Your Local Epidemiologist, 12/3/25

What to expect from this week's U.S. vaccine meeting:  Hep B, routine vaccination schedule, and a firehose of falsehoods

By Katelyn Jetelina, Unbiased Science, and Matt Willis

Well, folks, buckle up.

Tomorrow, ACIP—the advisory committee that guides U.S. vaccine policy—meets again for two days. This group has enormous influence on your access to vaccines: its decisions shape vaccine supply, insurance coverage (including Medicaid), clinicians’ understanding of what to offer you, how many doses hospitals and pharmacies stock, and the public’s confidence in what, where, when, and how to get your vaccines.

This meeting will focus on two things:

1. Hepatitis B vaccine, including a vote that could meaningfully affect infant access in the U.S.

2. The entire childhood immunization schedule, including its history, the number of doses, ingredients like aluminum, and whatever else they may pull out of their hat.

It’s going to be a ride. Mainly because a few months ago, RFK Jr. overhauled the committee, replacing long-standing experts with individuals ranging from longtime vaccine skeptics to Covid-19 contrarians.

So, here’s your guide to what to expect, including a proactive heads-up on the misleading claims likely to surface and a breakdown of the fallacies behind them. Whether you’re a clinician answering questions, a parent scrolling social media, or simply someone trying to find clarity in the chaos, I hope this is helpful.

---

Note: As I shared with paid subscribers yesterday, together with The Evidence Collective (TEC), we wrote a much deeper pre-bunk HERE that includes key background on all anticipated ACIP topics, practical communication guidance, a fallacy playbook, and a rundown of the falsehoods and rumors likely to surface. Below is a high-level summary.

---

What to expect

Credible sources suggest none—or very few—of the ACIP presentations will be delivered by CDC scientists or experts. Instead, external groups, including some with clear anti-vaccine track records, are slated to take the lead. This is highly unusual, and I’m incredibly concerned that data will be misinterpreted and misleading, and false claims will be presented as expert testimony.

Reviewing the timing, spacing, and risks of each vaccine requires scientific expertise because the stakes are high: get the evidence or timing wrong—or lose sight of the historical reasons behind these recommendations—and preventable diseases can come roaring back. And once falsehoods are aired in this forum, they can spread quickly, potentially amplified by one of the nation’s highest offices.

But there is good news.

1. There is no vote for the childhood vaccination schedule as a whole. They will only discuss it. This means timing, spacing, and availability to you won’t change. The only vote is on the Hepatitis B vaccine, specifically whether to maintain the universal birth dose given within 24 hours of life.

2. We know exactly what to expect. These players have relied on the same falsehoods and logical fallacies for decades. Their playbook hasn’t changed. That means we can prepare.

Thursday’s vote

The only vote tomorrow is on whether to keep the universal Hepatitis B birth dose, given within 24 hours of life. At September’s meeting, RFK Jr.’s ACIP proposed delaying it for infants born to mothers who test negative. This decision could significantly affect vaccine availability for infants and increase the overall number of infections.

Why the universal birth dose exists:

• Babies are especially vulnerable—9 in 10 infants who catch it become chronically infected

• 12–18% of U.S. pregnant women are never tested for hepatitis B.

• Only 35% of women who test positive get recommended follow-up care.

• The birth dose catches babies who fall through those cracks.

What the evidence shows:

• No safety, efficacy, or long-term benefit to delaying.

• Delaying to 2 months: 1,400+ additional infections, 480+ deaths per birth year.

• Since 1991, the birth dose has cut pediatric hepatitis B infections by 99%.

: Reported number of acute hepatitis B cases in the United States by year, 1980-2023 and related policy milestones. Figure by CIDRAP. Annotated by Your Local Epidemiologist (red)

The birth dose exists precisely because screening isn’t perfect. The evidence doesn’t support changing that.

Then onto Friday

On Friday, the agenda is unusually broad: the entire childhood vaccination schedule. I expect it to be a waterfall of falsehoods. Here is some clarity on the topics they are likely to cover.

1. How the vaccine schedule is built—and why it exists

The childhood vaccine schedule isn’t new. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) first introduced it in 1938, when just four vaccines existed: smallpox, diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus. Those few vaccines alone prevented tens of thousands of childhood deaths each year. Over the following decades, the addition of vaccines for polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and others drastically reduced childhood illness, disability, and death.

Many diseases on today’s schedule are now rare because of vaccines. For example, once Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine was added in the late 1980s, cases of severe childhood meningitis and epiglottitis dropped 71% within two years. These diseases disappeared from everyday experience, not because they stopped existing, but because the schedule worked.

In 1995, AAP and ACIP created a unified national schedule, ensuring children across the country received consistent, science-based protection. Today, the schedule protects against 17 diseases. Each year, an updated version is published on CDC’s website.

2. Why vaccines are given when they are

The schedule is designed to protect children from dangerous infections as early as possible, while spacing doses to create the strongest immune response.

• If given too early, maternal antibodies can interfere with some vaccines, or the child’s immune system may be too immature to build long-lasting protection.

• If given too late, children remain vulnerable during the period when their risk of severe disease, hospitalization, or complications is highest.

Diseases like pertussis, measles, and pneumococcal infection are especially severe in infancy and early childhood. The schedule reflects decades of research into the biology of both children’s immune systems and the pathogens themselves.

Further spacing out vaccines doesn’t provide extra safety; it extends the window of vulnerability and makes families less likely to complete the schedule.

3. Do children get “too many” vaccines?

People hesitant about childhood vaccines often claim children receive 72 or 96 doses, but these numbers are misleading.

Children receiving vaccines according to the current schedule receive about 54 doses over 18 years, protecting against 17 diseases. And a third of those are yearly flu vaccines. Misleading and inflated counts might include every yearly flu and Covid-19 shot, count combination vaccines (like MMR) as separate vaccines, or count vaccines given to pregnant mothers. The exact number varies based on timing, catch-up schedules, health conditions, and available formulations.

Our immune systems can’t be overwhelmed, either. Today’s vaccine antigens represent a tiny fraction of what immune systems encounter daily from normal environmental exposures. For example, young children average up to 8 to 12 colds per year. Routine infections stimulate strong immune responses—thankfully, that’s how we recover from illness. Children’s bodies are made to respond and learn from what they’re exposed to, and are not “overwhelmed.”

It’s true that children born before the 1990s received fewer vaccines than today’s kids. But over the years, we’ve exposed children to fewer and fewer antigens (parts of microbes that stimulate the immune system) while protecting against more diseases. Because we target immune protection far more efficiently. In the mid-1980s, children were exposed to 3,000 antigens in vaccines. Now it’s 180.

Figure made by Your Local Epidemiologist

4. Has the entire vaccine schedule been studied?

Hundreds of studies have examined the safety of individual vaccines and common combinations, but few have evaluated the entire childhood immunization schedule. Studies in other countries that have similar vaccination schedules have found no red flags:

• A German study compared disease rates among kids who completed the vaccine schedule to those who didn’t. As expected, unvaccinated individuals have a much higher rate of vaccine-preventable diseases.

