Mark Butler’s NDIS cuts will force people with disabilities like mine to withdraw from society | Clem Bastow The inclusive world disability advocates fought so hard for is being torn apart by ruthless, ableist bureaucracy

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

There’s ppl on the NDIS for psychosocial conditions where if the supports are withdrawn they will be a threat themselves & others, costing millions in damages. Framing supports as only open to ppl with “profound disability” exposes the stereotypes and prejudices in public understanding of disability

Screenshot of a The Globe and Mail article titled “The long and costly shadow of COVID-19,” by health columnist André Picard. Main image shows a large outdoor installation of hundreds of red cots arranged on grass, each with a pillow, symbolizing people affected by long COVID. A person walks among the cots. Caption explains the display represents millions living with post-infectious illness, set up near the Washington Monument in May 2023.

The long and costly shadow of COVID-19

"An estimated 400 million people in the world have suffered from long COVID since the pandemic began"

"Long COVID has a health system and economic impact that is similar to stroke or multiple sclerosis, but has not sparked the same response"

archive.md/JWmlM

Study links long COVID in kids to worse grades and attention problems A large NIH-funded RECOVER-Pediatrics study found that children and adolescents meeting the long COVID research threshold were more likely to have caregiver-reported worsening grades, attention diffic...

Study links long COVID in kids to worse grades and attention problems.

"A major U.S. cohort study suggests long COVID in children may reach far beyond lingering symptoms, affecting how they learn, focus, and connect with friends at school."

Screenshot of a Mirror news article titled “Urgent warning of long Covid symptoms as number of cases rise in UK.” Subheading explains long COVID occurs when symptoms last more than 12 weeks and can be debilitating. Article by Bradley Jolly, dated 21 April 2026. Main image shows a middle-aged woman outdoors holding her chest, appearing short of breath. Caption notes it is a file image representing breathlessness.

UK: Urgent warning of long Covid symptoms as number of cases rise in UK.

Over 2 million people in the UK are living with long COVID, the “forgotten epidemic,” with symptoms lasting over 12 weeks.

"Long Covid is not a problem that has gone away, as some people like to think."

archive.md/AAB9W

Aerial view of large scale devastation inflicted on the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, with an Israeli tank parked in the center of the photo.

This is what Israel has done to Bint Jbeil, my hometown in southern Lebanon

“There’s been so much authoritarian overreach on behalf of Zionist interests, it didn’t feel certain that we’d win the case.
…feels strange to talk about good news!”

@davemilbo.bsky.social on the NSW Court of Appeal striking down Chris Minn’s anti-protest laws. #SundayShot #nswpol

Australian C19 Weekly Update - 17th April 2026

Note: Cases recorded are from PCR testing only. Actual cases are significantly higher.

Data from: nindss.health.gov.au/pbi-dashboard/

Thanks to @angiecibisdesign for the design!

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Screenshot of The Sick Times article. Headline: “I developed Long COVID while practicing medicine. The system had no place for me.” Written by Mustafa Talat, April 17, 2026. Image shows three side-by-side photos of the same person wearing protective medical gear, including a mask, goggles, and hooded suit. The central image is clearer, while the two on either side are tinted blue. Caption reads: Photo courtesy of Mustafa Talat.

"I developed Long COVID while practicing medicine. The system had no place for me"

"6 years later, COVID-19 continues spreading, killing, and disabling people, but many of my colleagues ignore it. Last December, a colleague said, “We can’t keep doing this. COVID is basically over”

archive.md/CLP40

In Pursuit of Understanding the Crash What Post-Exertional Physiology Tells Us About ME/CFS

"Simply put, the bodies of people with ME/CFS can not efficiently do the work of recovery. And because these abnormalities are found in pwME but not matched deconditioned controls, we can confidently say that PEM is not deconditioning." likeannopeningbandforthesun.substack.com/p/in-pursuit...

So many of us who advocated for N95s were told to avoid COVID by hand washing.

This apology doesn’t rectify the ongoing problem; the general population still thinks COVID isn’t airborne and even our hospitals aren’t instituting masking to protect our most vulnerable patients.

#CovidIsAirborne

Thanks to Shamikh Badra and the Guardian for this excellent column. The NSW Supreme Court ruling is crucial: “It is a direct rejection of a political logic that sought to redefine protest from a democratic right into a risk to be managed.”
#auspol
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

CBC News article. Headline: “Hospitalization rates for illnesses like COVID, flu have doubled since pre-pandemic, report finds.” By Lauren Pelley, April 16, 2026. Subheading notes vaccine-preventable respiratory infections are sending thousands to hospital while vaccine uptake declines. Image shows a hospital patient lying in bed with medical lines attached, while a healthcare worker wearing gloves adjusts equipment near the patient’s arm.

Canada: "Hospitalization rates for illnesses like COVID, flu have doubled since pre-pandemic, report finds"

“People assume that COVID-19 is done … but what our data is showing is that it’s still having a big impact on our hospitals”

Source: archive.md/jmZg5

Top corner, there's a screenshot of an email from "Friend who gets it" to "me". It reads: "I had an idea. What if made a tshirt to wear on race day that had something to raise awareness about long covid? Something like, "Running for my Long Covid friends who can't." or "Running to raise awareness about Long Covid." What's the shortest message that would seem like good PR? If anything?" Below the email screenshot, two pictures of the purple T-shirt this friend ordered. Bottom left is of the back, which has "Running for my Long Covid friends who no longer can" written on it. Bottom right is of the front, which has a ribbon and "Long COVID" written on it. Top right of this image is my caption. It reads: "COVID Chronicles, Day 1312. It's not just that she sees me. It's that she followed through. <3" @covidchronicles.bsky.social

Day 1312—I used to volunteered as Team in Training mentor (running marathons for cancer research)

Now I can barely run errands. One mild COVID infection (2022) is all it took

Last week, a fellow runner sent me this. It's not just that she sees me—It's that she followed through 💜

#LongCOVID #MECFS

These metrics represent a PUBLIC HEALTH failure, not a public failure as CMOHs want you to believe.

