The nearly 80-year-old law that could hamper RFK Jr.’s drive to remake vaccine schedule Legal experts say Kennedy needs to follow established legal procedures to prevent any policy changes from being dismissed by a judge. www.cidrap.umn.edu/c... Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr cc

A COVID vaccine can be an important way for people with cancer to protect themselves. But a study that suggests COVID vaccines can improve cancer therapy has major weaknesses, scientists say. My last freelance story of the year, written for AARP a couple months ago. www.aarp.org/health/condi...

The full Weiss memo is dogshit -who cares if administration figures “regret” sending people to CECOT -who cares about the criminal histories of the people we sent to CECOT, we sent them to a torture prison —who cares about the “debate” over the legality of sending people to a torture prison

She’s so full of shit and a complete embarrassment to the idea of journalism.

A month into my new job, my first real scoop. Exposing thousands of babies to “a significant risk” of hepatitis B “in a low-income country with limited health care resources” would be “wildly unethical and a disgraceful use of American taxpayer money,” @angierasmussen.bsky.social said.

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

Good god this is horrifying

They booked a bunch of 14 year old models to come to a Mar A Lago party, told them to dress sexy and tried to ply them with alcohol.

The Vanity Fair photographer knew what he was doing. (I doubt I’m the first to notice this but it hasn’t graced my TL)

The Vanity Fair photographer from the Susie Wiles story. Holy. Shit. www.washingtonpost.com/style/power/...

Every part of this is bonkers. The intro is bonkers. The transition to his health is bonkers. The mention that other presidents didn't need cognitive exams is bonkers. The claim that this screening test is somehow hard is bonkers. The idea that criticism of him is treason is bonkers. All of it.

ICE raided a James Beard award winning restaurant & because the chef/owner was prepared, left emptyhanded:

A post on what parents need to know after the CDC vaccine committee's vote on hepatitis B vaccine, from @judysquirrels.bsky.social www.forbes.com/sites/judyst...

Anyone know if there's a website that "translates"/converts idioms for different languages? For ex, if I wanted to use the English idiom "a shot in the dark" but I'm writing to someone in Germany & don't know if they'd understand that, how can I find a German equivalent? (besides Google or AI)

Did you know? 190 countries have infant immunization schedules that include the Hep B vaccine 115 countries recommend a universal birth-dose of the Hep B vaccine, one of the key actions WHO recommends to reduce Hep B prevalence Read more in the WHO Hep B Report ➡️ iris.who.int/server/api/c...

In infographic form.

Good god…

I beg to differ... thebulletin.org/2024/08/proj...

"several members of Congress and aides interviewed for this report said the GOP’s support for the secretary and other top Pentagon officials has atrophied" www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

This really is nuts

I don’t think a high number of pardons is a bad thing at all. There are many, many people who deserve clemency, far more than ever get pardons. It’s *who* he’s pardoning that is the bad thing.

A transnational criminal syndicate masquerading as a government, as @sarahkendzior.bsky.social has so aptly called it.

very key. Trump doesn't care abt signalgate and he likes blowing up civilian boats. but this IG report provides a convenient trap door under Pete Hegseth. If GOPs want to be done, theyve now got a way to be done. talkingpointsmemo.com/where-things...

A great overview on what to expect from the CDC vaccine meeting tomorrow and Friday. Pay special attention to the playbook at the end — every single one of those tactics is likely to be used and is easily recognizable if you know what to look for. yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/what-to-ex...

Vaccinating newborns against hepatitis B saves lives. Why might a CDC panel stop recommending it? The universal HBV birth dose has prevented more than 90,000 childhood deaths since 1991, but a federal vaccine advisory group may vote to end the practice. www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...

Why reporters should cover this week’s CDC meeting on hepatitis B vaccine and more healthjournalism.org/blog/2025/12... via @tarahaelle.bsky.social

I hope other journalists will use similar practices in their health-related stories. The pre-current-admin CDC was among the best public health resources on the planet, but the agency’s site cannot be trusted now. Reporters who care about ensuring accurate health info need to use archived pages.

Helpful article re the importance of Hep B vaccine by @tarahaelle.bsky.social but what stood out: (All CDC links in this article are either CDC-archived ones or from Internet Archive, dated prior to Jan. 20, 2025, to reduce the risk of non-evidence-based updates under the new administration.)

Helpful article re the importance of Hep B vaccine by @tarahaelle.bsky.social but what stood out to me: (All CDC links in this article are either CDC-archived ones or from Internet Archive, dated prior to Jan. 20, 2025, to reduce the risk of non-evidence-based updates under the new administration.)

FDA official Vinay Prasad proposes ‘impossible’ standards for vaccine testing that could curtail access to immunizations. www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-va... My latest story for @cidrap.bsky.social.

