Matt Motta

Stand Up For Science Statement on Compact Corrupting Higher Education Washington, D.C. — Today, the administration has unveiled their proposed "compact" for higher education. This document is antithetical to the free academic inquiry that forms the foundation of American excellence in higher education. Further, while the compact is framed as a way to promote fairness in higher education, this compact runs counter to the scientific method by prioritizing federal grant funding to go to universities who have signed, rather than proposals that have been selected by experts. We call on university leaders to unite and reject this overreach of executive power by the White House. The compact lies in the context of an ongoing and multi-pronged attack on the integrity of the American scientific ecosystem, but this also tangibly represents the President seizing control of public spaces and higher education. Each university represents a beacon of free thought, vibrant educational empowerment, and public enrichment, and we must demand President Trump stay out of dictating universities. "Trump's compact is yet another form of attack on the American institutions that provide evidence that counter's the core belief of MAGA — racism, misogyny, and regression of the human race to name a few. If universities agree to these terms, academic freedom in America will be over," says Colette Delawalla Founder and Director of Stand Up For Science. She continues "when the White House takes over what is defined as 'truth' regardless of scientific evidence, we are no longer in a free nation. Universities must understanding the seriousness of this moment and respond accordingly." Stand Up For Science will reliably sound the alarm when science and scientists are under attack, and our platform empowers scientists to speak out and organize against corruption of American science. The proposing of this document represents an extreme authoritarian escalation for American higher education. It is …

Stand Up for Science: Statement on Compact Corrupting Higher Education

"(W)hen the White House takes over what is defined as 'truth' regardless of scientific evidence, we are no longer in a free nation" - @standupforscience.bsky.social

Policymakers are spreading misinformation about mRNA vaccine safety. That could have dangerous health policy consequences.

I'll provide new data about the rise of "mRNA vaccine stigmatization" at @shorensteinctr.bsky.social -- 11/20 from 12-1pm.

Registration link below!

tinyurl.com/53k96aaz

100% !!

The president's recommendations could put children in harm's way.

Even if clinical guidance does not change, pregnant people risk hurting themselves and their children when they run fevers and do not treat them.

This is a completely avoidable & self-inflicted public health crisis in the making.

Agh I know... it's such a scary time!

Vaccine death and side effects database relies on unverified reports – and Trump officials and right-wing media are applying it out of context Anti-vaccine activists are using the side effect reporting system to spread fear and misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines. But the database could also be used as a gauge for public concerns.

Today's ACIP meeting may use VAERS data to make false claims about vaccine injury.

To help sort out what's true from what's false, @stecula.bsky.social and I updated an explainer we wrote several years ago for @us.theconversation.com.

theconversation.com/vaccine-deat...

Trends in reported cases of acute Hepatitis B peaked in 1986 and then declined after ACIP recommended universal infant immunization Source: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00333549231175548

Did you know? Universal Infant Hepatitis B vaccination is a public health policy success story.

The US initially tried a risk-based approach to Hepatitis B vaccination in the 1980s.

But vaccination rates remained low.

New cases continued to increase.

www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview....

RFK Jr is bad at telling the truth, but he's somehow even worse at lying.

Congratulations to @hadleyssmith.bsky.social‬ and ‪@mattmotta.bsky.social‬ on their new publication in @jamapediatrics.com‬, exploring the future of newborn screening policy. We’re proud to be able to support their work.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2837716

Thanks for sharing! A few folks had reached out about the study over the past day or so. I'm glad it can be useful! These are some scary times...

that's so kind of you! 🙏🙏🙏

As I discussed with @nbcboston.com -- Dr. Monarez's firing was a move based in politics, not science.

For a Senate confirmed position, there is no reason why HHS (not the White House) should announce this move. I fully support @sanders.senate.gov call for a bipartisan Senate investigation.

RFK Jr. has no scientific or medical expertise. We know his agenda – he wants to take away lifesaving vaccines from kids & families. Thank God there are principled CDC experts who refuse to rubber-stamp RFK Jr’s plans that would hurt millions of children.

