Kathleen Bachynski
@bachynski.bsky.social
Associate Professor of public health at Muhlenberg College. History, ethics, epidemiology, sports, injury prevention.
Pinned
I love this photo that @melissabender.bsky.social captured of me at the #standupforscience rally yesterday in NYC. I wonder if I could make this my official faculty photo lol @jackiantonovich.bsky.social @kimberlywheiman.bsky.social @archaeoscape.bsky.social @sarahruncie.bsky.social
Reposted by Kathleen Bachynski
"Casey Means—nominee for Surgeon General —founded a wearables company called Levels. The end game has always been to get federal dollars to reimburse wellness fads. (Casey's twin Calley has a company called TrueMed, a platform to spend HSA/FSA $ on alternative therapies)" - @abbraxas.bsky.social
FDA Moves to 'Get Out of the Way' of Wearables, AI in the Clinic www.medpagetoday.com/publichealth...
FDA Moves to 'Get Out of the Way' of Wearables, AI in the Clinic
Agency premiered two updated guidance documents at the Consumer Electronics Show
www.medpagetoday.com
January 10, 2026 at 6:44 PM
"Casey Means—nominee for Surgeon General —founded a wearables company called Levels. The end game has always been to get federal dollars to reimburse wellness fads. (Casey's twin Calley has a company called TrueMed, a platform to spend HSA/FSA $ on alternative therapies)" - @abbraxas.bsky.social
Reposted by Kathleen Bachynski
H5N1 may be the avian flu virus that worries most people in America. But other types of bird flu are causing trouble around the world.
(Gift link) www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/h...
(Gift link) www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/h...
Bird Flu Viruses Raise Mounting Concerns Among Scientists
www.nytimes.com
January 10, 2026 at 4:37 PM
H5N1 may be the avian flu virus that worries most people in America. But other types of bird flu are causing trouble around the world.
(Gift link) www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/h...
(Gift link) www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/h...
Reposted by Kathleen Bachynski
rare to see an american politician speak in these terms and it rocks
“When I speak about making our city more affordable, my vision is not limited to the homes that we live in or the child care that we’re making universal — it’s also a vision where we make it possible for working people to afford lives of joy, of art, of rest, of expression.”
Handing Out Free Tickets, Mamdani Says Theater Should Not Be ‘a Luxury’
www.nytimes.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:48 AM
rare to see an american politician speak in these terms and it rocks
Reposted by Kathleen Bachynski
i'm not saying this as anyone who knows anything about health; i'm saying it as someone who is an alleged expert in interest group politics: the American beef industry is all over MAHA, wellness, and podcast spaces.
remember "bacon mania?" totally a marketing strategy by the pork industry.
remember "bacon mania?" totally a marketing strategy by the pork industry.
New federal dietary guidelines give federal approval to beef tallow, a fat that both cardiologists and the U.S. government told Americans to avoid for nearly half a century.
Beef Tallow Rises to the Top of the U.S. Food Pyramid
The new dietary guidelines give federal approval to a fat that has slowly caught on with consumers, even as doctors have warned against it.
nyti.ms
January 10, 2026 at 4:04 PM
i'm not saying this as anyone who knows anything about health; i'm saying it as someone who is an alleged expert in interest group politics: the American beef industry is all over MAHA, wellness, and podcast spaces.
remember "bacon mania?" totally a marketing strategy by the pork industry.
remember "bacon mania?" totally a marketing strategy by the pork industry.
Reposted by Kathleen Bachynski
Reposted by Kathleen Bachynski
WSJ investigation: In the past 6 months ICE agents have fired at vehicles 13 times, leading to:
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
Videos Show How ICE Vehicle Stops Can Escalate to Shootings
A WSJ visual investigation found that the Minneapolis ICE killing is one of 13 incidents where federal immigration agents have used deadly force against civilians in vehicles since July.
www.wsj.com
January 10, 2026 at 3:44 PM
WSJ investigation: In the past 6 months ICE agents have fired at vehicles 13 times, leading to:
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
“Health officials in South Carolina on Friday reported 99 new cases of measles in three days, a sharp acceleration… The outbreak, which started along the northern border of the state in Spartanburg County in October, has now spread to a total of 310 people, a vast majority of whom are children.”
