The bootcamp flu outbreak illustrates the importance of public health policies, including how policies amount to more than the sum of individual decisions Policy decisions also involve trade-offs. Few policies are fully costless Glad troops will return to an evidence-based policy with much benefit

“Ultimately, the survival of democracy depends not only on laws and constitutions, but on the behaviour of institutions & the people who lead them... The time to act is not after the collapse, but during the slow, quiet moments when resistance still has a chance to prevail.”

Grateful to the leaders, health care workers, & people exposed to or infected with #hantavirus @who.int, @ecdc.europa.eu, & CDC staff predominantly led with a rapid, evidence-based, & compassionate approach that made all the difference — containing the harms of this severe disease

Vaccines are a win-win, good for ourselves as well as our shared communities www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/u...

Did you know? Monied influence groups reach into public health and medicine as well These groups recruit leaders in the field — and increasingly fund them to support their aims, especially as federal funding is so diminished idp.nature.com/authorize?re...

Grateful to @robincogan.bsky.social for her persistence in speaking up for kids I’m so sorry to learn of her loss May we carry forward the work she championed As she shared, “Voice is not simply a professional tool. It is part of our responsibility to society.”

At least one journalist appreciates what’s going on with this entirely false narrative of white victimhood and is willing to take a stand. Please can we have more? www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Bring back USAID www.statnews.com/2026/05/19/u...

2 million fewer children were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP as of April 2026, as compared to January 2025 when President Trump took office. ccf.georgetown.edu/2026/05/28/t...

Did you know? Public health is political Glad to support a California candidate for governor in favor of ✅ Single-payer health care ✅ Increasing taxes on billionaires ✅ Supporting renewable energy & voting for Tom Steyer is just the start May we keep up the work on better

Love this campaign to make Berkeley welcoming in spirit & in action 🌞 Link to donate to the yard signs campaign ➡️ donorbox.org/help-pay-for... Thank you to artist & organizer @libbington.bsky.social & @eastbayforeveryone.bsky.social

Here is a figure showing the various OECD countries minimum wages as a ratio of median. Average around 60%. But many at or above 2/3. Then there is an outlier, the US.

NEW: Records released tonight show that Reynolds, makers of Vuse vapes, gave $5 Million to MAGA Inc. days before the FDA wrote a policy that could allow them to make millions selling flavored vapes. Via @kenvogel.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/u...

Most states subject to Medicaid work requirements are planning to adopt an optional hardship exception that will exempt expansion enrollees in high-unemployment counties from work requirements. More in our new policy watch: https://on.kff.org/4wye0oa

How should self-quarantine at home look like for asymptomatic people who have been exposed to #AndesHantavirus? ECDC recommendations on: ➡️ symptom monitoring ➡️ limiting contact ➡️ hygiene measures ➡️ cleaning ➡️ waste handling ➡️ when to contact public health authorities/seek medical help. Graphic ⬇️⬇️⬇️

At the peak of the ICE surge, Minnesotans raised and distributed millions of dollars in quick, low-barrier rent aid. Now some organizers of rent relief funds say they’re seeing an increase in requests for help as the number of evictions ticks upward and the amount of individual donations drop.

What was the R in the Andes variant #hantavirus outbreak detailed in NEJM? R across outbreak: 1.19, “a finding that suggests … potential for self-sustaining transmission (R>1)” R before mitigation: 2.1 R after case isolation & contact quarantine: 0.96 Isolation & quarantine key to limit spread

Grateful to CDPH for leading a compassionate, evidence-based response to hantavirus exposures Dr. Pan opens with sympathy for how hard this is for those exposed & loved ones "The risk to the general public in CA remains extremely low" & public health workers are working hard to keep it that way

Seeing a lot of good questions about #hantavirus quarantine procedures European CDC on departing cruise ship passengers: ➡️ Considered high-risk of hantavirus ➡️ Recommends quarantine & monitoring at home for 6 weeks www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publicati...

Kudos to European CDC for so clearly communicating hantavirus management guidance to policymakers & the public Wishing the best to all those infected & exposed & to the public health & health care workers supporting the response May we come together to support each other through this challenge

The hantavirus outbreak illustrates the importance of a strong CDC, USAID, & WHO, & local public health It benefits all of us to have infrastructure to detect any spread of hantavirus cases & collaborate on technical, material, & communications supports for the response

We’re in a moment of democratic upheaval in the U.S., w/ race central to how many understand the crisis. Join Katherine Tate, @coreydfields.bsky.social, & me as we talk Black politics & American Democracy. In-person & Zoom! May 18, 4–5:30pm PT Info + RSVP: cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/events/black...

This is the spirit of public health: empowering those most affected to lead change for better Her powerful story demonstrates how we carry on with the work of public health — especially — in hard times Grateful to Iris and to all of ACT UP for inspiring leadership

Glad to see BU reconsider its policies to better align with an institutional commitment to inclusion & Grateful to the community that showed such strong commitment to inclusion & encouraged better & Appreciate leadership working to continuously improve, as we all may

Did you know the BART is running out of funding? Grateful we could spend the weekend supporting a ballot initiative to fund it — and for our 6-year-old’s talent making the poster on the left

It's not just women that have been hard hit during the first year of the Trump admin, the number of Black fellowship grant recipients dropped precipitously (h/t @drugmonkey.bsky.social for writing about this first) bsky.app/profile/drug...

