Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Maine's CDC Director Used Rick Astley Lyrics to Reassure People About Virus Contact Tracing Program, and the Internet Has a New Hero

Maine's CDC Director Used Rick Astley Lyrics to Reassure People About Virus Contact Tracing Program, and the Internet Has a New Hero
Gregory Rec/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images; Official Rick Astley/YouTube

According to pop culture reference Urban Dictionary, to be Rick Rolled involves a specific song from English crooner Rick Astley.

Since Rick Rolling became a thing, you never know where the ubiquitous lyrics will pop up—like maybe a pandemic briefing by the head of the Maine Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Nirav Shah.


During an update Thursday, September 3, Dr. Shah used the 80s pop hit to reassure citizens on the Pine Tree State.

With a stoic expression, Dr. Shah said:

"The bottom line here is that Maine CDC contact tracers are never gonna give you up..."
"...they're never gonna let you down..."
"...they're never gonna run around and desert you."
"Maine CDC contact tracers are never gonna make you cry..."
"...they're never gonna say goodbye..."
"...and they're never gonna tell a lie and hurt you."

Well played, Dr. Shah, well played.

Giphy

You can watch the full briefing here:

Since the beginning of the pandemic's spread to the United States, Dr. Shah has been the face of the crisis in Maine.

Fan clubs, t-shirts and even candy bars have spawned for the popular public official.

What was it Dr. Shah said?






Until an ill-advised wedding reception in rural central Maine, the state also had one of the best records for containment of the virus.




But even though the nuptials lead to a number of new cases in the state, the total infections sit at 4,713 and deaths are at 134.

And Dr. Shah has assured that his agency's contact tracers are on the case.



Hence the Rick Rolling briefing.

The global pandemic has people around the world on edge, but Dr. Shah's approach has put minds at ease in the state of Maine.

Oh, and this:

Rickrolling In Real Life WITH RICK ASTLEYyoutu.be

Maybe Dr. Shah can get in touch with Mr. Astley for his next briefing...

More from News

Michael Knowles and James Barr
@PiersUncensored/X

MAGA Commentator Dragged After Insisting To Gay Comedian That He Doesn't Have G-Spot 'In His Bum'

It's Pride Month, the traditional time of year when conservatives celebrate their love for gay-panic crash outs over the details of people's personal lives that have no impact on them whatsoever!

And this month, former actor and Daily Wire talking head Michael Knowles decided to celebrate by being so gay-panicked he was willing to deny the basic science of his own body.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Neil DeGrasse Tyson
Club Shay Shay/YouTube

Neil DeGrasse Tyson Shares Powerful History Lesson In Viral Rant About Anti-Vaxxers—And He's Spot On

Speaking during an appearance on Shannon Sharpe's Club Shay Shay podcast, astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson gave a powerful history lesson about why he thinks anti-vaxxers will make the next pandemic even worse.

Tyson has made his name as one of the most prominent science communicators of the last few decades and regularly spoke out against misinformation and conspiracy theories that were all the rage throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. And he expressed frustration that "we still have anti-vaxxers running around" with the capacity to make even more trouble for public health officials.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Brooke Rollins and Roger Marshall
CNBC; Newsmax

MAGA Politicians Get Blunt Factcheck After Trying To Blame Biden For Screwworm Emergency In Texas

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Kansas Republican Senator Roger Marshall were called out after blaming a rise in screwworm infections in Texas cattle on former President Joe Biden—even though it was President Donald Trump's administration that cut funding for programs that track the parasite.

Earlier, the Department of Agriculture announced that a case of New World Screwworm—a flesh-eating parasitic fly—has been detected in a three-week-old calf near La Pryor, Texas, about 30 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. The discovery marks the parasite's arrival in the U.S. after it spread northward through Central America and Mexico over recent years.

Keep ReadingShow less
Morgan Wallen throwing security guard's cell phone across stage
@nhoop34/TikTok

Morgan Wallen Sparks Controversy After Grabbing Phone From Security Guard And Throwing It Across The Stage During Concert

Country singer Morgan Wallen's rage against inanimate objects continued earlier this week during his show in Pittsburgh.

While working the stage during one of his songs, Wallen paced back and forth, lightly interacting with the crowd while regularly turning his attention back to one side of the stage.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Randy Fine
Newsmax

MAGA Rep. Dragged After Bizarrely Claiming Democratic Voters Went Dumpster Diving For Ballots To Rig California Primary

Florida Republican Representative Randy Fine was widely mocked after claiming during a Newsmax interview that Democratic voters in California went dumpster diving for discarded ballots to rig the primary election.

Republicans have alleged fraud took place but many of the fraud allegations appear to stem from a misunderstanding of how California counts votes, particularly the time required to complete the process.

Keep ReadingShow less