Micah Berman

Disgraceful.

Monarez did not provide any additional information about the suspect's motives during the call. However, a briefing some CDC employees received Saturday from senior agency leaders said the gunman left a note, according to one employee who attended. "We were told very clearly that this was targeted, directed at CDC," the employee said. "But we were also told that this was an isolated event." There has been speculation among CDC employees that officials may have known about possible threats. When Monarez was at the CDC this week - her first week on the job - she was accompanied at all times by armed security guards, the employee said.

During Monarez's call with staff Saturday, another CDC senior leader, Daniel Jernigan, who heads the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, or NCEZID, estimated there were about 40 bullet holes in CDC buildings on campus. He did not mean it as a complete account, but rather an indication that "it will take a bit before the buildings are 'fixed' again," said an employee who listened to the call and, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive information. The shooting was "way worse than what was initially reported," the employee said, adding that gunfire continued for about 15 minutes and that "it's a miracle more people weren't hit."

Feel like this needs a spotlight: employees were told that the shooting at CDC, which left an officer dead and buildings riddled with bullets, was targeted at agency, @lenasun.bsky.social, @laurenweberhp.bsky.social and @tobiaraji.bsky.social report

Years of anti-CDC rhetoric has consequences

Textbook democratic erosion. No one fears challenging the government in a functioning liberal democracy.

Every reputable expert I know considers mRNA vaccine technology to be one of the most revolutionary advances in medicine in our lifetimes. Its inventors won the Nobel Prize in 2023. Shutting it down now is pointless self-harm to humanity.

Again, they’re not just canceling this funding going forward but revoking already-awarded grants for things like vaccines against H5N1 bird flu

Big “enlightenment reverts to mythology” hours

Opinion | How Trump's ‘antisemitism’ deal with Brown University actually endangers Jewish students The agreement, the latest between the Trump White House and major universities, raises pertinent issues about who is protected and who is not.

Good piece by @emilyctamkin.bsky.social on the incoherence of the Trump administration's strategy of effectively requiring DEI for Jews and banning it for other minority groups. www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...

#Ohio -- where the legislature has tried preempt ALL local tobacco regulation -- is unsurprisingly one of the states with the highest number of tobacco lobbyists.

Thanks to @ash.org for their important work compiling this data.

ash.org/tobacco-money/

Exclusive | RFK Jr. to Oust Advisory Panel on Cancer Screenings, HIV Prevention Drugs The task force determines which preventive services insurers must cover at no cost to patients.

The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services is a direct threat to public health.

"Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is planning to remove all the members of an advisory panel that determines what cancer screenings and other preventive health measures insurers must cover."

In short, the agreement gives legal form to an extortion scheme _the first of its kind!-that defies the relevant statutes as well as the constitutional separation of powers and the First Amendment.

Fantastic and timely intervention by the indispensable Dave Pozen on the true meaning of the Columbia shakedown for higher ed: replacing the rule of law with regulation by deal, which ultimately undermines both regulation and education.

balkin.blogspot.com/2025/07/regu...

FDA panel promotes misinformation about antidepressants during pregnancy, psychiatrists say Nearly all of the 10 panelists emphasized what they said were risks of the drugs. Some claimed, without evidence, that antidepressants don't work at all.

"In some cases, [panel members] claimed that antidepressants don’t work at all and that depression goes away on its own."

More promotion of dangerous, stigmatizing misinformation.

www.nbcnews.com/health/menta...

Also a lobbyist for RJ Reynolds and JUUL — which suggests a lack of concern for college students’ wellbeing, to say the least.

Since April 4, #SCOTUS has issued 15 rulings on 17 emergency applications filed by Trump (three birthright citizenship apps were consolidated).

It has granted relief to Trump ... in all 15 rulings.

It has written majority opinions in only 3.

Today's order is the 7th with no explanation *at all.*

Gun makers lose appeal of New York law that could make them liable for shootings A federal appeals court has upheld a New York law holding gun manufacturers potentially liable when their weapons are used in deadly shootings

2nd Circuit opinion perfectly timed to make it into the teacher's manual update on preemption that I'm working on today.

abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory...

Appeals court sides with Cincinnati, cities in battle over Ohio tobacco laws The 10th District Court of Appeals said efforts by Ohio lawmakers to bar local tobacco laws are unconstitutional.