You-do-you + Pro-infection promotion of hybrid immunity & immunity debt + 'only the vulnerable' ➡️ crappy uptake and ⬆️ anti-vax sentiment. No masks even during respiratory season. UTTER FAIL.

EXCLUSIVE: Murdoch Media's smear campaign against Palestinian academic EXPOSED YouTube video by Ette Media

BONUS EPISODE: We investigated The Australian’s years-long smear campaign targeting Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah. Antoinette Lattouf and data analyst Dr Richard Bean crunched the numbers, and what we found points to a relentless, wide-ranging and coordinated media offensive. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYgk...

Two things that are both true: It is still important to test for COVID-19. False negatives on at-home COVID-19 tests* are common. *Also called home tests, rapid tests, antigen tests, and rapid antigen tests

False negatives on COVID-19 tests are common, so it’s important to test again if your test is negative. False negatives (test results saying you don’t have COVID when you actually do) are common. If you have symptoms but test negative, test again at least one more time, 48 hours later. If you test positive, there’s no need to test again. False positives (tests saying you have COVID when actually don’t) are extremely rare.

It is still important to test so you can get the treatment you need. COVID-19 treatments are available for some people who are eligible, and they can significantly reduce your risk of hospitalization and death. Testing helps you to identify your illness so you can get the treatment you need!

If you’re sick but can’t test (or retest): Get plenty of rest, avoid spreading it to others, and talk to your doctor if needed. If you’re feeling sick but don’t have access to testing, it’s still important to give your body time to get better, and avoid spreading illness to others. Stay home as much as you’re able & get plenty of rest to allow your body to a chance to fully recover. Avoid others as much as possible (and remember, nobody wants illness spread to them even if it’s not COVID-19), and wear a mask if you have to be around others.

It's important to know that false negatives on home COVID-19 tests are common, so if you're not feeling well and get a negative result, you should always test again! But although false negatives happen, it's still important to get tested if possible so you can get the treatment you need!

ETTE-SCLUSIVE: Data exposes The Australian’s campaign against Dr Randa Abdel- Fattah A sweeping data investigation reveals what appears to be a sustained, coordinated media offensive by News Corp's The Australian targeting Palestinian-Egyptian academic and author Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah...

EXCLUSIVE: A data investigation reveals what appears to be a sustained, coordinated media offensive by The Australian targeting Randa Abdel-Fattah. The paper has written more articles on her than Nine papers, Guardian, ACM papers & ABCNews online COMBINED

www.ettemedia.com/exclusive-me...

Screenshot of story in the Guardian reading Labor’s controversial algorithm tool for aged care under investigation by ombudsman Exclusive: It follows numerous complaints made to Guardian Australia, politicians and advocacy organisations about the Integrated Assessment Tool

Labor's aged care algorithm was created to deny care to older people and save a few bucks - and now it's blown up in their faces.

The Ombudsman’s investigation is welcome, but Labor needs to read the writing on the wall and restore clinical oversight before they cause more harm.

The Gambling Reform That Wasn't - April 12 - Amy Remeikis, Stephen Long, and Mark Kempster YouTube video by The Sunday Shot

This week's #SundayShot is up & it's a cracker! @amyremeikis.bsky.social is back & Stephen Long makes his Shot debut.

Plus impressive anti-gambling advocate Mark Kempster discusses the disappointment of the Government's long-awaited response to Peta Murphy's report.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFiv...

A happy family Headline: Parents Pinpoint Exact Moment Being At Home For Six Weeks Six Years Ago Caused Daughter’s Small Fibre Neuropathy Story by Alasdair Smales and Graham Kenyon Photo by Adobe

Parents Pinpoint Exact Moment Being At Home For Six Weeks Six Years Ago Caused Daughter’s Small Fibre Neuropathy

Australian C19 Weekly Update - 10th April 2026

Note: Cases recorded are from PCR testing only. Actual cases are significantly higher.

Data from: nindss.health.gov.au/pbi-dashboard/

Thanks to @angiecibisdesign for the design!

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You can’t recover from an ongoing crisis by ignoring its acute & long lasting impacts.
The pandemic is not over.
www.economist.com/internationa...

“As Jewish Australians, we express solidarity with the Lebanese community and reject the idea that our safety or the safety of Jews in Israel can be built on the rubble of Lebanese and Palestinian homes.” @sarahschwartz.bsky.social #auspol

At least 260 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, according to the CPJ, and a further 14 in Lebanon as per the UN.

They're not just numbers — they were someone's whole world.

The CPJ has called for international authorities to investigate each killing as a war crime.

"No one should be taking medical advice from some dude who looks like an overly frizzy John Oates."

Who could have predicted that rampant poverty, a cost of living crisis, and investor tax-break driven unaffordable housing would lead to unrest and crime? #auspol

Canberra woman in an aged care 'black hole' sees no way out After she was stuck in a Canberra hospital for 19 months, paraplegic 84-year-old Mary Wansey has lost hope of ever finding a place in aged care.

Government aged care funding isnt adequate when people have disabilities. And the NDIS discriminates by age www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

Thank you, @janfran.bsky.social (Ette Media) for shedding light on the new QLD hate speech laws. You can watch her new episode here: youtube.com/watch?v=zJtr...

The price of public holiday homecare under Australia’s new aged care system is $337.50 p/hr. There’s a lot of elderly people out there who missed out on a shower this weekend because they couldn’t afford it