Darren Incorvaia

Prominent scientists, biopharma leaders, doctors, and more have been ramping up their warnings that US biomedical research and drug development is collapsing. The NIH director is responding this weekend by defending Elon Musk and decrying Twitter for not verifying him years ago

During the Friday discussion, Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist who was recently named as the panel’s new chair, was overheard telling another panel member that he wanted to talk to “some of the higher-ups” about the panel’s work. “You know, I feel like, you know, it’s, sort of like we feel like a little bit like puppets on a string as opposed to really being an independent advisory panel,” according to a transcript of the exchange captured by videoconferencing software and obtained by The Washington Post. Asked about those remarks, Milhoan wrote in a text message, “There are pressures from many organizations: federal, industry, medical organizations that are trying to influence by ad hominem attacks, when we are trying to look at and ask for data.”

!!!

The Post obtained hot mic comments by the chair of RFK Jr.'s CDC vaccine committee.

"We feel like a little bit like puppets on a string as opposed to really being an independent advisory panel" wapo.st/4atob4M

And one of the nightmarish things about eels is that they’re “snakelike”—snakes are catching strays too!

Story from the AP that reads: Eels are the stuff of nightmares — slimy, snakelike creatures that lay millions of eggs before dying so their offspring can return home to rivers and streams. They’ve existed since the time of the dinosaurs, and some species are more poorly understood than those ancient animals. Yet they’re also valuable seafood fish that are declining all over the world, leading to a new push for restrictions on trade to help stave off extinction. Freshwater eels are critically important for the worldwide sushi industry, and some species have declined by more than 90% since the 1980s. The eels have succumbed to a combination of river dams, hydroelectric turbines, pollution, habitat loss, climate change, illegal poaching and overfishing, according to scientists.

I truly don’t understand why anyone would write about an animal this way, especially in a conservation story. It’s a level of subjectivity that we don’t tolerate most anywhere else. Why begin a story about the failed passing of new protections for imperiled fish this way?

Great culture can save lives. Literally.

Amazing letter in today’s @thetimes.com about Tom Stoppard

As 'the most infectious virus' roars back to life, the first measles treatment remains a pipe dream As measles cases surge to record levels in the U.S., Department of Health and Human Services ( | As measles cases surge to record levels in the U.S., Department of Health and Human Services Secretary ...

Couldn't agree more--I went with a pic of the disease in a recent measles story, but it was admittedly a little tricky to find a suitable option for our website (some stock images seemed photoshopped?) More legit photos of kids with measles, people in iron lungs, etc. need to be out there

sunset from a scenic spot: 🌅 💯😍🙏🏽🤩 as expected

sunset from grocery store parking lot: the universe is all that was, is, and ever will be. I’m but a manifestation of its wonder. We must FIGHT to save our planet so we can continue witnessing its splendors

This Thanksgiving remember the cranberry sauce, but forget the Marijuana. Terry was convinced to take a "toke" of a joint with his friend "just to relax". Immediately after, Terry killed his friend who had given him the marijuana in a murderous craze. Not so safe, is it? Marijuana. Not Even Once. Ad Council

remember, folks,

Handing back student work that’s been written by ChatGPT with a 0 followed by the comment “This essay will never stand in authentic wonder before the Beauty of God’s creation.”

We’re hiring a new staff writer at Fierce Biotech! Come join me and the rest of a stellar team to cover the craziness that is the biopharma industry—trust me, there’s never a boring day 🤪

Oregon teenager’s ICE detention sparks high school walkout Hundreds of McMinnville High students walked out Monday, days after ICE detained Christian Jimenez, 17.

Hundreds of McMinnville High students walked out Monday, days after ICE detained Christian Jimenez, 17.

Imagine, if you will, that NASA updated its website to suggest gravity might not exist, prompting CalTech and CERN to release statements saying, "With great sadness, we can no longer recommend listening to NASA."

This is what's happening in epidemiology.

Climate disaster is not ambiance Especially not for an illicit affair with a politician who helped a climate-denying administration come to power.

I cannot stop thinking about how Olivia Nuzzi turned a climate-fueled wildfire that killed people and destroyed thousands of homes into romantic mood lighting for her affair with a guy who helped put a climate denier back in power.

A glorious selfie with the official MAHA lanyard seconds after I made it past Secret Service screening.

About that exclusive, "closed-to-press" MAHA summit last week with RFK and JD Vance: I got in.

Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

FDA says it's hiring more than 1,000 new staffers, launches new comms program for review process The FDA says it is hiring more than 1,000 new employees and rolling out a pilot communication program in efforts to speed up the review of new drugs. | The FDA is hiring more than 1,000 new employees ...

The FDA, rocked by layoffs this year, said it's hiring 1,000 new employees...yet the official US government job board says "no jobs found" 🤔 my story:

Exclusive: CDC to end all monkey research Studies related to HIV and other infectious diseases will be phased out, sources say; fate of the agency's animals remains unclear

EXCLUSIVE: CDC to end all monkey studies. Decision handed down by recent college grad and former DOGE employee who is now deputy chief of staff at the agency. Animals were being used in studies of HIV prevention. Some may be euthanized. My latest for @science.org

Iowa City Made Its Buses Free. Traffic Cleared, and So Did the Air.