From the opinion: "R.C. 9.681 regulates nothing yet seeks to preempt the field of tobacco policy. This sort of law is and always was invidious to the text and spirit of the [Ohio Constitution's] Home Rule Amendment."

www.cincinnati.com/story/news/c...

the president does not actually have the power to fire a university president or a museum director, but if elites simply roll over under pressure, then effectively he does

Fully agree with @lindsaywiley.bsky.social's take on Braidwood. Read the whole thread ⬇️

RFK Jr. says US won’t donate to global vaccine effort Kennedy ripped into Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in a video address at its pledging summit.

This is a travesty & a nightmare. The US was a founder of @gavi.org. It lowers global vaccine costs, has vaccinated 1B children, & averted 19M deaths. This pull out will cost 100s of thousands of children's lives a year - and RFK Jr will be personally responsible.
www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

Ohio's EdChoice private school vouchers ruled unconstitutional, but case is far from over The group of around 200 public school districts suing the state over private school vouchers got a win in a Columbus court today, as a judge ruled Ohio's EdChoice private school voucher program is unc...

Ohio EdChoice voucher system ruled unconstitutional (under Ohio Const.) in suit by 200+ school districts -- but stayed pending appeal. Judge Page: "[T]he State may not fund private schools at the expense of public schools or in a manner that undermines its obligation to public education."

This is excellent

But even if they can't directly join retailers' suits (which seems unlikely), tobacco companies can work with retailers to effectively pick the most favorable venue (or multiple venues) to challenge MDOs. 2/2

Technically, the Court said retailers can sue regarding marketing denial orders (MDOs) & punted on whether tobacco companies can join those suits where they can't independently establish venue. 1/2

There’s one vice RFK Jr. isn’t talking about The health secretary, who wants Americans to make healthier choices, rarely mentions smoking.

There’s one vice RFK Jr. isn’t talking about

The health secretary, who wants Americans to make healthier choices, rarely mentions smoking

WHY IS THAT?
www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

FTC Announces Workshop on Exploring Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices in “Gender-Affirming Care” for Minors Today the Federal Trade Commission announced it will host a workshop focusing on unfair or deceptive trade practices in “gender-affirming care” for minors.

We are again at “US government is promoting junk science to hurt people” o’clock. This is not bad only for trans folks (which is enough). It is bad for all public health and science. Further erosion of systems. www.ftc.gov/news-events/...

Well worth listening to.

Not at all clear this is required by SB 1 (which is not yet in effect) -- it's another frustrating choice OSU is making.

The MAHA Report Cites Studies That Don’t Exist The Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” report misinterprets some studies and cites others that don’t exist, according to the listed authors.

MAHA report used numerous fake studies, suggesting that it was AI generated & (surprise!) seeking evidence for pre-established conclusions.

Long term, destroying the government’s ability to serve as a reliable source of health info is incredibly dangerous.

www.notus.org/health-scien...

RFK Jr. rolls back Covid vaccine recommendations for healthy children, pregnant people HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that he has unilaterally struck the recommendation that healthy children and healthy pregnant people get Covid booster shots.

This is what the Senate signed up for by confirming RJF Jr., but this is incredibly reckless. Changing vaccine recs without consulting the CDC or ACIP is an ominous sign.

A moment of truth for insurance companies, who *should* continue to cover these vaccines.

www.statnews.com/2025/05/27/c...

Here's what actually happened at the CDC (and FDA). Thanks to @by-cjewett.bsky.social for covering this story.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/15/h...

Budget Hearing - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Thanks to @delauro.house.gov for asking Sec. Kennedy about the elimination of the CDC's Office of Smoking & Health (at 40:00 or so).

The disingenuous answer -- seeming to falsely imply that OSH "was not cut at all" -- is beyond infuriating.

appropriations.house.gov/schedule/hea...

Judicial Invalidation of the FDA’s Laboratory-Developed Test Rule — Legal and Public Health Consequences | NEJM Recently, a federal judge struck down an FDA rule on laboratory-developed tests. If this invalidation stands, it will have consequences for clinical care and the FDA’s authority over medical devices.

Now out in @nejm.org: @rachelsachs.bsky.social, @drjoshs.bsky.social & me on the decision vacating FDA's LDT rule.

In short, there is good reason for FDA oversight of LDTs & the judge's reasoning could extend beyond LDTs - to the detriment of patients & public health.

www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....