business in that space." “work on the curriculum was heavily politicised and several of the ministry insiders who contacted RNZ made similar allegations.” #nzpol
rnz.co.nz
Whistleblowers offer to aid Education Ministry probe
Education Ministry whistleblowers, who contacted RNZ in the past week, plan to add their voices to an investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman.
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Jonathan Cohn @jonathancohn.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Terrible for the film industry to be owned by the Saudi government. What a joke the FCC is. apnews.com/article/para...
apnews.com
FCC grants Paramount's indirect ownership request for Gulf funds in Warner Bros. Discovery buyout
As Paramount looks to take over Warner Bros. Discovery, it’s racked up billions of dollars in financial backing from three Gulf countries.
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Sacha Judd @sachajudd.com · 03/10/2026
Imagine running a conference for women in Aotearoa and inviting someone who has said he’s proud of his work in the TRUMP WHITEHOUSE as your keynote. F$&k this actually.
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Lex McMenamin (they/them) @lexmcmenamin.com · 02/10/2026
just wanna re-up the part where I wrote that many immigrants in Maine have been sheltering in place since January for their own safety, with ICE still operating in the area. it is October.
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Jasmin Taylor @meshedlight.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Ōtepoti: ROCK THE VOTE Raise the youth vote all ages gig Saturday 3rd October 12:15pm-8pm Southern Lights Yard 18 Devon St Tickets cost, affordable range Read the info cos it's got jolly good background story & bloody decent folk involved events.humanitix.com/rock-the-vote
events.humanitix.com
Rock The Vote - Live at Southern Lights
An outdoor music festival to encourage youth voter enrolment . raise the youth vote! all ages / alcohol free
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Gwen Brandt @dancnlizard.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
👇👇👇
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Wajahat Ali @wajali.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
All the celebs who are the faces of these predatory sites should be ashamed. This is a disaster. www.npr.org/2026/10/02/n...
npr.org
After bankruptcy, he was banned from sports betting sites. Then he discovered Kalshi
The dark side of the prediction market boom is becoming more clear: Experts say the sites have become go-to outlets for gambling addicts to relapse as the companies avoid state consumer protections.
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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
“Trump is trying to tell you, you live in an authoritarian society now, and that he is the state,” Jason Stanley, ex-Yale professor now at the University of Toronto partly because of a far-right shift in the U.S., said of Trump's TV ads. “This is pure, pure state propaganda,” he told the LATimes.
latimes.com
Commentary: The 'authoritarian scent' in Trump's ego-laden ads
President Trump is using government money to pay for ads glorifying himself. It's more than ego, it's one more dangerous step away from democracy.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
www.reuters.com/business/ins...
reuters.com
Inside McDonald’s push to have AI price your Big Mac
McDonald’s is increasingly using artificial intelligence to guide menu prices across the U.S. and some global markets, a plan that aims to boost headquarters’ profit but risks alienating customers and...
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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 02/10/2026
Calling all NYC artists — painters, filmmakers, poets, musicians and more! Did you know our city provides grants to support your work every year? And this year, we're DOUBLING the amount — from $5,000 up to $10,000 per artist! Deadlines are approaching fast — apply today at nyc.gov/artistgrants.
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Gwen Brandt @dancnlizard.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
😆
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Julia Sky enters the chat. @juliasky.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
We've lost the plot as a society when we started demonizing words like "processed" and "chemical". H2O is a chemical. You are made up of chemicals. A diced tomato is processed, by definition. Nearly everything we eat is processed one way or another. Words have meaning!
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🎃HalloDeeny🎃 they/them @geraldinepiche.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Trigger warning SA the "promising young men" who never faced consequences, justice or charges are now in charge of the world. Judges, deans, officers, politicians are to blame but so is everyone who turned a blind eye, who didnt believe victims, who blamed victims.
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Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
The fundraising texts you delete are working on someone. It’s infuriating and heartbreaking. An 85yo in Ohio gave more than double the value of his home. A 91yo in an Indianapolis senior facility gave 25K times. The DCCC/DSCC don’t just tolerate the spammers who exploit seniors. They take part.
data4democracy.substack.com
Hook and Squeeze
How Democratic consultants, committees, and party leaders built a fundraising spam pipeline that funnels money from a captive pool of elderly donors into their own operations.
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Gwen Brandt @dancnlizard.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
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Andrew @openpolicy.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
A Hikoi For Palestine. 10 October 2026, beginning at 11am on Parliament Lawn, Wellington before marching to Te Ngākau Civic Square. #nzpol
Photo of a poster advertising the Hikoi For Palestine. International Day of Action
10 October beginning at 11am on Parliament Lawn, Wellington before marching to Te Ngākau Civic Square for speakers, stalls and action
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Gwen C. Katz @gwenckatz.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Things Gavin Newsom has vetoed this week: -A ban on secretly recording people with smart glasses -A ban on ICE agents working for the state government -A ban on websites selling your data -A bill giving native tribes more say over water rights -A bill protecting transgender healthcare providers
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Tom @kiwiteej.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
If ever there's a demonstration of the corruption in NZ politics, this is surely its apotheosis #nzpol.
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Terry Baucher @trabaq.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
#nzpol The fact that the current coalition deliberately undermined initiatives to reduce our vulnerability to shocks like this ought to be a far bigger deal than it is.
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Hillary Monahan @hillarymonahan.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
To every SA victim reliving their trauma, disassociating, battling rage and fear every day: We survived the hardest part. We made it through, changed, but we're here. Those memories are vampires sapping our very existence, but vampires die in the light. You can borrow some of mine awhile. Love.
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Denis - The COVID Info Guy @thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
"Fourth COVID-19 Vaccine Dose Cuts Long COVID Risk by Nearly a Third in Immune Population" A large Swedish study found that a 4th COVID vaccine dose was linked to a 31% lower risk of being diagnosed with Long COVID during the first 6 months after vaccination, compared with receiving only 3 doses.
 A news article headline on the website Bioengineer.org, published on October 1, 2026, under the Health section.
The bold black title reads: "Fourth COVID-19 Vaccine Dose Cuts Long COVID Risk by Nearly a Third in Immune Population". Below the title, the author byline reads "BY BIOENGINEER" with a reading time estimated at 6 minutes.
Underneath the text is a conceptual photo set against a solid bright blue background. On the left, a gloved hand holds a textured 3D model of a grey coronavirus particle with red spike proteins. A medical syringe filled with an orange and clear liquid is pointed directly at the virus model from the right.
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Daily Indignation @dailyindignation.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
This is a good headline! It refuses to amplify the false claim by using "wrongly", and includes the truth in the headline for everyone who doesn't read the full story (which is mostly everyone). It's also compelling clickbait for those ad guys. Now do this all the time!
The Post:
Christopher Luxon wrongly suggests allegation about Greens came from media - it came from his minister