Measles Cases Spike in South Carolina
www.nytimes.com
January 10, 2026 at 3:09 PM
“Health officials in South Carolina on Friday reported 99 new cases of measles in three days, a sharp acceleration… The outbreak, which started along the northern border of the state in Spartanburg County in October, has now spread to a total of 310 people, a vast majority of whom are children.”
Meat-heavy diets, promoted by RFKJ’s new upside-down food pyramid, “have repeatedly been linked to worse outcomes.
“The new food pyramid is simply bananas,” Michael Greger, a physician and founder of NutritionFacts.org, told me. “If nutrition guidelines were medicine, this would be malpractice.”
“The new food pyramid is simply bananas,” Michael Greger, a physician and founder of NutritionFacts.org, told me. “If nutrition guidelines were medicine, this would be malpractice.”
Opinion | The New Food Pyramid, Brought to You by Big Meat
www.nytimes.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Meat-heavy diets, promoted by RFKJ’s new upside-down food pyramid, “have repeatedly been linked to worse outcomes.
“The new food pyramid is simply bananas,” Michael Greger, a physician and founder of NutritionFacts.org, told me. “If nutrition guidelines were medicine, this would be malpractice.”
“The new food pyramid is simply bananas,” Michael Greger, a physician and founder of NutritionFacts.org, told me. “If nutrition guidelines were medicine, this would be malpractice.”
Reposted by Kathleen Bachynski
This is a HUGE win…and one that happened because we ~collectively~ said “NO!”
But AAAS coming in and saying on record to the NYT “Science is doing ok. Things are not bad at all…” is baffling.
If things are hard for you as a scientist, please share in the comments.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/s...
But AAAS coming in and saying on record to the NYT “Science is doing ok. Things are not bad at all…” is baffling.
If things are hard for you as a scientist, please share in the comments.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/s...
Congress Is Reversing Trump’s Steep Budget Cuts to Science
www.nytimes.com
January 10, 2026 at 12:09 PM
This is a HUGE win…and one that happened because we ~collectively~ said “NO!”
But AAAS coming in and saying on record to the NYT “Science is doing ok. Things are not bad at all…” is baffling.
If things are hard for you as a scientist, please share in the comments.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/s...
But AAAS coming in and saying on record to the NYT “Science is doing ok. Things are not bad at all…” is baffling.
If things are hard for you as a scientist, please share in the comments.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/s...
Reposted by Kathleen Bachynski
This is so incredibly heart-breaking. To Jay Bhattacharya and Matthew Memoli at NIH--you have betrayed the entire scientific community. Deeply committed staff are leaving in droves--because you are destroying the institution. Shame on you. www.statnews.com/2026/01/10/n...
The NIH has lost its scientific integrity. So we left
“We can no longer lend our credibility to an organization that has lost its integrity,” write four scientists and administrators who recently resigned from the NIH.
www.statnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:28 PM
This is so incredibly heart-breaking. To Jay Bhattacharya and Matthew Memoli at NIH--you have betrayed the entire scientific community. Deeply committed staff are leaving in droves--because you are destroying the institution. Shame on you. www.statnews.com/2026/01/10/n...
We saw Two Strangers (Carrying A Cake Across New York) last night. It was fun and sweet, with two excellent leads. There were multiple points where audience members in various parts of the theater led out very audible awwwws, one of which was so loud and cute it set the entire audience laughing.
January 10, 2026 at 2:26 PM
We saw Two Strangers (Carrying A Cake Across New York) last night. It was fun and sweet, with two excellent leads. There were multiple points where audience members in various parts of the theater led out very audible awwwws, one of which was so loud and cute it set the entire audience laughing.
“We can no longer lend our credibility to an organization that has lost its integrity… each of us independently reached the decision to resign in protest of the actions of an administration that treats science not as a process for building knowledge, but as a means to advance its political agenda.”
