Nansen Malin

Passionate- politics, salmon, oysters, flowers, topiary, education & tech. Speak/workshops - Political blogger, lifestyle author in remote SW WA beach village.

[Nansen Malin @nansen]

The FDA needs to do more than send terse letters to the makers of illicit Chinese weight-loss drugs that may be associated with at least two deaths. Time to step up enforcement!

https://t.co/60GCCahyKc

[Nansen Malin @nansen]

Alzheimer’s doesn’t wait for Washington. Blood tests can help identify the disease earlier, but Medicare coverage has lagged. The bipartisan ASAP Act would create a pathway to coverage. Congress should act.
https://t.co/LI4FtTuj95

[Nansen Malin @nansen]

A powerful and dangerous new drug called Retatrutide has not been approved by the FDA, cannot be legally prescribed, and can only be purchased on the black market. Shouldn’t the federal government do something about it?
https://t.co/6NRevH7fbF

[Nansen Malin @nansen]

Elevance will require hospitals to accurately report where patients receive care. That matters because hospital systems can (and do) charge more by treating a doctor appt like a hospital visit. The Elevance move will help make health care more affordable.
https://t.co/FJToBiHswN

[FOX 13 Seattle @fox13seattle]

Dead salmon and other fish discovered beneath the I-90 floating bridge in Lake Washington have prompted an investigation into what killed them and whether equipment designed to protect the bridge from corrosion played a role. https://t.co/H5E3Sqtuq8

[Nansen Malin @nansen]

More on the ASAP Act here: “A technical distinction in Medicare policy limits coverage for Alzheimer’s blood tests used for screening. This is denying patients access to tests that could otherwise have an immense impact on their care and peace of mind.”

https://t.co/XabGTl1X6j

[Nansen Malin @nansen]

Congress is sitting on important legislation that would help patients detect Alzheimer's disease earlier. It needs to pass it ASAP. In fact, the legislation is called the ASAP Act, it “would create a new coverage pathway for Alzheimer’s detection tests.”
https://t.co/STmR96k32e

[Nansen Malin @nansen]

This is what happens when government looks the other way. Read here: https://t.co/HOXbpoCH5H

[Nansen Malin @nansen]

You don’t need a medical degree to know that teenagers' bodies are still developing. Illicit retatrutide, coming straight from China, can change the way their body works for the rest of their lives.

[Nansen Malin @nansen]

Teenagers are injecting the strongest black market weight-loss drug and promoting it on TikTok. What could possibly go wrong? A LOT. And where are the parents, schools, and FDA? Crickets.

[Sami ON Tap @SamiOnTap]

This Seahawks edit has me so ready for the NFL to be back 😭 🙏

(alejndrosr07/tt)

[Nansen Malin @nansen]

This explains so much!!

[Emotion & Music @Emotion78687]

Why AC/DC Still Rocks Nursing Homes

There is something powerful about watching a room full of older adults light up when “Highway to Hell” starts playing. In the viral video from Wadsworth, Ohio, seniors move with surprising energy, laughing, dancing, and fully inhabiting the moment. Some lean on walkers or canes, yet the music seems to override physical limitations. This is not just entertainment. It reflects deeper neurological, emotional, and social processes that make familiar rock music especially effective in elder care settings.

Much of the impact comes from the way music from youth is stored in the brain. For many residents now in their seventies, eighties, and beyond, AC/DC formed part of the soundtrack of their late teens and early adulthood. Songs from that formative period become tightly linked to personal identity and autobiographical memory. Even when short-term memory fades or dementia progresses, these earlier musical memories often remain relatively intact. Hearing a track like “Highway to Hell” can reopen emotional pathways that everyday conversation no longer reaches, briefly restoring a sense of continuity with a younger, more vigorous self.

The music also triggers a clear biochemical response. Upbeat, high-energy rock stimulates the release of dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, motivation, and reward. This chemical shift improves mood, reduces feelings of apathy or mild depression, and creates a temporary sense of vitality. In environments where days can feel repetitive or isolating, that surge of positive affect is more than pleasant—it is restorative.

Physical movement follows naturally. The steady, driving beat of classic AC/DC tracks provides a clear rhythmic structure that supports what researchers call rhythmic auditory stimulation. The body tends to entrain to the pulse, making it easier to step, sway, or dance. Even limited movement improves circulation, maintains joint mobility, and strengthens the connection between intention and action. What looks like simple fun is also gentle, motivating exercise that many residents would not initiate on their own.

Beyond the individual, the shared experience builds social connection. When an entire group responds to the same song, barriers of age, health, or personality soften. People make eye contact, smile at one another, and participate in a collective moment of joy. In residential care, where loneliness is a persistent risk, these spontaneous gatherings reinforce a sense of belonging and shared humanity.

The combination of memory activation, mood elevation, physical engagement, and social bonding explains why rock music from residents’ younger years often succeeds where quieter or unfamiliar music does not. It does not treat the elderly as fragile beings who need only soothing sounds. Instead, it treats them as people who once danced, shouted along with choruses, and felt fully alive—and who can still access that feeling when the right song plays.

The result is more than a lively afternoon. It is a reminder that identity, energy, and connection do not disappear with age. Sometimes they only need the right soundtrack to return.

[Nansen Malin @nansen]

#NewProfilePic

[Nansen Malin @nansen]

Grange President Christine Hamp warns that rural Americans are burdened by Alzheimer's because of physician shortages, long travel for care, and inadequate Medicare coverage for promising new diagnostic tools.

https://t.co/VDRyuj19z8

[Nansen Malin @nansen]

Passengers on Seattle-bound flight get a special World Cup surprise https://t.co/XJ8F6GH1kJ via @seattletimes

[Nansen Malin @nansen]

A new poll suggests Alzheimer’s and cognitive health issues could factor in the midterm elections. Specifically, voters are significantly more likely to back a candidate who backs coverage for early diagnosis and treatment.
https://t.co/e87KpJIwm4

[Nansen Malin @nansen]

America can fight Alzheimer’s with early detection, but Congress needs to act. Early detection leads to early treatment. And that means lives (and money) could be saved. 
https://t.co/ZS0HHRjOzm

[Nansen Malin @nansen]

Kalshi and Polymarket rush to ban insider trading as senators move to curb prediction markets https://t.co/tV2akLwD9r via @seattletimes

[Nansen Malin @nansen]

Polymarket Says It Predicts the Truth. Its Social Feeds Are Filled With Falsehoods. https://t.co/5CN6XhnJ0O

[dzix @dzix0t]

@Yoda4ever 7