Journalist. Health, science, tech in plain English and in context. Truth is not liberal bias. Facts matter. Words matter. maggiefox.com https://www.scientificamerican.com/author/maggie-fox/ onehealthtrust.org podcast host
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NEW: Prominent critic of RFK Jr. blocked from FDA vaccine panel. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philly, is latest vaccine defender no longer serving as a fed govt expert or employee as Kennedy upends immunization policy @rachelroubein.bsky.social
My favorite from all of today's demos. Chevy Chase, MD. On a main route into DC, steps away from the homes of the likes of Supreme Court justices and other bigwigs.
This is an unprecedented statement. "None of us would have agreed to the secretary’s demands, and we applaud Dr. Monarez for standing up for the agency and the health of our communities."
By William Foege William Roper David Satcher Jeffrey Koplan Richard Besser Tom Frieden Anne Schuchat Rochelle P. Walensky and Mandy K. Cohen gift link www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/o...
Seen today at the top of website for the National Human Genome Research Institute: "Due to reduction in workforce efforts, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries."
I am chairing the search for two (2) Tenure Track positions at the Department of Health Services, Policy and Management at @uscarnoldschool.bsky.social We are looking to move relatively fast so please get your applications in quickly #HealthPolicy #AcademicSky uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/194...
I discovered this weekend that butterflies and bees really, really like thistles.
OK you do know that reporters ask questions to elicit answers, not because they are thinking those questions, right?
States have a lot of power to dictate health policy for their residents. The New Mexico Department of Health has issued a public health order to help ensure all New Mexicans can access the COVID-19 vaccine. I hope other states follow suit. www.nmhealth.org/news/vaccine...
This is 100% true. I saw a lot of antivax sentiments in the veg forums I used to hang out on in the mid 00s.
“Basically by signing that policy they are signing death warrants.” DC is a largely residential city. Little kids are walking around. Homes and sidewalks line streets. There is nowhere to be safe from speeding cops "having fun" chasing suspects on crowded roads except to cower indoors.
A voice from the heartland on whitewashing history open.substack.com/pub/robertba...?
Here's a #GiftLink for those who want to read the full NYT obit of historian of science & gender, Margaret Rossiter. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/29/s... #histSTM 🧪🗃️
oh. This is the loss of a giant brain trust.
The loyalty pledges have started apnews.com/article/noaa...
People really refuse to understand how short the distance is between these firings and the harm being done to communities
I have a message to the staff at CDC who have dedicated their careers to protecting Americans from health threats of all kinds: Thank you. Your courage and dedication have improved or saved the lives of people who may not even know it. We’re with you.
Public health is under assault. The purge of CDC leadership, people with decades of experience guiding the nation’s response to health threats, dismantles the very programs and direction that keep Americans safe from infectious diseases, chronic illness, injuries, and violence.
More info on covid vax availability: "State laws and regulatory chaos are driving the country’s largest pharmacy chains to require prescriptions or hold back altogether unless a C.D.C. panel acts." "CVS and Walgreens, the country’s two largest pharmacy chains, ... www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/w...
after observing this just now, I’ve come to learn that egrets stack turtles not for any evolutionary advantage, but simply out of boredom, which I find quite fascinating, yet also rather sad #myneighborhood
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COVID vaccine update: Pharmacies in these states won't give you a shot unless you have a prescription. CVS: CO, FL, GA, KY, LA , ME, NY, NC, PA, UT, VA, WV, DC Walgreens: AZ, CO, GA, IN, LA, MO, MT, NM, NY, OR, SC, UT, VA, WA, WV, WI CVS is not yet offering COVID shots at all in MA, NV, and MN.
I hope people realize how absolutely fucked this situation is. This isn’t normal. People are resigning all over the place because the government is mishandling our data, ruining our public health services, and generally making Americans less safe.
Yep and many PH experts were pissed off when CDC did it. It was one of those "do we go with the evidence or do we tell people to do what we think they'll actually do" decisions. www.cnn.com/2024/03/01/h...
So startled that your doctor has decided this, given that there's no evidence to back it. Masks do work, but staying away from other people works even better.
Important clarification, multiple CDC sources tell me: Federal employees are not allowed to strike/walk out, so this is *not* a walkout but a "clap out" to show support for departing leadership. Current employees were either given permission to attend by a supervisor or used leave time to attend.
O'Neill is a "longevity guy" and is buddies with Bryan Johnson and... "He has also supported the libertarian idea of creating new geographic zones, possibly at sea, in which residents can live by their own rules (including, notably, permissive regulatory regimes for new drugs and therapies). "
Just a heads up. I was able to schedule my COVID vaccine appointment. Online it will ask “do you have a condition that puts you at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19 virus.” Click yes and it will allow you to schedule an appointment. No questions asked. No proof required. Pass it on.
