Matthew Kavanagh

Assessment of malnutrition in preschool-aged children by mid-upper arm circumference in the Gaza Strip (January, 2024–August, 2025): a longitudinal, cross-sectional, surveillance study After nearly 2 years of war and severe restrictions in humanitarian aid, tens of thousands of preschool-aged children in the Gaza Strip are suffering from preventable acute malnutrition and facing an ...

New study in @thelancet.com

“After nearly 2 years of war and severe restrictions in humanitarian aid, tens of thousands of preschool-aged children in the Gaza Strip are suffering from preventable acute malnutrition and facing an increased risk of mortality”

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

What if decline in dominance of the west isn’t a problem?
Great talk today at @ausis.bsky.social Amitav Acharya, The Once and Future World Order argues the core ideas of world order come as much from the South as from Europe or US. Diversity of ideas may help w stability and peace long term.

U.S. Military Attacked Boat Off Venezuela, Killing Four Men, Hegseth Says

Ahem, yes @nytimes.com "It is illegal for the military to deliberately kill civilians — even suspected criminals — who are not directly participating in hostilities"
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/u...

Workers’ Wages Siphoned To Pay Medical Bills, Despite Consumer Protections - KFF Health News Health care providers and debt collectors are biting from people’s paychecks to cover old medical bills. A KFF Health News investigation in Colorado shows that this aggressive collection practice is w...

For-profit healthcare is a driver of social and economic inequality, part 5848584924

Opinion | Trump’s ‘Compact’ With Universities Is Just Extortion

Here's the assignment folks. Write op-eds for your local papers and campus newspapers too. Just. Say. No. This is a classic authoritarian move and risks the future of higher education and science and innovation in the US. Speak out today. No time to lose. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/o...

Here’s the thing: US *does* pay 3x what other countries do in pharma prices. But it’s not what Donald says: it’s because we use NONE of the regulatory tools we could to bring prices down

Wait til everyone hears we pay 99% more than it actually costs to make the drugs AND taxes pay most of the R&D!

Judge issues blistering opinion against Trump policy to deport pro-Palestinian students Judge rules non-citizens have the same free speech rights as US citizens under the first amendment

“‘No law’ means ‘no law”
glad to be a member of @aaup.org who today won a case that speaking out on behalf of the human rights of Palestinians is protected speech for all, not just citizens
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Judge issues blistering opinion against Trump policy to deport pro-Palestinian students Judge rules non-citizens have the same free speech rights as US citizens under the first amendment

“‘No law’ means ‘no law”
glad to be a member of @aaup.org who today won a case that speaking out on behalf of the human rights of Palestinians is protected speech for all, not just citizens
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Competition law as a route to challenging monopoly power has a good track record. Can it help make medicines more affordable and accessible? In SAfrica it has…. @justtreatment.org

I fully understand how difficult it is to remain focused on any one particular atrocity but this really ought to be a serious scandal and people need to pay heavy prices for this

Just to say it, I am very glad to have gotten a Covid and flu shot this year.

Ebola outbreak in DR Congo rages, with 61% death rate and funding running dry Responders ask for $25 million to contain the disease. They have $2.2 million.

It seems almost quaint to point this out, but Americans spend $25 million a day on premium dog treats, $25 million a week on Starbucks Frappuccinos.
Ebolas “Responders ask for $25 million to contain the disease. They have $2.2 million.
arstechnica.com/health/2025/...

Not what @ezrakleinbot.bsky.social thought he was getting at, but wow, neoliberalism has incapacitated liberal ability to *win* arguments that matter. “politics” becomes conceding in name of coalition. Coates insight is LGBTQ ppl, Black ppl *have* won, but expecting it to stay won is sus

The timeline where global health funding is at the leading edge of constitutional decline…

The thing about health disinformation is that when it comes from the highest office, people believe it. Parents & pregnant women want to do the right thing but are now making health decisions based on fear.
This is causing real harm.
It's also making our jobs as healthcare professionals harder.

Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM/NSPM-7 MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE                THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

…this uses the Charlie Kirk assassination to justify a huge power grab, shocked not to see more attention and media.
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

And the way this is explicitly written clearly anticipates extensive, disruptive investigations of organizations accused by the admin of supporting this ill defined set of actors that seems to center those working on racial justice, trans and lgbt rights, and well beyond…

Need to be clear, this is a big shift: until now there has been a problematic *foreign* terrorist organization designation and list, with material and security impacts. But domestically it has been considered way too far for the federal government to start designating groups or organized US citizens

…and in case it’s not clear, the directive makes it explicit this is about political opponents. Organizations to be investigated are those animated by “extremism on migration, race, and gender; and hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality.”

..“Terrorist organization” now includes having “organized campaigns” to “change or direct policy outcomes” which of course sweeps in non-profit organizations, foundations, think tanks, etc with DOJ directed to target “institutional and individual funders, and officers and employees of organizations”

Enemies list: have we read this EO?
Directs DOJ & Treasury create *new* designation “domestic terrorist organization”
Cloaked in idea of “violence” actual legal language directs sweeping investigations & prosecution of foundations & organizations based on opposition to MAGA politicl agenda. It says…

Oh! Exciting, must read… congrats Thea.

Texas Tech Moves to Limit Academic Discussion to 2 Genders

Don’t you dare teach students about empirical reality…
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/u...

Philanthropies Strike a Promising Deal to Turn Back H.I.V.

A deal to allow generic versions of HIV-prevention shots in lower income countries is fabulous news. Just $40/year (vs $28K in the US)

Great news, but as usual, middle-income nations with high poverty & lots of HIV are left out.

By @apoorvanyt.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/h...

Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM/NSPM-7 MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE                THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

history and practices of authoritarianism don’t suggest no need to worry. read the text, this new EO targets way beyond violence to efforts to “change or direct policy outcomes” and targets non profits, foundations that support undefined “extremism on migration, race, and gender”

Global health and aid funding! It is the very first article of US Constitution, Congress has the power to direct the spending of money that "shall be drawn from the Treasury." And yet here the Supreme Court essentially suggests no one has standing to challenge Trump deciding to ignore Congress.

ok so adjudicating sides in a random protest, I leave that to you, not my concern.
The new executive order out today creates a new category of people to be designated and targeted for "domestic terrorism"--described as this administrations political opponents.
Deeply worrisome for US democracy.

Justice Dept. Official Pushes Prosecutors to Investigate George Soros’s Foundation

This is, without any exaggeration, exactly how Putin and Orbán proceeded — using antisemitism to discredit the idea of civil society and political opposition, and as an excuse to undo the rule of law.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/25/u...

1. Read it. EO intentionally conflates terrorisim w opposing facism and opposing this administration’s political agenda, telling the justice dept to label them extremists
2. The link you sent is a group of people arrested in a counter demonstration against “white supremacists and neo-Nazi groups”