Hearing from friends whose gatherings are suddenly smaller bc of family hit by flu- stay healthy, folks!

Christmas baking has begun. My recent regular for a gathering is this nyt jam doughnut cake. Always a big hit and it truly is one bowl!

BREAKING: by an apparent vote of 7–2, the Supreme Court has *denied* President Trump‘s plea to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago

Still waiting on CDC to update their measles page, but Johns Hopkins tracker is showing the US has now had more than 2,000 cases in 2025. publichealth.jhu.edu/ivac/resourc...

Was at a holiday party last night and got so many questions about this piece, which a) what a gift for friends to read your stuff and b) cocktail chatter really takes a turn in middle age.

Per NY Times’s Michael Grynbaum on X, this is Sharyn Alfonsi’s email to her “60 Minutes” colleagues in full:

Was at a holiday party last night and got so many questions about this piece, which a) what a gift for friends to read your stuff and b) cocktail chatter really takes a turn in middle age.

Anticipating a lot of “Da Pope” gear at Christmas this year.

The flu is ramping up, friends. A few thoughts on that new strain driving cases and what we all can do to try to mitigate the worst of it. My latest for @opinion.bloomberg.com:

Horrifying to watch the ongoing chaos at FDA. This is the agency the makes sure so much of what we put in & on our bodies is safe. As this important piece notes, "The agency’s oversight can have life-or-death consequences, & it regulates products that drive roughly 20 percent of consumer spending."

The flu is ramping up, friends. A few thoughts on that new strain driving cases and what we all can do to try to mitigate the worst of it. My latest for @opinion.bloomberg.com:

Wisconsin Department of Health Services confirmed the first pediatric respiratory illness deaths of the season, one from COVID and one from flu www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/news/release...

Lincoln Park Lights, Chicago.

Come work with me!

"Profits collapsed. Newsroom morale soared." Amazing piece from @joannastern.bsky.social www.wsj.com/tech/ai/anth...

Under the proposed rule issued by the Trump Administration today, any Medicare- or Medicaid-participating hospital would be barred from providing gender-affirming care to *any child*, even if the care is not paid for by Medicare or Medicaid. public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-23465.pdf

BREAKING: Trump admin officially proposes new CMS rules to restrict trans health care for young people, including one that would change the conditions for hospitals to participate in Medicare/Medicaid by barring those that offer gender-affirming care to minors. www.statnews.com/2025/12/18/t...

Seems interesting that CDC is awarding $1.6M to a university in Denmark to study Hep B vaccine in Guinea-Bissau given recent CDC vax changes and FDA's Hoeg's connections to Denmark. Does this study sound ethical? public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-23245.p...

Why has Congress found it harder and harder to get anything done? This simple 2x2 matrix can explain: bit.ly/4j5orcw

GOP Rep. Ryan Mackenzie signs the Democratic discharge petition for a 3-year ACA funding extension. He's #218. This now has enough to end-run Republican leadership and get a House vote.

This was lovely.

This entire weekend

Trauma upon trauma.

A good guy without a gun stops a bad guy with a gun. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Being a woman of a certain age means the algorithm feeds me So. Much. Content. about hormones & supplements & fiber & protein. Lately testosterone has entered that hype cycle, so took a look at what the data tells us about women, testosterone & libido. My latest for @opinion.bloomberg.com (🎁):

“Tell your children who the cowards were.”

Being a woman of a certain age means the algorithm feeds me So. Much. Content. about hormones & supplements & fiber & protein. Lately testosterone has entered that hype cycle, so took a look at what the data tells us about women, testosterone & libido. My latest for @opinion.bloomberg.com (🎁):

Breaking news: The redistricting effort in Indiana fails as Republican lawmakers deliver a rare rebuke of President Trump, as some GOP state senators sided with Democrats to kill a plan to alter Indiana’s voting map.

Covid vaccines released last fall sharply decreased the risk of ER and urgent care visits in children, according to new data released by the CDC — providing a striking counterpoint to Trump administration rhetoric about the shots Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/11/h...

Noooooo! Sigh.

When I got the shingles vaccine this fall, secretly hoped that I might be doing my brain some good. A growing body of evidence suggests the shingles shot can lower the risk of dementia (and maybe even slow it down)-yes, there are caveats, but sure is compelling. My latest for @opinion.bloomberg.com:

RFK's FDA is now scrutinizing the new-ish RSV antibodies:

Senators Crapo & Cassidy have now released bill language for their health "plan". Besides nothing on expiring Marketplace credits and HSAs, it adds 3 harmful #Medicaid cuts from House version of H.R. 1 that were dropped in final law due to Senate rules (1/x): www.finance.senate.gov/download/hea...

For my latest @opinion.bloomberg.com, I wrote about this week's ACIP meeting-- yes, the CDC panel's terrible hep B vaccine decision, but the simple strategy RFK's handpicked members are using to sow confusion and distrust in vaccines. (🎁 link)

For my latest @opinion.bloomberg.com, I wrote about this week's ACIP meeting-- yes, the CDC panel's terrible hep B vaccine decision, but the simple strategy RFK's handpicked members are using to sow confusion and distrust in vaccines. (🎁 link)

What a disaster of a week for public health in the US. www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/...

My god.

Was also struck by Joe Hibbeln's comment during the vote, when he noted the potential for harm in getting rid of the universal birth dose: "I simply hope the committee will accept its responsibly when this harm is caused."

!!! The Post obtained hot mic comments by the chair of RFK Jr.'s CDC vaccine committee. "We feel like a little bit like puppets on a string as opposed to really being an independent advisory panel" wapo.st/4atob4M

Here is Aaron Siri's presentation. Meissner says: "What you have said is a terrible, terrible distortion of all the facts. I would like to go through then one by one, but obviously Robert will be on my case... I'm very sorry Paul Offit isn't here. I can't speak as effectively." #acip

“What have I done!” 🤡

As expected the ACIP panel has voted to delay the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine--question is below. 3 no and 8 yes. #ACIP #Medsky #IDsky #vaccines #pediatrics #obgyn

At ACIP day 2, liaison reps are echoing an important point (one raised by CDC's Adam Langer): the committee's mandate is public health--their recommendations are best advice for the *population* not specific children or parents.

Found list of members. None, that I can tell, is an hepatitis B expert. www.cdc.gov/acip/downloa...

At ACIP day 2, panel member Cody Meissner on hep B voting questions: "Thoughtful inquiry is always commendable. But that inquiry should not be confused with baseless skepticism, which is what I think we’re encountering here."

ACIP panelist Hibbeln is calling the preamble of vote 1 "illogical". And calls the idea of calling for a dose sometime before two months "unconscionable" because no evidence has been presented and notes it was the reason for tabling the vote in September. He's angry. #ACIP #CDC #vaccines #pediatric

ACIP just voted to delay 'til tomorrow morning their vote on its hepatitis B vaccine recommendations-- after much confusion about what, exactly, they were even going to be voting on.

Reminder: ACIP doesn’t have the authority to tell insurers to cover the multiple later blood draws they’re recommending. That’s aside from them not understanding that you have a series to get lasting immunity, not just temporary antibodies, so should complete it.

THIS is how you do health journalism—including the highly responsible title that gets immediately to the real story Thank goodness for journalists like @melodyschreiber.com & columnists like @lisamjarvis.bsky.social at Bloomberg, who are covering the dangerous shenanigans of the MAHA crew so well

This is new FDA CDER Director with a father who believes his son was killed by COVID vaccine. She is in front of FDA sign and smiling while pointing to his vest which has Pfizer's logo and a bloody handprint on it.