• A U.K. study of nearly six million childhood vaccine doses found that administering vaccines according to the schedule is safe—any increase in reactions was limited to mild, temporary effects such as fever.

Ethical and feasibility considerations constrain research to the fullest extent. Randomized trials assigning children to delayed or no vaccination would require withholding proven protection, which is unethical. We continually evaluate safety through trials of each new vaccine, during which children receive the full existing schedule, effectively testing the schedule and the new product. Regulators require additional “concomitant use” studies to assess how vaccines interact when given together, ensuring they are tested in the same combinations and at the exact timing used in real life.

5. Aluminum, ingredients, and other familiar targets

Aluminum has been used safely in vaccines for more than 90 years.

Trace amounts of aluminum in shots strengthen the immune response, helping the body develop better protection. It allows vaccines to use smaller amounts of antigen and reduce the number of doses needed.

Fortunately, we have recent and high-quality data showing this is safe. A recent Danish study examined more than 1.2 million children born between 1997 and 2018, following them for up to 24 years—one of the largest vaccine safety studies ever conducted. Researchers analyzed 50 different conditions: autoimmune, allergic, and neurodevelopmental, including autism and ADHD. They tested whether greater aluminum exposure was associated with a higher risk of disease. They found no evidence of harm, no dose-response relationship, and no increased risk for any of the 50 conditions studied.

There are other options. (Currently, five adjuvants are available on the market.) However, companies would need to develop new vaccine formulations with alternative adjuvants and conduct new clinical trials. This would be expensive and difficult on a practical level (recruiting enough participants, getting enough cases of disease to determine whether the vaccines actually work as well or better than the aluminum-adjuvanted ones, etc.). Furthermore, aluminum adjuvant is already preferred in childhood vaccines because it tends to be much better tolerated than other adjuvants.

How to recognize the playbook

It’s impossible to anticipate each potential misleading or false claim that may emerge this week. DNA fragments in vaccines will likely come up. Autism almost certainly will. Responding to vaccine falsehoods and rumors, as we’ve done here, can feel like whack-a-mole—refuting one false statement after another in a never-ending cycle. So, while we work to debunk specific claims, it’s equally important to understand the underlying tactics. Recognizing patterns will help us all be more discerning, regardless of the topic.

Watch for:

• False authority (non-experts framed as experts)

• Appeal to fear (magnifying tiny risks, minimizing bigger ones)

• Correlation ≠ causation

• Cherry-picking (one flawed study vs. dozens of high-quality ones)

• Moving goalposts (“if it’s not thimerosal, then aluminum… or DNA…”)

• Reversing the burden of proof (demanding that others disprove a claim instead of providing evidence for it)

• Anecdotes as evidence

• Naturalistic fallacy (“natural immunity is better”)

• False balance (“both sides” even when evidence is lopsided)

These tactics matter because they’re designed to confuse, overwhelm, and erode trust. Not inform.

Bottom line

These vaccine policy meetings have real-world consequences—for your access to vaccines, for how diseases show up in your community, and for the rumors and falsehoods that will inevitably flood social media, podcasts, and other information spaces.

We’ll be back with Cliff notes from the meeting and, most importantly, what it all means for you.

Love, YLE, Unbiased Science, and The Evidence Collective

Insanity at the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices

We're in big trouble.

You might want to take a tranquilizer before you read this:

RFK Jr. Taps Preacher Who Blames Vaccines for Cancer, Compares Covid Tracking to Nazi Germany. Kirk Milhoan has claimed without evidence that the covid-19 shots caused spikes in cancer and miscarriages. Now he's helping shape the country's vaccine policy.  

By Ed Cara at Gizmodo 12-2-25 

"The clown car that is America’s public health under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has gotten wackier. The newest chair of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, Kirk Milhoan, is a pediatric cardiologist and preacher with a history of making incredible claims about the dangers of vaccination.

"On Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that Milhoan would be taking over the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Among other things, Milhoan has argued that covid-19 vaccines cause cancer and miscarriages. Milhoan and the other members of ACIP are expected to weigh in on the childhood vaccine schedule and the hepatitis B vaccine this week.

The antivax preacher

"Milhoan was first appointed to ACIP this September, as part of the second round of new members inducted under the reign of RFK Jr. as HHS chief. Infamously, Kennedy unilaterally dismissed all 17 members of the previous ACIP without any notice earlier this year. He’s replacing Martin Kulldorff as ACIP chair, who was appointed Monday as chief science officer for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at HHS.

"Like many of the new ACIP members, Milhoan has a steady track record—to put it lightly—of making unsupported statements about the health risks of vaccination.

"As recently as October, while speaking at a church in Texas, Milhoan claimed that the covid-19 vaccines are contaminated with “naked DNA” and that this contamination has caused an increase in cancer cases and miscarriages. During that same speech, he also likened the recording of people’s covid-19 vaccination history during the pandemic to the armbands Jewish residents in German-occupied areas were forced to wear during the Holocaust.

 "The idea that covid-19 vaccines cause cancer is a well-trodden conspiracy theory, though it’s one that’s gotten more support from the political right as of late. There’s no solid evidence for this claim, and in fact, some research this year has suggested the mRNA covid-19 shots can actually boost the effectiveness of existing immunotherapy treatments for cancer. Likewise, the vast majority of research has failed to find a link between covid-19 vaccines and miscarriages, while pregnant women are at greater risk of poorer health outcomes from catching covid-19.

The worst is yet to come

"Unfortunately, reality is in short supply over at HHS these days. And Milhoan and the rest of RFK Jr.’s buddies at ACIP are set to make things worse for the country soon enough.

"At this week’s ACIP meeting, the members are expected to vote against recommending the hepatitis B vaccine for all children starting at birth—a safe and effective measure that has dramatically reduced hepatitis B cases in the U.S. over the past thirty years, especially among children.

"The ACIP is also scheduled to discuss the childhood vaccination schedule and whether it might be contributing to food allergies (another crank theory espoused by RFK Jr.) and other chronic ailments. The antivaccination movement has long sought to destroy the schedule, and the ACIP’s maneuvering during this meeting could be the first step in making that goal happen.

"It isn’t just the ACIP that’s started to echo the anti-vaccine sentiments of Kennedy and his ilk. Over the weekend, a leaked memo from Vinay Prasad, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), revealed that the agency is planning to tighten the regulatory approval process of vaccines moving forward. As justification for this move, Prasad claimed the FDA had newly discovered at least ten deaths in children caused by the covid-19 vaccine. Outside experts have been skeptical about the claim, noting that no detailed data supporting the FDA’s purported discovery has been disclosed or submitted for peer review as of now.

"Things are looking bad for vaccines. And it’s unlikely that we’ve come close to hitting rock bottom."

