Former NOAA staffers have launched a new website that provides climate information. It replaces a government site that was shut down when the Trump administration took office. n.pr/4aWVKvt

“Parental control of child education is not in the CDC’s purview. And federal vaccine grants are usually focused on access; they’re not related to mandates.”

Has the flu outbreak on US air force bases been subtyped? Kind of atypical timing…

A month into the growing Ebola outbreak, I wrote about what worries me, why the numbers don’t tell the whole story, and why communities are understandably pushing back on the response. open.substack.com/pub/craigasp...

Vaccines don’t just protect military personnel, they protect troop readiness. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/u...

95% of CDC workers say Americans will die because of federal cuts to the agency. Virtually all staffers (99%) say reductions in staff and lack of leadership have left the agency unprepared to respond to a pandemic or other public health emergency. ow.ly/UTK550ZaH3c

At #GHS2026, we joined RAND & @cepi.net for a #The100DaysMission simulation, and exercises like this bridge gaps and spark strategy. Thanks to Claire Standley, @drsethberkley.bsky.social, @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social, @bethcameron-dc.bsky.social, Andrew Hebbeler & others!

I went to Utah to see what life is like in America's new reality, where vaccine-preventable diseases are common again. Utah's measles outbreak has lasted 10 months. Pediatricians teared up in interviews. Mothers were stressed. 🧵My latest @wired.com @kffhealthnews.org www.wired.com/story/anguis...

A really lovely tribute. A great reminder that our biggest impact as academics may be in the smallest moments.

When my son was 3, he was obsessed with tall buildings and could recite the relative height of the world’s largest skyscrapers. He had a poster of them on his wall. The Petronas Towers were always among my favorites.

NEW: Major posts are vacant. Waves of scientists are gone. Ebola looms. My look at how RFK Jr. manages HHS: “If the C.E.O. lacked deep expertise in the company’s business and the leaders of its most important divisions were missing, investors would revolt." www.nytimes.com/2026/06/07/u...

“Arbitrary quarantines and travel restrictions may be politically popular, but they won’t curb the outbreak or protect Americans...These measures are also unlawful.” Why the US must urgently pivot from me, @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social & @gostin.bsky.social in @thehill.com thehill.com/opinion/heal...

The U.S.’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization is complicating the global response to the current Ebola epidemic—and highlighting the value of the coalition, @katherinejwu.com reports.

Research Funding Slows Again for Universities Targeted by White House www.nytimes.com/2026/05/29/u...

"Well, well. As a trial lawyer, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. criticized liability protections for Covid vaccines. But now in charge of overseeing America’s emergency public health response, the... secretary may be discovering the importance of such protections." www.wsj.com/opinion/rfk-...

I learned a lot from spending a week @who.int in Geneva. Grateful to @drtedros.who.int & his team. WHO is responding to Ebola, partnering with Africa CDC & affected countries @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social Alex Phelan & I put out this analysis in @thelancet.com www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Uniquely equipped for Ebola, too.

Memorial Day in the Berkshires

Ebola and hantavirus are containable, but the Trump administration has systematically dismantled the infrastructure that made quick containment possible, Stephanie Psaki, Beth Cameron, and Jon Finer write:

My 13yo son is very proud of the computer he built himself. He saved up money for all of the parts and after a year of planning finally had all of the pieces he needed. 🥹

Sign up for our free, weekly Tracking Report here: pandemics.sph.brown.edu/tracking-rep...

Amidst everything else going on, today's Tracking Report by the @pandemiccenter.bsky.social finds that the # of measles cases in the US in 2026 has exceeded that of 2025--breaking last year's record for the most measles cases since elimination.

WSJ op-ed from leaders at Johns Hopkins and the University of Kansas about slow grant-making. [Gift Link] www.wsj.com/opinion/get-...

The news here (Taubenberger out as head of NIAID) tells you a lot about the chaos reigning at top science institutions in the US. 16 of 27 NIH institutes now have acting directors. And the second paragraph tells you about the chaos journalists face trying to get government responses…

Chaotic, unplanned cuts to US programs eroded the infrastructure that was keeping the world safe. Now, An American father is fighting for his life. The whole article is just damning. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/h... @apoorvanyt.bsky.social

"Free markets require a functioning pipeline of basic research....We’re asking agencies to honor what Congress appropriated and President Trump affirmed: that federally funded research is the foundation of American competitiveness." By @JohnsHopkins President Ron Daniels www.wsj.com/opinion/get-...

