Unless you’re a horse or have parasitic worms, please don’t take ivermectin for COVID-19

OCTOBER 14, 2021

THE BIG STORY

100 Capitol rioters have pleaded guilty. Here's what they did and what they're facing.

BuzzFeed News; Department of Justice; FBI

It's been nearly ten months since the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Just this past Wednesday, Jenny Cudd — best known for Facebook livestreaming her experience after the Capitol riots — became the 100th person to plead guilty for her involvement that day.

One hundred may seem like an enormous amount of people involved in storming the US Capitol and threatening lawmakers' safety, but it may be just the start of the charges against rioters. Prosecutors haven't announced a target date for when the investigation will end, and HuffPost recently reported that as many as 2,000 people are estimated to have made it inside the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Today, the first 100 plea deals represent a unique look at how the US is holding rioters accountable — many of whom were originally allowed to walk away from the Capitol and go home without immediate consequences.

Most of the 100 rioters have pleaded guilty to the least serious crime they were charged with, such as parading or demonstrating. No judge has rejected a deal yet, but a few have questioned whether it's appropriate for a rioter to plead to a low-level misdemeanor, regardless of whether they were violent. And this month, a judge for the first time handed down a sentence for a Capitol insurrectionist that was more severe than what the government had asked for.

STAYING ON TOP OF THIS

Reading between the lines of plea deals in the Capitol riot

Sen. Ed Markey urges his colleagues to fund climate programs at a recent press conference at the US Capitol. Win Mcnamee / Getty Images

BuzzFeed News is publishing a database of the hundreds of pages of documents filed in connection with the first 100 guilty pleas in connection with the Capitol riots.

They detail what rioters are willing to admit they did, what charges prosecutors have been willing to drop (or not) in exchange for a plea, how much money defendants are required to pay to cover damage costs to the Capitol, and generally paint a broader picture of the investigation's status as a whole.

They can also feel dense and overwhelming to read if you don't already have a burning passion for legal document analysis. So consider this your guide on to what to look for as the Jan. 6 prosecution effort — which stands at over 630 federal cases and counting — presses on.

SNAPSHOTS

A Black trans Hamilton cast member has filed a discrimination complaint against the show. After requesting a gender-neutral dressing room, performer Suni Reid's contract was not renewed, a move they believe was in retaliation for speaking out on issues they were facing.

Five people were killed in a bow-and-arrow attack in Norway. Authorities have arrested the suspect in question, and believe he acted alone.

A judge urged the Justice Department to investigate jail conditions for Jan. 6 defendants. Defense attorneys for incarcerated Capitol rioters are alleging mistreatment by jail staff, unsanitary conditions, and an overuse of solitary confinement.

Nicole Brown Simpson's sister hit out at Kim Kardashian's jokes about O.J. Simpson on SNL, accusing her of being "beyond inappropriate and insensitive." "I know it's sort of weird to remember the first Black person you met, but O.J. does leave a mark — or several, or none at all, I still don't know," Kim said.

THE BEST WAY TO REDUCE COVID RISK IS VACCINATION

If you take ivermectin for COVID-19, here's what happens to your body

BuzzFeed News; Getty Images

Ivermectin, a drug best known for getting rid of parasites in animals and humans, has not been proven as an effective treatment against COVID-19. While some research in 2020 suggested ivermectin might be useful against COVID, public health experts agree that those results haven't stood up under scientific scrutiny.

In fact, some studies supporting ivermectin were "very flawed or even fraudulent," according to critical care physician Dr. Joseph Khabbaza. Even one of the drug's main manufacturers, Merck, stated that there's "no meaningful evidence" to suggest ivermectin works to treat or prevent COVID.

And yet, due to a maelstrom of COVID misinformation, demand for the drug is skyrocketing. The CDC reported that US prescriptions for ivermectin increased at least 24-fold in 2021. People have swallowed potentially toxic and lethal doses of the drug meant to be injected in or poured on cows, sheep, or horses.

So let's clear the air. We asked physicians, epidemiologists, and other medical researchers what happens to your body when you take ivermectin in low or high doses. Their responses were hair-raising, but had one firm, unanimous takeaway.

WISH I LEARNED THIS IN 7TH GRADE

Breaking news: This tampon designer is actually thinking about the shape of people's vaginas

According to menstrual mythology, the modern tampon was created in the 1920s by a man named John Williamson, who stuffed a condom with cotton-like filling. Hmm.

A century later, Nadya Okamoto, the founder of period care company August, aims to offer tampons with a vagina-forward design. Unlike most tampons, which open cylindrically and overlook how most vaginas widen toward the cervix, Okamoto's period products expand axially to reduce pressure on users' vaginal walls.

But the purpose of August isn't just to make more practical tampons — their products are part of a larger mission to destigmatize talking about periods and reproductive health, says Okamoto.

"This biological function is what makes human life possible. It's a natural thing that over half of our global population experiences."

I hope you can cast aside shame that does not serve you today,

Alexa

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