Minnesota Moochers

Too bad Woodward and Bernstein aren't around to investigate this scandal! But it sounds like  Ryan Thorpe and Chris Rufo did an excellent job with their 11-19-25 expose titled “The Largest Funder of Al-Shabaab Is the Minnesota Taxpayer. How some of the state’s welfare funds ended up in the hands of a terror group."It starts out this way: "Minnesota is drowning in fraud. Billions in taxpayer dollars have been stolen during the administration of Governor Tim Walz alone. Democratic state officials, overseeing one of the most generous welfare regimes in the country, are asleep at the switch. And the media, duty-bound by progressive pieties, refuse to connect the dots.

"In many cases, the fraud has allegedly been perpetrated by members of Minnesota’s sizeable Somali community. Federal counterterrorism sources confirm that millions of dollars in stolen funds have been sent back to Somalia, where they ultimately landed in the hands of the terror group Al-Shabaab. As one confidential source put it: “The largest funder of Al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer.”

"Our investigation shows what happens when a tribal mindset meets a bleeding-heart bureaucracy, when imported clan loyalties collide with a political class too timid to offend, and when accusations of racism are cynically deployed to shield criminal behavior. The predictable result is graft, with taxpayers left to foot the bill."

On TV yesterday, they said at least $1 BILLION dollars has been stolen in fraud; that Minnesota workers who tried to warn about the red flags were threatened and told to keep quiet; and because it's so easy commit fraud, Minnesota attracts criminals. How nice for the taxpayers! 

There's a new investigation going on in the House of Representatives, so let's see if that accomplishes anything without taking years to do it. From Fox News 12/2/25:

Comer targets Walz in new House investigation, citing nearly $1B in alleged Minnesota fraud. Federal prosecutors have so far charged roughly $300 million in alleged fraud connected to the nonprofit Feeding Our Future

What Kind of Animals Do Such Things?

It seems whenever there is a gathering like a birthday party or even a funeral, there's often a mass shooting. What is wrong with these psychopaths? There needs to be harsher penalties, and I don't mean taking guns away. Treat these shootings as terrorist attacks, because that's what they are, and treat the shooters like the terrorists they are. No fake mental illness excuses should be accepted. And anyone who kills children, as in this case, should get an automatic death sentence. 

Happy occasions like birthday parties shouldn't have to end with funerals.

------------------------------------- 

4 killed, 11 injured in shooting during family celebration at California banquet hall.
A shooting at a Stockton banquet hall during a children's birthday party has prompted a multi-agency search for the suspect.

By Dennis Romero, NBC News, 11-29-25 

"Four people were killed and 11 others were hospitalized following a shooting at a California banquet hall where a family was hosting a celebration Saturday night, authorities said.

"Gunfire erupted shortly before 6 p.m. at the location on the 1900 block of Lucile Avenue in the city of Stockton, San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Heather Brent said at the scene.

"Brent characterized the event as a family celebration. Jason Lee, vice mayor of Stockton, said in a statement that the violence erupted at a children’s birthday party.

"Brent said the victims included children and adults. Those who were killed were ages 8, 9, 14 and 21, the sheriff's office said Sunday.

“It’s unfathomable that there were young children that were harmed,” she said.

"The exact conditions, ages and genders of those who were injured were unavailable, and sheriff’s investigators were working on identifying the gunman, the sheriff’s spokesperson said.

“This may be a targeted incident,” Brent said. “Our No. 1 priority right now is identifying the suspect in this incident.”

"It was unclear whether the gunfire originated inside or outside the banquet hall, she said. The FBI, Stockton police and other law enforcement agencies were assisting with the investigation, Brent said.

"San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas vowed that the community will have "the full force of my office’s resources" in holding the personal responsible accountable.

"Let this ring perfectly clear, in San Joaquin County, violence of this nature has absolutely no place at any time, shape or form and children should not be harmed by gun or gang violence," Freitas said.

"The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on X that he’s been briefed on the “horrific shooting” and that the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services is coordinating with law enforcement as it monitors the situation."

Be Smart: Get Vaccinated!

This goes for COVID, too!

-------------------------------- 

There’s Still Time: #GetVaccinated to Help #FightFlu

"December 1-5, 2025 is National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW), an important reminder that as long as flu viruses are circulating, it is not too late to get vaccinated. Even when flu vaccination does not prevent infection completely, it can help protect against serious flu-related complications, including hospitalization and death.

"The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) has compiled resources from NFID and partner organizations that can be used during NIVW and throughout the season to help raise awareness about the importance of flu prevention and treatment:

Wild to Mild

"Flu vaccination is the best defense against the worst symptoms of flu. NFID is proud to offer the popular Wild to Mild sharable graphics and animations (in English and Spanish) to encourage everyone age 6 months and older to get an annual flu vaccine, especially pregnant women, young children, and others at higher risk. The more people vaccinated against flu, the more people are protected from flu.

Antivirals Can Help You Feel Better Faster

"Even with immunization, breakthrough infections can occur—and that’s where antiviral medications can play an essential role. Share these graphics and videos on your social media channels to help raise awareness about the importance of treating flu with antivirals.

The Flu Is Serious

"Are you that person? The one who goes out in public with flu? These animated videos (in English and Spanish) focus on flu symptoms and the importance of prevention and timely treatment, reminding viewers to get an annual flu vaccine and stay home when sick to help protect themselves and those around them.

#GiftOfHealth Holiday Memes

"Share these NFID holiday memes (in English and Spanish) and sample social media posts to encourage followers to share holiday cheer, not flu, during the holidays.

Flu and Chronic Health Conditions

"Flu is not a game, especially for those with chronic health conditions—including heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, and kidney disease—which put them at higher risk of serious flu-related complications. Share these NFID videos to help spread awareness, not disease!

Partner Resources

"The American Lung Association’s #FightFlu social media toolkit provides sample social media posts, graphics, and hashtags to raise awareness about flu and the benefits of vaccination during NIVW and throughout respiratory season.

---

"Families Fighting Flu is turning NIVW into National Influenza Vaccination WEEKS (NIVWs). Join them in spreading the message on the importance of flu vaccination during the first 2 weeks of December. Download their social media graphics, add your organization’s logo, and share throughout NIVWs! And check out their Kaden Blaze resources, inspired by the true story of a courageous boy who survived a serious flu infection. 

---

"Immunize.org offers an influenza toolkit with clinical resources for healthcare professionals and educational materials for vaccine recipients to remind everyone that getting an annual flu vaccine is a critical step toward protecting your health this winter.

---

"Winter is coming. The Vaccinate Your Family #RootedInProtection Campaign toolkit offers easily sharable information to answer questions about flu and other respiratory viruses that spread this time of year.

---

"We The People Vax offers tools and resources to raise awareness about the patriotism of vaccination. Download their winter holidays social media campaign to remind everyone to vaccinate before you celebrate!