Henry Cooke

The Post
October 2, 2026
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Andrew @openpolicy.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
As yet another agency’s OIA failings actually reveal that they’re constantly committing offences under the Public Records Act, it’s time for an Information Commissioner who can investigate and enforce both the OIA and PRA. Last year’s review of Tasmania’s law recommended this. #nzpol
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Chris Slane @slanecartoon.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Improved accessibility for marginalised communities... #NZpol #NZListener
Cartoon shows a mountain of money labelled ‘Influence’ connected to the ninth floor of the beehive by a plank. A wealthy man with a cigar is about to cross walk in. Greeting him is PM Luxon, Simeon Brown & Nicola Willis.

Rich man: “I’M JUST IMPROVING ACCESSIBILITY FOR MARGINALISED COMMUNITIES.”
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🐶🐙Dr. Caffiend☕️😷 @captcaffiend.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
If anyone in Auckland/waikato/bay of plenty is going away over summer and would like me and the doggos to look after your place …let me know. Would prefer a longer stay (eg 6 weeks or so) but shorter might work too
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the Juice Media @thejuicemedia.com · 01/10/2026
For our friends in Aotearoa-New Zealand as they head to an election on Sat 7 Nov 🇳🇿 👉 Make sure you’re enrolled to vote: https:/:vote.nz 🚨 Enrolments close October 25!
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Arrête Mark Carney ⚜️ @lalegault.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
They are acting like the Cornell 7 happened in a vacuum when we just went through the Hockey Canada 5 and the players have all been rehired, and play for both American and Canadian teams. There are no consequences for these kinds of men and the faux outrage is exhausting.
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Trevor Nicholls @aquatarkus.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Nick Mowbray's only contribution to the NZ economy is donations to the ACT party. His shit plastic toys waste & corrupt children's brains, and his political loyalties are with a party that protects paedophile presidents and feeds children slop for lunch and AI slop for lessons. It all fits. #nzpol
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Jonathan Howard @joho.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The @bmj.com claims it was a huge scandal that the FDA/CDC maybe delayed reporting a rare, mild, temporary vaccine side effect for a couple of months in 2021. What about their own anti-vaxx and rank pro-virus misinformation from that time? My latest.
sciencebasedmedicine.org
If the BMJ Wants to Revisit Venerable Institutions Who Misled the Public in 2021, They Should Look Inwards at the BMJ
Until the BMJ demonstrate the integrity to revisit their own dismal failures regarding life and death matters, there's no reason to care about their opinions regarding less consequential issues, is th
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Andrew @openpolicy.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
It would be a desperate shame if people outside Aotearoa and Australia were to watch this.
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