Accountability Journalism Institute

Jay Bhattacharya is now acting CDC director— and his record raises major questions about where vaccine policy is headed next. Read the latest reporting from @walkerbragman.bsky.social

open.substack.com/pub/importan...

New CDC Director Has Questioned Vaccine Safety Jay Bhattacharya’s recent new appointment may suggest more changes to the vaccine schedule.

NEW from me in Important Context:

NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya is now the acting CDC director.

Bhattacharya has long cast doubt on vaccine safety, and his appointment may signal more changes to the childhood and adolescent immunization schedule.

www.importantcontext.news/p/new-cdc-di...

A Dazzling Tower of Inference: A Review of Muddy Waters — AJI AJI’s own Wendy Orent offers a critical review of Muddy Waters , a recent book arguing that COVID-19 emerged from a laboratory.

This new book review by @wendyorent.bsky.social is a must read.

Wendy read the recent COVID lab leak book “Muddy Waters” for @accountabilityji.bsky.social and wrote a devastating critique, demolishing the hysteria and wild speculation.

www.accountabilityjournalism.org/insights/4nd...

NIH Director Declines to Fully Rule Out Vaccine-Autism Link During Senate Hearing Jay Bhattacharya would not categorically denounce the discredited narrative that vaccines cause autism.

Who’s writing HHS’s talking points? A Project 2025–linked Christian Right think tank. They’re calling trans care “sex-denying procedures.”

www.importantcontext.news/p/nih-direct...

NIH Director Declines to Fully Rule Out Vaccine-Autism Link During Senate Hearing Jay Bhattacharya would not categorically denounce the discredited narrative that vaccines cause autism.

Stuff like this has become so normalized, but it shouldn’t be.

The National Institutes of Health director leaving room for anti-vax narratives or participating in conferences of anti-vax groups is, frankly, outrageous.

www.importantcontext.news/p/nih-direct...

“The Entire City's in This Sort of State of Siege:” A Conversation With A Minneapolis ICE Tracker Important Context spoke with attorney Will Stancil, who has been tracking ICE in his city.

Minneapolis is living under “a state of siege.” Important Context spoke with attorney Will Stancil, part of a decentralized community network tracking ICE/CBP movements.

www.importantcontext.news/p/the-entire...

With US’s Measles-Free Status in Danger, ABC Fails to Mention Trump and MAHA as Cause When ABC reported on reluctance to vaccinate and its consequences, it failed to call out the administration sowing much of this doubt and confusion.

NEW piece from my @accountabilityji.bsky.social colleague @origgio.bsky.social published in FAIR:

fair.org/home/with-us...

RFK Jr.‘s Former Anti-Vax Org Launches RICO Suit Against Leading Pediatrics Group The lawsuit by Children’s Health Defense comes as the American Academy of Pediatrics wages its own legal battle against Kennedy’s HHS.

RFK Jr.’s former org Children’s Health Defense just filed a RICO lawsuit against the American Academy of Pediatrics—accusing the 67k-member group of a pharma-backed “conspiracy.”

www.importantcontext.news/p/rfk-jrs-fo...

In this video from Maine obtained by @accountabilityji.bsky.social, an ICE agent repeatedly threatens a protester with pepper spray and ends the encounter by saying “Make America Great Again.”

Jon Stewart Praises Attorney Behind Years of Anti-Vaccine and Anti-Lockdown Lawfare “You’re a civil rights attorney who has been canceled by both the right and the left, which means you must be doing something right.”

NEW: This week, Daily Show host Jon Stewart introduced his audience to Jenin Younes, describing her as a courageous civil rights attorney who had been canceled by both the right and left and therefore “must be doing something right.”

Really, she spent years undermining public health—and Democrats.

Jon Stewart Praises Attorney Behind Years of Anti-Vaccine, Anti-Public Health Lawfare “You’re a civil rights attorney who has been canceled by both the right and the left, which means you must be doing something right.”

Jon Stewart says being "canceled by both sides" means you’re doing something right. Does that apply to promoting vaccine skepticism and suing researchers? A look at the record Stewart ignored:

www.importantcontext.news/p/jon-stewar...

Experts Warn U.S. in Early Stages of Genocide Against Trans Americans Genocide scholars say policies targeting transgender Americans match early warning signs of mass atrocity.

ICYMI: Genocide scholars are sounding the alarm about the worsening attacks on the trans-community. Read our latest story:

www.importantcontext.news/p/experts-wa...

FDA deletes warning on bogus autism therapies touted by RFK Jr.‘s allies The agency used to warn of chelation, used by RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine ally David Geier.

There’s a big story everyone is missing—but this article hits on it.

We aren’t just seeing public health dismantled bc we’ve been taken over by conspiracy theorists and lunatics.

What we’re really seeing is the giant, predatory, underegulated wellness industry come to Washington.

This work is reader supported. Please consider subscribing to Important Context or donating to @accountabilityji.bsky.social to help us continue covering stories like this.

