Welcome to The Cameron Journal Newsletter. Each week, Cameron Lee Cowan wraps up the headlines with commentary, for his politically homeless Readership helping you navigate today’s media narratives, how they are affecting our Culture, Lifestyle, and Society.
Updates from Cameron
Happy Weekend Readership!
One of the important things that I haven’t necessarily thought about in doing The Cameron Journal is clearly articulating to everyone how important it is that you are part of this community. I tend to talk a lot to you but not necessarily with you. I don’t necessarily always include everyone in the conversation, and that’s going to change today.
The Cameron Journal can and should be a community. I always think of you all as my readership, and that comes with a great deal of responsibility. I try to do my job well and keep your interest but I want this to be a community too. So, right now, I’m inviting everyone to The Cameron Journal D. Please join, chat with others, and I’ll be around to answer questions, talk about headlines, and more!
Let’s build something special. To all those who are trying to figure out What the Hell is Going On? (see what I did there?) to those who feel like they just can’t identify with our current politics and are trying to understand this moment, you have a home here.
Cameron Journal Salons
The first Cameron Journal Salon happened tonight, and it was… mixed, but promising. We had a small group — friends, strangers, and a few “seat‑fillers” — and the conversation was rich, honest, and intimate. It wasn’t a big crowd, but it felt like our space.
The turnout was low, and that’s partly my fault:
The time zones weren’t localized clearly enough.
The panel didn’t know the exact start window.
I didn’t make it obvious enough that this is for you — the Readership.
The Cameron Journal Salon is not a “one‑off event.” It’s the beginning of a periodic space where we can talk about what’s happening in the world, your work, your life, and all the weird, messy, beautiful stuff that we’re all juggling. For the next Salon, I’m going to:
List all time zones clearly.
Set a firm start and end time.
Make sure you know exactly when to show up.
And here’s where you come in:
Reply with one word:
Curious
Exploring
Interested
If you want to be on the priority list for the next Cameron Journal Salon. No pressure, no sales pitch. Just a quiet way of saying: “I’m here. I’m part of this. I want to be part of the next one.”
The next Salon will be a small, intimate, Members‑Only‑Style space for the Readership.
You’re part of the Readership, so you’re invited.
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The News Narrative of the Week
Don’t forget to join me on Monday for The Cameron Journal Newshour and join the Discord to talk about this week’s headlines with your fellow readers and me!
Hantavirus, The New Pandemic?
And this all started in the worst of all places: a cruise ship. I’m sure you’ve probably heard about a Hantavirus outbreak. The internet is already going nuts with information, misinformation, and considering what happened during COVID, this is going to be… well, let’s get our facts together first.
We already have some data from the WHO, which, of course, the US has withdrawn from, about how this strain was discovered. As the story goes so far, the Andean Hantavirus is the only one that can be transmitted from human to human. The cruise ship left Argentina around April 1 (dates can vary) and is now docked in Cabo Verde off the coast of Spain. 3 people have died, 2 laboratory confirmed cases, and 5 suspected cases out of 147 people on board. Passengers from the ship have already circled the globe, and one of them has died in South Africa, and another is already sick in quarantine in Spain. Infection has already been detected in this country, and tracing efforts are currently underway. WHO says the current outbreak involves a cruise-ship cluster linked to a suspected Andes virus hantavirus, with seven cases and three deaths reported as of May 4, while the agency still assesses the global risk as low and says person-to-person spread, when it occurs, is typically limited and associated with close, prolonged contact.
It all sounds so familiar doesn’t it? 6 years ago we were reading the same headlines. Very famously, I had a conversation with someone in January of 2020 and confidently said, “Oh yes, I heard about that already, read about it, and they usually contain these things where they are, I wouldn’t be worried.” and I said that after we had both agreed to skip a bunch of holiday parties because some sickness was going around. I could not have been more wrong. I’m not saying that we’re going into a Covid cycle again, and I don’t think people would accept it if we did, but I don’t think we are there yet. However, given my track record, perhaps my prediction isn’t the best to follow. Tracking and tracing are already underway, and being 6 years out from a pandemic means our muscles are stronger this time. Last time, we hadn’t had a major pandemic in decades, and we were out of practice. We have only somewhat recovered from the last one. There is no vaccine for Hantavirus (and I don’t think anyone would take it if there were), and it doesn’t seem there is much treatment. The incubation time can last up to 8 weeks, which means long quarantines (Covid was 2-3 weeks).
The narrative in the media has already gone off the rails. There are mixed reactions on social media, but rumors are already flying that it is worse than COVID. Other people are pointing to its high transmissibility and that all of those people on the cruise ship will need to stay in quarantine for at least 8 weeks, if not longer, until everyone is cleared of the virus. Still others are already panicking about another pandemic, and the extreme cases are people who still haven’t gotten over Covid, are already saying that this is piling on, and that everyone is so weakened from Covid that it will spread faster and kill more people.
Scared yet?
I have mixed feelings right now. We’ve recently had an outbreak, so we have much better preparedness and knowledge than the last time. That is helpful. I also know how the Trump administration has reduced funding for FEMA and other agencies tasked with preparing for this, leaving the main responsibility to the states. There are already cases in the country, but the conventional wisdom (so far) is that Hantavirus can’t spread very quickly and that you have to be in close contact with someone physically or through bodily fluids. It only spreads through the air after long personal contact in an enclosed space. This is where the conversation about indoor air quality from COVID will likely become important.