"The resulting back-and-forth delayed Stafford’s evacuation and treatment because 'they would not allow him to be transported to the United States,' said one individual familiar with the response." www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

"Funding cuts have left the region dangerously exposed," said Heather Reoch Kerr, Congo country director for the International Rescue Committee. www.reuters.com/business/hea...

Good article. No doubt, the rare species of ebola virus made it hard to detect this outbreak. But that doesn’t make it okay. Snapping into action at the first sign that a novel virus is causing a deadly outbreak is exactly what we need to be prepared for a pandemic. We failed this test.

Reminder of the sudden, chaotic departure of US personnel from DRC in early 2025: www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...

Can lab be reopened? Sure, but interruptions carry high COSTS. Lost progress and wasted money. As @ggronvall told Wired: “If things are unused for a period of time, it will cost more money to get them ready to be used again.” 3/

In 2025, HHS issued stop work order for federal research lab that studies Ebola virus and other deadly pathogens and fired its director. This lab was a world leader in accelerating development therapies and vaccines for Ebola and other viruses. 1/ www.wired.com/story/hhs-ni...

DRC Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Prevention Ebola's dashboard is not active. I hope the tracker is updated soon.

"These efforts are likely made more difficult by the fact that one of the facilities that can quarantine people... is currently housing Americans who were passengers on...the cruise ship on which there was a recent hantavirus outbreak." www.statnews.com/2026/05/17/e...

“The first currently known suspected case, a health worker, reported onset of symptoms including fever, hemorrhaging, vomiting and intense malaise on 24 April 2026.” www.who.int/emergencies/...

Unusual to bypass convening an emergency committee, but there’s no doubt outcome would’ve been the same. Ebola outbreak in DRC is clearly a public health emergency of international concern. Glad to see this rapid decision and response. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/17/w...

"“It’s possible that we’re starting to see the consequences of severe and sudden cuts to global health programs that have eroded surveillance and allowed deadly viruses to spread undetected...” www.nytimes.com/2026/05/15/w...

87 deaths now. We should expect the number of deaths to climb now that the outbreak has been recognized. At first this will be due to enhanced surveillance, not necessarily spread. Though the outbreak, too, is likely growing and, with it, so will deaths. www.npr.org/2026/05/16/g...

🚨 Call for Papers 🚨 The AJPH Student Think Tank is inviting student submissions on "Reimagining a Public Health Workforce for the 21st Century: Increasing Engagement and Being Responsive to Future Challenges" 📅 Deadline: 9/1/2026 🔗 buff.ly/8SHXVPU

"Actions on a wide range of difficult topics are most credible and durable when they are supported by processes that are fair and have integrity." Perspectives on a necessary path forward for FDA by @drjoshs.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2026/05/16/m...

Awesome, Jake!!! Can’t wait to see this!!!

A new Ebola outbreak has been confirmed in Congo. In 2025, Beth Cameron, Jon Finer, and Stephanie Psaki argued that the U.S. had a playbook for handling biothreats, then the Trump administration pushed out the people who knew how to use it.

Since we started the @pandemiccenter.bsky.social Tracking Report ~1.5 years ago, the number of outbreaks we've had to track has MORE THAN QUADRUPLED. If you couldn't tell from today's headlines... pandemics.sph.brown.edu/tracking-rep...

An outbreak this size must've been spreading for weeks. In a urban area with a highly mobile population. Deeply concerning that first public notice was today. www.reuters.com/business/hea...

"The secretary continues to doggedly pursue research efforts to look for a connection between vaccines and autism, chronic conditions and other ailments, despite scientific evidence to the contrary...." “I know you can never change his heart on this" www.politico.com/news/2026/05...

Nebraska Public Health Laboratory staff worked over the weekend to develop/ validate its own PCR test for the Andes virus. “What Nebraska did to stand up a test is one of those lessons learned—get ready before you even need to test," said Kelly Wroblewski, APHL. From @wired.com

Not sure what's going on here, but clearly at least some questions about Andes virus testing that need to be answered. Even if this particular outbreak ends soon (let's hope) the epidemiological signals from Latin America suggest it could become a recurring threat. 1/ www.wired.com/story/race-t...

I've been studying outbreaks for >25 years. The most common mistake that unprepared, inexperienced leaders make is to overstate what is known in an attempt to tamp down worries. Trust is built by explaining what is/not known, detailing what is being done, & telescoping what could change.

This is deeply distressing. We’re failing our kids.

I may have lots of complaints about the US government’s response to hantavirus, but our colleagues at @unmc.bsky.social are the best of us. I’m moved by their humanity 🥹