If you're a CDC employee and have heard anything about the removal of Susan Monarez as director, please reach out! You can contact me at pjacobs@aaas.org or on Signal at phiejacobs.48

@altcdc.altgov.info

RFK Jr's CDC is shutting science out of the policymaking process. Ultimately, his actions could deny people access to safe and effective vaccines.

That's why I'm glad that Massachusetts is following the science, and taking matters into their own hands.

Come see Michael Osterholm, Wendy Parmet, Rekha Lakshmanan, Jason Schwartz, and Nahid Bhadelia talk about the public health consequences of anti-vaccine politics, policy, and public opinion at @busph.bsky.social !

Vaccine Hesitancy: Past, Present, and Future. - Public Health Conversations

I'm excited to say that The Politics and Health Lab @busph.bsky.social which I co-direct with @mattmotta.bsky.social, will be hosing a Public Health Conversation this Fall about vaccine hesitancy!

You can register to attend the zoom webinar below!

publichealthconversation.org/conversation...

Take this very seriously. Trump *really doesn't know* things that ordinary folks who follow the news know, and he has no basis for refuting outright lies that do come his way (via GOP-aligned news outlets, friends, advocates) that reinforce his impulses.

That's so kind of you! I hope it's useful!! 🙏

The Trump admin's decision to eliminate an important federal newborn screening committee (ACHDNC) is inefficient, inequitable, and at odds with what most Americans want.

Our new Viewpoint (led by @hadleyssmith.bsky.social) in JAMA Pediatrics explains why, and where we can go from here.

The Race to Rescue PBS and NPR Stations

Today, Knight Foundation is committing $10M to the Public Media Bridge Fund — part of a nearly $37M effort to support public media. We’re calling on others to join us in ensuring public media remains a pillar of civic life.

Read more in @nytimes.com:

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/b...

Facing the Next Generation of US Newborn Screening This Viewpoint discusses the critical role of the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children and the importance of continued national guidance to the future of US newborn scree...

U.S. newborn screening is entering a new era, marked by the promise of genomic technologies and absence of a key national guidance committee.

@mattmotta.bsky.social and I discuss recent events in the newborn screening policy space in a new JAMA Pediatrics Viewpoint. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Introduction Abstract. This chapter introduces the core concept of the book, observed correction, which occurs when direct public corrections of misinformation are witn

Want to get a sense of my book with @ekvraga.bsky.social but not ready to commit? @oxfordacademic.bsky.social has released Chapter One free and downloadable for the next month. academic.oup.com/book/60489/c...

I cannot believe this is a real thing that someone actually said... let alone the HHS Secretary 🤦‍♂️

Multiple medical groups say they have been barred from work on CDC's panel of vaccine advisers Multiple medical groups say they have been barred from working on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's panel of vaccine advisers.

This is the public health equivalent of banning pilots from flying planes.

abcnews.go.com/Health/multi...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

I am guest editing a special issue of the Political Studies Review to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary (semiquincentennial). Deadline for abstracts 1 September. Submissions and questions to j.harmon@qmul.ac.uk.

Special issue calls (second item): journals.sagepub.com/page/psw/cal...

Maybe Trump can fire all the consumers.

There is a very direct line between Russ Vought's attacks on the *people* behind government-funded research, and OMB's latest efforts to unlawfully impound NIH grant funding.

Volume 50 Issue 4 | Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law | Duke University Press

New in JHPPL: special issue marking Medicare’s 60th anniversary.

read.dukeupress.edu/jhppl/issue/...

Preexisting immunity to the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus reduces susceptibility to H5N1 infection and disease in ferrets Prior infection with the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus confers protection against H5N1 infection and disease in ferrets.

Yet another reason why seasonal flu vaccination is so important: it may provide partial protection against bird flu infection.

(All the usual caveats about this being an animal-based modeling study apply here)

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...