“Grégoire took a victory bike ride with future councillors in Paris on Sunday night to show that the French capital would continue its pro-cycling and environmental policies.” www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

A new paper shows that women, particularly those early in their careers, have been disproportionately affected by NIH grant terminations. www.statnews.com/2026/03/23/n...

Amid the historic and ongoing record heatwave (which will continue for at least another week in this region), Colorado River Basin snowpack has unfortunately taken an unprecedented March nosedive. Given the pre-existing water crisis, this is a highly alarming trajectory.

Just as we distinguish bt equal & equitable policies by considering broader context, I hope institutions might learn to consider supposedly neutral policies in the context of oppression As late BU Prof. Elie Wiesel put it in his Nobel speech, “Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.”

A large body of research shows that institutional policies & practices shape LGBTQIA+ health I am really sorry to see this institutional practice & I am heartened so many faculty members are persisting in supporting our LGBTQIA+ community even as they may face personal risk

“Several years ago, nephrologists attempted a first-of-its-kind effort: remove race from a key clinical algorithm, and attempt to undo the harms… A new study found the change had big results, impacting 27% of Black patients and resulting in 5.3 more transplants per 1000 Black candidates.”

Did you know? Flu is a leading cause of death for children in the United States Each child death is a tragedy & From 2022-2024, 482 children aged died of flu Flu vaccines provide powerful protection against a leading cause of child death wonder.cdc.gov/controller/s...

An important new report on wealth & health in NYC by demographic characteristics “White & Chinese respondents reported the highest median net worth ($142,000 & $320,000)” Puerto Rican: $160 Dominican: $300 African American: $500 American Indian/Alaska Native: $1000 www.nyc.gov/site/doh/abo...

Great new commentary on how rent relief & social policies can help support economic recovery & health in Minnesota, similarly to how these policies helped us through the pandemic economic recovery Thanks to former RA Alex Skinner for her continued leadership @brownpublichealth.bsky.social

Really glad to see the UK leading with decisive communication & action to address their measles outbreak I hope this will help many children stay healthy & avoid preventable harms

Some good news in public health thanks to RSV vaccines Infant RSV hospitalizations are 79% lower than the same week in 2023-24 & 57% lower than 2024-25 Yet racial inequities persist, with 1.8x hospitalization rate among Black people vs total population Supporting equitable access is critical

Journalism is a public good, as are public health, education, & good governance. Grateful to everyone continuing the work in whatever ways we can in hard times & hope it may lead us through to better times Thinking of everyone affected from USAID a year ago to the Washington Post today

Yesterday, five-year-old Liam and his dad Adrian were released from Dilley detention center. I picked them up last night and escorted them back to Minnesota this morning. Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack.

“What concerns me is maybe we get rid of some people & then say ‘oh good enough’ The bottom line is our democracy was not working well for at least 40 years This is our moment to rebuild it in a fairer, more economically just way Or we will lose this moment & it will crop up again way too soon”

Alex Pretti's coworkers taking a moment of silence in his memory this morning

Minnesota is standing up together. We can try to protect each other. We can witness and alert you. But this is the federal govt. This is a national issue. We need YOU to stand up with us. Read @naomikritzer.bsky.social. Act with compassion & immense urgency. naomikritzer.com/2026/01/21/h...

Tomorrow is #MaternalHealthAwarenessDay Our new Alameda County report mark progress & a need to keep up the work, especially on inequities acphd-web-media.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/media/data-r... @publichealthac.bsky.social

Grateful to Lisa Cook for leading research on distributional aspects of the economy & implications for the economy as a whole From the importance of women’s economic inclusion in Rwanda to how racial discrimination harms the economy, much appreciate her work m.youtube.com/watch?v=D7ft... #EconSky

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Grateful for his legacy & words that inspire us May we keep up the work to shape a more just, equitable, joyful country that brings people together

I grew up in Minnesota Right now nearly every person I know there is doing all they can to support their community This is who we are in the United States as much or more so than the violence in headlines May our leaders lead on an alternative future where we lean into the best of ourselves

Panel behind new dietary guidelines had financial ties to beef, dairy industries, via @statnews.com

“We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism” Thank you @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social for leading on better May we stand together on better — from ourselves, from our government, for each of us & our communities Happy 2026 www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/n...

Happy new year! Before kids head back to school is a good time to get flu vaccines for kids who don’t have them yet Flu hospitalizations trending up for all, & kids <5 especially at risk Home flu tests also help with rapid detection to start Tamiflu & to reduce spread gis.cdc.gov/GRASP/Fluvie...

If the US invested in child care and had national policies like paid leave comparable to other industrialized countries, we would generate $775 billion of economic activity a year. The question should not be, “how can we afford to do this?” The question is, “how can we afford not to?” Let’s do this.