The NIH has lost its scientific integrity. So we left
“We can no longer lend our credibility to an organization that has lost its integrity,” write four scientists and administrators who recently resigned from the NIH.
www.statnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:07 PM
“We can no longer lend our credibility to an organization that has lost its integrity… each of us independently reached the decision to resign in protest of the actions of an administration that treats science not as a process for building knowledge, but as a means to advance its political agenda.”
I’m going to have a lot of research to do this year. “A seventh Democrat has entered the race for Lehigh Valley’s seat in Congress.
Lewis Shupe, an Allentown resident, has filed paperwork to run as a Democrat in the 7th Congressional District… Shupe joins a crowded field of Democratic candidates”
7th Democrat files to run in crowded primary for Lehigh Valley’s seat in Congress
The Allentown resident joins a crowded field of Democratic candidates seeking to challenge incumbent Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in the Lehigh Valley’s race for Congress.
www.mcall.com
January 9, 2026 at 8:41 PM
I’m going to have a lot of research to do this year. “A seventh Democrat has entered the race for Lehigh Valley’s seat in Congress.
Lewis Shupe, an Allentown resident, has filed paperwork to run as a Democrat in the 7th Congressional District… Shupe joins a crowded field of Democratic candidates”
This is unsurprising, but no less infuriating. “Three of the nine members have received grants or done consulting work for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association; one of those also received a research grant from and serves as an adviser to the National Pork Board.” @profgoldberg.bsky.social
Kennedy Said His Dietary Advisers Would Have ‘No Conflicts of Interest.’ Some Did.
www.nytimes.com
January 9, 2026 at 7:33 PM
This is unsurprising, but no less infuriating. “Three of the nine members have received grants or done consulting work for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association; one of those also received a research grant from and serves as an adviser to the National Pork Board.” @profgoldberg.bsky.social
“Surgical masks were not designed to stop airborne pathogens… Surgical masks are to respirators what the typewriter was to the modern computer, said Finkel, who was chief regulatory official at the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration between 1995 and 2000: “Obsolete.”
"There is “no rational justification remaining for prioritising or using” the surgical masks that are ubiquitous in hospitals and clinics globally, given their “inadequate protection against airborne pathogens”, they said in a letter to WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus."
Face masks ‘inadequate’ and should be swapped for respirators, WHO is advised
Experts are urging guideline changes on what health professionals should wear to protect against flu-like illnesses including Covid
www.theguardian.com
January 9, 2026 at 6:40 PM
“Surgical masks were not designed to stop airborne pathogens… Surgical masks are to respirators what the typewriter was to the modern computer, said Finkel, who was chief regulatory official at the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration between 1995 and 2000: “Obsolete.”
Reposted by Kathleen Bachynski
This is good but nothing changes as long as Miller is in charge at the White House
January 9, 2026 at 5:22 PM
This is good but nothing changes as long as Miller is in charge at the White House
Reposted by Kathleen Bachynski
Love seeing good work and good collaboration in our PA health departments! Here is the link to the original video - www.facebook.com/share/r/199U...
It is great to see state and local leaders stepping up to communicate about public health. Here is a screen grab of Allentown mayor Matt Tuerk speaking with Erin of the Allentown Health Bureau about the importance of vaccinating children. These short videos on social media can have a real impact.
January 9, 2026 at 6:10 PM
Love seeing good work and good collaboration in our PA health departments! Here is the link to the original video - www.facebook.com/share/r/199U...
Reposted by Kathleen Bachynski
Makes me proud to be an Allentonian 👏
It is great to see state and local leaders stepping up to communicate about public health. Here is a screen grab of Allentown mayor Matt Tuerk speaking with Erin of the Allentown Health Bureau about the importance of vaccinating children. These short videos on social media can have a real impact.
January 9, 2026 at 6:14 PM
Makes me proud to be an Allentonian 👏
It is great to see state and local leaders stepping up to communicate about public health. Here is a screen grab of Allentown mayor Matt Tuerk speaking with Erin of the Allentown Health Bureau about the importance of vaccinating children. These short videos on social media can have a real impact.