Kennedy says CDC must enact Trump's agenda reut.rs/4mMPzOv
Senate health panel to review CDC departures, chairman says reut.rs/3HxUjbD
Too bad no one warned us about him. Oh, wait.... (link is to my website because SciAm has a paywall) maggiefox.com/f/rfk-jr-is-...
Hey Folks...You may start seeing social media sites and a website for Climate.us If you see it, follow and share. It is legit and has some amazing, credible people behind it trying to plug leaks in the climate science world. Trust me on this one. More is coming....
#ThrowbackThursday: In 1980 the 🌍🌎🌏 was declared #smallpox free, thanks to mass vaccination efforts. Smallpox was an acute contagious disease caused by the variola virus. It was one of the most devastating diseases known to humanity. #VaccinesWork
"I am not sure who the Secretary is listening to, but it is quite certainly not to us."
Perhaps Congress would be supportive for NIH people who take this path.
"Just Say No, NIH": new post from us. If and when NIH employees are ordered to terminate grants, besides complying or resigning they have a third option: they can just say no. There is great personal risk. But as lower court judges and KBJ said, the terminations are illegal. 1/
The abrupt attempt to oust Dr. Susan Monarez, the CDC’s director just weeks after her Senate confirmation, is yet another glaring sign of Secretary Kennedy’s failed leadership and reckless mismanagement. www.apha.org/news-and-med...
cc: everyone in a position of power and responsibility
Dear @murray.senate.gov: You and your Democratic colleagues must also call on COWARD #Louisiana Republican Bill Cassidy to resign in shame. ALL of this is his fault. All of it! #CDC #MedSky #PublicHealth #VaccinesSaveLives #RepublicansAreKillingUs #SusanMonarez #COVID19 #measles #StandUpForScience
Seven months in, & this is what our children are facing in the streets - what Trump is exposing them to. This clip evokes Ruby Bridges in 1960, for me. It reminds me of the opening shot of Hogwarts in HP8, with students marching grimly through gray fog after Voldemort regains power. Stay strong.
Breaking: The CDC
These letters of resignation from CDC officials are VERY MUCH worth your time. PLEASE READ AND PROPAGATE.
www.statnews.com/2025/08/27/c... "CDC is gone."
“The recent change in the adult and children’s immunization schedule threaten the lives of the youngest Americans and pregnant people.” This should be one of the biggest scandals in America right now. And every Democrat should be loudly calling for RFK Jr’s resignation
PAHO warns antibiotic-resistant pertussis is spreading Since 2024, antibiotic-resistant pertussis cases have been detected in four Americas countries: Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and the United States. www.cidrap.umn.edu/p...
Look here - that particular Krispy Kreme has been dear to me since I moved to DC in the 90s and I, for one, am gratified to see it kept safe from the many rats in Dupont Circle who would happily scour it clean of sugar and grease.
@ameracadpeds.bsky.social President Susan J. Kressly, MD, called the new proposal to limit the availability of COVID vaccines in children and young adults "deeply troubling."
“COVID-19 vaccines remain our best tool to prevent severe disease, hospitalization and death due to COVID-19 — for healthy adults, children, pregnant patients and others at higher risk. The scientific evidence continues to strongly support broad vaccination."
Scoop - SUSAN MONAREZ, nation’s newly installed CDC director, is being ousted, people familiar tell @lenasun.bsky.social @laurenweberhp.bsky.social + me
"What's going to get people's attention? Is it the facts, or is it something more interesting?" asks @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social
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I'm on @npr.org 1A today with @pauloffit.bsky.social, talking about COVID vaccines, the impact of cuts to federal research funding, and navigating the current health information landscape. Join us!
Can I just say that conservatives have been calling me a liberal for 25+ years for just pointing out when they say things that are are factually incorrect.
former FTC commissioner Trump tried to fire
that's right reposting w alt text
Now this is a journalist who deserves respect.
The lesson for authoritarian leaders around the world is that you can kill as many journalists as you want, as long as you call them terrorists. More countries will emulate this playbook: create military intelligence units and propaganda networks that spread flimsy justifications for assassination.
Four journalists were killed by an Israeli strike on a Gaza hospital today, including Mariam Dagga, a freelancer with the @apnews.com. She has a 12-year-old son, who was evacuated from Gaza earlier in the war. She was a true hero, like all of our Palestinian colleagues in Gaza. tinyurl.com/3cn5c9vb
#Israel’s strikes on Nasser hospital in #Gaza on Monday killed at least 15 people, including four journalists, one of whom worked for @reuters.com, Palestinian health officials said. www.reuters.com/world/middle...
tl;dr people who stop to think don't repost BS
Whew!
It's more than sad that parents must look away from the federal government for advice on vaccinating their kids, but lucky they have pediatricians -- expert doctors who have spent their careers studying how to treat children -- to guide them.
The attack also killed Reuters photojournalist Hussam al-Masri, as well as journalists Mariam Abu Daqqa & Moaz Abu Taha.
Israel kills journalists on purpose.
www.discourseblog.com/p/the-enragi...
