One week from today!

"Trump Picks Veteran Staffer to Head Bureau of Labor Statistics: Brett Matsumoto, the next chief, has worked as an economist at the BLS since 2015." Excellent choice! www.wsj.com/economy/trum...

Had an in-depth conversation with Michael Gibney at PharmaVoice on politicization at the FDA and its impact on drug approvals, the pharma industry, and patients. www.pharmavoice.com/news/fda-pol... For more on FDA-industry relations, check out upcoming Health Affairs webinar on 2/17 (in replies)

Find out what's happening at the FDA at this Health Affairs webinar, "The FDA and its Changing Relationship to Industry," Feb 17, 8-9 am PT/11-12noon ET. Panel: Rachel Sachs (Wash U St Louis), Holly Fernandez Lynch (Penn), Chris Meekins (Raymond James) + me www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/h...

In a substantial indication of public sentiment, the “Alex Pretti is an American Hero” campaign on the GoFundMe platform surpassed its goal of $20,000 quickly after organizer Keith Edwards launched it Saturday. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Our latest study on physician-industry COI, out last week in The Oncologist. I have often heard the rationale that "if I'm conflicted with all the companies, then I'm unbiased." So we asked, how often DO oncologists receive payments from all competing companies? academic.oup.com/oncolo/advan...

Something for everyone at our #ASSA2026 health care session (Sun, 1/4, 12:30-2:15 pm, Room 410). * physician altruism and industry payments * conflicts of interest in FDA advisory committees * consequences of physician disciplinary actions * immigrant enforcement and the home care industry

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Kate Ho, the John L. Weinberg Professor at Princeton and a Fellow of the Econometric Society. Kate was a brilliant IO economist and scholar whose impact on the profession will resonate for many years to come www.econometricsociety.org/publications...

NEW: FDA review staff was excluded from voting on whether to approve first priority voucher drug. Top leaders like Vinay Prasad, George Tidmarsh, and Tracy Høeg led the vote instead. Read for the full list, and expert reaction from @hollylynchez.bsky.social: www.statnews.com/2025/11/21/t...

The entire HR department at the CDC is gone. Everyone at the IRB, which makes sure studies are conducted ethically and rigorously, and the ethics office, which oversee conflicts of interest for CDC leaders and advisory committee members, were also let go. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

USC rejects Trump education compact aimed at shifting the university to the right www.latimes.com/california/s...

After getting zero firm commitments to this point from the first nine invitees, the Trump administration is extending its proposed compact to all colleges. Expect some red-state publics to say yes.

Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt won the Nobel memorial prize in economics Monday for their research on how technological innovation fuels economic growth and creative destruction. n.pr/4oh42lZ

NEW: @CDCgov hit hard by massive firings that several staff describe to me as a “bloodbath.” Among those RIFd: —leadership of the center for immunization and respiratory diseases; —leadership of global health center —leadership of the measles outbreak response; 1/4

We have breaking news in Inside Medicine. We had heard rumors of RIFs to CDC. But this is the first visual confirmation that it has occurred tonight, and at high levels in the agency. Here is what we know...and then some well-sourced rumors (but rumors, nonetheless, not confirmed) 🧵...

I have been off bluesky for a while - but this is a good reason to be back. Check out the latest from me, @reshmagar.bsky.social & @hollylynchez.bsky.social! With thanks to the many folks whose work informed this piece, incl @rachelsachs.bsky.social , @sbagen.bsky.social @drjoshs.bsky.social...

Aaand (checks notes) right on schedule... We found that about 1/3 of FDA appointees go to industry within 2 years after their exit from the agency (rates were even higher at CDC and CMS). www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/...

Consolidation in the EHR market -- where there are 2 dominant vendors -- is creating a big risk of a catastrophic cybersecurity event. @ajh.bsky.social, @natea.bsky.social, and I ponder the possibility of a "single-point-of-failure" risk in the EHR market in this Health Affairs Scholar commentary

“If you are just focused on [IRB] turnaround time, that doesn’t tell you really anything about quality,” said Holly Fernandez Lynch . . . She added: “It inhibits people from saying, ‘Wait, we need to pause on this. Is this the right thing to do?’” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/04/h...

NIH may create an Open Payments-style database to track health industry funding of research. USC Schaeffer's @profgenkanter.bsky.social tells @science.org that transparency is generally good but warns: "The devil is in the details."

In @jama.com, we identify a blind spot for FDA-listed AI/ML devices 🤖🔍 Over 90% have no reported manufacturer payments to clinicians or hospitals in Open Payments (US disclosure database) As AI enters care, transparency can’t lag jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

The deadline to sign up to be a volunteer chair or discussant for #2025APPAM is quickly approaching! Chairs guide session prep, & discussants spark great conversations. Sign up by Wed, Sept 24th: ow.ly/o5AH50WJRAm

#econ_ra careers-brookings.icims.com/jobs/3711/re...

If you'd like an economist's introduction to Agentic AI: www.genaiforecon.org/JEL-2025-Aug...

The #FDA is shifting away from longstanding practice of having outside experts review drug applications. This could mean less public scrutiny and external input on agency decisions, USC Schaeffer Sr. Scholar @profgenkanter.bsky.social tells @kffhealthnews.org.