Leading By Example

"Now more than ever, it is vital that the public health community speaks with ‘one strong voice’ on the importance of infectious disease prevention. Organizations can join the NFID Leading By Example initiative, and individuals can download #FightFlu paddles and share photos/videos on social media to encourage everyone age 6 months or older to get an annual flu vaccine.

"Know of other valuable tools and resources focused on raising awareness about the importance of annual flu vaccination? Share updates so we can help spread the word …

"To join the conversation and get the latest news on infectious diseases:

• Like and follow NFID on social media using the hashtags #NIVW, #GetVaccinated, and #FightFlu
• Listen and subscribe to the Infectious IDeas podcast
• Subscribe to receive future NFID Updates 

Antivaxxers in Charge

I wasn't at all surprised when I read that "Dr." Vinay Prasad is the one who has come up with this new protocol and is spreading  misinformation about vaccine deaths. He's making sure that vaccines are more difficult to get.  So much for public health!

------------------------------------------ 

By Marina Dunbar at The Guardian 11/29/25: 

Experts say strict new FDA protocol for vaccine approval is ‘dangerous and irresponsible’. Lead FDA vaccine regulator announced new approval process after claiming Covid vaccine had killed 10 children

"The leading vaccine regulator at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a far stricter course for federal vaccine approvals, following claims from his team that Covid vaccines were linked to the deaths of at least 10 children.

"Experts suggest the announcement will make the vaccine approval process significantly more difficult.

"Dr Vinay Prasad, whose vaccine policy direction has been supported by the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, told FDA staff that the agency would rethink its approach to vaccination programs, according to an internal agency email circulated on Friday and later obtained by several media outlets.

"Prasad said the agency plans to re-examine annual flu-shot policies, consider limits on simultaneous vaccinations, and require more robust safety and efficacy data from pharmaceutical manufacturers before approval.

"The internal memo reportedly stated that a recent review determined at least 10 children had died “after and because of” receiving a Covid vaccine. Prasad noted that these deaths appeared tied to myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle.

“This is a profound revelation,” Prasad wrote in the memo to staff members. “For the first time, the US FDA will acknowledge that Covid-19 vaccines have killed American children.”

"He also wrote that new rules would impose tight restrictions on vaccines for pregnant women, marking another significant change in the agency’s approval framework.

“I remain open to vigorous discussions and debate,” Prasad wrote, reportedly adding that staff who did not agree with the core principles of his new approach should submit their resignations.

"A PBS NewsHour correspondent first reported on the memo’s contents in a post on X. The New York Times noted that the document did not include identifying details such as the children’s ages, any existing health conditions, or how the causal relationship between vaccination and death was determined. The vaccine manufacturers involved were also not named.

"Dr Paul Offit of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, who reviewed the memo, told MedPage Today that it’s a “dangerous and irresponsible thing to do”.

“[Prasad] says he has evidence that this vaccine killed 10 children, but that’s not the way it works,” Offit said. “If you think you have an extraordinary claim, you should back it up with extraordinary evidence. He should have submitted it to an excellent journal where it can be reviewed by subject matter experts who can say ‘Yes, this is clear evidence,’ then it can be published. That’s the way it works.”

"Prasad’s predecessor, Dr Peter Marks, who led the FDA division throughout the pandemic, told the New York Times that he was taken aback by the “clearly political tone of the communication” and noted that the case reports of child deaths needed to be further investigated.

“I would not be surprised if the attributions turn out to be debatable, as these cases are often quite complex,” Marks told the Times after reading the memo.

"Current and former FDA staff, as well as outside public health specialists, said the new plan could dramatically slow the vaccine pipeline, according to the Washington Post. Requiring far larger studies before granting approvals, they said, could delay product launches and make companies more cautious about developing or expanding vaccines and may discourage innovation in vaccine research.

"Additionally, Prasad’s insistence on re-evaluating whether multiple vaccines should be given together could upend years of established federal guidance. The immunization schedule of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends giving multiple childhood vaccines at the same medical visit. It also encourages adults to receive several shots for respiratory viruses, including the flu, Covid and RSV, during a single appointment for convenience.

"Dr Kathryn Edwards, a vaccine expert and professor emeritus at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, told MedPage Today that the “determination of the cause of death in cases that are temporally related to vaccine administration is a very difficult task”.

“Saying definitively that a vaccine caused a death requires careful assessment, best done with an autopsy examination, and ruling out other causes of death,” she said. “That Covid vaccine might have caused a death related to myocarditis may indeed be the case. But [we] would need to see the details.”

"Edwards added that such details would “best be presented in a peer reviewed manuscript where experts could review the details”.

“We also need to remember that Covid disease caused deaths [in kids], many more than 10,” she said. “I spent the entire pandemic reviewing cases of adverse events, I would be delighted to review these cases and assess the evidence that they have to say that they are vaccine caused.”

"Prasad’s new framework reflects several themes long advanced by Kennedy and members of the anti-vaccine movement, who have pressed for additional proof of vaccine safety and effectiveness. In August, the FDA placed new restrictions on who can get Covid vaccines.

"The agency authorized Covid vaccines for people 65 and older, who are known to be more at risk from serious illnesses from Covid infections. Younger people, though, were only considered to be eligible if they had an underlying medical condition that makes them particularly vulnerable.

"In September, Kennedy’s vaccine panel that advises the CDC voted against recommending that people obtain a prescription for a Covid-19 vaccine, but added that coronavirus immunizations should be based on “individual-based decision making”.

"Last week, it was reported that Ralph Abraham, a top Louisiana health official who stopped promoting mass vaccination policies and once described Covid-19 vaccines as “dangerous”, had been appointed as the new deputy director of the CDC.

"Previous FDA leaders and independent scientists have emphasized that Covid-19 vaccines underwent extensive testing, including pediatric studies, and have been proven safe and effective. They argue that the benefits of vaccination far exceed the risks, which remain rare."

"Yes, We Continue Wearing Masks"

And so do I.   

This article is from The World Health Network and was last reviewed on 11/25/25:

---------------------------------

Yes, We Continue Wearing Masks—Here’s Why: Common Questions Answered

Picture a typical family gathering today. Most people have moved on from masking: kids run around freely, aunts and uncles chat over snacks, and only a couple of family members still choose to wear well-fitted masks. Soon, the questions start rolling in: “Isn’t the pandemic over?” “Aren’t you done with masks yet?” “But you’re not high-risk!” This Q&A provides evidence-based responses to these and other common objections, offering insight into why we still mask, filter the air, and open windows—knowledge we’ve gained and continue to put into practice.

1. “Isn’t the pandemic over? Isn’t it just a cold now?”

Short Answer: The WHO declared the emergency phase over, not the pandemic. COVID isn’t “just a cold”: it’s a vascular, multi-system infection that still causes substantial illness and deaths, and a significant share develop Long COVID; with each reinfection, risk accumulates.

