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Reposted by Amy Maxmen, PhD

Tyler King @tyleraking.com · 8h

The leadership of the measles outbreak response was fired in the RIF spree while RFK JR attempts to completely dismantle measles vaccine access for children.

Measles (Rubeola)
MENU V
As of October 7, 2025, a total of 1,563 confirmed* measles cases were reported in the United States. Among these, 1,542
measles cases were reported by 42 jurisdictions: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, lowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. A total of 21 measles cases were reported among international visitors to the U.S.
There have been 44 outbreaks** reported in 2025, and 87% of confirmed cases (1,355 of 1,563) are outbreak-associated. For comparison, 16 outbreaks were reported during 2024 and 69% of cases (198 of 285) were outbreak-associated.

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 7h

Thanks @clancyny.bsky.social!

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 7h

If your aim is to reach the public, @kffhealthnews.org is great bc we encourage media across the country to run our pieces. You'll see our work on CNN, CBS, NPR, Texas Tribune, Capital B, etc.

Here's my piece about the impact of the Trump admin on HIV on @npr.org www.npr.org/2025/05/14/n...

Mississippi groups providing HIV outreach and care suffering from spending cuts

HIV prevention groups in Mississippi are reeling from Trump administration cuts to health spending. Southern states have the highest burden of HIV in the U.S., accounting for half of new infections.

www.npr.org

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 7h

What happens in Washington has already taken a toll on people across the country. After CDC layoffs and NIH grant cancellations earlier this year, HIV groups in Mississippi had to curb testing & outreach.

kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

HIV Testing and Outreach Falter as Trump Funding Cuts Sweep the South - KFF Health News

A disruption in federal funds has jeopardized HIV testing and outreach in Mississippi, and researchers warn of a resurgence of the epidemic in the South.

kffhealthnews.org

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 7h

This is about how the Trump administration has been gutting health security agencies like BARDA and ASPR, and delivered another blow by cancelling mRNA vaccine development contracts. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

In Axing mRNA Contract, Trump Delivers Another Blow to US Biosecurity, Former Officials Say - KFF Health News

The Trump administration is eroding national pandemic flu defenses as it guts health agencies, cuts research and health budgets, and withdraws funding for bird flu vaccines, health security experts sa...

kffhealthnews.org

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 7h

This is about how RFK and Trump have distorted scientific studies to suit their aims.

The CDC's autism team wasn't consulted on their "historic" autism announcement, or on a grant to "explore" the link between vaccines & autism. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

‘Sick to My Stomach’: Trump Distorts Facts on Autism, Tylenol, and Vaccines, Scientists Say - KFF Health News

The White House’s autism announcement exaggerates links to Tylenol, misleads on vaccines, and sets back the field by ignoring decades of research, scientists say.

kffhealthnews.org

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 7h

Here's my investigative story on how, under Trump, the CDC was hampered from responding rapidly to measles in West Texas.

kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

As Measles Exploded, Officials in Texas Looked to CDC Scientists. Under Trump, No One Answered. - KFF Health News

Trump officials sowed fear and confusion among CDC scientists, slowing their response to the measles outbreak in West Texas. Cases surged and sparked new outbreaks across the U.S. and Mexico. Together...

kffhealthnews.org

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 7h

I'd love to hear from anyone who has been at agencies protecting public health this year (eg CDC, HHS, HRSA, HUD, NIH, OSHA). Privacy respected. Signal is AmyMaxmen.25

🧵Here's a thread of some of my stories this year on the impact of the Trump administration on America's public health.

Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · Nov 10

Hi! I'm a public health reporter moving from THERE to here. Give me a follow if you're interested in my writing & take:

Public health isn't only about outbreaks & vaccines. It's about making society healthier outside of clinics. It requires systemic change, equity, a belief in the common good.

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 9h

bsky.app/profile/lena...

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 10h

NEW: @CDCgov hit hard by massive firings that several staff describe to me as a “bloodbath.”
Among those RIFd:
—leadership of the center for immunization and respiratory diseases;
—leadership of global health center
—leadership of the measles outbreak response; 1/4

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Reposted by Amy Maxmen, PhD

Ashton Pittman @ashtonpittman.bsky.social · 23h

ICE left David, a 17-year-old boy, stranded on the side of Interstate 20 after pulling over his immigrant father, Hector, in Mississippi.