This is a very, very dangerous precedent.

From @ylepidemiologist.bsky.social "Your ACIP Prebunk Guide." yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/your-acip-...

WHY DO NEWBORNS NEED A HEPATITIS B VACCINE? This @healthjournalism.org backgrounder has every link you need to understand this important issue that the #CDC #vaccine committee will discuss this week. For PARENTS, HCWs, JOURNALISTS, ADVOCATES & PUBLIC. #hepB healthjournalism.org/blog/2025/12...

JOURNALISTS: It's essential to know how to cover the upcoming #CDC #ACIP mtg on the #hepB #hepatitisB #vaccine for newborns. Delaying the birth dose rec to 2 mos could cause 480+ deaths/yr. Check out this backgrounder for all the links & research you need. healthjournalism.org/blog/2025/12...

Starting in 25 MINUTES!!! It's not too late to register! Join us TODAY for an important webinar at 11am ET on what journalists should expect & know ahead of the upcoming #CDC #vaccine #ACIP meeting next week, esp re #hepB birth dose and #MMWR. Register at bit.ly/CDC-Dec-2025. Please share widely!

Precisely. With the vaccine-hesitant, I’m very careful and respectful However, it’s no quarter for antivax influencers and grifters who spread (and profit from) the disinformation that fuels vaccine hesitancy. bsky.app/profile/tara...

Yes, I’m talking about Vinay Prasad. In 2019, a few months before the pandemic, he told me that homeopathy, jade eggs, and antivax (for example) are such obvious nonsense that it’s a waste of my training to bother refuting them. Six years later, he’s a poster child for why it’s not a waste.

“Trump…told people working on the ballroom that they did not need to follow permitting, zoning or code requirements…He doesn’t need approvals from anyone, he has told those around him, and can begin any project at the White House as quickly as he likes.” And the plans have continued to expand.

HAVE YOU REGISTERED? JOIN US TOMORROW! Join an important webinar TUESDAY, DEC 2, at 11am ET on what journalists should expect & know ahead of the upcoming #CDC #vaccine #ACIP meeting next week, esp re #hepB birth dose and #MMWR. Register at bit.ly/CDC-Dec-2025. Please share widely!

To be clear, there’s a big difference between criticizing the anti-vaccine movement & discrediting their influencers/leaders vs shaming vax-hesitant or quietly vax-refusing parents. The latter backfires/worsens the prob; the former is essential & is effective. But SciComm folks often conflate these.

A lesson I learned from living among vaccine-hesitant and anti-vax people in Autism Land: it's pointless to make vaccine-hesitant parents feel stupid. The anti-vax people make them feel smart, so that's who they'll listen to. @tarahaelle.bsky.social has been a great model.

Question for scientists studying exercise/cardio (for a possible story—pls boost!): We know 8K+ steps daily & 150-300 min exercise/week each ↑ life expectancy. But, if a person can ONLY do one or the other, is there evidence suggesting one confers greater longevity/health benefit than the other?

Just to be clear, after a week of tantrums, the White House is acknowledging that an illegal order, for which refusing to comply is a requirement in the DoD's own guidelines, was issued.

This is part of my @geronsociety.bsky.social fellowship! Please email [email protected] with any questions.

The form above is an interest form. I wouldn't be starting these interviews until January. I am leaning towards featuring people who have started to become chronically ill/disabled starting in at least your 20s. I'd really appreciate shares on this one.

👋 Call for sources: My name is Julia Métraux, and I am @motherjones.com disability reporter. I am working on a series (to be published before May 1) profiling three American aging adults (50+) about how you're aging independently while taking care of your health. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

HAVE YOU REGISTERED? JOIN US TOMORROW! Join an important webinar TUESDAY, DEC 2, at 11am ET on what journalists should expect & know ahead of the upcoming #CDC #vaccine #ACIP meeting next week, esp re #hepB birth dose and #MMWR. Register at bit.ly/CDC-Dec-2025. Please share widely!

I moderated a webinar w 3 former top-level CDC officials who shared what it was like after Jan 20 & their major concerns about the agency's integrity and future. Check out @drjudystone.bsky.social's piece where she highlights some of the key themes they highlighted.

Don't forget to join us TOMORROW! Join an important webinar TUESDAY, DEC 2, at 11am ET on what journalists should expect & know ahead of the upcoming #CDC #vaccine #ACIP meeting next week, esp re #hepB birth dose and #MMWR. Register at bit.ly/CDC-Dec-2025. Please share widely!

If Watergate had happened in the current media environment, Deep Throat would have just had a Substack and publish articles ending with "And you won't believe who hired these plumbers... Subscribe to get my next article in this series!" This is a Ryan Lizza post.