Detailed Explanation:

• In May 2023, the WHO announced that COVID-19 was no longer a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern,” which characterizes the initial phase of a pandemic. However, the WHO has never ended the pandemic, and has repeatedly cautioned not to speak of COVID-19 in the past tense. 
• New variants continue to emerge, and the virus is still causing significant illness and death around the world, even if hospitalizations aren’t at the peak they were before.
• Long COVID (also called post-COVID-19 condition) remains a material risk: it can follow infections of any severity, including mild or asymptomatic cases, and may lead to prolonged, multisystem health problems. The more times you catch COVID, the more damage can accumulate, with the risks of long-COVID symptoms and other health issues adding up over time.
• Deciding whether to wear a well-fitted respirator mask (N95/FFP2 or better) indoors is about limiting the spread of a virus that hasn’t vanished. Just because the “emergency phase” has passed doesn’t mean the risk is gone.

---

2. “I thought masks don’t work?”

Short Answer: They do, but only when used correctly, and not all “masks” are created equal. The physics is clear: well-fitted respirators (N95/FFP2 or better) cut what you breathe out and what you breathe in. Confusion often comes from studies that used loose surgical/medical masks, allowed people to take masks off while exposed, or mixed very different mask types and fits, conditions that blur the true benefit.

Detailed Explanation:

• Masks capture particles even though “holes look bigger than the virus.” They do not just work like a mechanical sieve. One other mechanism is that the fibers of the mask carry an electric charge that attracts tiny virus-laden aerosol particles like a magnet. This electrostatic effect weakens if the mask gets wet, so change your mask if it becomes damp!
• Dose matters. Infection risk rises with the dose you inhale; cutting that dose (even partially) lowers risk. When both people mask, the reduction compounds, dropping exposure much more than one person masking alone.
• Fit is crucial. Respirators are designed to seal and maintain high filtration across a range of particle sizes. Loose surgical/medical masks mainly help with source control and can leak around the edges; a well-fitted respirator protects you and others.
• Study “null” results often reflect methods, not physics. Trials that permit off-and-on use during exposure, have low adherence to the trial rules, or mix mask types/fits dilute measurable effects. When masks are worn consistently, are high-filtration, and fit well, protection is strong.
• What we can measure matches the theory. Fit-testing and particle measurements show large reductions in both emitted and inhaled aerosols with well-fitted respirators. In real rooms with variable ventilation, that immediate, user-controlled reduction is a reliable layer of protection.

---

3. “But you’re not high-risk, so why bother wearing a mask?”

Short Answer: Because preventing transmission matters for everyone, not just people in vulnerable groups.

Detailed Explanation:

• You don’t need to be high-risk to care about preventing infections. Even if you don’t get severely ill, you can still pass the virus to someone who could.
• Transmission chains are often invisible. You could unknowingly infect a friend or relative, who then symptomatically or asymptomatically transmits the virus to someone vulnerable, such as an immunocompromised family member.
• Masks reduce the chance of spreading the virus, especially in indoor settings. It’s not just about your personal health but about protecting the wider community—friends, family, and strangers alike.
• Another crucial consideration is the risk of Long COVID, which can affect people of any age or health status. Even if an initial infection seems mild, a significant number of individuals develop long-term symptoms that can impact their daily lives for months—or even longer. Preventing infection helps avoid these potential complications, which is why taking simple precautions like wearing a well-fitted mask makes sense even for those not traditionally labeled “vulnerable.”
• Besides, being sick (with or without long-term effects) can also carry emotional and financial burdens—lost workdays, doctor’s visits, and disruptions to daily routines.

---

4. “Are you going to wear a mask forever?”

Short Answer: Masks are a tool we can use when and where it makes sense—especially indoors, in poorly ventilated areas, or when community transmission is high.

Detailed Explanation:

• As our understanding of airborne transmission grows, we see that clean indoor air—via ventilation and filtration—makes a huge difference in whether masks are needed. If rooms are well-ventilated or have effective air filtration systems, the need for continuous masking decreases because the overall prevalence of airborne pathogens decreases.
• Right now, many indoor environments still lack adequate ventilation and filtration, and testing before gatherings isn’t a widespread norm. Under these conditions, masking is a straightforward way to reduce risk.
• Respiratory aerosols linger in a room for hours, and it’s only a matter of time before other people breathe them in. COVID-19 doesn’t just follow “flu season” patterns; it’s a year-round concern.
• We hope for future innovations—like faster, more accessible tests, or standard clean-air practices—that might make routine masking less necessary. But until then, wearing a well-fitted mask indoors is a no-brainer in many situations.

---

5. “My doctor doesn’t wear a mask.”

Short Answer: Healthcare professionals are human too, and institutions vary in their policies. That doesn’t change the science behind airborne transmission or the benefit of masking.

Detailed Explanation:

• Ideally, doctors and healthcare workers should be at the forefront of applying new knowledge about how respiratory diseases spread—just like when handwashing became standard practice in medicine, despite resistance at first.
• Historically, medical communities have sometimes resisted change: for example, when Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis introduced the concept of hand hygiene, he faced enormous pushback. Some doctors believed “a gentleman’s hands are always clean.”
• We now know they were wrong, but that resistance was psychological—no one wanted to admit they might have been harming patients unknowingly. Today, some medical professionals may similarly struggle with the idea that they could have minimized airborne transmission by masking in the past.
• Most healthcare workers adhere to existing infection control policies that have not been updated to new evidence. This delay is not simply a personal shortcoming; it often reflects inadequate institutional leadership, the significant challenges and costs associated with updating policies and investing in clean air infrastructure, and a reluctance among healthcare institutions to fully assume responsibility for protecting both staff and patients.
• Doctors are not infallible or free from cognitive biases; they’re human. Their individual choices, or hospital policy, do not negate the protective effect of masks and good ventilation.

---

6. “I think kids need to ‘train’ their immune systems. Aren’t you preventing that?”

Short Answer: A child’s immune system doesn’t need to encounter dangerous pathogens to develop. Everyday exposure to common microbes in the environment is enough “training.”

Detailed Explanation:

• It’s a widespread misconception that kids must get infected with illnesses to build up their defenses. In reality, the immune system is constantly learning from harmless bacteria in soil, on surfaces, and in daily encounters.
• Likewise, we wouldn’t deliberately expose children to other severe pathogens—like SARS1, avian flu, swine flu, or tuberculosis—in the name of ‘immune training.’ The same logic applies to COVID-19: it’s not worth risking serious illness just to gain exposure.
• We have vaccines to protect against specific pathogens precisely because we don’t want children to get sick with serious diseases.
• Getting infected with pathogens like COVID-19 or other respiratory viruses is not a necessary step for immune development; it’s a risk we can reduce.

---

7. “Won’t constant masking weaken your immunity?”

Short Answer: No. Masks don’t block all microbes, and our immune systems still get plenty of stimulation from daily life.