David began running in the scorching sun after the car and watched as it disappeared from sight—soon headed to a Louisiana ICE prison.

Here's their story.

ICE Stranded a 17-Year-Old on I-20 After Arresting His Father. The Mississippi Dad Now Faces Deportation.

A 17-year-old watched as ICE arrested his immigrant father, Hector, on I-20 in June. The family faces mounting legal fees and the risk of deportation.

www.mississippifreepress.org

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 9h

My info is from sources close to CDC. The groups above are affected by sweeping RIF notices. I don't know if they are entirely eliminated but it seems close to it, if not. The 1,100 HHS number is from a Trump admin court filing summarized here federalnewsnetwork.com/government-s...

storage.courtlistener.com

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 9h

The Trump admin is in the midst of laying off 1,100-1,200 HHS staff. The CDC's outbreak responders, gone. The office producing CDC's weekly journal MMWR is gone. CDC staff securing sensitive data, gone. Worker safety, gone. Immunization group, gone.

Instead, Congress watches RFK "make the proof"

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

RFK Jr on Tylenol and autism: "It is not proof. We're doing the studies to make the proof."

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Reposted by Amy Maxmen, PhD

Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 20h

I don’t know who needs to hear this but the CDC is being eviscerated right now. America is not going to have any kind of outbreak response capacity after tonight. Americans’ health data is no longer secure. Say goodbye to federal public health in any capacity. It’s a disaster. We won’t recover.

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Reposted by Amy Maxmen, PhD

Bethany Brookshire @beebrookshire.bsky.social · 1d

The greater noctule bat can, and DOES, hunt and eat freakin ROBINS in midair.

...and then it chews while continuing to echolocate.

Heheheh it "talks" with its mouth full. www.sciencenews.org/article/bats...

Mic’d bats reveal midnight songbird attacks

Sensor data reveal greater noctule bats chasing, catching and chewing on birds during high-altitude, nighttime hunts.

www.sciencenews.org

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 2d

But I can imagine good intentions. The lead author, Ann Bauer, recently told me there's simply NO decent evidence showing Tylenol early in life links to autism.

She didn't say it's impossible. Just that the data isn't there & it's hard to study well.

Inviting you to @ me @gavinyamey.bsky.social 😅

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 2d

They do nothing rule out the *MANY* other factors that come into play here. Their conclusion is that this is worth studying epidemiologically (they haven't.)

I call it an idea paper since it's just a quick & dirty exercise that researchers might do to formulate a hypothesis. IDK why it's published.

These ecological analyses identified positive correlations between autism/ASD prevalence and indicators of both prenatal and very early life paracetamol exposures. If these patterns are confirmed in formal epidemiologic studies, the use of paracetamol during pregnancy and at the time of circumcision may help to explain autism/ASD prevalence variations between the sexes, among countries, and within U.S. states and ethnic groups.

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 2d

There simply isn't data showing how much Tylenol children take early in life. So the researchers thought, gee, maybe we can assume that parents give their baby boys Tylenol after circumcision. It's a hell of a leap! They say so (in nerdspeak.)

It is important to acknowledge that this analysis has numerous and significant limitations. First and foremost, correlation is not causation and as such no causal inference is intended. Homogeneity of exposure and prevalence assessment methodologies among the studies has been assumed, but each may be subject to misclassification, confounding and bias. The change in autism/ASD prevalence, circumcision prevalence and paracetamol usage rates over time may not have been adequately addressed. Circumcision rates are presented as a proxy for an early male neonatal exposure to paracetamol. However, this assumption is not without significant limitations. The timeline for the actual implementation of child pain management protocols and the utilization of paracetamol with circumcision is not known. Additionally, pain management guidelines suggest that paracetamol alone is not sufficient to manage circumcision pain so a nerve block or local anesthesia may also be administered, which may be confounding factors.

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 2d

Children's Health Defense is like a funhouse mirror for scientific research. But not fun!