I can’t offer any advice at this time beyond watching this space. I will do my best to report the latest as this story develops. Try not to give in to fear too much; we’re all still traumatized from 2020. You’ll hear lots of rumors about lockdowns again (we’re already getting those re: energy) and you’ll hear a lot of panic. Stay calm and remember from 6 years ago, things will change quickly. The advice from this week may change. Stay flexible and adaptable. It may be the only way we get through an outbreak and an energy crunch at the same time.
MediCal and Trans Immigrants
I’ve been trying to talk about this story on the newshour, but lord knows there’s been plenty else going on. Anyway, City Journal (The Manhattan Institute) posted a story about trans immigrants in California openly talking about how they were able to illegally come to California or overstay a visa, but still get access to medical care in California, and also begin their transition journey. According to the people interviewed, this fact has become so well-known in trans communities in Central America that some trans people are crossing the border illegally just to take advantage of the system.
That probably sounds terrible. You might be a little pissed off about that, especially if you’re part of my West Coast readership and live in California (according to Substack, many of you live in California).
And of course, this has been a huge right-wing talking point regarding trans people and immigration. In this story, both fronts of the culture war collide.
Here’s the reality: California’s existing policies for its state health program make some undocumented, low-income residents eligible for the same medically necessary gender-affirming care available to other Medi-Cal enrollees but not every procedure is automatically approved, there is a process (which the immigrants talk about). Claims about a large or specially designed program for homeless undocumented migrants go beyond the public evidence. People can immigrate here, get Medi-Cal, and begin their transition, but it is far from a pipeline.
This all being said, it may be shocking to many other parts of the country that taxpayer dollars are being spent on this. However, given how many people live in California who are undocumented, it makes sense that the state health program would be extended to those communities. Whether they should be able to access services for gender transition is a policy decision that the state of California has made under pressure from various groups. I’m sure a lot of people don’t mind their money going to that, while others do. Personally, I don’t think that is a good use of state resources, but then again, I don’t live in California.
The reason I bring this story up is that Republicans usually get free rein on these topics, and most liberals and other democrats never address them because support of the LGBTQIA+ community is a tent-pole. But I think it deserves to be addressed, and I think there are many of us who support the LGBTQIA+ community but don’t necessarily think the state (and us) should pay for the healthcare of trans immigrants. I think it’s important to have that conversation not as a prejudice against the trans community (I hold none myself) but as a policy decision around tax dollars. There are other ways to help trans immigrants and it is not quite the wave that many would say. As most who read this regularly should know, I like to live in the space between how we talk about these things and the reality. This story is a sticky one. It is easy to misinterpret information and to construe words unfairly, but I think it is important that we talk frankly about this and push back on the demonization of this community. We can both support trans people but question sound policy.
Extreme Leftist? You’re a Terrorist
According to a new counter-terrorism strategy leaked from the White House, and attributed to Sebastian Gorka, the report says, “Currently we face three major types of terror groups,” the Strategy says, listing “Narcoterrorists and Transnational Gangs,” “Legacy Islamist Terrorists,” and “Violent Left-Wing Extremists, including Anarchists and Anti-Fascists.” Gorka is said to describe it as his life’s work. Here’s the danger: by branding certain groups as terrorists, it gives the government almost unlimited power to arrest and detain, without Constitutional rights, anyone they deem as a “violent left-wing extremist.”
This strategy was created after the shooting of Charlie Kirk (which may not have been a shooting, but that’s another story) to counter violent trans people and other extreme groups who are causing chaos in the country, or so the story goes. Obviously, with the recent attempt on various politicians at the White House Correspondents Dinner, tensions are high, and most reasonable people will think it is a good idea to do something about a certain segment of the population that is committing extreme acts of violence. However, there is a danger here, especially with this administration. The definition is rather vague, and for those of us who are old enough to remember the Bush years, once the government decides certain people are terrorists, they can disappear forever to be tortured or simply put away in prison. We learned what CIA black sites were and found out about unspeakable things that were done at taxpayer expense in the name of all of us. So, it is not a comfort when the government starts focusing on a certain group while at the same time trying to sue the Southern Poverty Law Center for paying informants in extreme right-wing groups. These two things send a very distinct message to a very specific group of people. And if someone, activist, politician, or journalist, becomes inconvenient, all of a sudden, they are a terrorist.
Watch this space.
Articles of Interest
Keep up with The Cameron Journal Podcast and The Living Joke
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The Living Joke:
The World is Hard, This is Not
If you’re new here, my name is Cameron Lee Cowan M.A. MFA, and I’m the Creative Director here at The Cameron Journal. You can learn more about me on the about page. I do research and commentary on politics, culture, and the world around us.
Each week, I send out the latest news narratives, the latest videos from The Cameron Journal, and commentary about the week’s events. If you’d like to explore what The Cameron Journal can do for you beyond the news, just reply to this newsletter, and we’ll connect you to the team. Do feel free to write to us at [email protected]
Remember, The World is hard; this is Not.
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