Detailed Explanation:

• Wearing a mask part of the time, particularly indoors in high-risk settings, doesn’t create a sterile bubble around you. You’re still exposed to microbes on surfaces, through food, and in other environments.
• Our immune systems can handle the typical germs we encounter every day; masking simply reduces the risk of inhaling large concentrations of airborne pathogens.
• So, for both adults and kids, the idea that occasional masking weakens immunity has no basis in evidence.

---

8. “Why bother with open windows and air purifiers?”

Short Answer: Improving indoor air quality is one of the most effective ways to reduce viral particles in the air.

Detailed Explanation:

• Airborne transmission via aerosols is the primary driver in the spread of respiratory-borne viruses such as COVID‑19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), with most transmission occurring through the inhalation of fine aerosol particles rather than by larger, “ballistic” droplets.
• Whenever people speak, cough, or simply breathe, they produce both droplets and aerosols. Larger droplets fall quickly, but contain less virus overall. Meanwhile, aerosols can remain suspended and disperse throughout the room, increasing infection risk over time.
• Ventilation brings in fresh air, diluting the concentration of viral particles. Filtration devices (like HEPA air purifiers) capture aerosols and reduce their presence in the air.
• Why not clean the air? We routinely wash our hands, clean our bathrooms, and purify our water. Failing to clean the air just leaves a higher viral load floating around, putting everyone at greater risk.
• No single measure is foolproof, but layering masks, ventilation, and filtration offers the best protection.

---

9. “Why would you wear a mask if you are vaccinated?”

Short Answer: The vaccine is like a safety belt, which does some damage control in the worst-case scenario; the respirator mask is like careful driving that prevents a crash in the first place. Masks are the first layer of protection, while vaccines are the last. Vaccine-acquired immunity wanes more rapidly in the era of Omicron variants and does not reliably prevent onward transmission. By wearing a mask, you reliably protect yourself and others—even in cases of asymptomatic infection—thereby reducing the risk of Long COVID and protecting those who can’t be vaccinated.

Detailed Explanation:

• Waning Immunity: While vaccines significantly lower the risk of severe illness, their protection against infection declines over time—especially since Omicron. Studies show that immunity acquired through both infection and vaccination can drop substantially within months, making breakthrough infections increasingly likely, and masks help reduce this risk.
• Asymptomatic Transmission: Many infections in vaccinated individuals are initially milder or even asymptomatic, meaning many people may unknowingly spread the virus. Masks reduce the risk of spreading the airborne virus, which is vital for curbing this silent transmission.
• Long COVID Risk: Although vaccination cuts the risk of Long COVID, it does not eliminate it entirely. Preventing infection in the first place remains the best defense, especially since even mild cases can lead to long-term problems.
• Protecting the Vulnerable: Not everyone can be vaccinated—due to medical conditions, age, or a compromised immune system. Not everyone is able to wear masks—such as babies or those with certain respiratory conditions. By masking, you help protect these vulnerable individuals and add a collective layer of defense.
• Layered Protection: Combining vaccination with masking creates multiple, overlapping barriers against the virus. This layered approach is essential for reducing overall transmission, keeping both individuals and communities safer.

---

10. “If you’re wearing a mask, why should I?”

Short Answer: Two-way masking protects everyone better than one-way masking for one simple reason: source control. Your mask reduces what you exhale (source control) and what you inhale (personal protection). Because many infections spread silently and not everyone can mask all the time, masking together sharply lowers risk, for you and for the people around you.

Detailed Explanation:

• Masks aren’t perfect, and that’s why two-way helps. Real-world fit, movement, and talking can create small leaks. Two masks on two faces hedge those imperfections and cut the dose you breathe and the dose others receive.
• Most transmission is invisible. People can be contagious before symptoms or without ever noticing they’re sick. Two-way masking breaks these silent chains, protecting your own health and the people you’ll see next.
• Not everyone can mask all the time, and some can’t mask at all. We remove masks to eat or during medical/dental care, and infants and some people with certain conditions may not be able to mask. Community two-way masking fills these gaps and protects those who rely on others.
• Layering multiplies protection. Two-way masking, combined with clean indoor air (ventilation/filtration), reduces risk far more than any single step. Small percentage cuts stack up and make infections much less likely for everyone present.

---

11. “I think you’re living in fear!”

Short Answer: It’s not fear—it’s applying what we know. Like wearing a seatbelt or a bike helmet, it’s a sensible precaution that lets us go about our day with peace of mind.

Detailed Explanation:

• When we fasten our seatbelts, we’re not paralyzed by fear of car crashes; we’re simply using a measure proven to reduce harm if an accident occurs.
• Likewise, wearing a well-fitted mask indoors (especially in poorly ventilated spaces or during high transmission periods) is a practical step to avoid getting sick or spreading illness.
• Sometimes, denying or ignoring new information can also be driven by fear—fear of change, fear of facing difficult facts, or fear of what those facts might mean for our routines.
• Rather than living in fear, we’re living with awareness. We recognize that this new ‘routine’ looks different for everyone. For some, mitigating risks means using well-fitted masks, filters, and tests when visiting family, working, or attending social events. For others, it means connecting through virtual gatherings, working or studying from home, or even choosing alternative travel methods like RV life. All these precautions are not only about protecting personal and family well-being—they’re also a meaningful way to safeguard our communities.

---

12. “But I want things to go back to normal!”

Short Answer: We all do. Yet we also have new knowledge that can help us keep each other safer and healthier, so “normal” might need a slight update.

Detailed Explanation:

• Hundreds of people still die from COVID-19 each week in countries like the United States alone, and globally the toll is higher. If there were a natural disaster or accident claiming that many lives regularly, we’d be alarmed and look for solutions.
• We now know that COVID-19 (and other airborne pathogens) can spread from people who show no symptoms—so half of infections may come from those who don’t realize they’re contagious.
• Returning to a 2019 mindset ignores the real progress we’ve made in understanding airborne transmission. We don’t live in the past—our knowledge has evolved.
• It’s also important to consider how vulnerable individuals feel when the rest of us choose not to use the tools at our disposal. If someone is immunocompromised or has other risk factors, seeing people ignore what we now know about airborne transmission can be profoundly isolating. They may feel forced to avoid gatherings altogether. By incorporating simple measures like masking, ventilation, or testing, we include everyone—no one has to be left out or left behind.
• By taking precautions such as masking, ensuring good ventilation, or using testing, we can prevent a lot of unnecessary illness and death. The fact that we didn’t do these things before 2020 doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do them now that we know better.

---

New information often leads us to adjust our habits—just like handwashing became standard practice after we learned about germs. Masking, improving indoor air quality, and using testing are extensions of that same principle. These measures aren’t about panic or living in fear; they’re about embracing simple, evidence-based tools to safeguard our health and the health of those around us. We can still enjoy holidays, family get-togethers, and everyday life, all while being mindful of how illnesses spread and how we can help stop them.

Bonus Benefits: By masking with quality respirators, you are not only protected from COVID, but also from other airborne infections like influenza, tuberculosis, measles, RSV, and more. You are also protected from pollution, allergens, and other particles that can cause respiratory issues.