This year, we are trying to raise enough to fund a 3-person newsroom full-time. That’s the goal.

Experts Warn U.S. in Early Stages of Genocide Against Trans Americans — AJI Genocide scholars say policies targeting transgender Americans match early warning signs of mass atrocity. Written By:  Walker Bragman Originally Published: Jan 05, 2026 This piece has...

"The objective here is literally, physically to destroy this group."
Experts in genocide prevention warn that current U.S. policies toward the trans community match historical patterns of mass atrocity.

www.accountabilityjournalism.org/trump-admini...

Experts Warn U.S. in Early Stages of Genocide Against Trans Americans Genocide scholars say policies targeting transgender Americans match early warning signs of mass atrocity.

NEW from Important Context:

Genocide experts, including two past presidents of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, are speaking out about escalating attacks on transgender Americans in the U.S.

www.importantcontext.news/p/experts-wa...

HHS Moves to Restrict Gender-Affirming Care Based on Dubious Report Shredded in Peer Review — AJI A review of the report HHS relied on calls it “a dangerous incursion of politics into science and medicine.” On Thursday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. announced new policies...

HHS is moving to restrict gender-affirming care based on a report that experts call a “dangerous incursion of politics into science.” The APA and others highlight massive methodological flaws.

www.accountabilityjournalism.org/trump-admini...

How a Free Speech Group Helped Right-Wing Dark Money Undermine Protections for Trans and Nonbinary Students — AJI The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression weighed in on a case brought by Parents Defending Education in Ohio. This piece has been updated from its original email version. A prominent fr...

How did a "free speech" group help right-wing dark money interests gut protections for trans and nonbinary students?
Our investigation follows the money to reveal a coordinated legal attack on student civil rights.

www.accountabilityjournalism.org/dark-money/h...

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FDA Commissioner: HIV “May Very Well Have Come From a Lab” — AJI During a recent podcast appearance, Dr. Marty Makary promoted lab origin conspiracy theories involving HIV, Lyme disease, and one dead raccoon.

During a recent podcast appearance, Dr. Marty Makary promoted lab origin conspiracy theories involving HIV, Lyme disease, and one dead raccoon.

www.accountabilityjournalism.org/trump-admini...

2025 has been a big year for AJI. From NIH unrest to Hollywood’s anti-vax ties, we’re exposing the politicization of science. 🔍
We need your help to keep going. If every subscriber gave just $1, we’d be funded for the entire year.

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Liam Neeson Narrates Anti-Vax, Pro-RFK Documentary The Taken actor can be heard calling COVID vaccines “dangerous experiments.”

ICYMI: Important Context broke a story this week.

Liam Neeson narrated an anti-vax, pro-RFK documentary.

A spox for Neeson, tried to distance him from it, saying he’s not anti-vax, citing his work as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, and noting he didn’t have anything to do with the editorial content

Fact-Checking the Liam Neeson-Narrated Anti-Vax Documentary — AJI The false and misleading narratives in Plague of Corruption revisited. Olivia Riggio and Walker Bragman Dec 13, 2025 On Thursday, Important Context revealed that actor Liam Neeson...

Liam Neeson narrated an anti-vax doc, Plague of Corruption, and the claims are already collapsing.

www.accountabilityjournalism.org/secret-influ...

I was worried he was trending because he'd died but like

this is worse.

Liam Neeson Narrates Anti-Vax, Pro-RFK Documentary The Taken actor can be heard calling mRNA COVID vaccines “dangerous experiments.”

SCOOP: Academy Award-nominee Liam Neeson narrated a recent anti-vaccine documentary that glorifies RFK Jr.’s rise to power.

In the film, Neeson—a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador—calls the COVID-19 vaccines “dangerous experiments.”

www.importantcontext.news/p/liam-neeso...

Liam Neeson Narrates Anti-Vax, Pro-RFK Documentary — AJI Liam Neeson lent his voice to a new anti-vax doc glorifying RFK Jr.’s rise at HHS— a stunning reversal for a UNICEF ambassador who once called vaccines “a remarkable human success story.” His publicis...

Liam Neeson lent his voice to a new anti-vax doc glorifying RFK Jr.’s rise at HHS— a stunning reversal for a UNICEF ambassador who once called vaccines “a remarkable human success story.” His publicist now insists he’s still pro-vaccine.

www.accountabilityjournalism.org/trump-admini...

Donate — AJI

This “Giving Tuesday,” please consider supporting AJI so we can continue exposing right-wing attacks on science and public health.

Every donation helps. We operate on a shoestring budget, but our work has had an outsized impact.

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‘You can't eat if you're dead’: Dems eye RFK Jr. as their 2026 boogeyman Inside Democrats’ effort to attack RFK Jr.’s vaccine moves without angering his base.

Great to see our march against RFK in DC used as the banner photo!! I think thsts @rdmorris.bsky.social stacking some of the >150,000 signed petitions to oust him… H/t @cdelawalla.bsky.social & @standupforscience.bsky.social for great planning & execution! www.politico.com/news/2025/11...