Re: circumcision. They cited a 2013 hypothesis-generating, idea paper, where researchers looked for any signs of a potential connection btwn early childhood Tylenol & autism. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23656698/

Prenatal and perinatal analgesic exposure and autism: an ecological link - PubMed

This ecological analysis identified country-level correlations between indicators of prenatal and perinatal paracetamol exposure and autism/ASD. State level correlation was also identified for the ind...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 2d

🧵RFK "HIV-doesn't-cause-AIDS" Jr. is now linking circumcision with autism.

This nonsense was posted by his anti-vax group Children's Health Defense years ago, and I looked into it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS9D...

SHOCK CLAIM: RFK Jr. Says Children Circumcised Early Have Twice The Autism Rate Due To Tylenol Use

YouTube video by Forbes Breaking News

www.youtube.com

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 2d

When I was reporting in Sudan several years ago, a driver warned me not to tell government officials when I was leaving because the airport is where they stop and detain writers.

So, yeah, this is a very bad sign. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

US anti-fascism expert blocked from flying to Spain at airport

Rutgers University professor who published book on antifa was informed at boarding gate that his trip was cancelled

www.theguardian.com

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 5d

Another case of warping research findings to suit political aims: This time on so-called conversion therapy.

“This is the most upsetting use of my scholarship that has ever happened in my career,” said law professor Clifford Rosky.

By @samlevin.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Christian group ‘deceived’ supreme court about LGBTQ+ research, cited scholars say

Exclusive: Experts say Alliance Defending Freedom, arguing to revive conversion therapy, ‘profoundly misrepresented’ their work in case threatening trans and queer youth

www.theguardian.com

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 8d

Arriving in a Blackhawk helicopter and more, ICE raids an apartment building in Chicago.

"It was scary, because I had never had a gun in my face," said one resident.

"We're under siege. We're being invaded by our own military."

abc7chicago.com/post/ice-chi...

Citizen app video captured the chaotic scene, and neighbors say there were dozens of ICE agents.

"As I got to my unit to stick my key in the door, I was grabbed by an officer. And, I said, 'What's going on? What's going on?' He never actually told me. He said I was being detained.," said Alicia Brooks.

Neighbors like Eboni Watson say they ducked for cover as they heard several flash bangs.

"They was terrified. The kids was crying. People was screaming. They looked very distraught. I was out there crying when I seen the little girl come around the corner, because they was bringing the kids down, too, had them zip tied to each other," Watson said. "That's all I kept asking. What is the morality? Where's the human? One of them literally laughed. He was standing right here. He said, 'f*** them kids.'"

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Reposted by Amy Maxmen, PhD

Alex Wild @alexwild.bsky.social · 9d

I've obtained the Trump compact document, let me summarize it for you.

Screen cap of a document reading "COMPACT FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
INTRODUCTION
American higher education is the envy of the world and represents a key strategic benefit for our
Nation. In turn, the U.S. university system benefits in a variety of ways from its extraordinary relationship
with the U.S. government. These include (i) access to student loans, grant programs, and federal contracts;
(ii) funding for research directly or indirectly; (iii) approval of student and other visas in connection with
university matriculation and instruction; and (iv) preferential treatment under the tax code. To advance the
national interest arising out of this unique relationship, this Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher
Education represents the priorities of the U.S. government in its engagements with universities that benefit
from the relationship. Institutions of higher education are free to develop models and values other than
those below, if the institution elects to forego federal benefits." with bits circled in color and translated to "Nice college you've got there. We hold all your money. It'd be a real shame if anything happened to it."

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 8d

Maybe it's morning brain but meat loaf immediately came to mind.

a man with long hair is saying `` i would do anything for love but i wont do that ''

ALT: a man with long hair is saying `` i would do anything for love but i wont do that ''

media.tenor.com

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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 9d

A young woman committed at psychiatric hospital in a flood zone said the river feels like a moat trapping her inside.

“My first feeling is doom,” Aurora said, watching a simulation of the river rising. The facility is one of many.

By @hackwriter.bsky.social et al
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

At Least 170 US Hospitals Face Major Flood Risk. Experts Say Trump Is Making It Worse. - KFF Health News

As a warming climate intensifies storms, KFF Health News has identified more than 170 U.S. hospitals at risk of significant and potentially dangerous flooding. Climate experts warn that the Trump admi...

kffhealthnews.org

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