Last reviewed on November 25, 2025

Hero Sarah Backstrom, RIP

The terrible news we feared came yesterday that National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom had died from the fatal wounds she received at the hands of an evil terrorist.

She was only 20 years old, and now her grieving family will have to cope with the loss of their daughter and the fact that every Thanksgiving will be a day of mourning.

Here are some tributes from TIME Magazine:

-------------------------------------------------------- 

"Tributes are pouring in for Sarah Beckstrom, the 20-year-old West Virginia National Guard member who died on Thanksgiving after succumbing to the injuries she obtained as a deployed service member in D.C. the day before. Beckstrom’s colleague, Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, who was also shot near the White House in what officials have called a “targeted” attack, remains in critical condition in hospital after undergoing surgery.

"President Donald Trump announced Beckstrom’s death during a call with service members. “She’s just passed away,” he said of Specialist Beckstrom, who enlisted in the West Virginia National Guard in June 2023. “She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now.”

"Trump went on to say he had spoken to Beckstrom’s parents, relaying that her family is “devastated.” Leaving it open that he may attend Beckstrom’s funeral in West Virginia, the President paid tribute to the slain service member, saying he heard she was “outstanding in every way.”

"Local and federal law enforcement officials lined the streets in D.C. on Thursday to show their respects at a procession as Beckstrom’s body was transferred from MedStar Washington Hospital to the medical examiner’s office.

"Beckstrom was deployed to D.C. over the summer to serve the nation’s capital as part of Trump’s “Operation D.C. Safe and Beautiful,” which saw the deployment of more than 2,000 National Guard troops as part of Trump’s crime crackdown in, what he referred to as, the “most unsafe city” in the U.S.

"Communities gathered in Beckstrom’s home state of West Virginia on Thursday evening to pay their respects. They also shared prayers for Sgt. Wolfe, who Trump said is “fighting for his life.”

"At one vigil in Webster Springs, near where Beckstrom attended high school, people laid flowers in her memory.

"From Beckstrom’s fellow service members and U.S. lawmakers to her family and friends, here are some of the tributes that have been made to the slain National Guard member:

West Virginia

"Gov. Patrick Morrissey of West Virginia led the tributes from his state, remembering Beckstrom as someone who defined “the very best” of her home state’s National Guard.

“Sarah served with courage, extraordinary resolve, and an unwavering sense of duty to her state and to her nation,” said Morrissey. “Today, we honor her bravery and her sacrifice as we mourn the loss of a young woman who gave everything she had in defense of others.”

"The West Virginia National Guard also praised Beckstrom’s service and dedication as they paid tribute to their fallen member.

“Spc. Beckstrom, a 2023 graduate of Webster County High School, was a resident of Summersville, West Virginia. She volunteered to serve as part of 'Operation D.C. Safe and Beautiful,' helping to ensure the safety and security of our nation’s capital. Her loss is felt profoundly across our One Guard Family and throughout the Mountain State,” read the statement.

The Trump Administration and lawmakers

"Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth referred to Beckstrom as “an American hero” and asked the nation to “kneel in prayer for her family.”

"Attorney General Pam Bondi said America will “never forget [Sarah’s] courage” and vowed there will be “justice.”

"FBI director Kash Patel said Beckstrom was a “young soldier and patriot with her entire life ahead of her” and asked the nation to join him in prayer.

"House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he was “deeply saddened” to learn of “heroic” Beckstrom’s death.

“Together we must find a way to better protect those patriots who bravely defend and serve our nation,” he shared.

Beckstrom’s family and friends

"Beckstrom was surrounded by her family in her final moments. In the hours before her death, her father, Gary Beckstrom, told the New York Times that he was holding her hand.

“She has a mortal wound. It’s not going to be a recovery,” he is quoted as saying.

"The former boyfriend of Beckstrom later joined those paying tribute. Adam Carr, who said he and Beckstrom ended their six-year relationship “on good terms” sometime after she was deployed to D.C., told CNN the fallen National Guard member “would do anything for anyone” and had “a huge heart.” 

Happy Thanksgiving 2025

 

I always loved the painting of Norman Rockwell, and the Four Freedoms were a popular sight in our New England classrooms.

Here's the story behind this famous painting:

--------------------------------- 

The Story Behind Norman Rockwell’s Iconic Thanksgiving Scene

Rockwell had at one point considered destroying the celebrated painting.

Katie White November 24, 2025

"Norman Rockwell’s Freedom From Want is one of the most iconic (and parodied) paintings of the 20th century—it’s the Thanksgiving painting we know without even necessarily knowing its name

"Appearing in the March 6, 1943, edition of the Saturday Evening Post, it depicts a white, middle-class family seated around a crisply adorned dinner table. As was common for Norman Rockwell, his models for the painting were his friends, family, and neighbors in the town of Arlington, Vermont, whom he photographed in his studio and painted into the complex composition individually (they never sat together).

"Rockwell’s wife appears on the left side of the table. The family cook, Mrs. Thaddeus Wheaton, was the model for the elderly matriarch serving the turkey. (She did, in fact, cook the meal used for the painting; Rockwell joked about eating the turkey later.)

"Opinions on the famous image are mixed. Many a critic has dismissed it as kitsch, and Rockwell himself thought that it “lacked a wallop.”

"But many more treasure the image. Deborah Solomon, his biographer, goes so far as to call the light-filled canvas ”one of the most ambitious plays of white-against-white since Whistler’s Symphony in White, No. 1.”

"Recently, Rockwell’s work and legacy have been back in the spotlight. Earlier this month, a four-panel suite of the artist’s paintings, which had hung in the White House for decades, went to the block at Heritage Auctions, achieving $7.2 million ($5.8 million plus fees). The winning bidder was none other than the White House Historical Association. In less idyllic news, Rockwell’s family recently lambasted the Department of Homeland Security’s use of Rockwell’s art in highly divisive social media posts.

"There’s no denying that Rockwell’s artwork is deeply entwined with American identity, and that many choose to see his artworks in ways the artist never intended. Though seemingly so familiar, this cinematic Thanksgiving scene, Freedom From Want, holds plenty of details that are easy to miss. This holiday season, we’ve pinpointed three facts that just might change the way you see it.

1) The Military Hated It (Until They Loved It)

"The idyllic scene was one in a series of four paintings Rockwell made in response to Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s 1941 State of the Union address known as the “Four Freedoms.” (The other freedoms were “freedom of speech,” “freedom of worship,” and “freedom from fear.”)

"Rockwell had originally wanted to paint the series for the military and, hoping for a commission, sent a charcoal sketch of the “Four Freedoms” paintings to the Office of War Information (OWI). Not only did the brass turn it down, they twisted the knife, writing, ”The last war, you illustrators did the posters. This war, we’re going to use fine arts men, real artists.”

Freedom From Want was reproduced in millions of posters promoting the sale of war bonds. Collection of the Charleston Museum.

