Kari Debbink

Last class in our Fundamental Virology class. Record number of students this term @karidebbink.bsky.social
@johnshopkinsmmi.bsky.social @johnshopkinssph.bsky.social

Chris Murphy: "This is a country that's falling apart because Trump is in the middle of an authoritarian takeover. We're not on the verge of an authoritarian takeover. We're in the middle of it ... I have no moral obligation to vote for a budget that literally funds the destruction of our democracy"

Yay, Maryland!

Maldives becomes the first country to achieve ‘triple elimination’ of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B In a landmark public health achievement, WHO has validated the Maldives for eliminating mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of hepatitis B, while maintaining its earlier validation (in 2019) for EMTCT of HIV and syphilis. This makes the Maldives the first country in the world to achieve ‘triple elimination’.

Awesome public health news:
Maldives becomes the first country to achieve ‘triple elimination’ of
1. mother-to-child transmission of HIV,
2. Syphilis and
3. Hepatitis B
www.who.int/news/item/13...

This is some of the best political news I've seen in a very long time.

There's a clear a way to end the Citizens United precedent by changing state incorporation laws - and now luminaries in both parties are forcing a vote on it in the 2026 election.

They have fired the staff of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and 70 Epidemic Intelligence Service officers, who are disease detectives that respond to outbreaks around the world.

I cannot emphasize enough how dangerous it is to dismantle our disease surveillance infrastructure.

YouTube video by Zohran Mamdani for NYC Until It's Done: Sylvia Rivera

Mamdani talking lucidly and passionately about trans rights and history in a video that should frankly shame every politician who has hemmed and hawed and triangulated and said, "Well, but sports..." It's not that hard to tell the truth and stand for what's right. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEvV...

I do biomedical research to help people. When people come in this space making things up, it makes it harder for people not in the field to trust the extensive studies that we do and distinguish fact from fiction. Baseless claims reduce future cures. Willful ignorance drives us backwards.

he's going to come after you either way, so you might as well act with integrity

The Portland protest frog has done more to protect American democracy and fight fascism than all but the tiniest handful of elected officials

Pope urges news agencies to stand as bulwark against lies, manipulation and post-truths Pope Leo XIV has encouraged international news agencies to stand firm as a bulwark against the “ancient art of lying” and manipulation.

Pope Leo XIV has encouraged international news agencies to stand firm as a bulwark against the "ancient art of lying" and manipulation.

Over the weekend ICE abducted an NIH contractor when he showed up to a courthouse for his green card hearing. He is documented. His wife is a citizen.

He is also member of the skeleton crew of animal care staff that works through a shutdown, to ensure the health and wellbeing of research animals.

It’s really frustrating that all the illegal actions this administration takes are sane-washed in almost every headline.

Over 400 faculty and staff from the #uva College of Arts and Sciences convened for an emergency vote. 97% of eligible voters endorsed a resolution demanding President Mahoney refuse to consider the Trump admin's Compact for Academic Freedom!!

I have a fabulous undergrad who has a lot of experience with QIIME2 & using R to analyze microbiome data. She is looking for a job starting in January. Would love to learn more bench and field skills (will be getting some in her last 2 months). Open to academic, industry, government jobs in the US.

Do people really believe they care about animals? They do not.

<warms up time travel machine, nocks longbow, returns to 2006 MN vs. Chicago>

A flyer with a dark blue and black gradient background, with faint microbes decorating it. In the middle is a large yellow glowing "5" and underneath it reads "years of #BlackInMicro"

This year marks 5 years of uplifting our voices, creating a supportive community & shaping the future of microbiology. We've come such a long way! To help keep #BlackInMicro alive, Donate: tinyurl.com/GiveBiM and Register to attend: linktr.ee/BlackInMicro (see links in bio) #BiMWeek2025

Spending Soars, Rankings Fall at New College of Florida Student outcomes and rankings are slipping at the liberal arts college while spending is up. Critics believe the college is at risk of implosion, and some are calling for privatization.

After increasing spending to $134,000 per student (!!!) and facing retention problems, the New College of Florida is apparently having discussions about privatization or closure after DeSantis leaves office.

Anyone with a brain knew this would happen from the outset of the New College takeover, and it became more and more obvious with each grift they successfully implemented.

Oooh, I don’t have a recommendation offhand, but I’ll ask around in my department!

It is important to see this sort of straight talking, precisely because of the executive order last week that conflated criticism of the government with terrorism.

Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media Unlike most nonimmigrant classifications, which are admitted for a fixed time period, aliens in the F (academic student), J (exchange visitor), and most I (representatives of foreign information media...

Comment period ends on Monday for a proposed rule change that would terminate student visas after 4 years. It also puts limits on exchange visitors and reps of foreign media, and shortens the length of time at the end of the visa from 60 days to 30 days.

www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...

Please share with anyone who cares about NSF support for graduate students and take 30 seconds to sign and leave a comment.

The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP

jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/

Autism is a natural divergence from neurotypicality. It's normal & not the tragedy these clowns are making it out to be.

Transness is a natural divergence from cisnormativity. It's normal & not the tragedy these clowns are making it out to be.

Just deal with people being different than you.

Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology University of California, Davis is hiring. Apply now!

Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology & Fungal Biology, UC Davis. 🍄🌱 recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07339 Deadline Dec 1, 2025. 👀 "Primary teaching responsibilities will be teaching Introductory Mycology, an upper-division lab class, and SAS 30, Mushroom, Molds & Society"

Opinion | ‘The Power of Science to Solve Problems Is Almost Limitless’

Of course some processes at NIH & in US science in general should be reformed. But uncritically presenting Jay Bhattacharya as a naive idealist rather than a hypocrite & political operative charged with NIH’s destruction is wildly divorced from reality.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/22/o...

This is the playbook, folks.

If you're not paying attention now and doing something about it, then you're going to have to sit down the rest of your life because democracy is being taken away.

Do not be quiet in this moment.

Happening NOW: NYPD is arresting peaceful protestors including PSC leadership who are demanding ICE release all immigrants detained at 26 Federal Plaza. Inside the building, ICE is detaining elected officials for doing the same #NYvsICE #ICEoutofNY

Map of Regional Public Health Coalitions Northeast Public Health Collaborative (Blue) West Coast Health Alliance (Yellow)

IT'S OFFICIAL: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York State, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and New York City have formed the Northeast Public Health Collaborative.

The collaborative will issue their own vaccine recommendations and coordinate public health efforts.