As the antivaccine protests in Canada drag on, American groups are furiously planning their own domestic versions of the truck convoys. As I wrote last week, organizing efforts are gathering steam on the social media platform Telegram, where group leaders with white nationalist ties are delivering marching orders to thousands of followers—many of whom appear […]
Author: Kiera Butler
These Doctors’ Groups Are Cheering On the Anti-Vax Convoys
The city of Ottawa is under siege for the third week in a row, as anti-vaccine protesters continue to paralyze the downtown business district. Last week, I wrote about how white nationalist organizers in Southern California are planning similar protests in the United States, and how their followers appear to be mostly parents. There were […]
Exclusive: White Nationalists and Anti-Vax Moms Plot Ottawa Copycat Convoys on Telegram
Before dawn on January 30, Regina Anne Bateson, a resident of Ottawa, Canada, loaded her skis into her car and headed out to one of her favorite cross-country trails. She was looking forward to some solitude—she rarely encountered others at this time of day. But as she approached the trailhead, she came upon an odd […]
These Doctors Wanted to Get Schools Back to Normal. Their Botched Effort May Backfire.
After two years of pandemic living, I am utterly exhausted by the idea of wading through another Twitter war about masks in schools. So it was with some trepidation that I began reading through threads about the Urgency of Normal toolkit, a set of slides prepared by a group of nine prominent physicians who believe schools […]
If You’re Wondering Who’s Paying for All That Ivermectin—You Are
Doctors have known for more than a year now that the antiparasitic drug ivermectin isn’t effective against Covid. The FDA has explicitly warned against prescribing it to Covid patients, but many physicians still do—and public and private insurance companies are paying for it. A study published earlier this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association […]
Desperate Patients Are Shelling Out Thousands for a Long Covid Cure. Is It for Real?
When Owen came down with Covid-19 in April 2021, he felt lucky to get away with a mild case. After a few days of a runny nose, he returned to his regular routine, including long sessions at the gym. But three weeks later, Owen, who was 25 at the time and working as an art […]
Were the Ultra-Conservative “Mama Bears” Youngkin’s Secret Weapon?
In his victory speech on Tuesday night, the victorious Republican nominee, Virginia Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin, expressed gratitude to all the usual suspects—campaign volunteers, colleagues, and voters. But afterward, as he made his way through the crowd at his campaign headquarters, Youngkin thanked another group: “Way to go, mama bears!” he said. “You guys were awesome.” […]
We Debunk 5 Anti-Vax Myths About Kids’ COVID-19 Vaccines
On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration’s advisory committee recommended that the agency authorize Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5-11. That approval could come any day now—listen closely, and you may hear a collective sigh of relief emanating from millions of parents. But not everyone is celebrating: Anti-vaccine activists are already planting seeds of […]
Substack Is Profiting Off Anti-Mask and Anti-Vaccine Newsletters
If you subscribe to an email newsletter, there is a good chance that it is hosted by the popular platform Substack. The company makes it easy for anyone to bombard friends’ inboxes with regular missives: You just sign up, write your first edition, and ask everyone you know to subscribe—either for free, or for any […]
Yes, Colin Powell Was Fully Vaccinated. He Also Was Seriously Immunocompromised.
Colin Powell, the former US secretary of state, has died of complications from COVID-19 at age 84. The news of Powell’s death only broke a few hours ago, but anti-vaccine groups are already having a field day. Instead of mourning the passing of an accomplished soldier and leader, they’re fixating on the fact that Powell […]