Iowa City, socialist hellhole

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/c...

U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols The military service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has drafted a new policy that classifies such items “potentially divisive.”

Exclusive: The U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify the swastika, nooses and the Confederate flag as hate symbols.

The military service drafted a new policy that classifies them as “potentially divisive.”

Trump endorses hanging Democratic members of Congress "Their words cannot be allowed to stand."

Yes, the president of the United States endorsed hanging senators and representatives.

COP30 evacuated after fire breaks out Thousands of people are attending the UN climate talks in Brazil.

breaking news: COP30 talks have been evacuated after a massive fire broke out inside the venue in brazil

Credit card fraud Black neon tetras committed credit card fraud during a 2023 livestream by "Mutekimaru Channel" on YouTube. The owner was using motion-tracking software to turn the fish's movements into Nintendo Switch inputs, letting them "play" video games. 8 In 2020, the fish beat Pokemon Sapphire after 3,195 hours, a feat that takes about 30 hours for a typical human. 9/ 181 On January 14, 2023, Pokémon Violet crashed at 1,144 hours, giving the fish free access to the main menu. They entered inputs that opened Nintendo eShop, added 500 yen ($3.85 USD) to their owner's account, and exposed his credit card details on the livestream. 10) 11) Mutekimaru later requested a refund of the 500 yen from Nintendo. l12) "Fish eagerly read the terms and conditions. Many of us humans don't read the terms of service, but fish are smarter than we are" - caption from Mutekimaru in a video about the incident 12) The fish also downloaded an N64 emulator, set up PayPal, used reward points to buy an avatar, and changed Mutekimaru's Nintendo account name to "ROWAWAWA*". 13, After about seven hours, their movements shut down the Switch. 14)

Fish have committed credit card fraud

HHS names authors and releases peer-review comments for gender dysphoria report The new report reveals that many of the authors and reviewers have been outspoken critics of gender-affirming care and belong to anti-LGBTQ+ groups

STAT rounded up on what is known about the authors and reviewers.

The key point: "many of the authors and reviewers have been outspoken critics of gender-affirming care, are affiliated with anti-LGBTQ+ groups, and have little-to-no experience providing clinical care for young trans people."

Massive Study Finds No Link Between Fluoride in Tap Water and Lower Child IQ Researchers tracked thousands of Americans for decades, finding no links between ingesting recommended levels of fluoride and lower cognitive skills

🚨NEW: A massive new study found no link between exposure to recommended levels of fluoride and IQ decline in children. Over the past year, Health Secretary RFK Junior has claimed that fluoride causes IQ loss, neuro disorders and bone cancer, among other issues.

My story for @sciam.bsky.social 🧪

It's that time again: @cenmag.bsky.social 's molecule of the year poll is now OPEN! Check out the contenders, lovingly curated by yours truly from past C&EN stories, and vote for your favorite by Dec. 11
#chemsky #scisky #moty2025
cen.acs.org/synthesis/Mo...

This job can be so unforgiving! Thank you for your sacrifice

CIA concludes Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi’s assassination Audio recordings, intercepted phone calls and other intelligence link Mohammed bin Salman to killing that Saudis say was conducted by rogue elements.

A reminder that seven years ago almost to the day, the CIA determined that Mohammed Bin Salman ordered the killing of @washingtonpost.com journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

I hired and worked with Jamal for a year.

www.washingtonpost.com/world/nation...

How Biogen is returning to its roots with a West Coast immunology outpost On its face, Biogen’s May 2024 acquisition of Human Immunology Biosciences (HI-Bio) | On its face, there wasn’t much notable about Biogen’s May 2024 acquisition of Human Immunology Biosciences (HI-Bio...

Biogen could have stripped HI-Bio for parts when it bought the biotech for $1.15 billion last year--instead, it used the California company as a foundation to build a brand new, immunology-focused West Coast Hub. I've got the details here! 🧪💊

Worth mentioning that NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya has repeatedly called out HIV and Long Covid as areas of research to prioritize. Yet cuts to NIH grants have disproportionately upended infectious disease trials, including in HIV and Covid-19 🤔

NIH grant cuts have disrupted hundreds of clinical trials, study finds The second Trump administration has been defined by widespread cuts to federal spending, including at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). | The second Trump administration has been defined by wid...

Cuts to NIH grants have disrupted at least 383 clinical trials, with infectious disease research hit especially hard. A stark example of the real-world repercussions of Trump and co.'s health policy 🧪 my latest:

Vintage Data, Modern Misinformation: The FDA’s use of outdated studies and Makary’s inaccurate all-cause mortality claim, explained

Did you know Makary is using 45 year old, 34 year old, and 29 year old observational studies to spread disinformation about MHT? Ignoring newer, far better quality data is misogyny open.substack.com/pub/vajenda/...