"Saturday Evening Post editor Ben Hibbs, however, was enthusiastic. And he was right—so popular were the images, in fact, that the magazine decided to offer prints for sale.

"The OWI, which had turned down Rockwell just a few months earlier, asked to use prints of the paintings in a war bond campaign that would ultimately garner over $132 million in bonds and stamps.

"In the end, millions of posters of Rockwell’s paintings were distributed across the country, posted in schools, libraries, and post offices.  

2) Some Worried it Was Too Much… Even Rockwell

Norman Rockwell , Freedom From Want in The Saturday Evening Post.

"Though Freedom From Want was enthusiastically embraced by the American public, in Europe the happy scene left a bitter taste as the population endured ongoing wartime hardship.

“Freedom From Want’ was not very popular overseas,” Rockwell later recalled self-critically. “The Europeans sort of resented it because it wasn’t freedom from want, it was overabundance, the table was so loaded down with food.”

"In fact, even before it found success, Rockwell had been worried it would come off wrong. Each image in the Post was accompanied by an essay on the relevant theme. “Freedom From Want” was written by the Filipino immigrant, novelist, and labor organizer Carlos Bulosan, who wrote about the privation and violence endured by Asian immigrants to the West Coast.

“If you want to know what we are, look upon the farms or upon the hard pavements of the city,” Bulosan’s essay began. “You usually see us working or waiting for work, and you think you know us, but our outward guise is more deceptive than our history.”

"Once Rockwell had read the essay, he hesitated to complete the painting, aware that the contrast of his happy meal with Bulosan’s text could be read as smug ignorance. He contemplated destroying it and starting again, but his editor, Hibbs, begged with Rockwell to finish the painting, saying that the illustration and essay need not match, but merely reflect on the same theme.  

3) Winking at Art History

Jim Martin, a neighbor of Norman Rockwell and a frequent model, peeks out from the canvas.

"The military may have dismissed him as not a “real fine art man,” but Norman Rockwell (who had never claimed to be anything more than an illustrator) was in fact a wellspring of art-historical knowledge and compositional study. 

"The Last Supper, arguably art history’s most famous meal, was definitely on his mind. Like Leonardo da Vinci’s version, the central figures in Freedom From Want are framed by a window, with the perspective lines converging to focus attention on them. The creases in Rockwell’s humble tablecloth even echo those in the cloth covering Christ’s table in the Leonardo.

Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper (1490).

"Most importantly, the Last Supper also provides a source for the central trope of Rockwell’s painting. Famously, in the Last Supper, the Apostles look away from Christ, absorbed in the swirl of their own thoughts and conversations. The same is notably true of the family in Freedom From Want, who are absorbed with everything but the turkey being served. (This art-historical echo also makes the turkey into a sacrament.)

"The man on the bottom right of Rockwell’s painting, whose partial face glances out cinematically, has garnered a lot of critical speculation.

"His features are based on a neighbor of Norman Rockwell named Jim Martin, whom the artist included in each of his Four Freedoms paintings. But Martin’s fourth-wall breaking also riffs on another Renaissance trope, in which one figure stares out from an otherwise self-contained canvas as if to invite the viewer into the composition.

"Botticelli, for instance, used a self-portrait in his 1475 Adoration of the Magi much the same way, at the bottom right.

Sandro Botticelli, Adoration of the Magi (1475–1476). Collection of the Uffizzi.

"Diego Rivera, the Mexican muralist, was inspired to his craft by Renaissance art. In his famous Detroit Industry mural, completed 10 years before Rockwell’s Saturday Evening Post portfolio, he similarly inserted the figure of his patron, Edsel Ford, in the lower right corner, looking out.

Diego Rivera, Detroit Industry south wall [detail] (1932-33), featuring Edsel Ford (in gray suit) and DIA director William Valentiner (in blue suit), depicted holding a contract for the murals

'Thus, the grinning man at the bottom corner of Freedom From Want can be taken as Norman Rockwell winking at art history."

This story was originally published on November 25, 2020. It was updated on November 24, 2025, at 09:00 a.m. ET, with information about the artist’s recent headlines, including the acquisition of his work by the White House Historical Society and this family’s outrage over DHS social media posts. 

Terror Attack Against National Guard Troops Protecting Their Country

Well, here we go again: one of Joe Biden's "asylum seekers" showing  his gratitude by travelling from Washington state to ambush National Guard members! 

While other young people are busy protesting, causing mayhem, and committing crimes,  these two Guard members, both under 25 years old, had answered the call to protect America.  They should be celebrating with their families today instead of fighting for their lives in the hospital.

Of course, the Democrats are blaming Trump for calling in the National Guard in the first place, their reasoning being that if the Guard weren't there, they wouldn't have been shot.  Brilliant!

------------------------------------------- 

From the New York Post 11/27/25:

Wounded National Guard member volunteered to work day of suspected terror attack to spend Thanksgiving with family

By Katherine Donlevy

Updated Nov. 27, 2025, 10:30 a.m. ET

"The female West Virginia National Guard member critically wounded in a cowardly ambush by an Afhgan refugee Wednesday had volunteered to work that day so others could spend Thanksgiving with their families.

"The brave guardsman was identified as 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said at a Thursday press conference.

"She was shot in the chest and head, authorities previously reported.

“She volunteered to be there on Thanksgiving — working today — she volunteers, as did many of those guardsmen and women so other people could be home with their families,” US Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News early Thursday, before Beckstrom was identified as the second victim.

“Yet now, their families are in hospital rooms with them while they are fighting for their lives.”

"The other wounded guardsman was previously identified as 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe.

“Both Sarah and Andrew were sworn in less than 24 hours before they were shot on the street in Washington,” Pirro revealed.

"Both have undergone surgery and are in critical condition.

"They sustained the life-threatening injuries when Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, allegedly opened fire near the Farragut West Metro Station in Northwest DC in what’s being probed as a possible terrorist attack.

“They received the finest medical care. Their families are with them now. They are critical — I think you understand the meaning of that. It’s not clear how this is going to end up. But let me be perfectly clear about how it will end up in this office — if one of them is to pass, and God forbid that happens, this is a murder one. Period. End of the story,” said Pirro.

“We are praying on a day like today when families come together in America and they hold hands around the Thanksgiving table. I beg you, I beseech you to play, to pray for these two young people that they survive.”

"Bondi noted that the gunman’s charges would be determined by Beckstrom and Wolfe’s prognosis, but that authorities were working at “lightspeed” to put together the facts of the case.

"Lakanwal allegedly ambushed the two National Guard members near the White House, lying in wait before opening fire in a brazen attack.

"He was shot by return fire from other guard members.

"His motive is not yet clear, but authorities are probing it as a targeted terrorist attack

"Lakanwal was a member of the Afghan Army stationed in Kandahar where he supported US Special Forces in the region, a relative told NBC News.

"He applied for asylum in December 2024 and was approved on April 23 of this year — and had no known criminal history, a Trump admin official told Reuters."