Did not have this on my bingo card this year - abandoning FDA advisory committee review of new drugs. Had an interesting, wide-ranging convo with Art Allen at @kffhealthnews.org on the whys, wherefores, and wtfs of this policy change kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

@edthestorm.bsky.social (@ihs.ac.at) is presenting a paper measuring the effects of AI (such as machine learning, not generative AI) on employment stability and earnings Expertise is key for extracting earnings gains and employment stability Average workers see no impacts of AI on their outcomes

Do you have a timely policy-related research topic you want to present at #2025APPAM? You are in luck! We are accepting late-breaking roundtables through Sept. 24th! Learn more: ow.ly/9NRe50WTjvU

At RFK, Jr.'s disastrous hearing yesterday, Senator Bill Cassidy cited a study co-authored by CSPI president @drpeterlurie.bsky.social and USC's @profgenkanter.bsky.social regarding conflicts of interest. Is RFK, Jr. right when he says that 97% of members of vaccine panels had conflicts of interest?

Business & academic economists, please check it out. If you agree, please sign and share here, by email, with your colleagues, your friends, your associations, by any means possible. Private sector voices carry weight with relevant audiences. #FinTwit #NumbersDay #EconSky

Over 125 economists signed the open letter calling on the President, Congress, and the American public to uphold the principles of Federal Reserve independence and not remove Lisa Cook without due process. There's still time to sign! And please share. #EconSky docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Update to this sad and crazy CDC day, via @drmaligator.medsky.social :

BREAKING CDC director pushed out, flood of top resignations follow www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

Impact of the MISSION Act on quality & outcomes of major cardiovascular procedures among veterans ft. Jingyi Wu, @petegroen (@PennDGIM), @profgenkanter.bsky.social, Jason Prigge (@VAPhiladelphia), @jaygirimd & Ashwin Nathan (@PennCardiology) @pennldi.bsky.social jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

It’s hard to overstate how big a deal this is - for the economy (ours and globally), for the rule of law, and for the proper and efficient function of government. www.nytimes.com/live/2025/08...

New York Times story with profiles of researchers whose grants were terminated. [Gift Link] www.nytimes.com/2025/08/24/o...

Earlier this year, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced massive cuts to federal health agencies. The Trump administration has refused to say how many workers have been lost so far. But a new ProPublica analysis gives a detailed view.

RFK has cut about 20% of civil servants at DHHS affecting NIH’s ability to deliver grants, CDC’s ability to monitor disease and FDA’s ability to ensure we have safe food and drugs. There’s no easy fix w/ a new admin. Stability of fed jobs was a key benefit—which has been shattered. Who will go back?

Fmr FDA lawyers say the FDA could expose itself to legal challenges if it tries to use Makary’s informal panels as the basis for regulatory decisions. But that may not be the aim of these mtgs. "They seem more designed as a forum to put a stamp of approval on predetermined opinions" 🛟health policy

It was great talking to @jessicanix.bsky.social at @bloomberg.com about our @jama.com paper on conflicts of interest in ACIP and the FDA vaccines committee

Antidepressants have long been a target of Kennedy, an attorney and outspoken critic of pharmaceutical companies. During his confirmation hearings he suggested, without evidence, that the drugs contribute to school shootings.

“It doesn’t look like it’s quite the hotbed of conflicts that Secretary Kennedy and others might have thought,” lead author @profgenkanter.bsky.social of USC Schaeffer told @bloomberg.com.

New JAMA study: Conflicts of interest on CDC vaccine panel were at historic lows prior to RFK Jr dismissal ▪️although ACIP COI levels were high in 2000 (~40%), they have ⬇️ since then ▪️since 2016, ACIP COIs have been 6% t.co/HKH6z1LC6F @schaeffer.usc.edu @priceschool.usc.edu

The only place industry COI does *not* pervade medicine, it would seem, is on vaccine advisory panels! New in @jama.com today, great work by @profgenkanter.bsky.social cc @mdaware.org @by-cjewett.bsky.social @charlesornstein.bsky.social @joho.bsky.social jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Before RFK Jr. abruptly dismissed CDC vaccine advisors, reported conflicts of interest among members had reached historic lows, USC Schaeffer’s @profgenkanter.bsky.social reports in new @jama.com research.

Econ PhDs who will be on the #EconJobMarket: Next Tues Aug 19 at 1pm ET is a NABE (‪@nabe-econ.bsky.social)‬ Career Week panel on "Industry, Government, or Academia? Choosing Your Path in Applied Economics" Register here 👉 www.nabe.com/NABE/Events/...

For example, we've recently learned that virtually all state-level DiD's are probably incredibly underpowered.

The Center for Practical Ethics at @olemiss.bsky.social is hiring a Director of Strategic Ethics Education Initiatives. The Center "models and facilitates civil discourse" and "develops the skills needed for character-building". PhD in philosophy a plus! Job listing can be found in the link below:

A civil service pro near the end of his career, William Wiatrowski, now leads BLS. Zero political appointees work there now. It's the same staff as last week & they'll use the same processes. Wiatrowski won't compromise integrity to save career. No one can meddle without a whistle getting blown.