People really hated wearing masks, staying home, getting vaccinated. Yes, it sucks. What sucks worse is getting the virus and dying. The enemy was, and is, the virus. It's really important to fight the tendency to want ice cream for dinner every night.
Amtrak train arrived at 10 pm tonight. I took Metro to Silver Spring - with 2 bags and a purse. Walked six blocks through downtown and, just as expected, arrived home safe and sound. Enjoyed the outdoor music downtown too.
Can I just say that in the past two weeks I have been in DC, NYC and Charleston, SC. (all places I have lived in.) I walked around alone late at night in DC and NYC and felt perfectly safe. I never walk alone late at night in South Carolina, or in any of the red states I visit, because of crime.
On this week’s @onthemedia.bsky.social with @brookegladstone.bsky.social & @micahloewinger.bsky.social, a history of VOA and how it’s been politicized. Plus, hear why Russia, China, and Iran are celebrating. Listen to the podcast by @wnyc.org Studios 👂
Trump Troops keeping protesters and luxury chocolate shops safe at DC's Union Station Saturday morning. Yes, they accepted some free samples.
US COVID markers continue upward trend Emergency department visits are rising for all age groups and are highest in young children. www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...
It’s time again for my advice to first year law students:
Washington DC wildlife: Pileated woodpecker this afternoon on Rodman Street proving he’s not too big for this bird feeder. 🪶
"Ninety percent of the reported pediatric deaths have occurred in children who weren't fully vaccinated against flu."
500–600 CDC employees just laid off. This comes weeks after a gunman fired hundreds of bullets at CDC HQ, killing a police officer. Trump has said nothing. Meanwhile, RFK Jr. is accused by 750+ health workers of spreading lies & dismantling public health. wapo.st/4mrA2DN #BlueSky #MedSky #NewsSky
Friday at 12 PM ET, join our webinar "Toward Cleaner Indoor Air" moderated by @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social & featuring: Georgia Lagoudas, Mark Hernandez (@colorado.edu), Kenneth Mendez (@aafanational.bsky.social) & Jake Swett (@blueprint-bio.bsky.social) Registration ⤵️ brown.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
The Our Storied Health Film and Media Series is a catalyst for transforming public health communication through the power of storytelling. Our report details the challenges facing public public health communicators, lessons learned, and what actions we can take next. 📖 publuu.com/flip-book/50...
Facts are not enough. We need stories, too. @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social, @galvinjen.bsky.social of @pandemiccenter.bsky.social did a series of films about communicating #publichealth publuu.com/flip-book/50...
When I started my career in journalism, in the South many years ago, redistricting was all about forcing states to make their districts more representative of the people who actually lived in them. This takes us backwards more than half a century.
Of all of the ways that right wingers try to discredit the media, the most powerful is by being corrupt themselves, leading the public to imagine that other journalists are like them.
Whatever you may think of Jeff Bezos and his choices about the editorial page, the Post is the only local outlet doing this kind of high-quality, DC and DMV-centric polling. Thank goodness they're still here.
Using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, scientists have spotted a moon nestled near Uranus’s rings
The Webb Space Telescope has spotted a new tiny moon orbiting Uranus. https://to.pbs.org/41NKhK7
In case anyone's confused, yes, slavery was bad.
oh.
Hahaha, I love this photo of a snake nerd researcher from the Phoenix Herpetological Society using a fake leg to step on rattlesnakes & see how likely they are to bite. He "stepped" on 175 of them, and was bitten by only SIX. Snakes desperately want to just get away! 🐍🧪 www.npr.org/2024/05/17/1...
In positive news, when people get microgrants, they spend the money doing good stuff. Like helping kids write resumes, buying and filling school backpacks, teaching self-defense. All in "crime-ridden" DC. awidercircle.org/parties-work...
"...the word of Palestinian journalists is never quite enough – not until foreign media (who are not allowed into Gaza) can give the final gold-standard judgment. They are cast out of the body of journalism, their truth buried along with them."
“It appears that big food lobbyists have been busy and successful."
#Booksky #Readersky #Books #Reading
In case you all were worried about me in DC—I marauded around the bike trails, ate some fiery Indian food, and held an apocalyptically cute baby. So yes, just as advertised.
I just took a terrifying walk through the heart of Dupont Circle to reveal the unbridled danger.
except seriously it's SO MUCH BETTER that it wasn't a dude with a face mask but a guy in a pink polo shirt and wearing tight shorts
Outside Dupont north metro
I think I’m being cremated, but this is making me reconsider
How can Prasad even say something like this?
COVID-19 rates in the Southwestern United States reached 12.5% — the highest in the nation. It comes as California students, for example, return to the classroom after RFK Jr. nixed the CDC’s recommendation that they receive booster shots. www.latimes.com/science/stor...
ICE just posted this video taking down the sign in Mount Pleasant on Twitter.
It took this many agents to take down a single unarmed delivery guy?