January 9, 2026 at 5:53 PM
It is great to see state and local leaders stepping up to communicate about public health. Here is a screen grab of Allentown mayor Matt Tuerk speaking with Erin of the Allentown Health Bureau about the importance of vaccinating children. These short videos on social media can have a real impact.
“There is a maxim in police circles: Officers are not supposed to be judge, jury and executioner. The vehicle plate could have been captured, the driver identified… There was no need to take her life… to this police veteran, this was a blatant and tragic use of deadly force.”
Opinion | ICE Killing in Minnesota: A ‘Blatant and Tragic Use of Deadly Force’
www.nytimes.com
January 9, 2026 at 5:39 PM
“There is a maxim in police circles: Officers are not supposed to be judge, jury and executioner. The vehicle plate could have been captured, the driver identified… There was no need to take her life… to this police veteran, this was a blatant and tragic use of deadly force.”
Reposted by Kathleen Bachynski
“If tenured faculty can be dismissed without a hearing at which the administration has to make the case before an elected body of peers, then that’s effectively the end of tenure in South Dakota."
— Mark Criley, AAUP Department of Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Governance
— Mark Criley, AAUP Department of Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Governance
South Dakota Adopts Post-Tenure Review
While the South Dakota Board of Regents says post-tenure review is a move toward increased accountability, critics say the policy will effectively kill tenure in the state.
www.insidehighered.com
January 9, 2026 at 2:09 PM
“If tenured faculty can be dismissed without a hearing at which the administration has to make the case before an elected body of peers, then that’s effectively the end of tenure in South Dakota."
— Mark Criley, AAUP Department of Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Governance
— Mark Criley, AAUP Department of Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Governance
“Our ask is to embrace the truth,” Mayor Jacob Frey said… adding that he was worried that the federal government had already concluded that the shooting was justified. “Our ask is to include the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in this process, because we in Minneapolis want a fair investigation.”
Minnesota Leaders Call for State Role in Investigating Deadly ICE Shooting
www.nytimes.com
January 9, 2026 at 4:50 PM
“Our ask is to embrace the truth,” Mayor Jacob Frey said… adding that he was worried that the federal government had already concluded that the shooting was justified. “Our ask is to include the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in this process, because we in Minneapolis want a fair investigation.”
“The recommendation to limit saturated fats remains intact. Yet the guidelines also encourage people to eat foods higher in saturated fats… “It’s almost laughable that they kept the 10% limit for saturated fat while really pushing red meat and dairy… Good luck trying to circle that square.”
How saturated fats lost, and won, on new food pyramid
New dietary guidelines limit saturated fats to 10% of total calories, but also encourage full-fat dairy, red meat, and beef tallow. How will that work?
www.statnews.com
January 9, 2026 at 1:53 PM
“The recommendation to limit saturated fats remains intact. Yet the guidelines also encourage people to eat foods higher in saturated fats… “It’s almost laughable that they kept the 10% limit for saturated fat while really pushing red meat and dairy… Good luck trying to circle that square.”
RFKJ has been undermining the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, “an influential task force that has for years played a key role in combating chronic disease, making cancer screenings and medications accessible to millions of Americans… The task force has not met in person since March.”
Kennedy Weakens U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
www.nytimes.com
January 9, 2026 at 1:07 PM
RFKJ has been undermining the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, “an influential task force that has for years played a key role in combating chronic disease, making cancer screenings and medications accessible to millions of Americans… The task force has not met in person since March.”
“Now, in a new study, scientists have found that Basket, and other dogs that share her advanced word-learning ability, have a skill that puts them functionally on par with 18-month-old children: They can learn the names of new toys not only through direct instruction but also by eavesdropping”
Dogs Build Their Vocabularies Like Toddlers
www.nytimes.com
January 9, 2026 at 2:59 AM
“Now, in a new study, scientists have found that Basket, and other dogs that share her advanced word-learning ability, have a skill that puts them functionally on par with 18-month-old children: They can learn the names of new toys not only through direct instruction but also by eavesdropping”